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About Corvallis gazette. (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909 | View Entire Issue (July 25, 1902)
WEEKLY. 2rZi.!CoiulUitednkl 1X99. 4 COKVAIililS, BENTCXN COTJOTT, -OREGON, JFBtDAX, JTXLX 25, 1902. VOL. XXXIX. NO. 31. EVENTS OE THE DAY FROM THE FOUR QUARTERS OF THE WORLD. A Comprehensive Review of the Important happenings of the Past Week, Presented In a Condensed Form. Which Is Most likely to Prove of Interest to Our Many Reader The United States cruiser Albany has sailed for Stockholm, Sweden. Serious religious riots are reported in vera I French cities. More trouble is expected. Colonel Thomas Ward, chief of staff to Genera Miles, has been appointed brigadier general. Cardinal Ledochowski, prefect of the congregation of the propaganda of the Roman church, is dead. The treasury department will, in a few days, call for bids for the improve ment of the Portland postoffice building. Orders have been received at the New York navy yard to proceed at once with the building of the battleship Connec ticut. The general managers of the railroads entering Chicago are considering vari ous means of preventing strikes in the future. An Ohio doctor is under sentence "of death in Nicaragua. The state depart ment has taken active steps to secure his release. Secretary Root has gone to Europe for a short vacation. Fifty-six persons were drowned in a ferry boat accident in Russia. The complete unofficial abstract gives Chamberlain 276 plurality for governor of Oregon. General MacArthur has assumed temporary command of the department of the East. The height of the flood has been reached in the Mississippi valley and the river is falling slowly. Japanese fishermen on the Fraser river are having trouble with the Indian and white fishermen. The war department is preparing to build many new quarters and barracks throughout the United states. A Philadelphia telephone company has made arrangemetns to install an alarm system. A subscriber in the evening tella central what time he wishes to get up, and at that hour the telephone bell will ring. It is neces sary for the subscriber to take down the receiver in order to stop the bell ringing. Cholera is raging in Upper Egypt. At least half of the cases are fatal. The widow of Lord Pauncefote will be granted a much larger pension than is ordinarily given. A steamship sunk on the Elbe river, Germany, and only 30 of the 185 pas sengers were saved. Chas Stahl, a former Portland car penter, was carried out to sea and drowned while bathing at Seaside. The war department has allotted $450,000 for the establishment of a great military post at Chickamauga. The transport Sheridan has arrived at San Francisco fiom Manila with parts of the Thirteenth infantry and "1 bird cavalry. The coalminers' convention at In dianapolis voted against a general strike, but adopted the assessment plan for helping those already out. Levees along the Mississippi river near Keokuk. Ia., gave wa, flooding many acres in Missouri, Iowa and Illinois. The damage will reach at least t,000,000. Throe people were killed by light ning m St. Clair county, Illinois. The coronation of King Edward has been definitely fixed for August 9. The Chicago freighthandlers are dis satisfied and may go on strike again at any time. Immigration for the fiscal year of 1902 shows an increase of 160,825 over 1901. Fire at Block Island, R. I., destroyed three hotels and several other small buildings. In a head end collision on a Wiscon sin road between two freight trains, both engineers and one fireman were killed. A drouth in Arizona is causing a great loss to cattlemen. Grass has almost entirely dried up. Many horses are being shot to save the water for cattle. Two Denver women have been caught at San Francisco trying to bring duii able iroods in without paying. It will cost them (,784 to get their goods, which is three times the actual value Cholera is spieading in the Philip pines. ' Capt. M. I. Smith, the.first man who stretchel wires across the state ol is- consin, is still living in Topeka, Xar Chicago chemists have invented a process for making wall paper stronger that promises to revolutionize me in dustry. The largest stockholder :n the United States Steel Company, "Mr. Cutler," i Jrilin D. Rockefeller, not Andrew Carnegie; his dividend is $1,000,000 annually. CREST OF THE FLOOD. High Water Mark oa the Mississippi Is Now Reached at Qwacy. - Keokuk, la., July 24. The crest of the Mississippi river flood is now at Qaincy, and by morning will be still further south. The river reached the maximum at Quincy at noon today, and has been stationary there since. A stationary gauge is expected at Hanni bal tomorrow morning. The Lima lake levee, extending north from Meyer, III., 20 miles north