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The Abbeville Chronic le VOL. II. The Merrimac Is Blown Up Her Gallant Crew of Eight Mon, Led by Lieutenant Hobson, Are Made Prisoners By the Spaniards. Associated Press dispatches via Kingston state that Rear Admiral Sampson during Friday morning de cided to closes the narrow harbor cu trance of Santiago de Cuba by sinking the collier Merrimac, loaded with coal, in the harbor. He called for volun teers to go to almost certain death and forty-seven men offered themselves. Lieutenant Hobson and seven men were chosen, and at 8 o’elock a. m. Friday morning the Merrimac, under her own steam, entered the channel under a terrible Spanish fire. The ves sel was riddled with projectiles, but she anchored and swung around. Lieutenant Ho„___then set off an internal torpedo with an electric at tachment. There was an explosion, the Merrimac sank, the channel was closed and apparently Admiral Cervera will be unable to escape, Robson and the hero crew of the Merrimac were saved in the following manner: Unable after the sinking of their vessel to make their way back through the storm of shot and shell, they rode into the harbor to the Spanish flagship and were taken <_)Q board unharmed. The Spanish admiral under a flag of truce sent word to the American ad miral to the effect offering to change the prisoners, adding that in the meanwhile he aud his party would be treated with the greatest consideration. The only Hobson in the list of offi cers in the naval register is Richmond P. Hobson, a naval constructor, who is a lieutenant of the junior grade. He was appointed an assistant naval con structor iu 1891. He entered the navy from Alabama. A bulletin was received at the white house Sntuiiday corroborating the re port that the Merrimac w r ns sunk iu Santiago channel, and by orders from the department. It w'as stated positively that this action on the part of Admiral Samp son was a part of the program for at tacking Santiago, and that it was known that he was going to call for a volunteer crew. “The cork is driven in the bottle,” was the comment of the naval officers at the navy department upon the news of the sinking of the collier Merrimac. Cervera Notifies Sampson. Additional advices received at Hayti state that all the members of the Mer rimac expedition are safe. Only two of them were slightly injured. Lieu tenant Hobson was not hurt. All of the Merrimac’s men are held as pris oners of war. The news of their v r cn derful escape was sent to Rear Admiral Sampson by Admiral Cervera, the Spanish admiral, who, being so struck with the courage of th§ Merrimac’s crew, thought Admiral Sampson should know that they had not ost their lives. Admiral Cervera’s chief of staff, Captain Oviedo, boarded the New York under a flag of truce bearing the announcement of tho safety of the Merrimac’s men and returned with a supply of provisions and money for the prisoners. is Lieutenant Hobson’s name on every lip in Washington. He is well known at tlfe navy department, as he served in the bureau of construction for several years. OFFICIAL FROM SCHLEY. Commodore Notifies Department of the First Engagement at Santiago. The navy department has received an official report from Commodore Schley regarding his recent attack on the fortifications at the entrance to Santiago harbor. Commodore Schley says that his at tack Was made for the purpose of de veloping the enemie’s position, to locate their batteries, etc. In that respect it was entirely suc cessful, and he accomplished what he set out to do. None of his vessels were touched by the enemy’s volleys and there were no casulties or mishaps on his vessels. ABBEVILLE. GA.. THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 189S. FIGHTING IN THE PHILIPPINES, Insurgents Kill One Thousand Spaniards In Hattie at Manila. Advices from Manila, via Hong Kong, state that the Spanish outposts have been driven in all along the line s multaueously and with great slaugh ter by the insurgents. It is said that over a thousand have been killed. There was fiorce hand to hand fighting for seventy hours, despite the typhoon which was raging. The violent winds and torrents of rain rendered the rifles of the Spanish troops unavailable. The natives easily won at every step with their slashing knives. The insurgents now hold Mala Bon, Tariac and Bacoor. Chief Agninaldo, in the course of an interview, has said that the insurgents are eager to rush upon Manila forth with, but that Admiral Dewey refuses to allow “hordes of passionate semi savages to storm a civilized metrop olis.” Admiral Dewey intends to await the arrival of American troops. In the meantime the insurgents have been forbidden to cross Maloote river, oth erwise the Petrel will be stationed there to bombard them. SOUTHERN PROGRESS. The New Industries Repotted in the South During: the Fast Week. Among the new industries reported throughout the south during the past week may he mentioned a canning fac tory in Georgia, a large cotton com press iu Alabama, an electric light plant in Louisiana and an electric light and street railway system in Kentucky; flouring mills in North Carolina, Geor gia, Tennessee aud Texas; a hoop fac tory in North Carolina and an ice fac tory in the same state; a lumber mill in Kentucky; mining company in Ar kansas; cotton oil mills in Georgia and South Carolina, and oil and fertilizer mills in North Carolina; a rubber goods manufactory in Texas; a sawmill in North Carolina and a spectacle works, capital $25,000; and a large stave factory in Arkansas.