CHINESE CRUISER GROUNDED

Grounded Chinese cruiser Chen Yuen (Zhen Yuan) was captured and renamed by Japanese forces in the First Sino-Japanese war.

Cortland Evening Standard, Thursday, November 22, 1894.

CRUISER GROUNDED.

HER CHINESE COMMANDER PROMPTLY COMMITS SUICIDE.

Japanese Forces Within a Few Miles of Port Arthur—Further Violence On the Part of Chinese Soldiers Reported—Japan's Refusal to Accept American Mediation Construed As Practically an Acceptance—Other Foreign News.

   LONDON, NOV. 22.—A dispatch from Shanghai says that the reform of the Chinese army proceeds with difficulty. A few European officers are engaged in the preliminaries of the reorganization. There is no central authority.

   Prince Kung, uncle of the emperor, and head of the Tsung Li Yamen, the admiralty, etc., is reserved in the exercises of his power, finding it hard to contend against Chinese obstruction.

   Viceroy Li Hung Chang shows no sign of leaving Tien Tsin.

   The dispatch adds that the report of the suicide of Commodore Lin Tai Sau, commander of the Chinese battleship Chen Yuen, has been confirmed. The Chen Yuen grounded while entering Wei Hai Wei. In trying to avoid the torpedoes planted in the harbor there she ran on the beach where she remains, useless for the present. Her commander, Lin Tai Sau, at once committed suicide.

   The Chinese soldiers at Teng Chow Foo, 40 miles from here [Shanghai], are becoming aggressive, and the American cruiser Baltimore has gone to that place.

   A dispatch from Shanghai reports that the Japanese are within two miles of Port Arthur.

   In a leader this morning The Post says that Japan's reply to the United States shows the error of approaching Japan at the present juncture otherwise than by united action.

   China cannot hope for European sympathy. She must face the inevitable. Her delay in suing for peace only means the payment of an increased indemnity and further humiliation.

China Must Sue Direct.

   WASHINGTON, NOV. 22.—In regard to the declination of Japan of the offers of mediation of the United States, it may be said that while Japan's answer was in terms of declination, it was in effect an acceptance of United States Minister Dun as the one through whom the Chinese might make their offer. Secretary Gresham has cabled Ministers Dun and Denby to transmit such peace offers as China might wish to make direct to Japan.

Japanese Victory Reported.

   WASHINGTON, NOV. 22.—The Japanese legation has received the following cable: "A portion of the army under Field Marshal Yamagata attacked Hsiu Yen, where the enemy's force was reported to be 20,000, at 6 a. m., Nov. 8, and succeeded in taking the place by 9 a. m. the same day. The enemy fled in a northwest direction. Five cannon were captured."

Treaty With Japan,

   WASHINGTON, NOV. 22.—It is probable that among the earliest communications to be sent to congress by President Cleveland, when it assembles in December, will be the new commercial treaty with Japan, which Secretary Gresham and Minister Kurino have been negotiating.

A WAR PICTURE.

Comrades Edgcomb and Palmer Before Their Cabin on the James River.

   There is a picture in the front window of the store of Tanner Brothers that is very precious to the two old soldiers who are there represented. The picture is a most excellent one and was enlarged by the well known Cortland artist, Eugene Powers, from a tintype taken in the winter of 1864-5. Messrs. George W. Edgcomb and S. L. Palmer were then members of Co. C, 15th New York Engineers. This company was at that time detached from the regiment and was guarding a pontoon bridge across the James river at Deep Bottom, just below Butler's Dutch Gap canal. The company was in winter quarters and the picture represents Comrades Edgcomb and Palmer standing in front of the cabin which they had built. Mr. Palmer did the carpenter work and Mr. Edgcomb was the builder of the chimney which was put up outside of the cabin. Mr. Edgcomb says it was his first and last chimney. Mr. Palmer recured his lumber from a ruined house near by and Mr. Edgcomb brought his bricks across the James river in a skiff from an old house on the other side. The brick were laid in Virginia mud. The picture is a most excellent one and Artist Powers has brought out all the details in a very truthful way. [Where is this tintype today?—CC editor.]

ONLY A FEW WEEKS MORE.

The Electric Railway Co. Taking Advantage of the Fine Weather.

   Over one hundred men are at work to-day on the electric railway. The old road has been pulled up and the new rails are laid to the terminus of the road at Homer. The work now in progress is the filling in and grading. Poles are being set rapidly on North Main-st., in Cortland. The work of building the power house is being rapidly pushed, the work of stringing the wires will soon be begun and every advantage is being taken of this fine weather.

   Main-st. track will be laid before the sewers are put down. It is the plan now to lay a double track, but have them so far apart that the sewers, can be laid between the two sets of rails, moving them when the sewers are laid to the center of the road as first planned. The Homer end of the road will be closed up immediately and it is expected that electric cars will be running in the course of a few weeks from the E., C. & N. and D., L. & W. stations to Homer.

Some Words of Criticism.

   Cortland people have been very much annoyed all summer long by the tearing up of the streets in the construction of sewers. It was expected that this operation would cause some annoyance. It could not well otherwise be done. But every one has looked forward to a day when it should be completed.

   In the early part of the season the work progressed very rapidly, but of late it has dragged. A comparatively small amount has been laid each day and there seems to be a reasonable prospect at the present rate that the end will come some time in the next century.

   There was a time when the weather hindered, but of late the days could not be excelled. Now is the time to push and get all that is possible laid before cold weather comes. It seems as though double the number of men could be employed to good advantage. The citizens living along the line of the work have endured much in silence, but they are getting tired.

TWO HORSES KILLED.

Street Car Team Gets Loose and is Run Over by Cars.

   The street cars every hour have about twenty minutes to wait at the E., C. & N. station after their arrival from Homer before they start back to Homer again. The team is usually detached from the car and spends this time in a shed near the corner of Main-st. and the E., C. & N. R. R. which was especially built for the purpose, and which shelters them from wind or storm. When the 11:40 car came in from Homer this morning the team was put in the usual place. In some way they broke their hitch strap and started on a full run toward the [Owego Street] E., C. & N. roundhouse. A freight train had just come in and was sidetracked. Nine box cars were being slowly run down the main track to be weighed. The horses seemed blinded by their frenzy to get away and ran straight toward these moving cars. Just before reaching the foremost car they tried to separate to go each side of the cars, but were held together by their harnesses. They reared and plunged head first with great violence into the car and were knocked over backwards. The cars partly ran over them and both horses died almost immediately. This was one of the best teams owned by the railroad company.

A Business Change.

   Theodore Everts has sold his saloon on Port Watson-st. to Messrs. John Welch and John Howard. Mr. Welch for the past four and one-half years has been with A. D. Wallace at the Brunswick. Mr. Howard has long been a resident of Cortland.

FORTNIGHTLY CLUB.

A New Ladies' Literary Club Organized in Cortland.

   A new literary club was on Tuesday night organized at the home of Mrs. A. M. Jewett, 15 Monroe Heights. It is composed wholly of ladies and its membership is limited to twenty. Its present membership is sixteen, but four other ladies have the matter under advisement and will probably sign the membership list at the next meeting. It is called the Fortnightly club, and its meetings will be held once in two weeks, as is indicated by the name. A constitution and bylaws were adopted.

   The present members are Mrs. W. R. Cole, Mrs. G. P. Hollenbeck, Mrs. H. L. Smith, Mrs. A. M. Jewett, Mrs. J. G. Jarvis, Mrs. James Walsh, Mrs. L. M.  Head, Misses Carrie D. Halbert, Belle Fitzgerald, Maud Fitzgerald, Elizabeth Turner, Cornelia L. Brown, Cornelia A. White, Mary H. White, Clara M. Keator and Martha McGraw.

   Officers were elected as follows:

   President—Miss Belle Fitzgerald.

   Vice-President—Mrs. L. M. Head.

   Secretary—Miss Carrie D. Halbert.

   Treasurer—Mrs. J. G. Jarvis.

   Miss Elizabeth Turner was appointed critic for two months. The work for the present will be the reading and study of Shakespeare. The first play selected is Twelfth Night.

   The first meeting will be held at the home of Mrs. Head, 30 Clinton-ave., on Wednesday afternoon, Nov. 28 at 3 o'clock.

Ladies' Literary Club.

   The Ladies' Literary club met yesterday afternoon with Mrs. Welland Hendrick, 32 Lincoln-ave. The subject of the meeting was the life and works of N. P. Willis. Mrs. Harriet Mudge gave a sketch of the author. Miss Carrie D. Halbert read a paper on Fanny Fern. Mrs. J. A. Jayne read a selection from Willis. Mrs. H. A. Cordo had a character sketch and impersonation selected from the author. Miss Marguerite Force entertained the club with some fine music. Taken altogether the program was a most delightful one.

   The next meeting will be held with Mrs. J. L. Watrous in two weeks and will be an entertainment.

BREVITIES.

   —A vagrant was given lodging in the cooler last night.

   —Bird talk at Normal hall Friday evening at 7:30 o'clock.

   —Two men were discharged from the Wickwire mills yesterday for fighting.

   —The police found a lady's wheel night before last, and it is at police court for identification.

   —The Alpha Chautauqua circle will meet with Mrs. J. O. Reid, 128 Main-st., Saturday evening, Nov. 24, at 7:30.

   —The Woman's Foreign Missionary society of the Presbyterian church will meet in the chapel Friday at 3:30 o'clock,

   —Owing to the great pressure of other matter to-day, we are obliged to omit until to-morrow the report of today's supervisors' proceedings.

   —The lecture on birds by Mrs. Olive Thorne Miller of Brooklyn will be held in Normal hall Friday evening from 7:30 to 8:30 o'clock. This will interest every one.

   —The case of The People vs. William Sever, which was on trial before Justice Bull as The STANDARD went to press yesterday, was finished. The prisoner was convicted and sentenced to pay a fine of $25 or go to jail for a time not to exceed 25 days.

   —The regular meeting of the Loyal circle of King's Daughters will occur Friday at 2:30 P. M. at the home of Mrs. A. M. Johnson, 54 N. Main-st. The president desires a full attendance as matters of importance will come before the meeting, especially with regard to Thanksgiving day.

   —The regular meeting of Co. A., Loyal Temperance legion, will be held in W. C. T. U. rooms on West Court-st. at 3 P. M. on Friday, Nov. 28. This meeting will be a Band of Mercy meeting and will be specially interesting, as the children have almost entire charge of it. All children under twelve years of age are invited. Visitors of all ages are always welcome.

   —A man who said he used to belong to Emerald fire company of Cortland, drifted into police headquarters last night and asked the chief to send him upstairs to bed. The chief told him to see Assistant Chief Abel who made up the bed list. The chief called Abel the chambermaid of police court. The Cortland man finally found shelter in Crystals' bunk room.—Binghamton Republican.