Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Corvallis gazette. (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909 | View Entire Issue (June 24, 1904)
MORGUE BLUNDER MEANS OF IDENTIFICATION OP THE CORPSES DESTROYED. Bodies and Personal Effects Numbered .and Then Numbers on Former are -Chanced Without Reference to the letter Large Number of Corpses Found Packed la Wheel House. New York, Jane 20. Every hoar Adds to the horror of the excursion steamer disaster, when the General 451ocum was burned to the water's edge nsar North Brother island. Divers liad explored the wreck of the steamer, .and reported that no more bodies were to be found there, but today a diver who was at wont on the sunken hull found a large number of corpses packed tightly inside of one of the paddle -wheels. Just how many there were was not known, but it was planned to remove them as soon as Coroner O'Gor man reached the scene. The coroner had arranged to visit the wrei:k today for the purpose of -ascertaining, if poss:ble. what evidence of culpability on the part of the Knicker bocker Steamship company or of the offi. ials of the boat, if any, could be se cured to present to the coroner's in quest. Therefore, it was determined to take out the bodies at that time. At various hospitals where the in jured are visited today it is said that tht-ir condition is fair. There are now only 53 victims of the disaster in the hospitals. Today it is said another horror has been added to. the terrible.- conditions resulting from the disaster through the over-officiusness of some person at the morgue. As a result some of the bodies probably never will be identified -and will go to a last resting place in the humble plet furnished by the city's charity. When the bodies were taken by hundreds from the water and laid in lows on the grass at North Brother island, each was tagged with a num ber. That number was carefully re corded, and the papers, valuables and trinkets which would have served to possibly identify the bodies were re moved and placed in separate packages, -each package bearing a number corres ponding to the number on the body from which the articles were taken. When the bodies were taken to the morgue they were placed in numbered boxes, but in many cases these num :bers did not correspond with the fig urea the bodies previous had borne. As a result, the plans were completely upset and the numbered packages of -valuables became practically worthless -as a means of identification. WOULD SEAL FATB OF RUSSIANS. -Report of Japanese Advance From Sal yen Is Causing Great Alarm. St. Petersburg, June 20. The popu lar disappointment felt in St. Peters burg over the result of Lieutenant Gen eral Baron Stakelberg's fight, which it had be-in hope for the past 36 hours might turn out to be a victory, is temp ered somewhat by the knowledge that the Russian force was overwhelmed by numbers. General Stakelberg does not attempt to conceal the seriousness of his losses, but his report and the re ports from all other Russian sources --agree that the retreat was in no senee a rout. The fierce character of the fight is made evident by the fact that the Russians were again forced to abandon their guns, thus indicating, as in pre vious encounters, the superiority of the Japanese artillery. The Russian official reports of the losses are awaited with the keenest in terest. The war office declines to ac cept the Japanese figures unreservedly, although the officials frankly admit that they believe the Russian casual ties were severe. . The keenest interest is now manifest ed in the reported advance of two Jap anese divisions from Siuyen with the intention of taking General Stakelberg in the rear. It is realized that if this report should prove true the Russian commander may be unable to extricate himself, and if he should be cut off from General Kuropatkin's main army the fate of the detachment would be sealed. Further Demands Will Be Granted. Washington, June 20. The state de partment has received the following from Mr. Gnmmere, American consul general at Tangier: "As reported yes terday. Raisuli has increased his de mands. I am informed today by the ministei of foreign affairs that one of the shieks and two of his brothers, whose apprehension were demanded by Raisuli, have been arrested; also that a courier has been dispatched this morning to Paisuli to say that his further demands will probably be granted by the Moroccan government." Chinese Bandits Fight With Russians. Tokio, June 20. A detachment of the army under General Kuroki cap tured the town of Siu Yen, after rout ing and defeating a force of 300 Rus- eians and 300 mounted Chinese bandits. The enemy retired toward the Tao riv er. The total of their losses is not known. The Japanese sustained no casualties. This is the first actual re port of Chinese bandits fighting with Russian troops and it may mean that large numbers