HILLS WRECKED; PEOPLE PERISH Cloudbursts Cause Disaster In South Carolina. THE LARGE MILLDAMS GIVE WAY. Property Losses Ma; Reich $2,000,000 A Mighty Torrent Rushes Through Two Mill lof Tswos hi a Valley, Sweeping Every thing Before It Storm Burst Over Spir. taabarg at Night Two ol the Picolet Mills sod Two ol the Clifton Plants De stroyedThe Pacolet Company Also Own. fltba Ruined Mill at Gainesville Huo art 4s ol People Homeless and Thousands Oat al Work. Spartanshurg, S. C. (Special). A torrential rainstorm visited this region, resulting in general destruction of life and property. All the bridges and trestles on the main line of the South ern Railway were washed away. The greatest destruction of life and prop erty occurred at the Pacolet, Clifton and Glendalc cotton mills. Wires are down and reports conflict ing, but it seems certain that 25 or 30 people drowned, mostly mill operatives. Hundreds of people are homeless, and 2000 or more thrown out of employ ment The Pacolet Cotton Mills Company sustains the heaviest property loss. President Victor Montgomery estimat ing the loss to the plant at $1.: 150,000. About 1200 operatives in these mills are tnrown out of work, and m a few days will be in need of bread. A 6 o'clock it was noticed that the water was rising rapidly in the I'.icolct river, but no special importance was at tached to it by the mill operatives, who began to form in line to enter the mills. At Mills Nos. I and 2 the water pres sure soon became dangerous, the boiler rooms were submerged and the work men were ordered back. A little later the raging river struck Mill No. 1, sweeping the plant entirely away. The strong current then swept against JCo. a, demolishing that mill and leav ing only the clothroom standing. The fcig bridge over the Pacolet rircr, a Meel structure, was then carried away by the flood which had burst through the dams. The warcroom, with nearly 4000 bales of cotton and 4000 bales of domestic cloth, followed, all the cotton being carried down stream. At Pacolet Mill No. 3 one-half the jicker-room and live stories on the left aide of the loner bulletin? were washed mway. The main building, supported ! by a thick brick wall, is still standing, but is very shaky, and mav collapse at any time. The boilcrroom is gone, but the smokestack is yet standing. The dam at No. 3 is intact. All the ma chinery in this mill is ruined. At Glendalc four warehouses filled with cotton and cotton products were wept away, along with the dam across law sons Ford and the trestle of the city electric raiway. The mill at Glcn 5ale was not materially damaged. At Converse the main building of the Clifton factory collapsed, and the water rose till the second floor of the mill was four feet deep 40 or 50 feet above the ordinary watermark. The Converse Mill is utterly demolished, nothing Rtanding except the picker-room build fag, which is badly wrecked. The Qifton Mill No. 3 also lost its boilcr room, machine shops, engincroom and smokestack. The Whitney mills on Lawsons Fork were damaged by the heavy rise of the water and some houses and a steel bridge aj that point were swept away. At the Tucapau mills the water rose to the second floor of the building and considerably damaged the machinery. Description ol the Mills. The Pacolet Manufacturing Company 3ias three mills, capitalized at $700,000, but probably $t. 500.000 would be more correct, and is fitted with 57. 200. spin dles and 2202 looms. The first mill was built in 1KS1. has motive power of water and steam and makes heavy sheetings. The company built and own ed the Gainesville mill which was dc ttroyed recently bv a tornado. The Clifton Mills Company has a capital of $1,000,000. A. H. Twichell. St. is president. The lant has iot.ooo spindles, 3254 looms and makes sheet ings, shirtings and drills. Like a Johnstown Disaster. Charlotte, N. C. (Special). A special to the Observer from Columbia, S. C, says: "A startling report has iust reached Columbia that Lake Sapphire, in West ern North Carolina, is said to have broken through its retaining walls and to have descended upon the 'lains le low with great fury. This may affect the cotton-mill industries 011 the Sen eca river, in Pickens and Anderson counties." CAR'S WILD DASH. A Deiea Passengers Injured by a Tumble Over Mountain. Orange, N .J. (Special). Twelve per aons were injured, one critically, by a trolley car jumping the rails while dash ing down the Orange mountain. That cithers were not hurt was due to the lateness of the hour, for every one aboard received more or less serious injuries. The car was standing on an incline, and the motorman had left it, taking the contiollcr with him. It is believed that the brake-chain broke, or that sorry? of the passengers released the brake-clvtch. At any rate the car atarted, and with ever-increasing mo tcectum dashed down the mountain. Pbi:ip?!:s Ceoius, Washington, D. C. (Special). A re port has been received at the war depart ment from Genera) Sanger, who has charge of the census in the Philippines, in which he states that the work of tak ing the census of the islands is progress ing very well. General Sanger says that the reports thus far received indicate a Christian population of 7,000.000. The population of Manila is, in round num bers, 320,000. To Capture Dewey. Topeka, Kas. (Special). A