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| USS Olympia (C-6). |
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| Admiral George Dewey. |
Cortland Evening Standard, Tuesday, September 26, 1899.
THE OLYMPIA ARRIVES.
REACHES NEW YORK TWO DAYS AHEAD OF TIME.
All on Board are Well and in Fine Spirits—Reception Committee Disconcerted at the Unexpected Arrival of Their Distinguished Guest—Ship Being Put in Order for the Parade.
NEW YORK, Sept. 26.—Much to the surprise of every one in this city the Olympia which sailed from Gibraltar Sept. 10 with Admiral Dewey on board arrived off the Sandy Hook lightship at 5:55 this morning. There was a heavy mist on the sea and at first the marine observers were inclined to think the vessel sighted might be Rear Admiral Howison's flagship, the Chicago, hardly believing Dewey would arrive two days ahead of time. The doubt was soon cleared away, however, and as passing vessels recognized the flagship from Manila bay there was a continuous roar of whistles and salutes.
One of the first large vessels to sight the Olympia was the passenger steamer Sandy Hook of the Sandy Hook line, which left Atlantic Highlands shortly after 7 o'clock for her New York dock. Just as she got well under way a war vessel was seen through the fog and passengers and crew headed by the Sandy Hook's captain gathered at the rail to read the newcomer's name. To get near enough to do this the Sandy Hook changed her course and headed directly for the Olympia, blowing her whistle in salute as she did so. As soon as the name was made out the Sandy Hook's passengers cheered with all their might and in a few moments an answering cheer came over the water from the warship's sailors, many of whom were gathered on deck.
The flagship came up to the lower bay and anchored inside Sandy Hook. As soon as the anchor was dropped, an orderly was sent ashore with dispatches from the Admiral and other officers. He said the ship had had a pleasant trip across the Atlantic and that all onboard were well and glad to be home again.
The Olympia's crew were put to work immediately cleaning ship. Many small vessels are sailing around her and their number is being augmented constantly.
The Sandy Hook steamer Monmouth passed the Olympia early this morning and those on board of her were the first to see Admiral Dewey. One of the Monmouth's passengers said: "We saw Admiral Dewey quite plainly. He stood alone on the quarterdeck of the warship. Fifteen feet behind him stood eight of his officers in uniform. The admiral alone of all men on board the ship acknowledged the cheers of the passengers and crew of the Monmouth. He raised his hat continuously bowing and smiling. The ship looked in fine trim, considering her long voyage, but the exterior of her hull was seamed with rusty streaks."
The members of Admiral Dewey's family, who are stopping at the Waldorf-Astoria, did not seem surprised at their distinguished relative's early arrival. Chas. Dewey of Montpelier, Vt., the admiral's brother said: "This is not altogether unexpected as we thought the admiral would be here a couple days before the celebration. Probably he desired to have a couple of days to get the ship in good condition for the celebration. None of the family will go down the bay to-day to see the admiral and none of them expect to see him before Thursday.''
Mayor Van Wyck hurried to his office where he found the following telegram:
''Olympia arrived this morning. Will go to Tompkinsville to-morrow. GEORGE DEWEY."
The mayor advised the calling together of all the city's committees and telegrams were sent calling on the members of the plan and scope committee and the various sub-committees to meet as quickly as possible at City hall.
St. Clair McKelway, the chairman of the sub-committee of the reception committee, was the first to arrive. He was somewhat disconcerted at the news of the admiral's arrival ahead of time. Mr. McKelway thought the reception committee would wait on Dewey to-morrow instead of Thursday and that Dewey would remain in the anchorage off Tompkinsville until Friday. Then the regular reception would take place on Friday and Saturday, according to the original program.
SANDY HOOK, N. J., Sept. 26.—The signal man on the Olympia is being kept busy dipping the ensign in answer to salutes of passing vessels. An orderly came ashore from the Olympia soon after she had anchored with dispatches and messages from the admiral and officers. He said that they had had a pleasant passage across the Atlantic, that all on board are well. The Olympia will go to Tompkinsville tomorrow.
ROUTED THE INSURGENTS.
Seven Forts and Many Cannon Destroyed in Fine Shape.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 20.—A dispatch has been received from Manila by the war department stating that General Snyder attacked the position of the insurgents five miles west of Cebu and destroyed seven forts and quite a number of smooth bore cannon. The insurgents were utterly routed and Snyder returned with his force to Cebu. The Tennessee regiment was already aboard transport to come home, but disembarked to take part in the engagement.
COLLISION AT AUBURN.
Three Men Killed, Several Wounded—Responsibility not Fixed.
AUBURN, N. Y., Sept. 26.—A head end collision between a New York Central passenger train and a freight train occurred this morning at 6 o'clock, just west of Old Flat Bottom bridge, about a half mile west of the city and as a result of it three people are dead, one fatally injured and five more seriously injured. All were trainmen except one who was a tramp. The responsibility for the accident has not yet been determined.
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| Cortland Village President S. N. Holden. |
THAT CHURCH-ST. CURB.
LOCATED IN ITS PRESENT POSITION BY ENGINEER ALLEN.
The Engineer Tells Why He Placed It Where It is—No Land Grab About It—Village Trustees Order Immediate Action as to Sidewalks.
Henry C. Allen, the engineer in charge of the paving of Port Watson-st. was interviewed by a STANDARD reporter early last evening in regard to the location of the curb lines on Church-st. as turned in from the new Port Watson-st. pavement. Considerable space has of late been filled in a sensational way in an out-of-town paper relative to this question and the theory of "land grabbing" by certain property-owners has been advanced.
To learn the exact state of affairs the STANDARD man asked Engineer Allen for an explanation of the reasons why the new curb lines on the west side of the street are placed several feet outside of the former curb. Mr. Allen said that whenever he lays out a street to be paved, he considers it a part of his business under the contract made between himself and the municipality to follow a fixed principle of uniformity in establishing the curb line at the entrance to intersecting streets and he always endeavors so to do. He finds as near as he can the apparent center of the intersecting street between the fence lines and lays out the street from that point. In the Church-st. case he found the two sides of the street not parallel, but that the street is considerable wider at Port Watson-st. than at Clinton-ave. He found that at Clinton-ave. a 50-foot street was the widest that could be laid out, and so he decided to plan for a 50-foot street at the entrance from Port Watson-st. He always has in mind the possible future improvement of the street in question, and endeavors to start the curb lines at the proper place, and at the proper distance from each other, so that when the street is paved certain of the work will not have to be done over again and corrected.
At the south end of Church-st. he found that it was 128 feet from the fence post at the corner of E. H. Brewer's property to a similar point at the corner of F. J. Doubleday 's lot. He took the center between these two points as the center of the street and measured 25 feet each way from that point to locate the curb lines. It so happened that the east curb coincided with the curb then in position opposite Mr. Doubleday's premises, and if extended north in a straight line would coincide pretty generally with the curb lines the whole length of that side of the street, matching almost exactly with the curb recently laid in front of the soldiers' monument. He found that at the west side, the new curb line lay about 5 feet nearer the center of the street than the old curb as laid opposite Mr. Brewer's property, and if projected north 50 feet distant from the present east curb, or 25 feet distant from the true center of the street, it varies but a few inches from the present curb as laid at the north end of the street near its intersection with Clinton-ave. The greatest variation of the old curb from the new line is between Court-st. and Port Watson-st.
Mr. Allen said that this is the principle he adopts in all cases, and then its results are arrived at "without fear or favor." He deems it unwise and poor policy to turn in curbs at intersecting streets wherever the old curb at that point happens to stand. No good reason could be given for this method, while with the one followed there is reason abundant.
Mr. Allen's explanation is reasonable and satisfactory and pretty thoroughly disposes of the cry of land grabbing on the part of property holders and of the intimation that there was any jobbery about the new lines. It would be very poor policy and a very bad criticism upon the engineer if he laid out the intersection of Port Watson-st. with Church-st. in such a way that the latter street would be 55 feet wide at Port Watson-st. and could be only 50 feet wide three blocks further north at Clinton-ave., and in such a way that the two curb lines of Church-st. could not be parallel. With the present desire for improvements on foot it may not be long before Church-st. will put in a petition for paving. Whenever that time comes the intersection of Church-st. and Port Watson-st. would have had to be changed if the old curb lines had been followed and certain work would have had to be done over again. Now it is permanent, thanks to Mr. Allen, "Straight Line" Allen, as he was called in Syracuse, simply because he was always laying out straight lines "without fear or favor" as in this case.
At the meeting of the board of trustees of the village last night, Engineer Allen made substantially the same statements as are contained in the above interview in response to a query from one of the trustees. In case the property- owners all set curbing along the proposed line, it will make a street of equal width the whole length, and will be an improvement. While no expression of the board was taken in the matter it was apparent that the trustees endorsed Mr. Allen's action in turning the curb into Church-st., planning for a fifty foot roadway The projecting of curbs into intersecting streets is a part of the paving contract and the work is done under the direction of the engineer who is employed by the village. Some time ago Mr. Allen made a similar statement before the board, and while his plan in this one particular was not formally approved by vote, it was generally understood that it met with the board's approbation. None of the property-owners have been before the board with objections on this point, and instead of it being a "land grab" the plans of the engineer would seem to be in accordance with good and wise public policy in the development of the village into a city.
No particularly important business was transacted. The clerk was authorized to employ the county clerk to make a search of the records and verify the titles of ownership of the signers to the Groton-ave. paving petition.
It was reported that some property-owners on Tompkins-st. desired to leave their walks on the present grade, while others desired to lay new walks and lay them strictly on grade so they would not be compelled to move them in the future. The board voted unanimously to direct all property-owners on the street opposite the new pavement to place all walks on grade.
The board also directed the street commissioner to at once tear up and lay new walks at the corner of Clinton-ave. and Railroad-ave., opposite the premises of Mr. Ireland; at the corner of Railroad and Hubbard-sts., opposite premises of Mrs. Kinney and others; also opposite C. O. Smith's feed store on Groton-ave. Legal notices had been previously served on the owners, and the board ordered this immediate action on the grounds that the walks are dangerous.
Trustee Sprague was authorized to give Dr. F. P. Howland permission to move his office building from its present location on Maple-ave. to his residence.
UNIVERSITY CENTER.
Organization to be Completed Next Week—Course of Lectures.
To the Editor of The STANDARD:
SIR—It will be of interest to your subscribers to know that I shall be in Cortland again next Tuesday to finish the reorganization of the Cortland University Center. I have just succeeded in forming a large center in Fulton, and arranging a series of lectures to be delivered by professors of Syracuse university monthly. If the people of Cortland choose, they can have an excellent course of lectures upon universal literature, during the coming season, and I trust that such a course will be established in the furtherance of university extension work in your city.
All the old members of the University Center are requested to help in the organization by having their fees ready when I call, and all persons wishing to join are earnestly asked to send me their names at once. Sincerely yours,
JOHN KENYON, Fulton, N. Y., Sept. 25, 1899.
McGRAW.
Breezy Items of Corset City Chat.
The following is from a letter received by Mrs. Preston Luce from her son Frank D. Oliver, who is in the Philippines:
MANILA, Aug. 6.
DEAR MOTHER—As I may not have a chance to write to you again in a couple of weeks, I thought I would improve the opportunity. To-morrow I expect the fun begins, for orders are out to attack the insurgent lines, and we are expecting a fierce struggle. All the boys are anxious for a fight. Here in San Fernando we are driving all the pretended friendlies out of town. They pretend to be friends to us, but most of them are in the insurgent lines fighting against us. The native women wrote Gen. Otis that when the men were all shot they themselves would take up the fight against the Americans.
Later—I have just come in from doing outpost duty about 200 yards from the insurgent lines. They get pretty bold once in a while and come within 100 yards and are on us. Then of course we have to drive them back.
Vern Porter is in the hospital sick. I am going down to see him after I finish this letter.
It is a sight to see the beggars that come around our cookhouse at meal time. They are half starved and pick up what we throw away. Many times I have given them half of my dinner. I am getting as fat as a spring pig out here. I have gained six pounds since I came to Manila. Don't worry about me for I am having a good time chasing the niggers and once in a while go out and get one for breakfast. Be sure and send me the Cortland Standard.
FRANK D. OLIVER, Co. A, 9th Inft.
BREVITIES.
—B. T. Wright, Esq., will deliver an address at the Summerhill fair Thursday afternoon.
—A regular meeting of the Royal Arcanum will be held to-night at 8 o'clock in G. A. R. hall.
—It has been a splendid rain and has done lots of good, but has been hard on the Knights Templar at Syracuse.
—The music pupils of Miss Carrie Day Halbert will give a musicale at her studio in the Wickwire building to-morrow evening at 8 o'clock.
—The Epworth league of the First M. E. church will give a reception to the Normal students and their friends tomorrow evening, Sept, 27, from 8 to 10 o'clock.
—New display advertisements to-day are—Chas. F. Brown, Drugs and paints, page 7: Opera House, Fitzsimmons and Jeffries fight, page 5; McKinney & Doubleday, Books and stationery, page 6.
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