tCfte Cbatbam TRecotfc-
H.A. LONDON
EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR.
TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION:
S150 Per Year
STRICTLY IN ADVANCE
OR CONSERVATION
President Approves Report
of National Commission.
NDS MESSAGE TO CONGRESS
Ivges Measures to Conserve the Nat
terity Should be Put in Effect
ural Resources as a Legacy to Pcs
'vithout Delay.
President Roosevelt, Friday' f!w3R
nutted to Congress the following
bearing on the conservation of our
netural resources.
I transmit herewith a report of the
national conservation commission, to
gether with the acompanying papers.
This report, Avhich is the outgrowth
of the conference of Governors last
May, was unanimously approved by
the recent joint conference held in
this city between the national con
servation commission and Governors
of the States, State conservation com
missions and conservation commit
tees of great organizations of citi
zens. It is therefore in a peculiar
sense representative of the whole na
tio:; and all its parts.
The facts set forth in this report
constitute an imperative call to act
ion. The situation "they disclose de
mands that Ave, neglecting for a time,
if need be, smaller and less A'ital
questions, shall concentrate an effec
tive part of our attention upon the
peat material foundations of nation
al existence, progress and prosperity.
The progress of our knowledge of
this country will continually lead to
more acurate information and better
use of the sources of national
strength. It is not necessary that
this knowledge should be exact in
every minute detail. It is essential
that it should correctly describe the
general situation. The conservation
of our resources is the fundamental
question before this nation."
Our population is now adding about
one-fifth to its numbers in ten years.
Many millions more, must be fed and
clothed from the products of our soil.
With the steady growth in population
and the still more rapid increase in
consumption our people will here
after make greater and not less de
mands per capita upon all the nat
ural resources for . their livlihood,
comfort and convenience. It is high
time to realize that cur responsibil
itv to the coming millions is like that
of parents to their children, and that
in wasting our resources we are
wronging cur descendants.
Our rivers can and should be made
to serve our people effectively in
transportation, but the vast expen
ditures for our waterways have not
resulted in maintaining, much less in
promoting, inland navigation. There
fore, let us take immediate steps to
ascertain the reasons and to prepare
and adopt a comprehensive plan "for
inland waterway navigation. Our
forests are fast disappearing, and
less than one-fifth of them are being
conserved, and no good purpose can
be met bv failing to provide the rela
tively small sums needed for the pro
tection, use, and improvement of all
forests still owned by the govern
ment. Let us enact laws to cheek
the wasteful destruction of the for
ests in private lands. The American
people stand nearly as a unit for
waterway development and for forest
protection.
Mineral Resources "Wasted. "
Our mineral resources once ex
hausted are gone forever, and the
needless waste of them costs us hun
dreds of human lives and nearly
$300,000,000 a year. Therefore, lot
us undertake without delay the in
vestigations necessary before our
people will be in position, through
State action or otherwise, to put an
end to this huge loss and waste, and
conserve both our mineral resources
sad the lives of the men who take
them from the earth.
The conservation of our natural
resources is of first consideration. If
T,'c of this generation destroy the re
sources from which our children
would otherwise derive their livli
hood, we reduce the capacity of our
land to support a population, and so
either degrade the standard of living
or deprive the coming generations of
their rights to life on this continent.
If we allow great industrial organ
Jaztions to eexreise unregulated con
trol of the means of production and
the necessaries of life, we deprive
the Americans of to-day and of the
future of industrial libertv. a right
ko less precious and vital than poli-
neat treedom. ;
The administration which is just
drawing: to a close, has at least seen
daily the fundamental need of free
dom of opportunity for every citizen.
man and no set of men should be
allowed to rdav the e-ame nf rnmrseti-
tion with loaded dice. The uncheck
ed existence of monopoly is incom
patible with enualitv of nnnrhinitv
1 j i .7
J no reasoi? for the exercise of gov
ernment control over great monopo
lies is to equalize opportunity.
Waterways.