message from St. Francis says Chauncey Dewey &d his cowobys, under arrest for the al leged murder of the Berry family are yet atfe. The settlers have formed a quasi suilitary organization it is underitocd, and are outspoken in their determination that Dewey and his men shall not escape. A military company from Oaborne is ow on its way to St. Francis. More than fifty mile of the distance will have to be covered by an overland march. Iiosvercr, and it will be Tuesday before tlxjf can reach there. THE LATEST NEWS IN SHORT ORDER. Domestic Something of a panic was caused on the steamer Marthas Vineyard by a col lision in Vineyard Haven with a fishing schooner. A number of the passengers were injured. J. C. Ingersoll, of Illinois, United States consul at Cartagena, died at Colon while on his way to New York. He was a nephew of the late Robert G. Ingersoll. Miss Cora I Oliver was married in Albany to Joseph H. Choate, Jr., son of the United States Ambassador to Great Britain. Eppingcr & Co., a large grain firm, of San Francisco, went to the wall and caused a flurry on the exchange in that city. Noah Bates, a tvgro, upon whom sen tence of death had been passed, commit ted suicide by hanging himself in jail at Selma, Ala. The use of toy pistols on Decoration Day is responsible for an epidemic of lockjaw in Pittsburg, Pa. Estimates by lumbermen place the loss from fires ami drouth for Northern and Eastern Maine at $3,ooo.oco. Argumerts were begun in the United ed States Court in St. Paul, Minn., in the case of the State of Minnesota against the Northern Securities Com pany. The Hamburg-American liner Deutsch'and went aground in New York harbor, but with the assistance of seven vessels finally succeeded in getting off. The big levee on the Mississippi river just below St. Louis broke, and the greater portion of a farming sec tion of too.ooo acres will be flooded. W. J. Idclman, deputy collector of customs at Forty-mile river, Alaska, was arrested on the charge of embezzle ment. E. F. Newman, a druggist, formerly of Ithaca, N. Y., committed suicide in Honolulu by shooting. Lives lost in the flood at North To peka. Kan., now number 78. The strike of the Philadelphia carpen ters was settled by compromise. The Baptist church in Rochester, Minn., was blown up bv dynamite. Gen, William Pattoti died at his home, in Columbia. The bodies of 7 more flood victims were found at North Topeka, Kan., and the list of known dead has reached 71, with .10 identified. Scores of peo ple are still reported missing. It is feared that the bad sanitary conditions in which the floods have left the cities may cause sickness. The mayor of Gainesville, Ga., in a statement of the conditions in the tornado-swept town, says the dead will number 125, the injured 300, the home less 1500, and the financial loss $600,- 000. Appeals have been issued for con- I tributions of fr. id and clothing. j An order was filed in the United j States Circuit Court in Charleston, S. ! C, for the sale of all the property of the Atlantic Coast Lumber Company. The strike of the machinists on the Union Pacific was finally adjusted, the company granting an increase and a nine-hour day to the men. Burglars broke into the postoffice at Thomusvillc, N. C, blowing open the safe and taking about $700 in money. There is no clue. The wages of all the train and yard men in the service of the Omaha Rail- 1 road Company was voluntarily in creased. Forest fires are causing much dc-! struction in the Adirondacks and the ! mountains of New England. I foreign. Emperor William, in an address to the , conductors of the singing societies at the festival at rrankfort. criticised them lor not singing German folksongs. Dr. Sachs, a young Yiencse physician, died of the plague near Berlin. He be came infected while engaged in bacterio logical work. MM. Bertraux and Guyot dc Villc neuve, of the French Chamber of Depu ties, fought a duel, the latter being slight ly injured. Hugh J. Cannon, superintendent of Mormon missions in Germany, and his wife have been ordered to leave Prussia. Four Bulgarians, convicted of partici pation in dynamite outrages at Salonica, have been sentenced to death. The legislative council in Bloemfont cin, Orange River Colony, unanimously adopted the customs convention. P. A. McIIugh. M. P., was arrested at Sligo, Ireland, for contempt of court. t'rof. Sir William Crooks, before the International Chemical Congress, in Berlin, spoke of the possibility of re ducing all the elements of matter into a single form of energy. The Venezuelan government forces have reoccupied San Felix, on the Ori noco river, this being the first step in the march of the government troops upon Ciudad Bolivar. An old German military sergeant has been dismissed from the army and sentenced to imprisonment, having been convicted of 1(16 instances of abuse 01 soldiers. The court in Paris appointed a spe cialist to take charge of John C. Breck inridge, a wealthy insane California!!, for whose custody his wife and mother were contending. Prince Ferdinand Maximilian, head of the ancien' German House of Isen burg and Budingcn, was burned to death in his castle, at Wochtersbach. A serious famine is threatened in the trans-Caspian territory in consequence of the plague of locusts. The governor of Cape Colony, Sir Walter Hcly-Hutchinson, opened the