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WILMINGTON, N. C, JTHIDAY, JUNE 17, 1904. ITVE .GENTS. THE LIST OF SAD SCENES AW OVATIOW IN A BIG LAND BATTLE RUSSIANS ARE DEFEATED CONTINUES TO GROW Incidents of the Day Fol The Parade of Veterans VOL, XVII., NO. 145. VICTIMS Already 536 Bodies Have Been Recovered and - None Dare to Venture a Guess What the Total Will be AN INVESTIGATION ON MONDAY Besides the Coroners Investigation an Effort Will be Maae ty ine rwifrai Authorities, the District Attorney and tlie Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children to Fix the Responsibility for the Disaster Mayor McClellan Appoints a Relief Committee of Prominent Men to Give Aid to the Distressed Families. Long Lines of Anxious Friends and Relatives at the Morgues Trying to Get News of Loved Ones Heart rending Scenes That Are Enacted The Hulk of-the General Slocum a Silent Monument to the Hundreds of Dead. New Yor, June 16. With unceasing effort search is going on for the bodies of those who perished yesterday on the' General Slocum. What the list of victims will total scarcely one dares to venture a guess, but what ever the number may be, there - is hardly a parallel in the history of disasters where death came to so many in so brief a period of time. Police and health department offi cials have placed the number at a figure as high as one thousand and more, but tonight it would seem that the maximum fatality will not largely exceed seven hundred. At dusk there had been recovered 536 bodies, for the great part women and children mothers, who weeks ago' had planned that featal outing for their children; little ones Who had longed for the coming of the happy day. ; '; '.; ; Lt Up to dusk, 499 bodies had passed through the morgue, and of these more than three, hundred were iden tified. The east side 'has its human sympathies aroused to the full est ex tent, and down by the river, where the boats unloaded their dead, thous ands gathered throughout the day. Streets leading to the morgue were blocked. and only with difficulty could the police keep clear the pas sages leading to the long rows of mffins. for those who came to search for the missing. Up the sound, where the hulk of the General Slocum lies submerged, showing only a paddle-box. scores of small- craft 'aided the tugs in grap pling for the victims. Divers went down time and time again, and when their work ended for the day, they declared there were no more bodie3 in the wreck. A score of times a divt er re-appeared after his plunge, with the body of a woman or a child. Two of them coming to the surface togeth er on one occasion had in their arms two little girls sisters clasped in each others embrace, and their moth er, it was thought, with her dead hand tightly clinching the skirt of one of them. As far as it was within their power, the divers searched the wreck from stem to stern, but there were masses of broken timbers through which it was almost impossible to explore, and it may be that some will find a grave under those sunken timbers until the hulk is raised or the waters of the sound wash away the last trace of the wreckage. At this point the water is deep and the currents are swift, and beyond a doubt many may have been borne along with the tides to be given up on a later dayat some distant -point. There are a number of places where the living may have landed, and it is believed that many now reported miss ing are safe, and eventually will be heard from by the officials who have the rescue work in hand. Indeed to night a surprising number of persons reported to these officials that they had been saved, thus cutting the list of missing down considerably, as well as the probable mortality list. Many persons were injured in the panic that followed the breaking out of flames on the General Slocum, and at least 200 persons were taken to the hospitals. Not a "death has oc curred so far among these, and many have already been discharged. Perhaps the most remarkable case in the many appalling experiences of those- who were on the Slocum was that . of Miss( Hartman, who was picked up for dead, towed behind a boat for several miles, wrapped in a tarpolin and tagged as dead, and then recov ered consciousness, at the Alexander avenue police station. It is now be lieved she will recover. Although many of the - bodies tak en to the morgue were very badly mutilated,; and- the clothing in many cases almost entirely burned off, valuables have been, taken from them and are in the keeping of the city offi cials, to the extent - of $200,000 or more. Several of the men and .wo men had the savings of a life-time on them when they perished. Much jewelry, it is reported to the police, lias been lost, but an explanation may he found in the fact that it was de stroyed in the fire rather than stolen hy-4houls. Mayor McClellan today, after re ceiving messages of condolence from many sources, visited North Brother Island, and later yisited the morgue. He. issued a proclamation to the citi zens of New York and appointed a relief committee of prominent men, and relief will be sadly needed in that little east side territory, which the vast majority of those that perished were accustomed to call home. The coroner's investigation to fix the responsibility of the disaster will begin "on Monday next. The Federal