The Cortland Democrat, Friday, June 14, 1901.
MRS. NEWLAND, PASTOR, BAPTIST CHURCH, CINCINNATUS, N. Y.
The Baptist church of Cincinnatus was organized in 1823, for eighteen years previous to that time the same having been a part of the Baptist church of Pitcher, then German, the town of Pitcher at that time being a part of the township of German. At a special meeting held February 1, 1823, after much discussion concerning the disadvantages attending many of its members being so widely separated, and the utter inability to keep up meetings, [they] desired to organize a separate church at a point more conveniently located. Hence Cincinnatus was chosen and the church organized with 51 charter members. On March 1, 1823, sixteen delegates from the churches of DeRuyter, Homer, Cazenovia, Truxton, Freetown and Solon met at Cincinnatus pursuant to the call of the church, to consider the advisability of their being organized as a regular Baptist church, and after ascertaining their reasons for organizing, and that their covenant relations and articles of faith were in harmony with the Gospel church, voted unanimously to extend them fellowship as a church of Christ in Gospel order. On March 23 of that year Rev. John Lawton, the first pastor, was called and the minutes of the August meeting of the same year state that certain brethren were appointed delegates to attend the Madison association, to be held at Nelson.
On March 9, 1844, the church clerk was instructed to prepare a subscription paper for the purpose of raising money to pay for a parsonage. However, one was shortly after willed to the church by Miss Betsy Hakes. The first date of which mention is made of a church edifice is July 28, 1844. In August, 1848, it was voted to [sic], and in the following year the change of its associational relations were [sic] made from the Chenango to the Cortland association. Dating from 1853, for several years there seemed to be an era of church prosperity, as sheds were built, a vestibule built in the church, the parsonage repaired and other improvements made.
During the seventy-seven years since the church was organized, it has had thirty pastors who have served in the order named:
John Lawton, Solomon Howe, Alvah Kingsley, William Holeroyd, David Leach, George Meade, L. E. Swan, E. P. Dye, J. F. Stark, Horace Decker, L. W. Nichols, W. Kingsley, A. Galpin, N. R. Evarts, W. G. Dye, Samuel Keim, E. Holeroyd, G. P. Turnbul, J. B. Cole, S. P. Way, A. J. Boskwell, W. W. Beardsley, Daniel Reese, C. R. Corning, Wm. Johnson, David Burroughs, C. Aldridge, L. H. Newland and the present pastor, Mrs. Bertha M. Newland.
In the spring of 1898 Rev. L H. Newland was called to the pastorate of the church and entered upon the discharge of his duties the first Sunday in June, and under his ministry the church was greatly prospering when on Oct. 8, 1898, after a short illness, he passed away, leaving a wife to whom he had been married less than seven months. She had taken a course of work in Moody's Training school in Chicago, and the church extended a call for her to become its pastor, which duty she began the first Sunday in November, 1898. She has proved most efficient and faithful for the position, which she yet holds. Under her care the church has been greatly prospered and many added to its members. By her untiring labors and sweet gracious womanhood, she has won the affection of all.
MANY RELICS FOUND.
THE RAPID TRANSIT TUNNEL FULL OF THEM.
Coins Cannon Balls, Bayonets, Human Bones, Etc., Found in Great Numbers—New Women's Hotel—The International Boat Race--Ocean Travel Very Heavy This Season.
Many relics of the Revolutionary and colonial periods are being dug up in the trench being prepared for the underground railroad in New York. In a little shanty at the corner of Elm and Worth streets have been stored many of the curiosities found. They include all manner of coins, cannon balls, human teeth and bones, bayonets, old uniforms and sections of the old wooden pipes which used to carry the water to the town (then, city now) from streams and small lakes about the vicinity of Twentieth and Thirtieth streets. This section is now covered by modern buildings and not a trace of the former ponds and streams can be seen. It is only occasionally that in building the foundations for the modem sky-scraper a hidden stream will be tapped and the difficulty in stopping the water is very great.
