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Record. VOL. I. FIRE DESTROYS AUDITORIUM Meeting Place For Democratic Convention Reduced to Ashes. WILL BE REBUILT AT ONCE. Subscriptions Taken While Hall Was Burning—Adjacent Prop erty Also Annihilated. Convention hall,Kansas City’s pride, wherein the Democratic national con vention was to have been held on July 4th, was laid in ruins in less than thirty minutes’ time Wednesday after noon, from the time that it started, from an unknown source at 1 o’clock. The fire burned with such fury that it was evident almost from the start that the structure was doomed, and the firemen soon turned their atten tion to saving surrounding property. A stiff breeze was blowing and be fore the fire was subdued at 2:15 o’clock the Second Presbyterian church, one of the finest edifices in the city; the church parsonage, the Lathrop public school, a two story, thirteen-room building, all situated across the way on Central street, and a half block of three story flat build ings on Twelfth street, were rendered a total loss. Several residences were damaged to a greater or less degree, and for a time it was feared that sev. fat blocks of buildings in the residence district would go. The aggregate loss is 8400,000, ap portioned as follows: Convention hall, 8235,000, insur ance $155,000; church, $50,000, in sured; parsonage, $15,000, insured; school, $35,000, insurance $20,400; Williamson block, Twelfth street, SOO,OOO, insurance $45,000. Plans are on foot to rebuild Con vention hall immediately, and make it ready for the Democratic National Convention in July. While the fire was still in progress members of the Commercial club, through whose ef forts the hall was conceived and built, mingled in the crowd of spectators and began soliciting funds for a new structure. During the evening $25,000 bad been subscribed, and Secretary Clen denning of the club, called a mass meeting of citizens to devise waysand means of raising an additional $50,- 000. The hall association has SIO,OOO in the bank and will have the $155,000 insurance for immediate use, the in surance companies having spontan taneously agreed to waive the sixty days’ limit and make settlement on de mand. The Kansas City Lumber Company, who furnished four-fifths of tie lum ber for the old building, has agreed to duplicate their order at once at the rate in existence two years ago, and the Minneapolis firm that furnished the steel girders for the immense rOof has been telegraphed to duplicate their order. A strong wind carried the flames to the Second Presbyterian church on the opposite side of the street, and in forty minutes that structure, occupy ing a half block in length, was in ruins. The parsonage adjoining and next to 'the Lathrop school, which was par tially destroyed in the cyclone of 1888, and which has been set aside for the use of the newspaper correspondents during the coming convention, were attacked simultaneously and soon nothing but their walls were left standing. Convention hall had been classed by ; travelers as one of the largest and most perfectly constructed auditori- [ urns in the world. The building was erected in 1898 at a cost of $235,000, which was raised entirely by public subscription. It occupied a piece of , ground 314x120 feet in extent. The total seating capacity of the building was nearly 20,000, and with standing room the building was capable of hold ing more than 22,000 people. Practically nothing remains intact of Convention hall save the Thirteenth street wall and the foundation. The straggling side walla will have to be torn down. -H.. i 1 ■ I ■ ■ I I I J rquiet water, the spectators on Kings- I I town pier joined in with equal fervor. Although all political conditions are represented in Kingstown, there was no attempt at a counter-demonstra tion. In fact, the evening’s fireworks, I singing and cheering were not marred ‘ by any hostile note. STORY IS NOT BELIEVED. Report Current That American Officer . Led a Boer Attack. War department officials do not be- j lieve the story that comes from South ; Africa to the effect that Captain Carl I Reichman, Seventeenth infantry, was I one of the leaders of the Boers at the i laet fight between the Boers aud the English at the Bloemfontein water- ; works. Reichnmn’s brother officers, men j who know him well, say that it is very ■ probable that Reichmaa occupied J some conspicuous point of vantage j from which to view the fighting, and I his discovery in uniform by the Brit- ! ish was the basis for the assumtion that he was one of the Boer leaders, j Reichman was selected by General Miles personally to accompany the Boer forces during the war as an ob server for the United States army. His colleagues in Washington de- • clare that the officer has too much j common sense to be led into a violation of his orders in the manner described. I It is understood the English war office has no information as to who com manded the Boers in the affair leading | to the capture of tte British guns, but i it places no credence whatever in the report that a United States attache or any one connected with the United States government took part in it. PETTUS BADLY SCARED. Alabama Senator Don’t Like to Be Called a “Hnir.orlst.** Senator Pettus, according to a Wash- I ington dispatch, has awakened to find himself famous as a humorist, and he is badly scared. He doesn’t want to be thought a humorist. “Im no humorist,” he said to a cor- [ respondent. “I’m nothing of the ; kind. I’m serious-minded. Why, say, I don’t suppose I’ll ever be able to live that speech down. And I’m not eighty years old, either, as some of j those newspapers say. I’m only sev enty-nine, and I’ve got a good long time to live.” To Make Barrel Hoops. A company was formed at Chatta nooga, Tuesday, with $30,000 capital I to build and operate a barrel hoop and building lath plant. It will make 60,- 000 barrel hoops daily. Ample means is behind the enterpise when needed to make it a success. SSSIa. GA.. SATURDAY. APRIL 1.1». [MAKES MANY LAUGH [Dewey’s Announcemant the Incen- I tive for Muoh Merriment. Idmiral is in earnest, however. 