have enlisted. Russia Has Not Protested. ' St. Petersburg. June 20. An official denial ia published of the rumor that the Russian ambassador at Washing ton, Count Cassini has protested against the reported intention of the govern ment of the United States to dispatch a squadron of warships to Turkish waters with the view of bringing pres sure to bear on the port to Bee are the payment of American claims. DEATH LIST GROWS. Total Loss of Life la Steamer Disaster Now Put at 70O. -- New York, June 18. With unceas ing effort search is going on for the bodies of those who perished yesterday on the steamer General Slocum. What the list of victims will -total scarcely anyone dares venture to guess, but whatever the number may be, there is hardly a parallel in the history of dis asteis where death came to so many in so brief a period of time. Police and health department officials have placed the number at a figure as high as 1,000 and more, but tonight it wonld seem that the maximum figure will not largely exceed 700. All day long, until darkness shut off even the melancholy satisfaction of watching for the dead, anxious search ers kept up their vigilance , and at dusk there had been recoveied 536 bodies, for the greater part women and chil dren mothers who, weeks ago, bad planned that fatal outing for their chil dren, and little ones who had longed for the coming of the happy day. Up to dusk 499 bodies had passed through the morgue and of these more than 300 were unidentified. The East Side had its sympathy aroused to the fullest extent, and down by the river, where the boats unloaded their dead, thousands gathered throughout the day. Streets leading to the morgue were blocked, and only with difficulty could the police clear the passages leading to the long rows of coffins for those who came in search for the missing. Up the sound, where the hulk of the General Slocum lies submerged, show ing only a paddle-box, scores of small craft aided the tugs in grapling for the victims. Divers went down time and time again, and when the work ended for the day they declared there were no more bodies in the wreck. A score of times a diver reappeared alter his plunge with the body of a woman or a child. Two of them coming to the surface together on one occasion had in their arms two little girls, sisters, clasped in each other's embrace, and their mother, it was thought, whose dead hand tightly clenched the skirt of one of them. As far as they could, the divers searched the wreck from stem to stern. The wreck lies about 200 feet off Bar retoa Point. At this point the water is deep and the current is swift, and beyond a doubt many bodies have been borne along with the tide to be given up on a later day at some distant point. HARBOR FREE TOO LATE. Japanese Have Already Landed Men to Attack Port Arthur. Tokio, June 18. A flotilla of tor pedoboats and torpedoboat destroyers, under command of Captain Tsuchiya and co-operating with the army, made a reconnaissance in force near Siau Ping island yesterday and bombarded the Russian outposts on the coast to the west of the island. Siau Ping "ist land is 12 miles to the west of Por Arthur. At noon the Russian cruiser Novik, convoying ten torpedoboat destroyers, steamed out from Port Arthur. The Russian shore batteries protected these vessels with a heavy cannonade. The Japanese flotilla retreated slowly, fir ing as it went, for the purpose of decoy ing the enemy to sea. At 3 o'clock in the atternoon the Russian ships re turned to the entrance of Port Arthur. The fact that the Novik came out of Port Arthur makes it certain that the Russians have succeeded in blasting a channel through the cement laden merchantmen sunk by the Japanese in the entrance to the harbor. This free dom of egress comes too late to permit of any effect upon the operations of the Japanese army, for men, guns and stores have practically all been landed, and Admiral Togo is capable of keeping the remnants of the Russian fleet im prisoned in Port Arthur. Last Monday night Japanese vedette boats, protected by torpedo boats and torpedo boat destroyers, succeeded in reaching the entrance to Port Arthur and planting a series of mines there. The darkness of midnight favored the oepration. The Japanese vessels were not observed and they returned to the rest of the squadron without having sustained any damage. Urges Fair Exhibit. St. Louis, June 18. Before depart ing for New York, Prince Pun Lun an nounced himself as a self appointed committee of one to secure China's par ticipation in the Lewis and Clark expo sition to be held in Portland, Or., in 1905. The prince remarked to Theo dore Hardee, assistant to Secretary Walter B. Stevens, that he was very much impressed with the American idea of celebrating the anniversaries of great events with big expositions, and declared he would use every effort to secure Chinese participation. Japanese Transports Have Close Call. Toio, June 18. It is reported here that the Japanese protected cruiser Niitaka engaged the Russian Vladivo stok squadron off Tsu island, in the straits between Corea and Japan. This report, however, lacks confirmation. The Japanese transports Ugoand Fuyo, homeward bound, met the Russian ves sels this morning nearOki island. The Russians pursued them and fired 16 shots ' at the Japanese ships. The transports escaped. Russians Marching on Port Arthur. Tien Tain, June 18. It has been learned here from a Russian source that 46,000 Russians passed Taahichao, 20 miles sooth ef Niu Chwang, going south. It is supposed that this force ia going to the relief of Port Arthur. 