THE INDIANAPOLIS JOUENAL.
VOL. T TV. NO. 22,
INDIANAPOLIS, FRIDAY MORNING, JANUARY 22, 1904 TWELVE PAGES,
PRICE 2 CENTS,
ON TIA II. WAT TRAINS
FIN K KNT8.
HUGE WALL OF ICE SWEEPS HOUSE-BOATS
BEFORE IT. AND RIVER BRIDGES TREMBLE
AS GORGE TEARS AT THEIR FOUNDATIONS
PROBLEM THAT MAYWORRY
ABEH1GAHS WHEN WORK
IS BEGUN ON THE CANAL
Labor Question Will Prove Seri
ous and May Cause a Great
Amount of Trouble.
i
Break Occurs A hove Broad Rip
ple and Thousands of Tons
Start on a Journey of De
struction Six Narrow K s rapes
COOLIES BEST WORKERS
Acq ua tic Club's Big Pleasure
Craft Hurled Over Dam and
Burns in River Two Miles
Belon Canoe Club's Loss.
But Panama Is Discussing the
Passage of a Chinese Exclu
sion Act
NOT 'ENOUGH NEGROES
Natives Are Lazv and West In
dians Shiftless, and Cannot
Be Depended On.
From the Journal's Special Commiaatoner.
COLON. December 'X. 1903. If the Ameri
can plan for an interoceanlc canal offer
no serious or forbidding engineering diffi
culties, there are other problems grave in
character that we shall have to solve.
Foremost among these is that of applying
the laws of sanitation to the Isthmus and
of forcing obedh-nce to the.- laws. Of flint
problem I have already written exhaustive
ly. The other most erious one deal? with
the question of labor.
There has been, ever since the Republic
was established, a very determine. 1 agita
tion against the importation of Chinese
coolies for the canal work. The argument
Is advanced that the Isthmus and the West
India islands can furnish all the labor
neee.-sary. This Is, of course, fatuous. It
does not. however, deter the leading spir
its in the Republic from very vigorously in
sisting upon the passage at an early date
of a Chinese exclusion act. The Star and
Herald, official organ of the Republic, has
demanded, editorially, the passage of such
an act, and Or. Amador Is understood to
strongly favor the proposition.
This opposition is purely selfish. There is
no labor on the isthmus that would be
deprived of opportunity through the pres
ence of Chinese; there is no society here
that would be contaminated, more than
contamination has already been spread, by
the coolies. They are, however, a serious
menace to merchants; large and small. The
French Caual Company brought coolie la
bor la large quantities to the Isthmus. Those
that survived the pestilence which raged
in those days have gone Into business, and
so developed that they now control in a
large measure both retail and wholesale
vending at Panama, Colon and between
these two cities. Here in Colon they almost
entirely monopolize the regular local trade,
and at Panama they have come to be a
powerful factor. In the forty-seven miles
across the isthmus their command upon
trade is practically complete.
The ability of these people to live cheaply
is more pronounced here than it is in any
other country outside or China. The item
of clothing is almost entirely eliminated
rrom their expense accounts. Here, as in
China, they conduct their little "pigeons"
In the front of the buildings they occupy
a residences. Fuel, except for small char
coal fires for cooking, is never required,
an an able-bodied Chinaman can feed him
self on the Isthmus at the expense of a
few pennies a day. In consequence they
tan undersell any of the other merchants
on the isthmus, especially as they Import
largely and directly from China. These ad
vantages, with that clanuiahness charac
teristic of the yellow race, strike terror to
the hearts of the Caucasian merchants.
They know that millions of dollars will
be disbursed here in wages, to flow later
through tho regular channels of trade. They
are afraid that If cooilea are brought here
to form a majority of the wage-earners they
will patronize the Chinese merchants ex
clusively, thereby depriving local Caucasian
merchants of the riches they hope to ac
cumulate. This fear is. of course, well
founded; but what alternative offers?
WEST INPIANS POOR LABORERS.