of Quincy, developed danger today, and a large force of men were employed to patrol it and earth tools were scattered along its length. The Lijia lake and the C. H. Hunter levees destroyed corn rained at several millions of dollars. Levees on the Illinois side of the river, below Quincy, are standing and saved most of the country there. The Mississippi river fell several inches here during the last 24 hours, and there are no signs in Iowa rivers of any more flood ap proaching. A gradual fall for two weeks will end the flood in the vast do main south of here. Several hundred tenant farmers are absolutely penniless and with no chance of an income this year. Each community seems to be taking care of its own refugees. The same conditions obtain along the 75 miles of the Mississippi river on the Missouri side and 100 miles of the Des Moines river lowlands. The popu lation of the village of St. Francisville, Mo., has been nearly doubled by the refugees of the flood district, who lost absolutely everything. The Illinois river at Peoria reached 21 feet above low water last night, and at 10 o'clock this morning the dikes on which the tracks of the Peoria & Pekin Terminal railway are bnilt gave way. Over 1,000 feet of track is gone, and the water is pouring throngh the crevasse, flooding hundreds of acres of grain. BROKE THROUGH THE CORDON. Ladrone Chiefs and Most of Thrir Followers Escaped to the Mountains. Manila, July 21. Montallon and Felizardo. the ladrone chiefs, have broken through the constabulary cor don in Cavite province and have es caped to the mountains. The cordon encompassed the leaders and many of their followers. The latter, when trapped, made a succesion of bieaks to escape. The constabulary withstood the first attacks, killing 14 and captur ing 15 men. . The ladrones finally massed under cover of the darkness and forced their way through a weak spot . in the cordon, near Dasames, killing one and wounding one of the constabulary. The latter captured the papers and effects of the leaders and destroyed quantities of supplies. An extensive drive, with the object of capturing the ladrone chiefs Mon tallon and Felizardo and 50 of their followers was organized in Cavite province. Twelve hundred constabu lary, commanded by Captain Baker, formed a complete angle shaped cordon, covering 60 square mile. Patrol launches guarded the rivers, and it was expected to close the cordon yes terday. The entire male population of the towns and farms were to be in cluded in the concentration movement. When complete, the ladrones were to have been arrested and the others were to have been released. OUR SHIPS KEPT BUSY. By Activity of Rebels on Shores of the Car ibbean Sea. Washington, July 24. Unusual in surgent activitv in the West Indies and on the shores of the Caribbean sea are taxing the resources of the navy depart ment in the matter of ships to look after American interests. A cablegram received at the state department from Minister Bowen at Caracas states that the Marietta is proceeding to ascertain the facts connected with the alleged blockade by the Venezuelan govern ment at its own port of Carupano. An attack on Puerto Cabello, which is about 70 miles west of the capital, is expected by the government and the president may go there from Barcelona instead of to Caracas as he originally intended. The three United States warships on the Venezuelan coast are kept moving with celerity to put in an appearance at the port where disturb ances are threatened. Meanwhile a cry comes for a ship at Hayti in the shape of a cablegram from Minister Livingstone at Cape Haytien, who reports that troops and Haytien warships are approaching to attack and bombard the cape. There is a good deal of apprehension among the for eigners for their safety. Peary Relief Fxpcdltion. New York, July 24. Provisoned for several months and all equipped to withstand the rigors of the Polar seas, the Peary relief ship Windward will start today for the far north, says a Sydney, C. B., dispatch to the Tribune Aboard are Mrs. Peary and little daugh ter Marie. The wife of the explorer is confident of finding her husband at Cape Sabine and that his return to civ ilization will be signalized by the news that he has discovered the long songht- for pole. German Situation Improves. Berlin, July 24. The Cologne Ga zette today concludes a page survey of the business situation by saying that pioduction and consumption are coming nearer to balancing each other, that ex ports are slowly increasing, that trade is showing a hopeful expansion, that rates for money are easy, and that the symptoms indicate a return to normal times. The journal, however, warns syndicates against raising prices. NEWS OP THE STATE ITEMS OF INTEREST FROM ALL PARTS OF OREGON. ad Financial Happenings of Im