Accordingly, I urge that the broa;
plan for the development of ou
waterwavs. recommended bv the Tn
land Waterways Commission, be put
in enect without delay.
The work of waterwavs develoo
ment should be underta
delay. Meritorious projects in known
eontormity with the general outlines
of any comprehensive clan should
proceed at once. The cost of the
VOL. XXXI.
whole work should be met by direct
appropriation if possible, but if nec
essary by the issue of bonds in small
denominations.
It is especially important that the?
development of water power should
be guarded with the utmost care both
by the national government and by
the States in order to protect the peo
ple against the. upgrowth of monopoly
and to insure to them a fair share in
the benfits which will follow the de
velopment of this great asset which
belongs to the people and should be
controlled by them.
Forests.
I urge that provision be made for
both protection and more rapid de
velopment of the national forests.
Otherwise, either the increasing usa
of these forests by the people must be
checked or their protection against
fire must be dangerously weakened.
If Ave compare the actual damage on
similar areas on private and national
forest lands during the past year, the
government fire patrol saved commer
cial timber worth as much as the
total cost of caring for all national
forests at the presnt rate for about
ten years.
Lands.
The use of the public grazing lands
should be regulated in such ways as
to improve and conserve their -alue.
Rights to the surface of the public
land should be separated from rights
to forects upon it and to minerals be
neath it, tnd these should be sub
ject to separate disposal.
The coal, oil, gas and phosphate
rights still remaining with the gov
ernment should be withdraAvn from
entry and leased under conditions fa
vorable for economic deA'elopment.
Minerals.
The consumption of nearly all of
our mineral products is inereashing
more rapidly than our population.
Our mineral Avaste is about one-sixth
of our product, or nearly $1,000,000
for each working day in the year. The
loss of structural materials through
fire is about ' another million a day.
The loss of life in the mines is ap
palling. The larger part of these
losses can be avoided.
A part of "the action of the joint
conference says: We also especially
urge on- the Congress of the United
States the high desirablity of main
taining a national commission on the
conservation of tehresources of the
country empowered to co-operate
with State commissions to the end
that every sovereign Commonwealth
and every section of the country may
attain the high degree of prosperity
and. the sureness of perpetuity nat-
urallv arising m the aboundant re
sources and the vigor, intelligence,
and patriotism of our people.
In this recommendation I most
heartily concur, .and I urge that an
appropriation of at least $50,000 be
made to cover . the expenses of the
national conservation commission for
necessary rent, assistance and trav
eling expenses. This is a very small
sum. I know of no other way in
which the appropriation of so small
a sum Avould result in so large a bene
fit to the whole nation.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
Suicides in Church.
Savannah. Ga.. Special. In a pos
ture of prayer in St. Patrick's church
here andwith a bullet nolo tnrougu
tho tAmnle the dead bodv of Otto
Schueitzer, of Philadelphia, was
found Friday several hours alter tne
fatal shot was fired. Two notes were
found, one bequeathing $1 for "St.
Anthony's bread" and anotner ex
pressing regret that he "had permit
a vmcolf tr havp anv ill-feeling."
ICU liiiiiovi j
Schuenitzer had been here but a day,
reaching the city aboard a steamer
rfom Philadelphia.
Charleston Dispensary Profits.
TVi total net profits of the county
dispensary for Charleston county
during the montns or uciooer, w
vember and December were $30,
171.07, the amount in legal dispute
not being included. The division of
the profits, under the law, is as
follows:
City of Charleston.. .. . .$14,492.o5
Mount Pleasant uvo.o
Sanitary and drainage com
mission.. . . 0,Ud4.-J.
Citv Schools 6,034.21
General county fund 3,017.12
Jones Elected Chief Justice.
Columbia, Special. Associate Jus
tice Ira B. Jones, of Lancaster, was
elected Chief Justice of the Supreme
Court of South Carolina for the un
expired term of Chief Justice Pope,
whose resignation has been accepted.
