Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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p * I.., VOL. 10, NO. 59, SEMI-WEEKLY. LANCASTER. S. C? FKI1)AY, APRIL 30, 15)15. fi -a . . .. "FRENCH CRUISER SUNK BY AUSTRIAN SUBMARINE The Leon Gambetta Goes Down in Ionian Sea. SIX HUNDRED LIVES LOST. 136 Members of the Crew an<l It Vnder-OHlcers Rescued by Boat Sent Out by Italian Authorities. Paris, April 28.?The French armored cruiser Leon Gambetta has been torpedored and sunk in the Ionian sea with the loss of all of her officers and all except 136 members . of her crew, according to an official . announcement today by the French ministry of marine. The number of the crew was not given, but it was Ibelieved the warship carried 7 5<>. Frojj this it was estimated that about 600 men perished. While the French communication did not say by what the cruiser was torpedoed an official from Vienna tonight said the warship was sent down by Austrian submarine U-5, commanded by Lieut. George Hitter von Trapp. The communication issued by the ministry of marine was as follows: "The armored cruiser Leon Gambetta. (ru'cing at the entrance of the Otranto canal, was torpedoed the night rf April 26-27 and wen to the bottom in 10 minutes. "All the officers on board perished at their posts. One hundred and thsrty-8lx members of the crew, including 11 under-officers, were rescued by vessels sent out promptly to their help by the Italian authorities. . "The list of survivors has not yet hem received at the ministry of nrn rine." Story of the Disaster. Brindisi, Italy, April 27, via Paris, April 28.? (Delayed.)?The French cruiser Leon Gambetta was torpedoed last night by the Austrian submarine U-5 in'the Strait of Otranto the waterway leading to the Adriatic sea. ' The first report of the destruction Of this cruiser came from Santa Maria Leuca. Relief vessels were lent out from Taranto, Ilrindist, ^jtranto and Barl. It has not yet been ascertained whether the attack occurred within the territorial waters of Italy. From survivors' stories It is possible to . construct thiB story of the disaster. The Leon Gambetta parted com-l pany with the French cruiser Jules Ferry last night to cross the Strait of Otranto to co-operate with other French ships in an attempt to block the Austrian fleet if it should seek to leave the Adriatic. Although the Leon Gambetta showed no lights and adopted the other customary precautions, there was no suspicion of danger. At midnight the warship was about 20 miles from Cape Santa Maria Leuca. At sea nothing appeared on the horizon. Suddenly there was a fearful explosion, which shook the cruiser fore and aft. Officers and men remained calm and, the survivors say, their first thought was not for their own safety b?t rather to detect and attack their assailant. They scanned the sea for a periscope, but in vain. As the cruiser was listing rapidly the commander ordered the boats lowered. rsonie or tne men leaped overboard. Others were washed ofi the deck. The commander refused to abandon his ship. None of tho survivors was able to i say how long it was before help arrived. It was probable several ?furs elapsed. Since the beginning of the AngloI French operations against the Dardanelles, French warships in the Adriatic have limited their activities to watching the Strait of Otranto with the idea of preventing any Austrian submarine escaping from the Adriatic* at the head of which is Pola, the Austrian navaV base, and reaching the coast of Turkey. The submarine which attacked the Leon Gambetta came from Cattaro on the eastern coast of the Adriatic, 300 miles from Santa Maria Leuca. Three French cruisers last night were watching the strait between the Island of Corfu and the Italian coast, "2?bts strait, when the various LONGEST DROUGHT FOR EARLY SPRING Cotton and Truck Crops in Southeastern Part of Ccantry Said to be Suffering. Washington, April 28.?The longest early spring drought in more than forty years now exists over Eastern United States, the national weekly weather and crop bulletin announced today. Cotton nnd truck crops in the Southeast are suffering.j "In Texas and Oklahoma excessive rains greatly hindered farm work," says the bulletin. "Fields were badly washed, bottom lands were flooded, and much land already planted to cotton and corn will have to be replanted, while the wet soil | will still further delay cotton plant itig which is generall C'.'iSidered as several weeks late. "In the Ceueral states of the rot- I i to^t belt, planting progressed, and local showers greatly benefited that l already planted in many sections, in the Eastern states of the belt the crop has been largely planted, but j j little growth is possible on account of drought, and germination of late \ planted cotton will be delayed until rain occurs. "In the prlncfpal trucking districts to the eastward of the Mississippi. ! most crops are suffering for rain, ! and in Florida and in the South Atlantic coast districts. "Early corn is coming up, but later planted over the Southern districts to the eastward of the Mississippi has not germinated well on ac- i count of drought." FARMER BECOMING MORE TROVIDENT ? ! Advice tiiven at Meeting Tuesday | of Southern Commercial ('ongress. Muskogee. Okla., April 27.?From the "worst financial system in the civilized world, we now have the soundest," said Charles S. Hamilton, governor of the federal reserve bank board, at the Southern Commercial Congress today. "The time is passing when products of the farm and ranch are hipped to market and then bought back as foodstuffs," said Dr. Charles Brand, chief of the division of markets and rural organization of the United States department of agriculture. He declared that the Southrn farmer And ranchman has realiz-1 f (1 the need of being more provident. B "Bridge the gap between the ordi- j nary country boy and girl and the 1 agricultural college or industrial in- | stitute, and you have accomplished much toward the solution of the farm problem," was the advice offered by H. E. Rlakeslee, commissioner of agriculture for Mlssissiippl. j MUST PAY FOR COTTON. England May be Forced to Pay Heavy Damages. Washington, April 28.?Senator Hoke Smith, nfter a call at the state department today, declared that unless the cotton ships from the United j States now held in English ports were allowed to proceed to their neutral desinations, Great Britain "would be forced to pay very heavy damages." He said detention of the ships was in direct contravention to the right of the United States to carry on trade with neutrals. "Purchase of the cargoes will not relieve the situation," said Mr. Smith. "England has no right to the cotton, and she has no right to interefere with American com-1 merce." An embargo on the articles England herself needs would bring Great Britain to terms, the senator declared. Islands are taken iDto consideration does not measure more than 40 to ! 50 miles. It appears that the submarine took up a position about half way between Santa Maria Leuca and the Greek Island of Othonl and waited for Its prey. It is believed the Leon Gambetta ' had on board a crew numbering 714 men including 22 officers. A ma-1 , Jority of the men were asleep wheD the cruiser was struck. LIEUT. COL. DAVID I D. GAILLARD HONORED Culebra Cut Renamed in Honor ] of South Carolina's Hero. SIX YEARS IN PANAMA, h Executive Order Signed by Wilson i ('hiiiiKlnK Indignation of (ireat Excavation. Washington Special to The State, April 28.?President Wilson today 1 signed an executive order changing J ( the name of Culebra cut in the i Panama canal to Gaillard cut, in , , honor of tlie late Lieut. Col. David [ c DuBose Gaillard, engineer corps, U. I * S. A. Col. Gaillard as a member of ' the Isthmian canal commission had . charge for more than six years of the central division of the zone, extend- ( ing from Gatun to Pedro Miguel and j including Culebra. Debilitated bv J the tropical climate, he so exerted ! himself, against urgent medical ad- '< ( vice,-in his zeal to forward his work that his strength was overtaxed. His j j death, tnercfore, at Johns Hopkins . Hospital, December 7, 1913, was directly ascribable to zeal for the sue- s cess of the canal project. . Col. Gaillard was second to Col. Goethals. Had he lived he would ( have been placed in charge of the | canal zone. He handled engineering . problems far more difficult than any that his associates in the commission encountered. ( Horn at Fulton, Sumter county, j South Carolina, in 1859, David Du- ( Hose Gaillard was educated at , Mount Zion academy, Winnsboro. S. C., and at West Point. He was married in Winnsboro. shortly after ( he entered the army, to Miss Katlii erine Ross Davis of Columbia, sis-! ( ter to the late R. Means Davis of the j University of South Carolina. Mrs. j ( Gaillard survives her husband, with], a son, Pierre Gaillard. j H Col. Gaillard's more important , tours of duty were as follows: ( Colonel, Third U. S. V. Engineers, j June 7, 1898, to May 17, 1899; as- t sistant to Capt. W. M. Black and in ( charge of various surveys and har- s bor improvements at St. Augustine, Tampa and Withlacoochee river, j Florida, 1887-91; member of the in- t ternatlonal boundary commission, j (! United States and Mexico, 1897-4; j( in charge of Washington aquedilct,' ( and other projects in vicinity of ( Washington, 1895-8; assistant to 1 s engineer commissioner of District of N Columbia, 1899-1901; in charge of all river and harbor improvement, i Lake Superior district, 1901-3; member of general stag corps and ] engineer officer, Northern division, 1903-4; on duty at Army War college, 1904-6; chief of the military j information division army of Cuban ( pacification, at Marianao, Cuba.' j October, 1906, to February, 1907; j f member of the Isthmian canal com-; mission and director of the Panama ' j railroad, from March 16, 1907, to ^ hi* death. Col. Gaillard during the first year of his membership in the . f canal commission was supervising : engineer in charge of dredging in , harbors, building breakwaters and', other terminal work ! ' ! i PROPERTY WORTH #?0,0?M). ? i s i Judge M<?ore (Jives Decision in Ah* beville Will Case. Abbeville Special to Charleaton News and Courier, April 28.?In a 1 decision rendered by Judge Moore, filed with J. L. Perrin, clerk of court, John and Frank Kerr were de- | clared the owners of the property of < the late Mrs. Josephine E. Sloan. ] The property in question is valupd at about 860,000, and much interest ; was manifested in the case. < I According to the testimony, Mrs. , Sloan several years ago made a will,; ( in which she agreed to give John and ( Frank Kerr all of" her property, provided they would take care of her < and look after her property for the , rest of her life. It developed that ( she destroyed this will and made another, giving all her property to charity. The question at issue was whether such contract was made and 1 so did the Kerrs carry out their * part of it. According to the decision j the contract was established. DAY OF BUSINESS FOR STATE CLUB Reports Received at Bennett* ville. A NEW DEPARTMEN1 Vet ion Follows Paper by Mrs. Job <>ary Kvans on Industrial Conditions. Bennettsvllle Special to '..ne State \pril 2!>.?The South Carolina Fed ration of Women's Clubs lias devot k1 the greater part of the clay t eceiving reports from the variou lubs of the siate. This has been lay of business and closest atteri ion and consideration has bee tiven to all questions in which tli ederation is interested. Following the reading of a wel prepared paper by Mrs. John Gar Svans of Spartanburg on "Civil an [ndustrial Conditions of Women i >outh Carolina," the federation ere 'ted a department that will in th uture give attention to matter ilong this line. The paper by Mrf Ivans showed careful research an nvestigation. The scholarly address of Dr. Reei Smith of the English department o he University of South Carolina vhicli was delivered last night befor he federation was well received, an :ns been the subject of favorabt Imminent on every hand today. The federation was delighted t iee in The State this morning tlia Julebra cut had been renamed i lonor of Col. Gaillard. This matte T.me before the federation at it tnnual meeting last year and a com nittee was appointed to take th >roper steps to secure the change o he name in the cut if possible. Mr Vlexander Long of Rock Hill wa hairman of the committee, and i ler report yesterday made known t he federation the At or.s which hai >een made. The committee had pre ented the request through Congress nan D. E. Finley and results wer xpected, but of course, no one real zed that possibly at the very tim ne report was being made, Presi lent Wilson was taking the actioi o much desired. The department of conservatioi ind the attention of the federatioi onight at the Murchison school au litorlum. This department is hend sd by Mrs. Julius M. Visanski o 'harleston. Reed Whltford o Charleston delivered an address, hi iubject being, "Good Ror.d.s, Water vays and Sanitation." HEADS METHODIST HISHOPS. licliard ). Cooke of Portland, Ore gon, Chosen President. Des Moines, Iowa, April 2 8.? lishop Richard J. Cooke of Portland Jregon, was chosen president of tli ward of Methodist bishops in th nitial session of their semi-annua :onference here today. Bisho ^uther B. Wilson of New York cit vas elected permanent secretary. A world-wide movement for evan selization was outlined by Bisho Theo. S. Henderson of Chattanooga Tenn., and definite plans were e* jected to be made before adjourr nent next Monday. It was propose hat the church should inaugurate "a*npaign to increase the membei ?hip 500,000 in 1016. The increas n two years has been 322,000. MARC H RIRTHS AND DEATHS. Report of State Hoard of Health fo East Month. Columbia, April 28.?Followin a the report of births and deaths fo South Carolina for the month c March by the state board of health Deaths, 2,036; births, 3,090. The record of communicable die >ases for March has not been com died, but following is the fecord o ommunicable diseases for the mont >f February: Tuberculosis, 165; pneumonic 53;6 typhoid fever, 10; pellagra, 76 whooping cough, 13; cancer, 36 liphtherla, 4; malaria, 14. Zeppelin Over St. Edmunds. I.ondon, April 30. -A Centra <ewg dispatch says that a Zeppelii vas seen during the night at Ilur It. Edmunds, Suffolk county, wher t dropped bombs and set severs mildlngs on fire. . L SECOND NOTE SENT ON SINKING OF FRY! Q y l nite?l States Accepts German Pro posul to t'onipciisatc Owners of Vessel. | Washington, April 2 8.?A second ; note from the United States to Ger 1 many concerning the sinking ot' the i American ship William P. Frye b> ^ I the commerce raider Prinz Eitel Friedrich was dispatched to Berlin today. It is understood it accepts 11 i the German proposal to compensate the owners of the Frye under the terms of the old Prussian-American >, treaties of 1788 and 1828. regard1-' less of any prize court decision. 1 These treaties provi.de that cono traband belonging to the subjects ol s either party shall not be confiscated ? hv th? - ' - .. ...? in iiuv (.ittsf, uui may or i- detained or used only in consideran ( lion of payment of (lie full value. < While willing to agree to payment for the Frye, it. is understood the II I'nited States stands by its original y protest against the destruction of the tl ship as a violation of international n law, and again denies that the wheat >- cargo was contraband. No laitn foi e the cargo was made, however, bes cause it was sold en route to British ?. S dealers. <1 An effort .is said to have been made in the latest note to narrow il the application of the old treaties so if i that no precedent will be created i. warranting tin1 lodgment under them e in future of claims against the d American government under favored e I nation clause. 0 CAPTAIN BENSON CHIEF OPERATIONS I ,r i .8 Appointed by President Wilson tc i- i Newly Created Post in e tin* Navy. Washington, April 28.?Secretary s| Daniels announced the appointment n of ('apt. William S. Ilenson, to the newlv-created post of chief of opera(j tions of the navy. Captain Benson now is commandant of the Phlladelphia navy yard. e Captain Benson was given a recess 1 ! appointment by President Wilson, e subject to continuation by the senate at the next session of Congress. He u will take up his work next Saturday I with the rank of rear admiral, while (. on the same day Bear Admiral Bradley A. Fiske, whose office as aid for _ I operations is absorbed in the new _ j post, will begin his duties on the f I staff of the Naval War College at , Newport. s The chief of operations will lace a _ i tremendous task, the most important ! feature of which will be the prepara| tion of plans under the secretary's , direction for operation of the fleets I in time of war and their movements i in normal periods. In the absence of the secretary and the assistant 1 secretary he will be acting secretary I of the navy. An assistant chief of operations not below captain in rank, is to be named later, j1 Captain Hcnson, who. Secretary Daniels said tonight, "comes to the P new office after a ripe experience ol J varied character," attained his captain's grade in 1909, was graduated ' i from Annapolis is 1877 and ha* P | cruised practically all over tlu ' j world. He has been due for promo tion to rear admiral next November ^ 1 His successor at Philadelphia hat I not yet been announced. fl i Regulations prescribing the duties of the chief of operations in prepar ing plans for war, set forth that the>, shall "include the direction of tlu Naval War College, the ottice ol Naval Intelligence, the office of Tar get Practice and Engineering Coin petitions; the operations of the radic service and of other systems of com B munication of the naval defense dis r ' trictB and of the coast guard wher 11 operating with the navy. The dire ] tion of all strategical tactical mat1 ters, organization, maneuvers, target practice, drills and exercises and l" of the training of the fleet for war and the preparation, revision and h enforcement of all tactic drill hooks j signal codes and cipher codes." * German Cruiser Kolberg Probably Sunk. "Lerwick, Scotland, April 28,? The finding near the south end ol I this Island today of a life buoy n marked "Kolberg" is believed to y confirm a report that the German cruiser Kolberg was sunk in the North Sea battle of January 24. -jL,. ?* 'f-i.'j" ;\ 1 rj.VK, : SECOND GERMAN DRIVE . TOWARD CALAIS STOPPED i Allies Claim Success in Kattle 'I With (iermuns in Flanders. ' I i FIGHTING IN THE EAST. li i ItnMles in the ('iirpatliinns and on , J (lie Fast Prussian Front?N'otliinu From German Fleet. London, April 28.?"Our operations in conjunction with the French , have definitely stopped the German attack." Field Marshal Sir John French, commander-in-chief of the British forces 011 the Contitnent, thus announces the rotxlusion of another Gorman attentat to hreak through the allied lines around Ypres and along the Yser canal which brought about one of the most sanguinary battles of the war. This, however, only brings to an end the first phase of the battle for the allies have yet to win back the ground lost iti the great German sweep. For this purpose they are 1 now delivering counter attacks against the German lines. Only at one place?Steenstraate?have the i : Germans kept their footing on the western bank of the canal, while to the north of Ypres the positions remain much as they were, the allies making no claims to an advance there, and the Germans reporting that all the British attacks have been repulsed. > To hold tln.se lines the Germans have brought up farther reinforcements and Belgium, behind hem, has been denuded of troops. The towns and villages in Belgium are ? being guarded by only a handful of set tries. Fighting also continues in Champagne, where the Germans claim the capture of a strong French position I in tlie Argonne and the Woevre, where the French say they are progrossing and in the Vosges, where both sides claim to be in possession j of Hartmans-Weilerkopf. It is probable that this mountain, which commands the plains Alsace, has | changed hands several times: this would account for the contradictory reports. The Russians and Austro-Oe.-ir.ans ere heavily engaged in the region of I'zsok Pass, in the Carpathians, and in the direction of Stry, where an attempt is being made to striae at the Russian communications. Berlin correspondents give the Austrians credit for the capture of a | lumber of important, heights near ' I'zsok Pass and also assert that they have driven the Russians out of , Bukowina. But this is not backed ur by the Austrian official report, v'hich says that in Bu*owina no im1 urtant event has occurred. There has been a renewal of activity on the Past Prussian front, where the (Jermans report minor successes for their troops. A senesational report that 8,000 ' | of the allies' troops have been driven to the sea on the Gallipoli peninsula and that 12,000 were captured also conies from Berlin but has no con* firmation from other sources. It is evnected that tho ~ ?'?* u|,oi (ttiuim <1*|II1ISI the Dardanelles will proceed slowly, as the Turks are strongly entrenched i and their wire entanglements and (trenches will have to he shelled heavily before the troops can make any serious attempt to advance. The French have lost the cruiser ' | Leon Oambetta, which was torpedoed by the Austrian submarine IT-5 while 1 leaving the Adriatic sea for Malta. | )nly a small part of her crew were saved, all the officers, including an admiral, being drowned. ( Reports as to the intention of Italy are as varied as they are nuJ merous, but the Italian embassy at London has authorized the statement ' that nothing is known there of any 'mpending change in the Italian Dolicy. Nothing further has been heard of the German fleet in the North Sea, md it is contended In official quar' 'ere here that it never left the mine *lds off Helgoland. In the Haltic, ' however, German warships are busy id have stopped a number of i twedish steamers carrying coal from English ports to Sweden.