The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, September 28, 1901, Page 1

» VOLUME XC-—NO, 120. SE 1 MINERS DIE IN TUMULT OF TORRENTS Cloudburst Sweeps Thir- teen Men to Their Death. Water Pours Into the Camp of Many Sleeping Laborers. Texas Prospectors Are Awakened at Night by the Tempestuous Rush of the Sudden Fu. rious Flood. BAN ANTONIO, Tex., Sept. 27.—News has just been received of a disaster that happened in Presidio County, near the Rio Grande, on the 2th inst., thirteen men who were prospecting for cinnabar losing their lives In floods caused by a water- spout or a cloudburst. The dead are: WILLIAM BOLJS. GBEORGE HOLTON. HENRY CARTER. HERNANDEZ COSTELLO. PHILIP HUMPHREYS. | PETER SCHAFFER. ALFREDO MONTEZ. ! WILLIAM JEFFERSON. | THOMAS FREZEZELLO. ALGERON RHEA. CASPER DEUTSCHMAN. GEORGE LYNCH. DANIEL CARR. The men were in two parties, camped one mile apart in a dry ravine known as Alaminto Creek, in which there had been no water for fifteen months on account of drought. They were asleep at 10 o'clock, when there was & cloudburst several miles up the ravine. A volume of water twenty feet high washed down the ravine and swept over the men in the two camps before they were aware of their danger. All were drowned, and up to this time only siX Lodies have been found, The Alaminto empties into the Rio Grande River not far from where the fk- tality haprpened, and it is more than prob- able that the other seven bodies have been swept into that stream. — RAIN ILOODS OMAHA STREETS Electric Wires Are Blown Down, Cars Stouped and Persons Injuved. OMAHA, b., Sept. 27.—The heaviest storm of rain and hail which has visited the city for years struck Omaha early to- day. Twenty-five telephone and electric light poles were blown down and street cars were blocked in several parts of the | town. Sergeants Dempsey and Weisen- burg, a n the north part of the city, a electric light man were badly sbtocked by coming in contact with live wires, but n was seriously injured. Two horses w cause. Downtown streets were like small riv- ers and wooden sidewalks were washed into the street in a dozen places. The hail broke several skylights. and stripped trees of their foliage. There was an almost cortinual flash of lightning, which pros- trated electric systems during the storm. In Council B the Northwestern yards were under two feet of water at one time downtown cellars were flooded. e killed from the same City of Monterey Suffers Greatly From a Rain Downpour. AUSTIN, Tex., Sept. 21.—A dispatch from Monterey, Mexico, £a; This city was visited yesterday by the heaviest downpour of rain ever known in its his- tory. Business houses were flooded with torrents of water from the overflowing streets. Several manufacturing plants suffered severe losses from the floods. The Santa Fe Catarina River overflowed its banks and swept away many houses of the poorer classes, but no loss of life by @rowning is reported. TROOPS OF COLOMBIA CLAIM BATTLE VICTORY Rumor Is Again Abroad That Presi- dent Castro Will Soon Declare War. MOBILE, Ala., Sept. 2I.—Captain Torre- stadt of the steamer Banes, from Bocas del Toro, reports that the battle fought on September 12 and 13 is claimed by the Colombian troops, but the loss was heavy on both sides. WILLIAMSTADT, Island of Curacao, Sept. 21,1t is again asserted in well- informed circles at Caracas that President Castro will declare war on Colombia at the end of the month. The Venezuelan Government is without financial resources and will shortly use the method of South American dictatorships and proceed to raise funds by force. Lack of confidence in the government is manifested every- where in Venezuela. o A HENRIK IBSEN AWAITS THE SUMMONS OF DEATH Yamous Norwegian Dramatist and Poet Is Said to Be Dangerously L LONDON, Sept. 26.—A special dispatch from Christiania says that the condition of Henrik Ibsen, the Norwegian dramatist and poet, has grown worse and that his death s hourly expected NSATION Expects to Convert Serious Charges Against the Admiral Into a Boomerang e Allegations That Con- cern the Change in Cipher Report of the Applicant SAN FRANCISCO, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 1901, . JUDCE ADVOCATE LEMLY IS PLANNING TO INTRODUCE CR NG SR ikttt BEFORE THE "WHOSE TESTIMONY WILL UNRAVEL MOOTED POINTS RELATING TO SCHLEY'S CUBAN CAMPAIGN AND THE DESTRUCTION OF THE SPAN- Vi apany § i Some - Testimony in Favor of Schley Is Given at the Hear- ing by a Witness Opposing Counsel At Outs and AR most Come to Blows in the Courtroom IMPORTANT WITNISS 18H FLEET. NAVAL COURT OF INQ JIRY ) ¥ R 5 | s ALL BUREAU, 1406 G STREET, N. W., WASHINGTON, Sept. 27.