The Weather To-day: IKSSSSEI RAIN.
The News and Observer.
VOL.XLVII. NO. 22.
LEIIS ALL NORTH CAROLINA* MILES i NEWS All CIRCLATION.
THE HEW FLEET
FOR PHILIPPINES
Brooklyn, Nashville, New
Orleans, Bancroft, Badger.
NO GUNBOATS WILL GO
NOT FORMIDABLE ENOUGH FOR
THE WORK NEEDED.
THE NEW SHIPS TO BE UNDER WATSON
Aguinaldo Orders Troops in the Northern Pro
vinces to Return to Their Towns and
to Resume Farming. Orani
Expedition Returns.
Washington, Oet. s.—The Navy De
partment was busily engaged today in
arranging to reinforce the fleet in the
Philippines as suggested yesterday by
Admiral Dewey, in the course of his
conference with the President. In going
over the field of available ships it was
found this morning that the plan con
ceived last evening of sending the Ma
rietta, and Machias with the Brooklyn
would have to be modified so as to drop
the two gunboats.
In addition to the Brooklyn, the fol
lowing ships will be added to Watson’s
fleet: Nashville, New Orleans, Ban
croft and Badger.
It was Admiral Dewey’s idea that ves
sels of a larger type than were first
thought of should be sent to Manila.
He pointed out that the smaller class of
gunboats would be exposed to a good
deal of unnecessary' danger if they were
sent out. To carry out the plans of
cutting the insurgents off from their
supplies, these vessels must l>e scattered
around among the islands often without
consorts, and thus exposed to sudden
attack. The larger vessels will not only
be able to take care of themselves in
such oases, but may serve as parent
ships from which may be operated a
number of the small launches that have
been doing suck good service.
By noon the Department had com
pleted its programme ami was in posi
tion to semi sailing orders to the ships
chosen to go to Manila.
The New Orleans was telegraphed to
proceed at once to the New York Navy
Yard to have some changes made in the
galley apparatus. This change can be
made in six days, when, the ship will
start on her voyage. The Brooklyn will
bo turned back from Hampton Roads as
soon as she conjes within signalling dis
tance and sent to New York, whence
she sailed this morning l>efore the De
partment could reach her with orders.
She will be ready to sail by the end of
next week. A cablegram was sent to
the Nashville at San Domingo to pro
ceed at once to Manila via Suez, and she
is expected to get off within 24 hours.
Orders were also telegraphed to the
Badger at Mare Island to proceed to the
Philippines as soon as possible. No or
ders have as yet been sent to the Ban
croft at Boston.
It was suggested at the Navy Depart
ment that three of the four vessels
now under orders for Manila will pass
through the Suez Canal, so will be avail
able to divert to South Africa should
matters there take shape requiring the
presence of a United States naval
force.
ORDERED TO THEIR FARMS.
Manilla, Oct. 5.—11:30 p. m. —Aguin-
aldo, according to a report brought to
Manila today by a Dominican Friar from
the north, has issued orders to the Fili
pino soldiers in the northern: provinces
to return to their towns and to resume
farming.
This story lucks confirmation, but the
rumor may be in accordance with Aguin
aldo’s policy of ke-epiug the country as
productive as possible by using his mew
in alternate shifts on the farms or under
arms.
Dagupan, San Fernando and Deli
odnict, which are under die guns of the
United States warships, are supposed to
be evacuated. It is alleged that the
evacuation order calls upon the male
inhabitants to be orderly in case of the
arrival of the troops and expresses the
hope that the Americans will protect
the towns.
BRINGING ITRDANFTA’S HULL.
Manila, Oct. 5.—5:10 p. m.—The expe
dition sent, to the Orani river under the
command of Captain Cornwell, to re
cover the sunken gunboat T Jrdaneta, re
turned to Cavite yesterday with the hull
of the boat, after bombarding Oraui and
landing a force.
Captain Cornwell brought one prisoner.
Lieutenant Franklin of the army gun
boat Laguna de Bay, guided the expedi
tion. There were no casualties.
