The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, November 30, 1896, Page 1

4 " VOLUME LXXX._NO HART'S ROUTE - CONFIRMED Aerial Lights Seen Flitting in San Fernando Valley. SIMILAR PHENOMENON SEEN IN ALAMEDA. Brief Review of the Remarkable Developments of the Past Week. SAGE REFLECTICN3 MADE BY MAYOR DAVIE, S:es No Cause for Surprise in the Claim That A-rial Navigatioa Is Possible. - It is now about ten days since the hrst report regarding the elusive and mysteri- rhis came irom Sacramento. velopments in reference to thent have been rapid and sensational, but mystery still surrounds the object and the agency that are said to be respon- sible for ther appearance. At this time tne history of the myth, phenomenon, airship or whatever it may prove to be, will besr a brief review. This is given that the readers of THE CALL the more readily and intelligently asp the present sitnation. edulity, deep and general, greeted report which eredited the lights to_an- serial voyager. Nextit was an- nounced that George D. Collins, an at- torney of this City, was the legal repre- sentative of the inventor and manipulator of the wonder of the starlit sky. This honor Mr. Collins did not disavow, but was unconquerably obdurate when it came 10 a‘questicn of disclosing the name of his client, the location where the marvel was put together, or the place where it found exemption from the eyes of the curious. The knowledge that_this interestingin- formasion was fodged in his legal custody: causéd him to de besieged by nmewspaper reporters, speculators, investoss, cranks ard a horde of curiosity-seekers. Under the pressure thus put upon his time and patience, he made numerons statements relative to the matter that was absorbing public attention and his connection there- ous aerial fince then d hun Unfortunately these statements, as pub- lished il the various newspapers, did not fit‘together quite as accurately as a scien- v.constructed edifice should. Among erthings he allowed it to be inferred that a Dr. E. H. Benjamin had aided in the construction of the invention. feanwhilé reports continued to come d _daily of strange and luminous Men well and most favorably known in scientific, official, professiomal, business and educational circles ciaimed to lvave seen these nocturnal visitations of moving lights at great altitudes. None, however, appear to have secured a clear view of the body to which it was sup- posed these aerial lights were attached, though most observers of the phenom- .- enon stood ready to assert that they were guided in theircourse athwart the horizon by human power. Sacramento, Oakiand and San Jose furnished the most frequent and startling descriptions of the mystery, t Suddenly came the news that ex-Attor- ney-General W. H. H. Hart had been sub- stituted for Mr. Collins as the legal cus- todian of the secrets and destinies of the reputed airship, = This was followed by the announcement, on the authority of General Hart, that the airship mystery was only incidentalto a full-fledged and extraordinary filibuster- ing scheme for the capture or destruction the stronghold of the Spanish es in Ouba, by the use of dyna- mite. He further informed the startled public that the aeriai warship to be used in this enterprise would be designed to carry half a ton of dynamite, ip addition to ite necessary appurtenances and crew. He also, over bis own signature, averred that two airships’ were now in readiness to sail the ethereal blue, and that another, on modified and improved plans, was in course of construction. As soon as this Jast-mentioned crait was completed and the crew made thoroughly acquainted - with its handling it was to take flight, he said, to Havana, there to aid-the Cubans in their struggle for indeperdence. For his advecacy 6f the use of dynamite General Hart was taken to task by the Bulletin, which was teutatively abetted by the Examiner. This attack elicited a spirited and martial-toned rejoinder. The fear in the "public mind now is that the scene of war may be transferred from the carnage-stained fields of Cuba to the un- offend.ng columns of the local newspa- pers. Shortly aiter the name of Dr. E. H. Benjamin appeared in connection with the mystery of the air he disappeared from his lodgings at 633 Elis street,where ad Lived for two years, leaving notb- g more than a carefuily locked trunk ehind. “Yesterday morning he called for his bagoage and then “flew the coop,” as the detectives phrase it, leaving no trace s 1o his future movements, but on the con- trary taking precautions to cover his tracks, Suturday lights, and an electrician states it bore all the characteristics of an electric light. Anderson, a town about ten miles south of Redding, lays claim to the honor of a visit from the aerial nondescript on Satur- day night. Mayor Davie contributes some pertinent philosophical reflections to the literature of the topicof the day. Dispatches from Los Angeles last night state that the sirange lights have been seen in the neighborhood for the past few days. General Hart bad something further to say yesterday on the use of dynamite in war. “In the event thatan airship could be made to destroy a city,” he said, “that in itself would firmly establish the peace of the civilized world. It would be realized that it would be nouse to fight against such means. The very fact that such a thing could be done would bring about uni- versal peace. The result would be that the nations would resort to arbitration in all matters of international differences. It would no longer be a matter who has the biggest cannon and who can shoot the farthest. There would be no use for navies or fortifications, and thus would be brought about absolute peace.” He also took occasion to explain that the 120-mile flight referred to in yester- day’s CaLL was made with the larger air- ship. The smallér one, he added, is capa- bie of moving much more rapidly, By going with the atmospheric currents and using the electric power at the same time, he claimed, it can attain a speed of forty to fifty miles an hour. One point that has been noticed is that Attorney Hart intimated several days ago that the course of the airship would be southerly and dispatches confirmatory of this were last night reccived from Los An- gles, Ehat e BT OVER ALAMEDA. The Mysterious Lights Made Thelr Appearance on Saturduy Night Last. Alameda had another spell of excite- ment over the airship on Saturaay night, when the mysterious light that has been puzzling residents of the towns about the bay made its appearance over the south- ern portion of the Encinal city.’ Shorily after dark the family of a gen- tleman living at Versailles station, while observing the hedvens from the southern windows of the house saw a big white light suddenly appear high in the air about over Bay Farm Island. It seemed to flare out in a second as though'some- thing that had obscured it had <uddenly been removed. All watched with breath- less inierest while it rose, passing rapidly westward meanwhile to a greater height, where it seemed to pause for an instant. It then turned toward the. south and passed on in that direction. It appeared about the size of a man's head when first seen, but grew smaller and smaller until it passed out of sight. The time that elapsed between the first appearance and the disappearance was about twenty minutes, and all agreed that it seemed to iurch from sidg to side as it went southward. A gentlemun visiting at the house, who has had considerable to do with electric light power, and who saw the aerial mystery, is convinced that it could have Dbeen nothing else than an electric light of great power. SRR S ANDERSON IN LINE. Her Citizans Claim to Have Saen the Aerilal Mystery In Its Flight. REDDING, Carn, Nov. 29.—Anderson, located about ten miles souih of Redding, is either in line with other cities of the coast or else her citizens have the same *night owl” proclivities, for it is current talk that the aeriai monster passea over Anderson last evening about 20 minutes past 8. Her citizens claim to have seen the stranger in its flight. It was first observed from the corner of | East Center and Ferry streets by a re- putable citizen noticing a pecaliar light in the westward. He called the attention of others to the seeming phenomenon, and quite a crowd collected. It was venerally conceded that this must he the long- talged-of airship. Its course was south and west, and the lights soon disappeared in the south. The light was large and | brilliant and" seemed to move in a steady course. e AN ORAL REVERIE, Mayor Davie Says Some Polnted Things About a Current Topic of Interest. OAKLAND, Can, Nov. 29. — Mayor Davie has seen 2 phase of huwan incon- sistency during the past week that has amused him. It is best told in his own words: ““Whether there be an airship cruising nightly over this neighborhood,” said his Honor to aTittle group of friends yester- day, “is only a secondary matter with me at this time. If there be not one now, I am convinced that the problem of aerial navigation will soon be solved. What is now interesting me is the peculiarities of some newspapers and some newspaper readers. “Early Sunday, as you all know, we find on our doorsteps small libraries which are called c¢aily newspapers. We look througth them and find that a good portion of them fs occupied with the marvelous things that scientists perfect and prophesy: During the past few months this has been more the case than ever before. The newspapers publish all these things asfacts, profess to believe them, and the majority’ of their readers accept them astruth. Beingsome- what of a scientist myself, I am led to be- lieve in many things th#t now appear im- probable. But [ have a precedent for it. “A year ago if any one had told me that they could produce a ray of light that would pbotograph my. watch through a wooden box would [ have been called an ass for donbtin: him? YetI have seen this very thing done. We have all read of the progress of aeronautics, and yet when a thousand repulable citizens ae- clare that they have seen some kind of a machine navigating the skies, and believe their eyesight as proof that some ohe has done what the newspapers have told us for years is only a matter of time, most of those papers try to make us believe that they have been fooling us with their prob- abilities, and that theirstories of scientific prophecies are all fool stories. “Several years ago there was an old in- The New Champagne Vintage . By its remarkeble quality and dryness, with- out being heavy, the splendid new vintage of G H. Mumm’s Extra Dry now being imported night reputable people of Ala- meda aver tpat they saw the floaing | is creatiug & sensation. "It should be tasted to befuliy appreciated. . PRICE FIVE CENT st /3 i 7/ i i a // v -~ e . sey gl 7/////’/4'///// i " UNCLE SAM — Yor'll Have to Watch That Chap Through Another Session. - ventor named Dr. Seering who lived in this city. One day I heard a conversation between him and the late Walter Blair, who built the Piedmont cable road. Seer- ing told Blair not to think of putting his fortune into an expensive trench in the ground as in a short time electric-cars would be running all over Oakland. Blair laughed at the idea, put his ttench in the ground and put his fortune into it, and electricity was substituted on his system after the road bad been sold by the Sheriff. Dr. Seering fell dead on the street here fore his death he told me that with alamii | num and electricity an airship would soon be a certainty. I don’t say this as proof that there is a successful airship now in use, but I will say that if I were to read in to-morrow’s paper absolute proof that one has been construeted, I should not'be any more surprised than Walter Blair was after he saw his mistake.” R SOUTH COF TEHACHARPIL The Aerlal Wonder Appears to the People of San Fernando Valiey. > LOS ANGELES, Car., Nov. 29.—The operator of the California airship seems to find the climatic conditions south of Tehachapi very favorable for the evolu- tions of his bird-like machine. Persons whose occupations keep them up late into the night relate experiences of having seen strange and peculiar lights during the past three nights moving about near the summit of the mountains or crossing the valleys at a rapid rate, These visitations have heretofore been witnessed by. only a few persons, but to- night scores of residents of East Los An- geles saw the flitting light in the direction of rasadena moving along the foothills toward Santa Monica. % A Carw correspondent took great pains this evening to verify the reports about | the lights, and is now thoronghly satisfied that some very unusaal spectacle was seen | by a large number of persons, all of whom gave substantially the same description of what they saw, and there can no longerbe any question but that some figure of huge outline and carrying a light has been seen | in the San Fernando Valley and along the foothills extendipg from the valley to Santa Monica. Motorman Millsap of the Downey avenue car line, which runs into East Los Angeles, gave the best description among the many interviewed. He is quite sure that what ne saw is an aerial machine operated by a human bein Will Start on ¥ ROCKVILLE, Coxx., L Time. * Nov. 29. —The about iwo years ago, but a few weeks be- |_ Warrer Woolen Mills at Stafford Springs will start on full time to-morrow. These mills employ about 300 bands. The Un- derwood Belting Company of Tolland is rushed with orders, owing to so many mills starting in various parts of the country. A number of the woolen mi.ls in this city recently increased their running time. NI ¢ PERISH IN A BLAZING STRUCTURE. Luther Greenman, His Wife and Three Chil- -dren Burned to Death on a New : York Farm. ROCHESTER, N. Y., Név. 29.—A spe- cial to the Democrat and Chroniéle from Perry, N. Y., says: A whole family per- ished in flame and smoke this ning in the tenement house of thi lfflin‘ffl'flgfi‘r son farm, situated about four miles north- east of the village, where resided the fam- ily of Luther Greenman, consisting of hus- band, aged 40 years: Mrs. Greenman, aged were burned out two years ago, barely escaping with their lives. -— . INTENSELY COLD WEATHER. | Great Suffering in the Far North and an Increase of the Death List Is Expected. ST. PAUL, Mmxx, Nov. 29.—The iu-'l tensely cold weather which prevails in the storm-swept districts of the Northwest has brought on intense suffering, and the death list of four is expected 'to be in- créased unless milder weather sets in. Reports from the railways to-night indis cate that they are running nearly on time again. \+ Reports coming jn from west of the Missouri say the losses to stock will pot | be great, as when the storm broke the beeves found fair shelter in® the valleys. The'weather, however, is very severe, the — white. By midnight the aspect was de- cidedly wintry, and at 3 o’clock in the morning a heavy snowtall continued. iy gren g EDISON GIVES HER SIGHT. Objects Seen and Distinguished by the Aid of X-Rays by a Child Blinded Several Years Ago. NEW YORK,N. Y., Now. 20.—With the .aid of X-rays, Thomas Edison bhas enabled nine-year-old Kittie Schoeliner of Newark, . J., to see after having been blind for two and a half yearsas the result of a fall, which crushed one of the bones of the skull, and it is thought, caused a pressure on the optic nerve, paralyzing it. The child was taken by her father to the Taboratory on Tuesday, and Mr. Edison consented to see if the X-rays would en- able her to see. He says: ““When the little girl arrived Tasked her PICTURES IMPRESSED UPON THE BRAIN. BOSTON, Mass, Nov. 29.—An experiment. the result of which delighted .and surprised the scientists present, was made with X-rays to-day at the Crystal Maze, which tended to prove that Roentgen’s light impresses pictures on the brain independent of the eyes. The subject was Dr. James Ricnu_xd Cooke, a_regulnrly graduated physician, now practicing in the Back Bay. The experiment was conducted by Professor Sutheriand of Boston University and Mr. von Palm. Cooke became blind when three days old. He was placad 1n the cabinet with -Dr. Sutherland and fluoroscopic screens placed in front of his sightless eves. When the current was turned on he distinguished the rays and experienced a painful sensation. -Then the top of his forehead was placed against the screen and a block of wood thrust before the glass. Immediately he stated that something resembling a slab, but seemingly of no density, appeared on his brain. - Finally a screw-driver was placed before the screen ana Dr. Cooke placed his finger on the glass and cried out that an elongated object had appeared on his brain, ‘When the screw-driver was placed i n front of his eyes and the current turned an, Dr. Cooke could not distinguish it, but when it was placed in front of the forehead he immédiately distin- guished it. 37; Andy, aged 6; Lottie, aged 3, and Arthur, a baby 11 months and a few dnyg. The house was discovered in flames by Mr. Thompson at 6:45 A. M. He rushed for the building and burst open the front door but was driven back by the flames, which seemed to be in possession of the whole interior. He then knocked open a room window and took hold of Mr. Green- man, who was burned so that the flesh came off in Thompson’s hand, and it was all he could do to drag oat the corpse. He was then compelled to flee from the house, the flames which came from the window almost burning him. The house was quickly destroyed. ) Coroner Matson arrived and the horri- bly charred remains of the family were taken from the’ smoldering ruins. An inguest will be held in the morning. The fire was undoubtedly the result of a defec- tive stovepipe. Greenman and his family bemi)eralura being below zero all over| Minnesota and the Dakotas. The thermometer registered 12 below zero at 12 o'clock to-night and is still -rowing colder. 5 NEW YORK, N. Y., Nov. 20.—The first real snowstorm of the ceason in this city made itself felt to-day. The promised cold wave was also on hand, although the temperature was not low enough to have been disagreeable if the weather had been | clear. At about 3 o’clock this afternoon hail began to fall and continued for about half an hour. Then cams a light, misty rain; which continued intermittently until about 7 o’clock, when it changed to snow. At first the flakes were light and hardly distinguishable from a heavy mist. But soon they grew larger, and at 8 o'clock quite a respectable snowstorm was pre- vailing. At 11 o'clock the ground was to your favor A BUREAU OF MINING SHOULD BE CREATED. Senator Mantle of Montana Earnestly Favors the Industry. TO THE EDITOR OF THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL--Sir: 1 inquiring as to my opinion regarding the cre- ation of a ¢ ‘Bureau of Mining" by Congress and a *“Secretary of Mines and Mining" to be a member of the Cabinet, permit me to say that the subject is one which has my active sympathy. quite agree with you that the mining industry of the Nation has now assumed Such immense proportions, and has become such an important factor in-the growth and advancement of the coun- try, that it is entitled to this recognition. I shall take especial pleasure ingiving my earnest support to themovementand in co-operating with those chiefly concerned, and especially with Western members and Senators, in the effort to secure this just and necessary legislation. Butte, Mont., Nov. 25, 1896. Recognition - of a -Great Replying . I it she could see anything. She said ‘No.’ I placed her in front of thelamp and she told me she saw light. “I then. ran my hand in' between the iigkt and her eves. She =aid: ‘Thers is something in front,’ and then said it was a hand. One of the boys at the laboratory, Ned Daily, then placed a piece of brass, cut circular, in front of her, and she said it was a plate. A little while later she said it was a yellow plate. “I asked her fatherii he was positive she was blind. He said "he was, Ithen took the lamp and moved it from side to side, and her eyes followed it and she told me just where I stood. “The next night we tried .to discover the location of the bone pressing down on her optic nerve. The doctor said he ‘was not able to see it, although we expect we will be able to take & photograph showing the bone. The remarkable thing to me was ber ability to distinguish colors. " I believe this is 8 new feature. “This experiment was not made with the fluoroscope. It was made with the cuild looking directly at the lamp. The reports that the fluorescope will aid the blind to distinguish articles is all wrong. No X-ray gets through the fluoroscope. In a fluoroscope is simply light.”” Mr. Edison said he did not think “the X-ray would enaole the blind to read, be- cause the article to be seen must be of metal. S S BAD BLOOD AT A BALL GAME. Indians cf the Choctaw Nation Show Their Bitter Rivalry by Using Bats With " Deadly Effect PARIS, Tex., Nov. 20.—For some time the Indians of Red River and Eagle coun- ties, Chcetaw nation, have been playing match games of ball and the rivalry be- came so intense that bad blooa was en- gendered. Last Thursday at Goodwater the antag- onism between the two counties culmin- ated in a general fight, in whicn the butt ends of their ball sticks were ireely used and men were knocked down all over the ball field, some twenty or thirty being more or less injured. Will Goings had bis skull crushed and died in a short time. Eastman Battisie received injuries from which be died. John Billy was seriously wounded. Sheriff Huston or Eagle County was so badly 1njured, it is said, he cannot pos- sibly recover. No arrests will follow, as the Indians have no law to punish a man for killing another in a ball game. No firearms or knives were used. gl Carriage Works Burned. \ YORK, Pa., Nov. 29.—This morning the Queen-street shops of the Martin Carriage Works ‘vere burned. Loss nearly $50,000, . | Spanish - Colonel ay ‘innocents. -~ BOASTS OF BUTCHERI Struch Glories in Slaying the Defenseless. WEYLER'S ORDERS ARE CARRIED. OUT. Slaughter of Patificos in the Attempt to Exterminate All . Non-Combatants, HUNDREDS OF OLD MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN SLAIN, Terrible Massacre of Those Who Surrendéred in the Province > ‘of Pinar del Rio. KEY WEST, Fra., Nov. 20.—Late Ha- vana advices say the exlermination of pacificos continues by Weyler's special orders. All commanders are ordered to clear the country of all non-combatants. This is done silently. Communication with the country is difficult and it is hard to obtain details. The massacres only become known through the confessions of officers and soidiers in some cases: Colonel Struch, it is said, openly boasted in Havana ot killing over 500 old men, women and girls, who sur- rendered in Pinar del Rio Province. Many have beea also killed in other provinces. Itisalsoreported that Colonel Struch, while in his cups, gave r volting details of the Pinar del Rio massacre. On the night of November 23 Colone Struch and his men drank heavily and then followed one of the¢ most horrible -oc- currences of the war. - Inflamed by drink, the Spanish soldiers rushed upon their helpless prisoners and subjected them to treatment which cannot be deseribed in print. Finally Colonel Struch significantly told his men that ‘it was no use to be 1onger bothered by the Cuban cattle.” The soldiers took th» hint and immedis ately began firing.on the old women and girls. Volley after volley of lead was fired at the cowering and, shriekiug creatures who had so lately been the victims of Spanish _cruelty until not one was left alive. -The bodies.of the victinrs were left to the vultures, and’ Colonel Struch marched his command back to headquar- ters and reported to Captain-General Wey- ler that several insnrgent camps had been “raided and about 300 rebels killed.” Colonel Struch and many 6f his officers were given furloughs in consideration of their services and returned to Havana. Since going to- Havana Colonel Struch has been drunk all the time and- has openly boasted of the awful slaughter of This story isnot in the least exaggerated, as it is made upon official statements which have fallen from the lips of Colonel Struch as he staggered out of the cafes of Havana. From other provinces come stoxies of massacre of innocents, but none so well authenticated as the one related above. Weyler’s edict offering pardom to those who surrender is proving to be simply a devtce to lure Cuban’s to deatis. HAVANA, Cusa, Nov. 29.—The latest reports from the province of Pinar del Rio locate Capiain-General Weyler in the vicinity of San Cristobal. He was march- NEW TO-DAY. Healthy, ha %y babies are generally the offspring of healthy, happy mothers. It would hardly be natural if it were otherwise. The baby’s health and hap- piness depend on the mother’s. The mother’s condition during gestation par- ticularly exerts an influence on the whole life of the child. Impure blood, weakness and nervous- ness in the mother are pretty sure to repeat themselves in the child. f a woman is not careful at any other time, she certainly should be during the period preliminary to parturition. It is a time when greatest care is necessary, and Nature will be the better fot a little help. Even strong, well women will find themselves feeling better, their time of labor shortened and their pains less- ened if they will take Dr. Pierce’s Fa- vorite Prescription. To those whom troubies peculiarly feminine have rend- ered in any degree weak, it will prove a veritable blessing. It is a good general tonic for the whole system, and at any time will promote the proper and regular action of all the organs. It isa medicine for women only and for all complaints confined to their sex is of inestimable value. Dr. Pierce has written a 168 page book, called ‘“Woman and Her Diseases,” which will be sent sealed, in a plain envelope, on receipt of ten cents to-part tage. P’Kafirfss, ‘WORLD’S DISPENSARY MEDI- CAL, ASSOCIATION, No. 663 Main Street, Buffalo, N. Y,