Cortland Evening Standard, Friday, May 12, 1899.
TUNNEL BILL SIGNED.
Rapid Transit Under East River, New York City, at Last Secured.
ALBANY, May 12.—Governor Roosevelt has signed the Atlantic Avenue tunnel bill. The bill gives to the municipal assembly the power to grant a tunnel franchise for a term of 50 years, with the option of renewal for another 25 years after a revaluation.
The tunnel will cost in the neighborhood of $6,000,000 and will require about two and a half years to build.
The only expense to the city will be about $1,200,000 or half the cost of depressing the tracks on Atlantic avenue.
The plan as outlined by the commission contemplates the cutting of a tunnel beginning at some point in the vicinity of Broadway and Cortland street, extending under the East river to Flatbush avenue, Brooklyn, thence by open cuts, tunnels and elevated structures, to Jamaica, via Atlantic avenue, a distance of 12 miles.
The tunnel under the river will consist of two tubular conduits, thoroughly ventilated and lighted by electricity. There will be but nine stations on the entire line. The run from the Cortland street station to Jamaica will be made in 24 minutes. The motive power will be electricity. Elevators will be used.
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| David B. Hill. |
THEIR WORK UNFINISHED.
New York Legislature May Be Called In Extra Session.
ALBANY, May 12.—There will undoubtedly be an extra session of the legislature for the double purpose of amending the Ford franchise tax bill and passing over the veto of the mayor of New York of the rapid transit bill.
The pith of the argument against the Ford franchise tax bill is that it is to be administered by local authorities and that the local authorities will administer it just as they please and in different ways, imposing a heavy tax in some instances and a light tax in others, as best suits the wishes of the local board. Senator Hill was particular in this phase of the argument and dilated upon the fact that the law would be administered in many different ways.
It is understood that the governor will sign the bill, and after signing it will call an extra session of the legislature for the purpose of amending the bill so as to put it in the hands of a state board of administration of the law, in order to have an equitable arrangement of taxation instead of different construction of it in various portions of the state.
The extra session, it is believed, will be called soon and the bill to be introduced will call for a special commission of three persons to administer the law and determine the method of arriving at the value of the franchise.
The session will be called for the purpose of meeting the objections raised by the various corporations' attorneys at the recent hearing, that the bill placed in the hands of local assessors a tremendous power that might be wielded in various ways.
Have Obtained a Cheap Light.
ALBANY, May 12.—The state commission in lunacy has just been notified that the experiments conducted with its approval at the recently opened Gowanda state homeopathic hospital for the insane in Cattaragus county, with a view to obtaining a supply of natural gas sufficient to heat and light the new buildings, have been highly successful. Two million feet of gas per day will be obtained from wells which have just been placed in operation and this quantity will be sufficient to heat and light all of the buildings of the institution. The entire expenditure for the necessary installment of the drilling apparatus, etc., will probably not exceed $1,500.
PAGE TWO—EDITORIALS.
Women as Railroad Employees.
Whatever may be the arguments for or against the employment of women in the lighter service of railroads the practical movement of the railroads is at present against such employment. The Northwestern road some time ago decided not to employ women and, later, the Metropolitan West Side railroad of Chicago and one or two other companies followed suit, and the tendency is in the same direction among other large corporations. It is not claimed that the women have proved incompetent in the lighter duties of the offices, but simply that they stand in the way of the promotion of men in the ranks and cut off their chances of advancement, thus affecting the ambition and zeal of the employees all the way down the line.
This argument came up in England several years ago, where it was claimed that the competition of women in man's field of labor was demoralizing man's work and remotely injuring woman herself. It is now claimed by the Northwestern road boldly that women are unsuited for promotion to the higher railroading positions and that its civil service policy cannot be carried out successfully except with exclusively male employees. The Union Loop and Lake Shore some time ago discarded women ticket sellers "for the good of the service." It was explicitly stated at the time that this was not an imputation on the ability of women, but a disinclination to deal with them in the present systems of advancement. How this question will be ultimately settled in the labor unions it is not easy at present to perceive. But there is no mistaking the change in the attitude of corporations with regard to the sex question in labor, and the practical conclusion seems to be that the rapid increase of female employees is a positive detriment to the male worker and perhaps to that condition of society in which the male is looked upon as the proper worker.
A FATAL COLLISION.
RUNAWAY TEAM DASHES INTO AN ELECTRIC CAR.
William L. Williamson of Scott Thrown from the Wagon Near the Gashouse and Received Injuries Which Produced Death in About Two Hours—Taken to Homer, but Never Recovered Consciousness.