portanceA Brief Review of the Growth aad Improvements of the Many Industries Throughout Oar Thriving Commonwealth Latest Market Report. The prune crop in Marion county will be about 40 per cent less this year than last. The Pacific Coast Lumber Company, of Albany, has been incorporated with 140,000 capital stock. . - During this warm weather about 600 patients of the state insane asylum en joy a picnic twice a week. Several attempts have been made the past week to burn Fort Stevens, but in each instance the flames were discov ered in time to prevent serious destruc tion. Placer mining on the Snake river is proving very profitable in some places this season. The clean-up from one bar for the season is estimated at $10,- 000. A representative from a Nebraska firm has purchased 1,000 head of extra fine horses in Crook county and will ship them East during August and Sep tember. Considerable difficulty- is being ex perienced in securing labor to pull flax in the fields around Salem. The work is exceeding tiresome and hot and the pay small. A big ledge of nickel, gold and copper has been found in Josephine county. The new vein is one of the largest bodies of ore ever uncovered in South ern Oregon. Township 8 south, range 9 west, Siletz reservation, has been thrown open for settlement and as soon as the land office at Oregon City was open there were more than enough in line to file on the 142 claims. The weather of the past month has been exactly what the hop crop has needed. All appearances point to an immense yield, and with . the present high prices, the prespects are that the hop grower will be one of the best paid producers this year. A street' fair will be held at La Grande this fall. Clackamas county hop growers have sold 82,000 pounds of the 1901 crop at 20 cents per pound. Marion county farmers anticipate much trouble in getting hands to work in the harvest fields this year. The committees are active in the nrenarations for the street fair to be held in Baker City in September. Timber lands in Klamath county are going last. in the neignbornood oi 200 filings have been made already this season. The first free rural mail delivery route in Southern Oregon will be es tablished out of Ashland about the first of September. A violent wind storm did serious damage in Umatilla county last week. Much fruit was knocked off the trees and some grain blown down. Two howitzers, shells and other relics of the historic Fort Sumter, in Charles ton bay, have been secured for the soldiers' monument in Poitland. PORTLAND MARKETS. Wheat Walla Walla, 6364c; valley, 65c; bluestem, 65c. Barley $17.50 for old, $16.50 for new crop. Flour Best grades, $3.053.60 per barrel; graham, $2.953.20. Millstuffs Bran, $15 16 per ton; middlings, $21.50; shorts, $18; chop, $16. Oats No. 1 white, $1.151.20;gray, $1.051.10. Hay Timothy, $12 15; clover. $7.5010; Oregon wild hay, $56 per ton. Potatoes Best Bnrbanks, 7585c percental; ordinary, 50c per cental, growers prices; sweets. $2.ZoZ.oO per cental ; new potatoes, lc. Butter Creamery, 2021c; dairy 16 18c; store, 1516c. Eggs 2022c for Oregon. Cheese Full cream, twins, 12$ (5 13c; Young America, 13)14c; fac tory prices, 1 lJic less. Poultry Chickens, mixed, $3.50 4.50; hens, $4.005.50 per dozen, llll6c per pound; springs, 11 llc per pound, $2.504.50 per doz en; ducKB, iz.U(33.uu per dozen; tur keys, live, 1314c, dressed, 1516c per pound; geese, $4.005.00 per dozen. Mutton Gross, 2K3c per pound; dressed, 6c per pound. Hogs Gross, 6Jc; dressed, 77Jc per pound. Veal 78c per pound. Beef Gross, cows, 33r; steers. 3t44c; dressed, 78c per pound. Hops 1617c; now crop 1718c. Wool Valley,12K15;Eastern Ore gon, 814Jfcc: mohaii. 2526c pound. The body of Jesse James is to be ex humed at St. Joseph, Mo., and buried in the family lot at Kearney. The Burlineton & Northwestern rail road, 105 miles long, will be shifted from narrow to standard gauge in ten hours. One rail is to be moved. Ex-President G rover Cleveland is about to publish a book on ethics of ( fishing. He declared in an interview that fishing is the bestmeans he knows of to preserve health. RELIEF FOR STRIKING MINERS. How Their Leaders Expect to -Raise Defense Fund of $500.00 Per Wee. Indianapolis, July 23: Only Presi dent Mitchell and one or-' two members j of the national executive board are in town at the present time. " The care of the national organization now will be to see to the collection of the de 1 fense fund that is to carry on the strike. Secretary Wilson, : financial head of the anion, is in Chicago this week and will-lose no time in making ' provision . to ' handle $M sumo. - Ifr-is i believed that all the' voluntary contri butions from the various districts and local organisations will be turned into his hands within the : next 10 days. These are estimated at about $400,000. A part of the contributions has already been turned in, .Ohio leaving a check for $10,000 before its delegation left Indianapolis, and $50,000 from Illinois is expected tomorrow. r, A -systematic plan will be adopted for cinvassing for outside subscriptions, and it is probable that central labor unions in all big cities will be asked to take charge of the task. The miners hope to raise $250,000 a week from the public contri butions, as that sum will be needed to bring the sum up to $500,000. In a statemnet issued today Presi dent Mitchell 'estimates that contribu tions from districts, subdistricts and local organizations for defraying strike expenses will amount to $400,000, and estimates the weekly assessments from the 24 districts of the country at $244,000, of which $7,000 is expected from Colorado miners. The total num ber of anthracite strikers in the Penn sylvania field is estimated at 150,000, and the total number of dependents in that field is placed at 750.000. The number of strikers (bituminous) in the West Virginia fields is estimated at 25,000, with 75,000 dependents. GLENN CONVICTED. Permitted Water Care to Be Administered to Filipinos Suspended and Fined. Washington, July 24. Secretary Root today sent to the president at Oyster Bay the proceedings and findings in the court martial cases of Major Edwin F. Glenn. Fifth infantry; Lieutenant Julien E. Gau jot, Tenth cavalry, and Lieutenant Norman E. Cook, Filipino scouts, Glenn was found guilty of administering the water cure- to natives or permitting it to be done and was sentenced -to one month's suspension from duty and fined $50. Lieutenant Cook was acquitted on a charge of giving orders to kill three Filipino prisoners. The testimony showed that he had given orders to shoot the prisoners if they attempted to escape. The Filipino scouts, to whom this order was given, thought it meant to shoot the prisoners. In forwarding the case to the presi dent, the secretary recommended that the sentences and findings be approved, but that no other action shall be taken. It is not believed that the piesideot, who is the reviewing authority in these cases, will make any comments, such as were delivered by him in the case of General Smith. It is shown in the evidence and reports that Major Glenn has performed excellent service and has done much to pacify the country where he has been in command. TO DEFEND COAST. Puget Sound to Have Artillery Posts Sum of $240,000 Has Been Set Aside. Washington, July 23. The war de partment has taken steps to defend Puget sound more effectually against foreign enemies by authorizing the con struction of coast artillery posts at Forts Worden and Casey. For this purpose $240,000 has been allotted for erecting frame barracks and officers' quarters for two companies of coast artillery each, together with guard houses, stables and administrative offices, and other smaller buildings necessary to equip an army post. The buildings will be erected by contract, according to plans being prepared by the quartermaster s department. It is proposed to provide quarters for one company at each post, before the full equipment is undertaken, as the de fenses now in position are without proper protection. - - A general sum has been set aside for erecting small buildings and making repairs at the coast artillery posts, which will include work at the mouth of the Columbia river. Forty Thousand Strike. New York, July 2b. The 25,000 gaiment makers who struck yesterday for higher wages and ehoiter hours ware joined today by about 15,000 others, who asked that 56 houi s be considered a week's work As this is the dull season in the trade, it is ex pected that it will be some days before the various interests get together. About nine different unions are en gaged in the strike Ousted From Kansas. Topeka, Kan., July 23. The su preme court today issued a writ ousting the American Book Company from the state of Kansas, and depriving it of the right to transact business as a corpora' tion in this state until it secures a charter. The order was granted upon the petition of the county attorney of Shawnee county, and grows ont of the fight for the contract to supply the pub lic schools of the entire state with school books. TIMBER AND WATER SUPPLY OF OREGON WILL BE PROTECTED. Secretary Hitchcock is Advised to Set Aside - Large Area of Land in Eight Counties in the Eastern Part of the State to Be Re served from Settlement Irrigation Pro tects m Contemplation. Washington, July 24.