Mr. Jones has served on tne supreme
Court Bench since January, 1S96,
with conspicuous ability. He is rec
ognized as a man of unusual ability,
and his written opinions as a mem
ber of the Supreme Court have been
universally commended and favor
ably received. Mr. Jones has been in
active public life for many years.
Overman Succeeds Himself as United
States Senator.
Ralugb, N. C, Special The elec
tion of Senair Lee S. Overman to
him'f for a second term in
lhc Senate f the United States Avas
the feature in both branches of the
peneal Assembly. The vote in the
Senate vs 3f to 8 and in the House
00 tft 26. .Uidge Soencer B. Adams
being h'-nored by tb, minority .with
the compiiaieniary nomination. The
speeches in noininarion Avere made in
the Stnate.b; Senator Kluttz and
Senator Britt, respectively, and in
the House by Representatives Julian
and Grmt.
PITTSBORO. CHATHAM COUNTY. N. P,.. W.DNlf.sn A V .tanit av 7 iano xn 01
WITH N. C LAWMAKERS
Doings of the State Legislature Con
densed. Interesting Items from
Day to Day.
Wednesday's session of House and
Senate involved nothing beyond rou
tine work.
The joint resolution that the Gen
ereal Assembly adjourn sine die Feb
ruary 15th, introduced some day ago
by Senator Elliott, came up and Avas
almost unanimously voted down and
a motion . to reconsider made by
Dockery also failed of the necessary
support.
At noon the Senate repaired to the
House for the joint session to an
nounce the result of the balloting
Tuesday in the two branches of the
Assembly on election of United
States Senator. This required 23
minutes.
A bill just introduced in the Sen
ate by Senator Emple to provide no
fence law for the whole of the State,
is a bill that will attract very gen
eral interest. It is endorsed by the
State forestry interests and has oth
er very strong backing. It would ap
ply the "no fence" law to even
section of the State after 1910. It is
estimated now that about four-fifths
of the State is already under the op
eration of "no fence" laws. One of
the contentions of the forestry in
terests is that the running at large of
swine, for instance, prevents the
growth of the young long-leaf pines
in the eastern section of the State.
In both the Senate and House bills
were introduced to pay solicitors a
salary of $2,000 and no other compen
sation. Senator Ray put in a bill
that would legalize an 8 percent rate
of interest when agreed upon by the
parties.
Speaker Graham introduced a bill
to put Henry II. Howard, one of the
Merrimac survivors on the pension
roll, fourth class and pay him $25. He
was gunner's mate on the famous
ironclad.
Legislators are slow to act upon ths
bill to guarantee deposits in State
banks, but the anto-trust bill with a
sharp tooth seems in favor.
Bills were offered in the Senate on
Thursday :
Manning Promote" more efficient
municipal gOA-ernment. This 'is the
bill prepared by the Raleigh Good
Government League and designed to
have a sort of "Watts law" appli
cation to cities and towns of the
State having 5,000 or more popula
tion; providing for a mayor and four
counciliren to be elected and they
to have the whole direction of the
municipal affairs, being subject to
removal from office through vote of
the people. The act ig'-to apply to
any city only after it has been adopt
ed by vote of the people."
Manning Repeal 30o. Revisal, re
lating to the discharge of witnesses
before the grand jury and the cer
tificates of attendance filed.
Bassett Provide better protection
of earnings of railroad employes and
others engaged in interstate business
and to assure to them the benefit of
the exemption laws of the State re
lating to personal property.
The two following bills passed
their final reading:
Amend Sec. 3241, Revisal, relat
ing to Avitnesses before" the grand
jury, providing that witnesses shall
not be subpoenaed to appear upon a
bill of indictment earlier than the
second or third day of the court, sav
ing to counties much of the im
mense cost of the attendance! of wit
nesses. '
The bill carrying the appropria
tions for the State School for the
Blind came from the committee on
State School for the Blind with fav
orable report and was referred to
the committee on appropriations. It
carries appropriations of $22,343 for
1909 and $22,00 for 1910; an annual
appropriation of $65,000 for main
tenance and $100 a month for tbo
school library.