authorities, as-well as the district at torney, -also will hold an investigation, and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, through its coun sel, has signified its intention to push the enquiry to the utmost. The crowd around the morgue and the department of charities pier in ESast Twenty-sixth street this even ing was much greater than last night. By 8 o'clock the line of people waiting to be allowed to ente rand look upon the rows of bodies ranged within ex tended for many blocks. About two hundred were allowed to enter at a time, and as they thinned out, some with their fears turned to terrible certainty as they had come face to face with the cold forms of their loved ones, and others, roused to faint hopes by fheir failure to find what they dreaded, they were gently shown out into the street, and another party admitted to undergo the heart rending ordeal. At one time, at least fifteen hun dred people were in the long line awaiting admittance, besides the hun dreds of morbidly curious persons', who lined the adjacent streets. Despite the many curious ones, the crowd was a reverent one. Often as the groups standing in Twenty-sixth street stood and talked In low tones of the catastrophe, from the interior of the pier shed would come a de spairing cry, which told that some one else in the spent rows of bodied had been identified. "Another one," the croiwd would murmur, and there would be specula tions among the subdued groups as to whether it w'as father or mother or daughter or son. This evening the body of a girl of eight years, which was declared by neighbors to be that of the little daughter of Henry Heinz, of Front streeft, was wadhed up against the side of a pier at the foot of Clinton street in the. East river, 'hardly a block away from the girl's home. DUE TO FINNISH PATROITISM. Governor General Babrikoff, of Fin land, Shot and Mortally Wounded by Senator Schaunann's Son. Who Then Committe Suicide. St. Petersburg, June 16. General Bobrikoff, governor general of Fin land, was shot and mortally wounded at 11 o'clock this morning at the en trance to the Finnish Senate at Hel singfors. The assassin, a man named Schaumann, a son of 'Senator Schau mann immediately committed suicide. Bobrikoff was shot in the stomach ana neck, three shots being fired, one oi which inflicted a serious wound. The attack is ascribed to (Finnish patriot ism. Schaumann is believed to be a member of what is known as the Fin nish patriotic party. A private message from Helsingfcrs says Governor Bo'brikoff was taken to a hospital at Helsingfors. Shaumann was a lawyer, by profes sion and an official of the department of education. General Coun Bobrikolf who was ap pointed governor general of Finland in 1899 made himself very unpopular by his severe measures against the press of .Finland and the stern manner m which he followed out the policy ot Russia. tovards the Fnns. This led to serious rioting at Helsinors in 1902, which was suppressed by the Cossacks. The last recorded act of General Bob rikoff was dn 'March of this year, when he issued a proclamation forbidding the people to darken their windows at ''un usual hours.' People who chose to go to bed before 10 o'clock at night were subject to heavy fines. This step was due to the neglect of the Finns to il luminate their houses in honor of the beginning of the war with Japan. Automobile Runs Over and Kills a Woman. New York, June .16. One of the big automobiles used to take sight seers about the city ran over and killed an elderly unknown woman In Broadway tonight, while members of the merry party were laughing and singing. Before the body of the vic tim could be taken from under the car, several of. the women passen gers became hysterical and had to be lifted to the ground, while other jumped down and . ran -away from the scene. Fire Destroys a Virginia Town. Richmond, Va., June 16. fFire at Nor ton, Wise county, Virginia, last night, destroyed the whole business section of the town, causing - a. loss of about $150,000, partly insured. One man was seriously hurtby something falling on him and a cripple was severely injure! in jumping from a window. lowing the General Slocum Disaster VIEW THE WRECK Young People on Excursion Steamers Bare and Bow Their Heads in Grief as They Pass the Wreck of the General Slocum Engineer Conklin is Said to be Alive and in Hiding A ' Young Boy Struck Dumb by the Terrible Ordeal That Hc Went Through More Bodies Are Recovered as the Tide Falls The Life Preservers May Not Have Been in Good Condition. New York, June 16. Information was received at the district attorney's office this afternoon that Engineer Conking who was said to have perished in the disaster is alive and in hiding. County 'Detectives, under the direction of As sistant District Attorney Garvan, are now looking for him. It was thought that he had gone to his home in Cat skill. Two boys were arraigned in the childrens' court today by a detective detailed for duty among the crowd which daily and nightly fills the street in front of St. Mark's church. The 1 boys are Joseph Hornstein and Jacob , Kolask. The detective testified that he saw Kolask with his hand in the skirt pocket of a woman who refused to come to court to prosecute the boy, as she had several small children on the ill-fated General Slocum'and who was afraid that