On Monday morning the expedition en
tered the river and anchored above
Oraui, near the Urdaneta, the inhabi
tants of the town simultaneously evacu
ating it and carrying their belongings
with them.
The gunboats l»ombarded Orani, the
beaches and the surrounding country for
half an hour, receiving a Mauser vol
ley in reply.
The Urdaneta was towed off the bar
about 10 o’clock that evening, the opera
tions of the Americans being unmolested.
The followiug morning the bombard
ment was renewed to cover a landing of
one hundred and eighty blue jackets and
marines al>out half a mile above the
town.
On entering Orani the Americans ex
perienced a slight ritie fire from tin*
Filipino trenches. They found the town
untenanted and that" the shells had
ignited a few huts.
The Archbishop of Manila notified
General Otis that there was a plot on
foot to burn the residences of the Gov
ernor General, and the Archbishop, to
gether with several government build
ings and banks, but the plot failed to
materialize, possibly because of a dis
play of force. The first reports regard
ing the affair at Paranaque last night
seem to have been much exaggerated.
The facts are that a small band of in
surgents, following the bay road, poured
a volley into the village and later anoth
er into: Las Pinas, with the result that
two or three houses were burned. The
cracking of the bamboos caused it to be
telegraphed to Manila that there had
been much shooting.
The United States transport Warren
from San Francisco with 1,200 recruits,
has arrived.
The United States gunboat Wheeling
from Vancouver, March 3rd, via Hono
lulu, while passing St. Vincent, in North
ern Luzon, shot down a Filipino flag.
The Filipinos fired a volley at the
Wheeling’s men who wore sleeping on
deck, and the Wheeling bombarded the
settlement.
SENATOR .JAMES POMES TODAY.
New York, Oct. 5. —-Senator James K.
Jones, Chairman of the 1 Ivmiocratk* Na
tional Committee will arrive at this port
on the steamer Umbria tomorrow. 11 *
will be met at the wharf bv George
Fred Williams, \Y. J. Abbott, I>r. Gird
mer and other gentlemen representing lb,*
Chicago platform Democrats, as well as
by a delegation from: the Democratic
Club of New York City.
THE DEWEY HOME FUND
THE ADMIRAL WILL MEET THE COMMITTEE
THIS MORNING.
The Fund is Now About $60,000. A Home
Will Probably be Built Instead
of Bought.
Washington, Oct. s.—Admiral Dewey
silent the greater portion of today in the
McLean mansion on F arraign t 'Square,
lie received no callers during tiu* morn
ing and only a few during the afternoon,
although hundred's of cards were sent tip
by the servants in blue and silver livery
at the door.
Admiral Dewey will meet the mem
bers of tin* Dewey Home Fund Commit
tee at 11 o’clock tomorrow morning in
the office of Assistant Secretary Allen,
of tin* Navy, when the first conference
regarding the gift of a house to him
will Ik* held. It is believed that the
fund will amount to $60,000 and that iu
view of the fact that a large marble con
cern of tihe Green Mountain State has
agrbul to donate for the const ruction of
a house, it in altogether likely that one
will now* I*2 built and not purchase.!,
as was at first Intended.
DRUGGED AND ASSAULTED.
A Sensational Feature of the Maze! In
vests ga t'i uns Yesterday.
New York, Oct. 5. —The Mazet Com
mittee resumed its sessions today. Evi
dence was broil gilt out concerning tin
unlawful sale of liquor by tenants of
buildings owned by tlie city in the parks
ini the Borough of The Bronx. Gussie
Storm, a 10-year old girl testified that
she was drugged ami assaulted by
Samuel Leiht. She was subsequent 1.
found in bis apartments and both were
arrested. She was taken to the District
Attorney’s office. June 2-lrh and was
asked by Assistant District Attorney
Grady, a brother of Senator Tlionvis !\
Grady, tin* Tammany orator, not to press
the charge against Leiht. Mr. Grady
promised, she claimed, that if she word
not press the charge he would see that
Leiht was punished and that she con'd
go free at once. Otherwise he asserted
he would make it bad for her.