The minority report of the Senate
judiciary committee reporting the
Manning bill enlarging the powers
of the Attorney General was read
and Senator Manning announced that
he would reserve the right to, call up
the bill on its passage-later.
A bill was offered by Senator Or
mond (by request) Provide for the
creation and organization of the new
County of Mosely out of territory
taken from Lenoir, "Wayne and
Greene if the voters in the territory
so elect.
The following bills were introduced
in the House:
Majette Amend Sec. 1747, Re
visal, to extend the time for register
ing grants.
Gordon Establish lien upon wear
ing apparel in favor of laundrymen.
Gordon Establish State library
commssion. -
Poole Amend Sec. 924, Revisal,
relative to the popwpers of the clerk
of Superior CourT in paying oat
funds.
Butler (by request) Allow tAvo
years to bring actions against tela
graph companies.
, Cox, of Anson Amend Chap. 273,
Laws of 1902, for the relief of cer
tain Confederate soldiers, sailors and
widows.
Graham Repeal - Chap. 89, Laws
of 1907, relating to additional cause
of divorce.
Graham Expedite the trial of cap
ital cases and reduce the cost by en
abling courts to summon special
venires from some adjoining county.
Much discussion upon the divorce
bill was engaged in. It arises from
a bill to amend the present law to
allow divorces in cases of ten years
absence if there are no children.
The bill offered would allow di-A-orce
if children are more than 21
years - old. The bill may haTe the
effect to repeal the laAv allowing di
vorce on ground of absence at all.
The folloAving bills passed their
final reading:
State bill to amend Revisal re
lating to poAvers and duties of county
commissioners, allowing the establish
ment Avben necessary of tuberculosis
dispensaries and' sanatoriums.
To repeal Chap. 202, Laws of 1907,-J
as to fees of officials' of. Johnston
cdunty.
Amend Revisal relative to liability
of counties in criminal actions.
Resolution to- print 500 copies "of
memorial of North Carolina Library
Associatkm for fireproof building.
In the Senate Friday Senator Qr
mond offered a bill to put solicitors
of the State on salaries of $2,500
each instead of the fees now allowed.
Hankins: Joint resolution to pro
vide more adequate postoffiee facili
ties for the General Assembly.
Hankins: Memorial from . the
North Carolina Library Association
for the erection of a fireproof State
library building.
Hankins: Memorial from the
North Carolina Society, Daughters of
the Revolution, relative to the erec
tion of a fireproof library building.
Among the bills passed Avas a oint
resolution for paying the evpenses
of Dr. Gordon and Dr. Bolton, mem
bers of the Legislature wLo repres
ented the Assembly at the State tu
berculosis convention at Charlotte
recently.
There was read by Senator Dock
orv n "pome" by ex-Senator N. A.
McLean of Robeson, in answer to the
resolution by Senator Dockery that
Mr. McLean and others be sent a
copy of the Lockhart bill to inject
sub-section "A" into the anti-trust
act. There was a jocular vote.
The senate passed a bill to incor
porate board of publication, North
Carolina Methodist Conference.
Senator Barringer introduced a
bill to fix the pirvileges of owners of
mileage books.
In the House Cox, of Wake, pre
sented a memorial from the Ladies'
Memorial Association for the Gen
eral Assembly to proA'ide for a fire
proof building for the State library-
Poole offered a bill to amend Sec.
3354, Revisal, relative to punishment
for seduction so that there can 13
punishment even after marriage in
the event there is desertion Avithin
five years after marriage.
Poole: Amend Sec. 5111, ReA'isal,
relative to the inheritance tax.
Cox, of Wake: Joint-resolution to
pay the expenses of the inaugural
committee.
Cox, of Wake : Make the salary of
the assistant Supreme Court libra
rian $30 instead of $15 a month.
Currie: Amend Sec. 87, ReA'isal,
and abolish the crop pest commission,
putting its duties in the hands of the
State board of agriculture.
Currie: Regulate the registration
and sale of concentrated feed stuffs.