The Panamaians say the United States
should employ native and West Indian ne
fro labor. That sounds like a sensible
proposition, but unfortunately the nega
tive contention weighs down the affirma
tive. In the first place, the native labor,
if such a thing can be said to exist, is ab
solutely worthies. The native laborer is
laay. shiftless, Irresponsible, and generally
of no aocuunt. Why should ho toil in sun
baked or ruin-flooded trenches for eight
hours a day when he can live as well as he
wishes to live by idling ail the time, trap
ping his meat and going into the forest
and junglo for vegetable supplies? That Is
a question the opponents of cooli labor do
not answer. It is a question they cannot
answer, for the natives, during the score of
years since the canal work was started,
have answered it so effe. tively that none
save the locally selfish longer consider the
native element. Even if the natives' ten
den ( y waa in the direction of good service
in return for a fair wage, they could not
be considered, for there are not enough of
them available to constitute a small divi
sion of the immense corps of laborers that
wUl be required to complete the caual with
in a reasonable time.
As for the other plan that of bringing
Wet Indian negroes to the Isthmus-it is
advanced without any intelligent idea as
to its practicability. The stock argument
used by its champions ami the opponents of
son he importation is that these n.gro,
Stand the climate better than does anv
other class. That Is true. During the pe
riod of active work by the Kreuch every
class of labor known to large employers
was called into service, and the West In
dian r- gro proved more efficient and better
adapted to the climate than did any other
-that la, for a season. He did then, and
will now, Iie longer on the isthmus than
Will the Chinese, Mayalans. Africans. Syr
ians or any other. Par a little while he
will work steadier and accomplish more
than will the other classes, but his in
herent shiftlessnrss soon overcomes h!m in
this enervatiitg climate, and he lapses into
an idleness from which it is almost impos
sltle to nr.. use him Add to this the fact
that he is naturally most immoral, court
ing rather than shunning the most loath
some adtoctions, prone to debilitating ex
cesses an-1 -specially ond of dedicating
his nights to wild revelry and the worst
carouses, and it wiU be seen that the tem
porary advantage resulting from his lnbor
Is more than offs.-t b the harm he does
himself and to society hi general. The
Isthmus has as many of these idle and
improvident West Indiana as It has anv use
Tor. To Nrlr.g more would only increase
the sociological problem that will sooner
or 1 iter have to be solved.
N KGKi l-:s NOT, PHUCC RA ftVA
Beside thi.s phan of the West Indian ne
gro problem there is tii.tr n. of securing
this class of laborer. The former efforts
to contruct this anal resulted in a heavy
depopulation of th West Indian islands.
Should we determine to use these negroes
In our attempt we could easily exhaust
those islands of able-bodied men. Their
champion
It ss qu
V ).-u we
bonding
swing w
Saj they ran be secured in lim
tltles. That is entirely false,
lave frappfcd with the task of
e canal and got It under full
shall need almost innumerable
tho,
est I:
nds of laborers. The most optimistic
les axe that with ,') men we can
tc the waterway In eight years. It
e reasonable to presume that 50.000
ill have it ready to open In ten year-,
there Is one thing we must avoid,
WOUld succeed where the French
H is the undo.- optimism which
C' n.j i
Is m
men i
f,.r t
If w.
failed
cur-
I
th
raed th. Prmh effort Should we
termine t,. prosdente the work steadily
ah ev.ry twenty-four hour of the
tCONTlNl'fcD JÜN l'Aüti j, COL. J. "
Extensive Preparations
MRS, BECHTEL SWEARS
TOM 010 NOT Kill MABEL
Dramatic Testimony Is Given in
German Dialect by the Vic
tim's Mother.
TELLS STRAIGHT STORY
Of Incidents Connected with the
Mysterious Murder of Her
Daughter,
ALLRNTOWN, 1.. Jan. 21. Mr, ruth-J
arlne Bechtel, whose trial on the charge
of being an accessory after the fact o
the murder of her daughter Mabel, h .
been in progress here since last week, took
the witness stand in her own defense this
afternoon. She waa on the stand for four
and a half hours and proved a good wit
ness. Mrs. Bechtel is a Pennsylvania fjsr
man and the entire proceeding's were car
ried on in that Pennsylvania Herman
dialect, which was understood not only by
the judge. Jury and attorneys, but by most
of the spectators in the crowded court
room. Mrs. Bechtel told a plain, straightforward
story in a low, plaintive voice, which fre
quently broke as she related the incidents
and conversations that wrung her heart.
