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Maps on offensive
OMAHA, MONDAY MOHNINO, FEBRUARY 27, 1005.
SINGLE COPY THREE CENTS.
i
X
General Kouropatkln Report! MoTetaenU
Made by Them on Hit Front.
SEVERE FIGHT OCCURS AT ONE POINT
Little Brown Men Oocnpy Coveted Position
'), at Iti Close.
Russian losses evidently heavy
SOLDIERS ASSIST THE POLICE
Precaution Agnlnat Strike of Clnb
Wlelders la City (
Waraaw.
Japanese Engaged in Extensite Building
Flan for the KaTj.
WORK TO BE DONE IN OWN SHIPYARDS
llnntn Fast la lco Belag Watched
by Japaaeeo Naval Veasela and
Mar Prove to Be
Prises.
6T. PETERSBURG. Feb. 26-General
Kouropatkln has telegraphed to the em
peror, under date of February 25. fol
io wa:
"At 6 o'clock thla morning the enemy oc
cupied Tslnkhetchen. Exact reporta of our
yesterday's losses have not yet been re
ceived. There are twelve officers and about
800 men wounded In hospital at Banlunyu.
The percentage of killed Is very large. The
commander of the detachment reports acts
of bravery by many detached bodies of
troopa."
General Kouropatkln Instances many
cases of close fighting and bayonet charges,
and concludes: "This morning a battalion
of the enemy advanced In the direction of
Papln pass, six miles southwest of San
Lunyu, and this evening the enemy's out
posts commenced to approach the passes
occupied by ua"
1:35 a. m. An action of no mean propor
tions Is In progress on the Russian left
flank. The advantage thus far is on the
side of the Japanese, though at heavy
cost. From advices from the front it Is
dim cult to say how severe the losses have
been or how decisive the reverse and
whether the Japanese are likely to at
tempt to drive In the Russian left much
further. General Kouropatkln evidently
has been trying to establish his left flank
far In advance, to command the crossings
of the Taltse river, the operation being
' a counterpart of General Grlppenberg's
movement 'on the right flank to secure the
fords of the Hun river preparatory to the
breaking up of the ice In the spring. The
scene of the operations la nfty miles south
east of Mukden beyond Da pass, an Im
portant defile commanding the road to
Fushun. Both armies occupying oppar
ently Impregnable positions on the cen
ters. General Kouropatkln evidently
planned to Inaugurate widely sweeping
operations on both flanks, but the Japanese
countered hard.
Associated Press dispatches from the
front Indicate that the weather is nne
and favorable for operations and that all
Is quiet on the Russian right wing.
According to a Vladivostok dispatch to
the Associated Press the entrance to that
harbor is open and the squadron, which Is
. aeMKurthy,. is. apparency talcing no, risks,
but' Is saving "Its strength for co-operation
with Vice Admiral Rojeatvensky's squad
ron. .
Japan Bolide Own ships.
TOKIO, Feb. 26. The statement cabled
to the United States from London that
Japan has ordered four battleships In Eng
land IS Incorrect. It Is probable, unless
circumstances dictate otherwise, that Japan
will In future construct all Its vessels at
home. It has equipped extensive yards,
shops and gun and armory foundries, and
there Is a strong and growing sentiment In
the navy and among the people generally
in favor of home construction exclusively.
The yards are already engaged In an ex
'tt naive building program, which includes
two large armored vessels.
The identity of the steamer which is
caught In the Ice north of Hakkoldo has not
been determined, as it Is Impossible to ap
proach It. The vessel la firmly held in un
Ice floe. It Is expected that two vessels,
while attempting to pass La Perous straits,
the northern point of Hakkoldo, have also
been caught and held by the ice. It Is un
derstood Japanese warships are watching
the vessels and the seliure of all of them
is expected when they are freed from the
floes.
The German steamer Romulus, bound for
Vladivostok with a cargo of Cardiff coal,
was seised on the night of February 25.
The Manchurlan army headquarters re
port that two Infantry attacks by the Rus
sians In the neighborhood of Malton moun
tain Friday night were repulsed.
Threaten Main Defense,
MUKDEN, Feb. 26. Fighting continues
in front and west of Tie pass. On the ex
treme east the Japanese have taken the
outlying positions and they now threaten
the main defense. Owing to their for
midable attack It is thought that the Japa
nese artillerymen are veterans from Port
Arthur, commanded by General Nogl.
Forty wounded Russians arrived at Muk
den today and 400 are expected tomorrow.
Other Indications point to an unusual strug
gle. '
A blustering snowstorm all day Is ending
In a bitter wind, which may modify the
threatened conflict. The region of the
Japanese attack la In lightly wooded and
high mountains, favorable to the Russian
operations. The force of Japanese of un
known strength, Joined with Chinese brig
ands west of Kungrhlalln. Is st 111 menacing
the Russians In that region.
The cannonade along the Russian center
diminished In Intensity today There Is no
evidence of activity on the part of the
Japanese, who are strongly strengthening
the site of the Russian operations toward
l ino Yang In the latter part of January.
No Blockade at Vladivostok.
VLADIVOSTOK, Feb. 2ii.-The report
from Toklo that Russian cruisers had left
this harbor and were met by Japanese
blockaders and obliged to retire. Is incor
rect. The cruisers occasionally go outside
to maneuver, but thus far no blockaders
have been seen and there are no evidences
of a blockade Life in the town Is quiet
and regular, though the streets are less
thronged than usual owing to the noncom-batants.