if she left the church she might lose word of what had happened to her babies. , The justice sent Kolask to the, house of refuge after saying he wassorry that he could not send him to state's prison and remanded the other lad. As the Iron Steamboat Company's three . deck excursion boats Sirus went up the sound .this morning with all of its bunting flj-ipg and the general hub bub of an excursi6n Hparty, as many of the 2,000 women and children on board as could be crowded to the rail and viewed the wreck of the General iSlocum, but with bared and bowed heads. The steamboat Cygnus passed a while later, the same scene being enacted, and the band on board playing a hymn. There were '1,500 women and children on board. Still another excursion boat sailed by the wreck during the morning. .It was on the Barge Levy, and numbered about 600 women and children. IHenry Heintz, 12 years old, who lost his mother, his aunt, Hannah Luder mann and his ' sister ;Louise, is dumb because of the ordeal he went through. He and his 'brother George were saved They stood in the middle deck until it became too hot, when they jumped into the water. Henry held on to the paddle wheel and was rescued by men in a tug. .When he recovered from the first great shock he could not speak. George declares his mother's and aunt's bodies were "robbed of dia monds and jewelry. He said his moth er had a valuable diamond brooch and his aunt two diamond rings, all of which were missing after their bodies were found. iWhen the tide turned and began to fall about 5:30 o'clock this afternoon, the current slackened, so that additions could be made safely to the searching- (Continued on Fourth Page.) HERM1S WINS THE SUBURBAN New York, June 16. Hermis, owned by Edward R. Thomas, easily won the suburban handicap at Sheepshead Bay today. The Son vof Hermenee was on his toes when the IBarrier snapped. (He crossed in front of six competitors from the outside and passed the judges stand in the lead, on his journey of one and one-quarter miles. From the position of command thus secured on the rail he was never headed, and won, under a perfect ride by 'Arthur Red fern, in the time of 2:05 the best on record for suburban and two-fifths of a second slower than the track record of 2:04 3-5, held by MeChesney. Irish Lad. the public favorite, failed entirely to justify the confidence of his backers and finished. -third nosed out of second honors by. The -Picket. .. ; A great crowd journeyed to the Long Island race course to view the twenty- first running of the $20,000 classic. Per j feet racing weather prevailed and de- I spite the wide-spread sorrow caused j t by the Slooom disaster, more than 30,- i-sates "before the hour set for the first race. ' Henris, from outside position, shot. Makes Fitting Climax to the Reunion STICK BY "DIXIE" The Parade Was Representative of the Confederacy and Was Reviewed by a Distinguished Company -Manifestations of Affection Toward Mrs. John B. Gordon and Enthusi astic Greetings to the New Com mander, General Lee Greetings from the Wisconsin Grand Army Veterans Occasions Prolonged Cheering Question of Revising the Words of "Dixie" Shows That the Veterans Are Firmly Opposed to Any Change. Nasihvilld, Tenn., June 16. As a fitting climax to the reunion of United Confederate Veterans, Nashville and her thousands of guests today gave the veterans, as they proudly march ed through the . densely crowded streets, an ovation which will 11 vol long in the memory of Its recipients, as well as those who paid the honor. The day was warm, but the old men marched unflinchingly, although, the step at times faltered. There was much confusion, caused by the poor policing along the route, but the start was made at the hour set and the last veteran passed the reviewing stand two hours later. The Seventh cavalry band, U. S. A., led the parade, and this organization,, as well as the many other bands in the long line, played only four pieces, but gave them over and over: "Maryland, My Maryland," "My Old Kentucky Home."f"The Girl I Left Behind Me," and "Dixie." - United States mail carriers at sev eral places along the line supplied ice water to the thirsty veterans. The parade was representative, not only of every southern state, but many camps located in the far west, one in Montana and another In Ohio, having ' delegations in line. The fourth division, composed principally of camps from Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi, carried away the honors- for the greatest number of men in line. The Virginians were an imposing body of men and were given many a cheer. The fourth brigade, North Carolina, headed by a camp from Asheville, bearing hornets nests in the branches of trees and headed by a drum corps of veterans, which now musters hut four members, was one of the fea tures of the parade. Alabama's "Yel low Hammers" were heartily applaud ed. Many of the camp representa tions were noticeably small 'but the pride with which they held aloft their tattered battleflags made up for the deficiency in numbers. One Louisi ana camp carried a flag so frayed by bullets and time that it was held to gether by a net. In the reviewing stand on Spruce street was a distinguished company, including Mrs. John B. Gordon, the widow of the former commander-in-chief, and her daughters; Colonel Philip Fall, of