Newspaper Page Text
The Abbeville Chronicle
VOL. II.
TAK1N0 DEPOSITIONS OF SURVI
VORS OF THE MAINE.
WILL RETURN LATER TO HAVANA.
The Official* nt Washington Do Not Ex
pect » Final Report, For
Some Week* Yet.
A telegram was received at the
department lato Monday afternoon
from Admiral Sicard, at Key West, iu
the following terms:
“Key West, February 28.—To the
tary of the Navy, Washington: Court
inquiry will commence session at
West today. They must resume
at Havana to obtain evidence of divers
after further work upon the wreck.
1 ‘Sicard.”
The important feature of this com
munication is the declaration that the
court will return to Havana.
It sets at rest rumors that have beei
afloat for some days past that the
court was not to return to Havana for
the reason that it had discovered the
cause of the sinking of the Maine,
which was not an accident, and that,
consequently, they had no further bus
iness in Havana.
One important deduction to be drawn
from the message was that the report
of the court of inquiry can scarcely be
expected for several weeks to come.
The court will be occupied at Key
West for some days at least in taking
the testimony of the survivors there.
Then upon the return to Havana it is
expected that a good deal of time must
elapse before the divers can get
through the mud that now' encom
passes the lower part of the wreck of
the Maine and examine the bottom.
After this is done the court must de
liberate in order to secure an agree
ment upon their findings. The preva
lent belief at the navy department is
that up to this moment the court has
not once undertaken to compare notes
and endeavor to reach such an agree
ment.
ASKS FOR TWENTY MILLIONS
For Strengthening Our Navy—Resolution
Was Referred.
A Washington special says: The
house passed the sundry civil appro
priation bill Monday after a four days’
debate.
The Cuban question was injected
into the session by Mr. Bromwell, re
publican, of Ohio, who presented the
following resolution:
“That the secretary of the navy be,
and be is hereby authorized whenever
in bis judgment it shall become expe
dient for the best interests of the
country to do so, to secure options up
on and consummate the purchase of
such battleships, cruisers, rams, tor
pedo boats or other form of naval
vessels as are-of the modern type and
ready for immediate use; together with
the necessary armament and equip
ment for the same as in his the judgment
are necessary to place naval
strength of the country upon a proper
footing for immediate hostilities with
any foreign power with which the
same may be threatened; and that for
the purpose of consummating such pur
chases there is hereby appropriated
the sum of $20,000,000 to he immedi
ately available.”
Tt was referred to the naval com
mittee.
CORBETT LOSES SEAT.
Senate, By an Emphatic Vote, Settle* the
Matter For Good.
A Washington special says: By a
vote so large as to settle forever the
principle involved, the senate Monday
refused to admit H. W. Corbett to
membership in that body as a senator
from Oregon. The vote against ad
mission was 40 to 19—larger than ex
pected and so decisive in its character
as to be a notice on the part of the
senate to legislatures having had the
opportunity to do so and failing to fill
a vacancy in the senate, that failure
will be taken as priina facie evidence
that the state does not desire to have
her vacancy filled and the appointee of
the governor after such failure to elect
will not be recognized by the senate.
The effect of this act will be to put
an end to juggling and manipulation
for the purpose of creating deadlocks
and giving governors an opportunity
to appoint.
ENGLAND WILL “HANDS OFF.”
London Paper Says That Briton* Cannot
Help .Spaniard*.
The London Daily News comment
ing editorially on the relations be
tween the United States and Spain,
says: dim expect support,moral
“Spain England no against
or otherwise, front
the United States. She has ruined
Cuba, as she has ruined or lost every
other colony, by the grossest corrup
tion, cruelty and maladministration,
and she must be left.to settle the ac
count for its policy with those whom
it may concern without any aid or
sympathy on our part.”
ABBEVILLE. GA.. THURSDAY MARCH 3, 1898.
SOUTHERN PRO CRESS.
The New Imlu»trl«-» Katwhllsheit liiiring
til© Past Week.
No general statement can be
made on tlie entire southern market,
save that mere or less improvement
may be looked for as the spring comes
on.