The greatest number of relics have been found in the tunnel between Great Jones street and City Hall Park, more than 150 coins being unearthed, chiefly copper, and from the mints of Spain, France, England, Belgium, Sweden and the United States. They were found from ten to eighteen feet underground. For the past mouth they have not been turned in by the laborers as at first. The Italians have learned that they are finding things of some commercial value, and now when they find anything they hide it during the day and take it home with them at night. What kind of a trade they carry on in selling bones and coppers has not as yet been developed.
Down on Elm street between Pearl and Duane, articles have been found from which it is not hard to construct a tragedy of long ago. A piece of cannon is wedged into an old brick wall, about a foot of its muzzle projecting below the street. The contractors have not been able to get it out without disturbing the building above, of which the old wall now forms a part of the foundation.
The strange thing is, that in the self same block with the cannon has been found the lower part of a skull—only the lower part, as if the top had been severed by force—and in it is a set of teeth in a perfect state of preservation. Near the skull are many human bones and a great cannon ball with a chain attached. Without the rust and soil which have formed a rough, gray-yellow coat over the ball in the course of time, it looks as if it would fit the cannon. It was undoubtedly part of the chain shot used a century ago.
The finds which the contractors most prize are pieces of what they believe to be the first water pipe laid in the city. One section, over twelve feet in length was in perfect state of preservation. The wood was clear cedar, about a foot square in cross section, and through the middle of it ran a cylindrical hole about six inches in diameter.
Of the coins but one silver piece has been found. This is a Canadian 10-cent piece, bearing the date of 1825. An Irish copper coin with the head of George IV, bearing the date of 1805 was found together with a complete collection of the big United States copper cents minted in the eighteenth century. Cents were also found bearing the dates of 1798, 1813, 1817, and the newest piece was a Spanish centavo of 1879.
The women's hotel on Madison-ave. between Twenty-ninth and Thirtieth streets will be a novel experiment in hotel circles. It is no Utopian scheme but a plain business proposition, which has taken shape in the form of plans for a twelve-story building of colonial architecture for the accommodation of woman guests only. It will be conducted on the European plan, rates ranging from $3 to $10 per week. A hair dresser's shop, a gymnasium, a wheelroom and bowling alleys will be among the especial attractions of this Adamless Eden.
The international boat race, which has now been postponed, is not attracting so much attention since many other things must come before the people first. But the Cup defenders are determined that it shall remain just where it is at present. Sir Thomas Lipton is a true sportsman, and the Americans will esteem it a high honor to defeat him again. Every nerve is now being strained to the greatest tension to accomplish this, and the additional time made necessary by the accident to the English boat will all be improved by the Americans in preparing a reception of defeat for them when they appear here in the fall.
Transatlantic travel is becoming so heavy that captains of tramp steamships are getting all sorts of tempting offers from would-be passengers. The wretched man who has an appointment in Europe that he wants to keep may be found haunting the vicinity of the Battery these days, making the rounds of the steamship offices to find out if some ticket holder on a boat has not dropped dead, got arrested or done anything else that might prevent his sailing. The tramp steamships are doing a good business although, as they carry no passenger licenses, the passengers have to sign articles as members of the crew at 25 cents a month, which they never get. Then they live with the Captain and have a good time, being finally landed at some serio-comic port in England like the Sunderland or North Shields. Even the sailing ships leaving for North America ports have an occasional passenger. A few resourceful tourists confronted by full bookings from this port have gone to Jamaica and there taken ships to Southampton, while others are escaping east via Montreal.
The Ministers' Outing.
Probably the actual results of that fishing trip to Little York lake Monday by the clergymen of the county will never be known to the outside public, except through the columns of the Democrat. The Standard had what purported to be a sketch of the trip in its columns Tuesday night, but we know for a certainty that some of the statements therein contained were at least misleading, if not positively untrue, notwithstanding they emanated from a clergyman.
Ministers are human, after all. And while they rarely deviate from the path of rectitude, no one can hardly expect, even from them, the exact truth in regard to a fishing trip. The ministers little dreamed that a Democrat representative was concealed behind the numerous trees that are located along the shores of the lake, armed with a powerful field glass, hence when we assert that Mr. Howell caught a mermaid, and that Mr. Milburn succeeding in landing a two-inch pumpkin-seed with the aid of his magnificent bamboo rod, and that Mr. Stevenson saw a perch moving around by the side of the boat, and that Mr. Kettle became so earnestly engaged in telling one of his delightfully charming stories—the stammering one—that he missed hooking a five-pound bass, and that Mr. Rixon was fortunate enough to catch a smoked herring, and that the venerable Edson Rogers of Cincinnatus, an expert angler, secured a sole, and that Mr. Hienmiller captured a devil-fish, our readers may place as much credence to the yarn as they please.
Every clergyman present secured a fine brown complexion as a result of the trip, and they had a most enjoyable time. So sayeth our spy on the spot.
Aldermanic Generosity.
An innocent little resolution passed by the common council last week is provoking more or less criticism. The resolution reads:
"That telephones be ordered for each alderman at the expense of the city."
Why should the taxpayers find fault with the aldermen for providing ways and means for having friendly chats with each other without leaving their homes? When a pound of beefsteak is wanted for dinner, isn't it just and proper that the city fathers be provided with the means of ordering it?
The aldermen probably had in mind the anticipated heavy revenue from the dog tax, soon to be levied, which must be expended in some legitimate manner, and in what way can it be used to better advantage to the aldermen personally than by securing telephonic communication at the expense of the dog tax? Away with such narrow-minded economy!
And why not extend the privilege farther by giving each member of the board of public works a phone? And the board of education? And the police commissioners? And the fire commissioners? And the health board? And even the police?
The tax-payers should be more liberal in their views. The president of the United States receives a salary of $50,000 a year. Why should not the alderman of Cortland be given a paltry little ear-trumpet and mouth-organ for business and visiting purposes?
TRUXTON ROAD.
Where are the Improvements Voted by the Supervisors?
The last day of the last session of the board of supervisors, the board not only completed with the requirements of the statute to have a piece of road built in Truxton, but appointed a committee to bid on the work for the county. Bids have been advertised for by the state engineer, but we have not heard of a bid being put in by the committee, but hope it has been done, for the time has now passed when the engineer was to receive bids.
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| Lackawanna train crash site near Endwell, N. Y., June 8, 1901. |
DEATH BY DYNAMITE.
THE MOST DESTRUCTIVE EXPLOSION OF DYNAMITE EVER KNOWN.
Collision on the Lackawanna Road at Vestal Causes Fearful Wreck and Carnage—Five Persons Killed—Three Locomotives Ruined —Five Tons of the Explosive Spreads Disaster in Every Direction.
One hardly knows where to begin the tale of death and destruction caused by the explosion of five tons of dynamite on the Lackawanna road at Vestal, about eight miles west of Binghamton at 9:45 o'clock Saturday night. The wreck was caused by a collision between a regular freight train and a wild-cat train drawn by two locomotives, both going in the same direction. A car containing five tons of dynamite was just ahead of the caboose in the regular train.
When the first train arrived at Vestal it stopped to take water at the tank near the station. This consumed about half an hour and during that time a flagman, Henry Polhamus, went back to be on the outlook for trains. When the order was given by the blowing of the whistle of the first train, it is claimed, he placed torpedoes on the track and went to his train.
There is a sharp curve just back of where the caboose had stopped and when the train had but just started the wild cat train came dashing round the curve drawn by its two powerful engines.
The whistles of the two engines sounded their loudest but it was too late to notify the trainmen of the first train. The engineers of the two engines of the wildcat jumped and escaped with slight injuries. The firemen clung to their posts.
There was a sudden crash, a second seemed to elapse while the irons ground and twisted. A flash as if the heavens were on fire followed and before it had died away a deafening roar which sent its vibrations for seventy-five miles announced that the ruin had been complete.
In the wake of the explosion of the car of dynamite the head engine of the wildcat went up with a roar. Among the irons which were sent high into the air from that engine was the body of the fireman, John Colter, who had clung to his post.
With the two explosions the second engine did not stop but plowed its way through the ruined mass while the wheels and outside irons were stripped.
Finally it stopped but just beneath its wheels was the body of a man who was dead.
The air was filled with broken irons, huge parts of the cars and human bodies.
It was a sight of awful desolation. Twisted irons and splintered timbers were everywhere. The parts of the engine which had exploded were thrown about in all directions and pieces of huge iron lay at the top of the bank.
Box cars were piled together and the second engine of the wildcat stood in the midst of the ruins, and under its broken wheels and irons lay the body of a man with his body free from clothing and with limbs hanging in shreds.
One hundred feet east of the wreck lay the body of a second man. A small piece of cloth, once a shirt, showed that the man had once worn clothing. By his hand was his lantern with the glass broken. It had been blown through the air with him and only when his hand had relaxed in death had they parted.
The flames shot to the sky and the place was lighted as in the day. Hundreds of tons of coal had been scattered about and piled up. The fire began to eat through the mass and the heat was as a fiery furnace.
A peculiar feature of the accident is that not even so much of a sliver has been found of the caboose of the train No. 61, next to which the dynamite is supposed to have been. It was evidently ground to smithereens and hurled in atoms to the winds. Onto the hill to the south of the wreck the whole string of telegraph wires which skirted the track were blown, pieces of them being found as far distant as a quarter of a mile. In every direction and for a radius of a mile the charred wood with whitish coloring peculiar to burned dynamite showed the route of the wreckage. The grass on the hill was scorched from the intense heat generated for a radius of fifty feet.
The first engine of the wildcat train, a small soft coal burner, was hurled by the force of the explosion over the second engine of the mother hubbard type. Its tender lay about thirty feet away and east of it in the ditch. Two of the driving wheels together with the rod bent into an inconceivable shape, tied in a knot, and weighing about three thousand pounds were hurled forty feet to the south of the tracks while the other two wheels were blown to the north and into a swamp about fifty feet away. The boiler tubes were scattered in every direction and some were found sunk in the earth a quarter of a mile from the scene of the wreck.
Every building in Vestal was damaged to a greater or less extent. Many glass [windows] in Binghamton eight miles away were broken. At the Casino three-quarters of a mile distant a piece of rail about three feet long and weighing about a hundred pounds lies buried in the ground near the well house.
Those killed were: John P. Kelly, head brakeman of wildcat; S. R. Polhamus, conductor of head train; Elmer P. Polhamus, trainman; John Colter, fireman of first engine of wild-cat; Fred Witherbee, fireman of second engine. Pieces of their bodies were found many feet distant.
The transom in the Arlington hotel at Binghamton was open at the time of the explosion. The shock broke the iron a quarter of an inch in thickness, and the transom fell, but was not broken.
Commencement Honors.
Dr. F. J. Cheney of the Normal school has announced graduation honors for both the February and June classes as follows:
Grace Edith PerLee, McLean; Marion L. Goodhue, Newark; Jesse L. Jennison, Cortland; George H. Van Tuyl, Alpine; Maud Burghardt, Lisle; Julia Elizabeth Conway, Newark Valley; Glen W. Woodin, Blodgett Mills; Grace May Anderson, Binghamton; Bessie Benedict, Cortland; Martha G. Briggs, Cortland; Lucy Louise Moses, Cortland; Ruth Celesta Hill, Cortland; Clara P. Tracy, Whitney's Point; Ora Belle Tanner, Blodgett Mills; Mabelle Case Rowland, Newport. L. A.; Georgia A. Weaver, Syracuse; Bessie Louise Park, Cortland; Emma Elizabeth Hill, Cortland; Charles B. Dowd, Cortland; Florence C. Morse, Corning.
AN OLD SCRAP BOOK.
The Lady Reporter Muses Over Some Ancient Clippings.
During one of the many recent rainy days I came across an old scrap book which interested me to such an extent that I am sure an epitome of its contents will be entertaining to the many readers of the Democrat.
A Connecticut town meeting ticket will prove a curiosity to those who are not familiar with the government of towns in that land of "wooden nutmegs.'' The ticket before me is dated October, 1868, but I am assured that the officials of the towns in that state are substantially the same at the present time. I will merely give the titles of the officers in the order in which they appear on the ticket, the names of the candidates being of no interest at this time: Three assessors—duties same as in this state; three board of relief—officials who review the work of the assessors; town clerk and registrar—duties combining our town and county clerk; town treasurer; three selectmen—styled the "fathers of the town," whose duties are to care for the poor, maintain bridges, and in fact transact all general business of the town; first constable and collector; constables; three grand jurors—anyone having the power to hold an alleged criminal for trial; three members of board of education— have entire charge of school system in a town; registrar of voters—one for each party; three key keepers—would be called pound keepers in this state; three haywards—duties are to impound all stray animals; town and loaning agent—same as county loan commissioner here; tythingmen—each party nominates one for each church in the town, whose duty it is to preserve order during religious services; three fence viewers; sealer of measures; two inspectors of wood and lumber; sexton—the town owned a hearse, which was in charge of the sexton; highway surveyors identical with our overseers of highways or pathmasters; seven justices of the peace.
Here is a record of a "hard year," as it was termed: "Eighteen hundred and starved to death" was the grim name given by old New England farmers to the year 1816—the year without a summer. The winter months were usually mild; the latter part of March and the first half of April was not unseasonable; but the weather grew colder as April advanced, and ended with snow and ice. In May ice formed half an inch thick; buds and fruits were frozen, corn killed, and the fields were replanted again and again. Never was there known such a June. Frost, ice and snow were frequent. In Maine and Vermont snow fell to the depth of several inches, also in Massachusetts and the interior of New York. On the fifth of July ice was formed throughout New England, New York and some parts of Pennsylvania. August was even more cheerless. With ice forming half an inch in thickness, Indian corn froze, and almost everything green destroyed, what wonder that the hearts of farmers were heavy, and a gloom spread through the whole country. In September there were two weeks of warm weather, then the season became cold, and in November there was good sleighing.''
HERE AND THERE.
To-day is flag day.
Black bass fishing will be legal next Monday.
Oh, yes; he's here again on his annual tour. We mean Mr. P. Bug.
June 10, 1901—slight frost. Most too near the danger point.
The ice-man makes his daily rounds just the same as if summer were here.
The Normal graduating class, 111 in number, were photographed last Saturday.
In some parts of Cortland county the heavy rains matted the grass, and it is rotting.
Buffalo Bill will be the attraction in Cortland to-day, and there will be a big crowd here.
Dr. F. J. Cheney will speak at the Y. M. C. A. rooms next Sunday afternoon at 3:15 o'clock.
John W, Suggett of this city has been re-appointed a United States commissioner by Judge Coxe.
F. D. Smith has been elected a director of the Tioughnioga club in place of C. Fred Thompson, resigned.
And now the grumbler—he's right here in Cortland, too—is prophesying a long drouth after the wet season.
"Talk may be cheap," but the Home Telephone company is going to make some money out of it, just the same.
Edward Dunn, charged with criminal assault, has been held for the grand jury with bail in the sum of $1,000.
John Meade is now serving on the police force in the place of Wm. T. Nix, resigned. Our local police must become rich quickly, or they do not hanker for that sort of work. Certainly changes come very frequently.
People are not yet taking as much interest in baseball this year, probably because no umpire has been killed thus far.
It seems strange to see people shivering with the cold in June, but we have all seen this phenomenon the past week.
On our eighth page will be found a statement of the property exempt from taxation in the city of Cortland, as prepared by the assessors.
A house perambulating down Elm-st. has stopped travel on that street this week. It is being moved to Mrs. Chatterton's lot, corner of Elm and Pendleton-sts.
Supervisor John A. Wavle of Harford and Frank Begent of Groton have bought of the Wm. R. Randall estate a tract of 375 acres of timber land in Harford.
The board of fire commissioners voted Tuesday evening to hire H. H. Pomeroy's barn in West Court-st. for the use of the fire team. The rental is to be $4 a month.
The Lackawanna railroad company on Tuesday issued a circular announcing that dynamite and other high explosives will not hereafter be transported over its lines.
Chas. D. Sanders had the misfortune to break his nose while attempting to catch a ball on Athletic field Wednesday afternoon. Charley nose that a nose is often in the way.
Manager Duffey of the Traction company has secured a bear as another attraction for the park, Mr. Bruin arriving in town Tuesday morning. A friend suggests that the new acquisition is one of the notorious Wall-st. bears, one reads so much about, but Mr. Duffey states with some emphasis that the animal is a pure Pennsylvania Dutch bear, warranted to please park visitors every day during the summer.
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