9 Washington and the People Generally H as to Future Developments. M A Washington special sa./s: Admi- Hal Dewey has succeeded in making Mimself a political sensation for one May in his life, at least. Bis remark- Mble declaration that he wijuld like to Become a candidate for the presftlen- Ms is the sole topic of talk in political Mrcles at present and it is not exag ■eration to say that the bulk of the Mfik has not been complimentary to Mie admiral’s good sense. When the interview with him was read the general disposition on He part of everybody was to doubt its Later, howaver, when known that the statements be was quoted as having made in good faith, that he actually to election to the presidency, further, that he believes there is chance for success on that line, proceeded to rndulge in a Hugh. ■ Dewey, however, takes this an- of presidential candidacy ■ earnest. When he came back from to receive the plaudits of the people, his first step was to that he had nor political am- whatever; that he ras not look ■g towards the presidLey as had BB*en suggested jjj aws lßmiMkiows- ■ papers; that his life had been spent in I the navy and that the unexpected honors which had been thrust upon him of elevation to the highest rank in the navy was more than his ambition had ever pictured for himself. That statement was not only good taste, but good sense. Since then, however, the admiral has had a num ber of experiences which seem to have j turned his head. The curiosity of the 1 American people to see him and heart- I iness of welcome which has been ex tended him in different places has by i some freak of the imagination been miscoustrued by him into n political uprising in his behalf. A number of people 4ho have ex pressed dissatisfaction either Mc- Kinley or Bryan or both, have written him throwing out presidential sugges tions and giving him encouragement. So far as can be learned nobody was aware of Dewey’s intention and i the first that even his closest friends I knew of it was the announcement given out through the New York World. The admiral has explained j that his reason for giving it to The World lay primarily in the fact that I that paper was perhaps the first to i mention him in connection with the 1 office when he came home from M»- i nila. There was a disposition in some circles to connect this announcement I with the reported effort of. a few east- I erners to bring about the nomination of somebody else than Mr. Bryan as the Democratic leader; but there is absolutely nothing in this. Senator Gorman has given strong denials to any connection with such a plan, and the admiral’s announcement indicates his belief that if he becomes a candi date it will be as an independent. John R. McLean, who is the broth er-in-law of"the admiral, disclaims any connection whatever with this effort to create a Dewey boom. Some wag has suggested that the ticket be Dewey and McLean, and the platform “Keep It in the Family.” Former Senator Gorman, who has been credited with some connection with the matter, said in discussing it: “I was not aware of the admiral’s political intentions until I saw them stated in the morning papers. I have no idea whether he proposes to run on the Democratic or Republican ticket or whether he intends to take an inde pendent tack. Until he makes himself clear on that point it is idle to specu late what the effect will be on the com ing campaign.” Notwithstanding all the levity of critics, Admiral Dewey expresses him self us very much gratified over the manner in which his announcement to be a candidate for the presidency has been received by his friends. STEYN IS HOPEFUL. President of Orange Free State Firmly Believes In Ultimate Triumph of Boers. Advices from Pretoria state that in his speech at the opening of the Free I State raad, President Steyn declared ! that in spite of the surrender of i Bloemfontein he had not lost hope of the triumph of the republican cause. The war, he said, was forced upon the Transvaal and nothing remained for the Orange Free State but to throw in its lot with the sister republic, in accordance with the terms of the treaty. The war, he continued, was begun with the object of maintaining by arms the independence bought with the blood of the forefathers of the nation, and had been so success ful that it had caused the greatest wonder throughout the world and even to the Boers themselves. After paying tribute to the memory of General Joubert, President Steyn said that the British now in over whelming numbers were violating the flag of truce of the Red Cross, and he was compelled to report the matter to the neutral powers. The president further remarked that the attempt to create dissensions among the burghers by the issuing of procla mations had failed. Referring to the correspondence be tween the South African presidents and Lord Salisbury, President Steyn I proceeded: “Not only were those es. ; forts made, but the republic had dis patched a deputation to Europe and , America to bring the influence of neu | tral powers in order to secure a cessa- I tion of the bloodshed, and I greatly i desire that these efforts be crowned with success.” After saying that the government Lad raised a temporary loan with the- Transvaal, President Steyn concluded with a prayer that the Free State be preserved from being forced to give up its dearly loved independence. HOVING JOURNALIST SUICIDES. j Young Newspaper