Parliament. Premier Combes staled in the French Chamber of Deputies in reference to the security of Algeria that troops had been sent, but that there was no ques tion of conquest, or even temporary occupation, of Moorish territory. A S:. Petersburg newspaper urges that the Russian government publish in American newspapers sketches of the tr.v flations between Russia and the United Stales to offset the attacks upon Russia. Financial. Manhattan's earnings for the last two months gained $-'65,000. The average price 01 commodities is r.ow below that of a year ago. Atchison has lost nearly half a mile of track on this bide of Kansas City. Prince reports a "slight improvement of weather crop conditions cast of the Mississippi." Hocking Valley Railway directors have declared the regular semi-annual dividend of 2 per cent, oh the preferred stock and 1 1-3 per cent. 011 the coin-r.-.on. This week the banks have lost to the Subtreasury almost $6,000,000 as a se quel to gold exports. The financial public will forgive neither operators nor miners if they permit an anthracite strike. International Smokeless Powder peo ple say their earnings are 10 per cent, above last year's figures. Chicago & Northwestern's net earn ings for the year ending May jl were $5 -.1714, against $6.045. .158 in igoj. It was reported in Boston lhat a syndicate is being formed to take u;i 40.uj shares ol Dominion Coal shares, which weru carried by Ames & Co., who lilrd MASSACRED BY FIENDS Two Hundred Women and Children Are Murdered by Turks. THEY DIE DEFENDINQ THEIR VIRTUE. Atrocities of Turkish Troops In the Village of Smerdash The Insurgents Retlrt to the Mountains, tht Basbl Baiouks Bombard and Set Flra to the Town and Then Attack Women and Children. Monastir, European Turkey (By Ca ble). Horrible details are arriving here of the slaughter of the inhabitants of the village of Smerdash, south of Lake Presba, May 21, by Bashi-Bazouks. It appears that on the arrival of the Bashi Bazuoks Chakalarofl's band of insu-- gents withdrew to the mountains with out sustaining any loss. As no rebels were left in the village, the inhabitants experienced no anxiety until suddenly, at Sunset, the Turks, who had com pletely surrounded the place, began a regular bombardment, whereupon all the villagers assembled in the streets. Though the artillery ceased firing during part of the night, the Turkish infantry fired all nieht long. The artil lery bombardment was resumed at day break, but as it was ineffective, the Turks set fire to the village on all sides, and began a general massacre, slaugh tering women, children and the aged. About 300 houses were burned and upwards of 200 persons, mostly women and children, were killed. The women and girls were killed while resisting out rage. Whole households were slain. One family of seven were slain and their bodies were heaped on the hearth. Not a living soul was left in the vil lage. The survivors, many of them half burned or otherwise injured, fled. Some of the fleeing villagers were captured and had their cars and noses cut of! before they were butchered. The report adds that 1500 villagers were in the mountains, without clothing or food. One band of these, consist ing of 40 women and children, were caught by soldiers in a ravine and were killed alter horrible treatment. FIGHTINQ ON TURKISH FRONTIER, A Band ol Bulgarians In a Conflict With the Turks. Salonica, European Turkey (By Ca ble). There was a renewal of the trou ble on the frontier. A band of 1200 Bulgarians crossed the frontier near Djumabala, and Turkish troops en countered another band of 20 men north of Pctrich. Three of the Bul garians were killed and the remainder escaped in the darkness. A court-marital here has condemned four Bulgarians to death. Washington (Special). Reporting to the State Department from Constanti nople, Minister Lcishman says the gen eral situation remains practically un changed. There have been no serious outbreaks since that time at Salonica, but serious uneasiness prevails. So far the Turkish authorities have acted with commendable promptness and moder ation. The failure of the Salonica plot has considerably discouraged the agitators in Armenia. TERRIBLE LOSS OP LIFE AT SEA. Two Freoch Passenger Steamers io Collision Near Marseilles. Marseilles (By Cable). A terrible i shipping disaster occurred a little dis tance from this port when two passenger steamers, the Insulairc and the Libau, both belonging to the Fraissenet Steam ship Company of Marseilles, came into collision. The Liban sank and over 100 ' of her passengers and crew perished, i The steamer Liban left .Marseilles on i her regular passenger trip to Bastia, Corsica, and was run down and sunk by the Insulairc off the Maire islands. The collision was witnessed from the pilot boat Blechamp, which was about two I miles distant. The Blechamp imme diately repaired to the spot to render as sistance. The force of the collision had cut a great hole in the Lilian's side and she already was making water rapidly. Her captain saw the only chance was to run the steamer aground, and the Liban was headed full speed for the shore, but within seventeen minutes of the collision and while still in deep water the forepart of the steamer plunged beneath the waves and in a few minutes later she had en tirely disappeared. In the meantime the Blechamp; the steamer Balkan, also belonging to the rraissenet Company, and other vessels had drawn near the sinking ship and were making desperate efforts to rescue those on board. The Blechamp picked up forty persons, many of whom were at me point 01 exnausuon. 