In the matter of export business,
conditions and prospects vary ex
tremely at different points; an over
stock of sawn timber at Mobile, with
exports much below those for the same
period last year, while Norfolk reports
active trade and heavy foreign demand
for box grades at good prices, and a
short supply. The Mexican trade
helps sustain Texas prices and busi
ness, though more than one gulf port
west of New Orleans complnin of high
steam freights as the greatest detri
ment to foreign trade just now, com
bined with too low a freight estimate
of the money value, though not the
utility and desirability of pitch pine,
for which shippers seem to have been
too anxious to find a foreign customer
regardless of price.
Interior trade is satisfactory at all
points; medium grades being most in
demand at Mobile, poplar and both
plain and quartered red and white oak
at Nashville, and all upper grades of
hardwood at St. Louis.
At Nashville log prices have ruled
very high, but a tide, bringing down
the tied-up crafts, will tend to bring
down prices as well.
More attention may well be paid to
red cedar, as active demand is reported
from several points.
On the whole, inferior grades of
lumber are losers just now, and will
be more so, while the demand as well
as the price for upper grades of all
kinds will improve.
Two remarkable features are a heavy
single call by a Mexican railroad on a
Texas mill for 2,000,000 feet of stuff,
mainly ties, shipment by rail to begin
March 1st, and a week’s export of
270,000 feet of lumber to Manzanillo,
Cuba.
The southern furnace men seem to
have agreed at Birmingham on a basis
of prices and co-operstion to maintain
them. Demand is good, and the fur
naces should do well enough this
spring. But in the absence of a uni
form system of grading price cutting
will surely continue.
A new by-product plant at Birming
hrm will duplicate the Sloss plant at
Ensley. The Sloss people will furnish
the coal and receive coke in return,
the by-products representing the new
concern’s expenses and profit.
The superior facilities in the south
for the manufacture of textile goods
continues to appeal to capitalists in
the south as well as in the north and
several new plants have been project
ed the past week in which soul hern
capital is taking the lead. In New
England the situation continues to re
ceive the careful investigation of mill
owners and a special legislative com
mittee, and the prediction seems justi
fied that at no distant day there will
be an alliance of New England capital
with the south’s capital and natural
advantages for the production of all
grades of textile goods that will bring
the south to the position in this indus
try she should occupy, by reason of
labor,clime, legislation and location as
regards supply of raw material.
In new enterprises for the past week
lumber leads, with sawmills at Clutt-s
ville and Jemison, Ala.; Keo, Sedg
wick, Mena, Wesson, Pine Bluff, Ark.;
Donaldsonville and Jokin, Ga.; Hale,
Miss.; Aberdeen and Hertford, N. C.;
Bath, Swansea and Columbia, S. C.
Box factories at Helena, Ark.; Louis
ville, Ky.; Vilasco, Tex., and Ridley’s
Station, Ya.; and planing mills at
Calera, Ala.; Statesboro, Ga.; McHen
ry, Miss.; Hickory, NT C.; Dallas,
Tex., and Fayetteville, W. Va.
Georgia reports two planing mills
and North Carolina one; and a rope
mill is promised at Jackson, Miss.
In a general way, improvement con
tinues; brick works, a fertilizer facto
ry, canning factory, carriage factory,
harness factory, nail works and tobac
co factory are noted.—Tradesman
(Chattanooga, Teun.)
SILVER REPUBLICANS ACT.
The Manifesto Issued liy National Chair
man Indorsed In Conference.
A conference of silver republicans
from all sections of Idaho was held at
Boise City last Monday.
After an interesting and lengthy
discussion, resolutions were passed in
dorsing the recent manifesto issued by
-itional chairman of the silver
party recommending fusion.
FIT/ IS WILLING.
Champion Says lie Will Meet Kid Me
Coy at Any Time.
Bob Fitzsimmons expresses a wil
lingness to fight Kid McCoy. Fitz
simmons says.
“I will fight McCoy any time he
puts up enough money to make it
worth my while. McCoy and Ruhlin
have no more right to fight for the
championship than a yellow dog. I
will fight McCoy any second he puts
up the stuff. McCoy is a miserable up
start. He lias been a little successful
and it ban made liim daffy. The kid
has the swell head and he thinks he is
in the heavyweight class.
SEVEN OF ITS OCCUPANTS HURL
ED INTO ETERNITY.
BODIES SCATTERED PROMISCUOSLY.