A letter purporting to Ik* from lie-r was
►sent to the trial judge, stating that sh<*
(herself was not altogether faultless. The
witness claimed that she had never writ
ten such a letter. Ixeibt’s brother-in-law,
Joseph Ln.pidus, showed her a similar let
ter and tried to get her to sign it. When
she refused he told her that others
would fix it up. The lifter was sent
arid Leiht went free. Grady is now d<*ad.
George P. Hammond, a subpoena server,
testified that the office of Mr. Moss
had been umlet* continual espionage. Mr.
Moss asserted that he had asked for "his
information because he believed that the
ease of Gussie Storm was brought to
trial because she had complained to his
office.
THERE WAS NO ELECTION.
Effort to Choose a Successor to the Latte
Lawrence Gardner.
Washington, Oct. s.—The District of
Columbia Democratic (’mitral Committee
met tonight to select a successor to the
laite Lawrence Gardner as the District
member of the Democratic National
(Committee and adjourned indefinitely
without choice, after taking 11 ballots.
Jas. I*. Morris led throughout ami bad
ten out of a necessary twelve votes on
the last ballot, but the opposition, based
largely on charges of luke-vvarmness in
supiKu t of Bryan, brought about an ad
journment subject to call of tlu* chair
man. Tlie National committee may ha v*
to name the committeeman without the
formal local recorntmendkitSiaaii. The meet
ing unnnCimously adopted resolutions en
dowing Bryan and the Chicago platform.
RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA, FRIDAY MORNING, OCTOBER fi, 1899.
HIS OPINION IN
THE CARTER CASE
Att’y-Gen. Griggs Finds the
Proceedings Regular.
OBJECTIONS DISCUSSED
NO ERROR IN REFUSING WEST
COTT’S EVIDENCE.
CARTER’S RAPIDLY RISING BANK ACCOUNT
His Story of Dealing in the Funds of his Father
in-Law Westcott Improbable. No Proof
of his Efforts to Get West
cott to Testify.
Washington, Oct. 5. —The opinion of
Attorney General Griggs in the case of
Captain Oberliu M. Carter of the army,
upon which the President approved the
finding of the court martial was made
public today. After dismissing certain
of the minor charges as unproven the
Attorney General takes up the more
serious questions involved, first con
sidering the objections that the charges
uiK>n which Captain Carter was found
guilty were incongruous. He says that
unlike the ordinary criminal procedure
the military usage, and procedure permit
of an indefinite number of offenses being
charged and adjudicated, together in, one
and the same proceeding. “It is not
necessary,’’ he says, “to discuss whether
this practice is wise, or whether it is
prejudical to the rights of the accused.
It appears to be established by long
continued practice, and, so far as 1
am able on investigation to discover
without previous challenge.”
“But even if this objection were well
founded, ’ the Attorney General says,
’he does not think the accused should
be allowed to avail himself of the ob
jection now because he proceeded to
trial without objection to this alleged
misjoiner and permitted the court to
enter on an investigation of all the dif
ferent specifications, and himself brought
forward bis defense as to each of them.
The objection should have been promptly
taken to be made available.
The objection concerning th#admission
of evidence barred by -the statute of
limitations is disposed of by saying that
this evdence was “not offered for the
purpose of proving against the accused
tin* particular offense as to which he had
interposed this protective plea, nor of
having him declared guilty thereof, but
for the purpose of showing the relation
between the accused ami the other alleg
ed conspirators, and their course and
conduct with reference to matters of a
nature similar to those, and in many
respects connected with those, involved
in the -transaction under trial.” For
this purpose he thinks the evidence was
admissible.
Other objections relating to the ad
mission of evidence of conversations and
acts of the alleged co-conspirators ante
dating the time of the particular con
spiracy charged, lie also thinks were
admissible.
Referring to -the seizure of the private
papers of Captain Carter, Mr. Griggs
says the facts do not show that the
seizure was- unreasonable, and that)
Carter practically consented to the use
made of the papers. The point is made
in this connection, that even in the ab
sence of such consent it was not in
competent to offer the pajiers as evi
dence. The use of a letter written by
Witness Cooper to Captain Gillette, is
condemned, but it is argued that the let
ter did not injure Carter. The Attor
ney General also finds that the court
did not: err in refusing to admit certain
evidence offered by Carter, including
of his father-in-law, Mr. R. F.
