Evening Star Newspaper, November 20, 1893, Page 1

THE EVENING STAR | ED DAILY a 4#T THE STAR TLD! Avenue, corner Lith St, by 1201 Pennsylvania The Evening Star Newspa S BY KAUFPMANN, Pr ae New York Office, 88 Potter Building. — ‘Tre EVENING STAR is served to subscribers in tht account, a: 10 cents ._ Copies at the counter By mail—anywhere in the United Frepaid—s0 cents per carriers, on thei week, of $41 per mouth postage SATURDAY QUINTUPLE SHEET STAR $1.00 per year: ‘with foreten postage added, $3.00. " (Entered st the Post Office at Washington, D. C., as second-class mail matter. ) Al mail subscriptions mnst be paid in advance. Rates of atvertisine made known on application. HOW IT GOT OUT. Mr. Blount’s Report Not Made Pub- lio by the State Department. COPIES GIVEN 70 CERTAIN PUBLIC MEN Supposed to Have Been Trans- ferred to Correspondents. DISPATCHES SENT LAST NIGHT ‘The Pacific mail steamship China is sched- uled to sail from San Francisco tomorrow for China, touching at Honolulu en route. Admiral Skerrett will probably take passage on her to China to take command of the Asiatic station. The result of the examina- tion of the medical board in his case has not yet reached the Navy Department, but no doubt is entertained that he has passed successfully. On his way to China, Admiral Skerrett will stop for a short time at Hono- lulu. If the Department of State has any intention to send furtner instructions to Minister Willis by this steamer it has as yet given no sign. Mr. Blount’s Report. The publication of the substance of Com- missioner Blount’s report, in a few admin- istration newspapers this morning, caused & commotion at the department, and every- body interested, from the Secretary down, denied any knowledge of the means by which the document was placed in the hands of the newspaper men. Moreover, Secretary Gresham still persistently re- Tused to supply this matter, or indeed any other matter connected with the Hawatian affair to the press tn general through the channels. It is learned that copies regular of the Blount report, which was printed at the government printing office some days ago, have been privately placed in the of certain public men, not con- nected with the Department of State, not- bly the democratic members of the Senate committee on foreign relations, and it is insinuated that the leak might be traced to some of these peopie. The publication did not create much of a Sensation in official circles, for upon careful scrutiny it appeared that in his published letter to the President Secretary Gresham had made a very adequate abstract of the document, and what remained to be pub- lished this morning was simply an elabora- tion of his argument and a detailed state- ment of the testimony upon which it was based. Ne Impression Favorable to the Ad- ministration. The publication of the report does not ap- pear to make any strong impression here in favor of the administration. The most it discloses is that the supporters of the queen &t the time of the revolution were fright- ened because they expected that the Ameri- can troops would take part in the revolu- tion, and the revolutionists themselves were alarmed lest they should fail because the American forces were not used to support them.The testimo: upon which Mr. Blount seems to lay special stress, given by Wun- denburg and Damon, is regarded as show- ing merely that the revolutionists sought the assistance of the United States, and that failing to get it when they hoped for it, they were fearful of failure, and that their success was due to a false impression on the part of the queen's forces, with which this country has nothing to do. It is Mot regarded as clear how this government is in any way responsible for misrepresenta- tions made by the revolutionists or for the credulity of the queen. Dispatches Sent Last Night. Secretary Ghesham spent a good part of Bunday at the State Department and at the White House, and it is supposed that he and the President had before them a translation of the dispatch from Minister Willis which was received at the depart- ment Saturday. The Australia will sail from San Francisco on Thursday next on the return voyage and the trains last night carried an unusually large and doubtless Interesting official mail from both the State Department and the Hawaiian legation, which will go out ou that steamer. On the same day the Alameda is due to @rrive at San Francisco from Honolulu, after which there will be an interval of twenty days before the next steamer is scheduled to reach this country from Hawali. There will be no break in the Jong wait unless private enterprise should provide a means of communication. A re- pete nen here that a vessel had been © by an western newspaper and had already sailed for Honolulu, with instruc- tions to return so as to reach San Fran- isco about the Sth of December. One Diplomat Pazzied. A member of the diplomatic corps well} acquainted with both sides of the Hawatian question was asked for an explanation of | the present situation as it presented itself) to him. “I am at a loss to conceive the pur- pose of the administration,” he said. “I have tried to put myself in its place and corstruct a theory which would account for the known facts, bt I cannot. It is in- explicable that Secretary Gresham's report | President | and recommendation to the should have been published, when it was so entirely within the power of himself and the President to have kept them secret un- til Minister Willis had carried out his in- structions. I say this because I am credi. bly informed that Secretary Gresham has told several persons that the minister's in- structions were in accordance with the recommendations he made to the President, that the queen should be restored. Only one explanation occurs to me as possible, but not probable, which is that the publi- cation was made under the belief that the recital of the facts, as set forth by the Sec- retary in connection with the revolution, would satisfy the public that the course marked out for this government was the proper one to pursue. “But what actually occurred at Hono- Yulu, according to the news brought by the Australia, adds to my perplexity. I can searcely conceive that a man, and especial- ly such a man as Mr. Willis is represented to be, should go to President Dole with the expressions of good will contained in his speech. and at the same time have con- cealed about his person a big club with which to beat out his official brains when &u opportune moment