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MR WARSHIPS SUNK
fvvo Vessels Go to Bottom with 650
Daring Men of Mikado’s Navy.
i frightful calamity
One Blown Up by Russian
Mine and the Other
Sunk in Collision
During Heavy
Fog.
An Assoc iated Press dispatch of
May 19th from Tokio, Japan, says:
Adm iral Togo has reported as follows:
■ L report from Rear Admiral Dewa
says that the cruisers Kaisuga and
Yosshino collided during a fog off Port
Arthur May 0 The Yoshino
only ninety of her crew being saved.
• On the same day the battleship Hat
se struck a Russian mine and sank. ’»
Giving details of the disaster Vice
Admiral Togo says:
.. A t 4:15 p. m., May 15, in a deep
fog off Port. Arthur, the Kaisuga ram
med the Yosshino, sinking the latter
in a few minutes. Ninety of her crew
were saved.
“The same morning the Hatsuse,
while cruising off Port Arthur, cover
ing the landing of the soldiers, struck
a mine ten knots east, of the harbor
entranoo. She signaled for help and
instantly struck another mine, She
ank in half an hour. Three hundred
hi her crew were saved by torpedo
ions.'
Loss cf Life Frightful.
A special under date of May 20th,
from Tokio, says: Six hundred and
fifty Japanese sailors and marines
wept down with the battle ship Hat
Buse and the cruiser Yosshino.
Hatsuse carried 741 men, of whom 300
were saved. The Yosshino carried 300
and only 90 were rescued.
The Yoshimo was a cruiser of
tons displacement, was 350 feet
had 40 1-2 feet of beam, and
draught was 17 feet. Her
consisted of four G-inch guns,
4.7-inch guns and twenty-three
pounders. Her crew numbered 300.
The Hatsuse was a battle ship
15,000 tens displacement of the
est model. She was only
in 1900, was built in England, was
lee: long, had 76 1-2 feet of
drew 27 feet of water. She was com
pletely armored with steel. Her
ament consisted of four 12-inch guns
fourteen 6-inch guns, twenty
ors. eight 3-pounders and four 2 1-2
pounders, She had four torpedo tubes
Her estimated speed was 19.11 knots
Her crew numbered 741 men.
Causes Joy in Russia.
A St. Petersburg dispatch says:
loss of at least two Japanese
s is officially confirmed. A
sage „ated Port Arthur received
carrier pigeons at Mukden was
mitted to the emperor early
% morning, saying that two
ese warships had been lost off
P°rt. The message followed the
percr tq Koursk and no one in St.
tersburg knew its contents until
! u tl3e Bight, when foreign
Drought full details of the
IQS'.
Early i u the afternoon reports
the sinking of the Shikishima and
Fuji on the authority of Russian
g9es from Dalnv, began to
W aroused the most intense
^ het! later confirmation of
,mkilJ came
S of two Japanese warships
J^test Witk( 'Bt enthusiasm was
Ca reference to its effect on
®Pai gn , the people attribute the
“Ts disaster to divine interposition
the Russian cause
* ^sian circles the Japanese
8tr °PRe is a matter for
0u 8h regrets expressed
are
PtANT WAS PRINCIPAL STOCKHLOER.
failure of Mecoi Banks Affects the
fypress Lumber Company.
A Petition was filed in the
States district court at Macon,
Thursday, 5 Lui asking that the Red
f es s «mber
bankrupt Company be
J Wge Ati order was issued
of Speer ordering that the
that concern appear before a
of hank ruptcy.
It-; stated by of the
that **• »ij„ one on
% fi„ '‘ ms rnC3nt ' H. sus Pensions of the
tQ j R. Plant, who is
lhe principal stockholder.
brave men have lost their lives. But
this feeling of sympathy is swallowed
up in the greater thanksgiving for the
blow inflicted on the sea power of the
enemy, it is pointed out that the Hat
suse was one of Japan’s finest battle
ships, and that the loss of two. and
possibly four, warships at Intervals of
a few days cannot fail to deeply affect
Japan and to influence the course of
the campaign.
No surprise is expressed by the ad
miralty at the Japanese vessels strik
ing Russian mines, the admiralty ex
pecting such a mishap to Vice Admiral
1 Togo, particularly since the naval com
mander at Port Arthur has faithfully
duplicated his plan which resulted in
the sinking, of the Petropavlovsk.
Wherever off Port Arthur the Japan
ese squadron appeared during the day,
that same night Russian torpedo boats
stole out and carefully planted contact
mines, which, floating below the sur
face, would not be touched by the de
stroyers, but the ships of the heavier
draught, cruising in the mine fields,
would be sure to strike them. The
favorite point selected by the Japan
ese for bombardments of Port Arthur
is Lia-Ti-Shan promontory, and the
water has been thickly sown with
Russian mines. Other points besides
Liao-To-Shan have also been mined,
and it has been dangerous for the Jap
anese ships to cruise in those waters.
