-"l: 9 I I kit t. E I III f
1
IS
a Year, In Advance.
"FOR GOD, TOR COUNTRY AND FOR TRUTH."
Single Copy 8 Ctt
VOL. XIX.
PLYMOUTH, N, C. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1908.
NO. 27.1
1 til II II MX Fi VTV Hi ii
uuk r in i in m :
m y r hi
9
V
x
DEATHS IN A II
frightful Explosion Leave a
Mass of - Mangled Bodies
THE WORK OF RESCUE DIFFICULT
-Mine Inspected by State Official
Shortly Before Catastrophe and
Pronounced Safe Modern. Devices
Used for Protection.
Pittsburg, Special. The last ray
, . . I
iiup xur iue rescue 01 any one oz
the 125 or more miners who were en-
tombed by an explosion at the Mar-
lanna mines of the Pittsburg-Buffalo
Coal company shortly before': noon
Saturday was dispelled when the first
Tescuing party reaehed the workings
-and found the dead bodies scattered
About the floor of the mine.
Few if any of the bodies are muti-
lated and the men were undoubtedly
fflSK 2fiy VK,
have not yet been counted, but itis
known that there are at least 125
and the number may be larger. All
but two of the bodies in the mine,
it is said, are those of foreigners.
- No effort has yet been made to re
move the bodies from the mine. In
stead the rescurers and the mining
experts are making a complete explo
ration of all of the workings to see if
they are now safe. This work is ex
pected to occupy several hours.
Pittsburg, Pa., Special. On the
-eve of the convention of the Ameri
can congress, which assembles here
next week to consider mining prob
lems in the various States in general
and particularly to discuss mine dis
asters and provide means for theii
prevention, there occurred shortly be
fore noon Saturday an explosion in
the Marianna mine of the Pittsburg
Buffalo Coal company which entomb
ed and almost beyond doubt killed all
of the men employed in. the mine at
the time, the number being variously
estimated at from 125 to 300. The
uncertinty as to the exact nnmbei
that prevailed throughout the after
noon ooninued when darkness envel-
the new mining town from
ch the owners had expected so
uchvin the way of safety and com-
- t. Ul tlUC U1CU HJIUUll H1C CALIil"
ordinary study and expense that had
been devoted to this ' feature of the
development of the new coal field.
President John H. Jones of the com
pany said that the number of en
tombed men would not exceed 125,
but neither he nor any other officer
of the company has been able up to
this time to locate the books which
contain the names or numbers of em
ployes and show those in the work
ingsat the time of the explosion.
The workings in which Saturday's
catastrophe happened are known as
the Rachel and Agnes mines, in real
ity a double mine with underground
connections. Construction work was
practically finished, and Deputy State
Mine Inspector Henry Lout tit a few
minutes before the - explosion had
completed a two days' inspection
which had revealed no cause for ap
, prehension. He and General Man
ager Kerr of the company came to
: the surface in the cage operated in
. one of the shafts a few minutes be
fore 11 o'clock. Mine Foreman Hen-
ry Thompson and two miners entered
the cage, and it was started towards
the bottom of the 500-foot shaft,
There was an ominous rumbling,
then a trembling of the ground round
about the mouth of the shaft as from
an earthquake and an instant later
there was a terrible report and the
cas-e was hurled un the shaft and
through the roof of the shaft house
the mine formean and the two men
still in it. The bodies Tof the men
were hurled through the top of the
building and far beyond it. Thomp
son was dead when picked up, while
the others, although mortally injured,
were hurried to a hospital.
Shattered portions of the woodwork
about the mouth of the shaft were
blown into Ten Mile Creek, 2,000 feet
from the shaft. Portions of at least
twn other bodies . were blown from
tfoe shaft and were found in the field
nearby. The ventilating fans were
put out of commission by the explo
sion, and for several hours no air
could be forced into the , mine. Im-
mediately following the explosion a
dense volume of smoke issued from
the shafts bait ceased a short time af
terwards.
Rescue work was immediately start
ed but it was impossible to gain en
trance to the mine for a long time.
The opening up of the shaft was the
onlv solution and for this task there
were volunteers in numbers.
TJpJief oarties on special trains
from the city including the chief of
Coers of the company and mimg ex-
- nvtft-vW:! the United States rabora
f This corps, g station, recently es
-"tori-i Uovs'-i x J-trTvitb them
lC. 3' I for ' .i.li'incps and de-
obed
scended the steps inside the shaft and
succeeded in reaching the bottom.
