Evening Star Newspaper, August 1, 1895, Page 9

THE EVENING STAR, THURSDAY, AUGUST 1, 1895-TWELVE PAGES, AN INVITING FIELD] The Projected Electric Railroad to Gettysburg. “0 TRAVERSE A POPULOUS SECTION New and Attractive Regions to be Opened for Washingtonians. SOME FACTS AND FIGURES ‘The use of electricity as a motive power on railroads hag afready contributed to the rapid development of many suburban re- gions, and promises to do much more serv- ‘ 4ce of the same kind in the future. Wash- ington and the surrounding country has al- ready tenefited greatly by the extension of electric lines out into the suburban dis- tricts. Other enterprises are projected that ‘will make a still greater area of country tributary to the city. The proposed electric road between this city and Baltimore, upon which the work of construction will be commenced next week, will greatly increase the transportation facilities between the two cities, and open up new regions between that now have no outlet in this direction. Perhaps even greater promise is made by the proposed electric line from Washington northward to Gettysburg, Pa. This will open up a country rich in promise which has hitherto been untouched. Mr. Alexander D. Anderson of this city, who fs interested in the last mentioned pro- fect, was visited by a Star reporter today, ‘and interviewed regarding it. Mr. Ander- gon was enthusiastic and full of his sub- dect. nad already had prepared a map, Which is printed herewith, and which filus- trates many points of the enterprise. Wast Territory Awaiting Development “A few weeks ago I was retained by lead- ing citizens of Westminster, “Union Mills and other towns in central Maryland to formulate and develop a plan for direct railway connection with Washington,” said Mr. Anderson. “In examining the project I was surprised at the open and inviting field so greatly in need of a railway. It Is Without doukt the one weak spot in the transportation facilities of Washington—a gap which should have been filled long ago. ‘A glance at this diagram Is sufficient to rhow un astonishing state of affairs. The area shaded, and without any existing north and south railway, contains 1,240 square miles, or nearly the same as that of the whole state of Rhode Island. The width of the area, or, in other words, of the gap to be filled, is as follows: z ‘On latitude of Sandy Springs. On latitude of Union Mills. 17 On latitude of Gettysburg. 18 “The longth of the are: line from the District boundary to Gettysburg is sixty-six miles. The alr line distances from town to towr going nerthward from Washinston being—from the District line to Sandy Springs, 11 miles; Sandy Springs to Bykesville, 17 miles; Sykesville to West- minster, 15 miles; Westminster to Union Mills, 6 miles; Union Mills to Littlestown, 7 miles, and Littlestown to Gettysburg, 10 Tniles. ‘The actual railway line will, of course, be a few miles longer, probably about seventy-two miles.”” Characteristics of the Country. “The sheded area in the state of Mary- Isnd inciudes the larger portion of Mont- gomery county, all of Howard and Car- roll and part of Frederick,” he continued. “In Pennsylvania it tneludes most of ounty. As a whole {t is highly and healthy, exceedingly fertile and productive and the people are unusu- ally thrifty, as may be seen by reference to a fev: official statistics. According to the census of 1£90 the total population of the counties of Montgomery, Howard, Car- roll and Adams was 122,040. “In hrief, 270,000 people in the District of Columbia and 122,000 people in a country raturally tributary to Washington have no adequate facilities for social and com- mercial intercourse. They ure practically ag far :part as {f living in separate and distant states. Such a condition of affairs may be termed a commercial absurdity. It Js wnprogressive, and, therefore, un- American. Valuation of Property. “The assessed valuation of the real and personal property of the four counties was fn 1890 $18,C50,790. This total is less than half the true value of real and personal of those counties,” continued Mr. “In the recent census the as- ues are given by counties as states. But the estimate of the true values Is given only by states. For the whole United, States the true values aro given as 2 3-5 times the assessed val- ues. Applying that rulo to the four coun- ties the true value of their real and per- gonal property Is $126,492,054. Great as is sluation it will be very materially by better transportation facili- tles for the shipment of the products of the communities to Washington, and by the new material development and progress which the road will incvitably stimulate. As a Through 1 “as a through line the propos road does not terminate In the woods, he went on, “but begirs and ends at places of national importance, for it connects the national capital with the greatest national military park, made so by an act of Con- gress, approved only.a few months ago. Nearly $4,000,000 had already been spent in monuments and other improvements on this park before the government took charge, and now it is expected as many millions more will be spent in a few years. There is an everage of fifty national con- ventions, scientific, educational, commer- celal, political, &c., held in Washington each year, attracting delegates and visit- ors from aii parts of the United States and frequently from fcreign countries. A large number of these people desire to visit Gettysburg. In addition, private parties of tourists, Grand Army and confederate vet- erans and others may be seen upon the battlefield nearly every day in the year. The number will double when the trans- portation facilities are adequate. Saving of Time and Money. “How great will be the saving of dis- tance, time and expense between Washing- ten and Gettysburg may be s¢en hy con- trasting the proposed electric line with the existing steam road,” he proceeded. “The customary route at present is by steam via Baltimore and Hanover. The distance is 112 miles. The electric line will be inside of seventy-five miles, or a saving in distance of at least thirty-seven miles. The time by steam road is about four hours. By the direct electric line it will be about two and on2-half hours, or a saving of one and one-half hours. The fare by steam read is $3.35. By the electric road it will probably not exceed $1.50, making a sav- ing of $1.85. “In addition to these advantages the electric line will furnish great attractions in scenery, for it will, while passing