- Land Com missioner Hermann, . Forest, Superin tendent Ormsby and the geological sur vey have united in recommending to the secretary of the interior, the - tem porary withdrawal of three tracts of land in Crook, Grant, Harney, Baker, Malheur, Umatilla, Union and- Wal lowa counties, embodying the peaks and heavily timbered regions of the Strawberry,'. Blue and Powder River mountains, the total area being ap proximately 6,000 square miles. This withdrawal, if made, will be the first step in the direction of creating a vast forest reserve in Eastern Oregon, where, in the opinion of the survey and land office there is a crying need for protec tion of the timber and water supply, especially as it is contemplated to con struct storage reservoirs in these sec tions. - The largest withdrawal recommended is roughly L-shaped, the base of the L" running north and south along the Blue mountains, and the upright running-east and west along the Straw berry mountains. The latter section is approximately 120 miles from east to west, varying inwidth from six to 18 miles. The Blue mountain section varies in width from 15 to 40 miles, and extends due south from the Uma tilla Indian reservation for 100 miles, to its intersection with the Strawberry mountain withdrawal, the two forming right angle. These combined with drawals embrace about 80 townships. including the head waters of the John Day, Silvies, Crooked, Malheur, Grand Ronde and Powder rivers and number less tributary streams. The. recommended Powder River mountain withdrawal embraces about 28 townships in Baker, Union and Wal lowa counties, the tract being 45 miles from east to west, and 18 miles nortb and south, with a corner of the 30 square miles added on the northwest: This tract includes the headwaters of the Wallowa and Grand Ronde rivers and their tributaries south and west of Enterprise. The third withdrawal recommended is almost wholly in the northern end of Union county, and embraces about 14 townships in the Blue mountain range that extends into Washington. It forms the watershed of a portion of the Grand Ronde river. Commissioner Hermann and Super intendent Ormsby, in addition- to those tracts, also recommended the tempo rary withdrawal of about 41 townships lying south and adjoining the first recommended Strawberry mountain withdrawal, being a tract 24 miles from north to south, and 90 miles from east to west. All of the recommended withdrawals are irregular in shape, and are laid out to exclude, as far as possible, all lands that are agricultural in character, or are now owned by set tlers. The lines have been drawn to eliminate the towns of Canyon, Izee, Silvies, Seneca,. Prairie, Clifford, Sumpter, McEwen, Meacham, Joseph and others. RAISING THE STRIKE FUND. Several Large Contributions Have Already Been Received by Officers. Indianapolis, Ind., July 24. Presi dent Mitchell will leave for Chicago tomorrow afternoon. He will stty in that city a day or two and will go direct to Wilkesbarre to resume active management of the strike. The national officers attach a great deal of importance .to the resolution reported by the committee appointed by the convention to draw up tn ex pression in regard to the recent mine horrors' in which so many men lost their lives. In this resolution atten tion is called to the fact that in several instances the miners have been back to work in mines before the bodies of their friends had been removed. This afternoon several large con tributions for the strike fund were received. District No. 13 (Iowa) sent $5,000; the Boilermakers' and Iron Shipbuilders' National sent $546. Indianapolis unions met tonight and resolved to assess members at least 1 per cent per week on their earnings for the anthracite strikers. This will amount to $2,000 per week. Springfield, 111., July 24. At a meeting of the executive board of the United Mineworkers of America, Illi nois department, --held this aftenoon, $50,000 was voted in aid of the strik ing miners in the anthracite fields of Pennsylvania. A check for the amount was formally drawn and tonight the amount was telegraphed to the national officers at Indianapolis. : Japanese Labor Unsatisfactory. Havre, Mont., July 24 A report has reached the railway officials here that the Great Northern will replace its -Japanese workmen with Italians. It is understood that the railway company has found the work -of the : brown men unprofitable, and that the ! change is in the nature ' of an experi J ment. The Great Northern employs ' over 1,000 Japanese on its lines in ! Montana. An Italian interpreter is now at Havre makingfarrangements. GUNBOATS IN ACTION. Naval Engagement Takes Place Off ft Between Government and Rebel Boats. Panama, Colombia, July 22. The insurgent gunboats Padilla and Darien appeared last night between Flemonico and Ottique islands. . Governor S"inr thereupon ordered the government gun boats Chuchnito and Clapet to pat to sea and meet them.