Currie: Regulate the sale of stock
foods and medicinal poAvders for live
stock.
Gordon: To validate deeds and in
struments heretofore executed by
corporations.
Underwood: Anwrn 2235, Revisal,
so as to allow tlvrta days of grace on
bills payable at sight.
Connor: Fix liability of banks to
depositors for forged or raised
checks. Depositor must notify the
bank within three months of receiv
ing the canceled cheek.
Connor: Punish derogatory state
ments concerning banks and to pro
vent runs on banks.
Connor: Amend Act of 1907 relat
ing to the salary of the assistant li
brarian of the Supreme Ccsrt.
Weaver: Regulate the use of busi
ness names.
Grant: Protect labor from certain
government employes.
Rodwell: Relative to property 01
insane persons discharged from asy
lums. Morton : Joint resolution to pro
vide more lights in corridors and ro
tunda of Capitol.
The Senate lacked a . chorum on
Saturday.
In the House many bills were pass
ed of a private nature. Chief among
bills of general interest presented
were :
Currie : Amend Revisal 3945 and re
lieve manufacturers of fertilizers of
unnecessary requirements.
Currie: Entitle sale of test farms
by boards of agriculture.
Currie : Establish State highway
commission.
Perry of Bladen: For better pro
tection and comfort of traveling pub
lic. Hinsdale : For relief of inmates
of Soldiers'" Home, at Raleigh.
Connor: Provide for equipment and
maintenance of Eastern Carolina
Training School.
Among the bills to pass third
reading was that to Permit guardians
to cultiA-ate lands of their wards.
Mr. Morton's bill for the separa
tion of the races in the penitentiary,
convicts camps and cc-uty jails, was
m his CAvn motion re-referred to th?
committee on penal institutions,
here being t-o mznj gen'l?Licn avIk
wished to exempt their counties an
prevent the act from interfering
ivith the cages used in road vcik.
Explosion Killed. 5S Men.
Vcszprim, Hungary, Special. The
coal mine here last Thursday result
ed in the death of 56 men.' Of 240
men entombed 184- Avere taken out
alive. .'
DOINGS OHJONGRESS
Summary of Important Proceedings
Enacted From Day to Day.
The urgent deficiency bill which
carries appropriations amounting to
$1,026,402, Avas passed- aftei aa
amendment providing for an appro
priation of $30,000 for further dis
tribution of seeds by the Department
of Agriculture. '
Representative Foss, of Illinois,
chairman of the House cimmittee on
naval affairs, brought up the naA'al
appropriation bill which probably will
occupy the attention of the House
for a day or two. The bill carries an
appropriation cf $135,662,883. A
message from the President recom
mending an appropriation of $20,000
for a commission to investigate th.-v
conditions in the republic of Liberia,
Africa, was read. ,
The BroAvnsville affair Avas again"
before the Senate Wednesday. , Sena
tor Frazier, cf Tennessee, speaking
in opposition to the passage of any
measure for the re-enlistment of the
discharged soldiers of the Twenty
fifth. Regiment. He insisted that the
guilt of some men of the regiment
had been established bej7ond any
doubt, although the individuals Avho
had committed the crime had not
been determined.
Mr. Fcraker announced that he
would move next Monday to take up
his bill to reinstate the soldiers un
less an agreement on a time to vote
for the measure is made sooner.
The legislative, executive and ju
dicial appropriation bill also was un
der consideration.
Seitator Frazier 's remarks were
of" especial interest as he was
a member of the committee on
military affairs which investigated
the BroAArnsville incident, his A'iews
being those of a Southerner Avho had
an intimate knoAvledge of the negro
race.
After adopting Avithout opposition
a resolution by Avhich GoArernor
George F. Lilley, of Connecticut,
ceases to be a member of, Congress
the House preceded AA'ith the naval
appropriation bill. There were few
amendments offered to the measure,
the items under consideration being
those of maintenance and improve
ments to nary yards, stations and
other public Avorks of the navy.
