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| Nikola Tesla. |
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| Thomas Edison in workshop. |
Cortland
Evening Standard, Monday, November 16, 1896.
NIAGARA FALLS POWER.
The Mighty Cataract at Last In Harness.
PULLING BUFFALO STREETCARS.
The
Electric Power Turned on at Midnight Last Night Which Will Turn the Wheels of Industry
Twenty-Seven Miles Distant.
BUFFALO, NOV. 16.—At midnight last night the
turning of a switch in the big power house at Niagara Falls completed a circuit
which caused Niagara river to flow uphill, so to speak, by returning a fraction
of its resistless energy which had already swept past the gates of Buffalo,
back into that city, 27 miles distant. The harness was buckled that hitches the
factory wheels of Buffalo to the greatest cataract on earth. This morning the
streetcars of this city are moving by falls power. Hereafter the falls must
work enough to earn their living.
The buckling of the harness could have been
done 12 hours earlier, but owing to the fact that the father of William B. Rankine
of New York, secretary of the Niagara Falls Power company, is a clergyman and
in deference to his wishes, the Niagara
Falls power was not turned into the transmitting system at noon yesterday as
had been expected. The connections were made at midnight. The force of experts
having the work in charge were busy all of Saturday night and until late last
evening, testing the various connections and going over the machinery to make
sure that everything was in proper order. When everything was in readiness for
the switch to be thrown over, the electricians were confident that there need
be no cessation of the current set flowing over the wires of the Buffalo street
railway system.
The distance covered by the line between
Buffalo and the falls is 27 miles, and the expert electricians who have the
work in charge estimate that the loss of energy will be less than 10 per cent
and may not exceed 5. Careful tests are to be made in this connection, the
tests covering both night and day and clear as well as rainy weather. The
electricians are paying particular attention to this test, as on the perfect
insulation of the carrying line depends much of the future success of the undertaking.
The line that has been built to carry the current
bearing wires is of a most substantial nature. Unlike the ordinary telegraph line,
the poles are placed very close together and are braced in such a manner as to
be proof against heavy storms. At curves the poles are set double and are guyed
to numerous smaller poles to prevent sagging.
The overhead line extends from the power
house at the falls to the city limits of Buffalo, where the wires enter cement conduits.
On the overhead line glass insulators were found unequal to the strain and
porcelain insulators were made specially to hold the wires. These insulators were
subjected to a current of 30,000 volts before being put in use.
There are at present on the poles eight cables,
each with a carrying capacity of 5,000 horse power, or 40,000 horse power in
all. The poles are of such a substantial character, however, that this number
of cables can be doubled without subjecting them to a greater strain than is
considered safe.
The only contract made so far for the delivery
of power in Buffalo by the power company is that with the Buffalo Street Railway
company for 1,000 horse power. Under the
contract with the city the completion of the undertaking of delivering power in
Buffalo was not obligatory before next June. It was in order to secure the
contract with the street railway company that the work was hurried through so
far ahead of time.
Contracts with others desiring to use the
electric power will now be made and it is thought that by the opening of spring
the power will be well distributed throughout the city.
Since the inception of the undertaking and
during its carrying out, the company have
frequently called upon Messrs. Edison and Tesla for advice and these famous masters
of electricity have been frequent visitors to the Niagara Falls power house to
solve technical problems.
The power will sell in Buffalo for $36 a
horse power per annum, and under its contract with the city the company must increase
its capacity 10,000 horse power per year until the maximum of 50,000 horse
power has been reached.
 |
| Capt. Gen. Valeriano Weyler. |
SPANIARDS DESPERATE.
Every
Effort to Suppress the Facts In Cuba.
THE CENSOR'S LATEST DEVICE.
All Newspapers Must Be Submitted to Him
Before Sold—Cubans Court-Martialed and Shot Daily— Recent Spanish Reverses. Other
Advices.
NEW ORLEANS, Nov. 16.—The
Picayune has received the following from Havana under date of Nov. 8:
"The latest application
of 'gag' law is the decree by Captain General Weyler by which all news
dealers are compelled to send one copy of each and every newspaper they are
going to sell to be approved or disapproved by the censor. In this manner
all newspapers containing the reports of the war are quickly squelched.
"There is no doubt that
the election of William McKinley is a source of much worry to the Spanish
government, for it is generally conceded that the new president will do
something toward recognizing the insurgent government's belligerency.
"In conversation with
officers high in the Spanish army and who are close to the Madrid government they have positively asserted to me that the home
office has assurance from their minister in Washington to the effect that the
Cleveland administration will not recognize the Cubans under any circumstances.