- Heavy cannonad ing was heard at 10 A. M. and ; contin ued until 4 o'clock this afternoon. It was heaviest at 10 this morning. At 2 o'clock the Darien was seen in tow of the Padilla, and it is believed that she had been hit. The government fleet was handicapped by the absence of the gunboat Boyaca the 'keel of which is being repaired, and it is thought prob able that this fact was known by the insurgent General Herrera, who de cided to attack Panama in ordei to pre vent the government from helping General Berits' troops at Agua Dulce. Ine United States steamer Ranger, which arrived here from Chiriqui, came within the line of fire. During a part of the heavy firing she was back of Flemonico island. A representative of the Associated Press was informed by United States Consul Gudger that American interests at Panama had not been materially interfered with. The government gunboat Boyaca, -which is at La Boca, hurriedly com pleted repairs and is going out at 5 o'clock. The Padilla has gone. The Ranger left the bay after the Padilla started, taking the same course as the revolutionary gunboat. No explana tion is offered for the movement. It is thought probable that a great battle is being fought at Agua Dulce. Whatever the result of this shall be to General Herrera's army, General Sala zar, the governor of Panama, said to the representative of the Associated Press, the revolutionary forces will suffer terribly and an attack by them upon Panama will be rendered impos sible, even if they are not defeated. General Salazar has blind confidence in his troops. BALTIMORE TORNADO. Severest Storm That Has Visited That City in N Seventeen Years. Baltimore, Md, July 23. The tor nado which struck Baltimore yesterday aftercoon, involving the loss of 12 lives and a widespread destruction of prop erty, was the severest that had been known in this section for 17 years. No storm had been forecasted. Almost vithout a moment's warning an irre sistible wind, apparently in the nature of a whirlwind, came up from the southwest, and in an instant the waters of the harbor were converted into a seething cauldron, frail boats were capsized, while the staunchest vessels at anchor were violently rocked. A careful estimate today shows that 200 houses were unroofed during the storm. The roof of the William street Independent Methodist church was lifted high in the air and blown over the roofs of other houses a distance of 150 feet. The stone spire of the Holy Cross Catholic church was hurled to the ground. A part of the roof of Trinity Protestant Episcopal church was torn off, while the historic steeple of St. Mary's Star of the Sea Catholic church was demolished completely. The public squares and parks were damaged badly. Patterson park is a scene of desolation. The whole extent of these pleasure grounds is strewn with broken branches and uprooted trees and the debris completely blocked up the driveways. Many handsome trees in Franklin square and Druid Hill park, as well as all the shade trees, were uprooted bodily, falling acoss thoroughfares and blocking them tern porarily. Much damage was done to house fronts in all sections of the city by the falling trees. In the business section numerous plate glass windows were blown in, while telegraph and telephone service was crippled. AMERICAN PACIFIC CABLE. Contract Has Been Let In London for Section from Honolulu to Manila. London, July 22. The Commercial Pacific Cable Company signed a con' tract with the Telegraph Construction Company in London this week for the manufacture and laying of its cable from Honolulu to Manila, touching at Guam. The construction company guaranteed to complete the cable by June, 1903, if furnished with the neces sary soundings. In the event that these cannot be furnished the company agrees to finisb the cable laying within such time thereafter as is necessary to take the soundings. Having two steamers capable of car rying 6,000 miles of cable, the company is able to complete within a year work which would take other contractors two years to do. The steamer Silverton, at Woolwich, is now loading the San Francisco-Honolulu cable, 2,400 miles, and is expected to sail for San Francis co in August. Eighteen hundred miles of this section have already been, roan Lufactured and are being taken aboard tho Silverton. Government Salaries Will Be Paid. Washington, July 22. By direction of the secretary of the treasury, war ranto covering the salaries of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition at St, Louis and the other government enr- ploves will be issued at once. Pay- meut has been withheld two months ; pending the signing by the fair direct- i ors of the contract binding tnem 10 keep the exposition closed Sundays. The withheld warrants amount to $8,600. DEATH IN THE ELBE PANIC ON EXCURSION STEAMER CAUSED LOSS OF LIFE. Changed Her Course Suddenly, Crossing the Bows of a Tot; Which Immediately Raa Her Down At Least Fifty