A Number of lb« Victims Ground to Piece*
Under Wheels—Non© In the Vehicle
Escape Injury.
A ’buss filled with pleasure seekers
was struck by a Grand Trunk passen
ger train at the Western Avenue cross
ing south of Blue island iu the south
western part of Chicago nt 9 o'clock
Saturday night.
Seven of the number were killed
and noue of tlie occupants of the vehicle
escaped without injury. The dead are:
Mary Rietz, 17 years old.
Jennie Willette, 18 years old.
Sophia Van Buren, 15 years old.
Louis Sauerbier, 14 years old,
Fred Pelky, 20 years old.
Unidentified woman, taken to Went
Harvey.
George Sauerbier, driver, collarbone
broken and severely bruised.
ThomaB Hayes, spine injured and
ribs broken; cannot recover.
There were but four couples in the
-pleasure party, fourteen others who
were to have gone having remained to
take another ’bus.
The train which collided with the
omnibus was bound toward Chicago.
It was behind time as it approached
Blue Island from the southeast and
was going at a high rate of speed. As
the ’bus rounded a curve in the road
the train was seen approaching.
A slight down grade prevented the
driver from stopping the vehicle, ns it
slipped on the ice and snow, and just
as the frightened horses leaped across
the railway tracks the heavy locomo
tive struck the frail vehicle fairly in
the middle, hurling human bodies and
fragments of debris far from the tracks
and continuing on its northward jour
ney several hundred feet before it
could be stopped, passing over several
bodies in its progress.
TEX FIREMEN KILLED.
Explosion in IlniTiini; linildini; Causes
Fearful Disaster.
Fire broke out in Hall Brothers’
laboratory at Kalamazoo, Mich., at 10
Saturday night and while the firemen
were trying to put the fire out in the
second story a terrific explosion took
place, blowing up the entire sido of
the building.
The first explosion was followed by
two others. Firemen on the ladder
were blown in every direction by the
fearful concussion.
The flames shot high into the air
and it looked for a moment as if there
would be a great conflagration.
The crowd was dazed by the explo
sion. Horses were thrown down and
windows in the vicinity shattered.
Work of rescue began at once and the
building was left to its doom.
The total number of known dead is
ten. The list is as follows:
George Holliday, engine driver.
Pat McHugh, pipemau.
John Hastings, Jr,, hoseman.
Charles Whiting, spectator.
James Quigley, spectator.
William Wager, fireman.
L. L. Holliday, druggist.
Frank Auwers, fireman.
Engeue Dole, fireman.
Joseph Clifford, telephone lineman.
Fourteen persons were more or Jess
seriously injured.
Other bodies are supposed to lie
still in the building, as two boys,
Phillips and West, and a Michigan
Central brakemau are missing.
SOUTHERN BUYS ROAD.
The M. * V. Sold to Highest lihlder
For »2,fiOO.OOO.
The Memphis and Charleston rail
road, extending southeast from Mem
phis, Tenn., to Stevenson, Ala., a
distance of 290 miies, was sold at pub
lic outcry at noon Saturday. The
Southern Railroad company bought
the property at the upset price of
$2,500,000, there being no other bid
ders.
The sale was made necessary be
cause of default in the payment of In
terest on the road’s bonded debt. The
Memphis and Charleston has been in
the hands of a receiver for many years.
Of late it has boon operated on a pay
ing business, and is considered a val
uable piece of railroad property.
WILLIAM SINCERITY DEAD.
Proprietor of Philadelphia Record and
President of Broken Rank.
William YI. Singerly died suddenly
at his residence in Philadelphia Bun
day afternoon, aged sixty-six yeuis.
Heart disease was the immediate cause
of death.
Mr. Singerly was proprietor of the
Record Publishing Company and pres
ident of the Chestnut Street National
bank and the Chestnut Street Savings
Fund and Trust Company, which re
cently collapsed. He was a man of
affairs and held during his long busi
ness career many positions of trust,
political and otherwise.
QUARANTINE LAWS DISCUSSED.
Rouge of ltepregentuttyeg Devote* Itself
Strictly to Busin©**.
