Evening Star Newspaper, April 28, 1897, Page 1

— — THE EVENING STAR. PUBLISHED DAILY EXCEPT SUNDAY. AT THE STAR BUILDINGS, 1102 Pesrsylvan‘a Avexue, Cer. 11th St, by ¥ Cor [e The Oe haters Pree Few York Ofce, 49 Fetter Euilding. ‘The Evening Star is served to\sahsctibers in the city by carriers, on thelr own account, at 10 ber week, or 44 cents per monih. Copies at counter 3 cents each. By matl—auywhere tn United States or Canada—postaze prepaid—59 ce per wonth. Saturday Quintapie Sheet Star, $1 per year, with foretgn postage added. $3.00. Entered at the Post Oifice at Wash'ngton, D. C.. ————> 1 matter.) wo. ail subscriptions must be paid in advance. Rates of advertising made Knows on application. eee “Want” advertisements in The Star pay because they bring answers. No 13,777. "WASHINGTON, D. ©. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28 MILITARY DYNAMITE General ela Shakes Up the Dis- trict National Guard. TROOP “A” TO BE DISBANDED Two Battalions Wiped Out, While the Battery Goes Afoot. - e cee eee RADICAL REORGANIZATION eg The onal Guard of the District of Columbia is undergoing that healthful -x- perience known as “spring cleaning.” An sort of experience perhaps but ‘a remarkably good During the past year uncomforta! for some t peopte, » who! = on the condition of Gen. Ordway’s health has evented the general from: taking that se personal interest in the organization to which he has given so much of his time, energy and As a natural result there have been accumulations of dead wood and many sympt of distressing lethargy. Here and there efforts have been made to keep portions of the brigade up to stand- dard, but such efforts have been so few as to be conspicuously remarkable. As soon as Gen. Ordway returned from Evrope—whicn was dufing the early part of this month—he e saw the entire situation It has always been one of the gereral's characteristics to think and ac’ : y. SO, aS Soon as some pressing business affairs were: more r, he proceeded to plan such reor- ion as he believed to be essential to the welfare of the guard. The reorgan- ization is now well under way, and will be completed within two or three weeks. A Reconstructed Staff: J First to be reconstructed was the general | staff, and that has been done along the lines that were suggested by the developed fitness of the officers who have exchanged places. Hitherto Maj. W. Cranch Mcin- tire has been commissary general; here- after he will be quartermaster general. Two changes result from this—Major E. H. Neu- meyer, who has been chief of ordnance, becomes commissary general, while Major M. V. Tierney, who has been quarter- master general, becomes chief of ordnance. In this way each of the officers named has assigned to him duties which will be en- tirely congenial. The staff loses a good and remarkably efficient officer in Major Winthrop Alexander, inspector generai, but his departure therefrom is going to~be for the benefit of the Ist Regiment, whose colonel he becomes, Col. Moore having de- cided to resign his command. The piace vacated by Maj. Alexander is to be filled by the promotion of Capt. Charles H. Ou- rand, who is now an aid, and one of the best staff officers. Maj. E. L. Smith- er, chief of ergineers, resigns. and so does Capt. Thomas Singleton, who is an aid. This leaves one vacancy among the staff majors and two vacancies among the aids; wh will be filled almost immedi- ately by the commanding general. Wili Disband the Cavalry. Te a great many pecple; inside the guard and out, the statement that Troop A—ofll- cially designated as the Ist Separate Com- pany—is to be disbanded, will come as a bombshell, but whether anykody is sur- prised or not, the disbandment is fing to be a fact. For this change there are at least two reasons. One of them is the com- parative uselessness of volunteer cavalry in such time of trouble es a National Guard force is likely to see, and the other is based upon the cost of maintaining mounted troops. A cavalryman is a men and a horse, and it takes just as long to train the human half of the cavalryman as it does to train his mount; two years of constant drilling may be regardéd as necessary to the pro- duction of a finished cavalryman. As to the cost—and that must necessarily be con- sidered where the apvropriation is as Imeager as it is in the District of Colum- bia—nothing more need be said than about ene-thirteenth of the brigade has swal- lowed up quite. one-fourth of the avail- able funds. Whenever the brigade has had to go into camp or has been ordered to parade it is the horses for the enlisted men that have cost out of ail fair proportion. A Dismounted Battery. For reasons almost precisely similar to thore which have brought about the dis- banding of the troop, the battery—Light Battery A—is to be dismounted. In time of riot the battery would have the same sort of trouble as that which would afflict alry. Mounted, as a rule, on hire . the men would be scurrying around livery stables for an hour or two after the infantry had been at work: to be ready for futy with full equipment and a sufficiency of forage, both the battery and troop would probably be too late to render any very valuable service; and should they etting there soon enough nobody knows what a time troopers and gunners would h * with the amateur horse ought up to peaceful pursulte and altogether unac- stomed to firearms and brickbats and like ‘This zetion as ty the troop ard battery, while it may be the subject of some local discussion, rtheless in line with the most approved military practice, and has the solid support of the t«st military authorities in the world. It will be some- hing of a novelty for the arti the National Guard to parade as “walk fers." bat th» revolution’ 1s not like ork to the disadvantage of th: battery. * are