Jap Army Hard Hit.
It is reported in Niuchwang from
a reliable source that the
army from the Yalu river has
heavy blow and been p driven back
a
Feng-Wang-Cheng.
To Relieve Pert Arthur,
A. G. Hales, the correspondent
The Daily News (London), has
from Tien Tsin as follows, under
cf May 19:
“It is reported that 70,000
are marching to the relief of Port
thur and the Japanese are
ly hastening offensive operations.
“Forty-five thousand troops have
ready been landed at Kin-Chau
Talienwan, thus entiredy
Port Arthur.
“The Japanese advanced lines
seven miles from the Russian bat
teries.
“Skirmishes occur daily along
I railroad.
: “It is believed that the
! intend attacking Port Arthur with
j entire force when it numbers
thousand men. They are mounting
| inch naval guns on steel wheels,
the object of silencing the
batteries.
“The Manchurian Railway south
Harbin is constantly broken by
nese marauders, and the
threaten reprisals.
“The Russians admit that they
to contend with terrible
along the whole line. Their
however, are behaving splendidly
they very confident. it
are
Korea Breaks With Russia.
An Associated Press dispatch
Seoul states that the Korean
ment has annulled the Russian
and Tumen rivers timber
granted in 1896. The Russian
I nies interested were backed by M
i obrazoff, the friend of Viceroy
i ieff, and reputed moving spirit of
Russian war party, and many
siaa noblemen. There have been
Quent differences between the
semi-official concerns and the
Japanese lumbermen, which Korea
severing diplomatic relations with
Petersburg, has not felt bound to
spect Russian commercial contracts.
It is announced from Tokio
Korea has recalled her minister at
Petersburg.
OFFICERS ELECTED BY EDITORS.
An Alabama Man, Major Scr?**,
the National Association.
The editorial association in
Louis Thursday elected officers as
lows:
President Major W W Screws, a„ rAW o
Alabama; first nc P I b ’
Folsom, of Arkansas; second vice _
ident, W. J- Kll ” e - ° ®
vice president, H. B. Varner, of of
Carolina; corresponding secretary,
A. W.,,bbrook. of Ohio; ,recor,Umg
retary J- W. Cochrum, of
treasiirer j. Irving Steel, of
,
vania.
south Carolina acts,
Democrats in State Convention Ec.t
St. Loais Delegates and Formu
late a Platform.
The South Carolina democratic state
convention as-sem'ol ;d at Columbia o x
Wednesday and elected as delegates at
large to the St. Louis convention, Sena
tor B. R. Tillman, Governor D. C. Key
ward, Mayor R. G. RheUt, of Charles
ton, and General William Jones, the
state chairman of Columbia. The sen
ator and governor were elected by ao
c-amation. The only other candidare
was United States senator Latimer,
who was not present in the conven
ticn.
llle delegates wore not instructed,
out the unit rule was adopted. A roi
elution was passed after the elections
calling for expressions from the can
aidates to the presidential nominee.
Respond-ng, Senator Tillman declar
ed that Judge Parker was not objec
tionable to him, but he could not. teh
now how he would vote, because cend:
tions might change in a night. Gov
ernor Heyward, Mayor Rhett and Coio
ncl Jones and the fourteenth district
delegates declared that as at present
advised they favor Iu’"e Parker.
Ex-Governor John C. Sneppard is
among the district delegates.
The platform commends the admin-
1 of Heyward and
,-tration Governor
the course in congress of the United
States senators and condemns the pres
idont for the appointment of Willliam
D. Crum as collector of the port of
Charleston Oci national issues it de
clares for such a tariff as will compel
the manufacturer to sell as cheaply at
home as abroad, and demands economy
in public affairs.
. There is no refererce to the pl.at
f oiras G f iggg anc i 1900 , and none Jo
| the financial question.
Of the eighteen delegates it. i3 eer
j tain there is not a, Hearst delegate,
! and in one or two district, caucuses
wr.ere Hearst men were candidates
incy were defeated.
The coi mention was harmonious, an 1
there wero no outcroppings of form :ir
factional divisions.
E. M. Rucker ,of Anderson, was
temporary chairman, and D. S. Hen
derson. of Aiken, permanent, chairman
th<* latter having defeated ex-Govefro
M. B. McSweeney, of Hampton, foi
the position.