Wescotti.
This brings the inquiry to the investi
gation of the main charges upon which
the conviction was based. Summing up
many of the specifications, including
Captain Carter’s intimacy with Greene
and the Gaynors, the method of adver
tising for the work and of letting the
contracts, the character of the Atlantic
Contracting Company, the large profits
made on the erntraets, etc., the At
torney General says that they might
justly be considered as failing to fix
upon the accused criminal knowledge
and purpose to defraud the Government
if it were shown that he had no corrupt
personal motive, that lie had not profit
ed by these loose methods and irregular
and questionable proceedings.
He then proceeds to the investigation
of these motives. He shows -that in
181)1 the Captain’s salary was only
$252 per month and that rrom that lime
forward his personal expenditure? In
creased very rapidly, being s*>,o47 i’ l
181)1 and $20,(511 in 180(5. The fuel
is also pointed out that in 1802 Captain
Carter began to make notably large
deposits with the Union Trust Company
of New York and also to buy investment
securities, these increasing until 1805
when liis holdings had increased to a
market value of $463,000.
Mr. Griggs does not accept Captain
Carter’s explanation that he was dealing
in the securities and with the funds
of his father-in-law, Mr. Wescott, and
was the recipient of large presents
Jrum him.
“If it he true, as contended, that Mr.
Wescott had such an- extravagant af
fection and regard for his son-in-law as
to induce him to confide to him so
great a trust, and to make him the donee
ot such large sums of money, then the
natural suggestion would Ik* that he
would be interested intensely in the re
sult of the trial in which the honor as
well us tlie liberty of his son-in-law were
involved. One would naturally think
(hat a father-in-law so regardful of
his son-in-law’s interest would be quick
to rush to his defense, and by his testi
mony add confirmation to the story,
which, if true, would exculpate him
trom these serious charges.
‘"lf is said that Captain Carter made
great efforts to secure the attendance
of Mr. Wescott as a witness, but there
is no proof of it. There is no evi
dence that he wrote him or requested
him in any wise to appear as a wit
ness before the court martial. The
inference is that his testimony would
not have benefitted Captain Garter if
he had appeared. Such is the irresisti
ble conclusion, and, therefore, finding
that the one witness in all the world who
could have created conviction in the
minds of the court as to the truth of
this extraordinary story withholds him
self, and that there is no satisfactory
evidence that the defendant made any
exertion to produce him, we must con
clude that his testimony would not have
keen useful. It is also noteworthy that
Wescott cancelled the power of attor
ney which Carter held, almost imme
diately after the accusation against Car
ter became public in tlie fall of 181)7.”
The Attorney General then shows by
an analysis of Captain Carter’s testi
mony that in his dealings with his fath
er-in-law hi* rendered strict account to
that gentleman, and that Carter’s funds
in the Union Trust Company were in
excess of those of Mr. Wescott during
the entire time that lie had control
of the latter’s affairs.
“The testimony,” he adds, "does not
strike me a®that of a man possessisl
of a clear idea of the truth and determ
ined to tell it, but rather as a clever
(Continued on Second Page.)
FROM THE JAWS OF OCEAN
RESCUE OF THEJ CREW OF THE CARRIE
A. LANE.
The Schooner Shipwrecked Tuesday In the
Gulf Stream, The Crew Brought
in by the Rhodesia.
Norfolk, Ya., October s.—The British
steamship Rhodesia, Captain Bates,
loom New Orleans to Hamburg, arrived
at Lambert’s Point this morning, having
on board the crew of the schooner Car
rie A. Lane, of Bath, Me., who were
picked up in the Gulf Stream ship
wrecked Tuesday. The crew is coni
lK»sed of Captain J. Frank Skofield,
whose wife is with him, and eight men.
Their experience was a most thrilling
one.