should arrive. That 1s so entirely foreign to all that has been Preached and believed of southern chivalry and courtesy that it cannot be entertained #8 @ probability. ‘Thurston on the B it Report. ‘The partial publication of the Blount Yeport this morning was read by Minister Vor 83, No. 20,734. WASHINGTON, D. ©, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 1893—TWELVE PAGES. Che Evening Star. TWO CENTS. Hawaii cannot now be known,as the steam. | er Miowara, which is due to follow the Ala- meda, lies on the rocks at Honolulu. it is presumed that another vessel will be substituted for the crippled boat, but nothing is known here as to what has been done in that direction. Meanwhile, Minister Thurston is waiting with as much patience as possible further news from Hawaii, and the issuance of the Blount report and such other matter cencerning the question of the day as the gcvernment sees fit to lay before the peo- ple of the United States. ——————e__. EXPENSIVE FOR ENGLAND. The Co! vs 7 Trip Will Cost Her Many Millions. There is joy in the Navy Department over the glorious success of the cruiser that bears the name of the District of Columbia. Her remarkable speed of nearly twenty- three knots an hour shows her to be the fastest war vessel afloat. and her achieve- ments reflect credit not only on her build- ers, but her designers. She is wholly a Navy Department ship, for both her hull and her engines were planned by the ex- perts there. To no one does the credit belong, how- ever, so fully as to Commodore Melville, the engineer-in-chief, who persistently ad- vocated the use of three screws despite the opposition of the Secretary, Mr. Tracy, and the counter advice of some of his assistants. He is therefore very happy just now. He said this morning to a Star reporter: “She is the fastest thing afloat, and her success will cost Great Britain anywhere from twelve to fifteen million dollars. I say this advisedly, for I know that they have been watching us on the other side of the ocean, and they are prepared to jump right in and build four or five cruisers with triple screws. They have only been waiting to see whether or not this vessel proved a success. For once in a time we have been the leaders, and our experiment has been tried on such a large scale that there is no question now as to the utility of the triple system.” There was another case, about twenty-five years ago, when the United States built a vessel that made such a tremendous speed that Great Britain immediately built sev- eral on the same lines. The ship was the product of the brain of Chief Engineer Isherwood, and made the then wonderful Speed of nineteen knots, and an average of nearly eighteen. But the British counter- parts did not come up to her in this per- tormance. * Commercial Lines Will Follow. It is said today at the Navy Department that it will not be long now before the com- mercial lines adopt the triple screw for the great ocean steamers. They have always been conservative about adopting improve- | ments, and have not cared to experiment. ‘The twin screw was in use on men-of-war long before it was finally adopted by the transatlantic lines. Some interesting comparisons are being made between the performance of the Co- lumbia on Saturday and the best work of the ocean greyhounds. It is probable that none of the latter ever make such remark- able speed as that indicated by the reports in a single spurt of the cruiser the other day, when it was said that she made over twenty-five knots. There is some doubt cast upon this by the officers of the depart- ment, who are inclined to think that one or two of the intermediary marks in the course drifted out of position, This would | make one section of the run between the two end marks quicker than another, and it may be that the spurt was made here. But whatever may be the case with that WHY THEY COM spurt, the average speed of 22.81 knots is sufficient to place the cruiser on even terms | with the fleetest of the liners so far as | short runs are concerned. Tne Columbia's | total coal carrying capacity Is but 2,000 or | less than half that of the liner, which is of a much greater tonnage. The increased | length enables her engines to drive the liner at a higher rate for a long period, and the duplication of boilers gives a | chance to clean fires at regular intervals without interfering wifi the speed. It is |providing for the \bers of the board of revision to continue the coal. a preliminary run probable that the Columbia could not main- tain her rate of 22.81 for more than twelve hours, as her fires would by that time get very dirty, and she would have to slow down for three er four hours. Loaded to her full capacity and driven at her maximum rate the Columbia could probably not be able to steam quite across to Queenstown, but would fall just a little short. This is due to her size, and not to her speed or her economy of coal con- sumption. The Next Step. Now, the question is being agitated, since the successful trial: “What is the next improvement?” It is admitted that there can be no more than three screws on a single ship without making some of them loafers,” as the phrase goes. In the case of the German cruiser that has three screws and has not been able to make more than 20 knots, all of the propellers are in the same plane, and the middle one gets such disturbed water that it is practically useless, and sometimes drags on the v sel. sels similarly provided, which has proven such a failure, the screws are not in the of the Columbia. The trouble with this ship has been that her engines and boilers are not equa: to the strains that have been put upon them. ‘The advance that is to come, then, must be in the line of greater tonnage, larger engines, more efficient boilers and more It is probable that the day is not far distant when the coil boiler will be used, and there are hints that the use of petro- leum as fuel is a possibility. All of these interesting questions have been agitated since the news of the great speed of They are being discussed now with more eagerness by the experts of the department than ever, fleetest craft afloat, ©: machines that cannot maintain their high speed for more than two hours at a time. the vessel first became known. for now Uncle Sam owns the vept the tiny racing In this connection it is interesting to know that the cruiser Olympia, built at the Union Iron Works, San Francisco, is liable to earn a large premium for her contractors. On the other day she de- veloped