A Washington special says: The
house devoted itself strictly to busi
ness Thursday ami disposed of thirty
additional pages of the sundry civil
appropriation bill. government is
The fact that the pre
paring for contingencies was recog
nized when Chairman Cannon, who
has been laboring to keep down ap
propriations, accepted without a word
of protest an amendment to increase
the appropriation to care for the un
used machinery at the Springfield ar
senal. Mr. Gillette explained that
necessity for using this machinery
might occur at any time.
Resolutions which were objected to
a few days ago for the appointment of
two ex-naval cadets to positions in tlie
engineer corps of tlie navy were also
adopted. One of them will fill a va
cancy caused by the death of Lieuten
ant Merritt, of the Maine.
Mr. Bayers, democrat, of Texas,
criticised the item in the bill placing
only the unexpended epidemic funds
of past years at the disposal of the
quarantine service. He thought $200,
000 additional should lie appropriated.
Mr. Cannon said that the largest
amount expended in a previous year
was $287,000, in 1894. Last year but
$134,000 was spent. On February 1,
1898, there was an unexpended bal
ance of $340,000. In bis opinion that
was sufficient.
Mr. Bailey, democrat, of Texas, de
clared his belief thnt the matter of
quarantine regulations should be left
to the states. He was opposed not
only to the additional appropriation
proposed by bis colleague, but to the
use of the unexpended balance provided
balance provided for iu the bill.
Mr. Sayers pointed out that in event
of a recurrence of the yellow fever
epidemic this summer after congress
adjourns $340,000 might not lie suffi
cient to cope with it. He said lie did
not want to he held responsible for
the failure of funds in the event of an
epidemic.
The discussion soon drifted into the
advisability of the establishment of a
national quarantine law. Mr. Car
mack, democrat, of Tennessee, advo
cated such a law. He said forty-five
different systems in as many different
states created chaos.
Mr. Williams, democrat, of Missis
sippi, thought it unfortunate that this
great question of a national quarantine
bad been precipitated in connection
with this appropriation. The people
of his state and the board of health of
his state believed tlie United States
should have exclusive jurisdiction of
maritime and coastwise quarantine
and were willing to give the federal
authorities exclusive and paramount
control. Rut once an epidemic got a
foothold inside tlie state he insisted
that the state should control.
Mr. Underwood opposed exclusive
control by the federal government.
Mr. Bayers moved to increase the
appropriation $200,000.
Mr, Love, democrat, of Mississippi,
advocated the amendment. The Bayers
amendment was lost.
The following proviso was ruled out
on a point of order raised by Chairman
Lacey, of the public lands committee,
that it was new legislation:
“That hereafter no public monies
shall bo expended for the survey of
any portion of tlie public domain em
braced within any forest reserves of
the United States except for such sur
veys as may be necessary to designate
the exterior boundaries of such re
serves and of such lands within such
reserves ns may be embraced within or
covered by legal claims initiated prior
to the date of the proclamation of the
reservation."
On motion of Mr. Devries, democrat,
of California,an amendment w as adopt
ed appropriating $0,300 for the Yose
mite National Park, California.
After completing thirty pages of the
bill, the committee rose.
At 5:15 o’clock p. in. tlie house ad
journed.
ALLEN’S RESOLUTION
Recognizing Cuban Belligerency Dl*
oiiKsed for Four Hour* by tli© Senator*.
While tlie senate had under con
sideration the diplomatic and consular
appropriation bill Wednesday, a sharp
debate on the Cuban resolution was
precipitated by Mr. Allen, of Nebraska,
who offered as au amendment the re
solution passed by the senate a year
ago, recognizing the belligerent rights
of the Cuban insurgents.
The debate became general and oc
cupied nearly four hours.
ORDERS TO BUCKLAND.
Commander of Connecticut Naval Ituttal
ion Goes To Washington*
In response to orders from the sec
retary of the navy, E. G. Buckland,
who commands the naval battalion of
Connecticut, left New Haven for Wash
ington Thursday. The order received
read as follows:
“Commander Buckland, of the Wy
andotte, will report to the navy de
partment at Washington on Friday.”
Although nothing definite as to the
import of Mr. Buekland’s summons to
Washington is known, it is though he
is to receive instructions about getting
his men ready for service at short no
tice if necessity arises.
BIO CONTRACTS RIVEN TO
ERAL PITTSHURO FIRMS.