The Lane, which was a three-masted
schooner, sailed from Apalachicola, Fla.,
for Xoank, Conn., on September 19th,
with a load of lumber and had good
weather up to about Tuesday of last
week, when northeast winds set in. She
laliored heavily in the sea afterwards,
but had no accident until Sunday after
noon.
All hands were at dinner when the
vessel suddenly shipped a heavy sea
and shifted her deck-load of lumber.
She immediately began to leak, and
when the pumps were first put to work
she had eleven inches of water in her
hold. At 9 o’clock Sunday night there
were seven and a half feet of water
and the crew took to the deckhouse.
Here they remained until Tuesday
morning, when a lifeboat was sent out
from the Rhodesia, in charge of Chief
Officer Jewell, and they were taken on
board the British ship. In the attempt
to hoist the lifeboat to the deck, after
the party had been rescued, it was
smashed by the heavy rolling sea and
lost. Captain Bates says that the wreck
of the Lane is right in the track of
vessels plying along this coast, and is
very dangerous to navigation.
Most of the Lane’s crew reside in
Baltimore. Their names are as follows:
Mate, C. Van Lippeloy, Edward
Jones, L. C. Howe, George Doleman,
Ernest Johnson, P. A. Keeler, Charles
Albert and Joseph Lienst.
ITS LARGEST OPENING.
•State Normal and Industrial Starts up
With 425 Students.
Greensboro, N. CL, Oct. s.—('Special.
The State Normal and Industrial College
opened today with four hundred and
twenty-five students. This is the largest
opening in the history of the college.
ATLANTA YEARNS FOR DEWEY.
Atlanta, Ga., Oct. 5.—A committee
from the Chamber of Commerce, the
Business Men’s League and the City
Council, left here tonight for Washing
ton to invite Admiral Dewey to visit
Atlanta. If the Admiral accepts the
invitation the date of his visit will be
left to his choice.
THE TEXAS FIRST THERE.
Fortress Monroe, Ya., Oet. 5. —The
battleship Texas, the first of the North
Atlantic Squadron to arrive from Tomp
kinsville, steamed into Hampton Roads
at 6 o’clock this afternoon and anchored
off the fort. The balance of the White
Squadron will arrive iu the morning
about daybreak.
FIFTEEN REFUGEES IN CAMP.
Jackson, Miss.. Oct. s.—The official
record for today shows no new • eases
and no deaths. The camp of refuge
north of Jackson established by the Ma
rine Hospital Service, has fifteen refu
gees in it from infected houses.
THE WIND AGAIN
LAUGHS AT THEM
The Races Once More De
clared Off.
A DRIFTING MATCH ONLY
THIS CONTINUED FOUR AND A
HALF HOURS.
THEN THE REGATTA COMMITTEE GAVE UP
While the Wind Was Astern the Columbia
Showed the Shamrock her Heels, but
in the Shifting Wmds the
Shamrock Gained.
New Y’ork, October 5. —Again today
the sea refused the Shamrock and Co
lumbia a field of conflict; again today
tlie multitude which went out to watch
the contestants for the yachting cham
pionship of the world returned disap
pointed and not a little disgusted. The
question of supremacy of the two great
yachts is still as much an open ques
tion as before they first met, as the
contest today was in some respects more
of a fluke than that of Tuesday. It
was a drifting match almost from start
to finish. The yachts crossed the line
with a breeze of five knots and the
wind never blew more than six knots,
most of the time less than three, and
part of the time not a breath of air
was stirring. After sailing four hours
and forty-three minutes the yachts hav
ing covered only twelve miles of the
course to the outer mark, the Regatta
eommitte declared the race off, as it was
manifestly impossible with the breeze
then blowing, for the lioats to round
the stake before the time limit ex
pired, much less to get back home again.