1 POOL ROOM WIRES CIJT OUT.
^ yVesiern Lnoi Te!eqr , h Company
j Stops Supply oi liorse Racing f»« 'VV
A New York special says: Every
poolroom where bets on horse race
are made was without a Western Un
ion wire Wednesday
Robert C. Clowry, president and
general manager of the Western Un
ion Telegraph company, suddenly shut
off the service of racing news to all
classes of subscribers in Gotham
Tuesday afternoon.
This action of Colonel dowry’s, tak
en entirely on his own initiation, wit9
out instructions from his board <
directors or any pressure from t>
authorities, was the result of claim
recently made public by police 0 “
cials that the poolrooms of New York
city could not exist, without the West
ern Union service, Recently a civic
organization, called the City C5”>
made public charges that if the West
ern Union would assist them the pool
room evil in the city could be over"
come. The action of Colonel Clowry
is the result.
Following liis action in discont'mi
Ing to all subscribers in New York
city a report of the racing at variou
tracks in this country, Col. Rober:
C. Clowry notified the general super
intendents of the company at Nev
York, Chicago, Atlanta and San Fran
cisco, that tue collection and distri
bution by the Western Union ice
graph Company of horse race reports
would be discontinued forthwith. The
text of the notice to the superintend
ents read as follows:
It has been decided to discontinue
forthwith the collection and distri
bution by this company of horse race
reports. authority that the
It is stated on
Western Union, by refusing to handle
racing news, cuts off a source of rev
enue that has been worth $6,000,000
annually to the corporation.
IATTIMER at GOOD ROADS CONVENTION.
South Carolina Senator Speaks on Hi?
Proposition of “International Aid.
United States Senator A. C.
South Carolina, author of a
o- providing govern
Jent tr-nding in congress
i oxoeiCiture for improving roads
opened Wednesday’s program at"
roads convention with an address
International Aid. • *
'
He was followed by Winthrop
'
Soarrott. president of the
Club of America.
Manuel lionisce Diab, of the
pa lira out of public woiks,
Building in Cuba. it
spoke on “Read
CROP OUTLOOK
VERY GLOOMY
!
Drought and Cool Weather Retard
! Farming Operations.
! ALL GROWTH BACKWARD
;
1 Conditions in Georgia, Alabama and
j South Carolina Set Forth by Com
I missioner 0. B. Stevens.
j
According to information gat her ad
1 state department of agriculture
; the , Georgia cottoa crop 1S in . , bad , coa
j dition. The weather has been unfavor- '
1 able planting has been backward, and
the portion of the crop already up is
! mak , ng a pcor showing .
! Commissioner O. B. Stevens, in a lo
| ter to Commissioner of Agriculture R
R. Poole, of Alabama, Wednesday, gave
an account of the crop condition of
Ceorgia. Commissioner Poole, in his
letter, stated that the Alabama crop “i s
in a very serious condition, not more
than one half being up; stands are
very poor in the earlier planted cot
ton. The continued drought is proving
to be very serious with us.”
In replv Commissioner Stevens stat
ed that there had t een very little, if
any, improvement in the crop in Geor
gia. His letter continues in part as
lows:
“The dry weather has continued coo"
and dry during a great portion of the
time since spring set in. The weather
during the last week was dry except
that light scattering showers occurred
on last Saturday. Drought, however,
continues in many sections, and the
soil in practically all counties is too
dry for germination and growth. Cot
ton is making little or no growth. A
ktrge percentage of late plantings i3
not up; stands of early plantings con
tinue poo>\ Many fields are still un
planted, owing to the protracroi
drought. Cultivation is in nrogress In
the southern portion of the state. A
few sections report favorably as to cot
ton, but take the cotton situation .as
a whole in the state, I regard the out
look as gioomy, even worse than th : s
time last year.
4 * Wheat and eats are failing rapidly
owing to the lack of moisture. Even
com is beginning to show the effects
of the extreme dry weather. A few
peaches are being shipped from south
Georgia. This, I believe, covers the sit
uation in our state. There will be 1.0
May grass to fight during this yea«
Our reports from other states show
the following conditions:
<• From South Carolina Ihe rainfad
deficiency continues in all parts of the
state with drought prevailing except * Tt
limited localities.
Since the beginning of the crop se 1
son the deficiency in rain ranges from
four to seven inches. The drought,with
cool weather, has become serious
throughout the state. Wells are fail
ing and water courses are dry. The
stands of cotton range from good „c
very poor. Late plantings are not yet
up. especially in the dryest sections.
The nights have been too cool for
rapid growth of cotton and plants are
drying up In the southern counties.
« In North Carolina similar condi
tions to that of South Carolina and
Georgia prevail. II
BOMBARDMENT COSTLY TO JAPS.
Russians State That Admiral Togo lost
Two Ships at Port Arthur.