QUICK DELIVERY IS DEMANDED.
Quarter Million Tons Will Il« Forwarded
at One© to Key West For
the Big Fleet.
A Pittsburg, Pa., special states that
most extensive orders for coal to be
shipped to Key West, given out there
by the government, have induced tlie
coal barons of that section to become
thoroughly impressed with the belief
that war with Spain is inevitable and
tlieir belief is based upon the conduct
of the government officials, who are
in position to know what the adminis
tration contemplates.
It would be almost impossible to
make one in that locality believe the
government is not preparing for war,
and preparing in earnest. In that
preparation tlie officials have been
necessarily compelled to take the coal
mine owners into their confidence,
because of the nature of tlie prepara
tions, while the general activity the
mine owners are showing spreads the
war theory.
Tlie navy department has just closed
contracts with the incorporated firm of
Gastner,Curran & Bullitt, of Philadel
phia, for tlie delivery at Key West,
Sand Keys, Dry Tortugas, Savannah,
Charleston and Fortress Monroe of
250,000 tons of Pocahontas coal, and
with the Rhodes & Beidler Coal Com
pany, of Cleveland, Goshen for the delivery of
50,000 tons of the coal, of that
company.
The stipulations of the contracts
just placed are that the coal so ordered
shall be delivered at the designated
coaling stations ns soon as it is possi
ble to do so, and that the utmost se
crecy be observed about the matter.
Iu carrying out these contracts the
railroads play a most prominent part,
and for the purpose of moving every
thing as expeditiously as possible
President M. E. Ingalls, of the Chesa
peake and Ohio; Receiver Oscar G.
Murray, of tlie Baltimore and Ohio,
and General Manager L. F. Loiree, of
the Pennsylvania railroad, went to
Washington last week and consulted
with Secretary Long, of the navy, and
Assistant Secretary George D. Meikle
john, of the war department, on the
matter.
Contracts and all arrangements for
the rapid handling and shipping of the
coal were made and the government,
it is understood, is to pay a bonus to
both the coal miners and the railroads
if the 300,000 tons are delivered with
in a specified time.
SPANIARDS MAKE DENIAL.
Declare There In No Mine Either Inaiite
or Ont.hle Havana Harbor.
In view of the widely published re
port that the harbor of Havana con
tains a system of submarine mines,
Seuor Du Bose, Spanish charge d’af
fairs at Washington, has made the
following statement which, coming
from such authority, may be consider
ed as an official denial:
“I wish to state on my own official
knowledge that no mine exists inside
or outside of Havana harbor; nor is
there any submarine defense of any
kind. The report is so absolutely
false and ridiculous that it could only
have originated in the minds of those
persons anxious to iucite the evil pas
sions of both nations for their own
miserable ends. I consider tlie very
suggestion of such a thing an insult
to Spain."
FULL CABINET MEETING.
Fresiilont McKinley ami Him Official Ad
visor* Ifav© R Conference.
The first full meeting of the cabinet
iu some weeks was hekl Friday, both
Secretaries Alger ami Sherman, who
have been sick, being present.
Tim cabinet talked about the Maine
disaster at some length as a current
topic of vital Interest, but no action
was taken.
No intimation, it was stated, has yet
come from the court of inquiry ns to
how long it will be occupied with its
work and consequently no conclusion
can be reached as to when its report
will be available.
BRYAN TO VISIT ALABAMA.
Nalira.kan Will Make Sav.ral 8p«eeli«s In
tli© .State,
A Birmingham special says: Hon.
William J. Bryan will come to Ala
bama March 1st to make a series of
speeches at several towns throughout
the state, having been invited for that
purpose. Ho will come to Tuscaloosa
and speak March 1st. His dates for
s])eeches are as follows:
Tuscaloosa, Tuesday night, March 1.
Birmingham, Wednesday night,
Marcn 2d.
Mobile, Thursday night, March 3d.
I’ensacola.Friday night, March 4th
Talladoga, nt noon, March 5th.
Montgomery, Monday, March 7th,
NO. 7.
NINE PEOPLE CREMATED.
Caught In a Burning Tenement
Charleston! S. C.
Nine lives were lost in a foarful
which raged for a short while
Charleston, S. C., Saturday morning.