— Judge Advocate Lemly plans to introduce a sensation in the Schley court of inquiry to-morrow. He expects to be able to convert Raynor's intimations that the Navy Department had changed the much-talked of dispatch, in which Rear Admiral Schley had in- formed the department that he could not obey the orders to remain off Santiago, into a boomerang. He expects to show that the changes in this dispatch except such changes ' in the arrangement of words as would result from putting it into cipher and then translating the cipher into English were not made after the dis- patch was received in the Navy Depart- ment, but were made before it was filed at the cable office at Kingston, Jamaica. It is not known whether the judge ad- vocate has evidence in his possession showing that Rear Admiral Schley per- sonally made the changes in the dispatch after it had been copled into his letter press book and before it was translated into cipher, but if it can be shown that changes were made before it was trans- mitted by cable. the department will be relieved of the imputation of having changed it, anl the duty will devolve upon Rear Admiral Schley’s attorneys of explaining why they permitted this false imputation to the court. Letter Press Evidence. Hanna, Judge Advocate Lemly's as- sistant, in a lull in the proceedings to-day referred to the intimations of the other side that this 4ispatch had been changed by the Navy Department, and announced that it was proposed to take the matter up later and show that such was not the case. It is understood that the evidence whiéh the judge Advocate has in his pos- session is a letter press book of the auxil- fary cruiser Harvard. This dispatch in question was delivered by Rear Admiral Schley to Captain Cotton, commanding the Harvard, to be taken to Kingston and cabled to the department. It was ‘put into cipher by Lieutenant Beale of the Harvard, on the way from Santlago to Kingston. The cipher copy was press- copled in the Harvard letter press book. This copy, it 1s understood, has been com- b pared with the clpher copy of the dis- patch as received in the Navy Depart- ment, and is found to agree exactly. Lieutenant Beale will be called to the stand in the case to testify to having put the dispatch into cipher. o Bad Blood Between Counsel. Much bad fecling has, been engendered between Judge Advocate Lemly and Hanna on one side and Raynor and Cap- tain Parker, Rear Admiral Schley’s coun- sel, on the other. During the noon recess of the court to-day they had a verbal en- counter in which both Captain 'Parker and Judge Advocate Lemly lost their tempers. Some one had told Raynor and Captain Parker that Judge Advocate Lemly had charged them with having given to the Herald and The Call the dis- patch which Commodore Schley proposed to send on July 3, 1898, announcing the re- sult of the battle with Cervera's fleet. The judge advocate was asked whether he had made any such charge and he flatly denied it. There was then some hot talk between the opposing counsel as to which side was responsible for the publi- cation of the dispatch, which finally cul- minated in Captain Parker-saying in a significant manner, “I have my sus- picions.” “Yes, you are always suspiclous,” torted the judge advocate. “I may be suspiclous,” replied Captain re- "Parker, “but I am always a gentleman.” Rear Admiral Schley and others inter- fered before the controversy could go any further and qulet was restored before the court reconvened. Favorable to Schley. Several points In to-day's testimony were distinctly favorable to Rear Admiral Schley. It was again brought out from Captain Wise, in reply to a question from the court, that he did not command Cap- tain Sigsbee to give to Rear Admiral Schley upon the arrival of the flylng squadron off Santiago the information contained in the department