a speed of 21.61 knots, with a foul bottom. Her engines worked very satis- factorily, and it is hoped that on her offi- cial run she will make enough speed to win $500,000 in premiums. The Rexult Announced. Late Saturday night a telegram came to Secretary Herbert announcing, in a prelimi- nary way, the result of the Columbia's trial trip. It was sent by Admiral Belknap, president of the trial oard, from Boston and read as follows: necessful trial today. Conditions of wind and sea favorable. Mean approximate speed twenty-two and eight- tenths knot s for tidal influ ences may diminish or increase this result.” If this statement is verified by the com- putations, which will require some time to work out, then the contractors will earn a Thurston as soon as the papers containing | Premium of $350,0v0, it reached this city. After carefully perus- ing the document, Mr. Thurston said he id not care to discuss a report that was printed in piecemeal. He that he should have anything to say after the report of Mr. Blount appeared in its lirety—that was.a matter for future con- sideration. Mr. Thurston refrained from criticism of Mr. Hlounrt’s views and diplo- did not know | matically declined to touch upon any phase | of the question. He was at the State Department this ferning and had a very pleasant inter- View with Secretary Gresham, with whom his relations are most cordial and pleasant. Mr. Thurston, however, entered an em phatic denial of the rumor that he was a‘ the White House and went there at the re. quest of the President. His only visit was that he made at the State Department. Mr. Thurston expects to receive full ad- Vices by the Alameda of the Oceanic line, which arrives in San Francisc next. The Australia on her out will carry a large budget from th supplementing the somewhat hurried dis- Patches that were forwarded on the last steamer. Just how the people of the Unite @tates will receive their next news from | usualiy Chief Engineer Gar. the Columbia and in charge of the engines for the contractors, makes the speed of the vessel slightly more than the trial board, placing it at + knots. In a telegram to Engineer-M-chiesy Melville he says that who was aboard ne, foaming boilers prevented the attainment of a speed of twenty-three knots. The en- he says, worked perfectly cool. He “Congratulations on our success.” a tribute to the bureau of steam en- This gineers, and especially Engineer-in-chief Melville, who conceived and designed the machinery. it i caused by the foaming boilers can be readily corrected, and, as such machinery orks better after running for a vessel may do even better than time, the | twenty-three knots later on. at 41-2 street and Pennsylvania avenue. es nates Elected. < Perseverance Lodge, No. De! At a meeting 1 0.G. last Saturday, the following were elected to the Anti-Saloon Lea! M A. H. Freer, W. H. Hope, I. H. Clements. ‘The lodge will E temperance meeting on Sunday evening, Novemb: same plane, but are more nearly like those | | | | | | as that of the | Without prejudice and | conducting any business transaction, way it is believed that irregularities can be | | practical ‘high valuation had been reached. | first thing the first board did was to con | circumstance: | proving grounds said in the bureau that the trouble | | and the powder and fuses $175 PLAIN. The Improvement Values of the First Board Not Revised. ==. eee |TAXPAYERS UNJUSTLY BURDENED. Views in Regard to Assessor Trim- ble’s Recommendation. A REVISION ADVISED. ‘The statement made by Assessor Trimble in his annual report, which was printed in Saturday's Star, “that glaring and grievous errors and noticeable inequalities” exist in the present assessment of the real estate of the District, struck a responsive chord in the breast of the taxpayers. Ever since the first of the month, when tax bills have been coming in for the first half year’s tax under the assessment which has just been completed, there has been a good deal of complaint. Naturally, the dissatisfied tax- payers have gone to Mr. Trimble and in this way largely he has been made aware of the injustice which the new assessment is inflicting on the taxpayers. The conclu- sion reached by the assessor is that in view of the gross inequalities he recommends “that the Commissioners request authority from Congress to select a board of three citizens of the District with power to re- vise and equalize assessments on real es- tate and personal property.” It is found from conversation with large taxpayers and with those who have to do with the payment of taxes on a great deal of property that inequalities exist, and also that the valuations are excessive. The general opinion seems to be that some steps ought to be taken to relieve the citizens from the unjust burdens, Mr. Gurley's Opinion. In conversation with a Star reporter to- day, Mr. W. B. Gurley, who was a mem- ber of the board of revision, said that he believed cases of irregularities and excess- ive valuations were sufficient in number and in importance to warrant a new assess- ment. The board of revision, he said, had been compelled to do the work of a year in the space of six months. Owing to the lack of time it had been im- possible for them to revise the valuations placed by the first board on the improve- ments, except when specific cases were called to their attention. They had con- lined themselves to revising the land values. He had found that in nine out of ten cases the complaints against the present assess- ment arise from the errors in fixing the value on improvements. There was but little complaint in regard to the valuations on the land. He believed that if the board of revision had had a chance to revise the assessment on improvements, as well as on land, that there would be now but little cause of complaint. He said that the assessments fixed by the former board were so excessive that the work of reducing the figures was made more difficult. Tr. Gurley is a modest man and has never placed himself in the attitude of an office seeker. made a Suggestion today which, however, ht be construed in that way, from Mr. Gurley, is to be view. E ymmen- dation as to the best and quickest way out of the present His idea is that a resolution si by Congress reappointment of mem- | work and revise the valuations on improve- ments just as they did on the land. This board, as is well known, consisted of Mr. Griftin, Mr. 8S. T. G. Morsell and Mr. W. B. Gurley is of the opinion that the board can do the work in six months and that