At 2:10 o’clock a policeman on
noticed hig sparks flying from the
ement house at 100 Church street and
he promptly sent m the alarm from
the nearest box. The officer found
that a blaze was issuing from one of
tlie windows on the first floor. The
doors were broken open and the fam
ily on that floor rushed out without
any damage.
Some one cried out then that a fam
ily of women were sleeping on the
third floor. The police rushed up
stairs and when they renched the top
story the life-saving work was stopped
by the flames, which seemed to be
playing over the entire building.
Screams from tlie dying women
were heard and Officer Bagby rushed
in and pulled out three charred
bodies. The quick work of the fire
department checked the Are and it wna
soon under control. The dead are:
Mrs. Rebecca Kniokmeyer.
Albert Oneale.
Caswell Oneale.
Josephine Knickmeyer, 17 years old.
Katie Knickmeyer, 18 years old.
Leonora Knickmeyer, i) years old.
Frances Knickmeyer, (5 years »old.
Baby of Mrs. Knickmeyer, 1 month
old.
Mrs. Knickmeyer is the wife of
Theodore E. Kniokmeyer, a carpen
ter, who is also a call man in the tiro
department. The other Knickmeyers
are all his children, and the O’Neales
are his brothers-in-law.
ALABAMA BRIGANDS CAPTURED,
Reign of Terror Brought To au End In
Lamar County.
A special from Kennedy, Ala., says:
Lamar county, the birthplace of Rube
Burrows, is infested with another baud
of desperadoes whose deeds of law less
ness will go down iu criminal annals
alongsido of the record of tlie big
brigand who was never captured alive.
Under Instructions from Governor
Jahnston a detective lias been in the
neighborhood for two months and the
raid was planned and successfully
brought off Saturday when A. W. Ro
land, the ringleader; Will McCullagh,
Coote Long ami Vester Pate were
lodged in jail at Vernon, the county
site.
The officers are scouring the coun
try for Ed Wilson, another of the des
peradoes.
STEAMER BURNS AT SEA.
81* of Hor Crow PerinH Ktnl Remainder
Are lie*©nod.
A Boston special says: The steamer
Legislator, Captain Tennant, bound
from Liverpool from Colon, was
burned nt sea February 10th, in lati
tude 31:23 north and longitude 44:10
west.
The lire broke out on February
18th and burned fiercely for three
days, during which time Fireman
Thomas Roberts was burned to death,
Second Officer James Bateman and
Seamen William Angell were drowned
by the capsizing of a boat, Third Offi
cer Martin and Chief Steward John
Gaffney went adrift in another boat
and Chief Cook Fred T. Lee, crazed
with fearful burns, jumped overboard.
The rest of the crew of thirty men,
with two passengers—Dr. William E.
Mortimer and wife, London —were
rescued by the fruit steamer Flower
Gate, and landed at Boston Sunday.
LOST STEAMER SAVED.
Tlie M inning La Champagne Towed Into
Halifax By the Roman.
A special of Sunday from Halifax,
N. H., says: “The 300and odd passen
gers on board the French liner La
Champagne will rest more soundly
tonight than they have for ten days.
"Since Thursday two weeks ago, half
of which time they have drifted on
the Atlantic, the days and nights have
been filled with anxiety for their per
sonal safety, but tonight they sleep in
peace and comfort, safe in the harbor of
Halifax, their fears and cares on ac
count of danger being dissipated by
the happy knowledge that they are no
longer at the mercy of the stormy
ocean.
“After she had drifted for five days
on the Newfoundland banks with her
engines disabled and the screw shaft
the great Boston-bound
freight steamer Roman, from Liver
pool, came along, picked her up and
brought her into Halifax without fur
ther mishap of consequence.”
MONEY FOR ADMINISTRATION.
fleuiitor Hanna Secures Promise* From
Prominent Financial Men.
The New York Evening World says
that Senator Hanna was iu conference
last evening with a number of repre
sentatives of prominent fiuaucial in
stitutions, and that he was given to
understand by them that the adminis
tration could depend on all the money
support necessary to carry out any
plan of action that might be deter
mined.
According to the World, a series of
bond issues aggregating $500,000,000
was suggested as a possibility, and
was acquiesced in by the assembled fi
nanciers.