undoubtedly a great mary young n in this city who would Hke to enlist in the battery, beeause the artillerist is cverywhere regarded as being the istel- ctual soldier, but who have refrained « because they did not care trian features of battery young men will appear tn such to much more than offset the of the few who are likely to re- st their discharges. Under the new con- litions the battery will have as armament two Hotchk'ss two-pounder rapid-fire guas and two gatlings, remounted on carriages similar to those used by the Hotchkiss. It i thus be for the battery to scere just as quickly there, and it is tn y there” that the valne tional Guard lies. Foot batter'es : Y are quite common in the Eng- lish volunteer service, and they are, as a tule, very effective. partur No More Separate Companies. © Company and the bat- yeen disposed of, Gen. Ord- turned his attention to the 24 - Compaty, which is a company. of Hereafter this company will be known as Company D of the Engineer Bat- talion, and will be assigned to signal duty in the broadest sense of the term, for it will be required to make ‘itself thoroughly conversant with all means cf ailiitary communication Next in order was the 34 Separate Com- pany, a reserve company composed wholly of veterans of the late war... The.members of this compaay had some time ago for- warded to headquarters a request for dis- vandment, and this request the general has pplied with. So all the-separnte com- anies will soon be out of existence. ar Engineer Compa: shake-up fs going to give the Engi- reer Battalion a better status than {t has ever enjoyed. Heretofore the engineer offi- cers have been simply “acting officers,” the only one of all their number holding a cyclists. commission from the President being Maj. Gilbert Thompson, the major commanding, and his commission is that of a first lieu- tenant. The climination of the separats companies renders possible the organiza- tion of the engineers as an Infantry bat- talion, whose officers will be duly com- missioned by the President of the United States. Under the new order of things gineers will be officially known as Separate Battalion, but their com- mon title will undoubtedly be the Engineer Battalion. The organization of the engi- neers will not be disturbed. Company A will be composed of sharpshooters, Com- pany B of artificers, Company C of tae more scientific engineers, while Company D will be the signal company. What Has Been Done to the Ist Regi- ment. Condensation nas evidently been Gen. Ordway's idea threughout the entire plv. It is consilerably in evidence in the regi- ments. In the Ist Regiment the 3d Bat- talion is wiped out of existence, its two companies being transferred to the 2d Bat- talion. Maj. F. T. Wilson, who has com- manded the %d for some time, will be dis- charged. The Ist Regiment thus becomes @ compact body, made up of two battalions of four companies cach. As has previously been stated. Col. Moore res.gns, dnd will be succeeded by Maj. Winthrop Alexander of the general siaff. Col. Moore has bad ail the honors that the organization could bestow upon him, and retires of his own motion to enjoy a well-earned rest. It is reasonably expected that under Col. Alex- ander the 1st will maintain, if not eclip: its reputation es a live regiment. Follo ing Col. Moore's resignation there has been received at headquarters the resignation of Capt. Matthew Goddard, quartermaster uf the Ist. a Changes in the 2d Regiment. The 2d Regiment will hereafter consist of two battalions with four companies each, for the resignation of Major George Bartlett has been accepted and the 6th Battalion becomes a memory. Companies A and B of the Gth are to be consolidated and will be transferred as Company B to the 4th Battalion, with Captain Horsford in commard. Lieutenant Richard D. Simms, adjutant of the 6th Battalion, will become adjutant of the 5th Battalion. The 5th is to have a new major. Ever since the resig- nation of Majer Suess that most excellent battalion has been commanded by the sen- jor captain, but henceforth it will be di- rected by Major Otto G. Simonson, who has been suffi an efficient company com- mander in the Gta Battalion. Captain Simonson is an enthusiastic national guardsman and most capable. He seems to be, so say the military experts, precisely the man for the place. ‘The disbanding cf the 6th Battalion and the consolidation and transfer of Com- panies A and B, leaves Company C without a home, but provision has been made for that condition. A special inspection will be held May 3 of Companies C of the 4th, D of the 5th and C of the 6th, and at the close of that inspection one of the three companies ‘ramed will cease to be. Incidentally it may be announced that the 2d Reg:ment Band is no more. A spe- clal order has been issued detailing First Lieutenant Donald B. MacLeod to report in additicn to doing his other duties, t the adjutant general to engage in the en- listment of a brigade band, which will consist of the cream of the 2d Regiment Band and of a sufficient number of addi- tional musicians to make the organization thoroughly satisfactory. No Inspection This Spring. In view of the fact that it will take from now until the middie of May to make all the changes called for by the order which is soon to be fssued, Gen. Ordway instruct- ed Adjt. Gen. Mosher to revoké general or- ders No. 4, current series, providing for the general inspection and muster of the guard. This was done because the two propositions would not work together. The absence of the annual inspectton will not work any in- Jury, “because all the commands had pre- pared themselves for the ordeal, and fad therefore done all the essential things. It is stated with some authority that hereaf- ter there will probably be two inspections in e year, one in