Houston, Texas, a member of General Lee's staff; Mrs. John G. Brown and Bishop and Mrs. Fitzgerald, of Tennessee. , Mrs. Gordon stood at the front of the reviewing stand, and drawn up across the street were General Lee and his staff. The veterans cheered HANDICAP AT SHEEPSHEAD to the front as if hurled from a cata ipult passing the judges stand he had secured the coveted place on the rail, with Irish Lad and The Picket close behind. Irish Lad challenged again and again but to no purpose. He crept up on the flying leader repeated ly, but was unable to hold the terrific fpacte, much less overhaul him. The Picket, the hope of the western and southern contingent" ran along uncon cernedly in third place until the mile post had been reached. Then he drew up and crept past the iDuryea horse, inch by inch. Hermis, never touched by the whip, simply threw defiance out to the others in the dust from his pattering hoofs and through the stretch he was not even challenged. The Picket nosed out Irish Lad for second money and the great race was over. Proper, Major iDalngerfield, and Afri kander brought up the rear. When the vast crowd realized the splendid exhi bition of equine worth shewn by the victor it arose en" masse and cheered him wildly, despite the fact that the feook-miakers had accepted and won nearly $500,000 on the defeat of Irian Lad. Hermis was heavily backed, how ever, and at least one. quarter of th1; amount taken in on the defeat cf th favorite was paid out on the winner. The Hope of Relieving the Pressure on Port Arthur by Threatening General Oku's Rear Comes to an End JAPANESE TRANSPORTS DESTROYED their leaier to the echo as they pass ed, and many rushed out of line to grasp his hand. Then they turned and saluted the widow of John B. Gordon. Mrs: Gordon was deeply moved at the manifestations of affec tion. Her emotion was quite percep tible as the Georgia division bore past the reviewing stand the flag of the Confederacy that had been made from the ribbons that bedecked the grave of her beloved husband. Another affecting incident Was the welcome and salute of the old Stone wall Jackson brigade as it passed. The grizz'ert' warriors, bearing the tat tered and .;ttt'e-scarred flag they had carried t:.nh victory and defeat alike, stepped out of line and with one accord saluted Mrs. Gordon and General Lee. The sponsors) came in for a full share of the almost continuous ap plause and cheering, to which they responded with the waving of flags, parasols and bouquets. The veterans- held a brief session at the tabernacle this afternoon to complete the business of the reunion. General George P. Harrison, of Ope lika, Ala., introduced! a resfclution, at the request of the Alabama Daugh ters of the Confederacy, asking that the veterans appoint a committee to confer with the Daughters upon the matter of revising and modernizing the words of the south's most famous song, "Dixie." A prolonged discus sion followed. General Cabell, of Texas, opposed the appointment of the committee or any action which would put the veterans in the attitude of suggesting a change of words. "That song furnished us inspira tion through four long years of fight ing," said the general. "It has fur nished inspiration ever since, ani I don't think that we, standing with one foot i nthe grave shoulld permit any change in those words. The next thing we know," concluded the gen eral, "some Yankee will come down here and want to change Cabell's name." The convention finally voted to appoint the committee as a matter of courtesy to the Daughters of the Confederacy, but the veterans are firmly opposed to any change. The reading of greetings from the Wisconsin Grand Army veterans, now in annual encampment at Madison, occasionei prolonged cheering. A suitable acknowledgement and greet ing was ordered sent by General Lee. General William Jones', of Rich mond, in explaining the progress; of the movement to erect a monument to Jefferson Davis in Virginia's capi tal, said he hoped to invite the veter ans to meet there in 1906, when they would dedicate the monument and hold v .their conventions in the audi torium of the Battle Abbey. A resolution to abandon the pa rades of future reunions, owing to the increasing infirmities cf the veterans, which was introduced by a member of an Arkansas camp, was unani mously voted down, and with the falling of the commander-in-chief's gavel, the reunion of 1904 passed into history. Many of the veteransTemained over night, in order to avoid the get-away rush, which began early today. Officers of the Sons of Veterans. Nashville, Tenn... June 16. The Sons of United Confederate Veterans concluded the business of their re union today. They elected the follow ing officers: Commander-in-Chief, N. R. Tisdal, Fort Worth, Texas. Commander of the Army of North ern Virginia, John J. Davis, Louisville, Ky. . x Commander of the Department of Tennessee, R. E. L. Eynum, Jackson. Tenn. Commander of the Trans-Mississippi Department, C. A. Skean, Wa patucki. Texas. ANOTHER COTTON PEST. New Bug Found That Kills Every Leaf and Branch it Attacks. Selma, Ala., June 16. A king of cotton bugs, not known to any far mers in this section, has been found in the cotton, and specimens, of the pest were today sent to New Orleans. The new bug is not a member, so far as known, of any weevil or families so