SWIFTEST AFLOAT.
Battleship Illinois Exhibits Re
markable Speed.
In a Trial Hun Olf (hi- Jla«»B<-lnmett»
(oust Mir I>evelu|»s an Avtrajie
Speed of Jlore than 17 Knot*
an Hour—Faatrat *lil|! of
Hertlasa ill (he H orltl.
Tloston, June 13. —With the proud
distinction of lieing the fastest, battle
whip in America and the speediest of
her class in the world, the new sea
fighter Illinois lies at anchor in Presi
dent's Roads after a most successful
trial. Over the government course
from Cape Ann to Cape Porpoise and
return, a distance of 00 nautical
nii'es, she raced yesterday under the
TriE I i ATTLESH IP ILL'.N OIS
watchful eyes of United States naval
representatives and established a new
record by maintaining an average
speed of 17.31 knots for four consecu
tive hours. Not only did she demon
strate that she was faster than any
warship of her size afloat, but she
proved her ability to turn upon an
enemy with extraordinary quickness
by describing a complete circle with
in 300 yards, or little more flian twice
her length, in three minutes and
three seconds, while plowing through
the sea at full speed
Steadiness and reserve power char
acterized the performance of the ship
tlirougnout the severe test. The
work of her engines was smooth and
even, and the records of the day i
showed one-tenth of a knot difference
in speed between the northern run
and the return. The machinery eas
ily met every requirement and not an
•accident of any hind occurred.
Hear Admiral Sampson, who was
aboard, and Hear Admiral Evans, who
acted as president of the trial board,
as well as the other naval officers who
participated in the trial were tho
r nghly pleased with the new cham
pion. and as she steamed back to her
.-anchorage with a broom at her mast
head, the officials of the Newport
News Ship Building Co., whose three
years of labor had reached such a
happy climax, were enthusiastically
•congratulated.
IS FULLY ACCEPTED.
rail- < u••mi < oimtlliitlonal C onvention
Atlopt» tile l*latt Amendment With
out Any Strlns* 'l'letl to It.
Havana, June 13. —The Cuban con
stitutional convention yesterday ac
cepted the Piatt amendment by a vote
•of 16 to 11. The rsolution to accept
was carried without discussion. Im
mediately after the opening of the
session Senors Tamayo, Villuondas
and Quesada, constituting a majority
■of the committee on relations, sub
mitted as a substitute for the com
mittee's former report the I'latt
amendment as passed by congress,*
recommending that it be accepted
and made an appendix to the consti
tution.
Senors llivera, Correso, Gener and
Be ban were absent. The latter vot
ed against acceptance in the previous
division. Senor Ferrer voted with
the conservatives, explaining his
change of attitude by asserting that
he believed acceptance would be the
best solution of the problem.
The convention will now appoint a
•committee to draw up the electoral
'law.
Washington, June 13.—The news of
the adoption of the Piatt amendment
by the Cuban constitutional conven
tion was received with genuine grati
fication here. The administration
officials all along nafe felt conti lent
that its ratification would be accom
plished when the Cubans realized
that this government was firm in its
attitude regarding the amendment.
Now that the Cubans have demon
strated their good faith in the United
States, it is expected that a fairly
evacuation of the island will
follow, contingent only U]>on the es
tablishment of a stable government
in the island.
ISiiK'lierlnwii Tied !•']>.
San Francisco, June 13.—Wednes
d»\r afternoon the union butchers re
ported that, about 1.100 men had
walked out, and that Butchert.own is
tied up by the slaughterers quitting
work. Between 100 and 150 shops
out of a total of 350 have retained the
union cards and about 400 men are at
work. The wholesale butchers, how
ever. claim that there will be no dif
°.eultv in supplying meat to their cus
tomers. They will not furnish any
to houses showing a union card. The
union men have had offers of meat
from the middle western .states
A QUESTION OF DOLLARS.
.Tlarhlnlatt*' Mrike Hm Hftolied 1l
•elf lulo u itiiollon of Which Farlf
« an Control the .Tlost itloney.