October—which is the Leginning of the indoor drill seasyon—and one in M. Supernumerary Officers. Some of the more effective of the officers who would, in the ordinary course of events, go out of the service, will be placed on the supernumerary list, so as to be available for duty at any, time. As soon as all the transfers of men and property have been completed and the pa- pers ar2 in shape, the brigade will settle down steadily to prepare for camp, which will, as previously announced in ‘The Star, commence June 10. Gen. Ordway expects to accomplish more at the forthcoming camp of instruction than has ever yet been dene during such period; for the organiza- ticn will be compact and capable of being -onomicaily handled. It is the firm con- vietion of those who ought to know that the brigade is about to enter upon an eta of greater efficiency than any it has yet known. ———._-— Personal Mention, Mr. Edward D. Easton, vresident of the American Graptophone Company and the Coluinbia Phonograph Company, has re- moved to New York, the executive offices of those companies having been estab- lished ir that city. Mr. James Lane Allen, well known in the literary world, is at the Cochran, a guest of Senator and Mrs. Lindsay. Mr. Wm. 5. Hatleck has been confined to his room by illness for the past six weeks. Bohrer von Orendorf left yesterday morning for a ten days’ trip to New York and Baltimore. Representative Bartholdt of Missouri was taken with a congestive chill on the train while on the way to New York to attend the Grant ceremonies. He was attended by Dr. Booze of Maryland, and recovered before the train reached Jersey City. Mrs. Thomas C. Piatt, who has been ill for some time, is recovering gradually, and her improved condition warranted Senator Platt’s going to New York. —————— to Commission, Arrangements have been made at the Navy Department to put the battle ship Jewa in commission at the League Island navy yard June 15, and to put the gunboat Wilmington in commission at the Norfolk navy yard on the 10th proximo. The Iowa is the largest and most formidable vessel in the United States navy. Her first com- mander will be Capt. Wm. T. Sampson, chief of the bureau of ordnance. It is gen- erally understcod that he will be succeeded at the head of the ordnance department by Capt. Chas. O'Neill, now in charge of the gun foundry at the Washington navy yard. ee Leased by the Spanish Minister. The Spanish minister has leased for a term of three years the residence of Mrs. Noble at the northeast’ corner of Massa- chusetts avenue and 18th street. Some al- terations and improvements are being made under ine direction of Mr. W. J March, archit the principal feature of which will Le a staircase and duerway in the rear of the house, where the office of the legation will be located, with an en- trance from Isth street. The legation will be removed June 1 from the present quar- ters on Connecticut avenue to thenew res- idence. +2 SENATE DISTRICT COMMITTRE. - Meeting Called for Tomorrow Morn- ing to Consider Local Nominations. A meeting of the Senaté District commit- tee has been called for 11 o'clock:tomorrow. morning. It is expected that the nomina- tions for District Commissioners “will be taken up and disposed of. : TROOPS: AT FAIRFAX|G°SS!P ABOUT OFFICES/FLQOD AT GUTHRIE| Governor O’Ferrall Determined to Prevent a Lynching, MONTICELLO GUARDS PROTECT LEWIS Third Trial of Mrs. Reidel’s As- sailant Begun. ae VIRGINIA TOWN WORKED UP Special Dispatch to The Evening Star. FAIRFAX C. H., Va., April 28.—Fairfax Court House was at the highest pitch of excitement all night long, the second trial of the case of James Lewis, charged with ravishing Mrs. Ida Reidel, having begun at 5:30 o'cleck last night and continued throughout the entire night. About the same evidence was placed before the new jury us was given to the jury that could not agree upon a verdict up to 10 o'clock yesterday morning, having been out all of the night before. The evidence of Mrs. Reidel brought out a horrible story, revolting in the extreme, and excited the deepest sympathy for her. ‘The leading citizens were indignant that the jury should have been unable to fix upon a sentence, after they found the prisoner guilty. The ease was argued and given to the jury at 1:30 o'clock this morn- ing, and it was believed that they would re- turn in a few minutes with a verdict of guilty and fixing the penalty at death. The crowd became impatient and more nant as the minutes roiled into hou threats of lynching were heard freely throughout the court room by those await- ing the result of the trial, and at more than one time the danger of an outburst seemed great. Shortly before daybreak Sheriff Gordon, who had been on the alert all night, dis- covered a long rope with noose already pre- pared, and at once secured it, placing it on the judge’s desk. The man who had the noose end of the rope was just about to slip the noose end over Lewis’ head when detected. Had the sheriff been a minute later the negro would have been hanged to the nearest tree. The whole court was in a high state of ex- citement all night, as it could be seen at a glance that serious trouble was brewing, and the longer the jury stayed out the more the excitement increased. The pris- cner was sent to the jail for safe keeping about 4:45 o'clock, but brought back at 5 o'clock, when the jury came down, and, af- ter being out four hours and a half, an- nounced that they could not ggree or. a ver- dict. They were sent back to the jury box. The excitement, while subdued to a certain ex- tent, is apt to bubble over at any moment. The jury is greatly condemned for not bringing in a verdict, especially so as the evidence is straight and convincing, and the identification of Lewis by Mrs. Reidel as her assailant so complete. the jury Sent for the sheriff and tp the court room the statement that they could not agree. ‘No chance of your agreeing?” asked the judge. “No, sir, was the reply. “Well, you are discharged.” _ “Sheriff,” said the judge, ‘see that the jury gets some breakfast. They don’t de- serve any. Another jury was summoned,and the case will be tried again, and if there is not a conviction this time it is openly asserted that Judge Lynch will take charge -ef the case. Awalting the Troops. Fairfax Court House is stirred up, and knots of people are standing on (he cor- ners discussing the situation, waiting te militia, which has just arrived at Fairfax station, and fs expected to reach the court house within ar hour. It ts hardly thought that there wiil be any trouble during the trial, but if the jury fails to convict or agree the militia will have trouble in guarding the prisoner. It has leaked out that the Fairfax au- thorities telegraphed to Gov. O'Ferrall at 4:30 o'clock this morning not to send, any militia until further information. Arrival of the Militia. Shortly after 2 o'clock the Monticello Guards, thirty-four strong,in heavy march- ing order, were seen coming down the main toad frorn Fairfax station, under command of First Lieut. Winfield. Immedately upon its arrival the com- pany was drawn up in line alongside of the old court house, and the soldier boys were allowed a few minutes’ rest. Dinner was then served. . The Third Trial. At 2 o'clock court convened, and a special venire was called and a jury of twelve farmers was chosen to decide Lewis’ fate for a third time, Mr. Louis Krafft of Alex- andria acting as interpreter. The case is now in progres: Guards Ordered to Fairfax. Special Dispatch to The Evening Star. RICHMOND, Va., April 28.—Gov. O'Fer- rall has ordered the Monticello Guards to Fairfax Court House to protect James Lewis, colored, on trial there for assault. They left Charlottesville at 10:30 this morn- ing in command of Lieut. Herbert Wing- fieid. The Third Trial. The case will probably be called before 3 o'clock, and it will take six or seven hours to try it, which will make it 10 o'clock be- fore it goes to the jury, and which will, of course, make it impossible to get a verdict before a late hour tonight. It is believed that it will be a difficult matter to get a jury to convict now, that the case has been tried twice within twenty-four hours with a hung jury in each case. Some citizers criticise Gov. O’Ferrall for sending the militia here without being re- quested to do so. It is believed that the appearance of the militia will have a quiei- ing effect. ———— “The Death of Mosart.” Munkacsy’s celebrated painting of “The Death of Mozart,” owned by Secretary Alger, was today placed on exhibition sem- porarily at the Corcoran Gallery of Art. ‘The painting has been brought to Washing- ton for hanging in Secretary Alger's new home on H street opposite Lafayette Park. It has long been one of the art a-tractions of Detroit, Mich, + 2+ Death of Lieut. Catho: A telegram was received at the Navy Department today announcing the sudden death of Lieut. G. A: Calhoun at New York about 1 o'clock this morning. Lieut. Cal- houn was Admiral Sicardi’s aid, and had taken part in the Grant memorjal cere- monies yesterday. His death 1s attributed to heart disease. ‘ —_+o+____ A Virginia Postmaster: - ‘Wm. Sweet was today appointed a fourth- class postmaster at Herling Spring, Bath county, Va. Jue Mrs. Curridén’s Suit for Divorce. Mrs. Annie Loutse Curriden today, by her attorneys, Birney and Peter, entered suft for divorce from her husband, § W. Curriden, on the ground of desertion, ask- irg alimony and to resume her former pame, Annie Louise Powell. Applicants Waiting Until the President's Return'to Press! Their Claims, A Change Safd to Have Reen Decided on as to the Hend of the Freédman’s Hospital. Pres‘dent McKinley will be at fhe White House tomorrow ready to resume the wres- tle with office-seekers and their friends. What class of applications he will take up when he gets to work again is not known, but the nearly 200 applicants for auditorships who are on the anxlous bench, are hopeful that he wif soon deal with their cases. It-has been the expectation for several weeks that he would settle these places, fut the only appointment so far was that of Colonel Youngblood to be third auditor. Secretaty Gage told The au- ditorship aspirants twp weeks ago that he was at work on the papers. The twelve cr fifteen men ambitious for the ccnsul gereralship to Calcutta aré al- most sure that this place will be disposed of in a shcrt time. THe office has been va- cant for six months. Consul General Polk, the Tennessee man, who.held the position up to that time, came’ all the way to this country to stump for Bryan. On the de- feat cf Bryan he’knew that he could not be returned for another term, and it was further understood that the-Cleveland ad- ministration was nyt willing that he should go back and finish his term. He, therefore, remained at home. Tne Tennessee republi- cans are the most active for the position, asserting that It ought to go to the state because a democrat from there held the office. Acting on-this assumption Repre- sentative Gloson put James F. Rule in the field, with the indorsement of National Committceman Brownlow, also a represen- tative. Herman H. Hassicck, another Ten- nessee man, entered the field with more or less backing. The fight between these two men js still in progress and may re- sult in neither winning. Another Tennessee man is an alternate candidate for the Cal cutta consulship, and is not interested in the fight in progress. He is Colonel R. I Patterson, a former lowa man, now living in Memphis. He has filed an application for the consulship at Kingston, Jamaica, for the consul generalship at Calcutta ot for something just as gcod as either ot these placcs. Colonel H. Clay Evans is said to be friendly :to Colonel Patterson. Representative Gibson Iwas seen the Presi- cent several times on the subject, but the latter has dropped no tntfmation as to what he will do. The fast’ that the oftice is vacant gives thé impression that an appointment will net be. delayed much longer. The Cleveland @dministration gave Tennessee three or four good places in the consular service, amd the republicans of na same state think they will do just as well. To Suceeced Dr. Williams. It is reported on good authority that Dr. D. H. Williams ts to be succeeded as gurgeon-in-chief of Frée@man's Hospital by Dr. Curtis, a .well-Known colored sur- gecn OF: Chitago. If fhe nomination ts ede, as predicted, it will be-due to Sena- tors Mason, and Cullcfm, who have been vigorously pushing Dr.’€artis. Dr. Will- jcms, it will be remethered, is a Chicago man, and_ secured hig Spgotntment Liroigh the late Secretary Gresham. A fight is still making for, @,/Purvie. It is ‘a certaiaed: that two Chicago: men nivde #f’ effort’ forthe recordership of deeds for the District. Seward French Was the candidate of Senator Mason and Serator Cullom presented: Major Buckner, the understanding being that If an Illinois man could get the place the two senators wculd came to an’ imderstanding. The President, however, gave both senators to understand that the place was provided for frcm another direction. Gowdy Gaing to Parix, Consul General Gowdy ‘left here yester- day afternoon for New York, and will sail for Parls, his new station, on the Sth of May. Before leaving Mr. Gowdy had a talk with Frank T. Gilbert of Buffalo. The New York raan was an applicant for the Paris position. He is now said to want to go to Marseilles as consti. ‘The Plan of Mr. Cousins. Representative Couging of Iowa is said to have ennounced a plan of selecting post- masters in his district which will take some of the responsibility, of choosing be- tween a humber of applicants from his shoulders. The man, who secures the in- dorsement of a majority of the patrons cf the post offtce he wants and a majority of the members of the county committee will have the backing of Mr. Cousins for the cffice. ‘Chis, he claims, is practically a primary, and is fair to afl concerned. Relicf to Kentacky Men. The many Kentucky. men who have hank- ered to share in the dis(ribution of federal patronage before it’was too late will be greatly relieved by today’s news of the elec- tion of Deboe as United States senator. At the White House and all the departments the Kentucky aspirants and their friends found out weeks ago that they would get nothing until a senator was chosen from the state. It Is naw probable that the ad- ministration will give neoognition to Ken- tucky, and that some ef the good places left will go to that state. Dr. Hunter will receive much credit for ‘the election of De- boe, who is\a Hunter man. Dr. Hunter could have prevented the election of Deboe or any other man if he had been disposed to act as Governor Bradley did. It is now felt to be certain that’ Br. Hunter will re- ceive the biggest plum which Kentucky is to get. ‘Lhere has been some talk that Dr. Hunter would not gec an appointment, but his friends say theé if he is offered a first-class position he will accept. He will not ask for anything, as;he would not want the embarrassment of .being refused, if there was a possiblity that being done. It is not improbable that "Dr. Hunter will be offered a’ mission tf he is disposed to go abroad. f ADMIRAL SLLER. Prebably Sy t England on + theBrooki fn. The Navy Departmént tasued an order to- day modifying the origfm&l order to Ad- miral Miller to proceed to teke command of the Pacific station, Bo as to delay the execution of that order until further notice. The admiral wilt be refle¥ed of the com- mand of the Bostoi navy yard as originally projected, but it is. the; présent purpose tb send him to England on thie cruiser Brook- lyn to represent the United States navy on the, oceasion of the ¢elébration of the queen's jubilee. The ‘orders to that effect have not yet jued, and this Program is subject-to tion, but. as the British. authorities have intimated that they would be pleased to’have an officer of no idwer grade than a rear admiral, Ad- miral Miller will:almost certainly be sent, inasmuch as it not be prudent in the present state of affairs in the Mediter- ranean to permit Admiral Selfridge, who commands the European station, to leave those waters for oF time to eome. To Be ™ biic Monthly. “pplication ofan Oregon railroad ¥ for some statis- tics as to the bi dy. the Cas- cades canal. the Segretary. of War has laid down.-the generat mije hereafter all: h In passing upon-: res Countess ane intil they were sent to Congress. ; e beginning, ‘of eac & “Z A Mighty Wave a Mile Wide Sweeps | the City. SCORES OF PERSONS MISSING Many Believed to Have Been Caught in Bed and Drowned. DAMAGE TO RAILWA ys —— ST. LOUIS, Mo., April 28.—A brief dis- Patch from Guthrie, Okla., says: At 6 o'clock this morning a mighty wave of water six feet high and a‘ mile wide, swept down Cottonwood valley and struck this city. A deafening roar wert up as the water crushed houses and drove the Feopte from their homes. At the first rush every boat and bridge was swept away. All West Guthrie is submerged, and twen- ty of the business houses have ten feet of Water in them. The river is thirty feet above ordinary level. Hundreds of persons re in trees, but cannot be helped. Scverai men who were trying to swim the current to reach four women and a baby in a tree Were carried away. A woman wading from @ house with a baby in her arms was swept away and lost. It is believed that more than a score of negroes were drowned in the negro settle- ment, and persons who escaped from the ficod estimate that fully fifty persons have been drowned. Scores of Persons Missing. WICHITA, Kan., April 28.—A special from Guthrie to the Beacon says: Nine people were seen to drown; two wo- men and a child were carried away on a bridge; one man and two women were on a house roof when it v 1t to pieces and they perished. As there is no communication it Wes absolutely impossible to get names. Scores are missing,-and many buildings are still going. A girl in a tree for hours just gave up and fell into the water. Hundreds of men are building boats at the lumber yards. Gus Platt and George Willis swam the main current, cut a flat boat from Its moorings and saved seven people, making a landing several miles be- low the city. It is believed that many were caught in bed in small houses and-drowned. The big Cimarron bridge is gone. Im- mense damage has been done in the ceun- try, Skelton creek has washed away scores of farm houses and several people are drowned. The Santa Fe railroad officials here have received reports from Guthrie concerning the flood. They are advised that the tracks between Guthrie and Seward, seven miles south, are under water from two to thirty feet deep. So far as known the numerous bridges and draws between the two places are still intact, but it is feared that as soon as the water subsides the bridges will go out and part of the roadbed. will probably be washed away. Superin- tendent’ Dohan of the Soutkern division has dispatched train crews to the scone from every div'sion point and sent large supplies of materials from Wichita, Ar- kansas City and Purcell. The train north-bound from Guthrie will arrive over an hour Iate. Heaviest Rain in Years. GUTHRIE, Okla., April 28—The heaviest 1ain in years fell throvghout the territory yesterday and last night, a continuous downpour keeping up for seven hours, and everything being flooded. All creeks are up to the danger point, and some out of their banks. Southwest of Waterloo, in this county, a waterspout occurred, ‘and half a dozen farms were inundated. Near Clifton scores of farms have beeen swept of everything and many cattie and horses were drowned. Near Cushing, Payne county, dozens of persons have been driven from their homes by- high water. In the western part of Lcgan county several large bridges on the Cimarron and Cottonwood rivers have been abandoned and trains in every direction are delayed by washouts. The Rock Island bridge over the North Canadian has been moved several inches out of line, the water being up to the rails At El Reno lightning struck the Presby- terian Church spire and the negro. school house, knocking children right and left, but killing none. The total rainfalls since Saturday noon amount to 11.98 inches. It is still raining hard, with prospects of a continved heavy fal An Appalling Disaster. KANSAS CITY, Mo., April 28.—A special to The Siar from Guthrie, Okla., says: A terrible flood in the Cottonwood river suddenly engulfed West Guthrie shortly after sunrise this morning. There is rea- son to believe that fully a score of pel sons were drowned. Hundreds were driven from their homes, and many houses were swept away. It is the most appalling dis- aster that ever befell the city of Guthrie. Owing to the intense excitement and lack of buats, nothing can be verified at pres- ent. F The Cottonwood river is a small stream scarcely more than forty feet wide, that winds in many curves,between the banks in West Guthrie, which lies in the level valley of the river. A terrific rain fell all yesterday afternoon and a greater part of last night. The river was already full from a heavy rain several days ago. No great alarm was felt last night, as the river, rose gradually and the people felt that it was impossible for the waters to rise high enough to overflow the steep banks. About 6 o'clock this morning the river began to rise ac if ty magic. Higher and higher it came, jumping four feet in thirty minutes at 7 o'clock. A Raging Sen. West Guthrie is thickly populated, most- ly by colored people. Many began carrying their household goods to places of safety. Few had made more than one trip when they were forced to flee for their lives. The river burst from its banks, and a raging sea of water half a mile wide swept across jethe valley, carrying houses, barns and ‘fences before it. To add to thé horror of the situation, the main supply pipe of the weter works system burst where it cross- ed the Cottonwood, in the southern part of the city, and all the water in the reser- voirs burst into the river. : In the southwestern part of the city a long arm of land is formed by the widen- ing of the river. In_this ‘land lived hun- Greds of negroes. During the night the bridge leading across the river to the city had been swept away. The people were ab- gorbed in watching the rising waters this morning when the flood from the reser- voirs came down in a solid wall and cut across the arm of land near the mainiand, cutting the people off from escape. They fled’from their homes to the higher, parts of the newly formed island. The’ river by 9 o'clock was thirty feet higher than its usual level.” + Authorities Bewilderea, —__ It is believed that there was much loss of life-in that: part-of the city, but the au- thorities are too bewildered to make !t pos- sible to ascertain facts now. House after - house, many of them of attractive archi- tecture, was lifted’ from its foundation and swept away. The debris against the strong bridge near the Heme tes Plant. ‘The bridge was torn from its moorings and carried away, and horses, cows and chickens soon dctted the river in all dirce- tions. Men and women could be seen in houses beckoning for help. In many in- stances the water had reached the eaves of the houses, An old negro woman was scen on a float- ing house. The house was overturned she sank from sight. Many persons i clambered into trees. There were no boats for rescuing and the men set about con- structing rafts. When placed in the river the terrible swiftness of the current, which boiled and tossed as if in a tempest, m: it impossible to manage them. The Work of Rescue. The Guthrie Club quigkly organized a reseuing party and began the construction of boats. Three daring raftsmen attempted to rescue an old man from a tree. The raft, as it rushed down the river, watched with breathless. exciteme struc’ the overhazging !'mbs. end t men were knocked from their feet. managed to stay on the raft, however, and it weat whirling toward the Cimarron. Nothing has since been heard of the men. Two men secured 2 small stern-whee Pieasure boat and heroically went to the rescue of a number of men and women 0 were lodged in trees. Many persons Were rescucd, amidst the cnecrs of the spec- tators. The cable which held the boat suddenly parted and the boat was drawn into the current and carried away. Fortu. nately it was finally larded a nals farther down was it raft The Many Overtarned Houses. Many overturned houses can be seen far out in the food, but it will be hours before the fate of their occupants can be learned, ‘There are many persons who claim to have seen persons drowned. . It will be almost impossible to find the bodies before weeks have passed, as ev thing is swept into the Ci Spel se e Cimarron river, two The Cimarron is from one to two miles wide. The large wagon bridge has gone out, and it is feared that the newly com. pleted steel bridge of the Santa Fe rail. Way is Weakened. The tracks of the Santa Fe are submerged, and traffic has been abandoned. Small ‘railway bridges in all directions have been shed out. The losses in Guthrie will reach thousands of dollars. The disaster equals the Chandler tornado for its terrible suddenne Damage to Trac’ A special to the Star from Perry, Okla- homa, says: A veritable flood visited this section yesterday and last night. The Santa Fe road is badly damaged by num- erous washouts. South of here four miles of track has been washed away. The bridge over the Cimarron river is unsafe for trains, and it may aiso go out. Numer- ous other washouts are reported, and train service in every direction is stopped. In this city one bridge was washed down, and the streets were filled with water. All streams are out of their banks, and much damage to lowland is reported. News is meager. Every Wire Down. WICHITA, Kan., April 28.—At 1 o'clock the Western Union Telegraph Company here repcrts ihat every wire communicating with Gutnrie has gone down. —— ATAL FIRE IN BROOKLYN. Four Persons Lost Their Lives Earty This Morning. NEW YORK, April 28.—¥our persone Jost their lives in a fire at 1278 3d avenue, Erooklyn, early today—Mrs. John Neweil and her two children, aged three and five years, and Mrs. Celia Barnett, aged thirty- eight years. Before she was suffocated Mts. Neweil threw her two children out of the window into the street. The injuries they received resulted in their death soon afterward. ‘The flames began in the lower hall, and spread with great rapidity through the building, cuting off the escape of the New- ell family, which occupied the top tioor. When Mrs. Newell found the stairway burning and the halls filled with smoke, she threw her children, Louis, aged three, and John, aged five, from a window to the Street below, where four men held a blan- ket to catch them, The children bounded from the blanket and were killed by fall- ing on the stdewalk. Mrs. Neweil was airaid to attempt the leap, and was found suffocated later in her apartments. Her husband escaped with slight burns. On the floor below lived Mr. and Mrs. Barnett. ‘hey reached the street in safety, but Mrs. Barnett ran back into the burning build. ing to secure some jewelry which she had lett behind. She was subsequently found in an alcove reom, dead and slightly burned. The loss is estimated at $25,0W. ‘The origin of the fire is unknown. Crossed Electric Wires. ALLENTOWN, Pa., April 28.—Fire which broke out in the big store of M. C. Ebbecke, ‘herdware company, early this morning, did damage amounting to nearly $50,000 before it was extinguished. Ebbecke’s store was gutted. Loss, $3,000; insurance, $15,000. John E. Lent’s shoe factory was damaged to the extent of $10,000; the building owned by Philadelphia Nadig was damaged $3,000. Other losses aggregate $2,000; full insured. The fire is supposed to have originated from electric wires becoming crossed. eS = CYCLONE IN KANSAS. Wires Down, but the Weather ob- server Discredits the Report. KANSAS CITY, Mo., April 28.—At 1035, a.m, today a cyclone is said to have swept between Abilene and Salina, doing immense damage. All telegraph wires on the main route to Denver were destroyed. The cy- clone is supposed to be a continuation of the frightful storm which resulted in such disaster in Oklahoma. Almost nothing definite has been received here of the cyclone. Weather Observer Connor, speaking to an Associated” Press representative at 11 o'clock, said: “The occurrence of a tornado in any por- tion of Kansas up to this time is extremely improbable. - The conditions favor local thunder storms, but if a storm of any se- verity has occurred it must have been of the local thunder storm type, accompanied by heavy squalls. Ali heavy thunder storms show some characteristics of a tornado, but they are all far removed from a tornado in the scale of intensity.” SS HOTEL FIRE AT HAGERSTOWN, The Occupants Had a Narrow Escape From Death, Special Dispatch to The Evening Star. HAGERSTOWN, Md., April 28,—A fire at midnight last night gutted the Windsor Hetel on Foundry street, owned by the Cumberland Valley Railroad Company, and urder lease to W. F. Spaulding. The guests and the proprietor’s family made @ close call for their lives, but escaped with the aid of the firemen. Mr. Spaulding has an insurance of $1,800 on the furniture. The building will not be replaced as a.hotel. as the Cumberland Valley railroad will utilize the site for other purposes. 