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SOIL STRIKERS DEFENDED. The All-Day irpmsnt of Attorney ckreuee form. ELOQUENT, - STRIKING ARGUMENT ??????????? ., In Behalf of the Miners and a Scathing Denunciation ?fthe Conduct of the Operators, [John Markle in Particular. Philadelphia, Pa., February 13.? The anthracite strike commission, after being in public session for more than three months, closed its open hearings today*with an all-day argu ment by Claioice S. Darrow in be-* half of the miners. The commission will meet in secret in, Washington 3text Thursday and begin the consider ation df its awards It is expected that by the end of this month the ar bitrators will be ready to ma?e their announcement If an increase in wages is determined upon, the in crease is to date from the 1st of last November, the commission having de cided upon that date on October 31. After^the session today the commis sion held a short conference with the lawyers for the several sides and asked them to. hold themselves in readiness in case they are called upon by tbe commission. The*crowd jffhich heard Mr. Darrow speak today was fully as great as that which listened to Mr. Baer and Mr. Darrow yesterday. He took up the entire time of both sessions?five and one-half hours. He touched upon at mest every- phase of the ^strike and when he closed he was greeted with long applause, which Chiarman Gray could not suppress; President Mitch ell was in Court all day, but did not have anything to say to the commis sion in parting. Mr. DarrowjSrst discussed the cause of the strike. The responsibility for the coal famine,' he said, rested with those who were responsible for the strike. x If tjjae men struck without Just reason then they were responsi ble ; but if the men were right and the operators not broad-minded enough to see the justness of their claims, then the latter were responsi ble for the trouble. He believedr the strike*was due" to the " blind, auto cratic, stupid spirit,of the operators. They believed the issue was ?;who should be the master?the yoperators or the men.- I say neither shonla 4)e the masser of the other." Taking up Mr. Baer's sliding scale proposition made yetserday, Mr Dar row said if Mr. Baer believed he made anice,Jair propostiion, he proposed to show that it was not. With the assistance of the miners', expert statistician, ,M? Darrow "said the 1 per cent raise on five cents suggested by Mr. Baer would gfrve the operators -an increase of 3}>? per cent in profits and the miners only 1}? per cent, on the $4.50'basis. Mr." Darrow's re marks on the proposition plainly indi cated that the miners flatly rejected the proposition. ?< Mr.. Darrow asserted thar tbje miners, resorted to every means to aver$ a strike. Every appeal and every paper hi the men* he-.said, was contemptuously rejected by the oprea tors. They, forced the strike that they migt demonstrate to the* men and to the generations .to come that the owners of capitalvare the. masters of the workmen. . j "The people do not believe in such an absolute ownership of the riches of the earth as that which the anthracite coal combination possess. The time will come when the operators' combi nation will be destroyed, not by the miners' union, but by the people, v. ho will tike possession of the - riches under the ground and relieve then> selves cf the tyranny of these men." Mr. Darrow then lauenhed into a defence of the men who committed .crime unaVr passion and said the con duct of tue men was dae to their con dition and environments. Mr. Darrow said the fact that the operators called the men "criminals, cutthroats and assassins" was enough to exasperate them, and Chairman Grav interrupted to say that "the commission does not believe the mine ! workers are criminals, cutthroats and assassins." -Mr. Darrow said it was a wonder if the operators had insolently and cruelly rejected the reqmsts of the men that there was net more violence ampng this population which was xe dueed to a condition barriering ?or. starvation. He paid r. tribute to the foreigners in the coal regions, whom j he said were warm-hearte, emotional, sympathetic, religious people. Mr, Darrow then -took up the thir teen victims cn?. the Markle property and with language Which was extreme ly strong he pictured the eviction of a sick wife and of a blind woman, 100 years old. You may roil together all tbe cruelty and violence committed in tbe anthracite region," he exclaimed, "and you cannot equal the "fiendish cruelty of John Markle when he turn ed these helpless people into the streets to satisfy his hellish hate." Brig Gen. Gobin, who commanded one brigade of the State troops in tbe field during the strikt?, came in for severe criticism from the miners' coun sel. He read various reports made