Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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The Marlboro' "DO THOU LIBERTY OR SAT. INSPIRE OUR SOULS AND MAKE OUR LIVES IN THY POSSESSION HAPPY. OR OUR DEATHS GLORIOUS IN THY CAUSE." NO. 26 Six Hundre In Fire i On Burning Steamer at New York They Perished. MANY CHILDREN VICTIMS Although the Steamer Was Not Far From Shore, Tire and Wave, in Few .Minutes Claimed Many. ( >nc of the most appalling disasters in tile history ot New York, Iragie in its Immensity, dramatic in Its episodes and deeply pathetic in the tender age of most of thc victims, took place Wednesday in the Fast river at tlie entrance to Long Island sound, within a Sliorl di d ance of thc New York shore and within sight of thousands of persons, the majority of whom were powerless to minimize the extent of the catastrophe. 1S y the burning to the water's edge of the Gen. Slocum, three-decked ex cursion steamer, thc larges! in these waters, more than OOO persons, the majority <>f whom were womel and children, were burned to deal i or drowned by jumping overboard . r by being thrown into the whlripo '1 by the lurching of the vessel and the frantic, rush of til? panic-stricken passengers. lt is the season of Sunday s hool excursions in New York bay and Long Island sound, the latter one o: the most picturesque bodies of water in the country. Great preparation had been made for the 17th annual excur sion of the Sunday school of St . M irk s German Lutheran church the emigre gation of which is drawn from tho dense population of the lowcreas? and west sides, and thc Hen. Slocum had been chartered to carry the excursion ists to Locust ''".ki? i wi?.-.!' the many --,-TI rs^jf TUE NUMllKK ON BOA KD. It is variously estimated that there were between 1..".00 and 2,500 persons en hoard thc Gen. Slocurc when she left thc pier at Third street. Bast river, though the Kh.ckerbocker Steamship company, which owns tile Slocum, officially states that the num ber of persons was STU, that being only one-third of the Vessers Capacity, lt ls thought however, that lhere were several hundred children Inarms, for whom fares are not usually charg ed on these trips, on board. The scene on the decks of the steamer as she proceeded up the Last river was one of merrymaking, custo mary on such occasions. Thc mass ol Hags tluttered in the June bree/. .. tin bands were playing and the ch il Iren were singing, dancing and waving handkerchiefs and Hags In answer ti the .salutations of those on shore or from passing steamers, on the ex treme eastern end of Randalls island, oil 135th street, there is a Stretch of "Tilter known as the sunken meadows. At u?eV point, just as crowds wire watching^00 Kaily decorated steamer from shore,Vi'"' Cen. Slocum took lire andas th?'ageS01 Lhc vesscl sne was built in ix'.'l liarJ resulten in the well seasoning of Hie wo,,;' wit.li which sile was almost entirely " 'lt, she was soon a mass of Hame. Hame is said to have broken out in '.vanned room on the forward deck by"' I '<. overturning of a pot. of grease. Tho wind was high and all efforts to ex tinguish the blaze were futile. Hilt NKKTII KUOTIIKU ISLAND. Al 134th street there are several lumber yards and oil tanks and as Capt. William Van Schaick. in com maud of the Gen. Slocum, started lo turn his vessel towards Hie shine there he was warned that it would sel tire lo the lumber and oil a.id s Hie chang ed his cou rsc for North Urother island, one of the twin islands near tho en trance to thc sound some half a hiilc away, where thc boat partially burned was beached. She sank near thal place al 1-J.l."> o'clock Wednesday afternoon, two hours and 2? mil.ute.? after the tire was discover! i. In the meantime the passenger.' lind become panic stricken and host who were not caught up by Hu' Hame! rushed to the rear of thc vessel ant hundreds jumped overboard inti Hu swiftly running waters, tl is allcgc'i that the life preservers were to i se curely fastened to their holdings Lob available and stories are tobi of ran tlc efforts made by strong men t i cul Hiern loose hut even if they Conic! iiavi been torn down they were loo big il iq for the children to reach, lt is als; reported thal no attempt was ma le o gel out the tire, apparatus al Hu tirs cry of "lire" though Capt. Vai Schalck says that lie luimediatelv rani the bells for getting out Hie . ppil rains. According lo several s ali ments no ai tempt was made lo iwe joats or life rails. ( apt. \ an Si! aie! nd bis two pilots, nam il KI vari an Wari and K Mi Weaver, iiav en arrested An Old Sinner. Meyer Guggenheim, 77 year, old, : lilli millionaire and a great grand fattier, has been made defendant i l ach Of promise suit, in N< w York s are lixed al : loo.ooo. Th r of $50,00?,OOO is a \er\ al P?S8es^i>erson. trac what righi men wh Itv the waym^tent lin ters whe have been persl?k suit th. m I . d. things did not go tt^l^ bolters whe maud that there be things do go to suit thei d Die ind Wreck. THE STORY IN DETAIL. SCOIIOH ol'tho tlntutcakable Agent on t ho Doomed Ship. Thc tilree-dcckcd excursion steamer Gcneral Slocum, of Lhe Kniukcrbocker SLeamboat company, burned to the water's edge Wednesday oil North Brother island, Last river, ?it the en trance to L ing Island sound, resulting in the death through burning or drowning of at least OOO persons, most ly women and children. Four hundred and forty-sovi n bodies had been ri c av ered