dispatch as’| to the whereabouts of the Spanish fleet. Lieuténant Spencer S. Wood testified that the two nights that he was with the flying squadron off Cienfuegos a picket ‘was maintained inside the line of the ‘larger ships—this picket being the tor- pedo-boat Dupont, of.which he was in command. This was important in view of the previous testimony by Commander Harber that he could not recall having seen any picket boat. Lieutenant Wood explained that Commander Harber could not have seen the Dupont from where the Texas was lying. It was also more clearly established than before that the commander of the flying squadron could not have known of ‘the code of signals which Captain. McCalla had arranged with the insurgents at Cienfuegos. Strong Points Brought Out. The testimony was not all fayorable to Schley. The judge advocate succeeded in bringing out some strong points against him. On the ever-occurring question of the, coal supply and the possibility of coaling ships at sea on the south side of Cuba Captain McCalla’s testimony was specially damaging. He had no uneasi- ness about the coal account of the Mar- blehead at ‘any time and was able to coal whenever it was necessary. Lieutenant Wood knew of no steps taken by the commander of the flying squadron to carry out the instructions which he carried for Rear Admiral Schley to attack the shore batteries at Cien- fuegos. Captain McCalla said there was no rea- son why ships of the larfgest size should not have gone close enough to attack these batterles. Lieutenant John Hood, who commanded the Hawk and who carried to Rear Ad- miral Schley the final urgent orders for him to leave Cienfuegos and go to San- tiago, told of the delivery of these orders and of his telling Redr Admiral Schley that Rear Admiral Sampson expected him to go at once. Sampson’s Attorney Shut Out. He and other witnesses testified that no efforts had heen made to communicate with the insurgents before the arrival of the Marblehead, although Captain Mec- Calla’s memorandum as to the conditions on shore had been ‘carried down by the Dupont. Finally. Captain McCalla told of the futile attempt to destroy the Colon by firing at her at long range. A letter was read from Rear Admiral Sampson asking to be allowed to be rep- resented in court -by- counsel, but the court refused to grant the request on the ‘official copy. of, his testimony. previous statement concerning the order of the e ground that “the court does not at this time regard you as a party to the case.” ATTORNEY STAYTON ATTENDS. Seems to Closelyiatch the Interests of Sampson. WASHINGTON, Sept. 27.—As usual Admiral Dewey lost no time to-day ‘In bringing the Schley court of inquiry to order, and as usual the counsel on both sides of the case were in their seats and prepared to proceed promptly With the business before the court. Captain | Lemly estimates that he will be able to con- clude the presentation of the Government side of the case by the close of next week. He says he will have about fifteen or twenty more wit- nesses to introduce. One of the most regular attendants upon the court. s William H. Stayton; the attorney, who is understood to be prepared to represent other naval officers than Admiral Schley. He sits outside the rafl and does not in any way par- ticipate in the proceedings. that so long as Admiral Sampson was kept out of the case' He would have nothing to say. . To-day's session began with the recall of Captain Wise to make verbal changes in the He altered his Navy Department of May 20, 189, in which he was directed to “‘Inform every vessel off San- tiago that the flylng squadron.is off Cienfue- gos,”” saying that he desired to correct his re- sponse to the court's Inquiry as to why this order was not carried out, by stating that it had been carried out. ‘‘The flying squadron was ordered to proceed with all possible dis- patch,” be gaid, and added: “I did not desire ‘to inform the commodore of the flying squadron of his own moveéments. The order was to inform commanders of the movements of the flying squadron.’ The court then asked: ‘“Did you direct Cap- tain Sigsbee to give Commodore Schley the in- formation contgined in the dispatch from the Navy Department regarding the whereabouts of the Spanish squadron?’ “1 a1a not.”* LIEUTENANT WOOD RESUMES. Testifies That He Was on Picket Duty Off Cienfuegos. Lieutenant Spencer 8. Wood, who command- ed the dispatch boat Dupont during the Spanish war, was then ¢alled and continued his testi- mony, begun yesterday. Raynor resumed his cross-examination. The witness said that while oft Clenfuegos he had been on picket duty two miles from shore on the night of May 22 and had been instructed to signal the squadron with two red lights in case the enemy's torpedo- boats camie out of the harbors He sald yesterday | 4 Raynor then read from the testimony of ¢ taln Harber of the Texas, saying that there had been no pleket vessels within the line of the floot off Clonfuegox, The witness sald that the stateriline wal weodg. Capthin Lemly ¥ald Captain Harber had tes- tifled that there were no plckets ““so far as he could rocall,” to which Raynor responded: "“Wa are not impenching Captain Harber's veracity We are Impeaching his recollection, not his in- tegrity." The witness continued: “‘As I have seen since the commander in chief also reported that the Dupont was not there. T have written’ the De- partment that I was there, Other people forgot about, too." - ““You are trying now to justify Captain Har- her's want of recollection by stating that the commander in chief wrote a letter that there were no bicket boats there.'’ ‘“He did not mention their presence and I cor- rected it.'" Do you recollect any statement made by the commander in chief when he had a picket boat | within' the picket line that he had arranged a signal from the picket boat to the flagship?" *He a1d not mention any, and I have a letter on file in the department calling attention to the omission in- that report." “I call your ‘attention to the report of the commander In chief in which he states ‘the line of blockade.” " e “I wish to bring it out that the Dupont was inside the line and that s the report I mada to the department. I still stand on the point that he is not bringing out where the torpedo boat was.” ““You are perfectly right about that, but you are not asked in reference to any criticism you may have upon the report: of the commander in chief. The question is this: Captajn Harber has definitely stated that there was no picket boat inside the line at Cienfuegos. You say there was and that the Dupont was one of those boats.” 5 “I was Inside the lifhe, inside the Castine." The Court—Could you see the Texas from the Dupont during the nights of May 22 and May 27 *No, sir.”” Hanna objected to Raynor’s methods of ques- ‘tioning, especially to his- characterization of Captain Harber's testimony as wrons, when Captain Harber had said distinctly that he only spoke ‘from his best recollection. ' ““This,”" he sald, “is an indirect impeachment of the wit- ness. Raynor again insisted that he had only in- tended to bring out the facts. Hanna asked if steps had been taken while the flying squadron was off Clenfuegos to as- certain if the Spanish fleet was inside the harbor there. “Not that I know of,”” was the response, ‘“‘Was there any effort to destroy the shore batterles there?” The Witness replied that he knew of none. He sald, in replying to another question by Raynor, that vessels In the inside harbor could not have been discerned from the outside. Lieutenant Wood was then dismissed, ard as he was leaving the courtroom Hanna took oc- casion to say: “I will make an announcement while we are waliting. There has been introduced befors the court a question of the correctness of the iden- tity of a tertain very jmportant dispatch sent by the Harvard May 27 from Santiago, by the commanding officer of the flylng squadron. It appears that in the process of translation from .the commander in chlef to the department some changes In the language of that dispatch oc- curred. I do not desire at this moment to in- terrupt the proceedings by any discussion of that point, but I shall merely make the an- nouncement here that we do Intend to enter into that matter very fully and completely; that is to say, as fully and as completely gs the court may desire before we leave it." HOOD OF THE HAWK HEARD. Tells of Carrying Dispatches From Sampson to Schley. Lieutenant John Hood, who, during the war, commanded the Hawk, was the next witness. Continued on Page Two. —_— PRICE FIVE CENTS. AL EVIDENCE IN THE SCHLEY COURT OF INQUIRY * BRISK WIND 13 PROMIGED FOR YAGHTS Big Raéing Boats May Make Excellent Time To-Day. Conditions Favorable for Ex- citing Event at Sandy Hook. . ’ Pl (e 3 Englishmen Believe That They Have Obtained a Rare Chance to Capture the Great " Homors. - —_ FRESH WINDS FOR THE RACE CALL BUREAU, 1406 G STREET, N. W., WASHING- TON, Sept. 27.