1 11c oaiKau rescued thirtv-seven passengers, and up to the present it is known that in addi tion to the passengers seventeen of the crew were also saved. FLOODS AND DROUTH. Conditions Not I'nnii a , as Shown by Weatber Bureau Reports. Washington, D. C. (Special). Willis L. Moore, chief of the Weather Bu reau, was asked if his bureau had any information of the reason for the pres ent great drouth in New England and New York, in view of the great floods and rain in the West and Southwest. Professor Moore stated that the records of the Weather Bureau show that v henever there was a series of floods or heavy rains in one part of the North American continent there was sure to be a drouth cr scarcity of rain in an cther portion. Grave Situation la China. Washington. D. C. (Special). Com ing close on the heels of a long report from Rear-Admiral Robley D. Evans, commander-in-chief of the Asiatic squadron, concerning the grave inter national situation in China, the assem bling cf his squadron in Chinese wa ters is regarded here as significant. The battleships Kentucky and Oregon and the protected cruiser New Orleans have arrived at Chcefoo, the monitor Monterey and the collier Pompey at Shanghai. The gunboat Villobolos has sailed from Kow-kiang for Nan-chaug. Swept by Hurrtcaa. Manila (By Cable). A hurricane has swept over the Philippine islands and great damage has been done to shipping. The Unifd States transport Shamshus is reported to have been wrecked. This, however, has not been confirmed. The United States steamer Prarla de Visayas was lost off Camotes island. Part of her crew was saved. The United States teamcr San Rafael and the schooner Mayflower were driven ashore off Or moc, West Leyte, and will prove total losses. All ou board these vessels were aved. NATIONAL CAPITAL AFFAIRS. Tht Postolllce Scandal The Postmaster General sprang an other surprise when he announced that warrants were sworn out in Baltimore by Inspectors J. D. Sullivan and R. H. Simmons for the arrest of Thomas W. McGregor, a clerk in charge of the sup plies for the Rural Free Delivery Ser vice, and C. Elsworth Upton, of Balti more, one of McGregor's assistants, on tht charge of conspiracy, with Charles F. Smith, of Baltimore, to defraud the government in the purchase of the leather pouches furnished the rural car riers throughout the country. The indictment of Mr. August W. Machen, the former superintendent of the Free Delivery Service, had been ex pected, but the arrest of the two subor dinates in his department came without any notice. Their arrest makes seven in all since the investigations began. Other a'rests are expected to follow. "Thomas W. McGregor and C. Els worth I'pton were arrested upon war rants sworn out in Baltimore by Inspec tors J. D. Sullivan and R. D. Simmons, charged with a conspiracy with Charles E. Smith and others to defraud the United States government in the pur chase of pouches from C. E. Smith, of Baltimore. The complaint sets forth that McGregor and Upton agreed with Smith to obtan for him orders for many thousands of leather pouches such as are used by rural letter-carriers. The price agreed upon was 90 rents per pouch ; the actual value was less than 50 cents. Smith was to pay to them the difference between 00 cents and 50 cents per pouch. It is stated at the department that the actual number of pouches which were purchased exceeded 20,000, for which the government paid 00 cents er.ch .or $18.- 000 in all. Smith received and retained of this for his own use $10,000. The re maining $8,000 was paid to McGregor and Upton. The government could have bought the entire number of pouches from the manufacturers for $8,000. "McGregor was the clerk in charge of rural free delivery supplies and Upton was one of his assistants." Inspector Sullivan is from the St. Louis division and Simmons from the Kansas City division of postoflice in spectors. McGregor has been in the Postal Ser vice since 1891. He came here from Nebraska as a messenger, and subse quently was promoted to a clerkship and finally was appointed by Mr. Machen in charge of the supply work of the rural free delivery service. For Famine Sufferers. The Christian Herald transmitted to Assistant Secretary of State Loomk a check for $10,000 toward the establish ment of a relief fund for the famine suf ferers in the Chinese province of Kwan- gsi. Mr. Loomis deposited the money here and notified United States Consul General McWade, at Canton, by cable that he may draw for the amount of the check. Every report that comes to the State Department, cither by mail or cable, contains the most pathetic stories of extreme destitution prevailing in "nuiigM icauuig io me commission Ol unnatural crime, such as the sale of daughters into concubinage, and there are even hints of cannibalism. Authorities Did All They Could. Signor Mayor des Planches, the Ital ian ambassador, has received from Mr. Spcranza, the secretary of the Society for the Protection of Italian Immigrants to this country, his report upon the re cent disturbances in West Virginia, in wnicn