—Trades man (Chattanooga, Tenu). BANKS LOSE HEAVILY Through Moody & Brewster Failure at Atlanta—Moody Arrested. One of the most striking features of the Moody & Brewster failure a few' days ago at Atlanta Is the large amount ou'ed by the firm to local and to New York banks. It is stated by a man who has made an investigation of the case, that Moody & Brew'ster’s paper held by the of banks would approximate a quarter a million do lars. John T. Moody, the senior member of the firm, was placed under arrest on a warrant sworn out by Edward Hiler, of New York, charging him with committing a misdemeanor. Bond was given in the sum of $1,000, it being signed by Messrs. J. W. Ruck er, J. W. English, Thomas D. Meador, George W. Parrott and Jacob Hass. WAR VETERANS UNITED. Weave rs of Gray and Blue Join in the Cel ebration at Columbus, O. The local Grand Army post nt Co lumbus, O., joined the Confederate veterans from the south iu memorial exercises at Camp Chase Confederate cemetery. Colonel W. H. Knauss, G. A. R., presided. Addresses were made by Colonel Bennett H. Young, of Louisville; Governor Taylor, of Tennessee; Hon. John Leathers, of Louisville, all Con federates, and by Captain Gilbert H. Barger, G. A. R. The Confederate Glee club of Louisville and school children of Columbus sang. Flowers from the south and north were profusely strewn. CERVERA IN BAD PLIGHT. May Slow Up His Ships Before Surrender ing Them, A Washington special says: By no possibility, it is conceded by members of the w r ar hoards, will Admiral Cer vera’s vessels in the harbor of Santiago be able to reach the open sea, even with the remains of the Merrimac re moved, which is not probable. The entire Spanish squadron is now conceded to have been caught and closed against all possibilities of es cape, and unless Cervera purposely destroys the ships they are hound ulti mately to fall into the hands of the United States. REPORT FROM DEWEY Announcing Decisive Victories of Insur gents In Philippines. The navy department Monday re ceived a report from Admiral Dewey of important success achieved by the insurgents at Manila. It read: “Admiral Dewey reports that the insurgents have been actively engaged within the province of Cavite during the past week. They have won sev eral victories, taken prisoners about 1,800 men, fifty officers of the Spanish troops, not native, Tho ar senal of Cavite ha i been prepared for occupation by United States troops n pon their arrival on transports.” » SINKING OF THE MERRIMAC IN SANTIAGO HARBOR DESCRIBED. PERSONNEL OF THE BRAVE CREW. Commendable Courage of Council Men Who Were Waiting to Rescue Hob son and His Companions. The - Associated Press gives the fol lowing detailed story of the act of heroism performed by Lieutenant Richmond P. Hobson and his seven companions in sinking the collier Mer rimac across the channel lending into the harbor of Santiago do Cuba: The narrow channel leading into the harbor was completely blocked early Friday morning when the United States collier Merrimac was sunk across its entrance. It is now impos sible for the Spaniards to get out, and it is equally impossible for any vessels to get into the harbor, therefore, the Spanish first-class armored cruisers Maria Teresa,Cristobal Colon, Vizcaya and Almirante Oquendo, with the two topedo boat destroyers Furor and Plu ton, are no longer any use to Spain. Lieutenant Hobson started on his daring errand at 3 o’clock Friday morning. Tho Merrimac was lying to the westward, and under cover of the clouds over the moon, she stole in toward the coast, making her way to the eastward, followed by a launch. From the crowded decks of the New York nothing could be seen of the Merrimac after she had got under the shadow of the hills. For half an hour officers and men strained their eyes peering into the gloom, when, sud denly, the flash of a gun streamed out from Morro castle and then all on board the New r York knew the Merri was nearing her end. The guns from the Spanish battery opposite Morro castle answered quickly with move flashes, and for about twenty minutes flashes of fire seemed to leap across the harbor entrance. The flagship was too far away to hear the reports, and when the firing ceased it w r as judged that Hobson had blown lip the Merrimac. For an hour the anxious watchers on tho steam launch sent along to rescue the Merri mac’s