WARSAW, Feb. 20-Every policeman on
duty here today Is accompanied by a
soldier. The authorities, fearing a strike
by the police, adopted this precaution so
that In the event of an officer leaving his
post It will not be unprotected. The moas
" Is further Intended to guard policemen
, i possible attack by strikers.
ie police demand $12.50 per month, the
scale that is Paid In St. Petersburg.
f present pay here Is $6 per month
, e private cabmen and livery stable
here struck today. The strike of street
ay employes continues,
ne 16.00 strikers from the big Iron
will return to work tomorrow, all
' demands having been granted. These
I ie a nine-hour day Instead of ten and
c . f hours, and an increase of from 6 to
2 cent.
'It Is announced that all the railways will
be placed under martial law In order to
prevent the extension of the strikes. The
employes of the Warsaw-St. Petersburg
railway have formulated demands for pre
sentation to the managpment. This action
Is regarded as a prelude to the beginning
of the strike. The Vistula strike continues.
The directors will meet tomorrow to receive
the workmen's demands, which will be re
ferred to St. Petersburg for approval.
The Vienna railway service having been
resumed, the station here was crowded all
day and trains were overcrowded with pas
sengers, who fought to obtain seats. The
tension in the Warsaw railway situation
has been greatly relieved by the settlement
of this strike. Direct communication with
western Europe is thus reopened, but traf
fic east of Warsaw Is entirely dislocated.
The St. Petersburg road Is the only direct
line still open, and passengers for Moscow
and Odessa are compelled to travel by cir
cuitous routes.
In Novollpkl street, at t o'clock tonight,
an unidentified man fired a revolver at a
patrol, killing two policemen and severely
wounding a sergeant. The murderer ei
caped.
ST. PETERSBURG, Feb. 26. All the Rus
sian railways except the Central Asian have
been placed under martial law.
1:36 a. m. Evidence Is increasing that the
strikes throughout the empire and espe
cially those in St. Petersburg, are not
economic In their origin, but Inspired by a
definite political plan. The government
and employers are embarrassed by the tac
tics of the workmen, whose discontent Is
being fed and who are Increasing demands
with each new concession. This condition
Is believed to have been fomented by crafty
political agitators who are stirring up the
men and at the same time holding them In
leash, apparently waiting some signal for
concerted action. Fear Is entertained that
this widespread agitation may be connected
with a plan to await a possible peasant
outbreak in the spring, with which a gen
eral strike will be synchronized, the work
men Joining hands with the peasants.
The election of a labor representative to
the Imperial commission which is to In
vestigate the causes of discontent In St
Petersburg passed off quietly yesterday.
The situation In Riga is again reported to
be very serious. The authorities there ap
parently are unable to cope with the law
less element.
! In the Caucasus, the situation Is ex
trcmeljrtjedp practically ahaounitrjg to' civil
war. In Baku the Inhabitants, barricaded
In their bouses, are petitioning the central
authorities at Bt. Petersburg for relief from
the existing condition of affairs. The gov
ernment is sending reinforcements of
troops; but while these may be able to
stop the reign of terror they will be Im
potent to start the wheels of Industry.
Proprietors fear that the oil wells will be
utterly ruined If pumping Is suspended
much longer. Conditions in other towns in
the Caucasus are equally desperate.
In Siberia as well as in other parts of the
empire the government has granted con
siderable concessions to railway employes,
in some cases according them a reduction
of the hours of labor to "nine a day. This
renders the situation of private employers
Increasingly difficult, as they claim that It
Is Impossible for them to concede so much.
The question of convoking the zemsky
sobor is apparently not settled. Some of
the emperor's advisers are urging the Idea
that to summon the land Parliament at
this time would be fatal to the autocracy,
but as a preliminary step toward a repre
sentative assembly it might be well to
Invite representatives of the people to sit
in the council of the empire, a purely con
sultative assembly; with existing conserva
tlve elements as a balance wheel.
LONDON, Feb. 27. A dispatch to a news
agency from Odessa says It Is reported
there that ten Jews have been killed and
thirty wounded In an antl-Jewtsh riot at
Odessa.
The correspondent at St. Petersburg of
the Times says that the government Is
making concessions to the railway men and
placing the rallwnys under martial law
with a view to expediting the transporta
tion of troops to the far east. The cor
respondent adds that the South Rifle bri
gade, which left Odessa two months ago. Is
still near Omsk; that the Fourth army
corps, which left Minsk a month ago, has
not yet reached Siberia, and that the Third
rifle brigade, mobilised last year. Is only
now leaving Kieff. The latest units or
dered for service Include some 28,000 men
and forty-eight guns from Caucasus garri
sons. These cannot reach General Kouro
patkln before April.
MILLIONS GO UP IS SMOKE
Big Terraiaal Docks bf Illinois Central at
New Orleans Destroyed.
EFFORTS OF THE FIREMEN ARE FUTILE
Besides the Docks and Grain Ele-
ratora Immense Qoaatltlea of
Cotton and Merchandise
Are Conanmed,
RECOMMEND SEA LEVEL canal EXTENT OF INDIAN SCANDAL
Engineers Make Report , of
In DtKBlna the Bis
Ha
I Father Schell Explains Meaning ef Boot
legging Convictions.