authority might be secured to have the credit of the amount which might be paid in excess on the first half year install- ment of the tax credited on the bill for the Jast half vear. im provemet Too High. This analysis of the cause of the present discontent with the assessment is confirm- ed by a number of well-posted men with whom a Star reporter talked today. Mr. H. H. Twombly, who pays the taxes on a good deal of property for clients, said today that, in his opinion, the main cause of com- plaint was the excessive valuation placed on improvements. As a rule, he said that people seemea to be satisfied with the val- uation of the ground. Others who were seen had much the same criticism to make. It is natural to suppose that the work of the first board was more or less discussed, especially as to how the While not reflecting personally on the members of the board, one of whom has since died, it is argued that it is evident that the law regulating assessments needs attention. It is claimed that the decisions of questions upon which rests to so large a degree the prosperity of the District ought not to de- pend on the judgment of three men, Their judgment is liable to err, as the valuations of property made by the first board fully demonstrates. It is claimed that the law ought to provide that the property should be assessed so as to yield at the present rate only enough to raise the amount of the present revenues. Some | also favor a permanent board of assessors composed of men of ability and judgment to be paid salaries not less than $5,000 a year. An Uncertain Law. ‘rhe estimate of the value of property, it is asserted, should be reached by com: mon-sense methods, and should be uni- form so as not to be affected by the con- ditions of a year of prosperity or other causes, It is believed that a part of the difficulty under which the city is now struggling is due to the law, which, as it now reads, requires that the property should be assessed at its true value. The strue the meaning of the term “first value. | As defined by the board this term means what propevty will bring under adverse a forced sale. It is said that the definition is not defective, but the judgment of the board was in applying it. Instead of leaving such an important d main open to the experiments of theorists, taxation of property, it is argued that certain fixed principles should be established by law and that the aim o' the triennial assessment should be the a) plication of such principles to the property along the lines o In this of taxation will be equally distributed among the property owners of the city. thane aeeteaate ANOTHER BIG GUN. It Makes the Fifth Completed at the Washington Factory. Another of the big thirteen-inch guns has just been completed at the Washington gun factory, making the fifth gun of that cali- ber now ready for naval purposes. Twelve in all are to be assembled, which are to be mounted on the battle ships M chusetts, » | cent tax to 5 per cent, and the PROTECTION NOT IN IT. The Line on Which the New Tariff Bill Has Been Drawn, Great Enlargement of the Free List and Cuts Every Direction to Encourage Importations. The rough draft of the tariff bill, which has been submitted to all the democratic members of the committee for their revision, does not contain a feature intended for protection. The famous Morrison horizon- tal bill made a cut of 20 per cent. The average cut in this bill is about 40 per cent, though it has not yet been accurately ascertained. The bill will probably be changed a great deal from its present form before it is reported to the House; but the changes in the main will be in the nature of still further reductions, Great Enlargement of the Free List. The main features of the bill are the great enlargement of the free st nd the reduction of all protective duties to a point where it is supposed there will be the great- est encouragement for importations at a rate to produce the largest revenue. The purpose has been to avoid everything ex- cept revenue duties, and in many cases the reductions are below a revenue point. All those duties which are prohibitive, or nearly so, are heavily reduced so as to en- courage importations, and there is hardly an item in the tariff schedules that has not been cut below water mark. Nearly every- thing which is known technically as raw material is placed on the free list, and to avoid protection the duty on manufactured articles made of these raw materials is made to suffer a corresponding reduction, and in few cases is the present parity be- tween the cost of raw materials and the manufactured articles maintained. The Chicago Platfor The declaration of the Chicago platform not to have been lost sight of for an in- stant by those who have been at work on the bill. The treatment of steel rails is a fair ex- | ample of the policy followed in the construc- tion of this bill, Iron ore and coal being placed ométhe free list, the duty on steel rails is red from $13.50 to about 25 per cent. iis probably one of the heaviest cuts, but throughout the bill the correspond- ing in the schedule approximate it. History of the Income Tax. The ways and means committee are asking tor a history of the income tax in the United ing the thing up. It was during the extra session of Congress in 18G1 that Thad Stev- {ens, chairman of the committee of ways and means, reported the first income tax bill. | As amended and passed ft taxed all incomes over $800 three per cent, unless derived from } United States bonds, which were taxed 1 1-2 |Per cent. Incomes of citizens of United — residing abroad were taxed 7 1-2 per cent. Owing to the late time of its taking effect, the income tax brought into the treasury | but a small sum prior to the year 1864, when there was collected under the head ‘of in- come tax a little over $15,000,000, By the Jact of March 31865, the income tax law | Was amended so as to increase the 3 per per cent tax on incomes over $10,000 was changed to year Im, jortwinal law and brought into the treasury | the sum of $21,000,000 for the fiscal year | 1s84-"65 | The following year, 1865-66, the war hav- \ing ceased and the country being in a high | state of development in all its’ resources, the income tax rose to a point the highest ever reached in the history of the tax. The |Teturns for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1866, showed a total revenue from the in- come tax of $60,547, This was but | ttle diminished in the following yeaz, 1866- | when the net revenue from the