600 LIVES ARE LOST BIO EXCURSION STEAMER TAKES FIRE 'OFF NEW YORK. Pot of Grease Overturned and Flames Spread to All Parts of Boat In Short Time Women and Children Trampled . Under Foot, Many Pushed Overboard, Others Leap to Escape Heat. New York, June 17. One of the most appalling disasters in the history I of New York, tragic in its immensity, diamatic in its episodes, and deeply pathetic in the tender age of most of its victims, took place today in the East liver, at the entrance to Long Is land Sound, within a short distance of the New York shore, and within sight of thousands of persons, the majority of whom were powerless to minimize the extent of the catastrophe. By the burning to the water's edge of the Slocum, a three-decked excursion steamer, one of the largest in these waters, more than 600 persons, the majority of whom were women and children,' were burned to death or drowned by jumping overboard or by being threwn into the whirlpools by the lurching of the vessel and the fran tic rusn of the panic-stricken passen gers. Four hundred and eighty-five bodies have been recovered, and are now being tagged at the morgues of Bellevue hospital and Harlem. Dhers were still busy at a late hour taking bodies from the hold of the ves sel, which, they say, is choked with the remains of human bodies, while the bodies of scores who leaped, oi were thrown, into the river have not been recovered. It is variously estimated that there were between 1,500 and 2,500 persons on board the General Slocum when she left the pier at- Third street, East River, though the Knickerbocker Steamship company, which owns the Slocum, officially states that the num ber of passengers was 837, that being only one-third of the vessel's capacity. It is thought, however, that there were several hundred children in arms, for whom fares are not usually charged on these trips. The General Slocum left Third street, East River, at 9:30 o'clock this morn ing, having on board the Sunday school excurison of St. Mark's German Luth eran church, located in Sixth street. Her destination was Locust Grove, one of the many resorts on Long Island Sound The Slocum had reached a point near the Sunkden Meadows, off 135th street, Manhattan, which is at the extreme eastern end of Randall's Island, when the fire broke out. The headway of the vessel and the high wind almost in stantly fanned the insignificant flame into fury. Efforts were at once di rected to subduing the fire, but they were futile. The blaze spread aft with almost lightning rapidity. Captain Vanschaick then headed for shore. The great open decks, built for ex cursionists, with little obstruction from bow to stern, offered a clear sweep for the fire. As the Slocum . dashed for ward, the flames caught stanchion and cabin woodwork, eating and tearing their way across the vessel. As the fire increased, the struggle to gain a point of vantage at the stern be came frightful. Women and children crowded against the aft rail until it gave way and hundreds were pushed off into the river. After this there was a steady stream of persons who jmuped or were thrown into the water. In the wake of the Slocum as she hurried up stream was a line of little black specks marking the heads and bodies of those who had Bought to escape the roaring furnace on the ship by throwing them selves overboard. Reinforcements for Kuropatkln. St. Petersburg, June 17. The ap pointment of Lieutenant General Leon idas Demboweki as commander of the Fifth East Siberian army corps is evi dence that larger reinforcements are to be placed at General Kuropatkin's dis posal. The four corps originally formed of Siberian troops are mobilized in Manchuria and other drafts have been sent out to the Far East. The organization of the new corps, inde pendent of the Russian corps' ordered out from European Russia shows that Kuropatkin now has 200,000 troops. Russians in a Tight Place. Berlin, June 17. The newspapers today discuss the situation of General Stakelberg's corps, which is- regarded as being extremely grave. The Kreuz Zeitung points out that the attempt of the Japanese in yesterday's fight to trun the Russian left creates a situa tion similar to that at the battle of the Yalu river, and