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VOL. II. NO. ?. CAMDEN, S. C., THURSDAY, MARCH 30, 1905. * Sl.SO Per Year THE CZAR YIELDS Financial Matters lapress Russia's Idler More thai Bayonets loan is conditioned on peace Understanding That Their Influence Hat Finally Prevailed at It Peters burg and That Proceed* Will Not be Used *o Continue the War, Paris Financiers Re-Open Negotiations Much of the Money to Remain In France. Paris, By Cable. ? The prospects of peace between Russia and Japan as i turned a more definite and almost a tangible aspect as the result of the an nouncement of tho resumption of ne gotiations for a Russian loan. The postponement of the loan occurred through the stand taken by the fi nancial element against proceedings while the uncertainties of war con tinued, whilst a willingness to resume negotiations was construed as meaning that their influence finally has prevail ed with the authorities at St Peters burg. it seems to bo the accepted view of financiers that the proceed ings of the loan will not be applied to the further continuance of the war. It is understood that of the chief Inducements to a resumption of the negotiations was that a considerable portion of tho proceeds shall remain In trance for the purpose of meeting the interest coupons of other loans, and that the placing of contracts for government supplies will be required even after the conclusion of the hos tilities. Coupled with the announcement of resumption of the loan negotiations came a strong Intimation from offi cial and diplomatic quarters that steps looking towards peace had been defi nitely taken by Russia. The Foreign Office declined lo confirm a report that France was likely to bo intermed iary; but diplomats, who are actively Interested, for the first time gave cred it to the statement that Russia had docided to seek, peace. It was said In these quarters that Russia would deal directly with Tokio through the Frenfch minister, who has charge of Russia's interests there. Needs 2c00,000 Mors Men. Oushu, By Cab KL? The Japanese are following tne Russian rear : guard, both flanks the Japanese are operat ing a wide turning movement, but the strength of the flanking forces has not been definitely ascertained. A num ber of places along the railroad be tween Santoupu* and Qunshu Pass there are broken hills with steep sides and gorges at the bottom, where stub born resistance might be made, but it is doubtful if General Linevltch will make a stand before he reaches the Sungarl river and Chantchlatu. Unless he is able to hold the line of tho river, the Russian position will .be so weak stragetlcally that he may be compelled to race bsck of Harbin Into Siberia, owing to the fact that as thov approach Harbin the . Russian front parallels tho railroad, rendering the danger of a severance of the sole line of communication constantly greater. The prospect of the isolation of Vladivostock must also be met, and it is urgently necessary to supply the garrison with provisions and ammuni tion, not for a few months, but for two years. Two hundred thousand reenforce ments from Russia are now necessary to make It possible for the Russians to meet the Japanese on anything like equal terms. St. Petersburg, By Cable.? The pos sibility that if the Russian army should be unable to hold the lower line of tho Sungarl river at Chaun .chlatsu, it may be compelled to retreat not only to Harbin, but also farther westward along the railroad, abandon ing to the Japanese northern Man churia and the Russian maritime Amur Siberian provinces, as well as the vast territory already lo6t, Is tho latest startling news from the front. The strategic weakness of General Linevltch 's position, as he falls back northward, Is made clear by a Gun Fhu dispatch. In which It Is pointed out that unless Chunchlatsu and tho Sungarl lines, a scant hundred miles below Harbin, can be held, It will be difficult to maintain a position farther back before Harbin, where, with the front of the army paralleling the rail load, the practicability of a turning movement to completely sever com munications and Isolate the army six thousand miles from hom? Is too serious for Russian considera tion. That such a dispatch should have been permitted to pass the cen sor at tho front is significant; and, if General Lincvltch has communicated a similar estimate of tho situation di rect to Emperor Nicholas, it may ac count for his Majesty's increased dls posltlon to listen to peace counsels end open negotiations beforo the Jap anese establish themselves on Rus sian soil. It can now be definitely