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| John Mitchell. |
Cortland Evening Standard, Monday, July 21, 1902.
MINERS' CONVENTION ENDS.
Assessment Plan Varied In Different States.
Indianapolis, July 21.—The convention of the United Mine Workers, called to consider the question of a general strike, adjourned at noon Saturday after arranging for a defense fund that is expected to aggregate nearly $1,000,000 a month, and issuing an address to the people of the country, setting out the condition of the striking miners in the anthracite fields and appealing for aid.
The plan for raising a fund is really a compromise between the two methods suggested. It is a direct levy of $1 a week in some sections and of 10 per cent on net earnings in others, and 25 per cent on all salaries of national, district and sub-district officers. The dollar-a-week assessment will apply to all miners in the bituminous districts of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland, Alabama, Indian territory, Colorado and Kansas, and the 10 per cent levy will apply to Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Tennessee and Missouri.
An important resolution introduced by President Nichols of one of the anthracite districts and adopted by the convention instructs all local organizations to appoint committees to find work for striking anthracite men, and those who can obtain work to be transported to the field of labor at the expense of the organization.
The last of the miners who were here to provide for carrying on the strike in the anthracite field left Sunday for their homes. Mitchell expects to leave for Wilkes-Barre today or Tuesday.
President Mitchell has made an estimate of the number of strikers and dependents in each district and weekly revenues to be derived from each district under the decision of the convention together with amounts of weekly assessments.
Total strikers in anthracite fields (estimated) 150,000. Total number of dependents (estimated) 750,000. Estimated weekly expense in anthracite field $500,000. Estimated revenue from weekly assessments, $244,000; estimated contributions, weekly, $250,000. Grand total weekly revenue, $494,000.
THREE CLOUDBURSTS.
Deaths and Monetary Loss In Two Counties.
THREE OF ONE FAMILY DEAD.
Mill Dam Broke and Wall of Water Ten Feet High Rushed Down the Valley—Factory Demolished and Occupants Drowned—Train Ran into Washout—Trainman Killed.
Binghamton, N. Y., July 21.—The heavy rains which have prevailed in this section for the past few days reached a climax Saturday night, when three separate cloudbursts occurred within the limits of Broome county alone and several in surrounding territory to the northward, breaking mill dams, washing out railroad tracks and highway bridges and doing much minor damage as well as delaying trains. As a result of the waters' mad work four are killed and two seriously injured and $300,000 monetary damage has been done.
The dead:
James Cook, drowned at Afton, Chenango county.
Mrs. James Cook, wife of above. Six months old child of Mr. and Mrs. Cook.
Michael J. Ryan of this city, killed in washout at Harpursville, Broome county, on Delaware and Hudson railroad.
Seriously injured—Engineer Edward Farron of this city; Fireman Willis E. Marsh of this city.
At 8:30 o'clock Saturday evening a cloudburst occurred in the town of Coventry on the watershed drained by Bump creek. The downpour soon sent this creek out of bounds.
The mill dam of I. W. Seeley's mill, two miles west of Afton, went out, carrying with it a great quantity of lath, saw logs and sawed timber to the Chenango river, two miles below. The water from the liberated mill pond rushed down the narrow valley in a wall ten feet deep.
The Taft mill dam and an old furniture factory, located about a mile above Afton, stood on the edge of a bluff with a deep ravine below. When the water reached this point neighbors heard the Cook family, who lived in the upper part of the furniture factory, scream. When they arrived the water was 10 feet deep in the yard and on the bank of this new formed lake they paused. Just as they arrived, the mill dam, building and family were washed over the bluff and the building and contents were literally ground to pieces in the raging water.
The bodies of the Cook family were found Sunday, a mile below the scene of the flood.
The railroad men mentioned in the list above were on train No. 91 of the Delaware and Hudson railroad, which ran into a large washout two miles this side of Harpursville about 11 o'clock Saturday night. The train, a heavy freight, rolled down a 30-foot embankment.
At Oxford, Chenango county, another cloudburst occurred and the village is reported much damaged but no lives are lost.