Russian refugees who arrived in
Che Foo Wednesday on a junk from
Port Dalny say that the Japanese bom
barded Port Arthur on Monday.
Russian officers who were on Gold
en Hill declared, according to the ref
ugees, that during the bombardmenr
a Japanese battle ship and a cruiser
struck mines and sank.
The war ships reported to have been
sunk off Port Arthur are the battle
ship Shikisima and the armored cruis
er Asama.
The story is not believed in Che Foo
but the Russians who brought the
news insist that it is true.
HEARST WINS IN NATIVE STATE.
California Democrat* Instruct for New
York Editor by Close Vote.
By a majority r>f 19 rotes the Cal
ifornia democratic state convention
Instructed the delegation to the na
tional convention at St. Louis to vote
for Congressman W. R. Hearst
president, The vote stood: Poi
struction, 365; against, 346.
The day was consumed in
ing to effect permanent
drafting resolutions, oratory and
ing the decks for a vote.
JAPS RETREAT
FROM COSSACKS
Overwhelming Numbers Force Re
tirement of Mikado's Troops.
FEARED TO GIVE BATTLE
Retrograde Movement Was Only Stop
ped When Main Body of Japanese
Army Was Rejoined.
An Associated Press dispatch from
Niuchwang, under date of May 20,
says: The Japanese, numbering 20,
000 men, came upon 32,000 Russians
in a strong position on Monday, sixty
miles west of Feng-Wang-Cheng. It be
ing unwise to risk a battle, the Jap
anese retreated in good order and with
great rapidity.
An unofficial Russian authority says
that a pitched battle was not fought,
but rumor says there was consider
able los§ on both sides during the
clashes, with the Cossacks harassing
the flank of the Japanese. This di
vision, presumably, was executing a
reconnoissance.
The pursuit was checked when the
main body of the Japanese was re
joined. This news apparently accounts
for the withdrawal to an unknown des
tination of warships and transports
from Tower Hill, ten miles north of
Kai-Chou, Liao-Tung peninsula, and of
renewed defensive activity at Niu
chwang.
A Report to St. Petersburg.
The following dispatch from General
Kuropatkln to the emperor, dated at
Liao-Yang, May 18, has been received
in St. Petersburg::
“A detachment of Cossacks engaged
a detachment of the Japanese guard
on May 18, north of Feng-Wang-Cheng,
in a mountainous district. The fight
began in the morning and lasted until
2:30 o’clock in the afternoon.
“The Japanese were successively dis
lodged from their four positions, ex
tending over fifteen miles.
“The pursuit of the Japanese was
stopped at Datiantsy, thirteen miles
north of Feng-Wang-Cheng.
M Our casualties were six Cossacks
wounded, two horses killed and eight
horses wounded.”
To Attack Port Arthur Next.
Port Arthur is to be taken by
storm the moment proper preparations
have been completed, says a special
telegram from the Japanese capital.
Siege guns are yet to be placed in
position and the land forces appointed
for the assault have to be strength
ened.
The unexpected loss of the two ves
sels has mphasized the insecurity of
sea power and the authorities feel that
no chances must, be taken that would
encourage Russia to send out the Bal
tic fleet counting on finding a harbo'*
of refuge in Port Arthur.
It is realized that the storming of
the fortress will inevitably cost many
lives, but it is said that the waters
where the Japanese ships are forced
to maneuver are becoming so danger
ous because of floating mines that
heroic measures are imperative.
Under these circumstances it is
thought that life will’ be' economized
by storming the stronghold and elim
inating it and 4he adjacent waters
from the area of actual conflict.
NEGRO EX-CONGRFSSMAN CONVICTED.
George Murray, of South Carolina, Found
Guilty of Forging Contract.
At Sumter, South Carolina, Friday,
George W. Murray, the negro who
represented the seventh district in
congress for two terms, was convicted
of forgery. Murray was a thrifty poli
tician, and saved considerable money,
which he invested in land, This land
he has been selling to negroes, on
long time, under contract to make title
when last payment is made.
In 1897 he sold a tract to one Scipio
Chapman, but refused to make title
after a railroad was built through it.
and in a civil suit put in a forged
contract to defraud Chapman of the
land.
FAILED TO NAME A TICKET.
liinois Republican Convention Will Take
Rest Until May 31.
The deadlock over the gubernato
rial contest in Illinois republican state
convention at Springfield temporarily
called off Friday by the convention
taking a recess to May 31. The vote
stood: Yeas, 1,414; nays, 88.
The delegates rushed from the hall
cheering the band, which began to
play “Home, Sweet Home.”
The recess to May 31 was taken
by unanimous agreement among the
candidates for governor.