stated that the decision to appoint Grand Duke Nicholas Nleholalv h to the supreme command in the Far East was recon sidered, because of the opinion that the outlook at the front does not war rant 1ho risk of compromising the prestige of a member of the imperial larotiy. At the general staff, the view that General Linevitch may be compelled to abandon Harbin and retire towards l.ake Baikal, leaving Vladlvostock to its fate, Is regarded ns almost un warranted by anything that is official ly known there, It being pointed out thfit Field Marshal Ovnroa may have n long and laborious task to bring up an army of 800.000 or 400,000 nrtm. Meanwhllo, Russian ryenforcemonts are arriving at Harbin at the rate of 1,200 men per day. Never iholess, it la significant that there is now a well market} p?a? party at tho War Offlce. JULES VEtNE IS DEAD Writer of Quasi-Scientific Romance* Which Havo Scored Brilliant and Lasting Succeaaea and , Appealed In ?a Special Senee to the Imagination of Youthful Readere of Nearly All Nationalitiee Succumbe to Diabetaa. AmienB, Prance, By Cable. ? Jules VeDme died at 3.10 p. m. His family was at his bedside. II. Verne had been subject to chron ic diabetes but It did not assume a crit ical aspect until March 10. Since then be gradually failed and the end was hastened by a stroke of paralysis cov ering his right sldo until the tongue was affected. The sick man retained consciousness until just before his death, his brain being the last organ to fail. He calmly forsaw death, call ed the members of bis family to his bedside, and discussed his departure. Following the announcement of M. Verne's death, telegrams were re ceived from many headquarters. It is expected that the burial will take place here, wliere M. Verne has long lived and where his most notable ro mances were written. .Jules Nerne was born at Nantes, Prance, in 1828.* He studied law both at home and in Paris, but never prac ticed. In leisure hours he began writ ting pieces for the stage, and in 1863 his first work. "Five Weeks In a Bal loon," appeared. The quasi-scientific style employed in that romance was so successful that others in similar vein followed, and his series of mar velous romances have made his name almost a household word. liis best known works are: "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea," "The Mysterious Is land," "A Floating City," "Michael Strogoff," "Adventures of Captain Hatteras," "Dick Sands, the Boy Cap tain," "Around the World In Eighty Days." "A Desert of Ice," "Robur, the Conqueror," and "A Country of Dia monds." An unsuccessful attempt on his life was made in 1886. In 1890 he publish ed his last books. "A Family Without a Name," avd "The Purchase of the North Pole." One of the most affecting incidents of his last illness was the great num her of letters and telegrans from chil dren of every nationality, attesting the admiration in which the author was held. His works have been trans lated. into many languages. Mrs. Chadwick Testifies. Cleveland, Ohio, Special. ? In the bankruptcy court here Mrs. Chadwick detailed some of her financial trans actions, in the course of an examina tion* by Attorney L. J. Grossman, act ing for Trusteo Nathan Loessar. Mrs. Chadwftft. said that she was not able tdr give ds many details of the transac tions as she would like to, because of the absence of papers which were held in a number of cities. She had sent for the papers and expected to have them when the hearing is continued next Thursday. Mrs. Chadwick testified that the total indebtedness would not ex ceed $760,000. Of this sum, borrowed from various persons, she had received only $517,000, leaving $268,000 for com missions to the moneylenders. She said she owed certain banks in Cleveland $200,000. Mrs. Chadwick walked from the county Jail to the bankruptcy court this afternoon. She looked well and ap peared happy. $1,000,000 Naval Stores Co. Jacksonville. Fla., Special. ? The na val stores factor? and operators, repre senting the Industry in Florida. Georgia and Alabama, met here with 300 pres ent and organized the Naval Stores Kx port Company, with a capital of $1,000, 000. sixty per cent, of which was sub scribed by operators. This company was organized to protect Jacksonville and other Florida pprts which have been made open markets on account of the former exporters' refusal to accept goods at Florida ports at Savannah prices. Water Over Children's Meads. Mobile. Ala., Special.? The weather bureau gives the rainfall of Monday and Tuesday at 9.22 inches, the great est fall since June 26, 1900, when 12.74 Inches fell in eight and a half hourtj. Water around Jefferson street public school was over the heads of most of the children attending there, and school could not be held. Many bridges were carried away. Buffalo Bill Fails to Qet Divorce. 8hcrl(lnn, Wy? Special. ? "Buffalo Bill." gome time railed William !?'. Cody, loet his suit for divorce from Louisa Cody. Judge R. II. Scott. of the District Court, deciding that charges of attempts on the part of the woman to poison her husband had not been proven. Judge Scott asserted that the testimony showed that Mrs. Cody had always been a good mother and a proud and Indulgent wife. Telegraphic Brief*. The special committee of tho Wil mington Methodist FJpiscopal Confer ence found all the charges against Rev. C. 8. Baker sustained and deposed him from tho ministry. R. B. Grover & Co.'s large shoe fac tory at Brorkton. Mass.. was wrerkej by a boiler explosion and afterward burned, 43 bodies having been recover ed last night, with 114 operatives un accounted for and some 50 injured. Judge Parker, late Democratic Presi dential candidate, consented to make I a speech before the Democratic Club la New York after he learned that neither Bryan nor Cleveland would be there. . Incoming New York steamers arriv ed from two to six days late and wire battered by giant seas. By arqulrlng 200 acres of land. John Alexanders Dowie has lncre?sed big summer estate at Muakegon, Mich., to i 265 acres. Kx-Presldent Grover Cleveland has gone to Florida for three weeks to re cuperate from his recent attack of gout. j General Kuropatkln Is to bo suc ceeded by Grand Duke Nicholas. i ANOTHER ATTEMPT ? ? * H tk Plrt #f Rissiaa MhUlst to Kill lift Official ' [ A TCKIIKiSVS ACT Itt WAKSAW Baron von Nolken, Chief of Police, Hu a Deadly Miaale Thrown into His Carriage and la Seriously In jured, But is Likely to R?p?jy"r ? A Bomb Had Pcpvtouaty Been Thrown Into the Police Station in Order to Bring the Chief to the Scene Thrower of the Second Bomb Es capes. Warsaw, By Cable. ? A bomb was thrown Into the carriage of Baron von Nolken, chief of Police of Warsaw, at 8 o'clock Sunday evening. ( According to the latest information, the attack on Baron von Nolken was the result of an elaborate conspiracy of the revolutionary party. Shortly before 8 o'clock tonight, an elegantly dressed man went to the police sta tion at Praga, a large suburb of War saw, on the other side of the Vistula, and threw a bomb into the court yard of the station, wounding seven per sons, two of them dangerously. The man started to run away, but was caught by the captain of the station. He was found to be a Jew, but his identity hes not been discovered. A telephone message was immediately sent to Baron von Nolken, at the city hall, informing him of the outrage. Baron von Nolken, accompanied by a police official, took a carriage and started Immediately for Praga. When passing the castle where the^ Gover nor General resided, a man standing on the pavement threw a bomb at the carriage. Baron von Nolken, who was sitting on the side nearest the assailant, rereived the full charge of .the bomb, while his companion es caped unhurt. The coachman was thrown from the box and the carriage was smashed. Baron von Nolken wag removed to the city hall p.nd doctors wefce sum moned, who found ho had received injuries which aro believed to .be seri ous on thfc head, the right efm and leg. Meanwhile the ?ollee official ac companying Baron von Nolken saw the bomb thrower fleeing, and pursued and caught up with him, but tie crim inal proved stronger and tore himself away. Another policeman fired twice after him without result. Half an hour Inter a man was found dead in Sowla street, whom the police believe to be the bomb thrower. The police think the man shot himself to escape arrest. Would Refuse Q ft. Columbus, O., Special. ? Rev. Dr. Washington Gladden, pastor of the First Congregational church of Col umbus, and moderator of the General Council of Congregational churches of the United States In a sermon deliv ered Sunday, discussed the gift of $100,000 made by a prominent capital ist to the American Board of Missions, lie said: "The money proffered to our board of missions comes out of a colossal estate, whose foundations were laid In the most relentless repaclty known to modern commercial history. "The United States government Is engaged in a strenuous attempt to fer ret out and punish this Injustice. And the people of the United States have a tremendous battle on their hands with the corporation's greed, which has entrenched itself In this strong hold, and has learned to use the rail ways for the oppression and spolia tion of the people. "And now, on tho eve of this battle, they are asked to accept a great gift of money from the man who, more completely than any other, represents the system they arc summoned to flght. "I hope they are not mean enough to take this money and then turn around and flght him. I hope they are not so faithless to their obligations us to take his money and shut their mouths or become his apoligists. "We do not want this man's money. To accept it will be to work the con tempt of millions of honest men; to reject It will strengthen our Church in the direction and respect of millions who are inclined to doubt whether the Churches love Go.l more than mammon. "Our mission will be richer and stronger without it than with it, and we shall lose nothing by our loyalty to the things unseen and eternal." Killed by Trolley Car, Charlotte. N. C.. Special.? Mr. J. F. 8wanney, a book?blnder about 40 years of age, was run over Saturday at noon by a car of the local strtfet car system here, and Instantly killed. The coro ner's Jury on Sunday found the street car companv guilty of carelessness. Brakeman Killed in Wreck. Knoxvllle. Tenn.. Special. ? Brake man Walter Oreer. whose home 13 .it Newton. N. C., was killed and Engi neer Thomas M. Graham and Fireman .?. M. Nicely painfully Injured in a freight wreck on the Knoxvllle. Cum berland Gap & Louisville branch of the Southern Railway. The rails spread beneath the weight of a 100 ton engine. Fertiliser Plant Rurred. Rome. Ga.. Special.? The plant, .in 1 stork the Virginia-Carolina Chemi ral Company, at Hast 'lorm. wis en tirely destroyed by fire Saturday nigh?. the Iops being placed ot $250,000. 're insurance Is estimated at about one hnlf the total loss. The fire com menced at about 7:30 o'clock, and tho only protection available was that nf ford?d by the apparatus belonging to the company. Two men were serlouily burned, The origin i* not Known. / SKINNSK RELEASED ON BOND Peculiar Circumstances Preceding Killing *f MHIer D. And?r?on Brought Out at Hearing. Barnwell, 8pe?^al.? Mr. Jomes H. Skinned, who klljpd Mr. Miller D. An lerson near Dun barton, applied for ball oefore Judge D. A\ Townsend. Tbe tes timony that waa taken at tbe Inquest, ogether with numerous affidavits, waa read and commented upon by tbe attor neys, when the Judge announced that tie would grant ball, which waa fixed it iu? aum or il.Nl. , From some of the affidavits, It seems ?hat In January Mia. Anderson was calling In a friendly way on Mrs. Skln aer, her neighbor; tat Mr. Anderson, learning that hla Wife was out calling >n Mrs. Skinner, wiie bis wife to come iome; that he did Bbt want ber to call m such people. Thtt note offended tbe Skinner family #llo, subsequently, when they met Mr% Anderson In Dun barton, refused to ipeak to blm. This an raged Mr. Andergon, who used such {roes and insulting language tbat Mr. Skinner demanded #f him a retraction, ind this brought on a fisticuff, wherein Mr. Anderson waa Severely thrashed. A number of witnesses swore that Mr. Anderson threfttened to take Mr. Skinner's life and that these threats were communicated to Mr. Skinner. Defendant statea In his affidavit that >n morning of hooilride Mr. Anderson was at Dunbarton; that in order to ivold him he arranged to drive to his 'arm; that he got his gun and some ?hells that had been loaded by some 'riends who had been on a visit to him, ind took his little nephew in the bug O" with him. Tha| while on the way le saw a buggy In front of him; that le did not know whose buggy it was intil he had driven up to it when Mr. Anderson called to him and said: "You :ook advantage of me before; we'll 'ettle it now," and drew his gun, when lefendant fired first. Defendant's lephew 8 wears to the same thing. Mrs. Anderson, wife of deceased, was n the buggy at the time deceased was ihot. She says Mr. Skinner overtook hem; that he drove close to the buggy n which they waae riding and, calling :o Mr. Anderson, said: "Do you want o see me," and without another word 'hot him. With her dead husband at ler side, her lonely drive back to Dun jarton was pathetic in the extreme. Numeroua affidavits were produced letting out the character for peace of Vlr. Skinner and the rowdy character if Mr. Anderaon. At the June term the ase will probably be tried. The com nunity is shocked l>y this unfortunate lomlcide. .. Attempted Aaaault. Springfield. - Orangeburg County, dpec-lal to Columbia State: Tls quiet little town was the sceno Saturday of n sensational trial. Norris Chavis. a young white man in :he employ of Mr. Connie Altman. who lives a few miles from Springfield, was arrested and brought before Mag istrate Arnold Corbett on the charge >f an attempted assault upon tlie 1-year-old daughter of Mr. Altman. As far as your correspondent can ascertain, it was a well defined, though jnsuccessful attempt, Chavis, It in ?aid. was apprehended by Mr. Altman. After several witnesses had been ex amined. Chavis waived a preliminary learlng and waH bound over to th<* higher court. He was placed in tho <uard house, which is a flimsy affnir, and during the night the prisoner arte his escape, and up to this hour las not been captured. The community was deeply stirred by the dastardly attempt, but thero was little talk of violence in any form. It is believed that the law would have r?een allowed to tnke Its course. Telegrams from Orangeburg and Co lumbia have been received indicating that a report of lynching had gone abroad, but this is without foundation. The child suffered no hurt. 8ome Aaiesamenta Increased. The State board of aaaessors ad lonrned until April 1st when the work :>f assessing for taxation the property railroad oompaniea will be complet ed. Some assessments were delayed :>n account of the opinion of the at torney general as to the application of the franchise tax law to interstate business. The hoard raised the assessment for Ihe Columbia. Newberry & Laurens road from $5,000 to $6,000 per mile; Ihe assessment of the Lancaster & Ches ter road from $700 to $3,250, and the Charleston & Western Carolina from the Georgia line to Spartanburg was made $8,000 per mile, and from the Georgia line to Beaufort $7,500 per mile. The Southern Express company was made $100 per mile, against $85 last year. The assessment of the Pullman Palace Car company was not changed from $100 per mile, or a total valua tion of $148,643 for the State. The Postal and Western Union Tele graph companies were not changed, the assessment being $35 per mile of wire In the State. The American Tel egraph and Telephone company whs valued nt ${?0.000. against $65,685 last vear. The Southern Bell Telephone company was valued at $400,000. asdinst $215,502 last year. The other pssessmentB remained the same for the present. There was nt change made in the assessment of th? Seaboard Air Line, whose attorney? raised a vigorous protest Wednesda> on the present figures. It has beer hinted that this matter will go Intc the courts. All Ba'k at Indemnity. Mns'ow. By Cable. ? With the ex<r>n Hon of The Moscow Garotte, pra< ll< al ly all the newspaper# of this city 6m for peace, on rendition that tve-e bt neither cession of territory nor pay ment of Indemnity. At a banquet c prominent merchant declared: "The happiest end of the war would be Im- | me linte peace, M,: If thq government , ccnrents to Indemnity we will throw ' the bomb. Enovgh Rffsslap hn? | been spent iq MapchurU," , PALMETTO AFFAIRS Many Newsy Items Gathered From - ?II Sections. Charlotte Cotton Market. These figures represent prices paid to wagons: Strict good middling 7 7-8 Good middling 7 3-4 Strict middling 7 5 8 Middling 1 7 5-8 Tinges 6 3-4 to 7 1-4 Stains 5 1-4 to 6 1-4 General Cotton Market. Galveston, quiet 7 3-4 New Orleans, barely steady 7 1-2 Mobile, quiet 7 5-8 Savannah, quiet 7 5-8 Norfolk, quiet 7 7-8 Baltimore, nominal 8 New York, quiet 8.15 Boston, quiet 8.15 Philadelphia 8.40 Houston, steady 7 3-4 Augusta, quiet 7 3-4 Memphis, quiet 7 5-8 8t. Ixniis, quiet 7 11-16 Louisville, firm 8 An Important Opinion. According to an opinion written by the attorney general, the franchise tax law cannot be supplied to inter state receipts by railroad companies, but must be confined to interstate business. Such being the case, the income from the franchise tax law will be reduced about two-thirds and instead of $50,000 the railroads will pay something like $20,000. In addition to the loss of consider able revenue, the law as construed by Uie attorney general means that there will be a great deal of trouble in ar riving at the exact amount to be paid by the railroad companies. South Car olina is having a great deal of trouble to get the franchise tax law to work ing. for it was passed over a year ago and on account of an oversight di I not go Into effect for a year after it became an act. And now that it has become of effect, the mode of proce dure under its terms is somewhat dif ficult. The comptroller general has sent out to the auditors of the several counties of the State the names of delinquent companies which have fail ed to flic with his office the statisti cal information required by the law. It these corporations do not comply at once and do not pay the franchise tax by the first day of April, they will be fined heavily and will get into ser ious trouble. Mr. Gunter's opinion was written in response to a request from the State board of assessors. According to sec tion 7 of the franchise tax law It is made the duty of this board of asses sors "to ascertain and detormine * * the entire gross receipts of ? ? ? rail road companies, express companies, atreet railway companies, navigation companies, waterworks companies, power companies, light companies, tlophone companies, telegraph com panies, parlor, dining and sleeping car companies for business done within this State for the fiscal year next pre ceding, and the amounts ascertained by said board shall be held and deem ed to be groBB receipts of such com panies for business done within South Carolina for the year under consider ation. In section 9 of the act it is ordered "that the said State board of asses sors shall, after ascertaining the gross receipts for business done In South Carolina, notify the State treas urer of the amount thereof, and the State treasurer shall thereupon pro ceed to charge and collect from such company and snch company shall pay to said State treasurer an annual 11 cense fee of 3 mills on the gross In come of such company for business done within South Carolina for ?he proceeding fiscal year, an annual li cense fee of 3 mills on such gross In come. "Columbia State. Will Accept Library. Anderson, Special.?' Thd chamber of commerce has officially endorsed the effort of the library association to se cure the Carnegie library, and it now (teems certain that the sum of $1,000 will be voted by the city council for the maintenance of the institution. The board of trustees of the city schools held a meeting and offered a site for the library on the grounds of the grad ed schools. Thin generous offer will save the cost of a lot. and all that the city will bT? i en ui red to do will be to appropriate an annvnl sum for the cur rent expenses of the library. Two New Concerns. The secretary of state last week is sued a commission to the Charleston Warehor.se company at Charleston with $30,000 capital. W. F. linger. It. O. ithett and J. F. Maybank are the peti tioners. A charter was issued the Southern Automusic company also of Charles ton, with $5,000 capital. St. J. Orlmke Is president. J. W. Davis Is vice presi dent and R. O. O'Neale Is secretary and treasurer. Miller Anderson Killed. Darnwell. Special.? Near Dunbarton Friday morning Mr. Jas. If. Skinner shot and instantly killed Mr. Miller Anderson. Roth parties nre well known and nre residents of Dunbar, a station In this county on the Atlantic Coast Line railway. Mr. Anderson was a planter. Mr. Hkiuner a merchant, and both have families. About a month a^o, it seeius. the two men had a difficulty, since which tlrre their personal rela tions have not been pleasant. This ir.oinlng Mr. Skinner was bird hunting whfn he met Mr. Anderson. Words weie passed, the quarrel was leneweJ, and then the homicide. Mr. Skinner has given himself up to the sheriff. Train Hits Burning Bridge. Paris. Tex.. Special. ? A northbound "Frisco passenger train whirh left here two hours late enrountered a burned bridge Friday ofternoon near Arthur City. The chair car and two sleepers were ditched and the smoker derailed. One person was fatally Injured, dying later, and several other passengers re ceived slight injuries. The dead: Mag gle Cooney, maid to Mr?, Frank P. Hayes, St. Louis, Mo. FLOOD AT rmsOUIG 0^1 Of the Worst Experiences the Iron . City Hae Had In Years Threatens as a Result of Torrents Pouring Down ths Monongahela. Pittsburg. Special. ? Pittsburg Is threatened with one of the worst floods in years. At 10 o'clock Fore caster Frankrld^ predicts over 30 foot. He does not expect over 35 feet, if that much. During the early hours Tues day, the water began to recede from the rise !n the Al'eghanv, but a fresh im petus was given to the rush torrents by a rainfall of nearly two inches over , the entire water-shed of the Mononsa hela river. Tuesday night about SO miles above Pittsburg the Monongahcht was rising eight inches an hour, and at the harbor here the gauges show a rise of nearly three inches per hour. Should the river reach the predicted height, street car traffic between this city and surrounding towns will be almost suspended, while the railroads up the Monongahela valley will have to suspend traffic. Already a number of mills have shut down, a resuli of the water putting out the Ares. Prom three to Ave feet more of writer is expected up the valley, and a total of 20.000 men are likely to be Idle. Hundreds of hrtuses In Allegheny, on the south side, and in McKeesport and other suburbs, are surrounded by from two to eight feet of water, the occu pants living In the second stories, lu some places the water has entered the upper rooms, and homes are being abandoned for the time being. No fa talities have been reported today. Scorcs of business houses have their basements flooded, and the loss will be heavy. The crest of the flood i3 expected about 9 p. m. Wedc#sday. LINEVITCH'S HEADQUARTERS. Directing Retreat of the Three Armies From the Crossing of the Sungari River. St. Petersburg. By Cable. ? General Linevitch's headquarters have been established for the present at Chen cliiawatzu, situated at the crossing of the Sungari river, whence he is di recting the retreat of the three armies and disposing of the fresh troops of the Fourth Corps just, arriving from European Russia. The protection of the Sungari bridge is vital to the sal vation of the army, as the river is not fordable below Klrin, and once the line of the river is passed and the bridge blown up, the Japanese pursuit, will be effectually checked. At the same time the second army i? falling back on the line of the rail* road, while the first and third, with the transports, are retreating along the Mandarin road to Kirin, both de stroying bridges and roads, and de nuding the country behind them, and making it impossible for the Japanese to live in the immediate wake of the retreat without their own commissar!* at. The Japanese are advancing over the grand trade route 20 miles west of the railroad. No information is available regarding the strength of the Japanese column, but the War Of. flee says It Is hardly enough to con. 8titute a menace with the dispositions General Llnevltch Is able to make of fresh troops. Cheers For Kuropatkin. Harbin. By Cable. ? At the departure southward of General Kuropatkin, crowds of thousands of civilians and soldiers gathered at the station and gave him a great ovation. Above thun dering hurrahs were heard cries of "God send you happiness," "Good-hve. brother." "Good-bye, father." As the train started, soldiers rushed forward in a surging crowd and grasped thi hand-rail of the general's ear, throwing their fur caps in the air an 1 running some distance with the ear. The srene made a deep Impression on General Ku ropatkin. down whose face teirs dreamed. Removing his cap, he sa luted again and again, and stood bare headed on the platform of the ear as long as the train was in Bight. Residents of Harbin are uneasy, and | many of them are departing. Chn^se I are withdrawing their deposits from j Chinese banks here. Commission is Too Large. Washington. Special. ? Secretary Taft made public a letter which he lias written to the President concern ing complaints made by Pr. C. A I a Reed regarding the work of the isthmian canal commlsah n. in the course cf his letter. Secretary TaP said that many ef the things complain ed of would be remedied bv placing the control of the canal under one head, or at least under a commission composed of not more than three | members. He adds that he will sub- j in it to the President, In a fhort time I u plan for the re-arrangement of the ' commission. i Fear He Has Been Surrounded. l/ondon. By Cable. ? Hu Inn oClcla' circles In London, alt!"vig!i without ofllclal news, are inclined to credit a Harbin stcry published In Pari? connecting the firing reported to hnv? been heard Tuesday morning a! o tt seven miles south cf Tie P.iss with General Renenhampff's division. Th< dispatch from Harbin, ro'rts out thai the only exp'anation cf a cannona If j In that locality is tlrt nenenhampfl ] has at length nrrlved at Tie Pas* j where the Russian nrriie.* w?ra or i dered to rcn'ci'T v * !?? ive of 10 ' treat, but onlv to rind the pi ire occu pled by the Japan**" C< n ?erpi?nt !.v it is feared tl.ai Kencaha.npff is nur rounded. New Troop# In Good 9pir.i*. St. Petersburg. Fly Cable.? A couple of brief Mecrums from General Line ' vlteh dated March 20 were given nut Tpcslay. They merely pay that the i troops continued to retreat northward I Mareh 19, that he had allowed the men ; to rp?{ Mareh 20 and that he had ir. j s peeled more now arrivals from Run- , J sla and had f vmd the troops in cx^el I Jept spirits. | THE FINAL DEMAND Venezuela Must Get leady to Makf Full Settlement ? OUI MINISTER DELIVERS NOT! It Demands to Know Whether the Government of Venezuela Propose* to Arbitrate the Questions Pending ? In Case of Refusal, Necessary Steps to Secure Justice Will be Taken by the United States ? Early Action by This Action of America Seems Certain ? Holland to Use Co ercive Measures to Secure Release of Her Subjects in Prison. Wlllemstadt. Inland of Curacoa, By Cable. ? The Venezuelan government. It is announced from Caracas, has re ceived a note from (he American min ister, Mr. IJowen, requiring an answer as to wether Venezuela will arbitrate the questions pending, and saying that in case of a refusal the United States will fuel free to take steps which may he necessary to secure Jus tice. The charge d'affalrs of the Nether lands has advised the Venezuelan gov ernment thill Holland will uso* coer clve measures in view of the fact that she has been unable to secure the re lease front imprisonment in Venezuela of five LVitrh railors who have been illegally Kept in prisoh for seven months. Washington, Speclul. ? In calling up on President Castro for an answer to his proposition to submit to arbitra tion the issues between the United States ami Venezuela, Minister Uowen is acting in accordance with specific instructions, from the Slate Depart ment. which have recently been placed in his hands. If President Castro rejects this last offer of Mr. IJowen to arbitrate these cases, it. is expected that he will promptly report that fact to the State Department, and it will be determined what course to pursue. The minis ter's presentment of this matter there fore is not an actual ultimatum, for the way is still open for furthef nego Mat ions if the Department decides that the time haj not yet atrrived to with draw its ininittei'K and adopt some coercive measures. There is great reluctance on the part of the officials to the adoption of the latter course, but the situation is believed to bo such that unless the Department is willing to submit to the complete ef fncement of the American claims som# action miiHt be taken very soon. Re ports have been arriving here for some time that many of the people of Venezuela are penniless and in need of food. One foreign dip lomat there recently reported that the conditions were Indescribable and that the strict censorship upon everything sent out. prevented the world from knowing the* actual condition of af fairs. All foreigners nro closely watched. Report on Boll Weevil. Washington, Special.? The Depart ment of Agriculture has issued a re port on the results of re ent Investiga tion l?y Special Agent Hunter, of the Bureau of Kntoinology. giving recom mendations looking to minimizing damage done by the boll weevil. The report says: "Although the very large yields of cotton of former times no longer may be possible in the region now Infested by the boll weevil. It la entirely feasible to produce cotton at" a margin of profit that will compare fa vorably with that resulting from the production of most of the staple crops of the United States, by following what In known as the cultural methods. This consists of changes and modifications of the system of cotton-ralslng, includ ing the destruction of the plants In the fall, early planting, through cultiva tion of the fields, planting the rows as far apart as feasible, and using certain fertilizers," Car of Dynamite Explodes. New Orleans. Special. ? A car load ed with dynamlto In an Illinois Con tral freight train exploded near Ken ner, 12 miles north of Now Orleans, Two men are missing. One dead man ha;* been found but lie is an unrecog nizable mass. Considerable damage was done In Kenner. where buildings were wreekod and glass and kitchen ware smashed. Houses near-by wero demolished. Japanese Losses 100,000. Gunshu Pass, lly Cable.? The Japa nese losses are est I inn ted at the Rus sian headquarters to be loo, 000. Some of the troops employed to cover the re treat from Mukden were badly demor alized loring their way in the hills east ward and only now rejoining their own divisions. So certain was Genera] Kuropstkin of beinjj able to bold Muk den that maps of the country north ward were not even distributed. Kuro patkln, however, resolved to' accept battle against his beiter judgment owing to the impatience of St. Peters burg for vlctoiy and he was confirmed In this direction by Mho calculations of Field Maishal Oyama's strength. Telegraphic Briefs. Daniel J. Sully, the former "cotton klnK," entered the cotton market yes terday as nn aggressive bull, and the shorts made a wild dash f?xr cover. The Metropolitan Hallway Company of New York will probably build a sub way system. The organization of the National As sociation of Cnnners and Packers of America was completed at PIKsbnrg, with W. A. Rouse, of Relalr, Md.f cha|r* pan.