through a charming and rolling country, lie most of the way in sight of the parallel and ever attractive Blue Ridge mountains. Entrance to Washington. “A very important factor in the success of a suburban road is the right entrance to the city to which it is tributary,” continued Mr. ‘Anderson. “Fortunately the electric cars coming from Gettysburg can, under recent legislation, enter the very heart of Washington, pass through the hotel cen- ters, cross Pennsylvania avenue, and go to the Center market and the Pennsylvania railroad depot. More than this, they have the choice of two such entrances to the city, one by way of the Rock Creek rall- way, U street, and thence down 9th street; and the other by way of the Brightwood railway, and thence down 9th street. Later on, when the new underground electric road is completed down Connecticut avenue and F street, they car enter by that route. “In other words, the act of Congress of August 2, 1804, authorizing the Metropoli- tan Railroad Company to chanze its mo- tive power requires that company, on the completion of its underground electric sys- tem, to enter into reciprocal trackage ar- rangements with connecting roads. In brief, thera need be no change of cars, but simply 9 change of motive power at the boundary from the overhead to the under- ground system. “A glance at the accompanying diagram will show the choice of routs in this re- spect south of Sandy Spring,” said Mr. ‘Anderson. “There are also two other pes- sible entrances to the city, one by way of Cabin John bridge and the new electric railway now under construction to that point; and the other by way of Rhode Island avenue over the new elzctriz railway now under construction from Baltimore. “It is the wish of Gov. Brown of Mary- land, vho is an earnest advocate of the proposed electric road between Washing- ton and Gettysburg, that Baltimore have connection with it at three different points, namely, at a point directly west of Baltl- more, which can easily be accomplish by prolonging for a few miles the. electric roads soon to be built from Baltimore to Ellicott City; at Eldersburg, in Carroll county, which requires but a short line running westward from the new electric road already in operation from Baltimore to Reisterstown, and at Westminster, by the extension of the road already complete to Reisterstown, as above stated. Expects It Will Pay. “When one takes into consideration the immense area between Washington « and Gettysburg, with no north and south rail- way, the large and thriftly population, the attractiveness of the country and the sur- vounding scenery, its great wealth, the freight end passenger business already awaiting the opening of the road, the im- mense local as well as through business, the three proposed feeders from Baltimore, the advantageous entrance to Washington, the fact that each end of the line is a place of national importance and a great resort for people from all parts of the world, the immense saving In time, expense and dis- tance between the two points, contrasted with the present round-about route, the financial success of the project cannot for one moment be doubted,” said Mr. Ander- son in conclusion. “Instead of the road waiting for business, an immense business is already waiting for the road, and, when open, the volume of that business will soon be doubled. In this era of eicctric ratl- way building, particularly in the suburbs of great cities, it {s doubtful if anywhere else in the United States so open, invit- ing and promising a field can be found as that between Washington and Gettysburg. ‘The parties back of the movement are in-*| tensely In earnest, and the project is well under way and rapidly taking shape. It igs hoped that the north and south trunk line, together with the three branches to Baltimore, will be complete and in opera- tion before the opening of the Baltimore centennial exposition, in May, 1897.” —_>_—_ An Unnaccountable Disnppearance. James D. Cook of San Francisco, who for masy years has occupled a promi- nent position in the offices of the gen- eral passenger and ticket agent of the Southern Pacifla Company, has disap- peared. The railroad ofilcials say his ac- counts are all right, and are at a loss to account for his disappearance. THE NEW RESERVOIR Col. Ellict’s Annual Report on Dalecarlia. THE EXTENSIVE WORK REQUIRED Extent and Capacity of the Added Supply. CAUTION FOR THE FUTURE ——————— Col. George H. Elliot of the engineer corps has made his final report of opera- tions on the project for the improvement of the Dalecarlia receiving reservoir. In- asmuch as it is his final annual report, he has taken eccasion to tell the whole story of the improvement. ‘The Dalecarlia reservoir is partly in Montgomery county, Md., and partly in the District of Columbia. It was constructed with a capacity cf about 170,000,000 gallons of water. The object of the projected im- provement was to divert from the reservotr the water flowing from its watershed, which has an area of about 4,000 acres. Story of the Reservoir. “When the reservoir was constructed by the late Gereral Meigs, about thirty-five years ago, for the storage and settling of Potomac water from Great Falls,” says Col. Elliot, “the land comprising its water- shed being then sparsely settled and large- ly occupied by woods, and its cultivated land being mainly used for grazing pur- poses, the water from it was not excluded from the reservoir, and, mixed with Poto- mae water, which entered the reservoir through the ‘norta connection,’ it was used in the Washington water supply for more than twenty-five years. In time, however, as the country surrounding the reservoir became more populated, the water flowing from it into the reservcir became more and more contaminated, and frequent com- Plaints by citizens and in the press led to the reservoir being thrown out of service abtout seven years ago. The water from the watershed enter2d the reservoir by three streams, viz., Little Falls branch, Mill creek and East creek, these streams having drainage areas of about 27 and 225 acres, respsctively. The project for the improvement of the reservoir provided for the erection of dams “cross the valleys of all of these streams just above their mouths and taking the water of East creek (the stream furthest to the east that polluted the reservoir), from behind its dam and conducting it by an open channel around the margin of the reservoir, together with the water flowing directly into the reservoir from the hill- sides