Persons Are Believed to Have Been Drowned Par Ucaiars of the Disaster. Hamburg, July 23. The steamship Primus, of Hamburg, with 185 passen gers on board, was cut in two and sunk by the tug Hansa on the river Elbe at 12:30 o'clock yesterday morning. So far as is ascertainable about 50 persons were drowned. The Primus was an ex cursion steamer from Bnxtehude, prov ince of Hanover, Prussia. The disaster occurred between Blankens and Nien- stadten. At the time of the accident the Primus was crossing the river channel near Blankenz from the southern to the northern fairway. According to witnesses aboard the Hansa, the movement was made too soon. The Primus struck the tug's engine room, and the Hansa endeavored to push her ashore, but the tug grounded and the ships parted. The Primus then sank. In the interval, however, about 60 of her passengers were able to reach the Hansa by means of ropes and ladders. Seventy more were picked ip by the tug's boats, while others swam ashore. The disaster caused deep gloom here. Many children lost both parents. The choral society which was on board the excursion steamer consisted mainly of workmen. Ihere were no foreign pas sengers. Ine captains of the vessels gave themselves up to the police. The Primus was the oldest boat on the Elbe. She was built in England in 1844 and had never before met with an accident. The Hamburg-American line, which owned the . Hansa; issued a statement to the effect that the weather was fine, the moon was shinine and both vessels were steering absolute r clear of each other. Suddenlv thj Primus, when about 450 feet from the Hansa, put her rudder hard aport and crossed the bows of the latter. "This mistake," continues the state ment, "rendered a collision unavoid able. The only possible step for the Hansa to take, namely, to go full speed astern, was immediately carried out, but without avail. Less than a minute elapsed between the time the Primus changed her course and the collision. Boats were immediately lowered from the Hansa and ropes and ladders were thrown overboatd. Fifty persons were rescued by the boats. At the same time, the Hansa tried to push the Primus ashore, but being of deeper draft, grounded herself before the pas senger boat. The Primus floated down stream and sank 200 feet from the Hansa." GEN. BARNES DEAD. Noted California Lawyer Expires Suddenly- Great Orator and Scholar. San Francisco, July 22. General William H. L. Barnes, one of the lead ing lawyers and one of the most elo quent orators of the Pacific coast, is" dead, of hemorrhage of the lungs. He was 66 years of age. General Barnes, who was a man of splendid physique, was first taken ill March 16 last, with throat trouble, which necessitated an operation. He rapidly recovered, and . was apparently in his usual health until a week ago, when he was prostrated at the Cali fornia hotel with a severe hemorrhage. The next day he rallied somewhat, but a succession of hemorrhages followed, each greatly reducing his strength, and at 7:15 yesterday evening he peacefully expired. When President McKinley visited this city the summer preceding his death, he became a warm admirer of General Barnes and promised on his return to Washington to appoint the general United States minister to Japan. His assassination put an end to all his plans, although it was an nounced that President Roosevelt in tended to carry out the late president's wishes in this respect. General Barnes was a man of remark able versatility, being noted as a scholar, lawyer, linguist, lecturer, au thor, artist and actor, although it was as a lawyer and orator that he made a national reputation. In 1860 he formed a partnership to practice law with Joseph H. Choate, the present ambassador to the court of St. James, but when the Civil war broke out, Barnes left the law foi the army, be coming a member of Fitz John Porter's staff. Retiring from the army on ac count of impaired health, he came to California. New Surgeon General of Army. Washington, July 23. The president has designated Colonel R. M. O'Reilly to be surgeon general of the armv, to succeed General Forwood, who will re tire on September 7 next. Colonel O'Reilly will have until January, 1909, to serve as surgeon general. He was appointed from Pennsylvania as a medical cadet in 1864. He is a gradu ate of the medical department of the university of Pennsylvania. Great Storm in Russia. Kieffe, European Russia, July 23. A torriental rain storm, accompanied by violent wind and bail, broke over Kieffe yesterday afternoon and turned the streets into veritable torrents, flood ing cellars and drowning 15 occupants before they were able to escape. Large trees were uprooted and railroad em bankments were washed away, necessi tating the suspension of traffic. The losses sustained are very heavy.