"From one of General
Weyler's secretaries I was also informed that General Weyler has issued
instructions to all the captains of cruisers that whenever an expedition is
caught court-martial is to be made on the spot and the execution to follow in order
to avoid international complications such as the Competitor case.
"In the trial of
political prisoners here there is no such thing as justice, for the judges have
to give a verdict against the prisoners or incur the enmity of the captain general.
As an instance I will cite the case of Manuel Viendi.
"Viendi was the attorney
for Julio Sanguilly and Aguirra and managed to secure the release of Aguirra
and the reversal of Sanguilly's case in Spain. Well, a trumped up charge of
conspiracy was made against him and he today is on his way to the African
islands [penal colony], if he is not dead.
"In order to ferret out
the work of the insurgents the Spanish government has sent two men to New York,
two men to New Orleans and four to the Florida towns, all Cubans, and of the
provinces of Santa Clara and Matanzas, for the purpose of mixing in with the
Cubans, ascertaining their plans and advising the Spanish government.
"Of battles there have
been many, in which much blood has been shed.
"General Echague met a
terrible defeat, and he has been quite badly wounded, so much so that it is
feared he will die of the result of various wounds he received. The battle was
fought at Guayabitos. The Spaniards left San Diego de Los Banos some 1,500
strong and with a section of a battery. They met the insurgents, who were
fortified, and the fight lasted all day, the Spanish remaining on the
offensive, only advancing when the insurgents had withdrawn their men from the
hills. From men who were in the engagement I learn that the artillery was
without officers, and one company of Ariple's battalion was almost annihilated.
"The official report to
the captain general reads that there were only 15 killed and 93 wounded, but
from one of the lieutenants who came to Havana I am reliably informed that the
deaths were 65 and the wounded 176. Among the wounded were Lieutenant Colonels
Aragon, Rodriguez and Romero. It seems that the insurgents had their dynamite
gun in working order and did much damage with it.
"By newspapers received
from the United States I learn that the insurgents are reported to have been
dislodged from their position. That is not true. The insurgents are yet in the
mountains of Pinar del Rio, Maceo with a small band went to receive an
expedition and the Spanish officials cabled that he had been dislodged.
"They will have a time in
getting him out of the mountains and as Maximo Gomez, with a strong force, is
coming up from Camaguay, it is much in doubt if General Weyler will be able to
remain in Havana province. He will either have to go to Pinar del Rio or to
Santa Clara province to direct operations. In fact, even his own men are
complaining of his inactivity.
"The executions continue
as merrily as ever and it has come to such a pass now that the court-martial is
held at night and the officers often decide the death penalty without even
having the prisoners present to make a defense. In the past few days 20 Cubans have been executed.
"The deaths of the
Spanish officers during the past five days are as follows, that is, those
known, for many are reported to be absent on commission of the service in order
to hide their disappearance:
"Captain Manuel Alcazar,
Ramon Verdure, Lieutenant Santiago Rodriguez, Major Manuel Quintana, Lieutenant
Colonel Ramon Bringas, Major Juan Bautista Pallu, Lieutenant Arturoro Broynes,
Lieutenant Carlos La Rubia, Brigadier General Luis Benedillo, Brigadier General
Gabriel Franco Botas and Manuel Moncada y Solas."
Superintendent Stump In Italy.
ROME, NOV. 16.—Colonel Herman
Stump, superintendent of immigration of the United States, who has come to Rome
for the purpose of explaining the United States immigration laws to the Italian
authorities, has had several conferences on immigration questions. Among other projects
which have been mooted at these conferences was the creation of an immigration
bank to enable Italian immigrants in the United States to send home their savings
and otherwise to assist emigration.
PAGE TWO—EDITORIALS.
Cannot Speak English.
Of the 70,000,000 people of
this country a little more than 8 1/2 per cent are unable to speak
English. This count includes grown persons and children above 10 years of age. It
is rather surprising to find that nearly one-tenth of these people who cannot
speak English are native whites, and likewise their parents before them were
native whites.
Who are these natives that
cannot speak English? Are they the children of the unclean and ignorant
Russians, Poles, Hungarians and Italians that have thronged to our shores?
Well, no. The census of 1890 shows that 88,410 of them are found in
Pennsylvania, and they are known to the rest of the country as
"Pennsylvania Dutch." For at least 150 years these slow and stalwart Germans
and their descendants after them have occupied the fertile fields and valleys
of the Keystone State and have not cared enough about the country in which they
have been born and reared and prospered to learn its language. They are
something like the Boers of the Transvaal and equally set their faces against
anything new. In some parts of Pennsylvania it is possible to travel for hours
without finding a person who can speak English.
A still larger number of ignorant
Americans are in Louisiana among the Creoles, 41,390 of whom do not speak
English. Finally in New Mexico are to be found 59,778 persons of the most
ancient lineage of any of our native white Americans, who are almost as
ignorant of English as a Digger Indian is. They speak Spanish.
If to the number of native
white Americans who cannot speak English at all were added those who cannot
speak good English, the figures would astonish even public school teachers. Not
a few of them would be still more astonished to find their own names in the
list.
◘ It is to be hoped that before another presidential
election the cause of political education will be sufficiently advanced to
enable all citizens alike to comprehend that eggs are not arguments. [Eggs were
thrown in a William Jennings Bryan parade in Chicago.]
SIX MONTHS.
Kirk E. Brown Sent
to Onondaga Penitentiary for Petit Larceny.
A case of shoplifting in Cortland has culminated
in the arrest of the guilty party and the landing of him in Onondaga penitentiary,
where he will reside for the next six months.
Last Thursday E. O. Dean, who conducts a
grocery on Groton-ave., missed a quantity of tobacco, chocolate, etc. Suspicion
pointed very strongly to a strange young man who had been noticed hanging around
the store and who had acted rather strangely. That day this suspicion was
strengthened by the finding upon the floor of the store of an envelope addressed
to Kirk E. Brown, Cortland.
Police Justice Mellon and Chief of Police
Linderman were notified and a diligent search was at once instituted. Chief
Linderman took what clues there were and worked quietly, and on Friday found
where Brown had been staying some of the time, consequently a search warrant
was issued for the search of some rooms in the Squires building, but the
property was not found. Then the chief found that the accused was at work on a
farm about four miles west of the village. An assistant was sent out to the
farm and, engaging in conversation with Brown, induced him to ride back to
Cortland with him.
A warrant was then issued and Brown was
placed under arrest. A charge of petit larceny was preferred against him to
which this morning he pleaded guilty and received a sentence of six months in
Onondaga penitentiary and a fine of twenty-five dollars. He was taken to
Syracuse at 10 o'clock by Chief Linderman.
This proceeding demonstrates that Chief
Linderman is after crooks and that Cortland's police
court is not a pleasant place for guilty parties to land in. The police force
under the able direction of Chief Linderman is ever on the alert and is looking
after crooks of this sort as well as those of every description. The force is
all the time doing detective work and keeping a close watch of suspected parties.
POSTOFFICE ROBBED.
At Summerhill
Saturday Night—Thirty Dollars In Stamps Taken.
The postoffice at Summerhill was entered by
thieves Saturday night and robbed of thirty dollars worth of stamps. So quietly
did the miscreants operate and so well did they cover up their tracks that no
clue has yet been discovered by which to follow them.
Postmaster J. F. Bliss has the office in his
store and his residence is in the same building. The thieves gained an entrance
by removing a window light from the back of the store, the window sash being nailed
down, and took from the stamp drawer stamps amounting to about $30. They were
not heard by any of the family and the theft was not discovered until the next
morning.
What's the Matter
With Cortland?
The Geneva Times says that it is time for
Geneva to take on city attire, and that a charter is being drawn up and will be
passed at the coming session of the legislature. The Times argues that the
growth of Geneva warrants the growth in its charter and government and that it
will be a title well earned and appreciated.
If Geneva thinks it is time to be a city,
what is the matter with Cortland? We have at least a couple of thousand more
population, more factories and more business. Isn't it time Cortland took steps
toward a city charter?
DIED ALL ALONE.
Jerry B. Clow of
Virgil Has a Stroke of Apoplexy.
Coroner W. J. Moore was summoned to Virgil
this morning to view the remains of Jerry B. Clow, who had been found dead in
his house this morning. The deceased was a bachelor 72 years old who lived alone
by himself in a little house around the corner from W. A. Holton's store. He
has been accustomed to take his meals at the Virgil hotel. The last seen of him
alive was yesterday afternoon when he came for dinner. He did not appear at breakfast
this morning and Proprietor William Hall went
around to investigate. He found Mr. Clow lying dead on the floor of his house.
The appearances were that he had been dead some sixteen or eighteen hours. He
had been in usual health. Coroner Moore viewed the remains and decided that
death had been caused by apoplexy and that no inquest was necessary.
The deceased had a brother in Buffalo, but
except for nephews and nieces has no other living relatives. Mr. Clow was born
and brought up in Virgil and has spent nearly all his life there.
BREVITIES.
—The Woman's Relief Corps meet tomorrow afternoon
at 2:30 o'clock.
—William Shaw, driver for the United States
Express company, is to-day using a Cortland Beef company wagon on account of a
broken tire on the regular wagon.
—New advertisements to-day are—Case, Ruggles
& Bristol, Jackets and Capes, page 6; Chas. F. Brown, Prescriptions, page
6; Bingham Bros. & Miller, Clothing, page 8.
—The Alpha Chautauqua club will meet with
Mrs. M. O. Clark, 67 Madison-st., Monday evening, Nov. 16. Roll call,
"Interesting Events During Queen Victoria's Reign."
— The Syracuse Journal on Saturday night
published an eight-page supplement reviewing the industries of the Salt City.
It contained cuts of many of the prominent buildings.
—Mrs. Maurice Saunders entertained
informally at a coffee on Tuesday afternoon in honor of her mother, Mrs. J. C.
Batchelor of Buffalo, and Mrs. C. W. Saunders of Cortland.—Syracuse Journal.
—Mr. T. J. McEvoy of Cortland, a member of
the senior class at Amherst college, has just received high commendation upon
the presentation before the senior class in history of a paper assigned him for
special investigation upon "The Suppression of the Jesuits in Europe in
the Eighteenth Century."
—A regular meeting of the W. C. T. U. will
be held on Tuesday, Nov. 17, at 3 P. M. Consecration
service will be led by Mrs. Anna Bently. Business meeting will follow, after
which the annual address of Mrs. Mary T. Burt, state president of the Woman's
Christian Temperance union, will be read. All interested are very cordially
invited to be present.
—The details are given in our Marathon letter
to-day of a very sad accident in which a small boy, Saturday afternoon, accidentally
shot a younger brother while hunting. Too much care in the use of firearms cannot
be exercised, but accidents will surely happen if boys of 14 and 11 years are permitted to handle
such dangerous weapons.
—A petition to the village trustees is to-day
in circulation and is being numerously signed by property holders of Railroad-st.
asking that the name of that street be changed inasmuch as we now have in
Cortland a Railroad-st., a Railroad-ave., and a
Railway-ave., and the three names are very confusing. It is recommended in the
petition that the street be called Center-st. or Central-ave., but the trustees
will doubtless be open to suggestions for any better name before taking action.
—Mr. C.
L. Kinney was a few days ago advertising for a girl at 54 Port Watson-st. He
telephoned in this morning at an early hour that he had no more use for that
advertisement as he had a ten-pound boy and didn't need any more girls just
now. He says he has in mind hanging his lawn with Chinese lanterns and
illuminating the house in honor of the event. He is doing his best to control his
hilarity, but the corners of his mouth do have a tendency to rise if any one
looks at him and he is passing out cigars with great freedom.
MARATHON.
While in New York last week your
correspondent had the pleasure of being shown through the elegant new
Manhattan, the hotel recently built by Hon. J. Belden of Syracuse.
Mr. Dwight Dye and son Charles who were
returning from Harford on Monday last, met with a serious accident when near
Clark's Corners by being thrown from the wagon caused by a broken plank in a
bridge which struck the horse. Mr. Dye received severe scalp wounds while the
son escaped any serious injury. Mr. Dye is being cared for at Mr. Clark's until
able to return home. At present writing hopes are entertained of his recovery.
Warren Johnson, aged 14 and Floyd, aged 11,
sons of Mrs. Dell Johnson, who lives with her mother, Mrs. J. N. Warren, on
Cemetery Hill, together with Marion Fritz, about the same age, took a gun and
went hunting in Mr.
Peter Hilsinger's
woods Saturday forenoon. As Warren was aiming at a rabbit, Floyd, who stood
near by in his excitement ran in front of the gun when it discharged, hitting
him on the back of his head. Warren at once went to him and he said,
"Warren, I am dying" and raised up his face to be kissed. These were his last
and only words. T. J. Hilsinger and others were working near by and assisted
in carrying the boy to his home where he died within an hour. After reaching
home Drs. Field and Smith were at once called and did all in their power to
save the unfortunate boy. He was a bright young lad and a favorite in his
family and among his young friends and had the good will of all who knew him.
His family are almost distracted over the sudden and sad tragedy and have the
sympathy of all the community. His funeral will occur at the Baptist church on
Tuesday at 2 P. M. On Saturday afternoon Mrs. M. T. Wooster had invited her
Sunday-school class to her home at 4 P. M., and young Floyd who was in the
class hesitated about going hunting as he had talked so much about going with
the class and intended to be back in time to go. The class were present and it
was a sad afternoon to teacher and scholars.
C. [local correspondent's initial.]
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