between East creek and Mill creek, into Mill creek above its dam. Use of Tunnels. The combined waters of both streams and the water falling directly into the res- ervoir from the hillsides between Mill creek and Little Falls branch were to be carried by a proportionally larger channel, still following the margin of the reservoir, and a short tunnel into Little Falls branch. Finally the water of the entire watershed thus collected was to be turned into a shaft, to be excavated in the valley of the latter stream above its dam, and from the bottom of this shaft a tunnel, about 1,000 feet long, to be excavated under Dalecarlia hill and under Washington aqueduct No. 4, was to carry the water to a natural water course below the reservoir, in which it would flow off into the Potomac. At the commencement of the last fiscal year the tunnel under Dalecarlia hill and ‘the shaft in the valley of Little Falls branch, which is 51 feet deep (56 feet to the bottom of its water cushion), had been essentially completed, and work had been suspended until the new appropriation should become availuble. R In the act of August 7, 1804, Congress granted an appropriation of $52,500 for con- tinuing the work, and operations were. re- sumed on the 15th of that month. The ex- cavation of the tunnel through the hill east of Little Falls branch was then com- menced, and it was soon carried to the limit of the government land. By reason of the delay of the district attorney for Mary- land then in office in reporting on the validity of the title to the land purchased for the remainder of this tunnel, its exca- vation was suspended from the 4th of Sep- tember until the 18th of December. This unfortunate and unlooked for delay having come to an end, the excavation of the tun- nel was resumed, and work was carried on night and day with three shifts of work- men at each end until the 16th of January, when the headings met. In addition to the appropriation just men- tioned, the sum of $37,500 was appropriated for the work in the act of March 2, 1895, and by the terms of the act the money was made immediately available. The Work That Has Been Done. Under these two appropriations as large a force of workmen has been constantly employed ss could be worked to advantage, the number for several months past aver- aging from 150 to 250 men. In addition to the excavation and lining of the tunnel, about 400 feet long, throagh the hill east of Little Falls branch, the following work has been done since my last annual report: Grading the slopes and completing the walls of thé channel leading from waste weir No. 2 of the Washington aqueduct at the mouth of the new tunnel under Dale- carlia Will; the construction and paving of the open channels around the reservoir, of which the aggregate length is four thou- sand eight hundred and sixty-nine (4,360) feet, or nearly one mile; the excavation and paving of gutters on the hillsides above these channels to prevent erosion of the banks of the channels; the construc- tion of the foJlowing earthen dams, viz.: The dam across the mouth of Little Falls branch, two hundred and thirty (230) feet long and ten and one-half (10%) feet high, its crest being at reference (157); the dam across the mouth of Mill creek, three hun- dred and twenty-five (325) feet long and fifteen (15) feet high, its crest being at ref- erence (158.1),and the dams across the two branches of East creek, with lengths of fifty-eight G8) and sixteen (16). feet, respectively, their crests being at refer- enves (167.3) and (167.8), respectively; the driving of piles for four hundred and ninety-one (491) feet of sheet piling through the permeable material to hard rock in the valleys of Mill creek and Little Falls branch at the sites of their dams and the numerous preliminary borings required for this work; the quarrying at the quarry on the reservoir land of the stone required for the facing of the pertions of the sides of the Mill creek dam to be exposed to wind waves in the reservoir and in the pond be- hind the dam, and the laying of this fac- ing; the construction, partly in concrete, the major part in Georgia pine timber, of a flume about 70 feet long, 10% feet wide and 7 feet high, extending out from the portal of the main drainage tunnel on the south side of Dalecarlia hill; the construe- ticn of heavy retaining walls at the portals of the tunnel through the hill east of Little Falls branch; the clearing of trees from the sites of the channels around the reser- yolr and in the portion of the valley of Mill creek to be overflowed by reason of the construction of the dam across this creck, and the hauling and burning of the large amount of brush from the trimming of these trees. Minor Work. The construction of two permanent wa- gon bridges in the valley of Little Falls branch, near the west portal of the tunnel through the hill east of this valley, which bridges were made necessary by changing the courses of Mill and East creeks; the construction of a heavy retaining wall on the hill side of the shaft in the valley of Little Falls branch and the completion of the lining of the shaft by its stone coping; the construction of a concrete stop wall on the valley side of this shaft, the excava- tion for which wall was carried through the soft rock to solid rock, with side walls extending to the solid rock in the hill in rear of the shaft, and the construction also at this shaft of a heavy iron grating for yreventing the shaft and the tunnel lead- leg from the bottom of the shaft from be- ing obstructed by logs and drift wood in floods; fencing in with a strong wire fence nearly two miles !ong, the various parts of the work, and especially on the northerly and easterly sides of the reservoir iand, for the purpose of excluding animals from the slopes of the o; channels around the regervoir and the slopes of the dams, all of which slopes have been carefully covered with soil and planted with grass seed; the paving with vitrified brick the channel ap- proaches to the east portal of the tunnel through the hill east of Little Falls branch and the shaft in the valley of that stream; the re-excavation~of the old channel from the “north connection” into the reservoir, by which the reservoir was formerly sup- plied with Pot water from Great Falls, and which become entirely filled up with detritus brought down by Little Falls branch after the use of the reser- voir was suspended. The hauling of this brush to distant spints where it could safe- ly be burned without endangering the fine woods around the reservoir, was very ex- persive, and moreithan $1,100 was paid for this item and the burning of the brush. The brush could not be left on the ground, for fear of accidental fires and fires set by tramps, and excavating to reference (140) the upper end of the regervoir, which had shealed from the same cause. The total amount of these excavations was about 9,500 cubic yards. ‘The Surveys Required. To the foregoing work executed since my last annual report should be added the surveys required for the work of improve- ment; the surveys of the nine additional parcels of land required to be purchased for the work; the construction of a tele- phone line and the construction of the necessary roads, and the cutting and planting of boundary stones. The water of Little Falls branch was turned from its chanuel into the shaft in the valley of the branch above its dam on the 23d of April; the larger of the two branches of East creek was turned into its new channel on the 15th of May and the smuller one into its new channel on the 22d of May. ‘The only thing necessary to be done to complete the diversion from the reservoir of the water from its entire watershed ex- cept some small areas under the control of the United States was the closing of the by-pass or cut in the hillside at the north end of the Mill creek dara, through which the water of the creek passed into the reservoir during the construction of the dam. This was a delicate opera- tion that had to be done under the protection of a small temporary dam while the water ot the creek was rising to the height of its new channel into the valley of Little Falls branch, but it was suc- cessfully accomplished on July 26, and from that day all the water of East creek, Mill creek and Little Falls branch and all the water of the entire watershed ex- cept the small areas under the control of the United States passed around the reservoir and through the tunnel leading under Dalecarlia hill, and the object of our two years’ work was accomplished. In anticipation of this event all but a small portion of the contents of the reservoir had been drained out thraugh the valve in the sluice tower. I then ordered the run- ning oif of the remainder-preparatory to the refilling of the reservoir with Potomac water from Great Falls, which was to be done under the direction of Major Knight, the officer in charge of the Washington aqueduct. It was to be done siowly through the “south connection” by means of the excess of the daily supply from Great Falls above the requirements of the city, and so that it would not inconven- jence citizens on Capitol Hill and other high parts of Washington. Premature Use of the Reservoir. When the -mptying of the reservoir had been essentially completed (July 27) the by-conduit which passes around the reser- voir, and through which the supply to the clty had been kept vp during the improve- ment of the reservoir (and, in fact, since 1888), gave way under the pressure of the water in the conduit at a point a short dis- tance east >f the waste weir, and the en- tire flow from Great Falls was discharged into the reservgir,, which has thus been brought into uge a few days earlier than was anticipated. The by-condult, which is about one-half mile loug, was canstructed by Civil En- gineer Silas Seymour after Gen. Meigs left the aqueduct, and during the time when in the late civil war the aqueduct was under the Department of the Interior, It was a useful work, but it has been in a leaky condition for several years. It was badly built, and too near the margin of the reser- voir. It should be rebuilt further back from the reservair in solid ground, and for the purpose for which it was originally constructed, viz., that the water from Great Falls my be run directly into the distributing reservoir or through the Dale- carlia reservoir, as the condition of the water in respect of its turbidity may re- quire. A considerable amount of work that the running of the water in its rew channels and to the shaft will not Interfere with yet remains to be dove in filling the gap in the Little Falls branch cam left for hauling material for facing the slopes at the upper end of the reservoir; in completing the nerth end of the Mill creek dam and the stone facing at the outlet end of the chan- nel leading into Mill creek from East creek; in completing the work on the bridges near the east portal of the tunnel under the hill east of Little Falls branch, and at various other points on the line. About ninety men are still employed, and it is expected that all these cdds and ends ef the work will be fully completed in a month or six weeks. Favorable results of the examinations of title by the United states district attorney for Maryland, and the decisions thereon of the Attorney General of the United States in the cases of the lands purchased, are daily exp2cted, and as soon as received these lands will be paid for. Condemnation Proceedings. Proceedings in condemnation in the cases in which no agreements as to price of lands couk. be had, will be instituted as soon as the deeds for the lands purchased are obtained, until which time it has been deemed best for the public interests to de- lay these proceedings. One res:lt of the improyement of the res- ervoir is the doubling of the capacity for the storage of Potomac water from Great Falls and another result is that the de- tritus brought down by the streams is now carried with the storm waters into the shaft in the valley of Little Falis branch and thence throvgh the tunrel under Dale- carlia hill and off into the Potomac. This detritus probably emounts to thousands of tons annually. It had materially shoaled the reservoir and in time would have ruin- ed it. 5 In addition to these results it is expected that the increased time for sedimentation furnished py the slow passage of water through this long reservoir will materially improve the quality of water after heavy storms in the valley of the Potomac, al- though it is not expected that anything short of filtration works will at such times clear the water of all its clayey matter or materially improve its color. In concluding this report I should re- mark that although the channels and tun- nels were designed in excess of the di- mensions required to carry the water from the watershed of the reservoir under the extreme supposition of a rainfall of one and one-half inches per hour for several successive hours (that is to say 110, 308 and 714 cubic feet per second in East creek, Mill creek and Little Falls branch re- spectively, 1,132 cubic feet in all, or more than the e. low. water flow of the Po- tomac at Great, Falls), I am satisfied from my experience, and-especially from two ex- ceptionally heayy, showers this summer, that the rainfalls “in the vicinity of the reservoir are af times, and for short pe- riods, heavier fhan,in Washington or any other place on, the line of the aqueduct between Great ,¥al[s and Washington, and that the channeis gnd tunnels are none too large. Care ‘Must Be Taken. As stated in’ my, last report the grades around the }eservoir were so calcu- lated that when the channels run full (as they’ will, within a foot of the tops of the banks, if the heavy rate of rainfall prgvidéd for should ever be reached), the meay velocity of the water in each case, willbe about four feet per second. Grades agd cross sections that would give greater velocities would not be prudent on account of liability to ero- sion of the channels. When the channels do not run full, or nearly full—during the major part of the year there will be but a, few inches of depth of water in the channels—the mean velocities will be less, and it is likely that deposits will be made and bars formed, but this ig a danger that. cannot be avoided in streams so change- able in depth. I desire therefore to record the caution, that for the safety of the works and to prevent serious injury to them by the overflow of the channel banks and the dams, the most faithful and conscientious attention on the part of the watchman in charge of the reservoir will be required to daily inspect the valleys of all the streams within reasonable distances above théir dams and remove out of reach of the water in floods everything liable to float and make obstructions anywhere on the line of the works; ta keep the channels and the gutters above the channels clear of deposits and sand bars and other ob- structions; to keep the banks of the chan- nels and the dams in good order; to watch the head of the tunnel east of Little Falls branch and if any Yors or other heavy drift should lodge there to quickly remove it, and above all, to around the shaft in the valley of Little Falls branch clear of drift wood and brush in heavy showers and storms and of float- ing ice in winter. In my judgment an in- telligent laborer should be corstantly em- ployed ‘in caring for this work and the watchman shoula be authorized to call to his aid at all times in emergencies such additional assistants as he may require. Additional Remarks. ‘The paving of the open channels con- sisted in paving the bottoms and a partial paving of the side slopes. ’ The aggregate length of these channels is, as I have stated, about one mile. The chan- nel carrying East creek into Mill creek is five (5) feet wide at bottom and four (4) feet deep, and the channel from Mill creek |4o Little Falls branch is nine (9) feet wide at bottom and seven (7) feet deep, and by reason of the great cost of paving I have limited the paving of the side slopes to the height of one (1) foot six (6) inches vert!- cally above the bottoms of the channels, this under the consideration that storms that will cause the water to run more than one (1) foot six (6) inches deep in the chan- nels are so infrequent that the probability is that no greater storm will occur before the slopes above the paving will be suf- ficiently protected during the snort and rare periods that they will be exposed to erosion by the sod that covers the tops and sides of the banks of the channels. In respect of the lands necessary to be acquired for the work, it should be stated that in addition to the five small parcels of land in the vicinity of the reservoir pur- chased during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1804, for the sites of the works and for the purpose of controlling the qrainage of some small areas thatwere so situated that it could not be provided for by the tmprove- ment works, nine small parcels remained to be purchased, viz, two smali side valleys owned by the heirs of Charles Shoemaker, in the valley of Mill creek, to be overfiowed by the Mill creek dam; one parcel on the hill east of Little Falls branch, required for the tunnel under this hill, and six small parcels on the Conduit road between this road and the reservoir, two of which were owned by R. W. Morgan and the others by R.H.Harper, James Harper, John P.Hickey and Mary Harrison. ‘The papers in the cases of Charles Shoe- maker, R. W. Morgan, Mary Harrison and Richard H. Harper are now awaiting the decision of the Attorney General respecting the validity of the titles. In the cases of James Harper and John P. Hickey it is probable that resort must be had to con- demnation, as they so far refuse to take reasonable prices for their lands. There was leased from W. D. three and fifty-eight one-hundredths (@ 58-100) acres of land on the hill east of Little Falls branch for the temporary build- ings required for the work and other pur- poses. No further appropriation is required for the work. ury. ———————— SILVER GAINS A LEGAL POINT. The Ohio Supreme Court Decides Against the Issue of Gold Bonds. From the New York Tribune. Z COLUMBUS, Ohio, July 31—The su- preme court in special session to- day ipformally settled the question of the issuing of gold bonds by municipal corpor- ations in Ohio. The issue was raised over an effort of the sinking fund trustees of ‘Cincinnati, who, acting under a special law of the- legislature, attempted to re- fund $3,000,000 of 4 per cent bonds, falling cue in a few months. The trustees had a proposition from a syndicate to take the bonds at 3.65 per cent on condition that the principal and interest be made payable in gold. They decided to accept the proposition, and were preparing to refund the bonds, when the silver men went into court, setting up the claim that the trustees were without authority to make the bonds payable in geld and thus exclude silver. The common pleas and cireult courts di- vided on the question. the former holding that the trustees had power to provide that the bonds should be paid in gold, while the higher tribunal of the county reversed this decision. ‘The supreme court being the next resort, Chief Justice Minshall broke the summer vacation by calling a special session to con- sider the question. ‘Tonight the chief justice, while not wish- ing to establish the precedent of rendering a decision in vacation time, announced that the conclusion of the court when formally recorded in September would be to sus- tain the circuit court. This is a victory for the silver adherents, as it prohibits the is- suing of gold bonds, an@ is perhaps the first judicial determination of the issue ‘between the money metals. The court was divided, standing three to two. —— —-+e0e DROWNED IN A FLOOD. — A Cloudburst Sweeps Through Ade- Inide, Col. A freight train on the Florence and Crip- ple Creek railroad was caught in a iand- slide and derailed near Adelaide, Col., Tuesday night. A succession of cloudbursts occurred at the head of Eight-Mile creek, about twelve or fifteen miles north of Ade- lade. Engineer Ben Gove and Fireman Maurice Lyonggaw the water coming down the creek. Lyons managed to escape by climbing up the side of the mountain. Gove is supposed to have been drowned. Brake- man Dolan ts known to have lost "his life in the water. ‘The flood struck the town of Adelaide, doing great damage. The hotel is said to have been swept away, and Mrs. Carlisle Tracy and a man named Watson were drowned. Six persons are known to have been drowned at Adelaide, and two otners are reported missing. The railroad for ten miles near Wilbur has been washed away. More destruction McCourt. ‘The depot and section house at Adelaide were filled with about four feet of water. ‘The damage is not as mich as at first re- ported, the company losing not over $25,000. “is reported at Camp too WAITING FOR THE EVIDENCE. Delay in the Waller Case. Gov. Morrill of Kansas has received the following reply to his recent communica- tion to President Cleveland, urging action upon the part of this government to secure the release of John L. Waller. ‘Acting Secretary of State Adee writes the letter, which follows: “The department has been unremitting in its efforts in the behalf of Mr. Waller, through the ambassador of the United States at Paris and the consul of this gov- ernment at Tamatave, to obtain the docu- ments in the case of Mr. Waller’s recent trial before a French military tribunal, so that this government might be in a position to determine as to the character of his trial and as to its further action on the premises. A short time ago Mr. Eustis, after repeated and pressing requests, was furnished by the minister for foreign af- fairs with a copy of the charges against Mr. Waller and of his sentence, but Mr. Eustis has not yet been able to obtain a copy of the evidence in the case. He has, however, been instructed to make renewed application to the French government for an ofiicial copy of the evidence and also for permission to see the prisoner, who is understood to be in fil health. You may be assured that every step consistent with diplomatic usage will be taken to afford Mr. Waller the full measure of protection by this government to which he may be found to be entitled by reason of his Amer- fean citizenship.” Cauxe of the 20 _A Gusher. One of the deepest oll wells In Los An- geles, at the corner of Hobart and West State streets, has suddenly started gushing ofl at such a rate it cannot be kept under control. It haa overrun the neighborhood, and is still flowing. The output is esti- mated to be 800 barrels per day. ———o-——___—_ Disaster at a Race Track. A section of the amphitheater at the new mile race track at Peoria, Ill., collapsed Tuesday evening with disastrous conse- quences, a number of persons being in- jured. Wm. Rosenberger fell a distance of forty feet and received internal injuries that may result in his death. Michael Sherrer was badly hurt, while 2 haif dozen others were slightly injured. keep the grating Brooke The money avatiable is abundantly sufficient for its completion, and it is expected that there will remain a con- siderable sum to be covered into the treas- CAPTURED BY CARSON He Dropped Into the Le Droit Park Meeting, HAD THE CROWD WITH HIM Says the District Republicans Do Not Need to Be Harmonized. SOME BLUNT REMARKS There was a meeting at Le Drott Park last evening of the District Canvassing Club, composed of colored District republ!- cans. The purpose of the club and its meet- ing was stated to be harmony, but it was said by those who were not in sympathy with its members that the only purpose of the club is to defeat Perry Carson in his éxpected attempt to again represent the District in the national republican conven- tion of 1896 and on the national republican committee. The meeting last evening was in no sense a howling success, unless viewed from Carson's standpoint. “The old war horse,” as Carson is called by his fol- lowers, was very much in evidence, and if any one thing was demonstrated beyond question it was that Carson is still very much alive and will stand a lot of beating when the pinch comes. The meeting—an open-air affair—had been called, it was an- nounced, by the foilowing: John M. Lang- ston, William Beckett, Rev. W. H. John- son, George W. Boston, William Childs, C. P. Irby, Ralph Wormley and C. A. Berke- ley. The hour of the meeting was announced as 8, but it was an_ hour later before it was called to order. Meantime, Carson had driven to the scene, and about his buggy gathered a large crowd of his admirers and followars. To them he explained ine had come out to see some fun. He saw it. On the Stand. A small stand had been erected on thu vacant lot near the corner of 4th and Eim streets, and an attempt ct Mlumination was made by the use of four lanterns, three of which were red. In the fourth one there was such a small quamity of oll that the color of its light was hardly distinguish- able. About the stand gathered a crowd of women and chil- dren. Upon the stand, as far as could be ,anterns than the or more men—presum- Ralph Wormley, who, it was explained, was the president of the organization, called the aseemblage to orJer some time after 9 clock, and, after apologizing for the lack of Ught, suggested that what was inost reeded was a ternperary chairman. From out of the darkness was heard @ voice a hundreé or two men, seen in the darkness, for the afforded considerable less light moon, were a do: ably members of the club. Mr. neminating Mr. C. P. Irby as such. Mr. Irby was declared to be the unanl- mous choice of the meeting for the posi tion, and, after modestly acknowledging his appreciation of the honor so bestowed upon him, he explained that the purpose of the meetins was to inaugurate the re- publican campatgn of 1898 by assisting in the work of selecting the District delegates to the national republican convention. He assured the meeting that no opposition would be made to anyone. The clun, declared, sought the support of republicans not only here, but elsewhere throughout the country. No one would have to go around hunting delegates to the convention ef 1896, for the woods were full of them. “We are not here tonight,” he stated, “to down anybody, my friends, but we have simply invited you to be here to listen to a number of good speakers. I don’t see them all, but [ hope they will all come forward and help us along. What we want is @armony.” Carson Appears. Just at this point great cheering was heard some distance away from the stand, and the cause of it was seen when Mr. He alighted in the midst of more cheering, and just as Carson drove up in his buggy. Chairman Irby was beseeching the invited speakers to come up.on the stand. The crowd insisted upon hearing Carson right then and there, and, accepting the noisy and no less pointed hint, the chairman said: “I see my gigantic and esteemed friend, the honorable Colonel Perry Car- son, is with us, and we would like to hear from him.” | In considerably less time than is required to tell it the chairman and the club heard much more of the “colonel” than was de- sired. In the first place Carson remarked that he was at a lors to understand the purpose of the club and its Meeting. The chairman again stated it, whereupon Car- son bluntly exclaimed that he did not know the District republicans needed to be harmonized, and intimated that that being eo there was necessity neither for the club nor for its meeting. He also remarked that there was no necessity or occasion for him to say anything. “Ye see,” he lacghed@, rather tantalizingly, ‘d rather not say anything, for if I did I'd say some- thirg you people wouldn’t like, and it would make you mad.” Neither the chair- man nor any other member of the club gave any sign that he was the least bit anxious to further listen to Carson, but the crowd in front of the stand cried out, as with one voice: “You are all right, Perry. Go ahead and talk We are all with you.” Carson Takes Carson needed no further encouragement, and with the confidence of a man who feels that his audience is with him, he proceed- ed in his familiarly forcible way to ex- press himself. ‘My friends,” he exclaimed, pitching his big white helmet into a chair and striding to the front of the stand, “you all know me, and I tell you that there’s no necessity for this club or for this meeting. What's this fer? Filthy lucre? Well, they won’t get it. I tell you that now. We've got a club right here in this District, with Dr. Gaines at the head of it. What's the use of having another? Ill tell you. Because there’s a nigger in the woodpile. That's why, and yow can all see Mr. Nigger, too. I denounce it all. Wormley said I couldn’t get a corporal’s guard of you people to foliow me, but I'l show what I can get when the time comes. If I am a candidate for the convention next year, I tell you I'll go to it.” “That's right, Perry, now you're a-talk- ing,” cried the crowd, as it pressed closer about the little stand. “We are all with you, colonel. Pitch into ’em.” * His Defiance. Carson, howevgr, evidently thought he had said enough, but before leaving the stand he remarked that there was but one object in holding the meeting, and that was to down him. Mr. Wormtey, he said, knew that well encugh. But Wormley had been knocked out four years ago by the national committee, “and,” cried Carson, ‘he'll be knocked out again if he fools with me. Wormiley’s trying to knock out Dr. Gaines, the head of the club in this Dis- trict, but ke won't do that, cither.” “Who made Dr. Gaines boss of this Dis- trict?” cried out some in the crowd. “The people,” instantly replied Carson. “What's the matter with you, man? Been asleep, ain't you? Now, don’t you people,” he continued, turnmg to the crowd in front of the stand, “be fooled by any such tomfoolery meetings and clubs like this one here tonight, for I tell ycu that they ain't any good and they won't do you all any good. When the time comes to select dele- gates, why then you'll find me on hand, tut don’t be fooling your time away with such things as this.” Here Carson was made the subject of a point of order raised by Mr. Wormley, and although the cheirman could not be heard in the confusion, Carson good. naturediy remarked that he would let them go ahead with their meeting. During his littie speech, when’ things appeared squally, many ‘of those on the stand slipped oui into the darkness. So, when Carson con- cluded, no little difficulty was encountered by the chairman in inducing others to take their places. He regretted the interruption made by Carson, who, he said, they ail Toved, ani also regretted to state that many of those Invited to speak were ab- sent. Control. & Question of Home Ruic. He then presented Mr. James W. Poe of North Carolina. Mr. Poe is now in office here, it is said, but twice had the honor of being elected tc the North Carolina legis- he lature. Carson, upon leaving the stand, stationed himself near by, and as Mr. Poe branched off into a plea for harmony, the colonel cried out that the people here wanted people in North Carolina to know that they can run things here without them. Now and then he would interject questions and remarks, much to the delight cf the crowd. But Mr. Poe bravely strug- gled on, as did the other speakers, Mr. R. L. Laws, Rev. A. W. Shields, Irby and. others, and finally, late in the evening, thé meeting wes dismissed with the benedic- —__-—_ ACADEMY OF FORTY. Bright Women Diseuss Old Father Time. The July session of the Academy of Forty exhibited a marked degree of thoughtful- ness and increased ease in expression. In a brief business meeting a vote was taken upon the flower of the academy, and the pansy was unanimously chosen. The sig- nificance of the flower—“hearts’ ease*— seemed to enter largely into the selection. The topic was “Time,” and Miss Fanny N, Edwards, director for the evening, opened the conversation by an informal talk on the cultivation of system and continuity in the use of time and the abandonment of all over effort, anxiety or regret that “all things” cannot be accomplished. By her gentle manipulation, with question and sug- gestion, she succeeded In bringing out the best sentiment of each academist. The remarks of Mrs. Alice M. Goodwin were noticeable for their originality and seriousness. She observed that the little child was endowed with just as much time as the mature person, without knowledge how to secure results from its occupation, and urged the importance of early training in this respect. Miss Helen R. Holmes remarked on the ‘preciousness of the brief leisure of work- ing women, the larger part of whose every day belonged to othera. Miss Morris spoke of the selfish encroach- ments of outsiders upon that which was so valuable a possession. Miss Gillett insisted that there was no luck of time—she had time plenty to do all that her strength permitted and was compelled to throw away time in the re- cuperation of strength and energy for more work. - Miss Slater thought the time spent in rest was as well employed as any other portion. Mrs. Havens considered time with a view to productiveness, health and the good of humanity, and answered the assertion that “women do not know the value of time” by the statement that women’s work in the household, and especially the care of children, is such as is never completed, and no amount of speed or forethought or calculation can make it possible ever to lay it asige finished. She also railed at the discorefort and complicated adjustment cf women's clothing, which dissipates time, and said that not only hair and lace edg- ings but nerves were often caught in “hooks and eyes.” Mrs. Shipp thought it no waste of time to bestow attention on one’s personal adornment and so add to individual attrac- tion. She held it a right of woman to be as pretty as she could. Mrs. Bennett urged that women who were perpetual drudges in their homes, the “smart” women and the “thorough house- keepers” accomplished less in the world and accumulated less than any other wo- men. They had 10 time for tiought or pian which would lead to higher attain- ment and greater acquisition. Miss Williams spoke of the necessity of method in order to secure any time for diversion or intellectual progress. She thought the eight-hour law should apply to women as-well as to men. Miss Huddleson discussed the evolution of the working day and the correct division of time—eight hours for- labor, eight for recreation and eight for rest. Mrs. Havens was selected as the director for the August session, and announced the topic, “Co-operative Movements Among Women.” The academists look upon their conver- zationes as something so refreshing and desirable that they manifest no desire to abandon them during the summer months. —————_—_ LOOKING FOR FRUIT LANDS, Superfluous Mechanics to Tarn to Farming. Mr. Sovereign, the general master work- man of the Knights of Labor, is makirig a tour through the west, looking for regions where workingmen who wish to forsake their trade employments and enter upon farming may find lands. He is just now in southwestern Missourl and northern Ar- kansas, In the famous Ozark apple coun- try. In an interview at Kansas City Mr. Sovereign is quoted as saythg: “I am endeavoring to get as many of my people as possible to look to the agri- cultural and fruit lands for places of per- manent settlement and occupation. The principal cause of distress among the work- ing people of this country -is that they are crowded into large cities In such numbers that it is impossible for all of them to keep in employment. Do you know that of the 12,000,000 increase in population of this country between 1880 and 1890 more than 9,000,000 of the increase was in the large cities? In my own state of Iowa, with its ninety-nine counties, fifty-nine of those counties that are essentially agricultural lost in population In those years. What I am trying to do is to divert those people in whom I am most interested from the con- gested centers to the productive farming communities of this great land, where they will fare better in the material things of this life, and where they will certainly have much more peace of mind. Those who seek this relief will escape entirely the dis- turbing strikes and agitations which bring se much unhappiness to the laboring peo- _ ple, and those who remain behind will have correspondingly better conditions around them in consequence of the greater de- mand for labor. “My attention is given, In the main, to our own people. I Rave little to do with the Immigrants. They are nearly all bar- gained for—at least such of them as de- pend entirely on their labors—as soon as they land in New York, and many of them are pledged to those banks that deal in la~ bor certificates; and, while in some re- spects these are the people who most need help, they are at the same time the hardest to reach. I have heard that there is a t fruit country in the southern part of this state and in Arkansas, and I am going to spend a week there to inform myself on conditions, so that I may help many who are now seeking homes in such local- ities.” ——- 02 ARCHITECT HUNT DEAD. He Was Given High Honora at Home si and Abrond. Richard M. Hunt, the architect, has died at Newport. He had been Ml only a few weeks. Mr. Hunt was the architect and designer of the world’s fair build W. K. Vanderbilt's marble paiz nelius Vanderbilt's “New Breakers.” ‘ewport villas. Heart failure wae the cause of his death. In 1855 he was engaged to assist the late Thomas U. Walter in preparing plans for the completion of the Capito! in this city: After six months of indefatigable and ins valuable service in this capacity, he went to New York and began the career which made him the acknowledzed dean of the architectural brotherhood of t country, and second only to the Richardson as an original artist. He took a prominent fornding the American Institute of chitects. No American architect has had such recognition abroad ss had Mr. Hunt. He was made a knight of the Legion of Honor. He was a corresponding of the Royal Institute of British a) and received the gold medal presented an- nually to the architect adjudged to have done most for the advancement of the his- tory or pract — Caste Not Color Rules. At yesterday’s session of the Women of America at Boston Rev. ander Crummell of Washington assort: that color prejudice in this country ‘ad been displaced by caste prejudice. Mra, H. R. Butler spoke on the necds of better manhood and womanhood among the color- ed people, and Charles Norris of Georgia told of the ill-tr convicts in Georgi: to prepare resolut Georgia conv! ‘he convention voted condemning the Resolutions ted congratulating Mrs. Ida B. Wells Barnet, the anti-lynch- law agitator, on her recent marriage. mune 20+ % he most expensive short story ever printed is “The Long Arm,” rize detective story, the first installment which will be printed in The Stay of Sat- urday, August 3.