far as reported. It is very small, but masses in such quantities that it seems like- a blight. It IsJ prevalent all over the county and al ready has done much d5amage. It kills every leaf and branch it at tacks and is said to have alarmedi some planters. Major General Oorbin to Command ,the Division of the Philippines. - Washington, June 16. Major General Henry C. Corbin has been ordered to command the division of the Phillpines, succeeding Major General J; -P. "Wade, the order to take effect in October. General Corbin at present commands the division of the Atlantic and de partment of the East, with headquar ters at Governor's island New zone He will have had about a -year and a haJf of service in the Phillipines, when L eutenant General Chaffee reaches the retiriner age. It is . expected .that - - 31ajor General Corbin will then succeed ' -General Chaffee as lieutenant -general. ' In a Battle at Telissu the Russians, Were Sweepingly Defeated and Compelled to Retreat Hastily to the Northward Over 500 Dead Were Left onthe Field and More Than JfOO Prisoners Were Captured Japanese Claim That Their Flag Was Violated The Two Japanese Transports Hitachi and Sado Were Sunk by Three Russian Warships Near Iko Island and the Loss of Life Will be Great, Probably Nearly a Thousand Men Going Down Witbt the Transports. Tokio, June 16. 5 p. m. Tb Russian hope of relieving the pressure on Port. Arthur by threatening the rear of Gen eral Oku, the commander cf the Japa nese forces investing the '- Russian stronghold, came to end yesterday at Telissu, a point on the railroad fifty, miles north of Kinohow. and! 25 miles north of Vafangow, when the Russians were out maneuvred, enveloped and sweepingly defeated. They left more than 500 dead on the "field and the Jap anese captured 300 prisoners and 14 quick iiring field guns. The Russians retreated hastily to the northward. The (Japanese charge that the Rus sians violated the Japanese flag. - Cer tain officers aver that during, the fight ing a body of Russian soldiers appear ed carrying a Japanese flag and that the Japanese artillery, deceived by this flag, ceased firing on that particular body of Russians. Official dispatches from the Japanese "commanders made specific charges of this flag violation. Early estimates of the Russian losses at Telissu say that 1,000 men were killed or wounded. The Japanese attacking force was di vided into right and left columns and began the advance on Tuesday alonff both sides of the railroad. They en countered the Russians east of Vafan dien and drove them back. At -a late 1J.UU.M. ill lXXC O-i. LCI AilVIH liiC j.vuooia.iL3 iitric a line 'between Lung Wang Tiao and Ta IFang Shen. The Japanese artillery opened on this line and the Russians responded. The- shelling continued twelve hours and it was followed by the. advance of the Japanese line to a position extending from 'Lung Chla. Tung to Yu Hotan. Darkness ; put an end to the fighting. The Japanese dis patched a column to the westward to ward CPuchau for the purpose of cover ing the Russian right wing and to pro tect their left and rear. During -the night it ibecame, apparent that the Russians were toeing reinforced and some desired to make a general at tack in the morning and 'force the Rus sians into a defile,, back of Telissu. fWhen morning came It was discover r edrthat the 'Russians held a line -extending from Ta-iFang-Shen to Cheng-Tsu-Shan. with a force estimated at more than two" divisions. The Japanese (planned to envelop the Russians near Telissu and they suc ceeded admirably. While the main Japanese force was .moving north along the railroad, col umns were swung tothe left and to the right and finally conrerged. at noon; on the main Russian position. The" Russians in this position were at a disadvantage. They held it with de termination until 3 o'clock in the after noon. At this hour they were routed. The Japanese cavalry continued ' to pursue the enemy and probably inflict ed severe punishment. The Japanese commander makes no estimate of the Russian losses, Ia. fc says they are probably great. Among .the Russian officers captured by the Japanese is the cojonel of the Fourth regiment of rifles. Russian ; Losses Heavy. w St.' Petersburg, June 16. -Emperor Nicholas has received ; the following telegram dater June 16, from General Kuropatkin: - . . I have received the following dis patch from (Lieutenant General Baron , Stakelberg, dated June16thf 1;20 a. m.r . Yesterday I had Intended to attack the enemy's right flank, hut just as our troops had 'been assigned for the pur pose and were beginning to successfully envelop lhe; enemy's right flank,, the Japanese in their turn attacked ray right flank with superior forces, and I was rtomoelled to retreat trv three roads to the north. Our losses are heavy, but they are not yet completely known., . VDurlng the engagement, the tfiird and fourth batteries of the first" artil lery brigade were literally cut to piece by the Japanese shells. Of sixteen' guns, thirteen were rendered complete- ly useless and were-abandoned. 'TThe conduct of the troops was ex cellent, a large proportion of them re (Continued on Fifth Page.)
The Wilmington Messenger (Wilmington, N.C.)
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June 17, 1904, edition 1
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