During the time in which the yachts
were at it the wind, which carried them
dead before it over the line, had hauled
around until at the finish they were
boating Unto its teeth. While the win ]
held astern, the Columbia steadily out
footed her rival until she was fully
half a mile ahead, but in the shifting,
baffling winds that followed diiriug the
last three hours, with the great single
stickers tacking and beating and gybing
to catch every streak of wind, with
fortune helping one abont ns much as
the other, the Shamrock gradually
worked her way up until, when the
face was declared off the two boats
were about on even terms, the Shamrock
perhaps half a length ahead, but so
dose was tlie Columbia that Captain
Barr could have thrown a biscuit to the
foreigner. ’Hie only lesson learned by
tin* nautical sharps from today’s trial
of the abilities of the two boats is
that in light weather conditions the Co
lumbia is the superior in running and
reaching, and the Shamrock slightly let
ter in beating. There has yet been no
indication of what either boat can do
in a piping whole sail breeze.
So gen tV* were me crest less, pulsatng
seas that any sort of harbor or river
craft, from a steamer to a row boat,
could venture out with, impunity, and a
vost colony of excursion .boats, oceaiir
going steamers, yachts, tugs, sidewiheel
ers and sailing vessels, gathered around
the red bulk of the Sandy Hook Light
ship, seven mules from the entrance to
the lower bay, to watx-h the start. A
heavy haze hung over the sea and land,
and shut off the view of the thousands
waiting o.n the Highlands of Naves:uk
and the Long Island shore. The torpedo
ls>ats, guarding the course, threaded
their way in and out through the acres
of boats like aieeuieis, their wakes a
thread of foaau. warning the excursion
skippers to keep ttbedr distance. Hut
little difficulty was experienced today',
as Captain Kraus interviews threatening
dire consequence to die offending skippers
had had a wholesome effect. Already the
crowd was disappointed. Each one had
come down praying for a stiff breeze and
had found instead that there was hardly
wind enough to keep the flags
fluttering. Ml uit there, was cairn*
from the northwest by north
from over the land. Preparations were
made aboard both yachts for the light
est airs before the start. The Columbia
discarded her heavy steel topsail yard
for a lighter and longer pine one and
the Irish boat sent aloft the largest
club topsail ever seen on, her. large
by yards than any used in her trials on
this side.
Mrs. Iselim, wife of the managing
owner of t lu* Yankee lioat and who never
fails to Ik* aboard during a race, was
snugly ensconced in the conipaniou'way
of the Columbia, attired' in a jaunty
white flannel yachting costume, with a
red streamer around her ih'at. As soon
as the committee boat had hoisted the
signal (letters “D C L,” making the
course 15 miles southeast by south, dead
before the wind and return, a puffing tug
steamed Straight out to sea to' plant
the outer mark, which neither of the
racers was destined to round today.
Then* was some pretty man Delivering
bemud the line before the start, each
breaking out her “balloon jib and lower
ing her spinnaker -boom as they jock
eyed for position. Both got across in
the smoke of the last gun, the white
•beauty « length ahead and in the wind
ward berth.
Tlie official time of the start was: Col
umbia 11:00:53; Shamrock 11:01:05.
The wind was blowing hardly 5 knots.
As she crossed the green boat broke
1 4 FIVE CENTS.
out lu-r spinnaker, which was in stops.
It is an English 'fashion to hoist this
sail from the boom, ami th** Shamrock
in her trials clung to the English way,
but. since her arrival she has. learned
many Yankee tricks and breaking oat
the spinnaker is one of them. The nip
defender was a little slow on, getting
her big bellying sail out, and this some
what dampened fine nirdor of the patriotic
throng of Americans, who love not long
so much as forehanded ness rind snd|>,
hut sixty seconds later both boats were
on even terms, fleeing before the gentle
breeze wing and wing, spinnaker balanc
ing mainsail and bulging balloon jib
dra wing forwa rd.
The bells in the engine rooms of the
excursion fleet clanged, and the enroll
ing hulls started, forward In pursuit.
But th§v slowed down almost imme
diately and then stopped.
The light breeze was carrying the big
yachts down the wind at a snail’s pace.
They drifted along like two lazy clouds
of smoke upon the surface of the wa
ter. For almost an hour the spectators
on the excursion boats watched them,
drift like Coleridge’s “Painted Ship
Upon a Painted Ocean.” The only
cheering feature of the situation was
that the Columbia steadily gained
ground, inch, by inch she crept along.