to Gen. Gobin by bis Regimental com manders and severely condemned the General's now famous "Shoot to kill" order. He then spoke of the non-union men, whom he termed "scabs," al though, he remarked, he did not like the word, but used it because it' is commonly used. These men, he said, have always been hated. Sometimes they are good men; pften they act from necessity, but they are. traitors to their class. They are men, he con tinued, who are used by tbe capitalists to destroy the rights and aspirations and the hopes o* the workingmap. Regarding the demand for eight hours Mr Darrow said: "This is not a demand to shirk work, as is often claimed to be the case. It is a demand for the right of the indiviudal to have a better life, a fuller life, a completer life, and this, like everything elsejjgdepends upon your point of view There is only one standpoint from which you have a right to approach this question, and that it what will make the best man, the best American citizen, to build up a nation where there will be no more strikes and no more violence." After the long applause which was accorded Mr< Darrow had subsided Chairman Gray, on behalf of the com mission, said: "It is due to counsel-and to those who represented both sides that I should say-that we leave you, or, rath er, you leave us, with a feeling on cur part of regret that the long as sociation which has been so pleasant to qs is. about to be broken. It speaks well for counsel on both sides that no unpleasant episode has occur-. red?nothing that should mar the situation in which reasonable men and 'citizens' of a great country find them selves mutually endeavoring to arrive at Just conclusions and* a just verdict in a -great controversy. - The work is now ours and I know that we have your best wishes that we may have a safe and righteous deliverance." OlSFEHSfiRY INVESTIGATION. The Committee Organized and the Examiaatibn of Witnesses Begun. The senate committee on the dis pensary met yesterday morning, Messrs. Williams, Evans, Crum and other dispensary officials being present. There was at.the first some discussion as to the methods of procedure^ Sen ators Dan and Sharps insisting on specifications while Senators Stanland and Herndon thought the committee should first find if there were anything upon which to base a charge against the management. It was- decided by vote to proceed without specifications, and Senator Stanland then asked that the following witnesses be summon ed : J. B. Douthit of Anderson, H. E. Watts and T. Lightfoot of Colum bia and John Black of Walterboro. These witnesses are to appear at JO o'clock today. Senator Stanland stat ed that he made no charge of dishon esty against the commissioner or the, board of directors, but that he would criticize their business management of the dispensary. Taking the wit ness stan<3, Mr. Stanland, read the law as to the school f_und and the annual report of the directors. The commit tee then took a recess until 5 p. in. At the afternoon session the first witness was H. E. Watts, a former employe. He said that in April, 1900, he saw dumped 20 barrels of one X corn and four barrels of three XXX corn, which when drawn off was labeled as'two X whiskey. This was douft under instruction of Super inende'nt Dix?n. He was connected with the dispensry when J. B. Douthit was commissioner and he saw him raise the.labels on eight barrels of whiskey. He was discharged March 3, 1902, the reason not being stated. T. E. Lightfoot/ of Columbia, an other former employe, next testified. He said-he saw a quantity of one X South Carolina corn dumped in a vat and when it was drawn off half of it wa,s labeled one X and the other half Wo XX. He said he was discharged for drunkenness, though that was not an uncommon circumstance among others connected with%he dispensary. The committee will resume its sit ting this morning at 9.30, and it is said tmst a witness outside *?of Columbia and former employes and perhaps ethers will be brougb.tr forw/i rd to give testimonv along the same^lino.,? The State, Feb. ?T -?? ? ll -o-o-- -oa*? .if ess BILL Every Canine In South Carolina to be Taxed 50/ Cents, -? ,j Section 1. That there shall no im- | rosed and assessed on all dogs in this i State a capitation tax of 50 cents an-; nnally on each dog, the proceeds of j which tax shall be expended for school purposes in the several counties in which it is collected. S^c. 2. That dogs shall be returned in the same manner ar.d at the same time that other property is returned for taxation. Sec. 3. That the capitation tax on dogs provided for in this act shall be collected at the same time and in the same manner that other taxes are now collected. Sec 4. That the capitation tax pro vided for in this-act s:hall be, and con stitute., a first