The first fatal accident with which the Cortland & Homer Traction company has been connected since the inauguration of its service here occurred last night, and the victim was William L. Williamson, a farmer 37 years old who lived up Cold Brook in the town of Scott. And in this case so far as can be learned little if any blame can attach itself to the railroad company or its employees.
It was 9:53 o'clock when trolley car No. 9 started from the Lehigh Valley station for Homer. It was in charge of Conductor Orson B. Smith, and the motorman was E. B. Bean. The latter has been in the employ of the company almost from the beginning and has an excellent record for careful and painstaking service. After passing the D., L. & W. railroad crossing there is a long straight stretch of road with few houses upon it and little likelihood of stops for passengers. Usually the cars run at a pretty good rate of speed here. There were no passengers on this car last night. The night was very dark, the clouds not yet having cleared from a shower that had fallen fifteen minutes before. The headlight upon the car enables a motorman to see distinctly the track and road before him for a distance of about 200 feet, but it can itself be seen for a half mile or so.
Motorman Bean says that the car was running at the usual speed last night after passing the crossing. He was sounding the gong of frequent intervals. When near the house of Edward Ryan, which is the first on the left above the crossing, at a little after 10 o'clock, suddenly out of the darkness before him appeared a pair of horses running at full speed. The team was attached to a light lumber wagon and was on the west side of the track, but so close to the rails that a collision was certain. Instantly he reversed the electric current from a forward to a backward motion and applied the brake. Conductor Smith says the reversal came with such force and suddenness as almost to throw him off his feet. The motorman says that on account of the speed of the team approaching him he can hardly tell how far the car proceeded after he first caught sight of the horses before they came together, but he should think it was about 100 feet. When they struck the speed of the car had become reduced to about four miles per hour, and after the collision the car did not go its own length before it stopped.
When they came together there was a great smash. It was done so quickly it is hardly possible to tell how it happened. The wagon was torn to pieces. The horses with the forward wheels in some way escaped and dashed down the road toward Cortland at full speed. The rear axle was broken and the wheels became separated. The left wheel was carried backward up the track by the motion of the car, and a break six inches deep was made in the tire and felloe. Something struck one of the forward glasses of the vestibule and smashed it. Something else struck the dash of the car and stove a hole through it about ten inches high and four inches wide. The sole occupant of the wagon was Mr. Williamson and he was thrown out and landed on the ground crossways of the west carriage drive with his head toward the west and his feet toward the rails. There had been a dozen empty potato crates in the wagon and these were tumbled out in an indiscriminate mess.
Mr. Lester P. Bennett of the Champion Milk Cooler of Cortland was riding on his wheel to his home in Homer at just this time. He was on the cinder path. The car had passed him and was about 200 feet in advance of him when he heard a tremendous smash in the darkness. In a moment the horses dashed past him. He dismounted and drew near to the car. He saw the motorman take off his headlight and come back and the conductor come with his red light. By the light he discovered Williamson lying on his face in the road and he was the first one to reach him. The man was unconscious, but was breathing. The three men decided that the best thing to do would be to put the injured man in the car and carry him to Dr. J. W. Whitney's office in Homer. Mr. Bennett remounted his wheel and hurried on in advance to get things ready while the motorman and conductor placed Williamson in the car, removed the debris from the road so as to prevent another accident in the darkness and then went on. The car was stopped in front of Dr. Whitney's office on Main-st. and the man was carried in. Mr. Bennett then went for Dr. H. S. Braman to assist.
The doctors found a bad fracture of the skull along the whole right side of the head. Upon the left temple there was a gash two inches long, and another gash leading off from it at right angles an inch and a half. There was a bruise between the eyes, another on the chin, another in the neck on the left side. His eyes were dreadfully blackened. Blood poured profusely from the right ear. Beneath the cut upon the left temple was another fracture of the skull. A circular fragment of bone an inch in diameter was removed from this place and the skull in the immediate vicinity was pried up, it having been forced downward upon the brain. Just after this process of trephining was completed the injured man for the only time showed signs of returning consciousness, but it was only for a few minutes and soon after he began to sink and died at 12:30 o'clock.
There was nothing about him to show his identity, and that was learned in a round about way. George Davis, an employee of the Mansion House, was sitting on the piazza in front of the hotel when he saw the car pass north and stop in front of Dr. Whitney's office. He saw a man carried in and he at once went up there to learn what had happened. He heard from the car crew what had occurred and recognized the man and the rig as one which had passed south in front of the hotel twenty minutes before. At that time "Get" Murphy had been sitting beside him and both had noticed the team. Murphy told who the man was, but Davis had forgotten the name. He hunted Murphy up and got the name from him. Murphy also came down at once and identified the man at Dr. Whitney's as Williamson.
From all the evidence that can be brought together it appears that Williamson was quite thoroughly intoxicated at the time, and this probably accounts for the accident. The proprietor of one of the former saloons in the now dry town of Homer is quoted as saying that Williamson was in his place early in the evening and asked for something to drink and he refused to give it to him.
Constable George F. Jones says that at about 7:30 o'clock last night he saw Williamson drive out of an alley next one of the late saloons and he then seemed to be so drunk that he questioned whether or not he had better arrest him, but he was driving slowly and he turned north toward home and he thought he would probably be able to get home and [he] concluded to let him go on. But he says he sat on his wagon seat as though he had a good many joints in his backbone.
George Davis says when he drove south past the hotel at about 10 o'clock the horses were trotting rapidly and it seemed to him that he was driving exactly on the center of the track. He was paying little attention to his driving and was shaking about a good deal, but Mr. Davis added that one could hardly expect a man riding on a board stretched across a lumber wagon box to sit very steadily.
Constable Jones has recently moved to Main-st., just below Albany-st., and was last night in the front room engaged in hanging pictures when he heard a terrible racket in the street. He looked out a front window to see what caused the noise and under an electric light in front of the house saw and recognized Williamson and his team passing. The horses were on a full gallop and the empty potato crates in the back of the wagon were shaking around at a great rate. The driver seemed paying little attention to his team. Mr. Jones says he concluded that the man was bound for Cortland and would probably get run in there by local officers.
Mr. Bennett says he helped the conductor and motorman to carry Williamson into Dr. Whitney's office and on the way got one full whiff of liquor. He was confident that neither of his assistants had been drinking and felt sure it must have come from the injured man.
Dr. Whitney says he found evidences that the man had been drinking as he was progressing with his examination. Others too say that Williamson was accustomed occasionally to drink very hard.
Williamson has a good farm up Cold Brook, is married, but has no children. He has one brother, Ashbel, whose farm adjoins his.
The remains were this morning removed to Briggs Brothers' undertaking rooms and Coroner F. W. Green was summoned. Dr. Green was a little in doubt this morning about summoning a jury. A new law was passed by the last legislature abolishing coroner's juries and authorizing the coroner alone to take the evidence and present it to the district attorney, but whether or not this law was already in force he did not know. Accordingly a telegram was sent to the secretary of state asking for information, and the reply came that the law is not yet in force. He therefore summoned the following jury: C. A. Ford, foreman, F. R. Thompson, W. C. Collins, W. H. Foster, O. B. Andrews, J. H. Clark, F. E. Bennett, Rev. L. J. Chrisler, J. O. Burrows, E. A. Williams. The jury viewed the remains and then adjourned till 9 o'clock Monday morning at Dr. Green's office when the inquest will be held.
The horses were caught near the railroad track. One horse was not much hurt and was taken back to the Mansion House stables, but the other was badly injured in the right hind ankle. It was placed in the stable of DeWitt Rose and cared for. The whole leg was this noon badly swollen and the ankle was cut. The horse could not bear its weight on the ankle.
ASSAULTED IN THE HIGHWAY.
Carroll P. Miner of Cortland, Principal of Brookfield High School.
The following is from the Brookfield Courier; Mr. Miner is a son of Mr. and Mrs. Oscar P. Miner of Cortland.
Saturday afternoon, May 6, when returning from North Brookfield on his wheel, Prof. Carroll P. Miner, principal of Brookfield High school, was viciously assaulted by William J. Clarke of this village. Clark struck Prof. Miner two blows with his clenched fist, one of which felled him to his knees. The motive for this cowardly and disgraceful act on the part of Mr. Clarke was occasioned by the punishment in school some weeks since of his son Carl.
The boy in question has an unenviable reputation for mischievousness, both in school and out. His misdeeds were overlooked until patience ceased to be a virtue, and he was given summary punishment, which he richly deserved. That the young man was justly entitled to all he received at the hands of Mr. Miner is conceded by all who know the facts in the case. Public sentiment sustained the action then, and to-day is most emphatically with Mr. Miner. Mr. Clarke at the time was very much wrought up over the affair, but he craved sympathy in vain. He sought legal advice, only to find that he had no just cause for complaint. Thus the matter rested until Saturday last, when the misguided parent allowed his angry passions to get the better of his judgment, and he made the mistake of his life.
Prof. Miner had been over to North Brookfield to visit his friend Prof. Case. Not finding him at home he was leisurely returning, and when near the residence of C. C. Fisk he noticed a man in the highway some distance in advance. Each had a wheel and both were walking the hill. The man ahead proved to be Mr. Clarke, for he stopped and waited for Mr. Miner to come up with him. Clarke greeted Prof. Miner with an oath, remarking, "You can lick my boy, but you can't whip the old man."
Mr. Miner had never before spoken to Mr. Clarke, and naturally he was somewhat disconcerted at this unique introduction. He made no reply, and without further parley Clarke let drive squarely from the shoulder, striking Mr. Miner over the ear, the blow partially knocking him down. He let go his wheel and was rising to his feet when Clarke repeated the blow, but with less effectiveness. Mr. Miner picked up his hat and bicycle and returned to the home of Mr. Fisk, while Clarke made his way alone to this village. Later Prof. Miner returned, not seriously injured in the fracas, though suffering from shock at the indignities he had received.
It would seem unreasonable to suppose for a moment that there lived in Madison county to-day a man of mature years who could, with evident premeditation, commit such a dastardly violation of law and decency. Yet such is the fact, and our cheeks tingle with chagrin as we give publicity to the incident above noted. It is clearly an echo from Georgia, where lynch law reigns supreme. On Monday a warrant was issued by Justice H. L. Spooner for the arrest of the culprit, but ere the sun had peeped over Beaver hill "Bill" Clarke had shaken the dust of Brookfield from his feet and disappeared. His present whereabouts is unknown. Nevertheless, public sentiment demands with distinctly audible cry that this crime shall not go unpunished.
Death of Mrs. Sturtevant.
Mrs. Sarah R. Sturtevant, the respected widow of the late James Watts Sturtevant, died at midnight last night after an Illness of a week with pneumonia. She was 87 years of age. Mrs. Sturtevant, whose maiden name was Sarah R. Freer, was a daughter of John A. and Rachel DePuy Freer, and wedded her husband Nov. 24, 1834. Mr. Sturtevant died Aug. 9, 1873.
Mrs. Sturtevant's father came from Ulster county in 1802 and, on Nov. 1 located in the town of Homer, now Cortlandville, near the west end of Tompkins-st. in Cortland village, where he was among the earliest pioneers. He cleared a large farm, and reared a family of eight children, the last of whom has now passed away with the death of Mrs. Sturtevant. To Mr. and Mrs. Sturtevant but one child was born, James Freer Sturtevant, whose death occurred at the age of 4 years and 8 months. Since the death of her husband, Mrs. Sturtevant has lived at the family home, 22 Tompkins-st., and has devoted a large share of her time to caring for others and helping the poor and needy. Her generosity and her deep kindness of heart have endeared her to all who knew her, and her memory will remain a long time in the minds of a great many people to whom she has been extremely kind.
The funeral will be held from 22 Tompkins-st. Monday afternoon at 2 o'clock, and interment will be made in Cortland Rural cemetery.
A New Phonograph.
Mr. Fred I. Graham, who has just secured the agency in Cortland for Edison's latest and improved phonograph, has a machine on exhibition at his drugstore. The machine arrived yesterday morning, and is about as near perfection as can be imagined. The cylinders are five inches in diameter. The sounds are almost as natural as the original production, and will fill the largest auditoriums. Mr. Graham announces that private entertainments will be given or the machine will be rented.
BREVITIES.
—Rev. Dr. A. C. Mackenzie, president of the Elmira college, has concluded to organize an Elmira college excursion to the Paris exposition in 1900.—Owego Times.
—Miss Ida Carr, aged 33 years, died at 6 o'clock this morning at the home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Solomon Carr at Blodgett Mills. The funeral will be held Sunday at 1 P. M.
—Ithaca is agitating the subject of a curfew ordinance. A public meeting has been held to agitate the matter and to urge the advisability of taking such action upon the city authorities.
—Rev. George B. Stewart, D. D., of Harrisburg, Pa., has been elected president of Auburn Theological seminary to succeed the late Rev. Dr. Henry M. Booth. Mr. Stewart is a graduate of Princeton college and Auburn Theological seminary.
—New display advertisements to-day are—C. F. Thompson, Saturday's pickups, page 7; E. O. Dean, Cut prices, page 6; A. S. Burgess, Men's shoes, etc., page 7; F. Daehler, Suspenders, page 7; Gun Bore Treatment Co., Gun bore treatment, page 7.
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