Italians were said to nave sintered from mob violence. Mr. Spcranza's re port shows that Governor White, of West Virginia, did all that could be ex pected of him in protecting the Italians. Action by the Italian government in the face of the facts as they now appear is not, therefore, expected. Seeds for Flood Sufferers. Secretary Wilson, of the Department of Agriculture, said that there had been left in the department's storehouses sev eral million packages of seeds after the close of last year's distribution, which could be distributed among the sufferers trom the Western Hoods it so desired bv them. He added that comparatively few of the seeds are suitable for planting at tnis season. In the Departments. The grand iurv havna; indicted him. United States Commissioner Taylor dis missed the case against A. W. Machen, former superintendent of the free-delivery service of the Postoffice Depart ment, which was pending before him. The Georgia Peach Growers' Associa tion has lodged complaint with the Inter state Commerce Commission against various railroads, accusing them of charging excessive rates to the Northern and Eastern markets. It is stated that John Wirt Randall, of Washington, may be offered the place on the Supreme Bench of the District made vacant by the retirement of Judge Hag ncr. The President summoned a cabinet meeting, the principal topics discussed being the Kisheneft massacre and the postoffice investigation. Chief Examiner A. R. Servcn, of the Civil Service Commission, resigned. Frank M. Higgins, chief of the examin ing division, is to succeed him. Ex-Cashier Tulloch, of the Washing ton Postoffice, wrote a letter to Post master General Payne, in which he says that the charges lie made against the Washington Postoffice management had not been disproven by Postmaster Mcr ritt's reply. The President has asked that more speedy results I secured in the post office investigation. More arrests are likely to follow and a general weeding out of unnecessary clerks to be instituted. The anniversary of the signing of the Italian Constitution was celebrated at the Italian Embassy, where a reception was tendered to the members of the Italian societies. Admiral Evans is assembling the ships of the Asiatic Squadron in Chi nese waters and has reported to the Washington authorities a grave inter national situation in China. A mass-meeting was held, at which letters were read from prominent per sonages and speeches delivered de nouncing the Russians for the massa cre at Kishcneff. President Roosevelt returned to Washington from his trip through the Far West. He was escorted to the White House by the local militia. The Court of Appeals of the Dis trict of Columbia decided the second class mail matter cases in favor of the government, reversing the decision of the lower court. Secretary Hay and Sir Michael Her bert, the British ambassador, signed a treaty (or the imposition of light dues at Zanzibar. Former Superintendent Machen, of the rural free delivery service, was in dicted by the grand jury on the charge of defrauding the government. BATTLE WITH COWBOYS A Father and Three of Hii Sons Are Killed. THREE COWBOYS ARE ALSO KILLER The Family Take Up Land In Kansas tor Homestead Fences of Cattle Company Interfere and tht Old Man and Hit Sona Start In to Cut Them Three Cowboys 00 the Cattle Company's Ranch Open Fire. McCook, Neb. (Special). Meager details of the annihilation of almost a whole family have been received from St. Francis, Kan. It seems that for sometime there has been bad feeling between men employed by the Dcwar Cattle Company and a family named Berry over the possession of certain land. Berry and his four sons are said to have engaged in a battle with cow boys, which resulted in the death of the father and three of his sons, the fourth being seriously wounded. Whether any one on the opposite side was killed or wounded has not been learned. Lincoln, Neb. (Special). A dispatch from Superior, Neb., gives the story of the fight at St. Francis, Kan., be tween the Berry family and some cow boys. Land had been taken up by old man Berry as a homestead. The fences of the cattle company interfered with his passage to and from the roads. Wire cutting on the part of Berry's family in older to get the shortest possible road to town is said to have been the original cause of the quarrel. The cow boys on the Dcwar ranch had threat ened to kill the family. The fight resulting in the five deaths came after a recent trip of the Berry family to town. The father and four sons were returning to their homes. Eight miles from their destination they stopped to cut their way through a wire fence. The cowboys came upon them just as they completed the work. The Bcrrys mounted quickly and the cow boys fire. The eldest boy, John, was wounded, but stayed in his saddle. The farmers had the freshest mounts and soon were beyond accurate rifle range. The cowboys kept up a scatter ing fusilade of shots. Arriving home, the Bcrrvs did not think they had been pursued all the way and they were in front of the house when the party of cowboys rode up a hill a few yards to the north. The shooting began immediately. Two of the Berry boys were killed before they could reach their rifles. The old man and the other two boys got inside the house. There were about 20 cowboys, and they started