crew, w aited for daylight. Rear Admiral Sampson and Captain Chad wick remaining on the bridge of the New York throughout the night. Then Cadet Powell, who was in command of the steam yacht, return ing, reported that he had clearly seen the Merrimac’s masts sticking up just where Hobson hoped to sink her— north of the Estrella battery and well past the guns of Morn. But of the heroes who had penned the Spaniards in there was not a sound or sign. Rear Admiral Sampson said: “I am pretty sure the attempt was quite Sue cessful I hope all those brave fellows are not captured.” Cadet Powell, in making his report, said he believed the torpedoes pre viously fixed about the Merrimac W'ere exploded as planned. What actually happened on board the Merrimac will not be known until flobson tells it himself. Great admiration is expressed at the department at the coolness and discre tion shown by the young cadet, Geo. W. Powell, who took command of the New York’s steam launch and lay un der the batteries until he was satisfied, from his own observation, that the Merrimac had gone down before he returned to the flagship. The men Hobson selected to go with him were Daniel Montague, George Charette, J.C. Murphy,Oscar Deignan, John P. Phillips, John Kelly and H. Clausen. The latter, a coxswain of the New York, took part in the expedition against ordei s. Daniel Montague is chief master at arms of the New York. George Charette is a gunner’s mate on board the New York. J. C. Murphy is a coxswain of the Iowa. Oscar Deignan is a coxswain of the Merrimac. John P. Phillips is a machinist of the first class, belonging to the M erri mac. John Kelly is . a water tender. H. Clausen, who slipped on boa d the Merrimac without permission to take part in the expedition , is a cox swain of the N ew York. GUNBOAT MARIETTA SAFE. Beaches Key West After an Uneventful Trip of Three Months. The United States gunboat Marietta, Commander Simmons, arrived at Key West early Saturday morning from San Jose, Cal., which port she left on the 16th of March. The trip was unevent ful and there was not even a case of sickness aboard. Much of the voyage was made in company with the battle ship Oregon, and the first question of the Marietta’s officers was as to the Oregon’s whereabouts, the Marietta left Rio Janeiro on May 3. The men on hoard had heard no war news later than tho bulletin of Rear Admiral Dewey’s victory at Manilla. BONDS AND SEIGNIORAGE. Former In Incorporated In Revenue Hill anil Latter Will l>e Coined. The revenue tariff discussion in congress, and test votes takou on the principal items of the bill formed the chief feature of Friday’s news from Washington. The bill is still incomplete, but the bond feature and the seignorage prop osition have been disposed of. These have been the principal items of con tention. The senate modified the bond pro vision as it came from the house by providing for the issue of $300,000,000 instead of $500,000,000. The bond feature was put in the bill in the face of the report of the major ity of the finance committee against it. The adoption .of this provision, with its attendant provision for the issue of certificates of indebtedness, was put in the bill in lieu of that urged by the majority of the democrats for the issue of treasury notes. The provision for t,lie immediate coinage of the seigniorage existing in the silver bullion now in the treasury —$45,000,000 in all—was put in the bill by the votes of the democrats and silver Republicans. Mr. Aldrich, republican, of Rhode Island, then pressed the amendment of the minority of the finance commit tee providing for the issue of one hun dred millions of certificates of indebt edness and three hundred millions of bonds, to be used exclusively for the payment of the expenditures of the war. After an extended debate, the ques tion was brought to an issue and by the decisive vote of 45 to 31 the bond amendment was incorporated in the bill as a substitute for the amendment to issue legal tender notes. The bond proposition received the votes of thirty-seven republicans, seven demo crats and one populist. The democrats ■who voted voted for it were Messrs. Caffery, Faulkner, Gorman, Gray, Lindsay, Mitchell aud Murphy and the populist was Mr. Kyle. No republi can voted against the issue of bonds, the votes in opposition to bonds being cast by twenty-one democrats, five populists and fivo silver republicans. Mr. Wolcott, of Colorado, pro posed the amendment directing the secretary of the treasury to coin the silver bullion in the treasury to an amount of not less than $4,000,000 a month and to issue silver certificates against it. After some discussion a vote was reached and the amendment was agreed to—48 to 31—several re publicans voting for it. SPANISH SPIES IN PRISON. Suspects Arrested at Tampa and Sent To Fort McPherson. Two prisoners who are charged with being Spanish spies arrived at Fort McPherson, Atlanta, Ga., under guard Friday morning. aud The