Here -they found further progress
barred because the lateral heading
from the bottom of the shaft' into
the mine proper was choked with
muck and "debris. The largest possible-force
-was .at once put to work
to open this passage.
fWI ' t i si
httiW5fflS
being taken out alive but this did not
deter the most strenuous efforts to
hurry the opening of the mine.
The Fleet Coming Home.
Manila, By Cable. With the de.
parture from Manila December 1st 6f
the American battleship fleet under
the command of Rear Admiral Sperry
i lie wuiuuui
the' sixteen vessels that are making
suoh a remarkable round the world
voyage tarn their prows definitely
for home waters. They have been
! FS11 JSS,
the present times is mantaied the
fleet will return home without serions
accident of mishap of any kind.
Twenty-Five Bodies Out.
Pittsburg, Special. Twenty-five
bodies, all but two of them horribly
mutllated were taken Sunday from
tne mine 01 ine ntrsDurg-tJimaio
Coal company at Marianna, forty
miles south of ' here, - where an ex
plosion occurred Saturday, killing
many men and casting into gloom
what was until then considered the
model mining town of the ' world.
Immigration Fund Short.
"Washngton, Special. Congress will
face 4 deficit in the immigration fund
by reason of the extraordinary ex
penditures by the immigration com
mission, which has been carrying on
its work under an . indefinite ap
propriation. The money to defray
the expenses of the commission.
which, has been conducting investiga
tions into all phases of the immigra
tion question, has been drawn f rem
the regular immigration fund.
Florida Exposition.
Jacksonville, Fla., Special. Janu
ary 20 to Mareli 20 are the dates set
for the 1909 Florida Exposition Fair
and arrangements for the big winter
show are already being made. Indica
tions point to an unprecedented rush
of Northern tourists to Florida this
winter and nearly all of them will
probably take advantage of the op
portunity to inspect the fair.
Divide Wealth Says Carnegie.
New York, Special. "The commu
nity makes wealth; divide wealth
with the community." This is the
keynote of an article by Andrew Car
negie to appear in -the December num
ber of The World's Work. He shows
how the people are the real founders
of great fortunes held by individuals
and says they should get a goodly
portion of these riches when the build
ers of the fortunes die.
Investigating the Wreck.
New York, Special. The govern
ment began an investigation into the
cause of the wreck of the steamer
Finance. The Finance had three
watertight compartments and only
one was punctured ; yet the ship sank,
Shipping men say that under normal
conditions the ship should have re-
mained afloat. Her condition on
leaving port will be closely inquired
into.
The Pope Slightly HI.
Rome, By Cable. Pope Pius had a
slight fever and was obliged to re
main in bed. Drs. Petacei and Maro
Hiafava after a careful examination
announced that with proper care and
rest they felt sure that no complica
tions would arise. All audiences
have been suspended including those
of Archbishop Glennon, of St. Louis,
and Bishop Allen, of Mobile.
Virginian Railway About Completed
" Norfolk, Va., Special. General
Manager Dnpuy, of the Virginian
Railway, returning from an inspec
tion of that road, announced that
only one . half mile of track remain
ed to he laid to make the Virginian'
an unbroken line from Norfolk tc
Deepwater, W. Va., 442 miles. The
half-mile track is to be laid upon the
New River bridge and Bold Branch
viaduct, in Belford county, Va. These
structures will be finished by Janu
ary 1st.
(NECESSARY TO ESCAPE.
Miss G-ushington (entering street
car)Oh, don't get up. Please keep
your seat please do.
Mr. Manhattan Really, I'd like to
oblige you, madam, but I want to get
out at this corner. Judge.
TEST PARCELS POST
Postmaster General Makes a
Series of Recommendations
ALSO POSTAL SAVINGS BANKS
Postmaster General Meyer, in His
Annual Beport, Recommends to
Congress the Trial of Both These
Features For Many Reasons.
Washington, Special. In his an
nual report for the fiscal yeer ended
June 30th, 1908, Postmaster General
Meyer gives the total receipts for the
year as $191,478,663 and expendi
tures as $208,351,886, .thereby show
ing a deficit of $16,873,222, the larg
est in the history of the department,
with an additional loss from fire,
burglary, etc., of $37,056. The de
ficit of 1909, it is estimated, again
will exceed $16,000,000.
Attention is particularly called to
a number of improvements in busi
ness methods of the department as
tending to its advantage and the sav
ing of considerable amounts. Recom
mendation is again made for the crea
tion of the position of director of
posts at a high salary, and who shall
hold office during good behavior, the
object being to have a continuity of
policies for the benefit o fthe postal
service and the people of the United
States.
Necessity of Good Roads.
The necessity "for good roads is
pointed out in connection with the
development of the rural free deliv
ery service. It is suggested that
should Congress grant the depart
ment authority to utilize rural routes
still further by the establishment of
a limited parcel post confined entire
ly tc rural 'delivery routes, it would
then be possible to earn additional
revenue amounting to millions of dol
lars and at the same time benefit the
farmer by enabling him to have mer
chandise delivered when ordered by
telephone or postal card, which other
wise would not be purchased. "The
special parcel post," says the Post
master general "will enable the far
mers to have small parcels -delivered
at their gates, to live better and to
obtam easily the necessaries of life."
Peri.'ii&sion is requested to establish
experimentally a limited parcel pose
in not to exceed four counties in or
der to demonstrate the practicability
of the plan.
The Postmaster General again
urges legislation permitting the es
tablishment of postal savings banks
or depositaries in connection with
postoffices.
Stamp-Vending Macmnes.
Experiments with stamp-vending
machines, says the Postmaster Gen
eral, are still being conducted, with
every prospect that the defects which
developed in the preliminary tests
will add immeasurably to the public
convenience.
The campaign of education in the
school houses in matters pertaining
to the ordinary operation of the pos
tal service, so as to emphasize the
importance of careful addressing, the
placing of the name and address of
the sender on envelopes, etc., is rec
ommended to be continued, so as to
ave hundreds of thousands of let
ters and packages from going to the
dead letter office, eacb year, as is
now the case.
. A marked improvement in the ef
ficiency of the service is noted by
the Postmaster General which, he
says, is due to the policy of retain
ing postmasters of all grades whose
records have been satisfactory. lie
believes, however, that the appoint
ments of second and third class post
masters should lie with the Postmas
ter General, as is now the practice
with fourth-class offices. This, he says,
would reserve to the President the
appointment of postmasters at -the
more important offices and relieve
him of a vast amount of routine work
that is a tax upon his time.
Remote Stations Advocated.
The Postmaster General puts him
self on record as being decidedly op
posed to the law which prohibits the
establishment of postal stations more
than five miles beyond the corporate
limits of a city, although he says, no
such restrictions exists with reference
to the extension of the free delivery
service. The department, he declares,
cV,l,l nnt. be olaeed in the position
of being able to deliver' man irora
door to door and at the same time of
being forbidden to supply the district
so served with the other usual postal
conveniences. The repeal of the law
complained of is urged.
Times-Democrat's F.stimate of Crop
is 12,800,000 Bales.
Kw Orleans. Special. The Times-
n.-w.n?f pstimato on the cotton
wop of 1908 is 12,SOO,000 bales.
ALLIANCE WITH JAPS
Alleged Agreement Over the
Control of the Pacific
MAYBE WAR TALK WILL END
United States and Japan Have Ar
rived at Definite Mutual Program
as Regards the Attitude er Policy
Toward Problems That May Arise
in Pacific.'
Washington, Special. Despite offi
cial reticence, information from re
liable sources has been obtained ef
an agreement of far reaching im
portance between the United States
and Japan covering the policy of the
two countries in the Pacific.
The agreement is based upon the
idea of encouraging and defending
free and peaceful commercial de
velopment in the Pacific. It contains
not only a mutual guarantee to re
spect each other's territorial pos
sessions there, but defines the attitude
of the two counties towards China,
binding each to defend by every
peaceful means China's independence
and integrity, and to give equal com
mercial opportunity m the Chinese
empire to all nations. But more im
portant still the agreement in the
event of complications threatening
the status quo, binds the United
States and Japan to consult each
other with a view to acting together.
Articles of Agreement.
The agreement has been drawn un
in the form of a declaration and con
sists of five article, of which the
following is an accurate and faithful
description: The first article gives
expression to the wish of the two
governments to encourage the free
and peaceful development of . their
commerce in the Pacific. The second
is a mutual disclaimer of an aggres
sive design, and contain also a
definition of the policy of each gov
ernment, both as directed to the
maintenance of the existing status
quo in the Pacific and the defense of
the principle of equa- opportunity
for commerce and industry m China.
The third article eontain a state
ment of the consequent "firm" re
ciprocal resolution of each govern
ment, each to represent the territorial
possession in the Pacific of the other.
In the fourth article the United
States and Japan express .their de
termination "in the common interest
of all powers" in China to support
"by all peaceful means at their dis
posal" the independence and in
tegrity of China and the principle of
equal commercial and industrial
opportunity for all nations in the em
pire. The fifth' article mutually
pledges the two governments, in the
case of "the occurrence of any event
threatening the status quo, as above
described, or the principle of equal
opportunity, as above defined" to
communicate with each other for the
purpose of arriving at a mutual
understanding with regard to, the
measures they may consider it useful
to take.