MUST BE FOLLOWED UP TO PRODUCE GOOD
rinln Spoken Words on the Methods
Practiced to Fleece the Poor
Indiana of Their Uad
and Their Money.
NEW ORLEANS, Feb. 26. Fire Involving
millions of dollars loss in physical prop
erty and which strikes a serious, if tem
porary blow at the Immense export trade
Of New Orleans, swept the river front
tonight and wiped out the vast freight ter
minals of the Illinois Central, known as
the Stuyvesant docks. Nearly a dozen
rquares or moaern wnarves ana ireigm.
sheds, the large grain elevators, hundreds
of loaded cars and vast quantities of
freight. Including 20,000 bales of cotton,
were destroyed, together with a large num
ber of small residences. The fire was rag
ing fiercely at midnight, at which time
It had nearly reached the north end of the
Illinois Central property. It has not been
determined whether there has been any
loss of life. The ocean shipping seems to
have escaped serious damage. Two firemen
and several dock employes were injured.
The loss may exceed $5,0(10,000.
The Stuyvesant docks extend from Loui
siana avenue almost to Napoleon avenue,
a distance of twelve squares. The wharves
between these two points were covered
with miles of trackage and steel and iron
sheds ran the whole distance. The two
grain elevators were of the most modern
construction, the upper one having a ca
pacity of 1,000,000 bushels. Much cotton,
several hundred thousand packages of
sugar, great quantities .of cottonseed oil
and oil cake, and lumber and every con
ceivable variety of freight filled the ware
houses and sheds. Practically all the ex
port business handled by the Illinois Cen
tral was put aboard ships at these docks.
The docks and Improvements have been
under construction for ten years past,
elaborate preparations and Investments
having been made after the constitutional
convention of 1898 made It possible for
the road to Invest permanently at this
point.
Fire Spreads Rnpldly.
The fire was discovered shortly after 7
o'clock. It was said to have resulted from
a Journal that had not been sufficiently
oiled. The whole plant was equipped with
gigantic water tanks and fire extinguish
ing apparatus, but the blare, small at the
beginning, almost Instantaneously got be
yond control. The response of the fire
department was prompt, but owing to the
fact that the terminals were not readily
accessible because of fences and tracks the
.-; tmmA riifflmiltv in reachlna the
flt,. t hif An hour the fire covered i t'P to 8 p. m. fifteen dead bodies had been
luaen rrum me biibii. a. iuirc icouuiub
The conviction of the Homer saloonkeep
ers for bootlegging conspiracy after a sen
sational trial In the United States court
last week the first conviction of the kind
on record Is one of the results of the dis
closures of corruption on the Winnebago
reservation made by Father Schell and the
mendatlons are the conclusion of a report
to the commission prepared under date of
February 14 Inst and based on complete en
gineering reports on all of the problems In
volved.
The committee decided that under no cir
cumstances should the surface of the canal
be more than sixty feet above the sea, and
estimates that at this level the cost would
be I178.013.40fi. A thirty-foot level Is esti
mated to cost $191,213,406.
It Is recommended that the Chagres
river be controlled by a dam at Gnmboa,
built to a crest height of 2o0 feet, and the
waters of the lake thus created disposed of
through tunnels. The work on the founda
tion of the dam will require from one to
one and a half years, and the committee
reports It should begin at once. The dam
at this place. It Is stated. Involves no form
idable obstacles, which Is not the case at
the Bohio location. i
Actual work with the new American I
steam shovels on the Culebra demonstrated
that the entire excavation can be done at
a cost of 50 cents a cubic yard. The former
Isthmian Canal eommlfwlon estimated this
cost at 80 cents. This reduction amounts to
a total of $15,000,000, and Is given as a Jus
tification of the recommendation of the sea
level of the canal.' '
NEBRASKA WEATHER FORECAST
Fair Mooduyt Colder la Southeaat
Portion. Tuesday Fair.
Temperature at Omaha Yesterday I
WASHINGTON. Feb. 2B.-The first defi
nite engineering plans for the construction
of the Panama canal have Just been laid
before the Isthmian Canal commission by
the engineering committee of that body,
consisting of Commissioners Kurr, Parsons
and Davis. The principal recommendations
are summed up In this resolution:
Resolved. That this committee approve
and recommend for adoption to the com
mission a plan for a sea-level canal with a
bottom width of 159 feet and a minimum
depth of water of thirty-live feet, and with
twin tidal locks at Mlraflnres, whose usa
ble dimensions shall be l.OnO feet long and
lri foet wide, at a total estimated cost of
Sao.5on.000. Such cellmate Includes an al
lowance for administration, engineering,
sanitation and contingencies amounting to
e-iy iwi h,it ttrltKmit allowance for Inter
est during construction, expense m u nn persistent agitation he has carried on to
government and collateral costs, anu water r d th h , Tha conviction of
supply, sewers or paving of Panama or remea tne Houses, me convimon oi
Colon, which lost items are to be repaid these saloonkeepers, however. Is regarded
by the Inhabitants of those cities. t,y Father Schell as of small importance
The committee estimates that a sea-level ej,ceDt as a link In the chain and of no
canal can be completed within ten or twelve lasting benefit unless pursued so that the
years from the present time. These recom- whole system of Indian spoliation under
official protection is rooted out. Bumming
up the situation. Father Schell explains
existing conditions on the reservation In
the following vigorous language
Poblle Sentiment Only Remedy.