men are Jose Castellanos Frank Miller. They were placed under arrest at Tampa a few days ago aud have been sent to tho post to await trial. Castellanos is a native of Cuba, and claims to be an ardent sympathizer with his countrymen. Suspicious cir cumstances, however, pointed to him as a man employed by the Spanish ! officials to obtain information. Miller : i s an Englishman and is alleged to j have been detected in the act of send | ing dispatches from Tampa contain j ing very valuable information intended f 0 r the enemy, TO AGAIN URGE AUTONOMY. Spain May Make Another Effort to rat ify tlie Insurgents. A dispatch received at Madrid from Havana says that in the chamber of representatives there Senor Gibcrja, the autonomist leader, has presented a motion urging the government of ; Cuba to request the insurgents of that j island ground to that accept the insurgents autonomy themselves on the 1 “must be aware that the country was n °i r iP e i° r independence, | .The president of the chamber, the dispatch adds, declared in a patriotic speech that the government would en tertain such a motion. ASTOR PURCHASING MULES. They Are Wanted For tlie Battery Be ing Organized In New York. A representative of John Jacob Astor has been in St. Louis for some j attending the mule market and hag purc j iasc d 78 mules and 50 horses {or the battery that Mr. Astor is or rranixing in New York, PROMOTION FOR HOBSON. Gallant Lieutenant Will He Honored By the Government. A Washington dispatch says: The promotion instore for Lieutenant Hob son, the hero of Santiago, is under con sideration by the navy department. Acting Secretary Allen and Commo dore Hichborn. chief of the bureau of naval construction, t'ave already talked over the matter. The department is desirous of knowing what would be most acceptable to Hobson himself, and when that is learned, a recom mendation will be made to congress, which will doubtless carry it into effect without delay. I Was a Veritable Landslide. Phil Cook Nominated Secretary of State and Stevens Wins as Commissioner of Agriculture. In every one of the 137 counties in Georgia the democrats voted Monday in primary for governor aud state offi cials, for senators and members of the legislature, and in many of the coun ties for members of congress. Ih a number of counties the nominees for county offices were also selected. In a very few there was balloting for su preme court justices. The candidates for state officers were: For Governor—Allen D. Candler, Robert L. Berner and Spencer R. At kinson. For Secretary of State—Philip Cook and Mark A. Hardin. For Comptroller General—William A. Wright. For Commissioner of Agriculture— R. T. Nesbitt aud O. B. Stevens. For State School Commissioner—G. R. Glenn. For Attorney General—J.M.Terrell. For Prison Commissioner—-J. S. Turner and J. W. Renfroe. For Treasurer—W. J. Speer. Allen D. Candler for governor will have 254 out of tho 350 votes in the convention. The race for secretary of state was expected to be close, but Mr. Cook surprised even his most enthusiastic friends. That for commissioner of agricul ture was one hard fought on both sides, nnd Senator Steven’s nomination was well won. The race for prison commissioner resulted i» a victory for Judge Turner, tho present incumbent. There were three contests for seats in congress. Of the eleven membors of the house of representatives, eigot had no opposition for renomination. These were Messrs. Lester, of the first district; Griggs, of tho second; Lewis, of the third; Adamson, of the fourth; Bartlett, of the sixth; Howard, of the eighth; Fleming, of the tenth, and Brantley, of the eleventh. There was talk of opposition to J udge Griggs and Congressman Lewis —indeed, candidates announced them selves against each of these, but they soon withdrew. The three contests were in the fifth, seventh and ninth districts. In the fifth district Congressman Livingston was opposed by Mr. Charles I. Branan. There was a vote for con gress iu each of tho counties in the district except Fulton, which acted in April, giving its six votes to Congress man Livingston. The result of Mon day’s contests insures tho ronominn- present congressman unanimous tion, he carrying all the counties. In tho seventh Congressman Mad dox had as liis opponent Judge J. Watt Harris, of Bartow county. Tho race was a spirited one. The result is the renomination of Judge Maddox, who has secured a good majority of the votes in the congressional conven tion. The lace in the ninth was in many respects the most hotly contested of the three. Both Congressman Tate and his opponent, Solicitor General Howard Thompson, made an active canvass of the district, and while hut little news from the campaign has found its way into the newspapers, it has been a hot one. The reports show that Congressman Tate carried the day. Tlie Totals. Candler ... 254 Berner ... 60 Atkinson .. 34 Cook...... 214 Hardin.... 72 Stevens ... 190 Nesbitt.... 106 Turner.. . .. .. 