Hitcheock for Cabinet.
Hot Springs, Va.. Special. Frank
H. Hitchcock has been offered and
has accepted the position of Post
master General in the Taft Cabinet
that is to be. The official announce
ment of this conclusion regarding the
first Cabinet selection of President
elect Taft, will doubtless not be made
until Mr. Taft has completed his Cab
inet, at which time it will be an
nounced en bloc. Because of this
view of the situation no expression
regarding the selection of Mr. Hitch
cock was obtained for publication
from either Mr. Taft or the Repub
lican national chairman. There were
many reasons, it was pointed out, why
it was expedient that Mr. Hitchcock's
status should be fixed, at least so tar
as the principals are concerned, and
a complete understanding is known
to exist between them. As cnairman
of the Republican national committee
Mr. Hitchcock became more, familiar
than any other persons with the poli
tical phase of questions likely to
arise at the beginning of the Taft
administration, and the knowledge
he gained regarding the personnel of
the party will be of great service to
Mr. Taft throughout his administra
tion. Plunges Off Memphis Bridge.
Memphis, Tenn., Special. W. E.
Kimball, of this city, unable, it is
said, to choose between his wife and
Miss Nora Acton, a young woman of
Elvondale, Ala., with whom it is al-
ledged be had become enamored,
lumped from the Memphis bridge
and ended his life, his body being
n.nvprpr! nndor the bridsre on the
Arkansas sie of the Mississippi riv
er. Kimball and his wife had just
become reunited. It was during their
separation that he met Miss Acton
BAD WRECK IN FOG
Four People Go Down Into a
Watery Grave
SPLENDID WORK OF RESCUERS
The Georgie, of tht Whifo Star Line,
and the Steamship Finance, "Out
ward Bund, Come Together in a
Fog off Sandy Hook Three Pas
sengers and One of the Crew of the
. Finance Find Watery Graves.
New York, Special. In the thiek
of a fog off Sandy Hood the stout,
steel freighter Georgie, of the White
Star Line, rammed and sank the
lightly laden Panama steamer Fi
nance, outward bound with 85 pas
sengers, the Finance going down
within ten minutes, carrying to their
death three of her passengers and
one of the crew. The rest of the
passengers who included -19 women
and 14 children, as well as others of
the crew, were rescued by boats
of the Georgie. The freighter was
not damaged.
Miss Irene Campbell, of Panama,
a passenger who was lost clung frant
ically to the rail of the sinking vessel
and could not be persuaded to release
her hold nor were the men who man
ned the small boats able to forcibly
remove her. She was 6een clinging
determinedly as the vessel was en
gulfed. William H. Todd third as
sistant engineer, jumped overboard
and "was lost. When a roll call of
the passengers of the Finance was
called, it was. found . that Charles H.
Schweinler, a policeman of Panama,
and Henry Muller, a railroad contrac
tor of Panama, had disappeared, and
there is little doubt that they were
drowned.
The disaster occurred in the main
shiprchannel off Sandy Hook at 8
o'clock in the morning, and as both
vessels were groping their ways
through a fog.
The Finance had weighed anchor
and was picinkg her way down the
Swash channel, when Captain Mow
bray, who was on the bridge, heard
the whistle of an approaching liner.
The Finance was immediately put
astern and was slowly backing when
the Georgie, in-bound from Liverpool,
loomed out of the fog and a moment
later crashed into the port side and
just abaft of the Finance. The prow
of the freighter penetrated the side
of the Finance nearly ten ieet, tear
ing away an unoccupied state room
and leaving a ragged hole through
which the water rushed in. The Pan
ama steamer heeled far over to the
starboard while men and women,
many of whom had been awakened
from a sound sleep, were thrown from
their berths. Hastily covering them
selves with bed clothing they rushed
in a panic to the main deck, which
was fast sinking to the surface of
the water. Many passengers jumped
overboard, not stopping even to pro
vide themselves with life preservers.
That more were not lost was due to
the discipline of the crew of the Fi
nance and the prompt and intelligent
work of the sailors from the Georgie.
Immediately after the accident the
freighter backed off and anchored,
her commander, Captain Clark, in
the meantime baring ordered the life
boats lowered. The boats of the Fi
nance were also cut away as quickly
as possible, though with difficulty,
because of the heavy list of the sink
ing steamer.
A score or more of those who jump
ed overboard were picked up by the
small boats. Meantime the Finance
was settling steadily. To add to the
confusion, a moment after the im
pact there was an explosion of an
ammonia tank in the forward hold
of the Finance and the fumes drove
the engineers and firemen to the
decks. William Todd, the third as
sistant engineer, was partially over
come by the fumes, and staggering to
the rail, threw himself overboard, lie
was not seen again. Probably half
of the passengers with the crew,
stood bv the ship, awaiting rescue,
and these were eottcn off with re
markable expedition.