A debate on the propriety of in
creasing salaries of Federal circuit
and district judges consumed nearly
the entire time of the' Senate Thurs
day Avith the result that the compen
sation cf the 29 circuit judges Avas
increased from $7,000 to $9,000 and
that of the S4 district judges from
$6,000 to $8,000.
Senator Borah Avho had offered
amendments regarding the increase
of salary recommended by the com
mittee on appropriations declared
that the action of the Senate in in
creasing the salary of the President
to $100,000 was in A'iolation of the
spirit cf the constitution and would
neA'cr have been taken before or dur
ing the recent political campaign.
Senator Tillman insinuated that
some Federal judges were cn the pay
rolls of corporations, which called
forth denunciation that such charges
snould not be made without specifical
ly naming the judge referred to.
Strictures upon the efficiency of
officers of the navy in the care cf
machinery of war vessels were utter
ed in the House of Representatives
Thursday during the consideration
of the naAral appropriation . bill, With
the result that an amendment was
adopted requiring the Secretary of
the NaAy to annually report to Con
gress those instances v,rhere more
than $200,00 is expended for repairs.
After futile efforts had been made
to obtain legislation looking to the
restoration of marines aboard ship
pers, an amendment was agreed to
prohibiting the purchase of poAvder
"manufactured and sold in violation
..of" the Sherman anti-trust law. The
debate disclosed the fact that the
amendment was directed at the Du
Pont Company. An amendment also
was . adopted appropriating $250,000
for the purpose of doubling the gov--evnme'nt's
output of poAvder other
than for small arms at cents per
pound.
The bill was still pending when tne
House adjourned.
In the' Senate Friday, February
12th next was declared to be a spec
ial legal holiday and a survey ana
plans for a highway from Washing
ton to Gettysburg to be known as
"The Lincoln' Way" as a memorial
to Abraham Lincoln, was provided
for by a joint resolution passed by
the sente after a nextended debate.
Final action was also taken on ths
legislative, executive and judicial ap
propriation bill, the Senate refusing
to fix at $75,000 the salary of . the
President, previously increased by an
amendment to $100,00.
The House adopted exactly as re:
ported by committee, the naval pro
gramme for the fiscal year 1910, and
the naval appropriation bill was pass
ed. The cponents of the navy in
found themselves in n
hopeless minority. The only vital al
teration made in the measure was the
sHnVinf out of the proAision restor
ing marines to naA-al vessels. The
aggregate amount appropriated by
the bill is $135,000,000.
Thp.-increase in the naval estimate
gaA'e rise to extended and heated de
hnte. in Avhich members were afforded
an opportunity to air their A'iews on
h the Japanese question, ihe peace au
tos were much in evidence in op
position to such increasef while the
t nf the - Proposition . Aveie
alive at all times to every move made
to cut down the number of vessel
authorized. . - -
A moticii by Representative Olcott
of NeA-r York to increase the pension
of Julia B. Ccghlan, Avidow.of Rear
Admiral Coghlan, U. S. N., from $50
a 'month,' as ..provided in-a pension,
bill, to $100 a month, created a lively
interest in the house of representa
tives Saturday. After a vigorous
debate the amendment Avas lost by a
vote of 42 to 103.
Strong opposition, to the increase
was made on the ground that there
was nothing unusual in the ease to
demand this special increase.
ELIHU ROOTJESTIFIES
Tells the Grand Jury What He Knows
About the Purchase of the .CanaL
But Refuses to Give Out Anything.
Washington, - Special. "I simply
brought rmy subpoena' and conscience
wies me," jocularly remarked Secre
tary of State Elihu Root, who Fri
day, was one, of the chief witnesses
before the United States grand jury
in its investigation of the alleged
libel in connection with the purchase
of the Panama canal. The Secretary
made the remark to newspaper men
who sought to interview him a few
minutes before he went into the
grand jury room. Senator Knox, of
Pennsyh-ania, and Assistant Attor
ney General Charles W. Russell, also
gave testimony. All declined to
throw any light upon the nature of
their testimony.
William Nelson Cromwell may be
one of the witnesses Saturday.
"Well," said Secretary Root as he
emerged .from the grand jury room,
"I cannot tell you boys, of . course,
how I testified. But I will say this
it is the first time I havre ever been
in this building since the trial of
Charles J. Guitteau for' the assassina
tion of President Garfield, in 1882. I
was then here as a spectator only."
COOPER-SHAPE TRIAL DRAGS.
Third-Day's Session of the Cooper
Sharpe Trial Closes Without the
Addition of a Single Juror and the
List Remains at Six.
Nashville, Tenn., Special. The
third day of the Cooper-Sharpe mur
der trial passed not only without se
curing another juror, but if the mo
tion of the State is sustained, one of
the six already chosen Avill be eli
minated because he was intoxicated
when he reported for service and was
chosen. The State claims it secured
knoAvledge of Juror Leigh's condition
after it had accepted him.
The summoning of 500 additional
talesmen began late Thursday after
noon to appear Monday to complete
the jury to try the alleged slayers of
ex-Senator Edward W. Carmack.
When the six selected jurors were
brought into court Friday morning,
one of them, J. Whiteworth, called
Judge Hart and said:
"Judge, IVe been used to my
morning toddy for a good many years
and I missed it poAverfully this morn
ing. Can't I get one just one, every
morning TV
"The constitution prohibtts unusu
al or cruel punishments," remarked
the court judicially. "Mr. Officer,
see that tlfcso gentlemen who are
wont to have a teddy get their toddy
hereafter."
FLOODS SWEEP TRANSVAAL.
Bursting Dam Floods Gold Mine,
Browning 160 Laborers.
Johannesburg. Bv able. One hun-
dred and seventy-three persons are
known to have lost their lives .friaay
as a result "of the floods which are
general throughout the Transvaal
colony and northern Natal. Great
damae-a ko has been ' done to
property. By the bursting of Knight 's
dam, the Witwatersrand gold mine in
the southwestern part of the lrans
vaal Avas flooded and ten white men
and 150 natives were drowned. The
water from this dam also flooded the
lower section of the Town of Elsburg
Avhere a number of. houses were swept
away and . 13 persons perished. " A
gold dredger valued at $60,000 broke
adrift on the Kaap river and was
wrecked.
Save3 Woman But Loses His Life.
. Scranton, Pa., Special M. J. Duf
fy, station master of the Delaware,
Lackawanna & Western Railroad at
Hallstead, was run doAvn and killed
by the New York" flyer just in front
nf thA station Sundav afternoon.
Duffy ran out on the tracks to rescue
a woman who was in danger ot being
run down by another train going in
an opposite direction.
: Three Killed in Explosion.
JohnstoAvn, Pa., Special. Threr
children between three and four years
eld were killed, another, aged five,
was severely burned, and two Avomen,
mothers of the little ones, Avere pain
fully ' injured at Stcughtcn, Somer
set county, Avh en the children touched
a match to a keg of powder to see it
blaze. All the dead and injured are
foreigners. Their home was almost
demolished by the explosion.
Boy Shoots His Father.
Jacksonville, Fla., Special. Wil
liam O. Bethea, a young white mau,
shot and instantly killed his father,
George Bethea, late Friday afternoon
as the old man Avas entering tne nome
of his daughter, in the western sec
tion of the city. There had been
bad blood between father and son for
some time, which terminated in a
quarrel, which caused the old man's
death. Bethea is under arrest.
TOe Cbatbam "Kecoyb.
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SHIPS IN COLLISION
White Star Liner Republic and
and lioyd Liner Florida
MEET OFF NANTUCKET ISLAND
f-
Republic Gees to Bottom After Un
loading Her 781 Passengera anl
. Grew Greatest Feat in History cf
Wireless Telegraphy Four Aro
Killed.
New York, Special. Grave anxiety
pervailed here Saturday and Satur- "
day night as the result of the thril
ling maritime drama being enacted .
off Nantucket on the coast of NeAV
England, following the ramming
early Saturday of the big White Star
liner Republic with 761 souls
aboard, by the steamer Florida, of -the
Lloyd-Itclian line. The wireless
telegraph played an-important part
in the grave incidents happending at
sea, far from the shore, and proved
its utility as it has neAer done before.
Bit by bit it told the tale, first an
nouncing the news of the collision
and the plight of the liner, which
neAvs came direct from the injured
ship itself. Then it told of the res
cue of the Republic's passengers, the
condition from time to time of tho
sinking ship and finally summoned
from the adjacent seas the White
Star line Baltic, the French steamer
La Lorraine, the Curnader Lucania
and the revenue cutters Achushnet
and Gresham.
At 8 o'clock p. m. the wireless
brought reassuring news from Cap
tain Ransom, of the steamer Baltic. -He
said that the Republic Avas still
afloat; that the Florida, AA'ith her
own people and most of those from
the Republic aboard, close to 2,000
souls in all, was nearby and that the
Baltic was near the scene, standing
by ready to lend aid. The steamers
La Lorraine and Lucania, Captain
Ransom said, were also in the vicinity
and the Republic through her wire
less outfit, was directing the move
ments of the shipe of rescue.
" Until an early hour Sunday it was
believed the crashing together of the
two big ships had not resulted in
death of injury to a single passen
ger or member of the crews. Shortly
after midnight, however, the wireless
telegraph flashed the news. that two
passengers on the Republic had been
killed and two others irtjured. Late
in the day another wireless message
told of four deaths cn board the
Florida, either of members of the
crew or steerage passengers.
It is apparent that the Florida
must have been between 30 or 40
miles off her course in being any
where near the Rapublic, as the east
bound and Avestbound steamer lanes
here are that distance apart.
The collision, being amidsbip, al
most immediately-flooded the engine,
room of the Republic and of course
rendered her - absolutely , helpless.
Fortunately, her wireless equipment
was well supplied with storage bat
teries and three were used for more
than six hours, until they gradually
became exhausted. After that, re
course to signalling by means of sub
marine bells was adopted.
In the middle of the forenoon the
transfer cf passengers to the Florida
Avas made, and although the fog Avas
very dense, unusually calm weather
for this season of the year in the
North Atlantic enabled the transfer
to be made Avithout accident. By
noon the Baltic and LaLorraine were
close to the scene of collision, but
owing to the dense fog, were unable
to locate the Republic, although the
submarine bells could be heard fre
quently. The prompt closing of the Repub
lic's water-tight compartments which
kept her afloat and undoubtedly
saved the lives of many of those on
board. In the afternoon it was learn
ed from the Baltic that these com
partments were still holding the Aes
scl above water, but that the bulk
heads and compartment doors were
under a fearful strain and likely to
give way at any moment.
A dispatch at 8:30 Sunday night
said: "Republic gone doAvn. No one
aboard. All crew safe on revenue
cutter Gresham."
An hour later another wireless
message Avas receiA-ed stating that the
revenue cutter . Gresham, with the
Republic creAv on board was pro
ceeding to Gayhead. -
The Republic's passengers found
900 returning Italians, many of them
survivors of the earthquake, on board
the Florida, which left Naples on
January 9th. -
Lincoln's Native County Votes Dry.
Hcdgonville, Ky., Special. In a
lecal option election Larue county, in
llieh Abraham Lincoln was born
neaily 100 years ago, voted "dry"
by a majority of 1,085, the vote be
inb more than 4 to 1 against license.
Would Not Incrcaso Pension.
Washington, Special. A motion
by Representative Olcott, of New
York, to increase the pension of Julia
B. Coughlan, widow of Rear Ad
miral Coughlan, United States navy,
from $50 a month as provided for in
a pension bill, to $100 a month creat
ed 'a liArely interest in the House of
RepresentatiA-cs. After a A'igorous
debate the amendment" Avas lost by a
.vote of 42 to 103.