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| John B. Corliss. |
Cortland Evening Standard, Monday, Feb. 17, 1902.
PACIFIC CABLE.
House Committee Recommends Bill For Its Ownership by the Government.
Washington, Feb. 17.—The report to be filed by the house committee on interstate and foreign commerce recommending the passage of the bill introduced by Representative Corliss, providing for government ownership of a Pacific cable, says that the United States by the annexation of Hawaii and the acquisition of the Philippines and other islands through the ratification of the Paris treaty assumed the responsibility of maintaining peace in the Pacific ocean.
Regarding government ownership of cables, Mr. Corliss, who prepared the report, says England for 50 years has been constantly acquiring by purchase and construction cable communication with her vast possessions, until she has expended upwards of a hundred million dollars for this purpose, and operates her own cables connecting her colonies. England is now constructing a Pacific cable from Vancouver to Australia at a cost of nearly $9,000,000 and in order to give her tradesmen and manufacturers the benefit of this communication at the least possible expense has fixed a rate of two schillings, or 50 cents per word for cable messages from Vancouver to New Zealand.
''France, Germany and other nations are not sleeping upon their rights as the people of the United States have been," commented Mr. Corliss, "but are establishing government telegraph communication with their respective possessions.
"I therefore contend that the Pacific cable should be owned, controlled and operated by the government of the United States. It should be made by an American manufacturer, laid by an American ship under the American flag and operated at actual cost for the dissemination of knowledge, the proper direction of our army and navy, and the advancement of our trade and commerce in the Pacific."
General Greely, chief of the signal service of the war department who has charge of the telegraphic lines owned by the government, estimates the entire cost of a Pacific cable, including ships and all possible contingencies, at $10,000,000 and places the annual expenses at $525,000.
BRITISH AMBUSHED.
Fire Opened From Three Sides, and British Overpowered.
Pretoria, Feb. 17.—One hundred and fifty mounted infantrymen while patrolling the Klip river south of Johannesburg, Feb. 12, surrounded a farmhouse where they suspected Boers were in hiding.
A single Boer broke away from the house and the British started to pursue him. The Boer climbed a kopje, the British following. Immediately a heavy fire was opened upon them from three sides. The British found themselves in a trap and in a position where they were unable to make any defense.
Eight of the British officers made a gallant effort and defended the ridge with carbines and revolvers until they were overpowered.
The British had two officers and 10 men killed and several officers and 40 men wounded before the force was able to fall back under cover of a block house.
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| Charles M. Schwab. |
Return of Mr. Schwab.
New York, Feb. 17.—Charles M. Schwab, president of the United States Steel Corporation, returned from Europe on the American liner St. Paul after an absence of two months spent in travel on the continent and in England. He was accompanied by his wife and sister and was greeted when he landed by his father and mother, Mr. and Mrs. J. A. Schwab, his brother Joseph Schwab, and a large party of friends. He declined to discuss his trip or the annual general meeting of the steel corporation at Hoboken, N. J.
BLIZZARD IN NEW YORK.
Nothing Like It in Three Years—Heavy Snow and Big Wind.
NEW YORK, Feb. 17.—The snow king who has rarely shown his form in this city the past winter, opened his treasury soon after midnight and today New York and vicinity is in the throes of a blizzard. For hours a perfect sheet of snow filled the air and a strong breeze drifted it until the streets became blocked and all kinds of traffic seriously interfered with. The city has employed 13,000 white wings to clear the streets.
The blizzard is the worst that has visited New York for three years. In the harbor many steamers are lying at anchor until the storm clears. Ice from the rivers has packed along the Staten Island shore making navigation there dangerous if not impossible.
SMOKESTACK DAMAGED.
Top Third Fell on Ground—At Powerhouse of Electric Road.
The top one-third of the large 90-foot smokestack of the Cortland County Traction Co.'s powerhouse fell at about 9 o'clock yesterday morning, but no serious damage was done thereby. The stack was considered to be in excellent condition until it fell. Although the drafts of the furnaces are not as good, yet the plant is not badly crippled.
The stack was placed in its position at the powerhouse eight years ago when the plant was built. It was 54 inches in diameter.
PAGE FOUR—EDITORIAL.
Rejection of Dutch Peace Proposals.
It does not necessarily follow that Great Britain's reply to Holland's note tendering its good offices toward terminating the Boer war means an end of all peace negotiations, though the British government insists that it will accept no intervention and that peace negotiations must be conducted directly with the Boer leaders in the field. The Hague government in effect applied to the British for safe conduct for certain Boer refugees or delegates now in Holland to go to South Africa and find out upon what terms the Boers still in arms would cease resistance. The British government holds that these delegates have no power or authority to act for Boer belligerents and that "all the powers of government, including those of negotiation, are now completely vested in Mr. Steyn for the Boers of the Orange River Colony and Mr. Schalkburger for those of the Transvaal."
Great Britain insists, therefore, that "if the Boor leaders should desire to enter into negotiations for the purpose of bringing the war to an end those negotiations must take place not in Europe, but in South Africa."
This apparently settles the matter so far as any European intervention is concerned, though the outlook for peace is not so dark as might appear. In this connection the comments of Montaga White, the Boer representative in this country, on The Hague note and the British reply are pertinent. He says: "The action of the British government is not a real refusal but, on the contrary, a very direct encouragement to the friends of peace to persevere in their effort to bring about an equitable settlement. The situation is very hopeful."
It is to be hoped there is good ground for Mr. White's optimistic view and that the bloody tragedy in South Africa may be brought to a speedy close.
In view of the facts lately made public by the London war office it would seem that Great Britain would be willing to end the war on terms less humiliating to its heroic and stubborn foes than have hitherto been exacted. The war office statement shows that up to Jan. 31 the total reduction of the British forces in South Africa from death or permanent disability was 25,305 men. The total of the casualties, including surviving wounded, was 5,240 officers and 100,701 men. It is fairly estimated that the war has cost the British government about $800,000,000 to date.
With such a frightful cost in life and treasure it is not surprising that the English people are heartily tired of the war. How long will they permit Chamberlain to continue it?
"Uncle Sam in South Africa."
"Uncle Sam in South Africa" is the title of the new play that the Maude Hillman company bas added to its repertoire. It is said to be one of the strongest plays ever presented by a repertoire company. In fact Miss Hillman announces that this is her last season in repertoire, so it is quite probable that she will put "Uncle Sam in South Africa" out in one night stands at high prices next season. It will be presented in Cortland Friday night, Feb. 21.
A FIRE MARSHAL
To See That Orders of the Fire Commissioners are Enforced.
The [Cortland] fire board met at the office of the city clerk last Saturday evening and audited the bills of the month. The matter of enforcing the ordinance in regard to throwing ashes in wooden receptacles was discussed, and it was thought best to have a fire marshal to take charge of this work, but the board was not certain as to whether the appointing of such an officer would be made by them or by the common council, therefore the matter went over.
FIRE ALARM SYSTEM
System of Charging to be Changed to the Battery System.
The fire board is preparing to change the system of charging the fire alarm system, from the gravity system, as previously used to the storage battery system. A dynamo will be put in, if the change is made, which will be run by power from the Cortland & Homer Electric Light Co. It is urged that this manner of charging the system would be much more economical than is the present method.
Death of Patrick Corcoran.
Saturday evening at 5:30 o'clock occurred the death of Patrick Corcoran at his home, 12 Maple-ave. He had been in feeble health for some time and death was caused by heart failure.
Mr. Corcoran was born in Strokestown, Ireland, eighty-seven years ago and came to this country in 1844. Since that date he lived in McLean and Freeville until thirteen years ago when the family moved to Cortland, He is survived by his wife, four sons, James Corcoran of Groton and Francis, Henry and Charles Corcoran of Cortland and one daughter, Miss Mary Corcoran of Cortland.
Mr. Corcoran was a man who was greatly devoted to his home and his death marks the first break in the family circle. He possessed a strong sense of right and by his integrity and kindliness won and held the respect of all who knew him.
The funeral will be held Tuesday morning at 9 o'clock at the house and at 9:30 o'clock at St. Mary's church.
BREVITIES.
—The Woman's Relief Corps will hold a meeting Tuesday afternoon at 3 o'clock in the G. A. R. rooms.
—The Primary union will meet Tuesday afternoon at 4 o'clock in the parlors of the First Methodist church.
—The new Clinton House at Ithaca replacing the one burned a year or so ago was formally opened to the public today.
—A regular communication of Cortlandville lodge, No. 470, F. & A. M., will be held tomorrow night. The third degree will be worked.
—Mrs. Geo. A. McKeel of Jackson, Mich., formerly of Cortland, died Thursday, Feb. 6. She had an operation two days before. No further particulars are known in Cortland.
—New display advertisements today are—New York Liquor Store, Opening of new store, page 7; H. A. Bennett, Candles, etc., page 5; Warren, Tanner & Co., Dress goods, page 7; C, F. Thompson, Molasses, page 5.
—The Oneonta Star cannot conceive of any possible reason why it should be any object to the D. & H. R. R. to purchase the E. & C. N. Y. R. R. and thus by extending it to the east to its own line secure a direct connection to Cortland with the privilege of extending it on to Syracuse.
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