lien in favor of the State of South Carolina on all the pro- i perty owned by any person who owes j ar.v such canitaticr. tax. See. 5. That the collection of tho j capitation tr.x provided for in this a< t J may be enforced against any prop* ? " ; i owned by the debtor of such \ the same way and manner as ii \i. w: re i a tax assessed on that specific piece j of prone.rf.. * y Sec 0. That no dog wHieb is not re- | turred for taxation as provided in this \ act shall be held to be property in any | of the courts of this State. _ I Seeking Our Friendship. Herl in. Feb. 13.?A semi-official answer to the criticisms of the Ger man government '"for allowing the United States to have anything t? do with the negotiations betweemthe co operating-powers and Venezuela,"" was issued today, which says: "The United States puefcicipation in the settlement of the Venezuelan con troversy is regarded in many quarters as unfortunate and as Hindering the result of the negotiations. Certainly we would have reached the object de sired more rapidly and better if we had been let alone with Venezuela, but every politician that knows the A, B, C, of this question knew absolute ly in advance that we wonld not have been let alone. Means for eliminating the United States from the controversy of the European powers with Vene zuela there were not and there are not now. A statesman who had acted on :his assumption would have lost the game . from the start The patriotic publicists''who call for treating this question according to the Bismarckinn method, can rest assured that this method is heing applied. Carefullv nursing the friendship of the United States is a Bismarckian tradition, as documents testify. In his relations with the United Slates he never wore cuirassier's boots, as now is so often demanded, and in the Samoa question he was perhaps less exacting than his present successor. NEGRO FOR ARMY OFFICER. Appointment to be Made by Presi I dent at Motion of Lily White Leader. i - Washington, Feb. 13.?Senator Prit cbard has been advised that David J. Gilmer, colored, will be commissioned as lieutenant in the Philippine Scouts. This appointment, which has for sev eral months been pending in the War Department, has attracted attention much out of proportion to the import ance of the office involved, owing to the color of the applicant. For some time tbe feeling has prevailed-among the leaders of the negro race that army i officials were discriminating against ! colored applicants who were seeking I commissions in the regular army, and in support of this contention the fact was mentioned that out of four regi ment of colored soldiers who had seen service in the Philippines no repre sentative of their race had been re cognized, although fifty or more com missioned officers in these volunteer regiments had sought permanent ser 'vice. Several weeks ago the negros planned to hold a mass meeting to voice their indignation, but conserva tive counsel prevailed, and the plan was abandoned. In bis fight in Gilmer's behalf Sen ator Pritchard secured the favorable intervention of President Roosevelt and Chairman Hull of tbe House mil itary affairs committee. The aplication of the colored man excited special in terest in army circles and his papers were finally referred to a board of re ference composed of three officers who were personally acquainted with Gil mer's army record and who were asked to 'give their opinion as to his adapt ability, or in other words, as to whether the Filipinos would be more than ordinarily hostile to negro offi cers. The decision was very decided ly in Gilmer's favor. Another interesting phase of tbe ap pointment is that Senator Pritchard, while tbe recognized head of the "lily white" forces, has spent much time in the effort to compass the colored man's appointment. The North Carolina* Senator contended that it was entirely proper to recognize colored men in the Philippine service, but that pnly harm could result%? both races by their ap pointment to local offices in the South. HESTEm?lTfiTEMENT. Comparative Receipts?The Mill Takings and the Movement Stocks and Supply. New Orleans, Feb. 13.?Secretary Hester's weekly cotton statement is sued today shows for the-l3daysof February an incresae over last year of 140,000 an increase over the same period year before last of 125,000. For the 10G days of tbe season .that have? elapsed the aggregate is ahead of the same days last year 150,000, and ahead of the same time vear be fore last 609,000. Tbe amount brought into sight dur ing the past week has becn>^247,141 *$Sainst 192,823 for tbe same seven days last year, and 165.334 year before last. The movement since Sept. 1 shews receipts at ail United States ports to be b\ 278,438 against 0,122,757 last, year: overland acros^tbe Mississippi, - Ohio and Potomac rivers to northern mills and Canada 795,564 against 819, 089 last year: interior stocks in ex cess of /those held at the close of tbe commercial y?cr322,022 against 420,949 last year: southern mills takings 1,093,500 against*.976,368 last- year. The. total movement since Sept. 1 is 8,489,354 against 8,339,163.last year and 7,8,80,774 year before last. ^Foifcign exports for ?the week have been 174,157 against i89.754 last year, making tbe total tons far for the sea son 4,737,018 against 4,800,792 last year. The total takings of American mills, north and south and Canada thus far, for thu season have been 2,.618,330' against 2,431.841 last \ear. Stocks at the seaboard and the 29 leading southern interior centres have decreased during the week 48,174 bales against a decrease during the cor responding period last season of 72,545. j Including stocks left over at ports j and interior towns from the last crop j and the number of bales brought into \ sfcrht thus lar for the new crop the sight thus far for the new crop the supply to date is 8,704.398 against 8,698,850 for the same*period last year. Omnibus Statehood ?i!J. Yw.s!iir:gton, Februaxs 13. The Senate comRii-Ueev-pn postoffiees and postroads t<?day decided to amend the nosteffice appropriatidn bill by adding as.an an-or.dment the omnibus State hood bill. The rots on the motion to j amend was 8 to 5. The members who I voted fo* the proposition are: Elkfns, I Mitchell and Ponrose. Republicans, ! and Clay, Cnlberson,- Bribois, 'Sim | mons and Taliaferrc, Democrats, j Those who voted in tbe negative were: ! Beyeiidge, Debae, Dolliver, Lodge j rind; Proctor, all Republicans, Senator j Mason, chairman of the ? committee; ; presided and did not vote. I Cheraw, Feb. 13.---Your corespondent j can now announce with certainty that i the Bennettsville and Cheraw Railroad j will be built. The grading was com ! mepced a few* days ago. at Kollpck's, j a station jast across the river from ! here, fron! which ^station .the Ben i nettsville Road will branch off of the ! Seaboard Air Line Kail way. The work j ' will be pushed with all possible haste, I I and the company thinks that tbe ! road will be completed and in opera ? tion by the first of May. The road I starts ff*bm the main line of the Sea ! board at Kcllock's. The trains will ! be run into Cheraw over the Seaboard i tracks. Ricbmnd, Ya., February 13. The i bill to place the Lee statue at the Na ! tional Capitol was passed today almost ; unanimously. President Tyler's son I spoke foi it. There was a rancorous speech against it. Clark.sville^ Tenn, February 13.? . While endeavoring to protect his father and sister from the attacks of ! an infuriated brother Charles David son shot and instantly killed AI David son here last night. Charles David son served in the Philippine rebellion as a member of tbe 1st Tennessee volunteers. THE BLOCKADE ENDED? Powers Withdraw Ships From Venezuela's Coast. THE POPUUGE IS REJOICING. Castro Takes Prompt Steps to Put Dawn the Revolution With out Respite to Rebels. La Guayra. Feb. 15.?The blockade has been offi cially raised. The com mander of the British cruiser Tribune, the only warship here, sent an officer ashore this morning with the an nouncement that the Tribune would leave this afternoon for Trinidad. The populace is wild with joy. Caracas, ITeb. 15.?Since 8 o'clock yesterday nao&iing the Venezuelans "were waiting impatiently the official intimation that the blockade had been raised. They knew that the bloekade was to be raised but no notification came during all yesterday. This morn ing the British man of war Tribune was still at La Guayra enforcing the blockade and preventing the fishermen from leaving the harbor. At half past 9 this morning the government inquired of United States legation whether it had received any advices and received a reply in the negative. The government was puzzled until 11 o'clock when the-mews reached Caracas that tne captain of the Tribune had notified the authorities at La Guayra that the blockade was raised. At 3 o'clock the Tribune left for Trinidad. Nefs received from Venezuelan ports except Coro and Higuerote is that the foreign warships sailed away today. The government immediately on re ceiving the news that the blockade had been raised took military measures and sent troops in all directions to crush the revolution without giving the re bels a moment's respite. WiJlemstad, Curacoa, Feb. 15.? -There is greats rejoicing among all classes here at~ the end of the Vene zuelan blockade. Many sailing vessels are lying in this port with cargoes for Venezuelan ports and they will leave tomorrow. A number of steamers are loading for the same destination. A great amount of coffee is awaiting transportation from Venezuela to the United States. No one is apparently more glad at the raising of the block ade than those on board the blockad ing squadron. The Arnold Fraud. St.; Louis, Feb. 13.?The grand jury today resumed its investigation into the metKbds.of the turf invest ment companies. Crowds of anxious, people^ besieged the offices of the var ious investment companies, though none paid out money today. All books and records in the office of E. J. Ar nold & Co., were seized by Deputy Sheriff Sanders today. Circuit Attorney Folk has taken per sona' charge of the investigation, which he says be ordered two weeks ago., Ue declares the concerns must be driven from Missouri. \n employe states that at rresrnt E. J. Arnold & Co. has SGOjOeO investors?30,006 in St. Louis and tbe>remainder scatter ed , over the country. The average receipts of this company, -the employe says, average S125,COO a week. New Orleans, Fob. 13. ?On applica tion to Clarence C. Walters, one of t!:c employes of the I\ew Orleans j house oT E. X Arnold ec Co., Wm. J. Gayle has been appointed receiver for the Arnold company in this city. At the end of the third day's ran on the co-operative turf investment com panies by investors demanding the re turn of their deposits, the result stands: ? E. J. Arnold & Co.* all payments suspended. John J. Ryan & Co., all payments suspended. International Investment company, all payments suspended. Christv Syndicate Investment com pany, ail payments suspended. United Turf Investment " company, office closed. Grand jury investigation of invest ment company methods of transacting business. Crowds of men and women, j eager to regain their" investments, j surged into the offices of the various J investment companies today and all were doomed to disappointment, ex- j costing the International Investment i company investors. " This company J suspended payments this afternoon j and demanded the stipulated 30 days' notice., of withdrawal The United Turf investment company did not open itc. offices today, and a sij^n on the doers announced that payments had been suspended indefinitely. Investors in the rirm of John J. Ryan Co., awaited with hope the return from Cincinnati of Manager John J. Ryan. Ho arrived this morn ing and the hope was dissipated by his announcement that the assets of bis Srm were not sufficient to meet the demands for withdrawals. In vestors in the firm of E. J. Arnold & Co. state they have given up all hope of recovering anything. This was the first concern to suspend business. Late this afternoon the February j grand jury dropped all other business to take up the investigation of the turf investment companies. Mr. Ryan was summoned to appear before that body and a similar subpoena was issued for Mr. Arnold, but ti e later is report ed to be in Hot Springs. Anderson, Feb. 14. ?News reached here ton iaht of an accidental killimr at Lowndesville this afternoon. John Henry Leroy, colored, was standing in front of E. R. Horton's store with a shot gun on his shoulder. His son, a lad of 14 years, was standing near. Tbc. weapon was discharged in some way and the entiru load entered the boy's abdomen, inflicting a fatal wound. The killing was purely acci dental. Dover, Del, February 13.- Tin Regular Republicans held their caucus today and framed a proposition which was presented to the Addicks faction, agreeing to the election of one Regular Republican Senator and one Addicks Republican Senator. The proposition states that the Union Republican Sen ator must not be J. Edward Addicks. I BUND MM OF THE WEST. ! - j Remarkable Record of a Judge j of the Territory of Oklahoma. fv : _- ? One of the most interesting chrac ters in Oklahoma is Judge T. P. Gore, who represents the counties of Caddon and Comanche on the Terri ? torial Leigslature, says the Chicago j Chronicle. He is known as "the blind ! orator," having been deprived of his j sight early in boyhood, yet there is no man in the territory more learned and of a higher intellect. Gore started in politics in Southern Mississippi when a boy just emerging from his teens and has been>a particiant ever since. He was originally a Populist coming into his majority just at the time when the populistic wave struck the country with full force. In th Southern counties and the country dis tricts, as in many of the other South ern and Western States, that party poll ed a heavy vote, and in Gore's home county the third party took like wild fire. He is a born orator, and at 21 on the stump in that State encounter ed the leading politicians of the State, Congressmen, United States Senators and all others of note, challenging them for joint debates and meeting with enthusiastic receptions every where. His first speech of this kind is described by one who was resident of the same county ( Webster) at that time. The relator says: '1 Gore was rather green, so to speak, in appearance at that [ time. His trousers struck him half {way between his ankles and knees and his coatsleeves were midway be ! tween his hands and his elbows He had lived the greater portion of his life in a county through which until recent years no railroad had traversed, yet he was brilliant even at this age. The Democratic speaker who opposed Gore made the first talk, glorifying the party and ending with a quotation from the old hymn. ' We have landed many thousands and we will land many more.' It was Gore's turn next, and he took advantage of this last sentence of the Democrat to catch his audience. In a singing voice, imitating the tune by which the hymn is sung and by which it was known by every person in the immense audience, he repeated. * We have land ed many thousands and we will land many, more.' 'Yes,' he said, 'but where have you landed them?' And then came the answer from the blind boy: 'In hell.' The words caught the crowd, and he was cheered en thusiastically. He launched forth into a 'speech, skinning his opponents and holding every man in his audience un til the last words were uttered. Hence forward there were calls for Gore all over the State, and his popularity was a wonder.'' Gore still retains his powers as an orator and during the recent campaign was considered tne most eloquent man on the Oklahoma stump. He was elected to the Territorial Senate by a bjg majority. He is a learned lawyer, knows Latin and Greek like his alphabet, never lacks for classics to uso in his speeches, and always is in teresting. He is even talked of thus early in the game as a candidate for United States Senator when Oklahoma shall have been admitted. raPTirHfiTelL Text of the Act Appropriating $2?;??O for a Monument to j Gen. Ha^aton. i Whereas, the following, preamble j and resolutions were adopted by the j last Democratic Convention: Whereas, it has pleased God, in Iiis | 'providence, to call to Iiis eternal rest our illustrious feliow-cirizen. Wade Hampton: and, whereas, we the re presentatives of South Carolina, in Convention assembled, recalling his glorious example in war and in peace, and especially, mindful oi his in calculable service to the State as her great leader and counselor in JS70. would put on record cur sense of his noble career and our appreciation of his loss; therefore, be it Kesolved. That in the death of Gen eral Wade Hamilton. South Carolina laments the loss of one of her greatest j citizens and roost distinguished sol- J dier. and a leader and counselor in her j direst necessity, to whom she owes ; a debt of lasting veneration and love, j Iiis name and fame are a heritage oi j which any people might beA proud, j And we further recommend that ; suitable statue be erected by.the! State and placed in the State Capitol, j Tf erefore, [ie it enacted by the General As I senibiy of the State or South Carolina: j Section That the sun: of twenty ! dollars be appropriated, to be used in j connection with ten thousand dollars to be raised by voluntary contribution. Said twenty thousand dollars shall not become available until the sum of ten thousand dollars shall be raised 'In voluntary contributions, and the same shall have been deposited in seme bank within the State, to the credit of the commission to he appointed by the Governor, as is provided for in Sec- i lion 2 hereof. The total amount shall be used for the purpose o? erecting j upon the Capitol grounds, an cones- j trian statue to the memory of Wade | Hampton. _ j Sec. 2. -That a commission of five citizens be appointed by the Governor to take charge of the funds appropriat- ? ed in Section 1, when available, and | also of all voluntary contributions j which may be committed to them, ahd i thwy shall take charge of the location, j inscription and erection of the raonn ment. A Big Freshet. Lynch's river is booming and is dangerous" to cross over most of the bridges. Lawrence's. Lynch's and j Anderson's bridges are impassible. A gentleman from below Lynch's river : says that it is higher now than it has been in a number of years. The water, is very nearly running over Welsh's bridge which is the highest bridge j over Lnych's river in this section and is the only bridge that can be crossed, j ? Florence Times. A fresh lot of Dennisons crepe paper just received?10c. per roll. Osteen's Book Store Feb. 3. A large and attractive assortment of valentines is now open for inspection at Osteens' book store. GREAT STORMS THROUGHOUT THE SOUTH. Terrible Winds, Flood of Rain and Snow and Sleet. ALL RiVERS FLOODED. It is Feared That intense Cold Will Prevail Far South to the Serious Injury of Fruit and Truck. Louisville, Feb. 16.?Rain, snow and sleet combined in many places with high winds are prevailing condi tions throughout the south tonight. Railroad traffic is delayed and in many cities the street railway service is al most at a standstill. Reports from Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, northern Texas, Ala bama, Georgia and all parts of Ken tucky tell of damages done by the blizzard: of swollen streams and suffering on the part of man and beast; of traffic of all kinds delayed and in some instances of loss of life. In Louisville though the snow is only 4.1 inches deep, the snow has drifted so badly that several of the trolley lines have been abandoned, snow plows proving powerless. The rise in the Alabama river con tinues and considerable damage is anticipated while the streams in tf'e southern part of Kentucky are out of their banks. The Tennessee and Cumberland rivers are also rising. Tonight there was a general drop in the temperature throughout the south and southwest and intensely cold weather is feared. ALARMING NEWS FROM GEOR GIA. Atlanta, Feb. 16.?A special to The Constitution from Royston, Ga., a station on the Southern railway, states that a furious wind storm pass ed over the town of Bowman, in Ei bert cpunty this afternoon demolish ing several houses and killing and in juring a number of people. The wires are down and further particulars can not be obtained. STORM BEYOND TLJE MISSIS SIPPI. Memphis, Tenn., Feb. 16.?Ocjp of the worst sleet and snow storms that have visited this section for years pre vailed today, causing serious delay to railway and street car traffic and in terfering to some extent with tele graphic and telephonic communication in all directions. Trains are arriving from three to eight hours late. A steady rain all day Sunday turned into sleet last night. This was fol lowed by a snow storm which during the day assumed the propositions of a blizzard. At 6 o'clock, there was a decided drop in the, temperature and the snow ceased falling. Reports from Arkansas, Mississippi and northern Texas tell of similar condi tions. At Fort Worth and? Dallas the snowfall was/ the heaviest in years. Trains are running on belated sched ules and in many instances are an nulled. Tonight it is blear and cold throughout the southwest. HIGH WIND AT SAVANNAH. Savannah, Ga., Feb. IG.?The heaviest windstorm ever experienced in this section prevailed this afternoon and tonight. The wind blew at the rate of -V2 miles an hour from the west at 7.4."? o'clock. No serious damage is reported \ Freezing conditions are predicted for Tuesday night, and the fruit crop is in great danger of .serictrs damage. The wind now has a ve!oc: ity of 30 miles an hour. ?iu?fdS km mUhmh urn BtSL A Norther Blows Throughout Texas for Nearly Twenty four Hours. Dallas Tex, February 10. ? Severe storms are reported from AmarilJo and Hereford, Texas, and from the Indian Territory and Oklahoma. In the Territories considerable loss of stcclc is expected.- A norther, ac companied by rain, has been blowing throughout the greater portion of Texas for the fast twenty-four hours. A STORM IN OKLAHOMA. Guthrie, 0. T.. February 15.--The worst storm of the winter struck Oklahoma about midnight and has been raging with terrific fierceness ever since. Sleet and rain v as follow ed today by a driving snow storm, a cold norther accompanying. On ac count of their good condition no dam age to cattle or wheat is expected. The rain was preceded by a dense fog, the only o^e Known to present residents cf the Territory. INDIAN TERRITORY VISITED. Ardmore, 1. T.. February 15.?One. of the worst sleet storms in years pre vails throughout this section of the Indian Territory. Everything in this p3rt of the Territory is covered with ice and it is believed that cattle men wili suffer the loss of much r>toek. SNOW IN MISSOURI. Kansas City, Mo., February I"-. - Snow has been Tailing in Kansas City and Western Missouri at. intervals during the last thirty hours and it now covers the ground to a depth of seven iacnes, making it the heaviest fall of the winter. Through trains are generally late and street car traffic in this city is hampered. A BLIZZARD IN KANSAS. Topeka, Kansas, February 15.?The worst blizzard of the winter prevails over Kansas tonight. Snow, accom panied by a strong north wind, has been falling all day and tonight the temperature is near the zero mark. Cattle on the western ranges doubtless will sutler. Railroad traffic is retarded. Roosevelt Insists on Crum. Washington, Feb. lo\?-President Roosevelt today expressed to those senators who called on him the hope that the senate would confirm the nomination of Dr. Crum to be col lector of the port of Charsleston, S. C. The president has no intention of withdrawing the nomination and de sires that the senate take denfinite action on it.