Briefly stated. Mrs. Bechtel positively
denied that her son Tom killed Mabel, or
that she had guilty knowledge of the crime.
8he was under cross-examination when
court adjourned, but up to that time the
commonwealth had failed to shake her
story.
Mrs. Bechtel said that Tom was In the
habit of chewing tobacco while In bed, and
when he fell asleep the tobacco juice would
run out of his mouth over the pillowca.se and
sheets. Mr. Schaadt nt this juncture pro
duced the stained bolster and pillowcases
and sheets taken from Tom's bl. which
she identified.
Then came the most pointed question of
all. "It is charged. said Mr. Schaadt. "that
on that Sunday night Tom struck Mabel in
anger and killed her. Now. you an- art old
woman and have not much longer to live, as
you must some day answer to your Creator,
so tell us. now. did anything like that occur
In your house?-'
WITH THARS IX KYI IS
The tears welled in the gray-haired wom
an's eyes, her hands were clap-cd as if in
prayer before her breast, and with her h ad
toward heavrn she fervently replied: "I
swear by my Hod that Mabel was not killed
or struck by Tom in my home."
An impressive silence followed, and then
her attorney led her up to the movements
of the family Monday morning. Tom left
the house to go to work at 6 o'clock. Ma
bel came downstairs, she said, at 7:30 and
helped herself to breakfast. The sobbing
mother then said: "She cum,, out in the
kitchen and said she was going out driving.
I asked her. 'With whom. Wasenberg r
and when she answered yea, I exclaimed,
'Oh. Mahal, ' In a rebuking ton. . Mabel pit
her hands over her eyes and began to cry
I asked her why she cried, and she an
swered. I am crying now, mavbc you'll
cry later." "
"What happened next?"
"After a while she went upstairs re
dressed herself, snd then left the house
That was the last time I saw her alive It
was shout ' o'clock. r"siblv a little Later "
The witness told of Eckstein s call on
Monday evening and of the conversation
that ensued. She contradicted some of his
statements made earlier in the trial. She
added thai Eckstein often quarreled with
Mabel and several times ha. I struck her
Then Mrs. R. htel told of hearing dogs
bark in the yard at midnight on Mondes
Tom was asleep. hv said, and had one -U k
with him in his bedroom. Another dog was
in the cellar. Arising, she went to the rear
window un.i saw th. . ab tn ihn lb v She
saw two men carry Otnetbtni Into Miller's
van; next door. The witness did not awaken
Myrtha. She h ard Tm snoring The wlt
nes told of finding Mab. i s body Tuesdav
morning in the araaway under the house
whn she went to get th. washing machine
Two aprons placed in evidence belonged
to the witn.s.v who ...j tur tn,.
bloodstains by saying thai tn handling
meats she wiped her hands on tin aprons.
Mr. Schaadt aked: I- it true that jrotl
wanted Mabel to go With Other men''"
Never in my lif.-." was the answer.
"DM you say to K k-tem that you wanted
Mabel to go with men and bring in
money?"
N'-ver in my life, and she did not either;
trier was n. ver such a thing said. '
THIBETANS MAY FIGHT
AND ASK RUSSIA'S AID
CAlAJUTTA, Jan. 21 Reports from the
Brttlsh expedition to Thiht t Indscatl that
the Thibetans are likely to show tight. The
native priests declare they will appeal to
ttu-jsuk ix tu advance coatu.u-,
by Republican Editors to Meet
EDITORS TALK OF PART
OF PRESS III CAMPAIGN
Seventy-Five Members of Repub
lican Association Sit at Banquet
Table at Claypool.
POLITICIANS ARE AROUND
C. W. RTIVKIIS. r.r UBERTT, IND.,
President of the Indiana Republican Editorial
Association.
Republican editors, their wives and other
guests of the fair sex and s vernl guests
who arc prominent among the party lead
ers gathered about a long table in the
American-plan dining room of the Claypool
hotel last night and participated in what
was generally pronounced the beet banquet
In the history of the Indiana Republican
Kditorlal Association.
The party numbered close to one hundred,
a record-breaking attendance, the menu
and appointments of the banquet were all
that could be desired, and to round It off
there was an aftermath of speech-making
and story-telling of unusual exeellence,
without which the feast would have been
Incomplete.
As one of the guests said, by wny of
preface to an informal .speech, it was indeed
a fine looking crowd of men and women.
The newspaper men of Indiana measure up
to th - standard of their newspa-Pt?1"8. which
Is not excelled by tho press of any other
State, and men more representative of the
best citizenship of the State could not be
gathered from any other profession. The
banquet, which was characterized by Infor
mality and general good fellowship, was
preceded by a reunion or reception in the
parlors of the hotl. It was 8:39 o'clock
when the party entered the dining room and
the hour of midnight was reached before
the final word had been said and adjourn
ment taken.
The Republican editors are here for the
annual midwinter meeting of their asso
ciation, the business sessions of which will
be held to-day. An unusual interest is be
ing taken, resulting in record-breaking at
tendance, because of the fact that a na
tional campaign is at hand, and the men
who mold public opinion and had the Re
publhan hosts of Indiana desire to get
böget li-T and exchange ideas and plans to
be followed during the next nine months.
STIVKRS IN CHAUt
FiaallUttl Charles V. Stivers, of liberty,
presided as toastmaster at the banquet. In
calling the assemblage to order Mr. Stivers
felicitously greeted the members of the as-
Motion and their guests, spoke of the
high standard of the Republican press of
Indiana, congratulated his fellow-editors
upon their progress and prosperity, and
urged them to stand in the coming cam-
paign as they have stood in preceding
struggles Steadfast and true, aggressive
and resourceful, in fighting for Republican
prim ipb s. Chartas I Henry was tho first
spakr on the programme, and in present
ing him Mr. Stivers paid a high compliment
to the Journal, which, he said, has stood
through all its history as the exponent o
th. best in'. i sts of the State and Nation
and as thi leader of the Republican press
of Indiana.
Mr. Henry spoke on "The Issues of the
lm; tiding fampaign." In purt he said
th. i the Republicans do not make cam
paign issues tn the common acceptance of
the term. They inaugurate policies and
stand tor th. advancement, progress and
pros;..;.iy . ' ;. N ttion the Democrats
rais. the issues, setting up any and every
CONTINUED ON FA0B Ü. COL. Z.J
w tf , T,. th. of N-Qrtl,w,en,..v,nu, nrH,e Yesterday.
(ULI ß3 MACHEN BANKED 00 PERU ÄND SUBURBAN
-mm A YEAR, BUT HIS ANNUAL TOWNS IN IMMINENT
L 3 SALARY WAS ONLY $3,500 DANGER FROM FLOOD
the "Yellow Per:!:'
ONE MAN DEAD Jl HURT
111 A TRACTION COLLISION
Cars on the Union Traction Met
Head On Oli the Marion-
Anderson Line.
WRECK CAUSKL) BY FOG
Trainmaster, in Charge t the Kx
tra, Could Not See the Ap
proaching Freight Car.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
ANDKRSON. hid.. Jau. 21.-ln a collision
bet. .-et a m.Mor car aut u aouth-bouud
freight ou ti . Anderson-M.-.i i.:i near
I.inwood. five miles tr rth of this city at
3:30 o'clock this afternoon, one man was
fatally injured and two others badly huit.
The victims:
J A MKS MAHONkT, trainmaster for
Tnion Traction Company: died later.
JOHN CLAPF, motormar. Muucie. head
badly cut.
JAM KS PR1NG, IVndleton, hand crushed.
Mahoney desired to go to Tipton late this
afternoon to investigate some flood reports
at that place, and as it was desired that
a passenger car be taken there for use on
the Indianapolis Northern line, Mr. Ma
honey volunteered to take charge of the car
himself. He arranged for an assistant at
the power house, but the man selected
missed the car, and Mahoney continued on
alone.
North of I.inwood a heavy fog overhung
th swamp land, and Mahoney did not no
tice a freight car aproaching him. The two
cats struck squarely head on. Riley
Younce, condtictor of the freight. Jumped.
Mahoney and the other two remained in
their places. Tho vestibules of the two
cars Wer .smashed to a mass of ki. idling
wood, und Mahoney was crushed in the
debris. Roth legs were mashed, as well as
his hips and abdomen. The other men re
moved him from the debris and placed IP.-n
up n the northbound limited car, which was
turned toward Anderson. It was found
that Mahoney's injuries were futat, and
that John Clapp, the motorman. had a se
rious cut on his head. James Prig, u iphew
of ex-County Chairman John Starr, suf
tered a crushed hand. The injured men
were taken to St. John's Hospital.
TREASURE BOX THROWN
FROM A LIMITED T
Mysterious RoIiIxtv of a Wells
Fargo Express Car in Cali
fornia Mountains.
ROOTY MAY BE LITTLE
SAN KRANV1SCO. Jan. ZLWhilf. the
Southern Pacific Sunset lamited train v.s
climbing the rough mountains between San
Iaiis Obispo and San Ardo last night a
Wells-FarKo treasure box was mysteriously
stolen out of the express car by some un
known person or persons. Timothy Sulli
van, the messenger, was in another car,
and when he returned he found the side
dortr of the express car open und the safe
missing. The robber gained entrance to the
car through the end door, the lock of
Which had been forced. Sullivan at once
notified the railway officials of the roblx r
and I search for the missing safe resulted
in finding it near the tunnel No. 2 It had
baen broken into and its contents had been
taken with the exception of a valuable dia
mond, some checks and other valuable pa
pers. The amount of treasure th;U irafl beiug
earned in the safe has not been determined.
The express officials say that it was only
a few hundred dollars, hut that there were
some valuable papers. Estimates from the
scene of the robbcrv place the amount as
high as $80.000. but it is thought this esti
mate is a greatly exaggerated Ohe.
The express car carried two safes, one a
through safe, which la looked at N w Or
leans, and the other a local safe. It was
the local safe that was taken. One man is
under arrest at San lads Obispo, on sus
picion of being one of the robbers, but the
evidence uKuinst him is only circumstan
tial. The slow progress of the 'rain would
have permitted the robbers to enter the ex
press car. throw out the safe and jump off
after it without much danger.
A man's hat was found in the vicinity of
the stolen safe to-day. After th- robbery
a man about thirty .ars of age bought a
hat from a section man. and on arrival of
the south train this afternoon w:is arrested
at the depot and identified by the section
man. It is believed that the robber has
been captured.
l)ot ie Süll for natrHliil.
SAN KRANOISro, Jan. 21. -John Alexan
der Dowte, with his party from the Hast,
sailed t'-r Australia on the steamer Sonoma
to-day. While in this city he delivered two
addresses, but wus coldly received on both
occasions.
RAIN
Special Counsel Holmes Conrad's
Declaration at the Postal
Fraud Trial.
PROTEST KROM DEFENSE
Presiding Judge Asked Xot to Ad
mit the Statement as
Evidence.
WASHINGTON. Jan. 21-An interesting
incident in the trial of August V. Mac-hen.
tlM vJroff brothers and the l.orenzes on an
indictment charging conspiracy to defraud
the government in connection with
the sale of letter-box fasteners came
to-day just before the usual ' hour
for adjournment. Throughout the day
hank officials had been on the
stand testifying concerning various ch ks
and drafts which passed between D. B.
Oi ff and Martha J. Koienz and George
lyorenz and Machen. After J. W. Herring.
cashier of the I nion National Bunk of
. si inkier. Ma.. hl told of th- urtnos
transactions of Machen with his bank Mr
Taggart. assistant district attorney, offered
in evidence the transcript of Mat-hen's en-tin-
dealings with that institution.
While Mr. Douglass was vigorously op
posing its admissibility Holmes Conrad,
special counsel for the government, exam
ined the transcript. After Mr. Douglass had
taken his seat Mr. Conrad rose to reply.
"It appears." he said, "that the defendant
Machen was making over $20,000 a year."
A stroug protest at this statement came
from Mr. Douglass. Mr. Conrad, however,
continued, and said he proposed to show
"th.it this transcript of this man s account
in this bank demonstrates that on a salary
of $3.500 a year, by the observance of strict
economy and lue attention to business, he
was making $3u.of0 a year."
Mr. Douglass quickly was on his feet, and
protested that ;u matters Involving the
issues of the case counsel ought not im
provideutly make a statement of that char
acter "I made it intentionally." Mr. Conrad said.
"AM right," retorted Mr. Douglass, "so
much the worse, and so much the stronger
the criticism."
Mr. Douglass declared that Mr. Conrad
had taken issue with the district attorney
and with the government. Continuing, he
id: "1 know verj well what was to be.
and 1 sought to uncover the situation."
The ipeciaJ counsel for the government, he
said, had taken issue with the district at
torney's Office, and said, "We want this
thing in for the purpose of proving Machen
made $20.000 a y. ar. Driven to the wall. It
was now dladoaad that this was the real
purpose of the government."
To admit the transcript, he said, would
put Machen on trial not in one case, but
in fourteen different cases before one jury
at one time and the same time. After fur
ther discussion the matter was dropped un
til to-morrow.
INDIANAPOLIS GIRL THE
CAUSE OF A SUICIDE
Pennsylvania Constable Shoots
Himself in the Oftice of a Po
lice lustice.
HIS WIFE WAS NEAR BY
Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
PNIONTOWN. Pa., Jan. 21. Charged
with a statutory offense, t'harlcs B. Still
wagon, a Connellsville constable, ended his
troubles and his life with a bullet through
the heart in the office of Justice of the
Peace John N. Dawson in Uniontown this
afternoon.
Stillwagons wife and a young wom
an, with witnesses and lawyers, were in
the justice's office atwnit to begin a hear
ing on ihe charges when Stillwagon ap
proached his wife and began talking over
their troubles, finally asking her to go with
him into the rear office for a private con
v rsation. Mrs. Stillwagon refused. Still
wagon then walked into the rear office,
drew a revolver ami sent a bullet through
his heart, dyfosj instantly.
The commencement of Constable Still
wagon's troubles date back a year, when
he became infatuated with uu Indianapolis
girl who gave her name as Bertha 8ink
and also was known as Bertha liollings-
worth Bertha Sink, who was then eight-
e. n y. ars old, worked in a local confec
tionery store.
SEI FX TL UN INDICTMENTS
Returned Against Iowa Reformer
tor Bij Kmhezlenjent.
CLINTON, la.. Jan. 21 J. W. Warr.
president of the Moline Building and Loan
Association, has been indicted by the Rock
Island county grand jury on seventen
counts. The indictments charge that he has
embezzled 100.000.
Warr was a reformer and church worker,
and last spring was a candidate for mayor
OB the reform ticket. He Is in jail in de
fault of bonds. His assets, so far as
kuuwn, arc le&a than fti.OUQ.
Bridges Destroyed at Munde, Ko
komo and Elsewhere, and Other
Structures Endangered.
PEOPLE DESERT HOMES
Damage Done or Threatening at
Lafayette, Ft. W ayne, Winamac,
Rensselaer and Huntington.
perlal to the Indianapolis Journal.
PMRU, Ind., Jan. 2. - Peru and the river
localities for miles around are in great
danger to-night from high waters. Rising
streams already have done much damage,
and additional trouble is feared every hour.
In th village of Amboy. to the south,
laaton's creek has risen and overflowed :-
that people had to leave their homes. At
Rich Valley, aa the east, water frssa
streams emptying into the Wabash is flood
ing the houses in parts of the tuwn. At
Denver, oa the north, Kel river ha in
undated a large part of the town, forcing
people Horn their homes, lu Peru the sub
urbs of Klmwood and North Peru are be
ginning to suffer from backwater. The
corporation of South rem has much water
In its limits, and the Wabasn river, on
which It is located, is daugerously high.
The Indianapolis & Northern bridge over
the Wabash at Broadway, connecting the
suburb with the city, was to be raised to
keep it from being swept away.
The rain is ttill falling snd the water is
still rising at this time. Four men are
standing ready to float out large charges
of dynamite to blow the bridge to pieces
should It seem necessary to do that in order
to save South Peru from being flooded, due
to the gorged Ice against, the girders. The
Wabash receives all the Missi -s. n. wa s
water a mile east of Peru. The bridge was
completed only a few weeks ago. It is a
five-span girder structure, worth about $30,
000. but the engineers made the mistake of
setting it too low, and the girders drop
even feet below the high water mark. The
water has risen over the tps f the piers,
ana had not workmen raised the spans with
jacks they would have been washed away
hours ago.
LAWSUITS TO FOLLOW
FLOOD AT LOG ANS FORT
Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
DOGANSPOHT. Ind., Jan. 21. Although
the high waters and ice in the K- an! Wa
bash rivers, which unite almost in the heart
of Ixigansport. have caused little damage
except to residences along the banks, a
hitter legal contest is predicted, in which
the residents of Bel River avenue will en
(CONTINT'ED ON PAGE 2, COl7 )
TORNADO-LIKE STORMS
IN THE SOUTHERN STATES
Strong- Wind, Heavy Rain and
Lightning Play Havoc with
Telegraphic Service.
COLLEGE HOOK TORN OFF
MKMPHIS, Tenn.. Jan. 21.-A very se
vere rain and electric storm prevailed this
afternoon and to-night throughout the Cen
tral, Southern and Southwestern States, se
riously crippling telegrsphie servier and
swelling streams beyond their banks. The
storm at midnight Is central over the Mts
tftnsipp4 delta region. AH telegraph wires
are interrupted to that territory, and it Is
feared that other damage has oernrred.
Reports from Texas state that winds as
suming the projortlon of a tornado swept
the mountain ranges to the west this after
noon. At Austin the new woman's build
ing at the State I'niversity was unroofed,
causing a hiss of several thousand dol
Much damage was done to outhouses, f n -ing
and forestry. No one is reported in
jured or killed.
I i.-re.- Ill iFti l it.
MLNOMINKi;. Mich.. Jan. .'l.-The fierce
est bliszard of the season is lading here
to-day. There is a heavy snowfall and a
hard wind. ATI the fishermen on the ba
are keeping In the .shanties end are unable
to do any work.
COKE REGION MINERS
WILL BE ORGANIZED
PITTSBl'RO. Jan. 21 .District officers of
the rutted Min.- Workers put into effect to
day the order to organize the miners in the
Connellsville coke region as decided by the
district convention. Pour organisers were
sent to the fiejd to-day to personally so
licit the miners In their hom.-s and in the
mines when they can get near them and
in mass meeting on the outside. There are
18.000 unorganized men in the l eg ion
ganisers also were sent to the Sllppei
Rock mines of the 1'nited Statu Ste. l ( or
poratton to take charge in Batler county
of the strike declared there against a
reduction in wages.
Gorge Crumbles Under Wesi
M ichigan-Street Bridge--'
T Vasbin, it on-Street Structure
Withstands Its Attack.
With a crash heard for miles the ic
goig. that had been piling up for tMty
four hours broke at the island s mile abovs)
Broad Hippie at 11:30 o'clock last nlhU
and a s -v. 1 later one huge wall, atsfhlasj
thousands of tonn stsrted on a journey o$
destruction down White river.
The large houseboat of the Indianapolt
Aquatic '!uh was swept before the ava
lanche of ice as If it were a rowboat. anal
at the .- .me time the smaller houseboats,
the half dozen boat houses and the hugij
dock were torn from their foundations na
moorings and borne down the river.
The houseboat was carried to the bridge
of the traction company, two miles below
the park. In less than a half hour, and
2:30 o'clock this morning it was caught be
low the bridge, lying on its side and bum
ing. A lighted lamp in the second floor df
the house is supisised to have caused lh-T
fire.
Six m n narrowly escaped with their live
as the ice bor- down upon the boathcube
They wre awak n. I by the crash and tVieiaT
escape was nothing short of a miracle. Sev
eral acta of heroism r suited In the rescu
of members of the party, who had diffi
culty in swimming against the terrific cur-
rent and getting out of the way of the hugSP
blocks of ice.
When the roar of breaking ice was hearta
half of the population of the little town of
Broad Hipj b' were awakened. Within flw
minutes the men of the suburb were on tha
streets, and when th- water was seen rag-
ing over the banks und rushing down int
the perk the hie bell was rung and a gen"
eral alarm sounded.
Kvery house wan visited and the occu
pants warned to prepare to leave, as no ond
knew the extent of the trouble.
The gorge carrying with it the ruins of
the houseboat and the other debris, with a
continuous road tore down the river. Grave
alarm was felt for the bridge at Broad
Kipple snd the traction bridge. How tho
houseboat passed under the bridge could
not be explained.
FOUNDATIONS SHAKE.
The foundations of the bridges shook a
tho ice pounded up against them, but they
resisted Ou- w.Li auJ the gorge parUd
and passed undur the different ee t ions.
Trees along the bank were snapped oft
like twigs and helped to increase the weight
of the mass of ice.
At the Canoe Club the large boathouso
was torn from its niootiugs and swept C
into the river. This was a few minutes be
fore the gorge reached the clubhouse and it
was under the bridge and well down the
river when tie gitar-t force of the swift
ly moving mass reached the place. Tho
ire te away the small hoaihouse. and a
message to the Journal at 1:30 o'clock said)
that the large dock could not long resist
the attacks of the avalanche of ie.
The bridge across White river at River
side Park, a few yards from the boathouse
was abl to withstand the force of the
gorge, and at 2 o'clock was in p. safe con
dition. Two watchmen were on guard U
avert any disast. r.
BEIDOM ALL HOLD.
Indianapolis Journal reporters were at th
West Michigan-street, the Washington
street and the OHver-a t nue bridges a
half-hour after the break waa reported at
Broad EtypjSe. Ba b man was present
Slheil the wall of ice hurled Itself against
th - abutments of the bridges. ,
A half-dozen men were iuar the W.-i
Michigan-street bridge. The woodwork ua
the bridge and the floor was seen to trem
ble at the first onslaught, but the strui -ture
was strong enough to withstand thai
attacks and the gorge pushed its way be
tween the abutments
It was feared that the Washington-streeC
bridge would -nimbi before the gorg.
but it. too. was stronger than the city'
englneeih thought. Although It shook for
an instant, the hugh mass of ice did nog
shak. ,t ir m its foundations.
KOAK HEARD FUR MILES
When the Ice broke the roar of the tor
rent as it rushed over the dam at a speed
of forty miles an hour could be heard all
ovet the little village end for miles beyond.
All the populace was aroused and hundred
of anxious householders, lanterns In hang
went out In the darkness to discover tho
extent of the danger to their lives and
their property. The fire bells were rung
and within ten minutes after the burst
ing of the ice not a soul was asleep ia
Broad Ripple lhe women and children
were dressed and prep. i 3 to fiee for tl. is
lives, and the meu were seeking place
of safety for their families in case of soma
unforeseen disaster which migbt torn in dent
to the fast rise of the river and tho
ominous r si aters aa they aurgeoj
over the dam.
The breaking up of th ice was fast an)
ferocious, in some places above the daua
li: the limits of Hroed P. the Ice wi
piled along the nhore eight feet high, anal
a mile above the town the eaUmato oi
fifteon solid feet of Ice along th
phores of the dare-devil Whita lira
would not be far wrong Th
White river, usually jceable snd Serena
pra'tically swelled itself out of Us banks
las. night and it went on a rampage which
will hu.g be remembered br the realdeai
of the little villages along He shores.
The excitement in Broad Ripple was iSj
t. nse Women m ream, d lr. terror and chifc
Aran rtod ard long closer to their pw
is th deafening r ar of the river grew
louder and louder. It was not until th
noes of the town had an opportunity to
make a careful survey of the condition
that the people were brought down to their
normal attitudes, and even then there w iS
litib- sleep for the xctted women aud
children.
N dam r to the population of Bt oat
Ripple wa aused by th viio rutti of the
w.it.rs. rel lhe great excitement robbed
th. people of their reason, and they for
time wer ndnioti of nervous fee
that was appalling.
The houseboats In the river were the asjjU
t-r. rs trog the Mood, but vs ta h w r
moored In th. canal Were erfectlj safe.
MEN'S NARROW KS APE.
As the loose blocks of lc i.uncd befog
the gotg' p'- :hm the Aquatic
Club s hoathOUSi and were thrown against
the Sullivan bOhthouse th. six men in the
latter wer. u t :. o 'I ' in. n ..board wert
J. I). Sullivan, the owner; Clifford h kla,
W. K. Johnson. Ouv Robblna. Custodian
fierce, of th. Aquatic Club, and Dona lg
Morrison. All of them live in the city.
Johnson lh-s .it S14 East Tenth street, a ad
ts en mpl vi of tiu Indianapolis Newa.
Bull! van and Blckh were asleep on hoard
the Uiat. and it war with difficulty thai
they were aroused Sickle was lot aw aft.
end until n w.is out in t tie river, and nt
was struggling against the Ice and watet
while & Ail of tht men Jumped