—Dr. Franken- - fleld, forecast official of the Weather Bureau, predicts that the winds off Sandly Hook on Satarday will he fresh easterly in the morn- ing, and will probably shift in the afternocon to north- east and increase to brisk. The weather will be ¢lear In the morning and partly cloudy In' the afternocon. e, W NEW YORK, Sept. 2. the America's cup s disappointing day The first s which, fluky ‘ace of atter alrs, a of abandoned in a dead calm Thursday, will be ro-salled to-morrow over a course off the Sandy Hook lightship. A beat to windward or a run to leward and return will be salled, the cours was deo- pending upon the direction of the wind at the time the two yachts arrive at the lightship. According to the agreemont the first, third and Afth races are to be salled fifteen miles to windward or to lee- ward and return; and the fourth races being over a course repre- the second sented by an equilateral triangle, meas~ uring ten nautical miles to the leg. At a late hour to-night the Weather Bureau {ssued the following bulletin: “The wind off Sandy Hook on Saturday will be fresh and easterly in the morning, and will probably shift to the northeast in the afternoon, Increasing to brisk.” Meaning of the Terms. According to the definition of a “fresh breeze” interpreted in the figures from the standard of the weather bureau, in the morning the velocity of the wird will vary from ten to nineicen miles an hour. By a brisk breeze is meant one driving anywhere betwcen twenty and twenty- nine miles an hour. 3 “Wind, wind; my kingdo® for a wind!" This was the anited sentiment to-night of the owners of ihe rivai yachts that lay behind Sandy Hook. “We must have wind,” Sir Thomas Lipton said, “and from the present indications we shall get it to- morrow. If it comes and there is i race all America and all Britain. will r2joice, for then we sha!l have the first adequate test of the yachts. “Why, none here has seen that race as yet,” he declared. “Give her a chance. The race of Thursday was i pro- cession of flukes and a bouquet ¢f fiz- zles which it would be hard to equal in searching the records of the races two years ago. 3 “I am just as confident as ever, and everybody aboard, Captain Sycamor:, Mr. Ratsey and Mr. Jameson, share my con- fidence. We have seen the Shamrock sail, and know what she is capable of. We have also seen the. Columbia. sail, and we know what she can do. We are more confident than ever. But give the Shamrock a fair breeze." “What do you call a falr breeze?" “Oh, a nice breeze.” % ““At about what speed of wind?" Confident of Shamrock. “Say ten or twelve or fifteen knots— anything, in fact, over eight knots an hour. We do not mind a sea if only we have the wind to drive us. The sea will not bother us unless, indeed, lik: last time, there is a sea and no wind. We do not want a regular easterly gale, for that would make things unpleasant for all concerned. But we hope for a nice breeze, and a good Trace to-morrow. Why,” had even one of the boats been able to finish within the time limit in Thursday's race the test would have been thoroughly un- satisfactory, regardless of the winning boat.” “All I desire is a snappy breeze tc-mor- row,” sald E. D. Morgan, maraging owner of the Columbia. “Don’t int>rpret this to mean that in a strong wind the Columbia can win, for, as to that, only the test can ‘tell, but I want a rice, a good bona-fide contest, where the inettle of both the marine steeds will be tested. “Yesteday's trial was not only no rage, but it was no contest. Because the Am- erican boat was In the lead when wis had flukes in the wind is no reason why we should declare that the Columbla has out- classed the Shamrock. Time alone can solve the problem. We hope for vitory, but that is all we can do at present.” boat