Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The monitor. (Omaha, Neb.) 1915-1928 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 5, 1916)
The Monitor A Weekly Newspaper Devoted to the Interests of the Eight Thousand Colored Peop in Omaha and Vicinity, and to the Good of the Community \ The Rev. JOHN ALBERT WILLIAMS, Editor % -^ $1.50 a Year. 5c a Copy. Omaha, Nebraska, August 5, 1916 Vol. II. No. 6 (Who %1o. 58) —■ 1 - ■ — - •'> i Colored Hero At Cleveland Disaster Garrett A. Morgan Rescues Several Survivors of Tunnel Tragedy and Recovers Several Bodies. INVENTOR OF SAFETY HELMET Is Personally Complimented by Cleve land’s Chief Executive for Heroc Work. Cleveland, Ohio, August 4.—One of the greatest disasters in the history of the city of Cleveland took place in the new West Side waterworks laie Tuesday night and its hero is one'of Cleveland’s leading Afro-American citizens, Garrett A. Morgan, the in ventor of Harlem avenue. Aroused by the prolonged ringing of the telephone bell at 4 a. m. Wed nesday, Mr. Morgan was informed that a terrible disaster had taken place in the form of an explosion at the tunnel leading from crib No. 5 to form a part of the new West Side waterworks and that eleven or more men were entombed and others who had gone to the rescue endangeAd. The police department urged him to bring 20 or 25 of his helmets to the scene of the disaster and assist in the rescue. Calling his brother, Frank S. Morgan, and a neighbor, William Hoots, also colored, Mr. Mor gan filled his car with 20 helmets, h s own invention, and dashed to the West Ninth street pier meeting the police patrol that had been sent to fetch him. At the pier the fire tug Wallace was waiting his arrival to hurry him to the scene. At five o’clock, one hour after re ceiving the call, Morgan stood at the head of the shaft with the third res cue party composing his brother Frank and two rescuers. T. J. Clan cey and Gilbert Martin. Firemen and policemen stood about helpless. Al ready two parties had gone down to the rescue and none returned. No one else cared to risk the journey. All feared to trust themselves to the terrible poisonous fumes that filled the death chamber below’. But Morgan, who is an expert in this line, knew the qualities of the Morgan national safety hood and also possessing a great amount of per sonal courage, never hesitated a mo ment. Harry L. Davis, mayor of the city of Cleveland, stood at the top of the shaft as Morgan and his party were lowered away. He was the last man to shake Morgan’s hand before he went down, even bidding him good-bye, and the first man to con gratulate him when he returned. Morgan’s first task was to break the bull’s eye glass in the first trap door of the chamber where the res cue party led by Supt. Van Duzen of the tunnel construction had been entrapped. This dangerous task ac complished Morgan plunged into the deadly gases of the tunnel and began (Continued on eighth page) John G. Pegg, Weights and Measures Inspector, Dead For Ten Years He Filled an Important Political Posi tion with Satisfaction to Administration and the Public. The wholly unexpected death Thurs day afternoon of John Grant Pegg, city inspector of weights and meas ures, at his home, 4308 Patrick ave nue, came as a distinct shock to his Jamily and friends. Two weeks ago Mr. Pegg had what was then consid ered a slight paralytic stroke from neat prostration and from which he was apparently rapidly recovering, md soon expected to be about his duties. Thursday afternoon he took x turn for the worse. Twenty minutes after his death a telegram was re ceived from his mother asking how he was. Mr. Pegg was bom in Richmond Va., in 1868, and was raised and edu cated in Kansas. Being the eldest of x large family he was forced early Ik life to earn his own living. For a time he followed railroad life. He came to Omaha in 1899, where he has since resided. He served as messen ger to Mayor Frank E. Moores from 1901 to 1906. In 1906 he was appoint ed by Mayor Dahlman as inspector of /eights and measures, which posi tior. he filled for ten years to the .- atisfaction of the administration and to the business public whom he served. r*e was one of the best liked men on the city pay roll. He was a chirty seccnd degree Mason, being a memb.r of Rescue Lodge No. 25. Mr. Pegg was married to Miss Maiy Page of Topeka, Kansas, in 1899. He is survived by his widow, fiv. children, Mary, a senior, and James, a sophomore in the high school; John, Ruth and Gaitha; a mother, four brothers, James of New York City, Henry of Chicago, Charles of Oakland, Cal., and Bayliss of Omaha, and a sister, Mrs. Ida Prayther of Oklahoma City. A brother-in-law, Prof. Gaitha Page of Kansas City, Mo., and a sister-in law, Miss Ella Page, of Topeka, ar rived in Omaha Friday morning in pesponse to a telegram. The funeral will be held Sunday af ternoon from Zion Baptist Church, the Rev. W. F. Botts officiating. Jone. and Chiles will have eharge of the burial. Only Colored Bishop of Episcopal Church Dies New York, Aug. 3.—The death of Itt. Rev. S. D. Ferguson, for the last thirty-five years bishop of the Epis copal church, in Liberia, was an nounced today in a cable dispatch re ceived by the Domestic and Foreign Missions society. Bishop Ferguson was bom in Charleston, S. C., January 1, 1842, ind was taken when three years old jy his parents to Liberia, where he was educated in the Mission schools of the Episcopal church. He was or dained to the diaconate at Cape Pal nas in 1865 and to the priesthood at Monrovia in 1866. He was conse crated bishop June 24, 1885, in Grace church, New York. His episcopate tas been marked by great growth in his Diocese. His death removes the only Colored member of the house of Bishops of the Episcopal Church. Bishop Ferguson visited Omaha several years ago as the guest of Bishop Worthington, at which time he preached in Trinity Cathedral and the Church of St. Philip the Deacon. In the latter church he also baptized Amelia, the infant daughter of Mr. and Mrs. M. F. Singleton. There will be no early service Sun day at St. Philip’s Church. The usual services at 11. Woman Adopts St. Paul, Minn., Priest St. Paul, Minn., Aug. 4.—Father Stephen L. Theobald, pastor of St. Peter Claver’s Roman Catholic Church, was adopted as her son by Mrs. Mary E. Falihee, white, a wealthy and pioneer resident July 28. District Judge H. R. Brill signed the decree of adoption after a brief hear ing of Mrs. Falihee’s petition. Mrs. Falihee, who lives at 135 St. Peter’s street, has been a resident of St. Paul 40 years. She is 61 years old and is a widow with no children. Father Theobald is 41 years old. He is an orphan, formerly was a Mon treal newspaper man and is a gradu ate of St. Thomas College. “I do not see that it is anyone’s business,” said Mrs. Falihee, “and as it is very unusual I do not care to have the adoption given publicity. 1 am a zealous worker in the Catholic Church and am deeply interested in the work which Father Theobald has been doing. I have some property and when the time comes I want him tc benefit by it and further his work.” Father Theobald lives at 319 Fuller street. He has been a priest four years. The petition did not ask foi a change of name, as it would be dif ficult to alter all of Father Thebald’s papers, some of which would have to bo sent to the Vatican in Rome. A Little More AtkV the Krutown People The Natives are Particularly Proud of Their Canoes Which They Handle With Great Skill. GREAT SWIMMERS AND DIVERS Uuy B. Robbins Continues Some of His Interesting Articles on Li beria and Her People. The Krutown beach is lined with :anoes on racks about two feet high. The natives love their canoes and pend a great deal of time in taking :are of them. They scrub them with mnd to keep them smooth and patch the cracks that come with age. Gen rally these canoes are small, made 0 hold two to three people, yet they go out to sea in them to fish and to /isit the nearby towns. The Krus ire so skilled in operating their :anoes that if one capsizes at sea .hey can right it, shoot the water out, limb back in it and resume their journey. Many times they go out to fish 1 the evening and do not get back ntil the next day. They catch quite number of good fish including snap rs, cavalla, and “bonies. “Bonies" ire so called for the number of bones they contain. The natives’ mouths be ing like threshing machines, the bones don’t bother them. These and many other species they sell to the civilized >eople. The remainder of the catch .vhich consists of such fish as sharks y keep for their own consumption, have been on the beach many times and have seen fifteen or twenty canoes go out at one time on a fishing jxpedition. Seemingly the Krus regard ;his as great sport. There is always a crowd to greet he home coming fishermen similar to i crowd that would gather to see the .'mish of a race in this country except his crowd is rushing and fighting to ?et the pick of the fish which are to be sold. Teaching Children to Swim. The Krus love to swim and bathe in he ocean, and take great pains in teaching even the small children how to swim. A father will take his son >ut in a canoe to deep water and throw him overboard to “fight water” as they call this method of teaching. This is a very severe lesson but it jenerally results well and the child soon becomes an expert. I saw a /oung boy dive in about 18 feet of water for a gun spring four inches 'ong and one-half inch in diameter. The fourth time he brought it up and handed it to the amazed owner who never expected to see it again. We imagine these crude people would feel discontented when brought n contact with civilization and what t offers. But on the contrary, they seem happier with little to do and plenty to eat. And if we compare heir condition with that of some of (Continuel on Page 8)