on the gallop for the house, intending to fire it and burn the defenders out. The-old man and the bovs attempted to escape from the other side of the house and were shot down in succession. Three of the cowboys were killed bv the farmers while they were defending the house. RUIN IN WAKE OF FOREST FIRES. Vast Tracks In New York State Present Scere of Wild Desolation. Glens Falls, N. Y. (Special). Ac cording to telegrams received here, conditions are less favorable for the extinguishing of forest fires than they were twenty-four hours earlier. Thus far the State has been the heav iest loser in the Hudson River water shed. Eight townships lying in the Indian Lake and Cedar River region, in parts of Warren, Mamilton and Essex counties have been burned over. Esti mates place the area of timberlands de vastated in these townships at nearly 50,000 acres. Lumbermen who arrived here from Indian Lake state that the country be tween that point and Blue Mountain Lake presents a wild scene of desola tion. For miles there is nothing but charred timber. Two Students Drowned. Chicago (Special). Jessie Miller, of Lincoln, Neb., and Miss Frances E. Moore, of Davenport, la., both students at the University of, Chicago, were drowned in Jackson Park. Their boat was accidentally upset when they at tempted to climb aboard one of the Spanish caravels still floating in the lagoon. Ten Yeirs tor a Lyacber. Carthage, Mo. (Special). Samuel Mitchell, who led the mob that lynched Thomas Gilyard, a negro, at Joplin re cently, was sentenced to 10 years im prisonment in the penitentiary. Mitch ell was charged with climbing the tel egraph pole and adjusting the rope with which Gilyard was hanged. Train Runs Down a Handcar. Columbus, Neb. (Special). Two men were killed and two fatally injured on a handcar that was run down by a stock extra near Genoa. The stock extra was coming down the Cedar Raoids-Spald-ing Branch of the Union Pacific, The section men were going to work up the track. The engine of the extra struck the handcar about a mile west of town. Phosphorus la Matches. Berlin (By Cable). The Interna tional Chemical Congress at its session adopted a resolution favoring an inter national agreement prohibiting the use of phosphorus in making matches and requesting the international committee appointed at Paris in 1900 to communi cate the resolution to the various cab inets. Beat Wife With Wooden Leg. Atlantic City, N. J. (Special). Mi chael Weinstein, a cripple, is under ar rest here, charged with beating his wife with his wooden leg. She is severely injured and may die. Weinstein, who lost an arm and a leg in a railroad acci dent, became incensed at his wife. It is charged that he unbuckled his wood en leg and repeatedly struck the woman with it. Her screams were heard by a policeman. Lightning Strikes Church. Cleveland, O. (Special). Lightning struck the spire of St. Paul's Episcopal Church, at the corner of Euclid and Case avenues, during a heavv storm. The spire was practically demolished, while two immense blocks of stone crashed through the roof of the church, causing damage to the extent of sev eral thousands dollars. The Hanna McCormick wedding is scheduled to take place at the church, Investigation by a representative of the Hanna fam ily later showed that temporary repairs could be made, and no change in the wedding arrangements would be ncc- TOWINQ STEAMER WAS POWERLESS. A Big Excursion Steamer Swept Against Pier. Hannibal, Mo. (Special). Four per sons were drowned here by the collision of the steamer Flying Eagle, towing a barge filled with Sunday school excur sionists, with a pier of the Hannibal bridge. About 250 children from the Park Methodist Church Sunday . Schocrf at Hannibal had boarded the barge and a number were on the steamer. The ex cursion left Hannibal shortly before II oclock to run to Quincy and afford a view of the swollen Mississippi. As the boat swung out into the river the swift current seized the craft, and despite all efforts, bore it straight down toward the stone pier of the bridge nearest the shore. With a crash the steamer was hurled against the pier and wrecked, but did not sink immediately. For a time it was wedged against the pier by the current and held, while the terror-stricken chil dren and the accompanying adults climbed up the pier to the bridge. In this way almost half of the passengers were saved. Before all could reach saftey the barge was veered around by the cur rent and finally swung loose from the pier and floated down stream. In the sudden swinging out of the barge the three children were thrown into the water and swept away to their deaths. Carried by the surging waters at a rapid rate the barge, filled with scream ing children, floated into the channel, and for a time it seemed that all were doomed to perish. But from farther down the stream the catastrophe had been witnessed and at hand were a num ber of skiffs and row-boats. With one thought these boats were manned, and like a miniature fleet they shot out into the swollen stream to meet the barge. Encouragement was called to the chil dren and they were urged to sit down and be quiet. This had good effect. The rescuing boats surrounded the barge and the children were quickly taken from it and were safely landed. 