206 Renfroe .. . . 58 There seems to be universal satis faction at the method of conducting the primaries throughout the state, and particularly does the plan of hav ing all counties act upon the same day find hearty endorsement. This is the second time in tho his tory of the state that the democratic primaries have been held in all the counties on the same day. NO, 21. SAMPSON CAHI.ES LONG Hoffiirtlliig the Sinking of the Merrimao ‘In Santiago Harbor. The navy department posted at Washington .Saturday afternoon tho following bulletin, containing a dis patch from Admirrl Sampson: “Mole, Hayti, June 4. —Succeeded in sinking Merrimao in the channel off Santiago at 4 p. m., June 3. This was carried out most gallantly under the command of Naval Constructor Hobson and seven men. Ry a flag of truce from the Spanish admiral, Cer vera, sent in recognition of their bravery. ] am informed all are prison ers of war, two slightly wounded. “Request authority to approve ex change if possible between these and tho prisoners at Atlanta. Six of the Spanish squadron in the harbor of Santiago unable to avoid being cap tured or destroyed. (Signed) “Sampson.” The action iu sinking the Merrimao is applauded at the navy department as a vorv brilliant strategic move. It is the opinion of naval officers that now that the entrance to the harbor is thus effectively blocked, a couple of monitors with a swift cruiser and tivo or three small torpedo or gunboats will be sufficient to guard the en trance, while Schley and Sampson can go along to convoy the troops to Porto Rico and elsewhere. In the engineer ing department it is said that it would be impossible for the Spanish fleet to attempt to clear the channel of the wreck of the Merrimao, as a few of our vessels stationed outside the har bor could shell the Spanish fleet and compelHhem to retire. It is said it would take several weeks to raise an obstruction such as that caused by the hull af the Merrimao. ALL CABLES ARE CUT. General Blanco Has at Last Been Wholly Isolated. It developed at Washington for the first time Saturday that an important cable cutting expedition, projected by General Greely, chief of the signal ser vice, and in charge of the strategic su pervision of cable and telegraph lines, had met with success, and that Gen eral Blanco was probably isolated from the outside world, particularly from the Spanish authorities at Madrid. The advices received were inde pendent of those by the Associated Press dispatch boat via Kingston, hut they bore out the dispatches aud gave additional details. They show that the French cable, from Sautigo to Hayti, was interrupted at 6:30 Friday night, and lie messages have passed over that line since then. Word has not yet come as to the in terruption of tho two British cables, leaving Cuba by way of Jamaica, hut General Greely is satisfied that these have also been cut. He conferred with Secretary Allen at noon Satur day, and tho two exchanged congratu lations on the indications that this much desired purpose of isolating Blanco had been accomplished at last. CAPTAIN GRIDLEY DEAD. Commanded the Olympia in tho Brilliant Naval Fight at, Manilla. Captain Charles V. Gridley, com mander of the Olympia, and one of tlie heroes of the brilliant victory at Manilla, is dead. The announcement of his death was received by the nuvy department late Sunday afternoou in a cablegram from Paymaster Galt, of the navy, dated Kobe, Japan, June 4, and directed to Secretary Long. As the commander of Admiral Dew ey's splendid flagship and one of the American’s chief advisers, Captain Gridley achieved distinction at the battle of Manila hay and added to his laurels by winning high praise from his superiors in the service for dis tinguished gallantry and ability. It was not known for several weeks after the engagement that Captain Gridley had suffered from it, and even now the precise nature of his trouble is not disclosed. FIRE DEVASTATES WALIIALA. South Carolina Town Loses Seventeen Business Houses and Masonic Temple. Flames completely destroyed the business portioa of Walhala, S. C., Saturday evening. The fire started in tho store of M. W. Wright and rapidly spread until twenty-three houses were destroyed. Tho Masonic temple,post office aud seventeen business houses were burned. Also livery stables and hank and drug store of Darby’s. Loss between $40,000 and$50,000;insurauce about $13,000. GORDON RECEIVES COMMISSION. Georgia Culls on tho President and Thanks Him for Honor. General W. W. Gordon, of Georgia, arrived in Washington Friday morn ing, and at once communicated with his senators and at 11 o’elock senators Bacon and Clay, with the Georgia brigadier, called at the war depart ment. General Gordon then called with Senators Bacon and Clay at the white house and thanked the president for his appointment and spoke of the great honor he deemed it. The president said he had only done his duty to the as he saw it in making the ap pointment.