Xevv York, .June 13.—The Herald
of the machinists' strike and the
National Metal Trades Association's
recent action:
"At the headquarters of the strik
ing machinists in this city yesterday,
a cable dispatch was received from
the Amalgamated Society of Kngi
tieers in London, promising l financial
aid. This society is the strongest
trade union in the world and is said
to have over $8,000,000 in its treasury.
The American Federation of Labor
will tax its 2,000,000 members ten
cents each for the striking- machin
ists.
"Furthermore it was announced
I last nig'ht by the strike committee
of the .New York district lodge of
machinists, that the iron inolclers,
electrical workers, pattern makers,
tool makers and metal workers in
general had promised togo to the as
sistance of the machinists in the event
of a combination of manufacturers
against the strikers. It wis assert
ed that a general sympathetic «trike
of machinists on all railroads in the
United States and Canada was among
the possibilities."
The convention of the National
Metal Trades association finished its
session yesterday. The closing hours
of the convention were devoted to the
completion of organization and the
final arrangement of plans to
strengthen the hands of the manu
facturers in their fight against the
striking machinists. The sum of $500,-
000 raised by assessment is to be
placed at the disposal of a strike com
mittee to be used in behalf of the em
ployers.
Asked as to the use of this fund,
\V. J. Chalmers, chairman of the press
committee, said: "I suppose we will
use i' as the strikers do, to support
their fellows, pay pickets and ~eet
other general expenses. We used
SIIO,OOO in the Cleveland strike, where
we paid some men a lion us of $4 a
day. There are millions more if they
are needed. We have received a tele
gram from the Pacific coast pledging
114 out of 135 firms to membership."
The convention decided to make no
definite declaration as to the length
of a day's work, leaving the question
to settlement locally. After discuss
ing the matter the following resolu
tion was passed:
"The declaration of principles
makes the question of hours and
wasres a local issue.
"Resolved, That this association
will support any regular member in
his endeavor to confirm to said declar
ation of principles. '
Newport News, Va., June 13.—The
strike situation at the Newport News
Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co.'s yard
has reached a critical stage. In ad
dition to the striking machinists,
'about 500 in number, and the 200
skilled men from the electrical,
plumbing and pipe fitting depart
ments laid off on Tuesday, 150 more,
chiefly laborers, were laid off yester
day. *
A Tfrrlblp Storm.
Traverse City, Mich., June 13.—A
heavy rain and hail storm passed over
Traverse City and a portion of Grand
Traverse county yesterday. One inch
and a quarter of rain fell in one hour.
Hail stones as large as hens' eggs fell
in some localities. Fruit was stripped
from trees and strawberries were cut
off and ruined. Three sons of Wil
liam Eikey took refuge in a barn dur
ing tlie storm. Lightning struck the
barn, instantly killing the elder,- a
boy of 14 years. The others are still
unconscious.
Nub murine Boat Lanixbrd.
New fork, June 13.—The submarine
torpedo boat Fulton was successfully
launched yesterday at Elizabeth, N.
.1. She was built by Lewis Nixon for
the Holland Torpedo Boat Co., and is
similar to those being built at the
Nixon yard for the United States
navy.
A Hunk lirruUi.
Peru, Ind., June 13. W. S. Greene,
manager of a private bank at Denver,
this county, which was forced to sus
pend payment on Tuesday, and who
disappeared that night, rurncd up
yesterday. His statement shows lia
bilities of $6,900, with about $3,30!) of
assets, of which only S2OO is in cash,
(ireene is also treasurer of the Odd
Fellows' lodge. TTe claimed that he
deposited $3,500 in a bank at Logans
port as collateral for the furtherance
of his ownership of a basket factory
at Denver. Great excitement prevails
lere.
CAMERON COUNTY PRESS, THURSDAY, JUNE 20, 1901.
MENACE TO SOCIETY.
John Alexander Dowie, King of Re
ligious Confidence Men.
Rales III* Follower* with Iron Hand,
Pocket* the Lion's Share of
Their ICitrnluK* and Abuses
All the World.
[Special Chicago Letter.l
TIIR religious confidence game is
a money-maker par excellence.
From time immemorial there
have arisen so-called prophets and sons
of prophets. Every nation and every
sect have paid tribute or given follow
ers to one or more impostors who
posed as (iod-sent apostles and
preached recognition and social re
form by simply
"Stamping God's name upon a lie just
made,
To turn a penny in the way of trade."
The religious confidence man is a
cosmopolitan sort of chap; and that
is why the United States, with its
mixed and somewhat nomadic popula
tion, has been Ids favorite field of
operation. And of the cities in the
United States, Chicago has been his
Mecca.
The oily Sehweinfurth established
his headquarters in tiie modern Baby
lon at the foot of Lake Michigan, after
he had been driven out of Michigan,
where he began operations, and his
somewhat less notorious imitator,
Teed, likewise selected Chicago as his
headquarters. Both of these oleagin
ous individuals found hundreds of dis
ciples; especially Sehweinfurth, who
proclaimed himself as the Messiah.
Hysterical women flocked to hear him,
and transferred everything t hey had in
the world to the "community" of which
he was the head—the whole tiling, in
fact. He might have ended his days as
a very rich man had not his baser na
ture triumphed over his by no means
inferior intellectual and business at
tainments. But in an hour, evil to
himself and beneficial to his dupes,
he established a community house near
Rockford, 111., which he called
"Heaven," but which, according tooth
JOHN ALEXANDER DOWIE. GENERAL, OVERSEER OF ZION.
ers, was nothing but a harem. The
people of llockford forced him to leave
their town, and in the course of time
Schweinfurtli disappeared altogether
from public view. It has been stated
that he has turned over a new leaf and
is leading- an exemplary life. For the
truth pf this rumor the writer cannot
vouch, although it comes from a fair
ly reliable source.
Before the Schweinftirth excitement
had sibsided there appeared in Chi
cago s nother prophet, whose name Iris
since become familiar to the newspa
per renders the world over —John Alex
ander Dowie. He came from Australia,
spoke with an oily tongue, called him
self a doctor of divinity and the found
er of a new faith cure system of heal
ing all diseases. Ilis assumed humil
ity secured immediate recognition.
Several churches opened their doors to
him, and his first proselytes were made
in houses of worship whose people he
has since denounced as "children of
the devil." lie made some remarkable
"cures" and preached a series of pow
erful sermons. Within a short time the
pauper immigrant from the Antipodes
had accumulated enough capital to
buy a handsome pair of horses and a
carriage and to equip a large taber
nacle, printing house and sanitarium in
VVoodlawn, the world's fair district of
Chicago. These outward manifesta
tions of prosperity were followed by
the founding of the Christian Catholic
Church of /ion. of which he mad.e him
self "general overseer." His "hospital"
soon degenerated into a public nui
sance; and the property owners of
Woodlawn, under the leadership of
George \V. Itiggs, instituted a series of
legal proceedings which terminated in
a victory for law and order, as far as
the location of the sanitarium was con
cerned, but also resulted in advantage
to Dowie, who pn«»d as a martyr be
fore his dupes, and induced them to
buy a valuable piece of property at the
corner of Twelfth street and Michigan
boulevard, then known as the Imperial
hotel. He renamed it "/ion," refur
nished it I hroughout, and advertised it
far and wide as the headquarters of
the new religion. Subsequently ad
ditional real estate purchases were
made and new buildings erected, and a
year or so ago his people sanctioned
the purchase of a raluable tract ut
land near Waukegan, 111., where a mod
ern city, to be known as Zion, is to be
built.
The Christian Catholic church claims
a membership of 10,000; and as each
communicant is supposed to contribute
a lion's share of his or her income to
the overseer in the forin of tithes, it is
not surprising that Dowie can live in
the lap of luxury. The humble exile
of ten years ago assumes all the dig
nity of an Indian nabob and for a
stranger to approach him is about as
difficult as to secure an audience with
the pope. He still preaches, but evi
dently only for the purpose of abusing
those who do not agree with him.
Many of his remarks are positively
libidinous, others would do credit to
a Hamburg fishwife. In word and ac
tion lie is puffed up by arrogance, and
although sio far nothing has been said
against his personal life his actions
would indicate that he is the slave of
some drug or else on the verge of in
sanity.
Looking at the man from a purely
commercial point of view it cannot be
denied that as an organizer and finan
cier he has few superiors. Starting
with nothing, he accumulated $4,000,-
000 worth of property in less than a
decade, founded a bank conducted for
his personal benefit, and laid the foun
dation of what may become a pros
perous and important manufacturing
town. In spite of opposition from
press and pulpit he is holding together
thousands of men and women who
would prefer death to the loss of their
faith. That such devotion should turn
the head of any man is not unnatural;
nor is it surprising that Dowie consid
ers himself a second Klijah and the ob
' ject of many of the prophecies of the
Old and New Testament. As the head
of the most perfect religious oligar
chy of our day he occupies a position
without parallel in the history of this
or any other country.
Much of his success is due to hyp
notic power, which he possesses in a
remarkable degree. A vast percentage
of the so-called "cures" performed in
: the early days of the movement were
due to this force, and to it he owes his
fame as a healer. His unprecedented
I financial triumphs are the result of
nerve and the gift of selecting compe
tent assistants. It is said that in em
ploying heads for the various depart
ments o f ° "'on he has not made a single
mistake, . ich, if true, stamps him as
a wise judge of human nature. The
men intrusted with the management
of the vast machinery of the /ion or
ganization are paid liberal salaries
more than they could earn elsewhere
—and thus self-interest is made an
ally of religious prejudice.
Attempts to bring the /ion bank un
der state supervision have been foiled
by the clever managers of the institu
tion, as well as honest endeavors to
secure a statement of its resources and
deposits.
The numberless slaughter of inno
cents—men, women and children, who
die by the score, and might have been
saved by rational medical treatment
has attracted considerable attention,
but thus far the law has not been able
to protect the victims of /ion fanati
cism. Very recently the wife of one
of the church's most prominent offi
cers, H. Worthington Judd, died un
der the most distressing circum
stances, after Dowie had "prayed" for
her recovery. Physicians of all
,schools are unanimous in asserting
that the woman's life could have been
saved. At the coroner's inquest, her
husband volunteered the information
that his wife had not asked for med
ical aid, and if she had he would not
have consented to her receiving it. Such
is the bigotry of the followers of
Dowie. This same Judd, by the way,
is the man who assisted Dowie in giv
ing an alleged expose of Free Masonry
several months ago. He had been a
Mason for many years, but Dowie con
vinced him that all Masons are "devils"
and "children of the devil," hence he
considered the act of violating his ob
ligations as one of merit and entitled
to Divine reward.
Such in, in brief, the character of
Dowie and the work he is doing. How
much longer his reign may last it U
hard to say; but that it will end igno
miniously may be taken for granted,
because no system of religion based
on personal aggrandizement and tha
storing up of wealth for wealth's sak*
has ever endured.
G. W. WEIPPIEKT.
BUSINESS.
CrraCrr Confidence Prevail* and th«
Labor Situation I* Gradually ln>*
proving.
New York, .Tune* 15. R. fl. Dun <S
Co.'s Weekly Review of Trade says:
Confirmation by the agricultural bu
reau of recent private estimates o
tlie wheat crop, has given to busines:
a tone of greater confidence. Ketai
operations both east and west art
larger and distribution of merchan
dise by itic wholesale trade is increas
ing in dry goods and boots ant
shoes. The labor situation is gradual
ly mending, with the appreciation o:
the fact that, in some directions
manufacturers would be glad oft
temporary shut down of works.
Pig iron production on June 1 was
at the rate of 314,r>0. r > tons weekly
This establishes a new high watei
•mark. An Interesting feature of the
situation is the decrease of furnaces
in blast to 252, which is 4 4 less thar
were actively employed February 1
1000, when the weekly output was
298,014 tons.
Seasonable weather has aroused the
dry goods markets. There is not yet
such activity that dealers are over
whelmed, but the various divisions ol
manufacture are fairly occupied and
heavy supplies of print clothes at
Fall River have decreased. Forward
ings of footwear from Boston have
averaged over 100,000 cases weekly
for some time, and shops are well en
gaged. Prices are steady.
Wheat declined to a more reason
able level with withdrawal of specula
tive support. The government report
of condition on June 1 was chiefly
responsible. A crop this year equal
to the greatest ever harvested was
indicated by the official statement,
and as department figures have gen
erally proven below the final yield,
there was heavy selling of options,
with a fall below SO cents for cash
wheat at this city.
Failures for the week numbered 179
in the I'nited States, against 102 last
year, and 23 in Canada.
FLAG DAY.
Tlip Anniversary of llio KSirtli of "Old
lilory" In Fittingly <>l»wcrv«*tl.
New York, nJne 15. —The annual
meeting of the American Flag Associ
ation was held in the city hall Friday.
This association is a delegate body
composed of "flag committees" of 13
members each from 57 veteran, mili
tary. patriotic and historical societies
in all parts of the country. Its spe
cial object is to prevent the desecra
tion of the flag and to promote popu
lar reverence for the emblem of the
nation.
The president's address showed
that, through the efforts of the asso
ciation, legislation for the protection
of the flag from desecration had been
obtained in 19 states. A resolution
was adopted urging all patriotic or
ganizations to ask for national legis
lation for the protection of the flag.
Buffalo, X. Y„ June 15.—Patriotism
was the theme at the Pan-American
yesterday. All paid tribute to the
stars and stripes. The formal exer
cises were held in the Temple of Mu
sic under the auspices of the Daugh
ters of the American Revolution, the
(irand Army of the Republic and oth
er patriotic societies. Lieut, (ien.
Miles was received with applause, the
entire audience rising to their feet
and cheering him. (ien. Miles re
viewed the history of the flag.
Washington, June 15. —Flag day
was appropriately celebrated in the
immense audience hall of the pension
bureau Friday. Commissioner Ev
ans and other officials and clerks and
many of their friends congregated
there to listen to a concert which was
patriotic in tone. The program
closed with the singing of"America,"
in which the entire audience joined
with splendid effect. The big build
ing was appropriately decorated.
Found Five Indictment*.
(irand Rapids, Mich., June 15.—Five
indictments were returned Friday by
the grand jury which has been inves
tigating an alleged waterworks scan
dal. The names oi the indicted men
are: Thomas F. McGarry, Stilson V.
MacLeod. Lant K. Salisbury, Gerrit
Albers and Henry A. Taylor, of New
i ork. It was expected there would
be a dozen true bills returned, among
them a number of aldermen. Tay
lor's arrest was ordered in New York
by wire. The local men arc now in
custody.
The Wood null"* ton ventlon.
St. Paul, Minn., June 15. —At Fri
day's session of the convention of
Modern Woodmen America. Indian
apolis was selected as the place of
meeting in 1903. An application from
underground miners for permission
to join the order was refused. The
contest of the uniformed teams con
tinued at Camp Xorthcott. The l'on
tTac, 111., team toon the lead in the
competitive drill. The score was
99 1-40, the highest that a Woodmen
team ever attained.
Would Mot Ob|eet to an Ocean Kaee#
London, June 15.—-When the atten
tion of Sir Thomas Lipton was called
yesterday to a report that his secre
tary had announced his willingness
that the Shamrock If. should race
across the ocean with the Indepen
dence if a cup were offered, he re
plied that he had made no arrange
ments for such a race, but did not
see why he should not do so after his
engagement with the New York
Yacht club was concluded.'
Callahan I* Held tor Trial.
Omaha, Neb., June 15.—James Cal
lahan was yesterday held for trial
in the district court on a charge of
perjury alleged to have been com
mitted in one of the Cudahy abduc
tion cases. Hail was fixed at $1,500.
Blildle Im Convicted.
Pittsburg, June 15.—John Riddle,
charged with the robbery and subse
quent killing of Grocer Thomas 1).
Kahney, wis convicted Friday of
murder in the first degree.
<;efi. Km-llrr Die*.
Indianapolis, June 15. —(ien. Fred-
I prick Knefler, colonel of the famous
Seventy-ninth Indiana regiment in
the civil war, died here last night.
A CRASHJNA RIVER
A Ferry Boat Rams the
Steamer Northfield.
THE NORTHFIELD SINKS.
A Disaster on the East River,
Jsew York City.
SEVERAL LIVES WERE LOST
ICntlmutc* Vary Urratl) tiftlo the Mum
brr of People Ihut W>rc Druuiiftf
-11 ll ml redx ol People Wirr ltrKi'Ut'il
from the Muliluy Klcaiuer>
New York, June 15.—The wooden
been in the service of the Staten
sidewheeler Northfield, which lias
Island Ferry Co. for the past 38 years,
was rammed last night by the steel
hulled propeller Mauch Chunk, used
■as a ferry boat by the Central Rail
road of New Jersey. The collision,
occurred just off the Staten Island
ferry slip, at the foot of Whitehall
street, and in less than ten minutes
afterwards the Northfield, which
was crowded with passengers, sank
at the outer end of the Spanish line
pier in the Bast river.
The .Mauch Chunk, which was badly
damaged, landed the two dozen pas
sengers who were aboard of her. Over
a hundred of the passengers of the
sunken Northfield were dragged out
of the water by people along shore
and the crews of the fleet of river
tugs which promptly responded to
the ferry boat's call for help. A few
of the Northfield s passengers were
hurt in the accident and the police
believe that some lives were lost.
( apt. Daniel Cully, of the tug boat
Mutual, who saw the ferryboats
crash together, says that immediately
after the collision between and :;i>
of the passengers leaped into the
water and that many of those per
ished. ('apt. (Sully also declares that
be is sure 100 of tile North field's pas
sengers were drowned. The captains
of other tug boats who were early on
the scene, however, ave inclined to
think that the disaster was not so
serious as regards the loss of life.
The reason for such a difference of
opinion as to the extent of the disas
ter is that the wildest excitement
prevailed on the Northfield. The tug
Mutual saved in all about 75 persons
from the Northfield and the tugs
Unity and Arrow saved between
them 150 persons. Two policemen of
the Old Slip station claim to have res
cued nearly 30 people.
As soon as the crowd which had fol
lowed the sinking ferry boat along
the river front were able to render
aid they worked with a will, and in
many instances men sprang into the
water to save life. The greatest serv
ice was rendered by the tug boats,
which as soon as it was possible
circled around the Northfield and!
made a bridge to the Spanish line
pier and men and women clambered
over the tugs to the shore.
While the Northfield was well sup
plied with life preservers, which were
stored in out-of-the-way places, not
more than two dozen of the passen
gers were able to get the life belts
on. This state of airairs was because
the life preservers were not handily
obtainable and the wildest panic fol
lowed when the hundreds of passen
gers realized their danger. This was
only a few minutes before the North
field sank to the bottom of the river,
and then all who had not jumped to
the tugs found themselves in this
water.
The swift running flood tide and
the question of which boat had the
right of way was the cause of the
disaster. ('apt. Abraham Johnson
was in charge of the Northfield and
Capt. S. ('. (Sriffin was in command of
the Mauch Chunk. Each lays the
blame of the collision on the other.
As the bumping of ferry boats is
not unusual in this harbor, the pas
sengers on the Northfield did not for
a minute or so realize the seriousness
of the collision. When, however,
two firemen ran up on deck to save
themselves from the inflow of water
and the Northfield was being driven
full speed up tb '" *" 't river instead
of down iu.. Island and
all the time screani.. „ .... ». ?lp, they
knew that something serious had
happened. Then commenced the.
panic, which continued until the
Northfield went down. At no time
was the Northfield more than 500 feet
out in the river beyond the bulkhead
line, but the tide was running with
the velocity of a mill race, and had
the vessel sunk out in the rtreatn
only the tugs would have been able
to give assistance.
There were 12 teams on the North
field and they al! perished. The offi
cials of the Staten Island ferry boat
said that there were probably not
over 600 passengers on the Northfield
at the time of the collision. The
passengers say that the crowd num
bered fully i.200 men, women and
children.
(ilrl* Poisoned by lee Oram.
Clinton, la., June 15.—Sixteen girls
who attended a social at St. Patrick's
church Friday are lying unconscious
from ice cream poisoning. It is be
lieved several of them will die.
.Hade Five New Record*.
Buffalo, N. V., June 15.—Five new
American records for junior athletics
were established on the stadium yes
terday in a series of splendidly con
tested games arranged by the Ama
teur Athletic union. The honors of
the day went to Detroit A. ('., whose
men were foremost in record break
ing and winning.
Theatre Hurtled.
Lynn, Mass., June 15.—The Empire
theater was destroyed by fire last
nig'at, causing a loss of $50,000 on the
tmilding and losses to occupants
amounting to about SIO,OOO. t
3