At the end of 15 minutes several
lengths of clear water showed between
her and her green rival. The bands
played and a few whistles tooted. On,
on she moved until she was fully five
hundred yards ahead. It was pictures
que, but not exciting. The immense
spread of canvas, including the balloon
jib was drawing in the gentle breeze.
Then the wind began to die and the
great balloons of canvas forward col
lapsed like meal sacks.
At the same time the wind canted a
little and Columbia concluded to change
her tactics. She took in her spinnaker
and tried reaching, leaving the balloon
jib set, trot it was a challenge to the
(Continued on Second Page.)
A MAD RACE WITH FLAME
THE LEONA FLIES FOR PORT WITH BAT
TENED HATCHES.
Firemen Battle Vainly With the Flames When
she Reaches New York. The Cargo
Practically Destroyed.
New Y’ork, Oct. 5. —The Mallory Line
9b ain or Leona, was* burned and sunk
at. her whtarf in Bast River tonight. The
Cargo, corneas ting of tobacco an I 8.000
bales of cotton, and valued at s2so,oUtf
to $300,000 is a total loss, and the hoot
Is little tauter than a wreck.
I/t is believed that the Leona, which
sailed from Galveston. September 27th,
caught fire at sea several days ago, since
which time silie had iwocmled at fail
speed with battened hatches, for ibis
ixart. At 3:30 this afternoon tlie Leona
came racing up east River to her pier,
where haste was made ,to debark the
passengers and open the hatches. An
hour later an army of men were vainly
fighting a fire In the steamer’s hold.
Finally the ship was scuttled.
As soon as the Leona made fast ta
ther pier, about four o’clock the officers
of the vessel, oamimiand/id by Captain
Wilder, ordered the imimbem of tin* crew
to try to put out tthe fire in; the hold
without calling the fin* department. This
was soon found to be imposibile, and si.t
alarm, was sent in. 'By 5:30 o’cl<M*k ten
streams wen* playing from fire engines
ami siix streams from tire boats. The
firemen had a 'hard time to get at the
flames as the boiat caun* into her dock
stenumost, leaving the burning portion
out in the water. The fine at. first was
confined to the forward hatchway, * di
rectly forward of tin- foremast. The
1 Hatches being lifted, a trenn mrious vol
ume of smoke came out, making it im-
IKXssible for the firemen to sis*. Soon
tons of waiter were pouring into the
doomed vessel, and the ship began to list
Id starboard, settling a Utile as she did
so. Ait six o’clock about seventy firem *n
wiith the chief and deputy Chief were on
the boat working to keep the fire from
spreading toward the stem. It was found
to be beyond the efforts of the firemen
and anfirder was given to open the fore
and aft portholes Sn ordiv to allow tin*
boat to enter and make her settle. The
Water already pouring into the boat was
managing to run along the bilge keels
until it had reached aft and the ship
showed evidence of Listing to starboard
Most of the firemen finally left the ship
by sliding down, a hose which was fas
tented to tin* wheel.
About half a dosseai men who were on
the stttairboard side of the boat were un
able to get to the pier, and kept on work
ing as if nothing was WapiM'ining to en
danger their lives. They continued until
the ship wn* partially submerged beside
Bicir iher. Tne ntrin were thrown into the
water. Deputy KTnief Duame and Fier
ntaat Thomas McFarland of engine No.
14. had tto battle for life and were res
cued with difficulty’. Several of the
fireboats engaged in line work of rescu
ing the firemen were nearly carried down
by the sinking of the Leona.
At 7:.‘b) o'clock tonight a report that
shook the deck plates forward showed the
presence of gas and possUbly powder in
the forward hold. Another reiport came
about fifteen menntes later and a third
in about 10 minutes. The explosions
were not serious enough to cause a fur
ther * inflow of Water. At about Sla
tlie flames were under control at the
maim hatchway and the entire work was
confined to the forward batch. The
flames were so persistent that they were
not under control for a long time, and
the New York was kept at the lno.it play
ing on her ad night.
As the President ini through
Ohio yesterday, there were demonstra
tions at many places, much cheering and
waving of Hags.