War Serms Near.
London, By Cable. It is generally
agreed in well informed diplomatic
circles that war in the Balkans
is
very near and can hardly be avert
ed. The belief is joined in by all the
newspapers of London. According to
The Daily Telegraph, negotiations be
tween Russia and Austria have pro-
oresspd to such a point that their
failure is a certainty. It is generally
believed that Turkey, Servia and
Montenegro have secretly closed an
offensive and defensive compact
TO STATE COU)
- . . !
I
Virginia Rate Cases Are 1
versed By Higher Tribunl
WILL GO BACK TO STATE COl!
United States Supreme Court Dirt,
That the Railroad Companies
the Old Dominion Should H
First Taken Their Protest AgaJ
the 2-Cent Rate Law to the TV
r'l
una! of Last Resort.
Washington, Special. Just
Holmes announced the decision of i
Supreme Court of the United Stat
im the case of the Virginia RailroaJ
versus the State Corporation Col
J a . . ... . I
mission or Virginia calling in
i
question the order of the commissk
fixing a uniform rate of 2 cents
mile for carrying passengers in til
State. 1 '
The decision reversed the judi
ment of the U. S. Circuit Com
for the eastern district of Virginia
but only on the narrow ground thai
the railroads should have appeale
from the commission's order to th
Supreme Court of Virginia before
seeking the intervention of the Fed-I
eral courts. '
In effect the court directs that thfl
railroad companies take their case tq
the State court of last resort and
that, in order to prevent injustice!
through the possible 'application oft
the statute of limitations, the case bet
retained on the docket of the United
States Circuit Cour by which it was!
originally decided lavorably to the!
roaas.
It is not the intention of the decis
ion that the railroads should resort to
the Virginia Supreme Court of Ap
peals and after its decision is ren
dered, appeal to the Federal Supreme
Court, but that if the verdict of the
Virginia Court is not satisfactory the
roads may resume the proceeding in
the United States Circuit Court. On
this point the court said:
"If the rate should be affirmed by
the Supreme Court of Appeals and
the railroads still should regard it as
confiscatory, they will be at liberty to- -rene
their application to the Circuit
Court without fear of being met by
a plea of res adjudicata. It will not
be necessary to wait for presecution
by the commission."
In this case the Virginia commis
sion had fixed a rate of 2 cents per
mile and was proceeding to publish
the rate, and was taking the initial
steps to enforce it. Thereupon the
railroads went into the Circuit Court
of the United States and obtained an
illinction against the commission
enforcing the rate, on the rrwni
that it was confiscate-. 1t- the hill
in this case the members of the Vir
ginia commission demurred, not,
raising the question of the merits of
the 2-cent rate, but claiming that the
commission in fixinsr the rate had er.
ercised the authority and jurisdiction
ot a court, and that its order was,
therefore, res adjudicata. and conlrl
not be inquired into or .. interfered
with by the Circuit Court of the Unit
ed States. It. therefore, denipd tW
jurisdiction of the Circuit foiiTt of
the United States to inquire into and
enjoin the rate, even thouo-h it miht
be confiscatory.
The Supreme Court overruled this
contention, holding that the commis
sion is not a court when makinar a
rate, hut is acting legislatively, and .
that its action is not res adjudicata,
and is not beyond the reach of the
Federal Courts if it violates any pro
vision of the constitution of the Unit
ed States. Under the Virginia svs-
tem, however, an anneal is iriven as
of right from the action of the com
mission making the rate to the Su
preme court of Appeals of that State
A $50,000 Fire at Knoxville.
Knoxville, Tenn., Special A three-
story brick building on Jackson ave
nue, Occupied by the Clark Hat Com
pany, and the Knoxville Implement
and Machinery Company, was great
ly damaged by fire Monday night,
causing an almost total loss of stock
to each of the companies. The total
loss is $52,000. insurance $43,000.
Explosion Sinks Schooner.
Jacksonville, Fla., Special. The
explosion of a gasoline tank on the
schooner Marion R., owned by the
Florida Fish company, . Saturday
morning badly injured Jack Cullen,
white cook, tore two great holes in
the schooner and she sank in tha riv
er off the foot of Ocean street. Elev
en members of of crew had narrow
escapes and had it net been that the
schooner sank fire would have explod
ed the main tank, causing a great loss
of life. The Mcricu R. was valued
at $0,000 and is partly covered b?
insurance.
freed miners
de-I