200 LITTLE PRISONERS. Schoolchildren Who Had Nothing to Eat Rescued. St. Joseph, Mo. (Special). The res cuing party sent from here to Topeka. composed of 75 men, with steam launches and rowboats, returned and their places will be taken by other vol unteers. The St. Joseph men rescued 200 schoolchildren from the Grant School, imprisoned there since last Fri day. The children were in a half-starved condition. The rescuers shot and killed a negro caught in the act of looting deserted houses. They brought back with them the names of 30 identified dead. The flood condition here remains un changed. The river fell one-tenth of a foot. A relief fund 01 $8000 has been raised here for the flood sufferers at ' Topeka and Kansas City, and several j carloads of clothing and provisions. 1 have already been sent. Trains loaded j with steam launches and men have also been sent to Kansas City, where as- j sistance is being given in the work of rescue. T. B. Read Left $131,000. New York (Special). The late Thos B. Reed, former Speaker of the House of Representatives, according to an of- j ficial report filed here, left a personal ' estate valued at $431,099, after providing j for the payments of debts and the ex- j penses of administration. The gross personalty amounted to $629,533, con sisting chiefly of stocks and securities, j By his will, executed many years be fore his death, .Mr. Keed s property goes to his wife. Train Runs Into Washout. . Columbia, S. C. (Special). Six miles out from Sumter an -excursion train on the Atlantic Coast Line, loaded with negroes coming into Columbia to spend the dav. ran into a washout caused by a cloudburst the night before. Conduc tor Clements was instantly killed, at were four of the negroes, one being a ' woman, and about 30 passengers were injured. Engineer Wilson was badly ' scalded, but not seriously injured. Sur geons were sent on extras from both Sumter and Columbia. Explosion ol ladioe. Pittsburg, Pa. (Special). The explo sion of a large quantity of iodine in the laboratory of the wholesale drug house j of W. J. Gilmore & Co., caused much excitement and the burning of seven persons. One young woman Minnie 1 Prim, aged 20 years was perhaps fa- . tally hurt by jumping from a third- ; story window. G. Hutchins, the chem- sit, was dangerously burned and may die. The others will recover. The fire was quickly extinguished and the loss was small. Robbers Dynamite Sale. Redwood Falls, Minn. (Special). Robbers broke into the Gold Stabeck uaiiK at vesia, tnis couuiy, dynamited the safe and got away with $2500 cash and $jcoo in notes. Thev stole a fine team and made good their escape. Telephones are Forbidden. Goshen, Ind. (Special). The old Or der of German Baptists, whose na tional conference closed at Wakarusa, voted not to permit their members to use telephones in their homes. Five ! thousand people attended the confer ence. Monks Denied Privilege. Caracas (By Cable). The Venezue lan government has refused authoriza tion to the FVeneh Monks, who re cently arrived at Caracas, after having been expelled from France, to open a college here. SPARKS FROM THE WIRES. Mills from all parts of the South and West, to the number of nearly 400, are in Detroit to attend the first conven tion of the Millers' National Federa tion, which will be in session at the Hotel Cadillac for three days. President Roosevelt made a speech at Freeport, III., on the occasion of the dedication of a monument to Lincoln to commemorate a debate in the town in 185H between Lincoln and Douglass. The steamer Areqtiippa foundered dur ing the gale off the coast of Chili and 17 of the 80 persons on board were drowned. Janitors employed in 60 flats in Chi cago have been ordered to strike. Their grievance is the discharge of one of their members. A terrific cloudburst, accompanied by a hail and rainstorm, destroyed con siderable grain in Idaho. Six thousand people took part in a demonstration attending the dispos session of the monks from the Monas tery of La Blachere, France. The sol diers had to scale the walls to arrest the monks. Reported at Belgrade, Servia, that King Alexander's French cook committed sui cide after being detected in trying to pcisrn Queen Diana. t THE KEYSTONE STATE Latest Neivs ol Pennsylvania Told Id Short Order. At a meeting held at Dubois, an organization was perfected for taking over the Hoover I.iurst and Southwest, em Railroad, a feeder for the Beech Creek and Pennsylvania Railroads. The road was purchased by ex-Congressman James Kerr, who has associated with him State Senator A. E. Patton, A. G. Palmer, formerly of the Beech Creek road, and others. Mr. Kerr is president of the new organization, and Mr. Pat ton treasurer. The road will be extend ed into the Indiana county coal fields. Elaborate preparations are making for the miners' convention at Pottsville June 15. It will consist of 1000 dele gates and will be the largest in the his tory of the anthracite region. The Academy of Music has been engaged and Union Hall will be also used to en tertain the delegates. The situation was regarded as sufficiently grave to call for a conference of division superinten dents of the Reading Coal & Iron Company with General Superintendent Luther. Confident predictions are made both by operators and officials ol the mine workers that all difficulties will be adjusted and no strike will be declared. During the