income tax footed up $57,040,640.67, | The ‘income tax was further amended March 2, 1867, so as to increase the exemp- tion then standing at $6v0 (it having in the meantime been modified from $800) £0 $1,000. | At the same time all discrimination as to | taxing large incomes a higher rate was abol- |ished and the tax fixed at five per cent on | all incomes in excess of $1,000, Under this | modified tax there was collected in the y, | 1868 the large sum of $32,027,610.78; in 18A0, sz 68.86, and in the fiscal year ended 1870, $27,115,046.11, On that day the income tax ceased in the United States. ‘The entire amount realized from it in ten years was nearly $65,000,000, It reached about 250,000 persons out of a population of | 40,000,000, a Ww per Genc tax upon the excess over $5,000 The most of the tax for the hoWever, was collected under the THE DEAD AT APPOMATTOX, The Resting Place of the Confederates Killed to Be Marked. The tablets executed at Appomattox Court | House by the War Department, to mark |prominent spots that figured in the closing jseene of the civil war, described in The | Star of the 17th instant, are to be incre: jed by yet another, the expense of which, however, is to be met by private individ- uals who are interested in the proposition to recognize in an appropriate v the courage and self-sacrifice that Americans have proved themselves capable of in try- ing times. Before reaching Grant's head- quarters, on the way from Appomattox sta- tion, there is a little inclosure behind a os fence of boards nailed horizontally | to posts, unpainted, unmarked, and mean- jingless to the casual visitor. There were |not many casualties about Appomattox, ing on the move and indulging principally in skirmish fighting. But there were some deaths, all of which might have been avoid- \ed if it could have been known a few hours jearlier how completely the confederates were reduced and surrounded. After the surrenfer some of the dead were collected and buried in the space proposed }to be marked by a tablet similar to those lerected by the government. The inscrip- |tion on this tablet has been already pre- |pared. It will tell its sad story in words |suggested by a soldier of the Union, and will be as follo’ jo. e peace : the remains of nineteen Confederate sol- diers killed in action near this place, April 8-9, 1885, The cause for which they fought Is los ‘The Confederacy which they loved so well has ceased to be; abolished, and that the burden |! Their very names have perished from . i the minds of men; The memory of their unselfish devotion ¥ alone remains, : : A priceless heritage to succeeding gener- ations of their countrymen. 0 THE SI¢ AL CORPS VACANCY. Numerous Applicants for the Place of First Lientenant. Applicants are very numerous for the va- | cancy of first lieutenant in the signal corps, Indiana, Iowa and Oregon. Five of the num. {caused by the recent promotion of Major ber are finished and ready for trial at the at Indian Head. The mounts for one are finished, and as soon as the gun and carriage can be transported down the Potomac the trial will be held. It will be the first of so large a gun for the navy and much interest is attached to the results by ordnance sharps. This gun re- quires 550 pounds of powder for a full charge. The projectile it hurls weighs 1,150 pounds and can be thrown thirteen mil The projectiles for armor-piercing cost eM) ing each shot fired represent $67 it is taken into consideration that the life of this gun is not over 500 rounds and tha the gun and carriage cost $03,000 it will be appreciated that not many shots can be wasted. | Kilbourne. The position is a very desirable lone from the fact that it gives promotion to a captaincy after fourteen years’ ser- vice in the army. The law requires that the vacancy shall be filled by transfer from the line of the army after competitive exami- nation and recommendation by a board of officers of the signal corps to be appointed by the Secretary of War. Gen. Greely says that special stress will be laid on a practi- cal knowledge of electricity as applied to military purposes, and states that it ts probabie that a board to examine appli- cants will be appointed early in December. a — A new trial has been ordered for W. R. Laidlaw, whose suit against Russell Sage was dismissed below. that protection is unconstitutional appears | | States and treasiry officers have been look- | for there was no set battle, both sides be- | THE LEHIGH STRIKE. Passenger Trains Running, but Are Delayed. NO INDICATIONS OF VIOLENCE SEEN. The Lackawanna and Jersey Cen- tral May Be Affected. MEN FULL OF CONFIDENCE. a BUFFALO, N. Y., Nov. 20.—The sound of |carpenters’ hammers was the only noise that broke the silence in the Lehigh Valley yards at Williams street last night. A frame building in the vicinity of the engine house was being rapidly reconstructed so as to serve as a boarding and lodging house for the men who will today take the places of the strikers. On the ground floor car- penters were busy last night constructing tables and benches and transforming the room into a dining hall. Cots were placed on the floor and today the place will be ready to accommodate a Jarge number of men. Only 31 cars of freight were moved in the Lehigh yards yesterday. Of this num- ber 16 were loaded with stock and 15 with dressed beef. These cars were caught in the yards when the strike was declared and as they could not be forwarded over | the Lehigh tracks one car was delivered to the Erie and 30 to the New York Central for shipment. The striking men remained away from the yards yesterday and were remarkably quiet and orderly. There is little fear of violence, as the men are cool and have not jumped into the matter hastily. Representatives of the federated system |of this division of the Lehigh Valley had |a quiet conference last night at East Buf- |fato, Every man present was peaceably jinclined and no threats of violence were made. The session was a secret one, but the men declared to reporters that they | Were anxious to have the public know of their stand in the matter. “We are all American citizens,” said one of the leaders, “and we propose to main- tain order at this end. Because we are on |a strike it does not mean that we should lresort to destruction of life or property. But we declare positively that we will stand by the men all over the road until the | morning Superintendent Donnelly of the tective force busily engaged thing is settled.” It is not likely, according to the local brotherhood official, that the men on the other lines running out of Buffalo will be called out until it shall be more necessary than appears at present. Will Tie Up tie Whole Line. It is asserted that by tonight the entire Lehigh system will be effectually tied up without the aid of the men on other lines out of this city. There appears to be little |doubt, however, that the strike will spread jand possibly take in a large territory. Said Mr. Olmstead, who is at the head of the local management of the strike and who represents the engineers: “I think it most likely that the men who will next be called out will be those on the Lackawanna and Central of New Jersey. To take the men on those two systems would effectivi \eripple the Lehigh, the most impor jand largest terminal points. The men on other lines will follow, it ts likely, if it becomes necessary for them to go out.” Mr. Olmstead was asked what may be the result if other lines attempt to handle the Lehigh’s freight, if the engineers on the Lake Shore, for instance, would refuse \to handle it? “Well, that is a knotty question, which, considering the Ann Arbor-Michigan Ce tral decision, I cannot definitely answer.” | Refased Aid to the Lehigh. |_ It is said that the local officers of the | Lehigh yesterday consulted with the other |local lines and requested that they help |the Lehigh out by transferring and for- | warding such freight as it may have at this terminal and connections, It was re- | ported Jast night that all the lines refused |to handle the freight excepting the New |Yerk Central. It is understood that the declining roads gave as a reason for their refusal a desire to avoid trouble and to prevent the ordering out of any of their men. Considerable anxiety is expressed among railroad men as to what course the switch- |men will pursue in the strike. When the _switchmen had their wrestle with the Read- ing in 1892 the brotherhoods refused to as- _sist them by ordering out the engineers primarily and the other train hands sec- jondarily. This action created a bitter feel- |ing among the switchmen, and to the luke- warmness of the brotherhoods the switch- men attributed their defeat. ‘Yhe strikers, | however, do not expect that the switchmen | will embrace the present opportunity to re- taliate. A brotherhood man said last evening that |he does not believe the switchmen will in any way interfere in the strike, but will let the affair alone; that they will do the work which properly belongs to them, and will refuse to act as firemen or to handle Lehigh freight on the other lines. do help out the Lehigh they will violate both the rules of their union and the oath they took when they became members of it ‘The ordering out of the telegraph opera- tors is regarded by the trainmen as a strong point in their favor and will greatly hamper the Lehigh in its efforts to operate the sys- tem with new men. | ‘The Lehigh has made a formal request of Sheriff Beck to provide a sufficient number of deputy sheriffs to protect the company’s men and employes. | A Lehigh official, who was seen this | morning, admitted that the road was prac- tically tied up from end to end, but he haa confidence that the company would soon be able to move trains. Both Sides Expre Confidence. WILKESBARRE, Pa., Nov. 20.—There is |no change in the strike situation here this morning. A great many of the strikers are gathered at the depot, but they are very quiet and orderly. Special policemen have been stationed there, but their services were not needed. ‘The men feel more confident today than ever. Since they went out there has been only one desertion from their ranks. Pas- senger trains are still running, but much belated. So far, no non-union men, to any number, have put in an appearance today | to take the place of the strikers. Yesterday it was rumored that the company had a car load of engineers on their way here from the west, but as yet they have not materialized. But little information can be secured at the railroad office. The officials think that everything will be in running order in three or four days, as soon as outside assistance can be secured. The strikers say the wish is only father to the thought, and the company have nothing to base ‘upon this sanguine expectation. Current Rumors, READING, Pa., Nov. 20.—It was stated here this morning that idle engineers and trainmen on the Reading system are being given the tip, and that two left here for Bethlehem this morning. It was reported that telephone lines had | been cut at Mauch Chunk, but this is de- | nied by the company. ‘The Reading Company has issued orders to ticket agents not to sell tickets to points on the Lehigh Valley north of Allentown. MAUCH CHUNK, Pa., Nov. 20.—ANl pas- senger trains on the Lehigh Valley are run- ning on time this morning. No freights or coal trains are running, and everything is reported quiet. Strikers Are Encouraged. PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 20.—The griev- ance committee of the Lehigh Valley strik- If they | ers received encouraging reports this morn- ing from the scene of action. A message from Buffalo stated every brotherhood man was on strike, with the exception of three engineers; another from Wilkesbarre re- ported everything as being tied up between Wilkesbarre and Easton, and the substance of a batch of telegrams was: that the offi- cial corps on all divisions is being pressed into service to move trains, that the combined reserved funds of the five organizations to which the strikers be- long amount to $500,000. Should the re- serve fund become exhausted members of the order throughout the country would be assessed, and one of the committeemen said they would pay it. Acting General Manager Voorhees, of the Lehigh Valley, went to Bethlehem this morning to supervise matters in general. He will, it said, confer with President E. H. Wilbur and General Superintendent R. H. Wilbur at Bethiehem, and some plan of campaign is expected to be the outcome. That the strike has affected the Lehigh Valley was evidenced this morning. The opening quotation was 38, a drop of 2 1-8 from Saturday's closing price. It further dropped to 38, and at noon was quoted at 38 3-4. Importance of the Strike. TERRE HAUTE, Ind., Nov. 20.—Grand Master Sargent of the Brotherhood of Loco- motive Firemen, speaking of the Lehigh strike, said that with the knowledge he had of affairs in the world of railway labor, es- pecially in the east, he conside! the situa- tion to be very serious. One reason he expressed for believing the Lehigh strike will be serious is the fact that for the first time in the history of rail- way labor organization they were acting as a federated body. Reports From Along the Line. JERSEY CITY, N. J., Nov. 20.—No trouble of any consequence occurred on the Lehigh Valley railroad this morning, and the train dispatchers say that all trains are running as usual. A freight train was stoned while passing through Lafayette this morning, and one of the brakemen was hit, but not badly hurt. ELMIRA, N. Y., Nov. 20.—All Lehigh Val- ley trains at Sayre are tied up. Everything is quiet and no disturbances have occurred. POTTSVILLE, Pa., Nov. 20.—Passenger trains on the Lehigh branch lines in coal regions are running regular} OWEGO, N. ¥Y., Nov. 20.—The Aubure division of the Lehigh Valley railroad is nearly at a standstill. HAZLETON, Pa., Nov. 20.—Out of eigh- teen Lehigh Valley engines which leave the round house here daily but six of them were manned this morning. At White Haven everything tied up; not a_ wheel was turned there y. At Penn Haven junction a like condition prevails. | EASTON, Pa., Nov. 20.—At 11 o'clock this | New Jersey and Lehigh divisions said that | the company had sent all passenger trains from this point in both directions today. | FLEMINGTON, N. J., Nov.20.—The strike | on the New Jersey division ts spreading, jfive of the operators and station agents | joining the ranks of the strikers this morn- | ing. |_ The men on the Fleminggon branch will not go out. | MAUCH CHUNK, Pa., Nov. 20.—Every-| thing in the freight line here is tied up. | Mail trains only are running. WILKESBARRE, Pa., Nov. 20.—All was) quiet along the line from here to Sayre at. noon today. It is more than possible that | by tonight or tomorrow the entire passenger service will be tied up by the men. | airs Revco SURVEYS NOT SATISFACTORY. | Commins ot The Alaska surveys are in an unsatis- | factory condition. The act of March 3, 1891, contained regulations for allowing entries of land in Alaska for town site, trading and manufacturing purposes, and these were accordingly furnished to the United | States marshal, ex-officio surveyor general | of the territory, for his guidance in properly j executing the surveys coming within the scope of the act. The ex-officio surveyor general has trans- mitted to the general land office seventy- |three returns of surveys, including two townships. Much delay in the examination |and disposal of these surveys has resulted from the failure of the marshal to comply with the regulations and by his approval |of defective returns made by deputy sur- | Veyors. Some of these irregularities were of a | serious nature and many of them required |that the field notes and plats should be |returned for emendation. Instructions have | on several occasions been sent to the ex- officio surveyor general pointing out irregu- larities and attempts made to enlighten jhim as to the requirements of the gen- eral land office, It is thought by Commis- | Sloner Lamoreaux that better results will |be obtained in the future. The marshal, the commissioner of the general land office and all officials concerned believe that the |creation of the office of surveyor general for Alaska is advisable. The repo: The Star has been sme be recommended in the forthcoming of Secretary Smith. |e Foreigners at Navy Yards. Complaints are again coming to the Navy Department against the employment of foreign workmen at the yards. This is an old and troublesome ques- | | tion. It has been investigated several times and the regulations of the service were enforced in every instance. The rules and regulations are very strict in their pro- j hibition of the acceptance of workmen who | are not citizens of the United States. In one of these complaints, which comes from Norfolk, a draughtsman is mentioned as being a “foreigner.” Secretary Herbert di- rected an inquiry, and found in this par- ticular case the man, who has a great deal of merit, was for twelve years in the em- | ploy of the Cramps and had long ago taken | out his naturalization papers. The Secre- tary has written a letter to the complainant in this case asking that the names be given of any workmen known to be aliens. The Secretary has been informed officially that | there are none such employed at the differ-_ ent navy yards, and he has so written his) Norfolk correspondent. | pees | . A Rumor Denied. An interesting report reached here yes- | terday from London to the effect that Sir) Phillp W. Currie, under secretary of state, | is to be made British ambassador to the United States, vice Sir Julian Pauncefote, | who is to be transferred to the Russian mis- | sion to fill the vacancy occasioned by the death of Sir Robert Marier. Sir Julian | Pauncefote has authorized a contradiction of | the report, so far as he is concerned. It is a matter of general pleasure that Sir Julian is not to leave-us just at present. It would be extremely difficult to fill his place in offi-. cial and social circles. | e+ report various navy | Not Unless Needed. The U. S. S. Mohican and Ranger, now! | fitting out for sea at the Mare Island navy | Yard, will not go to the Hawailan Islands | unless unlooked-for trouble should make it, | necessary. The Mohican will probably be ready for service about December 9, and will join the Alliance at San Salvador, as has been intended. The latter ship will re- turn home. The Ranger will probably be | sent out on surveying duty along the south- \ern California coast. as has been the case each season. The Navy Department people do not believe that there is any necessity for increasing the strength on the Hawaii-| | an station. Dr. Teunis S. Hamlin of the Covenant Presbyterian Church was present at the installation of Rev. Samuel V. V. Holmes, formerly assistant pastor of the First Pres- byterian Church here, as pastor of the Westminster Church of Buffalo, N. Y., and in delivering the charge to the people said that the people of Washington parted with Mr. Holmes with sincere reluctance. They felt that one of their very best men had been taken away and their working force distinctly weakened. | | It was stated today on good authority | | the least bit suspiciously is assured that this wil! | An index to advertise- ments will be found on Page 3. ‘REIGN OF TERROR. | Belief That the Vandal Slasher is Still at Large. onenatiiiliacsciae /A WOHAN IMITATOR CAUGHT. Police Are Mystified and the Public Alarmed and Enraged. THE LATEST OUTRAGES. “Jack the Slasher,” it can safely be said, is still at large, and the police force of the District are apparently as deeply ignorant as to his identity and whereabouts as ever. This, too, despite the fact that of late many persons upon whom at least suspicion rest- ed have been placed behind the bars. It is very doubtful if ever before the force was So greatly aroused aa at the present time in the case of the daring marauder, and it is as certain that never before has | the force been so mystified and helpless in the effort to detect and apprehend. The | mysterious “Jack” has now been at his | work for more than a month, and as the days pass and no tangible clue to the bold rascal is discovered, the local detective force are growing despairingly desperate in their effort to capture the burglar, and the fellow’s immunity from arrest is seem- ingly as secure as when he first inaugu- rated the veritable reign of terror which has now enveloped every section of the | District. The capture of “The Slasher” | is the one purpose of the detective force | now, and has been during every moment of the last week or so; the slightest and strongest of clues have been faithfully worked, but without success, and now the ; force is truly sick at heart, apparently hopeless, catching, like @ drowning man, at every straw which might seve the force from the humiliation and chagrin which comes from failure after failure. Citizens indignant. It cannot be denied that the fail; capture the mysterious burglar | intense indignation in the sain citizens of the District, nor can nied that Inspector Hdilinberger force of detectives are aware of dignation, But not only is H & g PEE Hilti EPEETE the night in the effort to locate and capture “T! Slasher,” but also the entire police forse of the District. Indeed, the police force, al- ways an overworked one because of its pronore igg ng the great territory to be cove! uring the been overworked as it eehty, mower foe the city before. Nightly the streets of the roads of the suburban districts are pa trolied by officers in uniform and officers in citizens’ clothes. Every person stopped, and there ry E i unless that suspicion is then and dispelled, the person is locked up until in- nocence or ‘ter is establish: charact beyond all doubt and question. This drag net work while it has not yet effected the capture of “Slasher” has the “ sary and proper. | _ It is generally conceded that never before | have the operations of a criminal in the District so t in nightly dread and fear its people as have those of “Jack the Slasher.” The purchase of burglar alarms and additional locks and _ bolts of late by the aroused householders sladdens the hearts of the hardware deal- ers to an extent never before and more than one dealer has quired to hire additional clerks to increasing demands of his customers. gas company is an houses the gas also reaping harvest, for in hundreds of burns all night long because of the ex- | ploits of the unknown burglar. families nightiong watches are Ss the different members of the affrigh' family doing, in the language of watch- men, “their trick” of watching throughout the night. Even the teachers in the public schools receive, thi the excuses of their scholars, intelligence of the fear which pervades the District, for the other morn- ing when a certain teacher inquired into the tardiness of one of her pupils the youngster replied with some hesitation: | “Please, miss, get my breakfast in time.” use was deemed sufficient. Has 5 | It has become very evident that “Jack | the Slasher” has more than one imitator, , for at several houses where attempts at | wrecking household effects have been made indications were not wanting to show that the work did not by any means reach his expert standard. Indeed, there is little, if any, doubt of the fact that Slasher” several houses of which he was unques- tionably guiltless. It is a well known fact that criminals are themselves imitators, and it is now believed that when the myr- tery which now surrounds the operations of the past month has been wholly cleared away it will be found that there was more than one individual who aspired to the dis. tinction of being known as “The Slasher, for while the theory that the original “Jack” had a partner and they operated together without imitators for a time it probably true that the success and dariny of the pair so aroused the admiration other rascals that they decided to embark im the same line of business. Am Early Visit. Among the latest work of the vandals was the outrage at the home of Mr. Samuel Johrson, a member of the U. S. Marine Bard, No. 427 7th street southeast. Mrs. Johnson, like so many other females about the city, was completely unnerved, even before the house was visited. She had been ving in constant fear that the erim- inals who were wrecking so many homes would not miss hers. Feeling as she did about the affair she made every effort pos- sible to protect her home against the notoricus thieves. Her husband also had a feeling of uneasiness and on Saturday some of the valuables in the lower part of the house were removed to the bed room and all the doors in the house were kept se- curely fastened. Early in the evening Mr. Johnson left home to go to the barber shop and attend some little matters pertaining to the comfort of his family for Sunday, - | and shortly after he igft Mrs. Johnson went out to call on a neighbor, not caring to re- main in the house alone. The doors and windows were securely fastened, and al though she did not care to remain alone she felt that everything was safe. Scene of Ruin. But “Jack the Slasher” or his imitators cared not for closed doors and windows, for the forcing open of a window was but a minute’s work, and that is what they did to get into the kitchen, which is in the basement of the house. The Sunday mar- keting had been left in the kitchen, but after the guests had departed it was found necessary to pay another visit to the mar- ket. It was only about 7:30 o'clock In the evening when the house was entered and the police station is only a short distance from the house. But the visitors to the house did not fear detection and so they went about their work in the boldest man- ner possible. Having entered the kitchen the vandals proceeded to make a mixture of the meat, vegetables, butter and lard and then poured Kerosene over the pil Two table covers that had been left over a pan of dough were slashed and a glass of molasses found in the kitchen was used on the chairs. They had done well for a