"The situation of the helpless Winnebago
Indians is as discouraging as it is revolt
lug and this condition Is the outcome of
the inefficiency, the Indolence and the cor
ruptlon of the officers. Public sentiment Is
the only remedy for such cases. During
the last twenty years the government was
misrepresented and Its laws abused by the
officers; the public was bluffed by futile
efforts and the ruin of the Indians was the
natural consequence. Hundreds of thou
sands of dollars were spent , by the gov
ernment through these Indolent officers to
preserve the Winnebago Indians lrom the
ravages of whisky, to protect them and
guide them to civilization, and the only re
suit after twenty years is their total ruin,
their total degradation and their total de
moralization
When I raised my voice In defense of
theso unhappy und helpless Indians. I
found myself confronted with an army of
scoundrels, consisting of speculators, boot
leggers, saloon keepers, corrupt officials,
politicians, agents and representatives of
the church and the state a chain of oppo
sition reaching from Omaha to Washington
Had nn Uphill Plant
'For a moment I was alone, forsaken
and sold by my own, to oppose a body of
bloodthirsty and lawdefylng Individuals,
threatening me with ruin, disgrace and
even violent death; but The Omaha Bee
and the Sioux City Tribune gave me their
unsolicited and disinterested help and sup
port and the falrmlnded public, with other
dailies and weeklies, followed their steps.
"In a supreme effort the powerful ring
attempted to Influence the president of the
United States against my efforts to obtain
Justice for the Indians, but, as could be ex
pected, they were made to understand that
he was the president of all, that the In
dians must be protected and that the In
dlan scandals must cease. A few months
ago the federal grand Jury indicted the
Homer saloon keepers and bootleggers. One
of these cases has just been concluded in
the United States district court and the
defendants were found guilty.
Rltsf of -Hnrtteji Speculators. '
"From my study and observation re
garding the much abused Winnebago In
dians I dare proclaim that there Is at
Homer a powerful ring of heartless specu
lators who are after the Indian lands and
the Indian money. To succeed In this they
must keep the Indians together and bring
them into submission. They have hired
saloon keepers and bootleggers who are
operating under the protection of this ring
and through the whisky the - Indians be
came the slaves of the speculators. When
I first came to Homer the ringleaders con
fessed to me that they wanted the Indian
business, that they only can bring them,
their money and their business to Homer
by selling them whisky; that it costs them
a great deal of money to throw official
Honr. near. Hoar. Ies.
ft a. ra 4 1 p. m H"
An. m SO 2 p. m f"
7 n. m HN St p. m Rt
n. m 87 4 p. m M
1 n. nt as ft p. m r
to n. m 40 fl p. m 4S
It n. m 42 7 p. m 4a
11 SI H p. n
p. m aft
MANY MINERS ARE KILLED
Fifteen Bodlea Already Taken from
the West Virginia
Mine. '
BLUEFIELD, W. Va., Feb. 26. As a re
sult of an explosion In shaft No. 1 of the
United States Coal and Coke company at
Wilcox today, twenty-three miners are
supposed to have lost their lives, and it Is
possible that the number will exceed that.
BRIDGE AT FREMONT GOES OUT
Fonr spans of Structure Aeroaa the
Platte River Swept
Away.
FREMONT, Feb. 28. (Special Telegram.)
The three north spans of th'e Platte
river bridge south of this city were car
ried out this forenoon and a little after
noon the next one followed. There is but
little Ice in the river, except on the sand
bars, and the current, aided by a northwest
wind, Is very swift. This morning a small
Ice gorge formed west of the city, sending
a big stream of water through the south
west part of the city. It broke before
much damage was done. The streets In
the north part of Englewood are under
water and late this afternoon the water
was rising there fast. The county has a
gang of men using dynamite at the bridge
across the south channel, but as communi
cation with that side is cut off the condi
tion of the bridge Is not known. The trains
on both railroads are running as usual and
there is no probability of further trouble
unless the wind should shift and an Ice
gorte form.
CRETE. Neb., Feb. 26. (Special Tele
gram.) The expected occurred this after
noon when the ice In the Blue above the
upper dam went out, carrying with it the
bridge over the dam. A high gorge has
formed below the dam, and when this goes
out It Is feared there may be trouble at
the lower dam. The great chunks of ice
two feet thick arc piled In heaps for fifty
yards below the dam.
The Northwestern railroad bridge west of
Fremont Is still intact, but In danger.
At Schuyler four spans of the Burlington
railroad bridge over the Platte were torn
out and the Burlington bridge at Columbus
Is In a shaky condition. Trouble is feared
on the Platte as far east as Ashland, where
i the ice began to break up this evening.
LINCOLN, Feb. 26. The Manhattan
branch of the Union Pacific Is still tied up
because of the loss of Its bridge over Bear
RAILROAD BILLS
Present Week Will See Sevsral of Them Up
in the House,
GIVES LOBBY LARGE AMOUNT OF WORRY
Commodity Bate Bill One Which Stands
Best Bhow of Passage.
SPEED MEASURE ALSO TROUBLESOME
Lobby Bealises the Sentiment is Strong for
Legislation on These Lines.
OMAHA WATER BILL BUE IN THE SENATE
Amendments Mnde hy Committee Will
Keceaaltate Ita Being Returned
to Hone for Flnnl
Action.
two squares, the lower elevator was prac
tically consumed and the Are was sweeping
with irresistible fury both up and down
the rivsr.
As soon as It became known that the
sone of the Are was the Stuyvesant docks
harbor tugs hastened to the wharves and
vessels that were moored there were
pulled out . Into the river.
1 At the same time switch engines were
rushed ;t the ' .whasvo j:anJ hu.niliedsvojM
box .cars loaded with freight were drawn
to points above the upper end of the ter
minals before the fire reached them. Hun
dreds more, however, were consumed.
The wind was blowing down the. river
as the blaze began and the fire spread with
greater speed In that direction. By 9
o'clock the lower elevator and sheds and
wharves from Amelia street to Louisiana
avenue, a distance of six squares, had
fallen In. Fortunately Louisiana avenue Is
a very broad thoroughfare and the further
spread of the fire beyond that point into
a residence section was checked. Between
the points named, however, the flames
swept to complete destruction many cot
tages of the poorer classes, the occupants
in a great many instances losing all they
possessed.
iiefl.es Plre Fighters.
The liver boats, the employes of the
road and the flra department concentrated
all their energies in an effort to save the
linner Aldvutrtr hnlwn AiiatAclltv n.l
Constantinople streets and to check the I DEPUTIES PAID THEMSELVES
Are at that point. The fire, however.
gradually worked past the point occupied ' Scandnl Mny Grow Ont of Dlstrlbn-
I
IT'
SMELTER ME GO OIT OS STRIKE
British Colombia Workers Waat an
Fight-Hoar Day.
VICTORIA, B. C. Feb. 26.-A general
strike of the smelter employes of British
Columbia has been declared as a result of
the defeat of the eight hours bill for am el
ter employes in the British Columbia legls
lutuie. The men are striking for shorter
hours. The owners state they are now
working on a basis of 1 per cent profit and
will tie up the mining Industry rather than
grant the demands.
Rich placer dlncoverlee are reported from
Clearwater creek, on the Slkine, and are
expected to result la a rush to the new
diggings.
COURSE ALMOST AS BID AS STRIKE
Strict Interpretation of Rnlea Ham
pers Italian Honda,
ROME, Feb. 26. In order to escape the
penalties of striking, the railway employes
throughout Italy have engaged In a har-
rasslng system of literal and exaggerated
obedience of rules and orders, which Is
having the effect of badly crippling traffic,
provoking great Indignation on the part of
the public. The effect has been thei can
cellation of trains and the delay of others.
The passenger traffic has been reduced In
consequence about 00 per cent at a time
when the tourist season Is at Its height and
the railroads are suffering accordingly. The
employes demand certain concessions from
the railroads and the repeal of the law pre
scribing severe punishment for railway tm
ployes who engage In strikes.
GENERAL STOESSEL AT MOSCOW
Commander Given a Great Reeeptlon
at Old Capital.
MOSCOW, Feb. 2.-General Btoessel, late
commander of the Russian forces at Port
Arthur, and his party arrived here at
o'clock this morning. General Btoessel was
met In the Imperial pavilion at the Nicholas
station by the governor, nolilllty, mi me row
officers and civil official. Colonel Dlman
sky made an eulogistic address of wel
come, declaring that "your splendid de
fense of Port Arthur amased the world and
created Immortal glory for Russia."
Numerous bouquet were presented to
Madame Stoessel. The general afterward
held a reception. He Ui go to St. Peters
burg on Wednesday.
by the elevator. Heroically the forces kept
at work, but ultimately they were beaten
and the big steel structure, covered with
corrugaated iron, suddenly burst Into
flames at 10:30, and in half an hour was a
comslete wreck.
At midnight more than nine squares of
the terminals had been completely de
stroyed and It seemed unlikely that the
fire would be checked until It reached Na
poleon avenue, which also Is a very broad
street. During the Are a heavy wind
blew and the blaze was of indescribable
fury, carrying brands to great distances,
driving back the crowds of sightseers. Im
mense pieces of corrugated Iron, torn from
the sides of the upper elevator, were car
ried through the air as if they were feath
ers and dropping In every direction, con
stantly endangered the lives of firemen and
spectators.
The weather was bright and warm and
probably 60,000 people visited the scene dur
ing the progress of the Are.
Aside from the tremendous loss of prop
erty the Are Is a calamity to New Orleans
In the temporary abatement of the Immense
export business of the Illinois Central, par
ticularly in the matter of grain ahlpments.
BLOODY RIOT AT A WEDDING
Two Men Are Killed and Six Others
Shot and Stabbed Daring;
Melee.
GREEN8BURG, Pa., Feb. 26. Anna On-
nafrey was the central figure In a bloedy
battle at the Strickler works of the Western
Coal company In Mount Pleasant township,
in wnicn two men were killed and six oth
ers were stabbed, shot or slashed with
knives. The dead!
JOHN KOPHAS. Jr., 24 years old; leaves
a wife.
MICHAEL LESHOW, 30 years old; leaves
a wife and two children in the old country.
Of the wounded, Tom Pollak may die.
Anna Onnafrey's refusal to dance with
George Lukess, an unbidden guest at a
wedding celtbration, started a riot.
party Is In the mines tonight. It Is barely
possible, but not likely, that some of the
entombed miners will be rescued alive. The
explosion was of terrlflc force and shat
tered window glass a mile distant.
Immediately after the shock great num-
bers of miners, who were off duty today.
It being Sunday, rushed to the shaft to find
great clouds of smoke and dust gushing
jfeonvVta mouth. Mirers, children. aud
other relatives soon ' were weeping -and
pleading for the rescue of those dear to
them.
The officials of the mines. Including Gen
eral Manager Reia, were soon on the ground
and the work of rescuing miners Is now
being directed by Mr. Rels.
The dead miners so far recovered are all
Italians and Hungarians and have as yet
not been Identified.
The company usually work In this shaft
about seventy-five miners, but today being
Sunday, the men were not all In and the
small loss of lives can be attributed only
to this fact.
The United States Coal and Coke com
pany, with principal offices In Pittsburg,
Pa., is a part of the United States Steel
corporation. The cause of the explosion Drotectlon around the saloons and the boot
has as yet not been determined and since ieKgers and in order to come out even they
it is naraiy proDamy any or tnoee in tne mu8t cnarKe the Indians enormous prices
mine win De recoverea anve tne cause or ervthinir thev sell to them
tne explosion may never oe Known. ,.The iu,tice -of the peace and the mar
shal of Homer make their living from the
arrests of drunken Indians. When the Jus
tice, with his eyes wide open, finds out
that the marshal takes money from the
drunken Indians and lets them go he pro
ceeds to the speculators and threatens them
with denunciation If he does not get his
share out of the Indians. The Indian who
is arrested and Aned goes to the speculators
and borrows the money and signs a note
for three to six times the amount that
he receives. When the marshal knows that
drunken Indian hns no credit with the
speculators, who know his Income and re
lationship, he will not arrest the Indian.
When the speculators see an Indian drunk
and whose credit Is good they tell the mar
shal to arrest him so that they can make
the Indian sign a note. If an Indian la
slow to buy or sign notes the speculators
give him a few dollars for nothing. He
gets whisky and when he feels good he la
ready to buy out the whole town and to
sign all kinds of notes and mortgages.
Thus, horses that are not worth the feed
are sold for 1400 and 1600, notes are signed
and the money collected at the agency.
Lawbreakers Not Canaht Napping-.
"The local' Indian commissioner, with
deputy marshal, pays a visit to Homer
about three or four times a year. They
announce their coming tq the ringleaders,
who Inform the suloonkeepers and the
bootleggers. The town Is cleared of the
Indians and the bootleggers go to sleep-
The carnival begins again half an hour
after the officials have left. The rlnglead
era have confessed to me that the arrivals
of the officers cost them a great deal of
money. It has happened that those officers
have found on the road a drunken Indian.
iney iook nis name, maae out a case on
the records with Actitlous Indian names as
witnesses and collected from the govern
ment large sums for imaginary cases, wit
ness fees and transportation, etc
"The speculators are buying the Indian
land, and Derore tne deal is approved In
Wauhlngton the Indian in question has
signed notes In favor of the speculator, who
gets the land as well as his money again,
(From a Staff Correspondent.)
LINCOLN, Feb. 26. (Special Telegram.)
This will be something of "railroad week"
in the legislature. Several bills. Important
and unimportant, affecting railroad Inter
ests are pending before the two houses and
will come up for third reading or action In
the committee of the whole within the next
few days. Consequently the railroad men
are on the anxious seat and more than the
usual quota of them may be found at the
state capital this week.
The commodity rate bill, introduced In
the house by Foster, Davis and Junkln
under the Foster resolution. Is giving the
railroad representatives more uneaalnea-i
of mind than any other bill. They have
come to the conclusion this statement Is
made after talking with some of these representatives-that
this measure will pass or
It will take the hardest . fight which the
allied roads are ahle to put up to kill It. The
hill takes twenty-seven staple commodities
and makes an average reduction of 10 per
cent In present rates and naturally enough
the railroads contend this Is unfair.
Report on Bill Is Doe,
This bill has not yet been reported back
to the house by the railroad committee, but
Is due. While there were grave doubts at
first that the committee would allow the
bill to see the light of day, It Is now gen
erally believed it will make a favorable re
port on the measure. Even railroad at
torneys admit that In view of the anti-
creek, near Beatrice, and the Burlington rnllroad proclivities espoused at the outset
by this legislature that It Is to be expected
that some show' of sincerity will be made
and therefore some such bill as this one
passed. It Is pointed out that the legisla
ture exacted from Elmer J. Burkett a
pledge that he would work for antl-rallrosd
legislation In the national lawmaking body
and that It cannot, therefore, In Justice to
Itself and tha people and Mr. Burkett refuse
Itself to do what it asked or rather com
manded him to do. In view of this sltua-
and Rock Island have a force of 100 men
with dynamite to protect their bridges
across the same stream.
Alarming reports reached the Burlington
headquarters late tonight about the condi
tion of the Platte river at Ashland. An Ice
gorge formed Jut above the bridge, cover
ing several spans The Ice Is very heavy
and the river was reported high and threat
ening to overflow back of the gorge. Later
in the night the Ice began piling up and at
11 o'clock It had extended the length of a ! ,,on. therefore, every railroad representa-
dozen spans. The water was rising rapidly.
tlon of Fnnda to Martinique
Snfferers.
PARIS, Feb. M. (Special Cablegram to
The Bee.) Several of the Paris papers re
fer to a serious scandal which Is expected
to result Jn the disgrace of a high func
tionary attached to the ministry of the
colonies.
M. Clement, one of the deputies for
Martinique, asserts that the relief commis
sion sent to Martinique to distribute tho
money voted by Parliament to the victims
of the great eruption of Mt. Pelee spent
2,000 on themselves, although they voy
aged In a French warship and only doled
out 700 to the sufferers. M. Clement also
states that the chief of the mission un
lawfully pocketed a sum of 8 per day
for the whole time of his absence.
BRIDGES WRECKED HY THE ICE
Kanana City Surfers from the Bre-nknp
In the Knw River.
KANSAS CITY, Feb. 26. Floating Ice In
the Ka fiver has completely wrecked the
pile bridges of the Kansas City Belt line
and the Rock Island" railroad. The ma
terial of these structures has been saved,
but the railroads have not yet decided
whether they will rebuild the pile bridges
or hasten the construction of steel ones. It
Is said the railroads may be enjoined from
rebuilding pile bridges, as they are consid
ered a menace to other property.
The Kansas City Belt line now has no
connection with the packing house district
and the Rock Island will have to use other
roads to move freight from the west bot
toms to Armourdale.
Much Ice is floating down the Kaw to
night, but a channel has been mnde and
little dynamite is being used.
At Lawrence a great ice Jam which had
formed a blockade for twelve miles up the
river was broken today by the use of dy
namite. The bridge across the river there
Is being pounded by floating Ice, but It Is
still Intact.
BIG RELIGIOUS AWAKENING
Sis Thousand Five Hundred
veralona In the City of
Loolsvllle.
Con-
LOUISVILLE, Ky., Feb. 2fl.-Meetlngs In
twenty-four churches, theaters and halls
today concluded the main effort of one of
the most remarkable religious revivals seen
In America during the past fifty years.
During the two weeks Just closed 6,DO0
persons confessed to Christianity. Klghteen
visiting evangelists took part In the work.
some of whom will remain for a month
longer to follow up their work. Fifteen
hundred persons were today added to the
5,000 already converted, this being the final
"decision day."
INDIA HAS VALUABLE METAL
Discovery of Iron and Alnmlnnna In
Central Provinces Mny Revo
lutionise Industries.
CALCUTTA, Feb. 2.-(Special Cablegram
to The Bee.) The discoveries of Iron ore
and aluminum in the central provinces are
officially confirmed, and It seems likely
that they will revolutionise Industrial Indlu.
A rush has commenced to stake out alumi
num claims, and a company with a capital
of over I5,0W,0U). backed by the wealthy
Fartce Tata connection, Is being formed
to erect blast, furnaces and coking plants.
PRESS WELCOMES THE DECISION
Only Criticism of Court la It Did
Not Go Far Enouah.
uunvu?. reD. en. ine uruisn press
welcomes the report of the International
commission of Inquiry Into the North sea
affair with almost unqualified satisfaction.
Some of the papers think . the decision
does not go far enough in the direction of
condemnation of Vice Admiral Rojest
vensky and the commander of the trans
port Kamchatka, but at the same time
they hold that It Is now possible for Rue
sla to make ample amends. The Daily
Telegraph a editorial article says
It remains for the ciar to act on tha
commission's finding. It Is difficult to be.
Ilevs that he will dismiss with lnillfTereni-e
an admiral who nearly Involved his mou-
arcn ana country in an unnecessary war.
The Standard thinks the report leaves the
question of the rights of shipping under
LOSS NOT OVERESTIMATED
Property Owners at Hot Springs
Ready, However, to Commence
Rebuilding.
HOT SPRINGS, Feb. 26.-Sunday has been
a day of gloom in Hot Springs. The first
estimates of the damage done by the great
conflagration were not exaggerated. More
than forty blocks were destroyed by the
flames and a most conservative estimate
places tho loss at $1,600,000, and several in
surance men state the figures will reach
$2,000,000. The three unidentified bodies re
covered are the only known fatalities.
The citizen's relief committee has the sit
uation well In hand. The amount sub
scribed for relief totals $12,000 tonight, but
it Is being steadily increased. The com
mittee feels that it can feed all the home
less. Voluntary subscriptions from the
outside are being accepted.
Several excursion trains arrived here to
day bringing visitors from adjacent cities
and towns to view the ruins. Mayor Beld
Ing ordered all saloons closed and it was a
"tight" Sunday In Hot Springs.
The following statement has been Issued:
To the Public: The Are-swept area lies
principally In the residence portion of the
city. While the loss is enormous, the prin
cipal business portion of Hot Springs, in
cluding the hotels and bath houHes, are not
affected.. We think, therefore, It proper to
request the Associated Press to state that
our city has ample accommodations for all
who may desire to visit It for health, and
no advance In rates will be tolerated.
GEOROE P. BELDINU, Mayor.
EISLE, Superintendent of the Govern
ment Reservation.
That the devastated district will be
speedily rebuilt la evidenced by expressions
heard on all sides. Property owners are
already planning with architects and In
three Instances carpenters began -work to
day on temporary structures.
Not Body of John Panl Jones.
PARIS, Feb. 26. A preliminary examlna-
r aihlnh A tTlhfl liRllrtr PftftftP I III...
The agent is but a tool In the hands of fof th, of John Paul Jones, the naval
, ,,...1,uu.uW;1.,1 wunin nis her0 of tn. revolutionary war recently
power to keep the Indian land and Indian dlllc,0.ed a lead coffin. The nameplat, on
money within the ring of the speculators. ,h , wa. much corroded hot th. i.
But who will blame the agent and tha '
other officers when the commissioner of In-1
dlan affairs In Washington Jones, who
lately resigned has done all within bl
power to favor the Homer ring and ha a
sent a personal order to the agent request
ing him to O. K. all the grafters' fraudu
lent notes. No wonder that the agent says:
'If I fight the money power I II lose my
place.' An Indian will pay $1,000 cash
rather than to lose his mortgnged ponies,
worth $10, and the speculators know It, and
always see that they hold a mortgage on
the Indian's teams. I have seen notes that
were collected three times with threats of
tlve feels a certain degree of apprehension
over the present state of affairs.
The maximum rate bill Introduced last
week by Caldwell of Clay Is not causing so
much uneasiness among the corporation
officials as the commodity rate bill. Ths
Caldwell measure Is copied In larce part
from tho. old Newberry Is w, and Is naleu
lated to be much mero sweeping In Its pro
visions than the other bill, and Its passage
is not as much anticipated as the commit
tee measure.
Speed BUI Tronblesome,
Another bill over which the railroads are
annoyed la the bill Introduced by Senator
Gould of Greeley, providing oertain In
creased rates of speed for freight trains. It
will come up for nction In tho senate In a
day or so. Railroad men declare that the
speed exacted by this bill simply la Impos
sible on certain branch lines if, not on main
lines, and for that reason ought not to be
tolerated. It is classed as a prohibitive
measure.
The Omaha Water board bill will come
up In the senate for passage. As It has
been amended In the senate It will have to
go back to the house, where It originated. If
it passes, and let the lower branch have the
last say. Some half-dozen amendments
have been tacked on to the bill, calculated
to bring It nearer the bounds of reason.
H. R. 25S, the omnibus bridge bill. Intro
duced by the house committee on roads
and bridges, will come tumbling into the
forum before the week is over, as it Is
pretty well up on the general file and when
It does strike that body something Is going
to happen. If tho bridge lobby can prevent
it the bill will certainly not get nice treat
ment. On the other hand, a very deter
mined fight will be made by the friends
of the measure, who claim everything good
for the bill. It embodies the Kyd bill,
which met an untimely fate In ths house',
and besides contains many now features.
The committee has seen fit to offer two
amendments to the bill and the enemies
of the measure will take this as the basis
for arguing that the whole bill is defective.
Engineer Bill In Hard Lines.
The county engineer bill has one more
Inning In the house. This Is the celebrated
S. F. 8, by Beghtol of Lancaster, which
the house, in committee of the whole, last
week recommended for Indefinite postpone
ment and then at the suggestion of Speaker
Rouse and on motion of Jackson of Ante
lope gave another chance of life by voting
a reconsideration of the vote. But even
Speaker Rouse, who was censured for mak
ing this suggestion, since he was originally
a friend of the bill, declares the bill can
not possibly pars. The speaker made this
suggestion, he explained to the house, be
cause he felt the responsibility of the bill's
defeat since he had Inadvertently placed
the senate files that day ahead of the
house rolls on general file. The senate,
he said, raised a furore over the defeat of
Its bill.
H. It. 250, the bill to remove the Home
for the Friendless from Lincoln to Mil
ford and operate It In conjunction with
the Girls' Industrial school there, promises
to precipitate a struggle on the floor of
the house this week. There Is terrific op
position to thla bill on moral lines. Those
who are fighting It contend that It would
be a shame for the state to throw the
young girls of the Mtlford home and ths
once fallen women of the Lincoln home
together. Women's clubs and various other
organizations are resisting the bill with
all their might.
cloud of perilous uncertainty and Bug- Uklng away the mortgaged ponies
gesta that the whole subject should be
carefully examined when The Hague con
ference reassembles alls Us wnc
"Through the influence of the agent and
(Continued vu XUIid rt)
scrlption has finally been deciphered, show
ing that It was the coffin of an English
man burled May I. 17D0, two years before
the death of Jones. Consequently tha
coffin will not be opened. The search con
tinues. The finding of the lead coffin has
the advantage of establishing that those
burled In the Protestant cemetery about
the time of Jones' death lie In the vicinity
of the present excavation.
Movement of Oconn Vraaels Feb. yl.
At Liverpool Arrived: Armenia, from
New York; Merlon, from 1'hlludelphla; 'm
brla. from New York, via y uet-ncto wn.
At Southampton Arrived : New York,
via Plvmoutli and ('herlxnirg.
At New York Arrived : Ia Hretugne.
from Havre. Siiiled; Vadt-rland, fur Lover
and Antwerp. . .. . ...
INSTITUTE
AT GRAND ISLAND
Farmer of (hat Dlatrlct Llaten to
Good Program.
GRAND ISLAND. Neb., Feb. (Spe
cla I.) Though the attendance st the first
two sessions of the Farmers' Institute, held
In this city Friday evening and yesterday,
was very light, the lust session yestsrda
afternoon was attended hy over ISO fame
era in tho Grand Island district.
The topics discussed were "Boll Tlllsge,"
by O. Hull of Alma; "Economic pork Pro
duction." by C. M. I-wtlllng of Heaver
City; "Wagon Tracks," u narrative or trav
els among the ranrhe of Mexico, by Joseph
Wing of Meehanlcsburg, O.; "Feeding Baby
t-'eef," by Mr. Wing; "Diseases ef Farm