says that even if Stak elburg is not surrounded, he will find it extremely difficult to execute his 100-mile retreat. - . . Another of Bandit's Demands Met. Tangier, June 17. Two Sheika of Ben M. Suar have been imprisoned by the governor of Tangier. This fulfills another of Rairali's conditions for the release of his captives, Messrs. Prdi caris and Varley. . The sheiks impris oned are two of those who nelped treacherously to capture Raiuli some 'time ago. MANY MEN LOST. Japanese and Russians Engage la a - Furious Skirmish. SI. Petersburg, June 16. General Stackelberg, through the army -headquarters at Harbin, reports a number of desperate skirmishes with the Jap anese, in which both sides lost heavily I and in one of which the Russian Gen eral Gernross was severely wounded. At midday yesterday an entire di vision of Japanese made a desperate at tack on the left flank of the Russian position at Vafangow. They attacked in three columns, and after shelling the Russians with heavy artillery made a furious bayonet charge in the face' of a heavy charge of rapid-fire guns and musketry. The desperation of the Jap anese charge is shown by the fact that some of them succeeded in getting with in a few yards of the Russian trenches before they were shot down. They were finally compelled to retire, leav ing fully 300 dead behind. The First Siberian rifles bore the brunt of the attack, and their losses were very heavy. Their commander, Colonel Kavastounoff, fell almost in the first fire, with a bullet through his brain. Adjutant Sub Lieutenant Nod ochinsky was killed almost at the same time. Two majors and a number of officers of lesser rank were picked off by the Japanese sharpshooters, whose fire was unusually deadly and acurate. General Gernross was shot just as the Japanese atacking column broke and fled. A shrapnel bullet shattered one side of his jaw, but he refused to retire. A report was also received from Gen eral Kharkevitch telling of the battle between the outposts at Utiaton Satur day. He states that the Japanese at tacked from front and flank early in the afternoon and the fighting raged until late. Finally the Japanese were driven back, and the Russians followed up their advantage under cover of dark ness. Just before dawn the Russians charged the heights of Liao Tung, car rying the Japanese position with a loss of but four killed and 18 wounded. Geteral Kharkevitch also reports that his scouts have reported to him that a Japanese column numbering 3, 000 men is marching toward Huayen siang. MAY BSTABLISH NEW BASE. Russians Now Believe Japanese Will Take Niu Chwang. St. Petersburg, June 16.' The bom bardment by the Japanese of the coast near Kaichou and the blockade of Niu Chwang is taken to indicate that the ultimate object of the combined move ments is to clear the Liao Tung penin sula of Russians and occupy Niu Chwang as a new base. The garrison at Niu Chwang, it is said here, remains undiminished, but it is not believed the Russian plans contemplate a seri ous attempt to hold Niu Chwang. The Japanese are strongly fortifying Feng Wang Cheng .as a precaution against "disaster. The war office has advices since June 12 from Pu LanVTien, in the southern part of the Liao Tung peninsula, and they do not mention the reported Jap anese ambush of that date, resulting in the loss in that vicinity to the Russians of 800 men. Neither has the war office any' confirmatory report of the ambush ing and almost total destruction by the Russians of two Japanese battalions on the Hai Cheng road. The officials of the war office discredit both reports. BELIBVBS WAR ABOUT OVER. Peabody Discusses Strike Conditions and Replies to Critics. Denver,-June 15. "I think the war is nearly over," said Governor Peabody today. "I have news from General Bell that the Cripple Creek mines are open and running today, also' that there is comparatively little disaffec tion among the men. There is no news of any further trouble or any like lihood of any. "I learn from Captain Bulkeley Wells, of Telluride, that the union men there concede that their cause is lost, and those of them who are acceptable to the mineowners are already at work again. One hundred and fifty capable men, whether nnion or nonunion, have been invited to go to work, and the in vitation will be speedily accepted. May Irrigate More. Washington, June 16. An addition to the Malheur iirigation withdrawal in Eastern Oregon was made today, 15 sections being added, as follows: Sec tions 4 to 9, 16, 17 and 18, in township 14 sonth, range 40 east; section 31, township 13, range 41 ; sections 4, , 5, 6, 8, and the south half of 15 and 16, township 14, range 41. These lands have been examined by engineers of the reclamation service and are beileved to be susceptible of irrigation under the Malheur project, in case it is eventual ly carried out. Release May Be Delayed. Tangier, June 16. A courier from Raisuli, who kidnaped Messrs. ... Perdi caris and Varley, arrived -here during the night. United States Consul Gen eral Gummere and the British embassy visited Mohammed El Torres, the rep resentative of the sultan of Morocco, to discuss the contents of Raisuli's mes sage. The distance of Rasuli's head puarters makes the negotiations drag. It is now - thought possible that the captives will not be released this .week. Mine Kills Nineteen Men. Tokio, June 16 While the Taihoku was engaged in laying mines at the en trance to Port Arthur,, last night, -a mine exploded, killing one officer and 18 men, and wounding two officers and seven men. The Taihoku, which is a naval transport, was not seriously dam aged, ifpm lfmmt New Conditions for Farmers. One day, late In the autumn, a half dozen farmers, coming fifteen miles, drove Into a prairie village with heavy loads of corn. They went to the prin cipal elevators and asked the price. "Thirty cents a bushel to-day." "We will go to the buyer at the oth er end of the town," said the spokes man. "It will do you no good," was the reply, "as all the buyers pay the same price here." 'Very well; we will go home and send our corn to market on foot." They drove back fifteen miles and unloaded the corn Into their own gran aries, to be shipped later In the form of fat cattle. Such an Incident would have been Impossible ten years Rgg, when the av erage farmer was compelled to take what was offered for his crop. But two things have worked a transfor mation in the grain-growing portion f the West; the farmers have become conservative with prosperity, and the railroads have widened the markets. Five years of good crops in the West have not only paid the debts, but have also made the farmer capable of em ploying business methods. A few years ago a settler visited town only once a fortnight or once a month. He took home with him the county papers, the few magazines that he received and a large bundle of groceries and dry goods. With rural delivery and rural telephone all that is passed, Under these conditions the Western farmer has developed an independence In the movement of crops disconcert ing to the market manipulators. O. M. Harger, in the World's Work. Bag; Holder. A convenient bag holder is made as follows: Procure a piece of two-inch plank thirty inches long and as wide as you can get. Bore two one and a quarter inch holes in the plank twenty four inches apart. Then get two sticks three feet nine inches long of some tough wood:" Shave these sticks to fit tightly into a three-quarter inch hole. Now take two blocks of bard wood four and one-half Inches long like A In illustration. These circular pieces should be one inch thick each way COirvSNrENT BAG) HOLDER. and they should have about three small lath nails sticking out one-quarter of an inch to keep the bag from slipping off. It Is the spring of the two long sticks that holds the bag tight. The blocks can be slipped up or down on the side strips to suit the length of the bags. F. A. Franklin in Iowa Home stead. As to Farm Poultry. It is very hard to make farmers un derstand how great their advantages are In poultry raising. They will say the work does not pay, for it takes their time from crops that bring more money. There is something in this if one has a crop which is profitable and which Is brought to the marketing point at small expense. It would be folly to advocate that anyone drop a paying crop to take up something they are doubtful about, but where there are diversified Interests on the farm poultry can be made to pay more than it does. The writer knows a man who has one acre in a small town devoted to poultry. He goes to a nearby city and buys live poultry of wholesale commis sion men at the market price, ships them home, fattens them and markets them dressed in the towns near him. Nine-tenths of the food consumed by the fowls must be bought, and yet this man makes a comfortable living out of the work. This Is one case of many, and If this can be done it is certainly reasonable to claim that the farmer, who can raise the chickens from eggs and also the food consumed by them, can turn the result on to the market at a profit. The one cause of failure is not un derstanding the needs of the fowls and how to feed them to advantage. Learn this by experience, and poultry raising will be found one of the most profit able' ventures in which the farmer can engage. Indianapolis News. Profits of a Small Dairy. Having seen several records of dairy farming by some of your read ers, I will let you know what we have done the past year, from January 1, 1903, to January 1, 1904. We started with four cows the first six months. and are cow the balance of the year, one a heifer coming fresh last of June. Delivered at creamery 28,165 pound of milk which mad 1,225 pounds of butter. Total sales for the year a follows: v 1,225 pounds butter... $300 75 16 head of hogs.... 129 64 988 dozen eggs 170 46 2 yearling heifers 21 00 Poultry and calves............ 22 85 Total 644 70 Bought oatmeal, bran, shorts, etc 157 00 Balance, net.. .i... ....... ..$487 70 I don't think this Is a bad showing for a place that some of the neighbors said, four years ago, when we came here, "You can't raise anything on that old place." C K. Ringer. Fodder Rye. The first crop to be of Bervlce in tho spring Is rye, which Is sometimes ready for feeding the last week: In April, and may be continued through the first half of May. It matures very rapidly after the heads appear, and can be successfully used for a period of from ten to fourteen days If seeded at different times, and cutting is begun before it comes in head. Where it is not practicable to practice soiling the crops may be pastured. This method, while more wasteful, is less expensive than soiling. It is very important to have a pasture crop at that season, because coming before meadow pas tures are ready. The crop yields well on , medium soils, though It responds profitably to good treatment It is rec ommended that It be seeded thicker than when the crop Is used for grain. From two to two and one-half bushels of seed may be used with advantage on good soils. The fertilizers should be rich In available phosphoric acid. A fertilizer containing nitrogen 8 per cent, phosphoric acid 8 per cent, pot ash 5 per cent, may be applied at time of seeding at the rate of 200 to 300 pounds per acre. A top dressing of nitrate of soda In the spring at tb rate of .100 to 150 pounds per acre 1 excellent. ' Borne BlgT Texas Ranches. The cattle Industry of the South western range country is to-day repre sentative of an investment of almost $200,000,000, exclusive of the land and Improvements. Some of the ranches cover 1,500,000 acres, and are worth about $5 an -acre. The vast majority of ranches In the Southwest to-day cover less than 500,000 acres. There are only three ranches in the South west that extend over 1,000,000 acres. The X I T ranch in the Texas Pan handle covers 1,500,000 acres, the J. A. ranch in the same community a like number, and the ranch owned by Mrs. King in Southern Texas, near Corpus Christl, Is another immense ranch of over 1,000,000 acres. Colonel C C Slaughter, of Dallas, owns three ranches, In all over 1,500,000 acres, and Major G. W. Littlefleld, of Rose well, N. M., holds several ranches ia the Southwest country. Vegetable Oddities. The Department of Agriculture Is endeavoring to secure the introduction of wasabl, the Japanese horse-radish, into the United States. The Japanese wasabi Is not white, like ordinary horse-radish, but Is a delicate shade of green. In Japan it Is grated and served with the raw fish and forms a most Important part of the meal. It has a fresh sharpness unknown to that grown in this country. Another novelty Is the black winter radish, which is quite prominent in Western, markets. The vegetable Is shaped like a carrot. Germans are very fond of the black radish. They peel It and eat with salt as one would a cucum ber. They are of peppery taste, but make a fine relish. Farm Chat. Overloading the teams is a bad Idea. It will start horses to balking quick er than anything else. An egg broken in the feed of horse Is very beneficial to them in clearing up the skin and hair. A small flock of sheep well cared for is more profitable than a large one allowed to pick its own living. A good judge in farm crop statistic says it will take three bumper corn crops to create a surplus of that prod uct That means three years of hust ling. In testing seed corn we often feel that a seed will be good that is much slower "coming" than the rest of them. It will produce a weak stalk and either no ear or a nubbin. - It will not pay to select such seed. It should be dis carded as doubtful. - With all crops it Is the early cultiva tion that Is the most important Keep the soil clean and in a little while the plants are young and tender, giving them every opportunity to make a good start to grow and it will be a much easier matter to maintain a good growth until maturity. Canadian bee keepers report an un usually severe winter with serious losses. Most bees wintered out of doors unprotected show a very high per cent of loss, ranging from prac tically a total loss to forty per cent. Bees which were protected range, ac cording to the dozen or more reports received, from twelve to fifty per cent Don't forget that little memoran dum book. At no time will it be found to handy as now. Keep it in the pocket and put down everything that needs attention, and then one can look It over occasionally and do that which needs being done the worst without delay. Much loss Is prevented in this manner. I have sorted potatoes when I. should have been sowing grass seed, and a sudden shower came and some other work had to be hunted up. The little "want book" revealed what should be done.