Man Found Dead In an Atlanta Hotel. With a last thought of newspapers I which were to write up his tragic end, a young man, who was thought to be F. O. Diekeusheets of the Kansas City i Journal, wrote a letter and left a pho tograph on bis dresser at the Jackson . hotel, in Atlanta, Ga., swallowed I enough morphine to kill a dozen men, I and then disrobed and laid upon his i bed to sleep and to wake in eternity. | He had registered as “Fred D. Olds, I Kansas City, Mb.” The careful manner in which the de i ceased remembered the newspapers, J which he knew would make a sensa- I tion out of his death, made the suicide I a most remarkable one. He was a newspaper man himself, : and while making his deliberate prep arations to end his life, he wrote a let ter to the papers, with a pathetic re j quest and as an inducement to make the members of his own craft c»rry ■ out his request, he placed his photo i graph temptingly beside the letter, a scheme which curried the suggestion, I “I have remembered you; now, that I am dead, remember me. ” The dead body was found in a room at the hotel Thursday evening about 0 o’clock. He arrived in Atlanta three days previously, apparently in the best of health and the best of spirits; left some now made friends Wednes ! day night with a smile upon his lips and a merry jest, even while he knew that the shadow of death was over him, and then killed himself. Telegrams from Kansas City deny I that the suicide was Dickensheets, i thus leaving doubts as to his identity. PROVISIONS OF TARIFF BILL. How the Porto Rican Measure Will JBe Applied to Our New Possession. The Porto Rican tariff' bill which passed the senate provides for a tariff of 15 per cent of the Dingley rates on all products coming into the United States from Porto Rico, products from the United States consigned to Porto Rican ports to be admitted duty free. The civil government feature of the bill provides for the establishment of a territorial form of government. The governor of the island is to be appoint ed by the president and the members of the lower house are to be elected by popular vote, while the nine members of the upper body, known the ex ecutive council, are to be appointed by the president. NO. 41. A DEADLY EXPLOSION THREE MEN WERE HORRIBLY MANGLED Steam Boiler Hurled Through the Air Five Hundred Feat. Accident Wag a Most Remarkable One. Boiler Weighed Five Tons and Was Rut Little Damaged.* An Atlanta dispatch says: Three men were killed by a boiler explosion at the brick yard of the G. O. Wil liams Lumber company, on the Chat tahoochee River trolley car line, about four miles from the city, shortly after 11 o’clock Monday morning. The explosion was a terrific one, the boiler flying through the roof of the engine room and striking the earth nearly 500 feet sway from the brick yard. The boiler weighed nearly five tons, and was of sixty-horse power. The accident was undoubtedly a most remarkable one, as not a break can be found in the boiler. When the coroner was investigating the affair he heard hints of the explosion having been probably caused by dynamite, but this was merely a vague suspicion. The three men killed were: John M. Smith, white, aged about fifty-six years. Walter Evans, white, twenty-one years old. James Perkins, white, twenty-five years old. Five negroes were injured, but it is thought none will die. Perkins was killed instantly. Smith lived aboit five minutes, and Evans died about four hours after the acci dent. The manner in which the three men were crushed and mutilated, and the great distance the heavy iron boiler was hurled through the air, showed the terrific force of the explosion. A remarkable feature of the accident was the fact that although such force was evident, yet the boiler itself was but little injured. It seems to have risen straight up from its foundations, pass ed through the roof of the building and then shot toward the car line, clearing a negro cabin and the trolley wires and larding upon its end. When it struck the ground it bounded up and planted itself in the earth several feet away. The cause of the accident is not definitely known, but it is believed the cold water must have been turned into the hot boiler when it was empty or nearly so. Unfortunately the accident happen ed at a time when the engine had been shut down for a few moments for re pairs, and nearly all the employers were standing near it. Mr. Smith was found lying against a pile of lumber fully 40 feet aw-ay from where the boiler bad been. He was standing withing four feet of the boiler when it exploded. He was badly mangled. The body of James Perkins was found wrapped around a post about ten feet away from the engine. It had been whirled with great force against the big post and death was instantane ous. No limbs were torn from the body, though one of his arms and both legs hting only by small shreds of flesh. Walter Evans was found about thirty feet away, where he had been thrown with great force. He was resting against a pile of brick, and it is thought that he struck the brick head first, as his head was badly mashed. Blood was flowing from many wounds, too, on his body. He was sent to his home and died shortly afterward. The negroes who were injured were found at different places about the yard. Some were badly scalded, while others were injured by flying debris. All of the six men were painfully and severely hurt. Broadwood’s Casualties. The London war office reports that Colonel Broadwood lost seven guns and all his baggage in the ambush laid for him by the Boers on Saturday. The casualties numbered 350. Pensioner of 1812 Dead. “Aunt” Emily Bennett, the oldest citizen of Plainfield, Conn., and the last 1812 pensioner in the county, died Sunday after a long illness, aged 89.