Wednesday night and divers were at work taking bodies from tho hold of Hie steamer. The remains cf many persons who leaped intu the river have tn t. yet been found, and lt will be many hours liefere tlie list of dead is anywhere near complete. The tien. Slocum, one of tlie largest excursion steamers in these wains, left Third street. List river, at ?.ail o'clock Wednesday morning, having on board the annual Sunday school ex cursion of St. Mark's German Luther church, located In Six lb street. Her destination was Locust Grove, one "I the many resorts on Long Island sound. The excursion was in charge of Kev. George C. F. Haas, past ruf th.? church. The vessel was commanded by Capt Wm Van Sch?lk, nue. of the best known excursion boat captains in New York harbor. Ile lias commanded the i;> n. Slocum fur almost the entire time since site was built in I SOL Thc number of excursionists on hoard Wednesday ls variously estimated at from 1 .'.ou ti. J..".00. but a .'cording to an oillciai statement issued by the Knickerbocker Steamboat company, owners "t thc Slocum, the number i f passengers was 87.'l, that being one- ! Ll 11 rel of thc vessel's licensed capacity. i KOW OKI) WITH M KKKY.Yt A K Kits. Thc steamer, after leaving her dock ? Wednesday morning proceeded up thc Hast river, all three of her decks being crowded with merrymakers. Hands played and thc great sldewheclCr was ? decorated with 'lags from stem to stern. The Slocum had reached a point near the sunken meadows o?r I.'55th I street . Manhattan, which is at the ex ? treme eastern end of Lansdalls island, when ?ire broke out in a lunch room cm jibe forward deck. The bia/.: was j caused hy Hie overturning of a pot. of j grease. Thc headway of Hie vessel and 1 big)* ' almost instantly fanned rthdlhsignjlicaiu ;!vme uno. ;nry. foi ts were atfince' directed to-s^^^??^' i the lire hilt they '.Vere futile. Thebi?z? spread after willi almost lightning rap. 1 Idity. ('apt. Yan fichaik, in the pilot house, bad been int' inned of Hie out break of the lire, and realizing Hie dan ger to tho hundreds hf excursionists, decided to .?end his vessel to shore at lalth street. Alibis point there are lumber yards and several huge oil tanks and the captain was warned that to attempt to land al this point would endanger the property and perhaps further imperil Hie scores of people who had already bee ti frightened into ti state ot almost uncontrollable excite ment. CHA NU KI) i ut KSK. ? hanging the big steamer's course slightly be. headed for north* Brother island, half a mile away. Hy this time lhe llames were rushing by leaps and hounds from Hie forward part of the ship aft. The great open decks, built for thc excursionists, with little obstruction from how to stern, olfer?d a clear ; sweep for Hie tire. As the Slocum dashed forward tile llames caught stanchion and cabin woodwork eating and tearing their wa* across the ves ?sci. The excursion i ts, but a few mo : men ts I cforc In thc full enjoyment ol an ideal summer's day on Long Island SOU lid, were driven to the after part ' 'f thc steamer to escape the heat, iiaihfit-tyid shu ke that were constantly increasing. Policemen and deckhands aboard the**-J'..at struggled hard I. quiet, the paid?-, hut the dbuts were in ?.aili. The wild disorder increased as frantic mothers sought lo lind the r children, who had Seen at play nb .??1 ; the decks. The steamer's whistle was blowing for assist an. e and I tigs and other hear by craft answered the call. Before any of thc b. tats could reach the bu ruing steamer, however, the frantic wo.n j and children began to jump overboard. ' The current was strong ai.d there are many whirlpools in the channel. Tue boats tiuit always bound in Hie viciai ' ty pick- d many parsons from the water, hut these we- only a snail ' number of those that ? SO?II strug ; gi frig in the current. j I hi the S.um the !;.!?:. s WC p of the llames cul oil escape hom tili ' hurricane deck, where a great many of tlie women an 1 children were crowded together, and soon humed away thc light wood of the uprights .vliicb came down willi a crash on those below, lt is thought Huit most of those on the hurricane deck wen 1 huned. , i lo . w UKI? ant: lt A 11. t As the lire increased Hu: struggle lc ? gain a point of vantage at Hie ste ri -' h.'came frightful. Women and child ren crowded against the alter rai - until it gave wa> and hundreds wen i pushed oil Into the river. After th:: < iln re was a steady stream of person: I who jumped or were thorwii into Un [continued on page t | liol Ne ( lllilll Allow i ll. I A dispatch from Spartanburg say: . Congressman Johnson has receive) a j notice through the war depart n.en . that a Confederate horse claim ha: e been allowed to .1. A. Gallamorc o Greenville county under act ol' eon : grcss of Feh. JT, ttl ri, After thc sur render of Lee. Mr. G.lllathore had ; o I horse stolen from lum hy the ullloi n soldiers. The money will he forwar lei .- hy the department In a week or two H Congressman Johnson bas roany si mi ! larclaims pending., WORLD'S NOTABLE DISASTERS. 'I'll?: itu rn i nu itt* t he Slocum One of t bc Most Hcurt rcmlititr. The huming of the steamer General Slocum, nu hist Wednesday morning, with a l<?s of probably more than OOO lives, is or?Fof the most, heartrending disasters of recent times. The guests of the big steamer were mai ly all children and women, going upon their annual Sunday school picnic. Such a catastrophe cannot fail lo recall the recent holocaust In Chicago, wileri at a matinee on thc last, day ol I'.'tKi the Ircqiiois theatre, just c m pleted. was st j/..M? hy the lire lieild . nd in less than thirty minutes nore Iban 000 pe iplc, largely women and chil dren, were burned tu death, and mme than -100 td hers were maimed fur lite. ?Such disasters call to mind the theatre lire ol Richmond, Va., in ls l ! ; the burning of thc Conways brook playhouse i.' 1870, and the liery destruction of the Paris theatre a few years ago. in which the leading actress and many others lost their liv s. While such catastrophes are horrible to contemplate tbey do not approach the horror of other disasters by lire. Hood and volcanic erupt ? ti. All wili recall the erupt ion of Ves ll vins in A. I>. 70, which buried in saud and ?ava Pompeii, Herculaneum and Stablae. The lossof life was lf>o,000, and the cities have never been rebuilt. Lisi ion. I he capital of Poi t lig?l, suf fered an earthquake in I7.v>, which left the city in ruins, and took 150,000 lives. Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, list iii, 000 lives from an earthquake in 1812. Manila, I hilippinc Islands, was v <. 1 Lcd by an earthquake in J une. l^-;.;. causing a less of nearly 10,000 lives. Certainly the mest distriiclivc tire in the history of this country, if not in the world, was tho Chicago tire of October, 1871. Itegiuning in a ham in Delvovcu street, it spread wi tb lightning rapidity, and raced for i wo days and nights, lt swept over 2. loo acres, destroying 17,150 buildings Th? exact number ol the th at hs bas never been ascertained, hut it we it into the hundreds: 70.000 peoph bnc-llfth ol the entire population were left homeless, and properly worth $100,000,000 one-third ol t ie value of the entire city was destroy ed by this lire. Mosti u had a lire in 1872, which de stibyud ;'*0 acres of the business sec lloii;at a h ss ol ?7.'..o(io ooo. Tile Johnstowu, l'a.. Hood in May. 1880, was a frightful disaster'; The dam across South I'ork. a branch of Hie Coneraaugh river. 12 m Mes east of .lohnstown, broke, releasing Coi e maugh Lake, whose waters thundeied down the valley, engulfed Johnstonn and neighboring villages, causing a toss ot a,^.m-Us'es.yi7Tr$iu,ooii,ooo. ij^t?^&pK^Lmt^ffvttm.), < lal vest? m. 'Tex., whs lite sceiie Lt" a great Ho d. A West. Indian hurricane, with a velocity of i:i") miks an hour, swept over the ii y and Hooded the .-tree s. and in less tl ail live hours destroyed ! ?; ono lives and property valued at 1*18 Ooo 000. More r?cent still was thc eruption nf Mont Pelee on the Island of Mar j Li iii< i no, I'n h.h West Indies, ?in May tic -th, 1002, the mountains : belched forth and ovei whelmed t ie town of St. Pi.n.. ..s ?ts bise with sand and la?a which overran die sur rounding country, and destroyed .'l?jr 000 pei pie. <>n August 8H?, 1002, Mt. Peke erupted again and 2,"?00 lives were lost. Everyone recalls the recrut cyclone of Gainesville, (?a.. and thc burning i of the Park Avenue Hotel in New York, each disaster causing so much .su If ring and the loss ol life, in the ' latter I .7. Well \\ in : h Keelny. One of the most interesting e.v Iiibits among the many of ali kind: at the Louisiana Purchase Kxpositioi in St. Louis is that of the Win?li?slei Repealing Arms Company, id New Haven. Conn., manufacturers of re peating rides and shotguns and al kinds of ammunition. The exhibit was in readiness and was opened on the first day of the fair, a fact thal clearly illustr?tes thc enterprise am 'up-to-date ui?Uinds ot the cornpa'nj behind it. lt is the aim of the \\ in chester Repealing A rms Company t< sh?iw af their exhibit t he high doveli ip mont which they have reached ni tl" making of guns and ammunition, am one needs only to Hie exhibit l< realize how mar to perfection th r development has c mic There cai be seen the new automatic repeating ride all kinds bf shot guns, the ninden smokeless powder shot gun shelis ilia ride cartridges: in fart every.tiiihi 1 hal can interest the devotees of hunt mg and trap and tra and target S'?UM I mg. fion't hui io see Hie c.xhihi at the Manufacturers and Pish am Came buildings. li's welt worJ your while. Iv i Heil a l'y ru ut. ??en. Rohrikdtf, governor generale Finland, was shot and mortal] '. wounded at ll o'clock Thursday mb? ing al tiie entrance lo the Finnis senate at Heising furs. Toe assassh a man named Schaumumi. a son < Senator Schaumann, immediate! .committed silicide. Kohr i koli wii I shot In the stomach and ifeek, thft ?shots being tired; one of which Inllu-i I ed a serious wo. nd. The attack ) ase ri tied to Finnish pal Holism. 'J' i ! last reen rd ci i act ot Heh llohriko . was in Mandi ot Hus year, when h I j issued a proclamation forbidding I ' people t" darken their windows ; s -"unusual hours." People who clio.1 s to go to ber| before 10o'clock at mei . were subject I" heavy lilies. Tri ? step was due to t ilt; neglect of t l inns lo illuminate their houses i " honor of the beginning of the wi I with Japan. 1.1 le ( '? IINIII-II (MU ' At New York one of tho big aub I mobiles used io take sight seers a hoi sj the eily, ran over and killed an eldi f : ly unknown man in 11 road way Thu - dd3 night while merni i rs ol the ni - ry party were laughing and singh i i j Before the body of the victim cou I i'la; taken from under the car SOVCri I I of the women passengers became hy ; tc r icu I and had to bc lifted to li - j ground, while others jumped daw land ran way from Hie scene. FATHER KILLS SON. The Youth Pinna to Frighten the Uder Mau by Playiug Haudit WAYLAID HIM IN LONELY SPOT i An?! lu Killed I le fore Ho Can Cry Oui I 'm lier l'liitigi-s a Knilc Inti) tho Boy'a lirai I. At Itt ve rs i dc N. j., Frank Rein ecke, a buy nf sixteen, playe 1 that be j was a highwayman Wed nest ay night land did it S3 realistic illy that bis rattier, whom he held up. plunged a knife intn his heart, killing bim. ; Intercepting his parent iii a lonely spot upon the hanks of RancncasCreek he suddenly stepped from behind a bush, telling Reinecke, Sr., tn hold up his bauds. The next, instant he was lifeless. Thursday thc father is raving in I d di rum, and it is feared that he may never recover from the ^hock. The mother and sisters are prostrated, and the little community mourns the I death ol' a popular youth. Half a dozen holdups have occurred at Riverside and the adjoining villages within a month ur so, and thc rcsi i dents have been generally arming j themselves. The place is on the Am boy division ol the. Pennsylvania Rall j n ?Fl. but twelve miles from Camden, and large numbers ol tramps pass I along on their way to and fruin Phila delphia and New York. The recent crimes have been attributed to these '. wanderers. frank Reinecke conceived tbe idea thal it would he a linc Hiing to mas querade as a highwayman and ? ighteu his neighbors. Ile carried out his Idea and suecee led in making li?lf a ; do7.cn staid residents jump fences and scuttle for linnie within a week. Thursdav night bc tried thc experi ment upi in bis falber, "Walter Rein ecke, a well-to-do insurance agent of , thal place, whose home is un the out skirts nf the village, above the banks : of the creek, in a lonely spot. Father and son started out early in 1 . Hie evening, the older to transact some business at the village tire company's I I house, of which otganl/ation be Isa member, and the boy to visit bis young fri ods, Willie and Laura ; Kel lock, who live near the Reinecke li ?me. < >n the way the youth regaled his father with storicss of recent holdups. When 10:BO p. m. came Mr. Rein ecke started for home. He was ap prehensive, remembering that heJiad rei ently bad words wit h a negro, who had threat ind bira. He also remem bered what his buy had told him abuut ; highwaymen. So be drew a large j Knire irom ms pocket, "tmenod the j blade and walked on with senses on j thc alert. Young Reinecke bad b:ei-> | watching fur his father. He was I peeping on!, from behind a bush that stund beside the path in the loneliest part of thc roadway. The Hees grow thick lhere, and the black waler of the creek is just below, milking it as loneley and dangerous a spul as can ' he imagined. .I ust as Hie elder Reinecke reached the shadow a dark figure stepped into the half gloom and a hoarse voice cried: "Hold up your hands. Now 1 've got you." At thc same instant the ligure laid fast hold upon the frightened man's coat sleeve. With a cry of terror the father lunged forward and lui ried ! knife ililli- breast of the supposed highwayman, who sank tu the ground gasping, " i Hi! Falhei The voie : ol the buy rec:: 11 d thc anguished 'allier tua realization of the awful thing thu he had done. With a cry thal A IS heard far oil hy neigh bors the distracted man fell un his knees beside Hie ho ly of Iiis buy and besought him lo speak. He raised the iiead of the buy only td lind that li? . was already dead. Susi .tin 11 en\ y 1.1IHH. , A dispatch fr? m St. Petersburg says Finperor Nicholas li : s received ll ie fol " lowering telegram from Lien. Hen. Hanni Stakelherg. "A battle began I at no in an und the Russian position four and a hal; milos south of the sta tion ol Wafauboon (Vafangow), the enemy making repeated attempts In ' j dislodge our left Hank. The al tak was repelled and we retained . ur posit ihn; j Tli'e li rsl reg mehi occtip) lng the left tl.mk of i Ur position sustained seven: j losses lbs cotnmander, (ol. K ba vas tonnotf, and Adjut. Sub-Lieu. I'nigos I?krf N?doi-hiiisy were killed. Hen. (?Crhgross was wounded, a sharpnol . biiilel Sliltte'iliy the righi side ot' thc lower 'aw. but he lemained "n tie' ! iiei.i.'' \ WOiii a ii l>)* ii cited, jj At I."baiion .Innotion, Ky., Maria Thompson, colored, who Wednesday liight killed .lobii Irwin, a wealthy white farmer, was taken Hom the jail Thursday and hanged to a tree in thc f jail yard. She weighed pound y and the rope broke. As she ran away ,. Hie mub tired .1 fusila le after her un I, til ste- fell and was left for dead. Tia i olllcer.-i, however, lound signs nf lib ,i ?iud removed the women to a phys! i clan's oiilce, where it. was found thin lS she I lui 1 been sluit m several place: , an ! co ?d ? ot recover Irwin had re |. proved Mariel Thompson's boy win ?s worked toi lum. A (lei ward Mari; i, '-ame inlo Irwin's melon patch uhr g slashed Irwin until l.e was dead. lillee Killed in Duel. ;t Ai llryan'sville, Ind.. lime mei ,,. an- dead and two wounded, Olio fatally ,t as the rt s'llt Ol il pistol lighten Mn is si nets of tint village Tuesday. Tin l(. ib ,id an-.I ann s and Charles Rout aili II Mill m Tow. .launs Tow is fa tal I; ir woiinde I and Frank Two is badi; burl. Tin- light w as t he culmin?t lui ufa feud between the Runt, and Tov ! families. il, Hi nilly liol Supper. r-1 Tuesday night at a hot supper am s dance niven by the colored people o r-1 Waltcrbon . Gus G icon, bu.ung jeal r. ons of William Haynes, deliberate!, ld j pulled bis pistol and shot him dead il il reen was captured and lodged in jai s- j at 2 o'clock next morning and Ibis fae ie j enabled tin- officials to discover s n early that Adams and Stephens liai j escaped. ? ?ftEAKS JAIL. Adams, Murderer, and Another Pri soner, Filed Their Way Out. AN APPEAL HAD BEEN DENIED Ami Adamo Waa Await lui; a Ito-son lOTioo. Til?? Sherill and a - Posse Arc I'urHiitiig tho lOecaiicH. A dispatch frum Waltcrhoro to The Slate under date of June 14 says ijuite 4 sensation was camed in Walteiboro Tuesday morning when il was kui wu that lt. A. Adams had escaped from jail. Adams was con victed for the murder of Henry Jaques and sentenced last June tobe lunged. 11 is sentenced was stayed pending an appeal ito the supreme court, which appeal,was dismissed. Adams was to have peen rt sentenced at the next term of court, which meets the tirst Monda.T in August. At 2 o'clock Tuesday morning when Gus Urccn \ s brought to jail by Policeman Johnson a rope of blankets was discovered banging from the win dow above the portico on the side of thc jail. Upon investigation it was found that Adams and a negro, Jasper Stephens, Incarcerated for larceny, bad filed through one of the Iron bars and escaped. Deputy Sheriff Henderson imme diate'" started in pursuit, but so far no tr{-.- ;s of the escaped prisoners bas been found. Adorns is about ? feet Hi inches high, weighs about 14r> pounds, dark skin, dark hair aud eyes, with mous tache and a long, sharp face with very heavy jaw and large neck: fast talking and winks eyes rapidly while talking, uervcus and quick movement. WEATHER AND CR.0P3. A Few Isolated Sections Still Suflcr ing from Drought. Mr. J. W. Hauer, section director, says 'n his weekly report of the crops, gathered from correspondence: The week ending 8 a. m., June Lt. had a mean temperattiie of 75 degrees, which ls about 4 below normal, due to nearly normal temperatures during thc first four days and abnormally cool weather during the last three. The cool weather was accompanied by fresh to brisk northeast winds and unusually low relative humidity. The sunshine was normal in places and be low iu others. The greater portion of the State had from one to over two inches of rain .? three days. The upper Sa |yp valley had less than an Inch, I wm , in ?&nS -'nf Ycrk county and a ! few L v,v are:i'i ,n "tiler sections the (jj.*, 5t7?. is unbroken and crops are ?sn., ^ing for moisture. Streams are very lov; and r ?any wells are tailing ID the central dounties. A destructh ! wind and hail storm passed throng i IMckens county: the j track of the hail storm was about half a mile wide an 1 all crops In thi ; path j were destroyed. There wen also damaging wind storms in Spirtan burg ?rid Sumter counties, an 1 hail ?occurred at various places m the northern and northeastern counties, doing some damage to crops. The weather was generally favora ble for cultivation of Held crops, but with large areas where the ground ..io wet to work and where fields have been...;, foul. As :i rule, corn, cotton, tobacc . lice* and minor crops .are clean and well cultivated, and have made marked improvement dur ing the last wi ck. Corn made steady Improvement in ail parts of tlc; State, and, although small, is growing nicely and bas a healthy color. Earliest com is being laid by. With few and unimportant excep tions, cottcn has now atlaine I full Islands, although somewhat irregular j ones as to Size, The plants are small tor the season, but have good color and are growing nicely. Lice are re ported from Abbeville county! Squares have been reported from nearly all s di ms, and a few blooms have been j noted in Orangeburg county. In (?laces tields are becoming foul. Sea island cotton shared in the general Improvement, and now hus full but Irregular stands and good color. Tobacco I m pp roved and is being "primed.'1 Rice planting continues and abe crop is making satisfactory growth. Wheat and oat. harvest i> nearing completion: tb.* yields ol wheat are best, in the extreme west ern counties and only lair to poor ii the central ones. The oat crop I: best in the eastern counties, when in places the yields are heavy. La ti oats shew some improvement. Holl grail s I ave been boused in good (kill dit ion. where cut, willi only sllchl damage from the rains. lt Wu.-. Ilmtal Murder. Thc State says Nathan Truesdale uncle of the negro killed at Oloud': creek on Saturday week, swore out ; ' warrant before Magistrate Lit t le a Saluda on Wednesday for Sion Miller . Joe Miller and Russel McCormick Thursday Hie Millers and McCormici i surrendered themselves to the sheri! and ari'now In jail. The Miller boy: ' are'JJ and J > years old, respectively. i and McCormick looks to lie tin 1 ybuugci of t he three, lt was sta tot that McCormick did Hie shooting bu the re pori cannot bc continued. Tin home nf the Miller boys ls not fa i Hom while Hie homicide occurred . while McCormick halls from Lexi ag ii ton county. He joined the Mile . boys it Hatisburg and was going on I visit to his brother, whose home is i f this county. 11 ls not known whet lie >' application will be made for ball r: i not. The older of Hie Miller boys I v II arried. At tho lop. The Coln mb a State calls attentlo I to thc fut that of the six "star" sti f dents graduated from West point Hil - year, one is trun Virginia, ont cac ). from Tenncsse :, Mississippi and Colt ia lo, ai d two from North Carolin! 1 They aie all si . Ithern boys excel t om t and their ree? rds are go*, d cause f< 0 pride in Hie section they have s i we 1 r< presented, lt is really an unuSUl Sin 'wing. WILL BE ? CHANGE Mr. Fr? 4l Wannamakcr Will Afipulut New Civil Service Board. The Columbia State says: Upon the retirement of Mr. A. P. Wilson from the post O thee to seek health on bis farm near the city a negro named Nix was appointed to succeed Mr. Wil son as secretary of the local board of civil service examiners. The appoint ment has been the subject of com plaint, and Congressman Lover lias succeded in having him removed. The objection to this colored man may be be^t st;.ted by an example. Recently a young lady informed Dr. Ensor that she wished to stand ttie examination for stenographer in the government service. She was referred to the secretary and with indignation she refused to stand tho examination when slie found that the person to whom she applied an:l to whom lier papers should be submitted isa negro. Tills incident, among others, was brought to t lie attention of Mr. Lever. lt was also brought to his attention that white men as well as women were refusing to go before an examin ing board the secretary of which is a negro, and as a result the postotlice was being lilied up with negro clerks and carriers. When Mr. Lever took the matter up with civil service commission, he j was told that thc commission bad de cided to create a southern department ! with headquarters in Atlanta and I with Mr. Fred Wannamakcr in charge, j Friday Mr. Wannamaker was in the ?city for a short while and promised j Mr. Lever to give the relief a.-ked for. j lt is not known who will be members I of the new hoard, but they will be j employes of the federal government, i of course. I The appointment of the local ! examining boaid lias been mace by the commission in Washington upon recommendations from Columbia, and ' it is uuderstoi d that i>r. Ensor did I not recommend Hie negro's app lint ? ment, but in a way approved ttie pro . pi sed appointment when hts opinion was asked. Mr. Lever says that the j change will not cause Dr. Ensor any ! worry as the efficiency of Hie postal service in the city may he promoted j thereby. The postmaster employs I his clerks and cai Hers from a list of eligibles and this list is made up with the exact standing of every appli'iant I standing examination. If nen;, but I negroes apply, none but negroes will be appointed. Mr. Fred Wannamaker, who ii | I to he secretary in charge of- the I or southern dlvison of the clvll SeT'vIc ' commission, isanativeof Orangeburg, aud conducted a newspaper J^ei; ing to Washington where IJ?^LSV.i\??. v< au applulment in the. OoR^of ' the civil service commission; --IM*|promo tion has been rapid, aud Hus recognlth n from the department is a : matter of gratification to his friends ! in .South ' arolina. I "deer t ie new plan, the local boards of examin -rs will bc abolished in every 1 town in .he Sti le in Hie district. The manager of the division, in Hus case the li .'th division, will have under ! him a f ree of examiners. These j examiners wili h< sent tn every town or city where examinations are to he hehl, and it the inclusion of the ex ! amiuatiotis, the t apers w ill be sent to ' Atlanta, instead ol Washington as luis heretofore been the rule. I ndPr the new rule. Hie work of holding the ! examination will ne greatly simplified. Instead of each {.lace having its local I iKiard of examin?is, an examiner will ; be sent from Hie divisi?n headquar ters and the examination paper? from ! all the States in the division will lie sent to Allanta instead of Washing ton, thus doing away with the con fusion. ibanned a l'unie. Al New Voik i i a pat.ie among the passengers iii a ll rook lyn car on the Fulton street line Friday nine persons received severe injuries, most of them requiring at fem ion of physicians. Tue panic was caused hy the blowing "iii of a fuse while Hie car was running at a high rate or speed. The front platform and forward part of the car were at once enveloped In Hames, and the passengers made frantic efforts tc . 'scape. Many jumped, others were pushed uti the ear and others fell and were trampled un before the thc car could he stopped. Nearly every pas senger sn tiered some Injury. Mrs. Julia C.liman, 'J I years old, with a six months old baby in tier arms, was pushed from thc car and received a fractured skull, a broken ankle and severe concussions of the body. Thc baby was unhurt ?ind was found askei m the motheis arms, by an ambulance physician. N.i ( nu-..' lor AI a rm. 5 The Slate says Mr. Kert berle, thi ' United Mates Ci vii eng.neer and ar eluted, has about completed his ex lamination bf thc capitol dome and ex peels Lo leave for Washington Wed ncsday. Ile will report to thc gi ver nor from there in xt week. Mr. i erli would not say whether he would rc 1 port thc building safe or unsafe, bu ; thal dins not signify that from tb 1 examinations an 1 investigations hi . has made so Tar that it is or ls no.. 1 . merely means Hat he is guarded ii 1 expressing himself before be report ! formally to the governor. Ile did say J however, i bat t here was no cause to immediate alarm. Ile ls said to hay expressed the opinion that the nev ' work ls shoddy hy comparison .viii 1 Hie old. Whether this will bc brough mit in the report, however, cannot b 1 said. Howard l*i>r Adams. r Hov. Hey ward Wednesday offered a reward nf i">0O for the capture of lt H A Adams, who escaped Monday high r from the Waltcrboro jail. Adan: ts r I while man, who was sentenced las ? .lune to hang for the murder of lleur I Jacques Ills appeal to t hc su pre ni court had been dismissed and he wa to he rcsentcnccd at the August teri of Hie court. SVKTO < >>ll<t Killed. At Sim ison ville Tuesday afternoo Jim Tin upson, a tl year-old uegr boy, willi plas ii g willi a pistol stu and inst, idly k lied a U-montbs ol infant in the arms of lils young si: ter. The ball entered Hie Infant head and grazed Hie breast of tl] I young negro holding Hie child. Japs Claim Sweep? J?F8 LOSE THREE SHIPS. Tho liDUH in IJIVOH is Estimated at Ono Thousand. A dispatch from Tokio, Japan, rays all (ioubt as to the sinking of the transports Hitachi and Sado by the Russians has been removed. Three hundred and ninety-seven survivors of the Hitachi have arrived at Mojl and li>'? survlvorsof the Sado have arrived ?it Kokura. Details of the destruc tion of the two transports and the full extent of the casualties are not obtainable. A later dispatch says details obtain able from the survivor? of the Ill-fated Japanese transports show that the Hitachi and the Sado met three Rus sian warship near Ikl Island at 10 o'clock Wednesday morning. The Russians fired on the Japanese ships and stopped them, and soon afterward they torpedoed and sank the helpless transports. The captain of the Sado and several other men were captured. More than 100 men escaped In the boats and lauded at Ki kura. A message has been received here from Hagl say ing that the survivors of the Hitachi had drifted north to Sh i monn.se ki and been saved. The transport Izum ls still missing. It is reported that the transports Hitachi and Sado carried only 1.400 men. If this ls true, the loss "in lives ls probably less thau 1,000. The transports, however, had many horses anti large quantities of supplies on boardf" Tfte steamer Katsuno was sunk oil Moji Friday night as a result of collid ing with the steamet Yamatokan. both vessels were on their way to Tiescu to rescue the survivors of the transports J lat acid and Sado. A STEAMER BURNED. _ The HiKhlnudor Totally Destroyed by .Viro Nc nv Georgetown. Th "Manager T. D. Love tit lue Highlander was .greatly and profoundly shoe i v.'i [Thursday night ny a telegnu . '.'.''.v:; to tiitn at midnight fri ? J, O,'Smith saying 'the li;, il hu i been ? '.".urned 26 miles above -Georgetown. The tele^catii g?'vtrAp. particulars and j ?ot -Ito: irs.known here' as to the erigin j 6t the lire. The telegram was 'dated (ieorgefcowuand Meanly said: ''High-:, lander lost ^by dre 2? /nliea above. ;Geprgefcown. Total loss.'' "The '.wat waa un ita way to George town at the time and had no cargo. The vessel was practically new, hav ing beeu built only three years ago, and vas valued at $12,000. It was In sured for only $3,000, witli J. H. Hoatwrighl .s: Son at Wilmington, N. IC. Although the telegram says "total ! less," Manager Live is of the opinion j that much of the machinery may he saved. The h ss falls heavily on Mr. ! Love - lie and not the Chamber >f Commerce being Hie owner. "The Highlander was the first and only lioat on the line thc Chamber of Commerce instituted this spring to j give Columbia waler connection with I the coast. The business has steadily . Increased since the tirst trips, and ar ' rangements had just been made for ; hauling cotton, which would greatly l??llev? the situation and for which the Clamber of Commerce had I?:ev. [working for several months. Just i what steps will be taken to put ; n ' oilier boat in commission on the river cannot lie said at this time, but tin re I is no doubt but that this will be dene as quickly as the Chamber of Coin j meroe can make the arrangements." Many Lives Lost. A dispatch from Santiago, Cuba, says the wurst storm of a decade began Friday and culminated Monday night in li Inches of rain which fell in live hours, accompanied by a hurricane, i The lower village of El Cobre bas been destroyed. Forty-live persons are known to be dead and scores are mis sing, [todies are Moating in the Cobre river. Twenty bodies have been recov ered by boats patrolling the bay. All the bridges on the Cobre railway are , out ai.(I many bridges have been lost on the Cuba railway. A train which i left Habana Saturday ls held between .1 washouts for eight miles Inland. A re >I lief train bringing mall and passen . k'ers was wrecked at Moron. The lire man and mall agent were killed and two of the employes were injured. Thc passengers are safe. The mines ll - Daiquiri are crippled and six of tin employes have been drowned. The piei has bren damaged. The city's proptr ty loss is cnormi?us. Negro Cotton Mill Failed. The Columbia State says: "Tin Wilmington Messenger calls our at tcntlon td the fact that the def une c Coleman cotton mill, the failure > ? j which was lately noted in thesi t columns, was not only operated bul i owned and managed by negroes, II s thal case we do not think that tin , evidence <>f thc negro's failure as ; r cotton mill hand was as conclusive u c In the ease of the Charleston mi 1 v which was financed by white capita i ? and managed by skilled white cot toi t mill men. The case ol' the Colena ai e mill is. however, equally ititere.stiii). i in another way." lu A Cow's Maw. it I At Aiken while slaughtering a bee . on Saturday, Mcfcsrs Lamer S t Thorpe's butcher lound a lady's gob a clasp bracelet in the animal's maw t The bracelet is of 18 karat gold ant is a handsome piece of jewelry. Thi cow was purchased willi a linnell i cattle from a Tennessee market. Hie. the animal happened to absorb sucl valuable hKK! is of course bard t guess, Little hy Little. liver a billion live-cent fares wer paid list year to the transit companie of New York city. Fifty million dui 'mrs! l'tild in tl ve cents at a time! ? veritable confirmation of the "lltth drops of water, little grains of sand teaching. a ng Victory. Left Five Hundred Rus sians Dead on the Battlefield. LOST FOURTEEN GUNS. Russians Wanted to Attack Jap anese Left, But Was Fore stalled, Forced Into a Defile and Routed. A dispatch from Tokio, Japan, says the Russian hope of relieving the pres sure on Port Arthur by threatening the rear of Gen. Oku, the commander of the Japanese forces investing the Russian stronghold, came to an end Wednesday at Te?issu, a point on thc railroad 50 miles north of Kinchon and 25 miles north of Vafangow, when the Russians were out-manoeuvred, en veloped and sweepingly defeated. They left mitre than 500 dead on tho Held and the Japanese captured 300 prison ers and 14 quick-(iring field guns. The Russians retreated hastily to the northward. The Japanese charge that the Rus sians violated the Japanese Hag. Cer tain ollicers aver that during the fighting a body of Russian soldiers ap peared carrying a Japanese Hag and that tue Japanese artillery, decived by this Hag, ceased firing on that par ticular body of Russians. Olllcial dis patches from trhe Japanese command ers made specific charges of this Hag violation. Early estimates of the Jap anese losses at Telissu say that 1,00\) men were killed cr wounded. The Japanese attacking force was divided intp right and left columsand bogan "the advance, on Tuesday along .both aides of the.railroad. They en tered the Ru-v-U-ms east of Vafan dici' v^Back. ? At a late hoi. the Russians held a lii? b,\ . . ; Wang- Tiao and Ta Fang Shen'.Japanese ar tillery opened. oh. this' line and the Russians responded. The she?tng con tinued 12 hours and it vvasv followed by the advance of the Japanese line to ia-position extending from Lung Chia Tung to Yu Hotun. Darkness put an end to the lighting. The Japanese dis patcher! a column to thc westward to ward Fu Chan for the purpose of cov ! erlng the Russian right wing and to protect their left and rear. During the night il l)2came ap pearent that the Russians were being re-en forced aud so decided to make a general altack In the morning and force thc Russians into a detile back of Telissu. When morning cime it was discovered that that the Russians held a line extending from Ta Fang Shen to Cheng Tsu Shan, with a force esti mated at more than two divisions. The Japanese planned to envelop the Russians near Talissu and tbe> suc ceeded admirably. While the main Japanese force was : moving north along the railroad col I urns were swung to the left and * *' right and finally co" JU the nviin Ruggj .m . Rus sians in tbh>. L a dis advantage, but fJSTSOJYwith de i termination until ;i oM^ck in the afternoon. At this hour they were routed. The Japanese cavalry continu ed lo pursue the enemy and probably indicted severe punishment. KUSS1ANS ADMIT DEFEAT. A dispatch from St. Petersburg says Emperor Nicholas has received the following telegram, dated June Wi. from Gen. Kuropatkin: "I have received the following dis patch from Lieut. Gen. Baron Stakel berg. dated June D>, 12.20 a. m.: " 'Yesterday I bad intended to at tack the enemy's right Hank but just as our troops had been assigned for : the purpose and were beginning to , successfully envelop the enemy's right Hank, the Japanese in their turn at I tacker! my right Hank with superior j forces and I was compelled to retreat by three roads to the north. " 'Our losses are heavy, but they are not yet completely known. : " 'During the engagement the third i and fourth batteries of the first ar s tillery brigade were literally cut to " pieces by the Japanese shells. "'Of 1(5 guns, 13 wert rendered completely noseless and were aban doned. 'The conduct of the troops was ' excellent, a large proportion of them - refusing to retire until after they had 1 been repeatedly ordered to do SO."' f The Russians deny that there was ' anything in the nature of a rout. The L : enemy bad over four divisions In 1 ; action._ Lynched hy N'oRrwcs. i News bas reached La Grange, Ga., . that an old nergro hythe name of I Jonah Wi ods, who lived in the coun i try near Texas court grounds In Heard II County about 2."> miles from La : Grange, was lynched by other negroes. Wood was a deacon in bis church and a pious old negro. It is stud he dis f covered a number of negroes playing "craps" and threatened t bal be would I report them to the grand jury. After wards the cnurch \va.s burned down j I and two days later, while plowing In the Heids, he was seized and strung II ' up to a tree nearby. NcRri'HH KUIH Wtilte Woman. o News was received Tuesday of the. j killing of Mrs. Halliday, a white wo j man, by Addie Smith, a negro girl, at ; Loachap ?ka Monday night. The e slayer was caught ?us Notasulga, a s small town near Montgomery. A - large crowd ?non gathered and fearing ^ violence the sheriff of Lee c moly took 2 the negress to Tuskegee for safe keep " i lng. The woman acknowledge! klil ! lng Mrs. llolllday. *