Later advices tell of another cloudburst in Newark Valley, Tioga county, N. Y., where a small creek which enters Tioga creek at that place went on a rampage and tore out every bridge in its course and flooded the surrounding country.
PAGE FOUR—EDITORIAL.
In the Grip of the Bear.
In a recent volume on "Finland as It Is" Harry De Windt says that "the Finnish nationality and even religion are slowly expiring in the iron grip of the bear." Alexander I., by whom the grand duchy of Finland was acquired from Sweden in 1809, preserved to a certain extent the freedom and independence which it had enjoyed under Swedish rule, but Nicholas I. did his utmost to restrict the constitutional liberty by binding, both intellectually and commercially, the progress of the country, and Nicholas II. in 1899 practically deprived Finland of her independence. The Finlanders did not rebel. Centuries of foreign rule had rendered them too submissive to do that, but the whole nation appealed to the czar in a monster petition which was sent to the most inaccessible parts of the country for signatures and contained the names of no less than half a million of his subjects when it was finally laid in vain at the emperors feet.
When 500 peasants proceeded to St. Petersburg to lay the prayer of their countrymen before the "great white czar," he refused to grant them even an audience. Since then the process of Finnish denationalization has gone on steadily and remorselessly.
The Russians of course insist that the little duchy will gain by being united to the great empire, politically if not socially, but the Finn, who thinks that Russia with all her wealth and power, has not yet attained the civilization to be found throughout the little land of Luomi, is skeptical of any advantage on her side, and it remains to be seen, writes Mr. De Windt, whether "the imperial government will eventually derive any advantage from coercing and thereby estranging a peaceable people who so long as they were left alone were loyal and devoted subjects."
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| Rickard Street bridge before flood, Cortland, N. Y. |
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A SUMMER FLOOD.
Disastrous Cloudburst Dropped upon Cortland on Sunday Afternoon.
MUCH DAMAGE TO BRIDGES AND ROADS.
Groton-ave. a Flowing River with Canoes Launched upon it—The West Part of the City under water—Cellars Flooded—Crazy Creek on the McGraw Electric line changes its Course again—Part of Traction Company's Bridge taken away—And still the Rain continues.
Between 3 and 4 o'clock Sunday afternoon the heaviest rain fall of the season occurred in this vicinity. Following so closely upon the almost steady rain of the past three days, the damage was correspondingly greater. Crops were damaged, roads and streets were badly washed, cellars were flooded, gardens were destroyed, creeks overflowed their banks, washouts occurred on the railroads, the Traction company sustained serious loss and from almost every section come reports of more or less damage from the flood. The shower, which was unaccompanied by wind, was almost a cloudburst and the rain came straight down almost in torrents.
The damage to crops cannot be estimated at his time. The overflowing streams flooded the low lands, and the hillsides were badly washed. The damage to the hay crop will be considerable. Oats were knocked down and corn fields and cabbage fields were flooded in many places. Small bridges were washed out and the condition of the roads in some sections is as bad as after the March floods.
In the North West Section.
The northwest section of the city suffered the most damage. The creek coming down from the gulf road took out the bridge near the Antisdell farm, overflowed at the bridge near the brick schoolhouse, and Groton-ave. from the brick schoolhouse to the Otter creek bridge at the end of the pavement was a flowing river. Lawns, gardens and cellars were flooded, walks were lifted, Dry creek went on a rampage and Hamlin-st., Woodruff-st., Homer-ave., Madison-st., and all that section of the city were almost submerged.
Canoe on Groton-Ave.
The Twentyman boys on Groton-ave. were rowing about in a canoe and the scenes of the December and March floods were more than equaled in that section. At the bridges crossing Dry creek on Homer-ave. the water rose at the rate of 20 inches in about fifteen minutes, and was soon over the banks.
The Storm in the City.
Early yesterday morning rain began to fali, but it was not until about 3 o'clock in the afternoon that the heaviest of the storm came. The hard part lasted nearly an hour, and it wet up mother earth and everything else that was not under shelter.
In the city the damage was principally confined to the regions about Dry and Otter creeks and to the lower end of the streets in the eastern section.
Otter creek was more than full and it emptied a part of its contents upon the people of the streets in that section. At the corner of North Main-st. and Homer-ave. the water backed up and made a veritable lake. Walks were torn up and moved promiscuously and cellars were filled with dirty water.
Bridges Carried Away.
A new 16-foot iron bridge that was recently put in place over the creek near the Antisdale farm was washed out and wrecked. One of the new cement abutments was also washed out, and the bank was taken away for a considerable distance. At the creek near the Daniel Thomas farm abutments had been put in and were ready for a new 30-foot bridge that has been ordered for this place. One of the abutments was washed out and tipped over into the creek. The water was over the top of the abutments.
On the Trolley Line.
On the Traction company's line considerable damage was done. The bridge over Trout brook near McGraw had five bents washed out of it. On the flats near this big boulders and logs were washed up on the tracks and the cars were sent to the barns at 5 o'clock yesterday afternoon. It will be several days before the bridge can be placed in a condition to put cars over it. In the meantime passengers will be transferred at that place, leaving Cortland, however, upon the usual schedule.
Trout brook has also changed its course again. It is as slippery as an eel and altogether unreliable. One never knows where to find it. It is now several rods away from its latest course flowing in an entirely new direction.
The Traction company's loss is estimated to be nearly $1,000.
The Gee Brook Road.
The E. & C. N. Y. R. R. had some washouts to look after. One was at Trout brook near McGraw and another at Reubens. The damage and trouble was, however, over estimated early in the day. A train was sent out to East Freetown this morning and brought in the milk cars, and a gang was set at work upon the Reubens washout. By noon the road was in condition to operate and a train left Cortland at that hour for the east end, arriving at Cincinnatus at 2 o'clock.
The Cincinnatus mail was brought in this morning at about 10:30 o'clock by the supervisor of that town, Dr. Benjamin Kinyon, who had driven through with it. As chairman of the town board of his town he felt that it was due the credit of the town to see that the mail was not interfered with and the postmaster agreed with him. But the doctor's carriage and his coat gave some sort of an indication of the character of the roads he had come through. However, the railroad expects to take the mail back tonight in the usual way without calling on the doctor for assistance.
High Water at Coopers'.
At Cooper Brothers' foundry on the East river the water is 4 1/2 feet higher than is usual at this time of the year, and though there has comparatively little rain fallen this forenoon the water is still rising. Should it continue at the same rate through the rest of the day the foundry might have to shut down temporarily.
A Great Rainfall.
The rainfall in this city between 3 o'clock Saturday afternoon and 3 o'clock this afternoon was 2.55 inches. Of this .80 inch was between 3 o'clock Saturday and 3 o'clock Sunday, and 1.75 inches between 3 o'clock Sunday and 3 o'clock this afternoon.
Solon Shares the Flood.
Solon reports that all the water from the adjoining hills was poured down into the narrow valley in short order yesterday afternoon, and that for some hours the water was 3 feet deep over the road leading from the village over to the railroad station and over the flats. This had pretty well subsided by noon today, but a tremendous shower passed over the place at 2 o'clock this afternoon, and the water began to come up again at a rapid rate. Gardens in that vicinity were entirely ruined and the soil washed away. Several bridges in the vicinity were taken out.
At Summerhill.
High water is reported from Summerhill and Groton City and two small bridges were washed out.
Miscellaneous Notes.
At the Randall farm south of the city the private road leading to the farm buildings was badly washed out on both sides and water in the barn was a foot deep.
W. H. Cooper's junk shop on Van Hoesen-st. near Homer-ave. was surrounded with water and the ground floor was submerged.
R. R. Frank's garden on Homer-ave. was 2 feet under water and his chickens had a narrow escape.
The residence of Henry Frederick near the brick schoolhouse was entirely surrounded with water.
Mrs. Henrietta Dutcher's premises in the same vicinity were largely under water.
The Van Hoesen place and the Hopkins place on Groton-ave. suffered considerable damage by the overflow of the creek.
At David E. McAuliffe's west of the city 2 feet of water were in the cellar, a condition never known before.
A. V. Smith's strawberry field and garden were thoroughly irrigated.
F. H. Wood, who lives west of the city, was returning from Homer by the way of the back road after the storm. The water was so deep and the current so swift at the bridge near the brick schoolhouse that he was obliged to go back to Fitz-ave.
At E. J. Warfield's on Groton-ave. the garden was submerged; the house was on an island and water came into the barn. A load of gravel was washed into the Groton-ave. pavement from Graham-ave.
STRUCK BY LIGHTNING.
C. S. Hulbert's House on North Church-st., Considerable Damage.
The residence of C. S. Hulbert, 26 North Church-st., was struck by lightning this afternoon at a little before 3 o'clock and considerable damage was done. The house was struck at the rear and several pieces of siding were loosened. The back chimney was also struck and several bricks were knocked out of it. The family was in the front part of the house and aside from slight shocks no one was hurt.
The lightning seemed to pass all through the back part of the house. It entered the bathroom and demolished a flush tank besides knocking off and throwing plaster about the room. The plaster was also torn off of other rooms in this part of the house.
Mrs. Hulbert was in one of the front rooms and there saw a big bolt of lightning enter the room and dance about. She was quite badly frightened.
Considerable damage was also done by water both from the bathroom and from beating in where the siding was torn from off the house.
RANSOM OR EXECUTION.
Dog Owners Should Make up their Minds Which They Prefer.
There are now about a dozen [unlicensed] dogs in the pound at 140 Homer-ave., and more are coming each day. They make up a noisy set. Dog owners should take account of stock and see if their dogs are missing and if so prepare to lay down the cold cash at once or the dogs will be called upon shortly to give up the ghost.
MISS ADAMS OF HOMER
To Travel With a Theatrical Company—Has a Musical Part.
The Syracuse Post-Standard says: Miss Mabelle Adams of Homer, who has directed the Grand opera house orchestra during the past season, has signed with Frank D. Hennessy for the "Liberty Belles." Miss Adams will have the role of Virginia Deen, a musical part, and in the first act will do a specialty act with her violin.
In confirming the report yesterday Miss Adams said:
"I am very much pleased with the engagement. It is a successful play and a good company and I shall be able to do something with my music, as I feel that I have gotten behind in my work. Now, however, I shall have a chance to work at my violin. I anticipate traveling for a season also."
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| Cortland Park. |
MOVING PICTURES AT PARK.
New Set of Pictures and New Stereopticon Slides to be Shown.
On account of the popularity of the moving pictures and stereopticon views at the park last summer, the Traction company has arranged to continue the same for the balance of the season. An entirely new set of new moving pictures has been purchased. Among them are the following which will prove of intense interest: "The Eruption of Mt. Pelee," showing this terrible and magnificent spectacle in a highly realistic manner. This picture has been exhibited at Proctor's theatre almost continuously since the great disaster in the French West Indies. Also, "Race between Columbia and Shamrock," "Great Cavalry Charge," "The S. S. Deutchland in a Storm," "Tramp's Interrupted Nap," "New York Seventh and Seventy-first Regiments," and others.
An entirely new set of stereopticon views will also be exhibited. The first exhibition will be given on Wednesday evening, after which a dance will be held in the pavilion.
BREVITIES.
—The Groton- ave . [bicycle] sidepath is a wreck as a result of the flood.
—A regular meeting of Grover Post, No. 98, G. A. R., will be held at G. A. R. hall at 8 p. m. this evening.
—The sewer pipe on East Main-st. is placed to within 50 feet of North Main-st. The Harmon-st. sewer has not been started as yet.
—New display advertisements today are—The Corner Grocery, Bargain counter, page 8; C. F. Brown, Toilet preparations, page 6; Buck & Lane, Furnaces, etc., page 6.