mouth of May eighty-one patients were under treatment at the Kensington Hospital for Women. There were thirty-eight patients in the hos pital, May 1, and thirt-ysix are under treatment at the present time. Scvcnty :ight operations were pcrfo:mcd. In the dispensary there have been sixty-four new patients, who have made 301 visits. Supt. A. W. Wright, of the Greenville schools, has resigned to accept a posi tion in Washington. J. Gross, a clothing merchant of Sharon, went into voluntary bank ruptcy. Liabilities, $13,000; assets, $10, 000. A boarding house occupied by- Ital ians near Chicora was burned. In try ing to save $100 Michael Babel was badly burned and may die. The Pittsburg, Bessemer and Lake Erie Railroad station at Hallston was partly demolished by parts of a broken freight train coming together at the station. H. G. McGill, aged 19, a track hand employed by the Pennsylvania Rail road Company at Altoona, was perhaps fatally injured by being run down by an engine. Building operations in and about La trobe were seriously interfered with when a majority of t lathers went on a strike for $2.25 a day instead of $2. The New Castle Grand Jury return ed true bills against George Mcrkle. charged with the murder of John Genkingcr; Robert Neugent, indicted for the murder of John B. Ferguson, of Pittsburg, and George West, charged with the murder of Ralph Stiver, of West Pittsburg. Theodore N. Barnsdall, the oil oper ator, informed the president of the Titusville Hospital Association of his intention to build a commodious addi tion to the City Hospital. The giit comes in the way of a memorial to the donor's father, who was one of the pio neers of Titusville. Work was started on the construction of the Damascus brake beam plant in Sharon. The contract was awarded to Wallis & Carley, who are to have the buildings completed within 30 days. Night Watchman Mattingly, of the Latrobe Coal and Coke Company, at Latrobe, discovered three burglars at work preparing to blow the sale. He shot at them and they fled. After three years of idleness, the plant of the Ford City Mirror Company re sumed operations. It was officially denied at the office of General Superintendent Georce W. Creighton, in Altoona, that he will be moved to Pittsburg, David Cassidy, of Altoona, one of the oldest engineers on the Pittsburg division of the Pennsylvania Railroad, has retired, after over 51 years' service. After being at loggerheads for months the Sharon and Wheatland street rail way and the South Sharon council reached an agreement whereby street car service will be established between Sharon and South Sharon. In a fight at Herminic, Joseph Dias was badly cut by Roney Mallati. The fires were extinguished at fac tory B, of the National Glass Com pany, at Uniontown. The Tearl steam laundry, at South Sharon, was destroyed by fire. Loss, $10,000. The carpenters at Monessen are still out, and say they will remain so until their demands are granted. An infant son of Arthur O'Neill crawled under a trolley car at Frank lin and was crushed to death. The barn of George Riley, in Otter Creek township, Mercer county, was struck by lightning and burned, to gether with four horses. Loss, $5000. At a meeting of Odd Fellows, at Saltsburg, John Kilby was presented with a "Veteran's jewel," in recognition of his services as secretary of the Salts burg lodge for 25 years, Montgomery McCormick and Fred erick W. Miller, on the charge of rob bing Rosenbaum Bros.' store at Union town of $1500 worth of goods, wcr? bound over to court. A new Methodist church, the build ing of which was begun a year ago, and which cost $25,000, was dedicated at Titusville by Bishop Charles H. Fow ler, of Buffalo. Over 2000 people at tended the ceremonies. The church debt of $10,000 was raised. Mrs. Ann Gordon died suddenly aged 87- She was a well-known resident of the western section of Chester. Exploding gas at Gilberton col liery seriously burned David and I-ewis Howells and Thomas Evans, .They live in Gilberton. David L. Thomas, Esq., son of Sena tor Daniel J. Thomas, has been named as collector of the collateral inheritance tax for Schuylkill county. The death of S. B. Stillwell, aged J, removes one of Scranton's most widely known citizens. For fortv years he was claim agent for the Lackawanna Road, and was a member of the State Fisheries Commission for twelve years. For many years he was chief of the fire department of Scranton. The East Greenville High School graduates were Rufus Kern, Elwood Fcnstermachcr, Clarence Hertzog, Howard Moll. Katie Greulich. Eugene Fluck, Edna Meschter. Herbert lleim bach, Professor W. Wilberforcc, Diet rick, A.M., of the Keystone- -Sta.e Nor mal School, made the address. At the commencement exercises ol the Ashland High School.1 Merrill Ed wards Gates, Ph.D., LL.D., secretary of the United States Indian Commission at Washington, was the principal speaker. The members of the class were James A. Flannagan, valedic torian; Miss Maud Bocttinger, salii tatorian; C. Mary Donahue, Lulu M. Goyne, Cora C. Laucr, Vera Spade, Missoura Wolfgang, Lamotit Livers. At .the Training School for Nurses of the Chester County Hospital a cbss of six graduated, as follows: Miss Mc Causland, Miss Manley, Miss Lovi Miss Martin, Miss McCulloch and M" Mver. , .
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers