LANCASTER BAILY mTEIUGENGER WEDNESDAY FEERUABY 14. 1883. Lancaster IntcUtgenrst. WEDNESDAY EVENIKQ, FEB. 14. 1883 Uewcn en Discriminations. if e man living is better able te com mand attention tban Franklin IL Gewen, who always says something in a vigorous way that is wertli bearing. The entire honesty of bis convictions is recognized, and his frankness and sincer itv command the respect of even these who differ with him. He appears afresh te-day before the people as the president of a great corporation, demanding legis lation that will compel corporations te just dealing with the people ; complain ing that he is injured, net only as a citizen, but as a railroad president, by the unjust conduct of ether railroad presidents. Mr. Gewen's posi tion in hostility te the Pennsylvania railroad has never been concealed, and it is a natural one for him te maintain as the president of a rival corporation. Few ether men in his place would ob tain credit for any better animus for bis assaults upon the Pennsylvania' mn:irreniHiit Lban that arising from jealousy and clashing interests ; yet Mr. Gewen is credited with the ability and disposition te leek at the encroachments of this corporation from the popular standpoint and te be- really in sympathy with the people in their demand that the carrying companies shall be just in their charges for their service. lie appears before the Legislature te ask for legislation against discrimina tion, but opposes the bill of Mr. IIuliiif,s, prepared for that purpose. His objec tions arc plausible and gene-ru'ly sound. But whether the bill he has framed is a proper substitute may ee oeuuieu. sun stantiaily it forbids unjust discrimina tion in these charges by common car riers, but leaves the tl-cisieu of the in justice te the court or the jury called upon te decide each" complaint. The courts may be appealed te te com mand an unjust carrier te de jus tice immediately : and that would be a geed law. Juries may be called en te give, uiple the damages suffered by the unjust acts of a carrier, but the juries are te determine in any ca.e whether the injustice hns been perpe t'iitul ; and that would be a geed law B'lt both courts and jurif-s are left with out sufficient chart te dfcide as te whether an injustice has been cemmitted: eiiseqiicnlly courts and juries in different places and at dilTeient times will decide differently, a:.d then: will be no certainty and consist ency in the law's adjudications. What the Legislature needs te de is te decide what will constitute an unjust discrimi nation i:: casriage , then it will be the province of courts and juries te enforce thi Lvgi.-dat ure'.s idea. The common law forbids ih:i treatment of one easte rner by a cjiuiiiei carrier diffeivntly from another. Probably a properly ani mated judiciary nrght, under ihe com mon law, ji;v the people all the iv lief they requiie. But it lias net been given ; and the mvd of :i statute defining the right? of the people te a just ra'eef freight has been abundantly demonstrated. We agree that a railroad eliicial ought net te be imprisoned for a failure of judgment, when the question of points in his dis .''.riminatien hi rates of freight is left open. It is necessary te close that ques tien if railroad effrjials are t- be held criminally liable. "What they may de and what they may net de must be sharply dcfinid, se that they cannot honestly err in their decisions. There Mr. Gewen 's objection te holding a rail road president crimina'ly liable falls; for an honest railroad president, could never go astray ; and that is the only kind he is interested in protecting. We sympathize with him, tee, in his objection te informer.-;. They aiv prep ciiy odious people whom only dire news sity would create. Xe necessity exists for them in this case. These who are atrgrieved by a railroad company's ac tieu have .sufficient motive te cause its correction in the courts if they are afforded a way. They de net requi tea vi r elaborate law. What they need is that every common carrier shall be c mipele'd te lake all 'he business offered liem any source, at a like price, te all who offer a tram loud, a car-lead or part of a car 1 ;;d, of like goods, for a like distance, in alike-direction; and te publish their sca'e et charges, being prohibited from varving from it, or giving special and private rates for any reason whatever. With audi a law the function of a court er jury summoned te decide between tl:e carrier and the customer v.uiiid be simple. The company's eluiy would le plainly indicated, and it would only need te be determined whether it ha! done what it was commanded te de, and if net whether it had sufficient exeust ie mitigate damages or te cause the court te withheld its mandamus : in prevision for which possible e-xcuse, 1 he courts and jury should be endowed with some degree of discretion te accommo date their finding thereto- for instance, an unexpected rush of husiiuv-s might find the carrier unprevidr-d wit'r: trans portalien facilities. That excuse should avail for a reasonable period ; but i: should net excuse the carrier who d: 1 net use the utmost endeavor te meet the emergency as promptly as p tjsible. It would net excuse the Pennsylvania rail read, feir example, for its failure, for in- past year eir mere, te provide the Oie.tr field coal operators with cars te move their coal te market. The County Tax Kate. A year age the Ixtklljgkn'Cici: took issue with the county commissioners upon the propriety of their levy e f a three mill county tax and demonstrated te the satisfaction of everybody that it was :u: auueees.-..irIly high rate?, that with the proceeds from it all the likely expenses of the county could be met, sib the maturing debt paid and an idle sur plus of $-50,000 or $00,00 be left en hand at the end of the. year. We felt certain of this because it was easily calculable! that with an iucemie, from the taxes, of $220,000 which a 2? mill rate would have raised all the expenses of tin- county could be met and the $7,750 of lean matured could ba paid The result ' has proved the entire correctness of this estimate. The commissioners' orders for last year amounted te considerably less than the lower rate of taxation would have brought in, and they started in the new year with ninety thousand dollars in bank and ever sixty thousand of county taxes outstanding. With all their " ifs " and " buts " and specula tions of what expenses they may yet have te meet, the naked fact remains that they collected at the least $50,000 mere from the people than the county had any occasion for, and the whole of which must remain idle during all of the coming year te await the payment of leans net maturing until 1SS1. In the face of this experience and these facts the commissioners have laid another three mill tax for the coming year, for which they offer no justitifica justitifica tien except the accumulation of $30,000 mere surplus, se that by April 1, 18S1, tuey can pay off $100,000 of the county debt. There is no speeial demand for the payment of a third of the county debt in one year, nor for the accumulation of a surplus se long ahead. The tax paycis furnish the means for Its liquidation sooner or later, and there is no reason why their money should be taken from them and given te the county deposi depesi deposi eoriestwo years before it is needed te pay the county debt. The last beard of county commis sioners paid off S 10,000 or the bended debt and $-20,000 of floating debt with a tax rate of three mills one year and two and a-halt mills in each of the ether two years of their tfini, besides incurring special expenses for rebuilding the alms house barn, reindexing the lecerds and unusual repairs and improvements at the prison and court-house. The di charge of $10,000 or $1-5,000 per year of the county debt is quite as rapidly as it needs te be paid. There is no occasion for the county expenses te run ever $200,000 a year, and while the valuation is at its present ligurc of eighty eight millions, a two and a-half mill rate will produce enough revenue te meet all ex penses and adequately reduce the bended debt of the county every year. Any rate ever that raises an unnecessary su plus, which tempts te extravagance and which, if net expended, is in the treasury simply for the benefit of the county treasurer or his favored depositories, at the expei-iG of the taxpayers. Bosten is light. te be lighted by electric eje'U peti eieum oxpertalious uew amount te about forty-five millieiiF, but show a decline from 1SS1. uakes ames mends will move te ex- pungu fiem the concessienal record the vote of censure passed upon him. CONSTITUTIONAL prohibition lliaKeS steady pi egress in the Maine Legisla tuns ; Massachusetts rejects the project ei bieaiiial elections anel legislative session The cetiti.d council of the Irish national Land Lcaguu at Buflale.has issued ;i eireu- lir e tiling upon nil Irish men and women and the descendants of such in Amelia:!, te contribute; a special fund of ea; dollar each for the lclief of the famine builders in Ireland. The contributions are te be s;n befeie St. Patrick's day te the treasurers et the different Land League branches. Tiiis is net perhaps the most certain nor re.'i sble way te raise ucec.s-.ary binds. A mere popular system of sub.ijrip',i-ju' w :uld raise meie money. It .-! rikes the North American and a geed many ethers as eminently absurd that a military detachment of Unitetl State; troops should still be assigned te duty at President Garfield's travc. " Even if there were any miscreants who e'ltci taiiicd felonious designs upon the rviu.-tius which are thus pretectee! which thr-re is ue reason te believe the maimer ef the burial would in itself be sufficient t e frustrate such intentions. It would be difficult te assign any geed rea sons "for the further centinuance of the guard, which is in (Linger of becoming piepostereus." It is repm led that the s-oasea of ISSe will see moie biseball clubs in exisleui.e alone time than ever befere, and the de mands for the various ai ticks necessary te the pastimi will oraite a byva hi these goods that manufacturers will uet be blew te take aelvautage of. Even during last season, net particularly remarkable) for the extent te which the game was playeil, ever that of preceding seasons, mere than 5,000,000 baseballs were iu us;;, and neatly an equal number of luts were sold. The exclusive nationality of ibis cntettaiuiug game is a subject for consid eration. While a very few of the forms, and perhaps some of the principle:, of it where embodied in a game said te have existed c:ntuti.3 age in ancient countries, thi ceuntiy can claim the baseball game as (hatiiictly its own as were the Olympic games these of the Greeks, the secular games tbo-e of the early Remans or the cricket that of England. The perfection it has reached here, the perceptible incer poratien of it, in late years, into Ameiican means of amusement, and the recent advantages it offers for a certain degree of noterisiy and an agreeable become te pro fessional player?, indicate it as an institu tion of pleasure that, with perhaps some future improvements, will long remain te incite the emulation of the player and the enthusiasm of the spectator. As a game its excellence is fast becoming recognized and its excitement eDJeyed iu foreign lauds, siuce Australia and even Japan rc ceive from this country the supplies and rules necessary te its indulgence A Strike l'referred te Laber. Last November, the axe factory of Hub bard, Bake well & Ce., at Pittsburgh, was shut down, the firm giving the employees no ether reason for their action than a dullness in trade, but fiually,after weeks of idleness, came a preposition for a reduc tien of wages. Numerous meetiuga were held and last night when another meet ing was held, the firm submitted a prope -sitieu fera reduction of 0per cent, and a bonus of 5 per cent, at the end of the year. The men offered te accept 12 per cent, and tneir eiir was relused, aud a stsike was at once inaugurated. Kfvelverana Axe, At Ennis, Texas, Alfred BaBtine, for merly of Kankakee, III., was shot and killed bv Win. Davis. Ttasfinn wna advancing en Davis with an axe. GOWEN'S GATLING GM- ITIKISG UOUULfc-SHOTTKD CHAKQES. A Brilliant Speech en a Vital Isiue-IMs- cusslDg Freight DucHmtnatlen Cut tlOR out Werk rer Caisidy. Franklin B. Gewen caused a sensation in the hall of the Heuse of Representa tives last night. The senators and repre sentatives were there te be addressed by him upon the Hulings anti-freight dis crimination bill. The public galleries were thronged, and many women, unable te get seats In the gallery, were provided for in tbe passage-ways among the legis laters. Ne place where a person could sit or stand was vacant. Mr. Gewen spoke from the clerk's desk. Before reaching the sensational part of his speech he peinted out what he favored aud opposed in Hul ings' bill. His main complaint was that the bill provided no adequate remedy for the injured. Punish the guilty officers of the corporation, he said, and de net make the innocent share-holders suffer. There arc three great and growing evils in cer perate management UrBt, corrupt control of political power by officers, and second, unjust acquisition of wealth by such offi cers. The bill makes no prevision against cither of these. 1 he third evil is unjust discrimination, which the bill forbid?, although it otters no adequate security for it. Objection te the Hill. The bill gees tee far in sotne respects. Fer instance, it does net take into account that it costs, in soma cases, three times as much te transport freight up mountain grades as down the ether side. The Read ing can't deliver coal as cheaply iu the heart of the city, where siugle cars must be shifted around, as it can at Pert Rich mond. The Pennsylvania railroad, carry ing full train leads of coal three hundred miles without a break, can make mere mouey at five dollars a ten in moving sin gle car leads. Auyhew. the Legislature cannot make tells. This is a contract right of the companies subject te the common law, IIe had serieu3 objection te the bill's prevision for a penalty of $1,000, one-hall" te be paid te the informer. It was beneath the dignity of the com niua wealth te pay such spies for nosing around railroad offices. Let tenfold dam ages be given te fro aggrieved, but noth ing te these chevaliers of industry, who can't make money any ether way. IIe also objected, as a lawyer, te giviug the jurisdiction te au equity court. IIull ings' object was te cempal witnesses te" testify, but the common picas had all the power necessary for this purpose. He objected te making unjust discrimination a criminal eileuse. IIe didn't care te get into the penitentiary because some subor dinate hae! done wrong or made a mis take. Damages no Keiucdy. Having said this .for the railways he would no v, be lcmarked, take the side of the lefermcrs and put in two mere objec tions. The bill would prevent suit against the railway company after the lapse of two ycais. "Why," he said, " it took me two or three years te linel out hew my company was injured by another, and I assure you I don't prope&o te let the thing drop." Secondly, the bill provided no remedy for the great tvd. Damages were ue remedy. A company would often pay damages rather than de what th-. public geed reejui.eei. If a company did net move freight except for its e.va chedcu friends it must be compelled by a mandamus of court te move it and be punished for dis obedience. Drawing a paper fiem his pocket, he s.iid it was a bill which he had prepared te be ellereel as a substitute for tbe Hulings measure. It covered the points that he was making in his speech. lie read it auel then continued his address. The Reading company, he taid, had suf f. r.d giess injustiee by another company s unjust discrimination. It legislators had properly careel for th two great staples of l'eunsyivauia oil and coal this would have placed her en a pinnacle of greatness that could net be reached by any ether state The greatest railroad of the state Jia 1 closed its doers against transportation of these great staples, except te a fc7 favored friends. Of the twenty two mil lion barrels of crude petroleum cxpeited lass ear all were; controlled by the Stand ard oil company except the two millions. This the Tidewater pipe line get. This mouepoiy would net exist but for the festering of the Standard cerapauj by railroads of this state aud one or two in New Yerk. An Attack en tlie Standard. The Standard company was continuing by unjust disciimiuatien te weik against the Tidewater company. The latter com pany reeiuircd the use of ether railroads besides its own, the Reading, te transport its products from the lelineries. Te show hew it was lie;: ted when it applied for transportation 3Ir. Gewen read tetters te the Chester oil refining company from Agent Wils-n, of the Philadelideia, Wil mington aud Baltimore railroad, oue of the lines coutrellod by the Pennsylvania railroad, in one instance tne oil company were iufermed that it would bs charged 30 cants a barrel for nil from .Thurlow, a short distance below Chester, te Washing ton, 125 miles, while Mr. Gewen haiel net mere than that was charged for the ."30 miles from Pittsburgh te Washington, by way of Harrisburg aud Baltimore. An An other letter from Mr. Wilsen told the com cem pauy that the railroad would carry oil irem Thurlow te Ljck Haven for 23 cents per hundred pounds, but would net allow empty cars te be brought for the oil. XV no (lvrii the State. "The cars," said Mr. Gewen, exciting laughter, "must be brought en a wheel ban ew or en a canal beat or in a balloon. New, if I saw my friend, the attorney en eral of this commonwealth, I would like te show him these letters " The laugh caused by this quickly sapped when the speaker, firing up and lO'iitttig iiKi; a lien ready te spring, aeieled: "If I weie attorney general and saw thene letteisl'd see who owned this com monwealth." Stamping of fee t aud clapping of hands among Democrats and Republicans weie excited by this declaration. Iho Standard Oil Company." the speaker almost hissed, " leeks ou all this Mike a vulture en the battle-field ' wait ing ler a corpse. If the Standard pcople succeed in crippliug its little struggling rival, it will take two years before any ether competing line can reach the coun try and meanwhile the Standard company will grind out of the pcople an additional two hundred millions of dollars. Give me this bill and I won't need the aid of the attorney general of the commonwealth. Applause A man nameel Patterson in the oil country filed a bill in equity against ui, representing that he was a stockholder of the Tidewater pipe line. We believe that the Standard bad paid him te de this and we forced out of him a confession that such was the fact. During his proceedings against the Tidewater company he sajd he had been employed te gather testimony for the commonwealth iu its suit against the Standard company te make it pay its taxes. He confessed that the Standard company had paid him $7,500 te suppress that testimony. IIe suppressed it, aud with the $7,500 he bought thestcck iu our company. If there's any cause for our attorney general te institute proceedings it's this heic. I am prepared te testily and new before the Legislature of this commonwealth I charge that the Standard oil company bribed a witness with $7,500 te suppress testimony. A Startling Statement. Senators and representatives were startled as much by Gewcn's manner of making the accusation as by the charge itself. They whispered te ena another that there would seen be music in the air. Mr. Gewen said if such a bill he new of fered had been passed ten years age this curse of the commonwealth festered by railroad companies could net have grown. Besides, with a revenue of net mere than fifty cents from a barrel of oil the commonwealth would have been $1,000,000 richer today. Ne ceur.tryin Europe or Asia in which such a statement should bj heard a3 he new made would delay te overturn the strongest dynasty that ever sat en a throne. But the pa tience with which the American people subject themselves te outrage was prover bial. He, for one, however, was net go ing te try te submit te it any longer. " I have felt oftentimes," he said, " that if I could only leave my ether duties I would begin with all the zeal and extermination of Peter the Hermit when be undertook the crusade and all ever thU great state, from Lake Eric te the Delaware, strive te raise up such a peweras would teach these people that ' When once the slumbering passions wake, Tlie peacctul are the stienjj.' " Anether Complaint. Mr. Gewea's next complaint was that, although the Reading was the largest owner of aanthracite coal lands, yet noue of its coal would be transpertcel ever the Pennsylvania unless sold te oue or mero of three certain parties. Only these three were given nuch low rates that they could afford te take the coal, but the Reading was net going te threw off thirty or forty cents a ten te make that arrangement; work. The speaker proposed te change this fdieulel ihe bill pass. IIe sarcastically told why he had no reason te attack the Pennsylvania. Te it was due the many recent improvements made by Reading. "Our company," he added, "is about building a read from Harrisburg te Pitts burgh. Then if you move the Legisla ture te Philadelphia we can buy your capitol grounds ler a depot anel build up an industry Jieie that will de as much yoeel as the Legislature, daughter. Tlie traffic the Pennsylvania has given us will amount te millions in a few years." IIe had, however, ene grievance aaainst the Pennsylvania. It was for what it had dene te David W. Sellers. The speaker differed from Sellers in having been a Domeerat since birth, although never having a chance te vete for any oue who was elected. Sellers was some years age turned te Democracy by conviction hew, it passed the speaker's comprehension. IIe did net see hew a state's lights Jeffersen ian Democrat by conviction could ceme before the Heuso railroad cemmittee aud in his argument for the Pennsylvania railroad against the Hulings bill say that the state of Pennsylvania has no power ever its corporations and that the nation only can control them. Xlie Gewen mil. The laughter grew into a great rear when Mr. Gewen added : " There must be a great deal wrong in a corporation that could lead such a geed man a? Sellers se far astray." Mr. Gewen's concluding werels were that the passage of his bill would he the dawu et a pure and geed tlay for the commonwealth. Crawford, of Philadelphia, chairman of the raiiread committee, who hae! intro duced Mr. Gewen and presided, new called his committee away for private delibera tion. Before the !ap?e of ten minute", after the crowd had dispersed, the com mittee unanimously decidcel te report the Hulings bill favorablyaltheugh a majority of the committeeman really want te see it killed in the Heuse. Such committeemen new regret that they delayed se long te act en the bill, for they de net like Gow Gew en's Gatling gun at all. They feel that they might Ii.ive prevented it. Hulings approves the Gewen bill and sajs Iio will support it tis a substitute for his ewd. Spciker Faunce is understood te regard the Dcmeciatic bill as au excellent Deme cratic measure and ether Democratic lead ers agree with him. Uncle Jake Zieg'tr will introduce the Gewen bill and FuMi, of Philadelphia, v;:il fellow with a motion that it or its principles be adept,d as an amendment te the Hulings bill. .1TINM ITIMtiKlitKX, Accidents nml Oltut-i; Kepericd liy tlie -Herning iMnllh. A freight train going east en the Lehigh Valley railroad, :-trucl: and instantly killed Cerneiius Mcllhaney, the watchman, at Glendale station. James Andrews, of Cornish, Me., has dieel freii hydrophobia. IIe was bitten last spring an ! the deg wa killed. Tlie h iij-) of Johi Kennedy, near Edgerton, Wis., was destroyed by lire and his daughter ( ibeut 11 years old) au-1 a young son were burned te death. The Glebe nbber jewelry factory, 219 and 221 Canal street, New Yerk, occupied by several fiims, was half burned out yes teiday afternoon. The less is estimated at $100,000. The Austriai ship Imperatrica Elisa belta, from Cadis for New Orleans in ballast, was destroyed by fi i e en Monday night off the passes of th-i Mississippi. Her crew were saved by a pilot. Jehn Luke, acd 10, wan burned te death at Shamburg, a few miles from Titusvillc. IIe was engaged rs engineer at some eleven or twelve wells owned by Mr. J. J. Goe Iw'm, all of which w-rj worked from one boiler. It is supposed au explosion of gas took place, which knocked him down and set fire te the boiler house, ills body was found, terri bly charred, a few feet from the building. xiiii sunken ejmr.iUA. 'i'.ie W.i. or Tislit Ceiupitrtuicnt-t Suiyect te no -ppctHi i;eul:ltte:jH. At the sitting Tuesday of the court of in quiry. at Hamburg, concerning the Cim bria disaster, the wreckage of the Cimbria, which had hi en left an beard the Sultan after the vessels drew apart, was submit ted for inspection. Experts deposed that the collision occurred while the Cimbria was turning te the right and the Sultun te the left. The manager of the Haniburg-A niei ican steamship company gave formal evidence relative te the com pany's rules concerning their vesse s. The company's machinery inspector deposed that the cempauy enjoined no special reg ulations in regard te shutting the water tight doers upon starting upon a voyage, or when in fog ; the matter was left te the discretion of the captains. The wit ness was unablc-te say whether or net the eloers of the Chnbria's water-tight com partmeut had been tested before she started ou her fatal voyage. Experts tes tified that the damage the Sultan had sustained was really considerable and that it would have been dangerous te turn her head te the sea. UISCOVJCItfKO MATUKAL GAS. It Hursts Frem the Ground, Causlnj a Vire. ana saves sso.eoo ;i Year. Early yesterday, while several mea were drillinfijthe ground in a ravine, near the New Yerk city plate glassworks, Creighton station, they encountered a flew of natural gas. T c drill had penetrated the well te the depth of ever 1,000 feet, when there was au cnormens Hew of gas, which caught lire at the engine and in a short time enveloped the derrick, com pletely destroying it. The discovery is considered very fortunate. The gas will be used by the company for beating pur poses, and will be equal te a saving of $80,000 a year. Ten lean of Crlina. At Chicago in the trial of Jehn Kudle, a Monmouth, HI., merchant, for conspiracy with the employees of Phelps, Dedge fc Palmer, te steal the firm's goods, the testimony te-day developed the fact that Henry Spaulding, storekeeper of tlie firm had been stealing from them for ten ycai3. Spaulding could net say hew many thou theu saud dollars the thefts amounted te in the aggregate. He has been premised immunity. THE TERRIBLE EL00DS. THE SITUATION IN I.CUISVir.L.S. Iho Lem or J.ite In Cincinnati Greatly Ex. iitfKerated The Ohie i:iver en tlie icuuiiage. When the break of the embankments along the Ohie river at Louisville came en Sunday night, aud the cut oft dam ever ceme by the terrific weight of water irem abeve gave way instantly with a loud rear the tloeel rusheel ever. It may be imag ined with what force the waters came when they had a fall of fiem fifteen te eighteen feet te the low ground beneath. In less time thau it takes te tell, the yel low tide was sweeping in from all parts. The unfortunate people were surprised iu their houses. With a mighty rush the waters swept from square te square, ra pidly rising in the houses aud swerving many from their foundations. The scene was awful. The rear of the water could net drown the screams of the terrified ones escaping from the deemed dwellings. Skiffs shot about from win dew te window ; men, women ami ciiil drcn waded through the advancing water, each with whatever household goods they could lay hands ou. Bonfires glimmered from the high ground which the peer outcasts had gained. Hundreds of people shivered in wet clothing about the smoky fires. Te au observer, who stands at the feet of Jacksen, Shelby or Clay streets, it is impossible te understand why the less eflife was net much larger. The scene beggared description. Pcople who wete blissfully sleeping in the foolish cenfi cenfi dence that the embankments would shel ter them, were rudely awakened by the Heed coming into their beuses. Seme were even surprised in bed. When the stroke came it was like lightning ; iu the darkness and cold they tied the watery death, half clothed, anel carrying nothing with them save their children and help less ones. Ne scene of a broken dyke in Helland can be mom terrible or mere thrilling. The panic was indescribable, cjuplcd with the awful rear of the waters and the shrieks of the teirer stricken people as they hurrieel te higher ground, leaving their furaiture and homes, and everything te the mercy of the water. A large part of the city has constituted itself into a relief committee with the mayor at its head, and all that can be dene is being deue. The entire northeastern part of the city is a picture of utter destruction. Thirty-11 ve tquarcn are inundated. The situation may be briefly summed up as fellows : All the point is under water and the country beyond the cut oil', com prising 150 houses, and known as Browu Brewu ville, is flooded. Half of Pertlaud and all of the shipping pait are in waves. Ail day long yesterday a stream of peo ple passul up and down the Shero Line traak te leek at the ruin wieught by the swollen river. The outlook is appalling. Houses are overturned, some en their side and some almost en their reefs. Other buildings arc crushed te pieces. Most of 'he houses are small cottages of fra'l construction and, perhaps, eue-third of these in the Heeded locality have been swept from their foundations. Iu the lower hollows of the bottom lands, the: water is within a feet or two of the reefs of the heu-es. The cutiie neighborhood is doing r.I! it can for the succor of the sufferers. Several persons were rescued along thewhaif. The river ce.itinucd te rise slowly all day aud yesterday was about CGI feet at the f.i.-.t et the canal and 41 feet at the head. Tlie weather was warmer and a light rain fuliiug, v, ith indi cations of an increase dm ing the night. The rise is new an inch above the tloeel 1:347 and eight inches below that of 1SU2. O.i ihe p.iint where the disaster eceuneel the iloed extends ever a snaee mero than -i quarter of a mile wide an I mero than a milu in length. Over 250 houses arc cither under water ere k-e Coating about. The fact that the water wacempara:ive! sti' prevented most of the houses from (bating away, aud most are tied with cables. A gratifying feature of the lleeui is that comparatively low persons are thought te have lest their lives. Mi.iy esc.ipan.s of houses in the submerged districts had moved awayand tuns escaped.The fact that survivors ate scat teied ever the city the leudcis it impossible te make a detiuite statement as te who are lest and who saved, aud it is Mifiieient te say that the death rate is smaller than the circumstances in dieate These known te be. lest aie Jehn Finch and bis eon, a small boy, Geerge Lynch, Edwaid Harris, Geeige Bell, Harry Browning. A lieutenant of poliee and bis family, consisting of his wite and three children, are missing, but it is hoped that they have moved out. Se far as hcaitl of all these yet alive have been le moved from the houses. A man, whes name was net learned, was seen frantically calling for lieip from the deer eif a house floating down the river this afternoon, and was rescued with a skiff. IIe had been in the heuse all night and all day. Mayer Jacob chartered the steamer Mattie Hay.-", with a corps of men, ami traversed the submerged districts, taking off a number of poisons and supplying feed. Many were in this way succered.a net all the houses aie entirely submerged, the upper stories of some being habitable aud the ewneis still remaining. ():jc man was found clinging te a tree. As the men appreachrd he cried our, " Ge ever te that house. There is a woman and several small children ever there. I will held en until jeu save them." The heuse was 50 yards away. The men sh-..ufed, but befere they reached it the house turned ever and was carried away in the rush of the waters. Ne noise was heard from the heus- aud lietuing is known as te whether the pcople were ic.-ctied or net. The man clinging te the tree was rtssued, anel de clared that a woman and .several children were in the hcuse when it turned ever. IIe did uet knew their names. On Point Shippingspert arid Portland oae thousand houses are under water, the vast majority of them owned by peer people. The authorities have taken steps te provitle feed and lodging. The beard et trade is raising a fund and individuals are sub sciibing liberally. Entertainment! for the benefit of the suffereis will be held. Tlit3 CIXUlXN.lTI msAsrER. Tlie I.e-s e! Mre Met Su Great as KoperteU. The situation in Cincinnati last night was one of great terror. It is thus de scribed in a dispatch from that city : " Tuero is a tremendous amount of water above, and the indications are that the rain storm is about te enter the Ohie Val ley. There is therefore no hepe of the water receding for two or three days and the prediction is frequently heard that it will go from eight te twelve inches higher. The liver is new eleven inches higher than has ever before been known. Te night there is a light rain falling, and except where electric lights have been put up the city is enveloped in inky darkness. The militia are doing police duty. There is but ene railroad track entering the city that can be used aud that one is two u-m under water at one point. The trains which have arrived and cone out arc fur nished with another engine after running through the water, as the lite in the first eugine is put out and b.nely steam enough remains te pull the train te dry ground."' Thousands of pcople trudged along the wafer's edge yesterday te gaze upon the mighty Ohie, which bids fair te reach a point higher than any attained for fifty one years. Men, women and children, most of whom never before saw such a river and will probably never witness such a waste of waters aai.n, lleckcd te the Eceiie of the great iloed and, with the activity of the business men engaged in the removal of goods te places of safety, presented a picture which Cincinnati has never looked upon before in its history. Ne words can describe the vast extent of waters. It is a great inland sea, extend ing for miles en either side of the rushing Ohie, and theusinds of buildings are buried beneath the almost unprecedented Heed. The largest ocean steamer ceulel ride ou the Ohie new with perlect ease and there is enough water in Millcreek Bottems te float the entire United States navy. Yet the great river continued te mount higher all day and the down-town merchants who thought the crisis had been reached felt sick at heart and became alarmed lest the rise would never cease. The damage by the floods is incalcula ble, for the most careful precautions could net Have prevented the serious destruction et property which is certain te fellow the booming river. There is nothing poetical in tne appearance of the river, for what ever majesty has accompanied the high water is robbed of its charm by the squares et submergeel minings for miles along the banks and the fact that huu dreds of people are rendered homeless and thousands of workingmen and wemeu in the big factories are thrown out of em ployment, for, no ene can tell, hew long. Theic is stremr ereuntl for hone that the disaster at the Southern railroad depot was net attentieei with se great a less of life as reported. The matter has becu in vestigatcd aud but for the pesitive stato state niQiit of one man it would be difficult te say that any lives were lest. That man is a baggage master. IIe says there was a great number of peeple ou the platform, and that he thinks at least twenty-five went down into the water. This statement he repeats. All the ethers pre eat saw no one in tne witer and believe no ene was lest But they all admit there was reat alarm and hur ried flight se that people miht have been engulfed and net seen by theso fleeing. Lethmau the cashier had sufficient warn ing te enable him te seem e $2,000 cash, but net cunuiit save all the money in the safe ; $200 or $300 was lest. With the cxc2ptien of four members of Coup's circus who are reported missing nothing like a definite statement cm be made as te the less. Twe employees of the railroad company are missing. The company shows enough confidence in the stability of the reraainim: portion of the depot te use it. Trains ar rive aud depart regularly, but access te the freight depot is cut oil. PERSONAL. Lett.v has just leaned $100,000 auel Mary Andersen has $75,000 seeking in vestment. Beth arc single. PitOFESSen Cii.vsm.Ei:, of Lehigh uni versity, has been appointed by the pre.si dent a member of the assay commission. feAML'Ei. Wn.LiTs, whose wiil hasjut escn niimitrcil te probate m .New lerk, left $000,000 for education and charity, including $100,000 fei Swarthmerc col cel lege. Omveii P. FeKi;s:,iAN, proprietor of the City hotel, Williamsport, died yesterday, after a hhert illness, at the age of :53 years. DanielS. Lokthi:ei a car wheel man ufacturer of Albany, New Yerk, aud brether-in-liiw el ex Governer Stanford, of Calheinia, died yt-sterelay at the age of 58 yeats. Hans Ven Bltew, the pianist and com poser, has bat si at death's deer, but he is lepertcd r- be recovering, aud te have re sumed work with his ere-lie.-ti a in Mcinin gcu. Ce.c;hi:ss.max i:r.r.e r K.nuti: Nelsen who represent a veny 1 ire;e district iu Mm neseta, was bem in Norway. He is slight of frame and of medium height, but strong of imisele. His blonde beard is full and ie.ig. IIe is a I.xwye-, but net a fasci nating orator although he is kuownferhis Ureegln and wit in debate. Rev. Ciiaiiles Nagf.l who since 1S7G ha been the pastor of the Moravian ehurdiat Lilitz, has icccivcd an official invitation te becotue the hucecasei of Rev. E. T. Kluge in the BetUehcm pastorate, whom he succeeded at Lititz. The reverend gentleman hesitates te aeeept the call aud may submit it te the let, in vogue among the Meravians for decision iu that w.y. Ricuakd Waeneii, the eminent com poser, died in Venice at 4 p. in. yesterday. He was the son of an actuary of peilicer.ml was beri; in Leip.sig, May 22, ISIS. His early education was impufcer, his father elyiug when he was but a few mouths old, but he wrote plays when twelve years ef age, and at fifteen decided ou music as his art. He attained ihe highest rank and death ends his wei Its of genius at a time when his extraordinary powers had net begun te show any signs of exhaustion. Senateic elect Bewen of Colerado, takes no stock in official simplicity. When hogetoick te his town of Del Norte after his successful campaign he reele from the railway station in a coach drawn by six heis-eu, plumed and bedecked as if for a festival, iu the tear of the Del Norte fire department and a cavalcade of mounted men. Bills wen; rung, flags unfurled, and anvils and giant powder were shot oil'. Having shot oft rht! anvils, the town then did the same with champagne b.-.ttles, anel se ou. Uambliug Heuse rer "llUdecI Youth" Kalileu. Seven ai days age Dr. Heward Cresby received an anonymous ueite informing him that a fashionable gambling Iieu-!C was in full op-ration en Fifth avenue, opposite the: Hetel Brunswick, New Yerk. This was turned ever te Captain Williams, who, single-handed, raided the place yes terday. He found an elegantly furnished suite of rooms fully stocked with first class gambling paraphernalia. The only person in the rooms was Prank A. Jenes, the dealer. lie was locked tip. Later the proprietor of the establishment, Reb't II. Diedrieh, w:n also arrested. It is said that the place was a popular reseit for the " gilded youth " of the avenue. A War et rf.itc TlireutencO. The Ohie and Missisippi and the Indian apelis and St. Leuis railroad companies aie accused of cutting rates en grain te seaboard perls, and Commissioner Fink has telegiaphed te St. Leuis, stating that unless something is speedily done te per vent it there will be a shaip war of rates, and he asks for a meeting of the general manager:; with a joint excutive committee en the 21t instant te see if the trouble cannot be averted. The Veiraiile .Small Hey. A young woman living near Williams Williams pert recently swallowed a pin, which ledged crosswise in her threat. After the physicians had given up the case as hepe less, the young woman's little brother per saaded her te swallow a button, te which was attached a string. When the button was swallowed the boy jerked the string and dislodged the pin. The young wo man's threat was somewhat tern, but net serieu-Iy injured. Incendiary Hint iteatli. Twe weeks age Jehn Sheffield, a disse te character living near Madisen, Wis., quarreled with his family and left th.-m. Oi Tuesday their heuse was set ou fire aud two of Ida daughters, one aged 14 yeans and the either au infant, were burned te death. Mrs. Sheffield barely escaped in !:! night clothes. Great excitement prevaiis, as it is the universal belief that SheOield set fire te the liens . fitkli or BqnilK. Jacob B. Leng, broker, sold yesterday i.t private sale oue $1,000 Quarryville R. R. 7 per cent bend at $117. LIGHT WANTED. ON TUE SUU JKCT O k-CO UNTX FINASUE.S The Three ihUl Tax Inquire.! Iute-WImt It Costs te Knn the County Laying Vp for a 1-altiy Il.iy. Editors Intelligence!: : In looking ever the financial st : meat of the cennty commissieuers, as published, we find a balauce iu the hands of the treasurer (we give round numbers) of $90,400.00, with outstanding taxes amounting te $07,000.00. We learn that the commissioners have levied three mill tac for th-j present year, which, en a valuation of $83,000,000, will raise an additional sum of $201,000.00, making a total of 122,000.00. According te the report, the total expenditures of the county Ter the pa -it year, including $25, 000.00 for leans and interest paid, were 3214,000.00. W" understand that there is no part of the c .a i.'y lean which will ma ttire during the present year. Ner are theic any extraordinary expenses te be provided for which will be likely te swell the expenses te a larger sum than theso of the past year. Wc, therefore, as a tax payer, and in behalf of the tax payers of tbe county, ask, why is it that this very large excess of $193,000.00 ever the, actual needs of the treasury is n.qiiu-. d ? or iu ether words, whether a tax of t. te mills would net have been ample te meet the wants of thetreas ury and leave a i-uilieijiit margin for all contingencies Gee. W. Hensel. Qi-AitUYviLLE, Feb. 12, 1SS3. tuk cei;,tMissie.-ji:us INTi-UVlKWr Why They l- ,i , Tliroe 31 HI Tax. A representative of tSe Inteli.ieknc ei: who waited upon the county commissioner.-; te inquire regarding the matters touched upon in the foregoing coiicspeutiencn found all three i mMi.Nbieuer.s at their pest of dut;. a-id willing and anxious te euluten the public with respect te thJr administration. It is true, they admit, that they have levied a tlnee milt county tu:i for the com ing year, that ' t.ver.iga annual ex penses or the --, r.y, exclu-ive of ii.ttis paid, are net mere than about $200,000, that a three mill levy en the taxable property of ilu: county will raise; $20-1, -000,000 an-i rha- ::- county bends fall due befere April 1, ll Iu explanation of the tpieries of e.ar correspondent ar.d of the enotmeus sur plus which Ik- p:,i ;t, ou will lie idle ia the county tre:iM:i, i ::uig the coming year the com mis i.uera My that the $00, 457.10 en hand Die. :tt, 1SS2, has been materially r.due. d tince then by pay ments out of ths er.mty treasury m exees: of receipts ; that a considerable portion et the balance in the treasury and the out standing taxes yet te cone in will b abseibcd by necessary payments te be made befcre the t tx-s :' the new year are collected ; that from tlie $07,000 tax out standing are te b deducted all the com misbieus, abatements a.;d exonerations ; extraordinary expenses for bridges, stu-et damages, & may be iifiirreu this year. gee.-U snti it is and that as the times are and the pn p u encraliy ficd te bear a th.-- mill tax, deemed prudent te :. eumuiate a large surplus, se that bv April 1, 1831 when a large portion of tee county elebt is p lya ble, at the option of lli-i county, $100,000 of it, can be paid ed. interact en that amount stepped, and if the tinn-.s art! hard the tax r..U: can theu be seduced ln'2 mills or 2' at the most. Te the inquiry whether in their .jiitrr merit it was gene! policy te tax lire p-ep!ei for the aecuumlat.i.-n s-e long ahtd, of an idle-sin plus t pay a elebt net due until April 1, 1884, Mr. Siuumy, of the beard, answered affirmatively, tie thought that was geed housekeeping. Mr. Ilildcbranel secmttl te be of the opinion that an ue nccesirily larg- surplus v.msi accumulat ing and referred te tivs fact that he had opposed the abatement, of 4 per cent. oi ei fened j'abt year for i empt 'payment of taxes', because them w.xr, no occasion te hurry this money int. the county treas ury, this yearthc ab ;teui'-nt had been re diiced te t) per cent., though he thought it might have bjen m ; le 2 pr c.uit., and this time for the payment of the tax was extended te July. The commissieners: all agre.-d that at the present rate of taxa tion it would be pe s.ble te pav off $100.- 000 of the comity deb en Apiil 1, 1SSI. luey further thin!; die public eiiiriit te be enlightened up m the fajf. th.it ?h commissioners have u control ever the expenditure of large am -nut of th- meney for which they have te draw eidess. The chat itable institutions, magistrate, court expenses, elections and read damages on en on r.titute the bulk ef the county':; expense and in the payment of these bills, cer. traeted by the leg-.i authority of othei than tlsems-'ivcs, th.; cjiuinissieuers have little or no discretion. Inquiry nt the treasurer's offices as te the b.il met' new ou hand v.-.n answered by tins informal iutt that tee county balance at prcgeiu is about $03 000. St. Valentiiift'it Uny. This h the day en which laels and lasses che se their sweet hearts, anil the birds cheese their mates. The former use Uncle S.i'uV mail for n -tying their urn trettv. messages te and fro. and the small boy and tbe jealous tival ihb the same convey ance for venting the. spleen er poking fun at the "spe.i'xn:." Ordinarily the pretty birdrf de their billing and doing aud singing aud chitting, epanly and in the face of ail th : world, hut te elay the in exorable groundhog, the most ancient, the most distinguished aud the most reliable of weather prophets, has driven the little twitterers into thu frieud'y sh-.iter of hedge-rows, or under the. caves of houses and barus. It is even darnrereus for an ardent lever te venture te carry his tender missive tothcpe.-.t.ffic?, for the pavements are as slippery a-, greased glass, and mero than one p'nr n '.ew ha;; sat down where and when be did-t't want te. Let ua hope noue of th'jin may "slip up" in their prospective engagements. Postmaster Mirshail informs us that the number of letters dropped for city- de livery yesterday and te elay, was net se large ar. en some preceding Valentine: days but that among them wres meie line . i d apparently valuable ones ; and that the number sent out of town it larger th.su usual aud ef a finer epiality. ST5MS11UK!; M5WS. The Kveiiih or Interes: In That Koreugli. On Satusday evening, Feb 17, 188IJ, a meeting of the citizens of Strasburg borough will be held in Massacoit hall for the purpose of settling r citizens' ticket te be ve'ed ter e,n TucMiay. Feb. 20, 18:j. At! e:ti'ns wsthi.ut distinction of parly, wli .areii favor ef an honest, progressive bureujh government, have been invited te attend. The meeting will ba called te order at 7 o'clock. Mr. Chas. (Jsciner, ii the poscsse- f two old Spanish ceu-is. with the following iijieh their ic, p"f;vi mJiu : " Hispau, J et Ind. R--C rn. Q R. T. II.," :;ud crown e ones side. T'.e date, " lSOe, Carel-is, HI, Di. Gratis," ar.d the emperer's lime! en t'-f . tl'cr ii!,. Th" second coin is similar te the firs'-, wilts the exception of the el-ite which is 174. A lively debate i-; expected next Mon day evening in Mas.-it-eit hall, Feb. 19th, ou the eiuestiea, " that the statesmen of te day are retrograding."
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers