Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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27men are dead . A Charge cf Powder Ignites Setting Off 1,600 Pounds NAVAL DISASTER AT PENSACOLA The Presence of .Mind and Prompt Action of Captain Cowies Saves | the Ship. PntiM/.nlo T^lo Qnor?inl ?Whllp on * * "... ? I the target range Wednesday afternoon 1,600 pounds of powder exploded on the battleship Missouri, killing five officers and twenty-four men and injuring a number of others, two of whom will die. The Missouri was on the target range with the Texas and Brooklyn at practice about noon, when a charge of powder in the twelve-inch left i hand gun exploded, ignited from gas-! es. and dropping below. Ignited four charges cf powder in the handling room, and all exploded, and only one man of the entire turret and handling ! I crow survives. But for the prompt and efficient work of Capt. Cowles in closing the handling room and magazine. one of the magazines would have exploded and the ship would have been destroyed. Capt. Cowles. j < ompleteiy overcome with the dis- J aster, referred all newspaper men to j Lieut. Hammer, the ordinance officer. The latter gave out a statement of the explosion and its probable cause. According to him. about noon, after the first pointer of the after twelveinch piece had fired his string and I the second pointer had fired the j third shot of his string, the charge j igniied. The fourth shot was being j loaded and from all indications, the j first half of the charge had been ram-, med home and -the second section was being rammed home, when gases from the shot previously fired, or por-, tions of the cloth cover, ignited the powder. The breech was open and a dull thud gave notice of something unusual. No loud report was made, but the flames were seen to leap from every portion of the turret. A few seconds later another explosion, more fierce, occurred. This was in the hanuling room belcw. where 1,600 pounds of powder, or four charges, ready to be hoisted above, had ignited. Fire quarters were sounded, and every man of the ship responded, eager to go into the turrets and rescue the crew. Capt. Cowles gave u:^ orwl ]\nf fnr hie DTPS* ence of mind, together with the officer? of the ship, the Missouri .would have gone down. The second explosion occurred near one of the magazines. and so hot was the fire that the brass-work of the magazine was melted. Smoke and the fumes of the burned powder made it almost impossible either to enter the turret or handling room, but officers and men, with handkerchiefs over their faces, made efforts to rescue the men inside. Leading the rescuing party was Capt. Cowles (the officers endeavored to keep him from going below, as men fell unconscious at they ent^ed, and had to be pulled out by thenr comrades) ; but, unheeding their advice, the commanding officer rushed below, foiiowed by Lieut. Hammer, the ordinance officer, and Lieut. Cleveland Davis. Capt. Cowles caught up a dying blue-jacket in his arms and ' ^transferred him to the deck. The blue-jacket, with two others from the npamOfvl nnrtlv liaUUUJi? 1 UUIU, ua U vian.va f from their place of duty when they had been overcome. Before the fumes of the burning powder had left the turret, officers and men were in. lifting out the dying and dead men. Three minutes after the explosion all were on deck and the surgeons from the Missouri, Texas and Brooklyn were attending to those not dead. The twenty-five men of the turret were found lying in a heap. They had started for the exit.when the first explosion occurred and had just reached there when the more terrible explosion in the handling room had occurred, which burned and strangel them to death. Lieut. Davidson, the officer in charge of the turret. had evidently given some command to the men. as he was on top of the heap of men. having fallen there after he had allowed them to pass him to get out of the turret. The bodies were hardly recognizable, the terrible and quick fire having burnt the clothing from the bodies of the men, and the flesh hung from them in snreas. The faces were mutilated by the smoke and flames. Only one man was breathing when the turret crew was rescued, and he died a moment after he reached desk. The dead: Lieut. \V. C. Davidson, in charge of the twelve-inch turret: Ensign E. A. Weikert, U. S. M. C.; Lieut. Thomas Ward, Jr., division officer; J. K. Pedcrson. . boatswain mate, second class; W. Bougard. orseaman: J. Blcxaputlan. Cox s>wa.'n Charles Rice, Seaman J. C. Hardy, apprentice, second class: K. J. Xivlin: Seaman .1. Gadris; Ordin: ry Seaman J. F. Rolands; F.lectri< k.n (second class) H. B. Franks, Consv/ain J. P. Starr. Ordinary Seanan J. C. Nimn. Seaman N. Soder, Scama" n H. Meyer, Oidinary Seaman P. R. Castler, Apprentice (second class) P. II. Allison. Oidinary Seaman R. C. Tobin, Ordinary Seaman J. J. Mulligan, Landsman J. W. CcJe. Ordinance Sergeant A. Smith, Gunner's Mate (first class) W. S. Shipman. Private Marine P. J. Brcwn, Chief Gunner's Mate .7. F. Kennedy, Ordinary Seaman J. M. Roach. The injured arc: J. E. Knight, seaman. may recover: J. T. Donnelly, ordinary seaman, dying; R. Starr, seaman. will recover; F. C. Schnub, apprentice. second class, w:ll recover, and a man supposed to be O. B. Mca. j apprentice, second ciaas, dying. LIVE ITEMS OF NEWS. i Alaoy Matters of General Interest In Short Paragraphs. Down in Dixie. J A dynamite cap blew up a boy in ( Richmond and seriously injured him. Judge W. H. Mann has definitely deI oided to- run for Governor of Vir- ' j ginia. ; I A plot made by five negro convicts ! j to blow up the State prison at Nash- i i ville, Tenn., was discovered, and one of the negroes cut his throat. Congressman Harry C. Woodyard j was renominated by the Republican district convention at Parkersburg. A mob of negroes near Newport News threatened to lynch a black charged ' with burglary, but officers rescued him. ! Twenty-six men were killed by an ' explosion in the after turret of the 1 battleship Missouri, near Pensacola, j Fla. At The National Capital. The General Deficiency AppropriaI tion bill carries an item of $1,000,000 1 | lor pensions, a part of which is to pay ( , pensions under the order issued re- ^ j cently by Commissioner Ware. In the Senate the bill for the gov1 crnment of the Panama Canal zone was j considered. Mr. Morgan (Dem.. Ala.) attacked the Panama policy of the administration. The House had under consideration i the bill amending the law relating to the Philippine Islands. Indications are that Capt. Richmond P. Hobson has been defeated by Congressman Bankhead. in the Alabama primaries, for Congress. A sharp exchange of words took place in the Senate between Messrs. Teller 'Dem., Col.) and Hopkins (Rep.. 111.) The McCall investigating committee reported that it found no evidence to implicate members of Congress in any unlawful pestofflce transactions. The Senate passed the postoffice appropriation bill. Mr. Robinson (Dem.. Ind.) made a point of order in the House alleging breach of confidence by the conferees on the Indian appropriation bill, but the point of order was overruled. At The North. Hearst delegates to the Democratic , State Convention in Connecticut were ehncon In Van' T-I<iven ,v~- 11 The Democratic campaign in the ! j West was inaugurated at the Iroquois . Club banquet in Chicago. About two-thirds of the Mossachusetts Democratic delegation will be for : Richard Olney, but W. R. Hearst will ! get 6 to 10 votes as the result of the ' caucuses held there Tuesday night. The New York Republican, convention chose Senators Piatt and Depew. Governor Odell and ex-Governor Rlack delegates-at-large. and "directed" them to vote for the nomination of Roosevelt. The motion of E. H. Harriman and Winslow S. Pierce to intervene in the settlement of the Northern Securities liquidation decree was taken up before the United States District Court at St Paul, Minn. Governor Peabody. of Colorado, declared that Adjutant General Bell and Captain Welle, of the militia, would not a^pcai iii luun clo uaicicu auu nwuiu ignore the writ of habeas corpus in i the Moyer case. i Senator W. A. Clark, of Montana. ! ' sailed from New York on a six-month ! cruise in the Mediterranean for his 1 health. ' i Lolita Armour left New York with i her parents on her way to Vienna. ] where Dr. Lorenz will give her les- t sons in walking. ( Charles Albert Beecher. friend of Lincoln and who aided in obtaining 1 ii commission in the army for U. S. 1 Grant, died at Marysville, Ohio. ' : From Across The Sea. j The funeral of ex-Queen Isabella of * Spain took place in Paris. ? Colonel Marchand, the hero of Fashoda. resigned from the French service. J The House of Commons, by 270 votes to 61. sanctioned the employment of 1 Indian troops in the tibet mission. Caricatures of President Roosevelt ] and Miss Alice Roosevelt, by name on the stage, were stopped by the Berlan ( police. The Russian battleship Petropavlovsk was wrecked by$ striking a mine at Port Arthur. Vice Admiral Makaroff and over 600 of her crew being killed. Prince Hugo Hohenlohe was married to Mme. Helga, a circus rider, in Berlin. It is reported that fighting between the Russians and Japanese has begun along the banks of the Yalu river. Extraordinary precautions have been taken recently at Port Arthur to guard ag-ainst a surprise. Premier Maura was stabbed in the breast at Barcelona by Joaquin Miguel Artao. cm anarchist youth, but was not severely injured. f The .House of Commons reasseiy bled and Premier Balfour gave notjre th3t hr- would bring up the ThBet miestion The Reichstag reassembled and , Chancellor Von Bulow In a speech dis- ] cussed Germany's foreign policy. < Mlsc?11rn',ou5 flatters. The Knights of Columbus of the i United States presented to the Catholic University a check for $50,000 to en- <*nw a chair of American history In the ] University. It is thought likely a new and more 1 liberal treaty affecting Immigration ' will be negotiated with China. It is believed the proposed naval demonstration in tlio Mediterranean by the United States is aimed at the Sultan cf Turkey. IMMIGRATION CIRCULAR How to Procure the Best Class of Foreigners for South Carolina. Commissioner of Immigration Watson has prepared two circulars for distribution among the people of tha State giving information as to how they may assist in the work of his department. The first is to land owners jesiring to sell tracts for settlement and the second is to commercial uignnizations and real estate agents of the towns. Mr. Watson says that he is confident there will be no difficulty at all In securing settlers, in as large numbers as may be desired, if suitable land in sufficient large tracts can be secured. To get this land at reasonable prices is his first problem. It is for this purpose that he has issued bis first circular, as follows: Circular. No. 1. To the Land Owners of South Carolina: Immediately upon assuming the duties of commissioner of agriculture, commerce and immigration, realizing ,'ully the necessity for speedy action ooking to the highest development of he State's agricultural interest hrcugh investigations in the east of he methods employed by the different States of the Union in securing the aest types of immigrants now enter ng the, United States in greater numDers than ever before in the country's listory. I have been fortunate in pursuing these investigations and in raking arangenients whereby we can secure excellent labor and settlers jpon very much the same basis as hose States which have been eaping the harvest resulting !Yom purchasing settlers, the utensifled methods of farming employed by the foreign laborer, ind the consequent building up of waste places and increase of taxable property and increase of production ind wealth. The office now needs to be advised it once of the location of available lands, and needs further to know immediately tho wants of the farmers 3f the State complaining of the lack of intelligent farm labor. We need to know also of the location and value Df our undeveloped water powers, clay beds, mineral deposits, and have the owners list them upon the register in the office with prices at which they will sell. We need to know likewise 3f available large tracts suitable for the location of successful colonies. The act creating this department requires, the commissioner to act with3ut fee, as the agent of the citizens of the State who wish to meet the excess expenses of bringing desirable immigrants to their farm or other lauds, and directs him to secure those who desire to purchase homes, become citizens of the State and build up the agricultural interests, 'ine ict further provides: "That he (the commissioner) shall also collect from the farmers and land owners of the State and list information as to lands, stating the number of acres, location, the terms upon which they may be bought, leased or shared to desirable settlers: that a land registry shall be kept, and in connection therewith, from time to time, publication shall oe made, descriptive of such listed igricultural, mineral, forest and trucking lands and factory sites as may be offered to the department for sale sr share, which publication shall be n attractive form, setting forth the county, township, number of acres, :iames and addresses of owners, and such other information as may be lelpful in placing inquiring homeseekers in communication with land >wners." To this end several forms of blanks iavc been prepared, and will be furlished all land owners and farmers jpon application to this office. They ire: First. For those wishing desirable 'arm labor. Second. For those wishing tena?t settlers. f hnpft irichintr chflrP settlers. Fourth. For these wishing to offer ands to purchasing settlers and large racts for colonization purposes, as veil as to offer water powers, kaolin peds, mines, etc. For the information of the land own?rs it is stated that the prevailing ustom in securing farm laborers and *ven purchasers from among those who cine across the Atlantic to these ihorps, no matter what amount they pring with them, is for those who want hem to prepay their passage, and inddental expenses of transfer at New fork, the steamship lines furnishing ickets, before departure, through to lestination. This is considered an ramest of the good faith of the peo le among whom the settler is to live, ind saves much trouble at the port of mtry. Of course the refund of the imount thus advanced is secured. At he present exceptionally low rates prevail over all trans-Atlantic lines. F'or the movement of settlers from .he east the office has made gratifying irrangements. At present like arrangements are being made for movement of settlers from the northwest and other portions of the country. t would parnestlv warn all land own re of the danger of naming excessive l>rlces for land. Inducements must be offered to%fceure the most desirable settlers and thi3 Is particularly true In the case of the initial movement to turn the tide of desirable settlers to a territory heretofore unknown to them. One successful plan of combining investments and interested labor that is being U3ed in some of the northwestern States may be well employed here. If a farmer, for instance, has 2,000 acres ef land and is able under present conditions to cultivate only a portion of it. he cuts his tract in half, retaining the half he prefers. The other he divides into 50 acre farms. Then he offers to the thrifty settler a title to one of those 50 acre tracts at the end of a term of years, the settler paying for It with so many flays labor each month on the land owner's adjoining plantation. In this way the settler of small means but great energy is given cn incentive to secure best results, and in a short time the land owner's 1,000 acres is producing for him more than the 2.000 acre tract did. In the end the whole 2.C00 acre tract is made to blossom and a community of thrifty citizens is established, increasing taxable values and benefiting the State at large. A large area in South Carolina might be brought into productiveness by the adoption of _this plan. E. J. WATSON, Commissioner. WEATHER AND CROPS The Conditions for the Pest Week as Seen By the Department The week ending 8 a m., April 11, had a mean temperature of about 5S degrees, which is nearly 3 degrees below normal, due to cool weather at the beginning and the close, and warm during the middle of the week. The lowest temperature along the coast ranged from 40 degrees at Charleston to 31 degrees at Conway, with an extreme minimum for the week of 28 degrees at Liberty, Pickens county. Thin ice was noted generally on the morning of the 4th and light to heavy to killing frost on the 5tn. The frost was very damaging at places, killing, or seriously injuring, peaches, figs, plums, corn and garden truck. In many localities fruit escaped serious injury, and in the commercial peach orchards of the "ridge" section, It is estimated that three-fourths of a full crop remains. Apple and cherries suffered only slight injury, although some correspondents report both destroyed. Corn and white potatoes were nipped, the latter killed in places. The frost was not destructive In the commercial truck raising districts, except to cucumbers that will have to be replanted and to strawberries in the interior that were left exposed. Timely frost warning made it practicable to cover a large part of the strawberry crop. Rains fell on the 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th, but the week's rainfall was comparatively light, averaging less than quarter of an inch. Scattered localities had amounts ranging from half to over an inch. Tho rainfall was entirely insufficient along the coast where droughty conditions prevail, and in the north central counties where the ground is becoming too hard to plow. A general rain would prove very beneficial. Farmwork made rapid progress, and the preparation of lands is well advanced. Planting operations were confined largely to corn, rice and seaisland cotton, although some upland cotton has been planted in all parts of the State. The soil is in excellent tilth, but the temperature has been too low for favorable germination of cotton. Corn planting is nearly finished in the eastern half, and is well advanced in the western parts. Considerable is up to fairly good stands, with exceptions where worms and birds have been destructive, necessitating considerable replanting. Some corn has received its first cultivation. Rice planting made uninterrupted progress. Lands have been prepared for tobacco, but none will be transplanted until the moisture conditions are more favorable The acreage will be much less than last year. Plants are plentiful In beds. Wheat and oats continue to improve slowly, but, with few exceptions, are in good condition. Shipments of early vegetables are heavy, and truck looks very fine, but will soon need rain to prevent deterioration. Apple and cherry trees are now in full bloom in the northwestern counties. Will Buy Large Tract. Columbia, Special.?Special Land and Industrial Agent Stewart, of the Southern Hallway, who has recently established a branch office in this city to develop the Southern'9 territory in this State in conjunction with the company's central land and industrial department under Mr. M. V. Richards, at Washington, is rapidly becoming acquainted with his new field and expects to be able to accomplish material results in the near future. He has recently been devoting his attention to the Augusta Southern territory, a strip of country extending south from Augusta 84 miles to Tennille, Ga. In a short time he will devote kis entire timo to this State. Mr. Stewart reports that a Northern concern has sought the assistance of * * - A. 1- 1 His department to nmi u uwr. ?ji uwu containing between 500 and 1,000 acres suitable to truck farming and fruit growing, and that the concern wants to locate near a city like Columbia, which will afford ample railroad facilities for handling quick shipments to the North; p.nd West. Those who have such a tract they are willing to part with at a reasonable amount of financial persuaEion. or are otherwise interested, should communicate with Mr. Stewart. Palmetto Briefs. it is probable that the dates for the annual reunion of the Confederate Veterans of the State in Charleston will be changed from May 17-18-19, on account of the conflict yith the State Democratic convention. There was no intention to have the conflict and as (he date of the State convention cannot be changed the reunion dates must be altered if the conflict is not to take p:ace. A meeting of the committee will be held in a few days to act upon the matter. r ft PALMETTO POINTS I GIVEN IN BRIEF Wildtat Insurance. The old trouble of wildcat insurance j companies is breaking out again and the comptroller general is preparing a black list of the companies who have not complied with tne state laws. Some of the companies are not necessarily "wildcats," as that usually implies capitalization of many thousand dollars on paper and a paid up stock amounting to perhaps $25. The com panles to be blacklisted, however, have not paid the State insurance fee of $10 per annum. Suit cannot be brought against a party selling a policy if this license is not paid. Many persons throughout the State are constantly victimized by fakirs and lose the money paid as premimums. If an adjuster for an unlicensed concern attempts to do business he is liable to arrest. New Enterprises. The secretary of State last week granted an eleemosynary charter to the Horse Creek Valley Hospital asso ciaiion. The corporators are Jas. L. Qulnby of Graniteville, president; R. I H. Chadwick of Langley, vice president; G. W. Etheridge of Warrenville, i secretary and treasurer; W. E. Giles I of Graniteville, Wm. H. Mills of North Augusta and L. M. Brown of Langley, trustees. A commission was sent to the Marion Naval Stores company, capitalized at $10,000. The organizers of this company are: M. C. Woods and John Wilcox. A commission was also issued to the Bradley Cotton Oil company of Bradley, in Greenwood county The capital is $15,000 and the corporators are: B H. Bryson, M. D, J. Livy Watson and J. S. Steifle. Out of Politics. 3 Chief Hammet has issued the following communication to the dispensary employes: "To Division Chiefs: Your particular attention is hereby called to circular No. 5 issued July 29th, 1903, forbidding State constables taking part in politics, either State or local, which order must be strictly enforced. "Please communicate this at once to all your men/* The order already quoted refers directly to this of July 29, 1903: "To Division Chiefs: You are hereby directed to instruct the constables operating in your division to take no part in municipal or local politics, inas much as such action by a State officer will generally be misconstrued and will result in injury to the enforcement of the dispensary law and to the public service generally." Saved Life But Lost Money. Laurens, Special.?At an early hour Thursday morning Jane Fields, an old colored woman of this city, while preparing breakfast had her clothing to take fire from the stove and before aid could pe given she was badly burned her clothing being almost entirely burned. In the pocket of her dress she had $70 in currency and a few dollars in silver. The bills of course were burned and the silver blackened. Her bodily injuries are not as serious perhaps as her financial loss. Killed By Kick of Horse. Newberry, S. C., Special.?A colored boy 6 years of age, the son ofr Greenwood Washington, a well-known hackman of Newberry, was killed Tuesday afternoon by a horse. The boy was standing near the horse, which was drinking water at the time. Without any warning the horse pranced around and kicked the boy full in the cheet, death resulting ia a short whU*. Palmetto Briefs. The superintendent's office at the State penitentiary is being torn down preparatory to the erection of the new administration building. The offices are located temporarily in the building now used as guard quarters. The new administration building will contain offices and armory on the first floor, and guards' quarters on the second floor. Col. Sandy Cohen has been engaged to travel the State in the interest of the coming reunion of the United Confederate Veterans and endeavor to secure as large an attendance as possible for the reunion. The town council of Conway has decided to accept the offer of a lot from Col. D. A. Splvey for tne purpose ui building a town hall. The only condl tion attached to his offer was that a building thouid be erected at a cost of not less than $5,000 and that it should be used for public purposes. This i? a public-spirited act on the part cf Col. Spivey and has been appreciated by the community. Conway is grati fled at the prospect cf having a town hall in the near future that will be r credit to the town. Pickens is to have a new graded school building. Since the organize tion of a graded school in the tov/r four years ago, the school has ou' grown its present "cramped quarter? The trustees and the people cf tb trwn generally have realized for scm time the need cf a better building an equipment. At the session of the 13? legislature a bill was passed giving tb town permission to levy bonds to tb extent cf 5G.000 for school purpose With the sale of the old school bui! | ;ng and lot and other fund3, the tow | will invest about $10,000 in a nc building. I lUIIIIILUIIIilH The Representatives to NatioaflHH publican Convention Chosea^H THE FAMOUS "BIG FOUR" ELEjfl| Instructions to Vote for end a Platform Adopted Usual Lines. New York Special.?The can State convention in session TdVj| day named as delegates at large alternates to the national convention, at Chicago: Senator T. C. Piatt, alternate, X? Sloat Fassett; Senator C. M. Depew, alternate, Louis Stern; Governor B. B. Odell, alternate, Erastus C. Ch Knight; Frank S. Black, alternate; Henry C. Brewster. The platform strongly endorses the administration of President Theodore Roosevelt and Governor Odeil and the delegates at large to the national convention are "directed to use all honorable means to secure the nomination of Theodore Roosevelt. There was some discussion over the fact that these "directions" included only the delegates at large, but Governor Odell explained that in this way: "Since 1880, when we abandoned j the plan of selecting the district delegates, the State convention has not* and Indeed cannot, instruct the district delegates. Those delegates are <kl /\ n J J IS L- I eieuieu, auu u uesireu uy iiunr uuuio conventions are instructed." Cut one incident out of the expected routine occurred, and that was the introduction by Warner Miller bt the ' so-called Quay resolution, demanding an investigation by Congress of the i alleged disfranchisement of negro voters in the Southern States. It was the same resolution that the Pennsylvania Senator lntrodaced at the Republican national convention In Philadelphia four years ago. Without debate it was referred to the committee on resolutions, which, at its session during the recess, declined to incorporate it in the plan which, contained a clause covering the sulfc ject. |j Immediately after the adjournment the State committee unanimously elected Governor Odell as chairman. 1 The platform in endorsing President Roosevelt declared: "We recognise the rare capacity he has exhibited to meeting all the requirements of hia great office. Wo realize that his official acts have justified the public confidence, which is the fundamental factor of his popularity." The platform endorses the Presl-"^ dent's policy touching the Panama canal, and favors legislation for the , development of American shipping. The principle of a protective tariff is upheld and the freedom of the ballet. without discrimination as to race cr color, is demanded. Conflict of Authority. Ouray, Colo., Special.?District Judge. Theron Stevens declares Adjutant General Sherman M. Bell and Capt. Bulkley Wells to be in contempt of court for not complying with the writ of habeas corpus which required the officers to bring before the court today Charles H. Moyer, president of the Western Federation of Miners, whom they are holding in confinement at Tclluride. The court ordered SherME Corbett to arrest the two officers. Judge Stevens severely critcised tho course of Governor James H. Peabody and the military authorities, saying they appeared to be in Insurrection. against the court. Gen. Bell, through Assistant District Attorney David Howe, of Tellurlde. excused his failure to produce Moyer on the ground that he deemed It unsafe to bring Moyer t? Ouray or to reduce the military fore* iu San Miguel county by so doing, and. that the Governor had ordered him to disregard the writ. Judge Stevens said: r "A very grave question is presented a* t to whether It is the striking miners or the Governor of Colorado and the National Guard that are engaged in in* / surrection and rebellion against th* ' lftws of the State. If there is to be a. 7 reign of military despotism in thl? jy* State and civil authority is to have no jurisdiction, the latter might as well go out of business." Judge Stevens refused to permit the filing of the return to the writ, ordered that Charles Hr ? Moyer be discharged from custody, lasued an order of attachment against Gen. Bell and Capt. Wells, assessed a fine of $500 each, and expressed regret that the Governor was not before th* court, as he held him equally guilty with Gen. Bell and Capt. Wells. Death of Lit a'. Benham. Washington. Special.?The Navy partnent has been advised by the commandant of the United States naval station of Key West, Fla., of the deatk there today of Lieutenant Henry Ken.nedy ll^nham. The deceased was a son of Rear Admiral Benham. retired. and was born in and appointed from New York. His death was caused bT an attack of appendicitis. Lieutenant "i Benham was one of the brightest and. niosi. promising of the younger officers of the navy, and was in command ' of the torpedo beat destroyer Truxtoa ( st the time of his death. Quiet at Port Arthur. St Petersbburg, By Cable.?The Consack scouts on the banks of the Yaln river have not reported the appearance of Japanese there. The Emperor received a telegram this morning reportng that all is quiet at Port Arthur, '.hat the nava! squadron is again put- . ng out to sea. and that Vice Admiral 'akareff has sent a few torpedo boatcstroyers to explore tbe coast where >rre cf tbe enemy's torpedo boats are cilcvcd to be lurking. 'JS "Jktfw