2 —_-— “@ceak Steamship .Arrivais. At New York—Southwark, Antwerp; Vic- tora, Genoa; Mississippi, London. At Queenstown—Teutonic, New York for Liverpool. At Plymouth—Spreé, New York for At Baltimore, Tiverton, St. Ji Passed e Liverpool; de Cuba; Fanny : Te Sl eM CALMED | Effect of an Address to the Greek | People. | ATHENIANS THE OPPOSITION'S PATRIOTIC APPEAL Maintenance of Order Urged as Indispensable. ae "5 TURKISH ADVANCE STOPPED —S ATHENS, Greece, April 28.— Public excit ment was increasing, the foreigners we hoisting their national flag over the butid | ings inhabitea by them, and a popuiar on break was feared when the opposition « tics issued tbe following address to the people: - “Fellow Citizens:—In the critical peric through which the country is assing, summon chamber is necessary. Ti eves it to be its duty to dress to all citizens a recommendation an4 a request to do all in their power to con- tribute to the maintenance of order, which is indispensable not only for the safety of all, o;pos but because it constitutes an tndis pensable element for safeguarding che hcnor and rights of the nation. t us not forget that the enemy is ding the seil ef our country, and th. our army is confronting it r ment any one attempting to disturb ord: weuld be nothing but an ally of the This address is signed by ticn deputies now in Athens. The address of the epposition deputies 1 the oppost had a calming effect upon the peopie. A better feeling now prevails here, and the is little probability now of a dynastic crisis, Specie] trains have been placed at the dispesal of the provincial deputics, in order to enable them to arrive in time to tuke part in the extraordinary session of the legislative assembly. The French minister here, M. F. Fo A Bouree, has telegraphed for ine French warship Latouche Treville to return im- mediately to the Piraeus. The merchants on Hermes street have or- ganized a private guard to protect thelr stores, and patrols have been placed tn the streets near the bourse and telegraph of fices. The report that the king was compelled to sign @ decree recalling Prince Constan- Une from the front is unfounded. The crown prince will remain at the head of the army. LONDON, April 28—Special dispatcaes frcm Rome say that news hes been re- ceived there from Athens announcing that the popular ferment against King George and his government has became Braver. As a result the Italian government h» ordered Admiral Canevaro, the Italian com- inander in Cretan waters, to send-thedtul- jan ironclads Sardegna and Umberto ant the Italian cruiser Montello to the Piraetx in crder to protect Italian subjects in the event of trouble. It is believed at Rome, the dispatches further announce, that the powers will intervene between Turkey and Greece after the Turks have occupied Volo. PARIS, April 28—The Matin today clares that the supercession of Prince © stantine, if made by a reyal decree, equivalent to his renunciation of his right to the crown. Continuing, the. Matin asserts that th replacing of the premier, M. Delyannis, by M. Ralli, the opposition leader, wiil not serve to arrest the course of popular in- @ignation against the royal family, addin that the ministerial crisis, therefore, onl) precedes a dynastic crisis by a few days. King George is credited with aesiring’ to abdicate in favor of his second son, Prin « George. FIGHTING IN THESSALY. Turkish Forces Beaten by the Greeks at Vele 1o. LONDON, April 28.—A special dispatch from Volo, the port of Thessaly, ennounc-s that the Turkish advance forces have a tacked the Greeks at Velestino, about eight miles west of Volo an¢ on the railroa! connecting tie latter place with Laris<a nd Pharsalos. The Turks, however, the dispatch says, were repulsed with heavy loss and driy beck as far as Teherlis., Gen. Smolenski, cn: hearing of the utta upon Velestino, made @ sortie from salos in order to support the Greek for at Veiestino. CONSTANTINOPLE, April 28. — The Turkish troops at Larissa captured sixty artillery caissons, in addition to a large quantity of ammunition. An official dispatch received here from Salonica says that in an engagement -at Losfakia the Greeks were compelled to re- treat with a loss of 400 killed and many wounded. > OPERATIONS IN THE GULF. Report of the Bombardment of Kara- buran Denied. SALONICA, April 28.—Nine guns of large caliber have been mounted at Karaburun for the better protection of the harbor cf Salonice. Z The people here Ha the apprehension of an attack upon part of the Greek ficet is dying away. The French cruiser ‘Bugeaud has arrived here to protect French interests. The report of the bombardment of K burun is denied. It-is explained that the Greek fleet maneuvéred in the vicinity of Karabugun, but did not fire upon that place. Decome calmer, and the FALLING BACK IN EPIRU Greek Troops Have Been Losing Grou! he Went. ATHENS, April 28.—The Greek troops in Epirus have "been losing ground and hav« been obliged to retire to Luros. CONSTANTINOPLE, April 28.—The gov ernor of Janina, province of Epirus, tcle- graphs that perfect order prevails in that town. : LONDON, April 28—A special dispatch from Patras. on the west coast of Greece, attributes the reverses of the Greeks in Fpirus to deficient transport arrangements, and says the measures taken for the con- veyance of ammunition and food were wholly inadequate. : Continuing, the dispatch points out that a thousand Greeke who were defending Pentepigadia-against three to four thou-