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4 Official Veat?er Forecast. 8 PAGES TO-DAY Ftp end eelder Thursday Friday, fair and warmer in extreme north wait por tion! mcderata northwest winds. Pay Your Poll Tax Before March 9th VOL. XV. NO. 45. PEN3ACOLA, FLORIDA, THURSDAY MORNING, FEBRUARY 22, 1912. PRICE. 5 CENTS. '1 1 Ij i i '0 III l ,U I He is Now Same Man in Eyes of the Law as Before Sentence. ' HE WiLL EE ALLOWED BAIL TO AWAIT NEW TRIAL AND A GRAND JURY INVESTIGATION TO DETERMINE IF THERE WA3 A CONSPIRACY IN THE GIVING OF SWEDE A THIRTY -YEAR SENTENCE. Cy Associated Press. New York, Feb. 21. Except for hi? service of five years In prison. .Folke K. Brandt is tonight the same man, la the eyes of the law, as he was be fore fee was sent away on April 4. 1807, to erve thirty years for burg lary at the bom of Mortimer L. - Schiff, where he once worked ' a ' a ' servant. The Ion? prison terra was " broken to Say, when Justice Gerard ef the supreme court sustained the j writ of habeas corpus obtained In , Brandt'a behalf. The young Swede, remained In the Tombs tonight, butt with insurances that he would be released on bail to await a new trial, or other developments in bis remark able case. Justice Gerard's decision brought to a climax a case which las lad the absorbing attention of the public for nearly a month, and is eitU a matter for grand Jury lnveMIg-atlos to determine if It was a conspiracy ia Eivin Brandt ych a Ion? term. - According to the records read Into his opinion, Brandt on March 2S, 1907, withdrew his plea of not runty to thi indictments charging that he broke iiito the Schirf home end stols "two pins and a shoe horn," and pleaded guilty. In sentencing him a week later to thirty years. Judge Otta A. Rosalski inesrally condemned him. according to Justice Gerard. The court held the examination of Brandt at the time he was sentenced tended to refute the plea to the charge cf frt d?sree burglary, aa ne oemea h? forced an heme. COLD AND SNOW : ; III IXAIIY SECTIONS 'Michigan is Experiencing the Worst V Elizxard of Many Years and Trade is Completely Paralysed. Rv Aacoclated Detroit, Mich,, Feb. 21. The worst blizzard experienced In Michigan in years was responsible today for the death of at least one person and injury of tweaty-Cve others aa the result of collisions between trains or street cars due to a blinding- snowstorm. Steam and electric traffic is para lysed in all directions and several trains are burled In snow drifts. rh wm. PVV. 2L A blinding snow backed by a fifty mile sale swooped down on the middle west today and blocked trafSe and crippled telegraph wires. Tonight It swept esatward In the direction of northern Ohio, Fer.n--vivania and New York. No great suf- f.ris; was reported. The temperature was 20 to 24 degrees above zero. tu!' Texas. Feb. 1. Heavy wind storms yesterday, . accompanied by snow in some sections of the state, did thousands of dollars dAniage to prop erty, tmroofed building and demoral tr.W l;crrar.h and teleohone communi cation. In Austin the wind unroofed many residences, uprooted trees and Mew down chimney. At El Paso there -"is damage from freezing. MUCH' DAMAGE IN TEXAS FROM SEVERE STORMS. Bv Antedated Press. X xaHi, Tex Feb. 21. Heavy wind storms yesterday and last night, ac re m pan led in some sections of Texas by heavy snowfall, did thousands of dollars damage to property in wrecked buildings, demoralized telegraph and teleohone communication, and In the Panhandle country completely disar ranged railroad schedules. San Antonio and Austin, where the da?-age appears greatest, report wind averaging 70 to 100 miles an hour, which unroofed many real denees. blowing down chimneys and mt. rooting trees. At Texline the temperature dropped to 10 degrees above sero. the lowest reported. At El Paso much damage Is feared from freezing weather to fruit trees which were in blossom. In the Texas Panhandle the enow fell averaged four inchea. but little suffering was caused: to live stock. Conditions Throughout England Are Becoming Rapidly Worse By Associated Press. Bondon, Feb. 21. Conditions thmaghout Great Britain, particularly in tjie manufacturing districts in the norUt of England, are becoming rap idly worse as a result of the threat ened coal strike, which, if it occurs at the end of the month, wm tnrow 800,000 miners, besides works's in other trades, out of employment. At many of the iron woiits and other big factories the men today re ceived notices from the employers that their services would not be required after February 29 should the coal strike be decided upon. Most of the factories have supplies of coal suf ficient for the most urgent work on hand. In London, and other cities the price ROOSEVELT IN.' SPEECHES v. ' REIT if RATES - HIS BELIEF IN V : PROGRESSIVE DOCTRINES JUSTICE WHO -t GIVES BRANDT A NEW TRIAL V Vf" ::" "' New York, '- Feb. 21. Justice James W. Gerard today granted a new trial to Folks E. Branat. lie did so after considering" the ease for over a week. The court decided that the lower court had erred in sentencing Brandt to a term of thirty years after he had de fied he had forced an entrance Into the home of Mortimer Schiff for the purpose-of robbery. SUPPRESS NEWS OF ACTION OF OSPINA People f Colombia Ars fenemsust Cf th Act cf Min'ster In Sencirig to the Stats Dpsrtment. By Associated frea , I UYEMn mimater to tne .umuci'ST.aioa. In notifying the state deyair'tre.er.t at Washinsrton that the Malt to Colom bla of Secretary of 8tt3 Kncx-weuld be "inopportune becaaws coiomtta s claims In .connection with ranama.naa not yet been arbitrated, gas not oe come known to the general jraouc. The Colombian government , has the I matter under. consideration, but either! the newspapers are ignorant or tne in- cident, or else comment has been sup- pressed. . . ' I A strong sentiment ror a nonoraow give m aavance iuu mrornauoa vt settlement of the Panama affair has any man as to Just what he can and been gaining ground all over the coun- jU8t what he cannot legally and prop try without regard to the differences of erly do." views of the political parties. As to ths fitness of . the American people for self-government. Colonel PROBING COMES TO t ... AN 'ABRUPT HALT Investigation Steps When Committeo j Decides to Detmo More uieany xneii Scope of the, Inquiry. . ; ; I ' By. Associated Pressv . Washington, Feb. 21. Investigation of the FlortdaFverglad charges and expena.iuiM . ui . partment In reciarnstion of those lands cam to" an abrupt halt' today when the house committee of investigation oe cided to deflna more clearly the scope of the lnciuiry. J.'O. Wright, chief orainage engineer of Florida, today testified regarding draining. the Everclades and that of C D. Elliott, formerly, nis. coneague in the department of agriculture. STORM STOPS KNOX. WashIngton,Feb. 21. Because of . ' it. .nthAMt art Cawe. . i: cru0Wahingtn at Key 1 to stead of at Palm lieacn. r ia. ne embark o.. - , QUAKE IN CQ3TA KltR. Washington, ' Feb. 21. The Costa Rican minister received a cablegram TlSf. "S 5Z2??$S l fears another catastrophe will take place. - " nine Dwellings wrecked. North Fork. W. Va., Feb. 21. Nine dwellings were blown over and wreck ed by a wind storm here tonight. The ea oy a mu rm niuuuu V.I wrecKage caugm. nre ana "uniea an nour. several persons are misaing. of coal already haa reached 8 a ton. l aying almost double this rate, as they I purchase only in small quantities. une coal owners met In conference today to consider the general situa tion in the trade, and also to discuss the invitation of Premier Asqulth, who has requested thera to meet him and some of his colleagues at the for- eign omce tomorrow to endeavor to arrange a basis of settlement. Both tne coal owners and th emiuers sigrti- red their acceptance of Premier As - quith's invitation to the conference. The committee of the International Aaners i-eaeration aiso is meeting to- aay to aeciae wnetner tne continental coal miners will support their British comrades in toe event or a stnka, Ex - President Touches on "Big Business" and the seal! of Judges. DOES NOT EELIEVE IN ADOPTING THE RECALL SAVE A3 A LAST RESORT, SUT SAYS EACH COM MUNITY HAS THE RIGHT TO TRY THE EXPERIMENT FOR IT SELF PRISE THE PROGRESSIVE MOVEMENT IN WISCONSIN. ; Cleveland, , Feb. 2L- "My hat is in the ring-' This is what Theodore Roosevelt said here tonight when a friend sought to learn whether he is candi date for the nomination for president. By Assoctsted Press. j Cleveland. O., Feo. 21. Belief In the' poUtical doctrines of the "progressives"' j was reiterated today by Booaevelt, who i made four speeches in Ohio on the I tr? i.i between Oulumbus and Cleveland. This afternoon UoosevcU- conferred v- ith a number of politicians leading j the Roosevelt movement in Ohio. Jam R. Garfield, serretry ft the in- terfor in the Xooevrit cibinet, was ) snw? them. Roosevelt made a-fif-j teea ' minute fctop-here and 'then 'pro ; ceeded to Vork.- lie d.iilvcred his j principal address before th state con- etitutkmal comeation at Columbus, lie i made a short spoca to- a. errd In the ! rorundi of the eeyitol at Cleveland and i a bileC eppech trvm a barsaj trrsck. ! Asked what he .thought &i tfce"ceB tion in Ohio. Roosovcli , answt-ied i XJuily, by C3eorg.'. ... ,- . A CHARTER OF B2MDCRACY SUBJECT" OF Til l COLONEL Colurahus, O., . Feb.. 2l.-"2Sx. But! cess. the f.tnesw ef tu -Americ-Ac peo pl for se!f-g:ovrnmejjt. ths recall of judges, and prJs-.i far ' tv. progrejAfve lerislg.ttQji in 'V:UxtmaHpslltn&l and furt'ttr.i by -Her. tor Kobfrt- it. I.u Foslette when hv was rvernor, wf t-n in- vr". . i ...k-to.- Of'Whai he "termed "big business. Colonel Roosevelt had this to say: "The anti-trust law does pood inso far as it can be invoked against com binations which really are monopolies or which restrict production or which artificially raise prices. But insofar as its workings are uncertain or as it threatens corporations which have not been guilty f anti-social conduct it does harm. There should' oe a nxea governmental policy which shall clear- ly define and punish wrong-doing anJ the American people are not fitted for Tiomilar srovernment ana inai i ib ef the majority of the people. take absolute issue wiia fui moso who hold joch mon. rm, MwiHrwn las Ana it ftTrvsfl !ATrV T"'Z,,:" . H.ht t"""LY U " ,7 i' "HtTlea, I do not -fl(yntine the red believe In adopting the recall save as a. last resort when It has become clear ly evident that no other course wtjl arh'cvA the desired result.' Senator La Foiiette was menuoneu but once, as follows: Foilowlnsr Senator La Foiiette n thinkers in Wisconsin have turned that state into an experimental laDoratory of wise governmental action in aid of social and Industrial Justice. iney have Initiated that kind of progressive government which means not only tne nraaervation of true democracy but xtansion of the principle of true democracyin industrialism as well " TESTIMONY ENDS IN SNEED CASE Argument. Begin Today and Unless There is an Unexpected Interruption, the Case Will Go to the Jury Sat urday. ' j . - By Associated Press. Fort Worth. Tex, Feb. 2L Unless an unanticipated interruption occurs, . f Jahll BeaJ gnead. the Amartllo bEmker accused of the mur der of A. G. Boyce, Sr., the wealthy cattleman, will be in the hands of the I jury Saturday night. The taking or testimony was con eluded today and arguments will be gin tomorrow. INSURGENTS AND REGULARS UNITED Chemical Tariff But Could Not Pre vent Its Passage. By Associated Preaa. Washington, Feb. 21. or the first Mm slnm tt"ft Insurgent Republican broke away from the regulars in. the ejrht on tha petroleum duty in the j Payne tariff bill to 1809. the Repub 1 Means of the house today presented 1 oractlcally a solid front against the I rssa ta of a tariff revision biiL All in I eureents voted with the regular Re- publican forces again rt tne t,ncer i wood chemical tarirr, wnica was J passed, however, by a, vet ef 178 to i 127 raituo ill nr n mi 1 PI TP Smouldering Wreckage Cov r" ;ers Area Near Two 0." ' Miles Long. MORS THAN A "DOZEN IMPORT 'ANT INDUSTRIAL ENTERPRISES IN RUINS, TWO HUNDRED ; OR -MORE STORE BUILDINGS - IN ASHES AND ONE THOUSAND PERSONS HOMELESS. THE PRINCIPAL LOSERS IN THE HOUSTON FIRE Cleveland Compress and warehouse.- ; fMcFadden Compress and ware house. ' Standard Compress and ware- 55,000-bale f cotton stored. Dew Brothers, syrup factory. St. Palrick's Catholic church and academy. Thirty-six loaded cars of cottar on Southern Pacific tracks not In cluded !n above. ' Houston I3ggett Lumber Cota 'nahy's yard. . ... Rogers Paiat Company. Co-Operatlve Manufacturing Com pany, i - v - . : . Suthwetm rice milL Industrial Rice Milling Company's plant. . .... --. Houston Lcmber Company. . lil cllhenny Cotton Flck.ery. . Ilocwler Vinegar Company. . Texa Timers Supply Company. About .250 homes and stores, both large and malL - lfomel3 pcop'e, 1,000. Total losFes not less than $7,000. OO.COO and .-. posaibly , well along toward $10,000,000. ' : , f? Aitclatad Press.: ' - ; ; ';H(rjstoB...--TeKas,i Feb. ! 21. -la " the wake cf Jfce most' destructive- fire in t.(s history the citv. srr j'Mr't ' ? to half a mile wide in the northeastert section of the city. More than a docen Important Industrial enterprises are lti ruins" and two hundred or more dwell ings and store buildings in ashes, with pproximately one ; thousand person? homeless. An accurate statement of the monetary loss is not possible fli this time, but the most conservative estimates are that the amount will reach at least swen million dollars. Except for a few who suffered mlno? burns and bruises there were no cas ualties. The fire broke out soon after 1 o'clock this morning in a rooming house and with a fierce gale blowing at the time the flames made great headway. For many , hours the fir: raged and even now the work of the firemen has not ended, for ail over tlu charred and blackened district lav piles of brick and mortar, smoulderlnr cotton and other debris. , The industrial plants destroyed In clude three cotton compresses, to gether with 55,000 bales of cotton, s syrup factory, pencil factory, two rict; mills, cotton pickery and three lumber yards. The compresses and cotton ar- valued at more than five million do' lars. St. Patrick's Catholic church and academy were destroyed. By nightfall the homeless haa been at least temporarily provided for. t FRIENDS OF PROHIBITION MUST STAND TOGETHER By Associated Preaa. Nashville. Tenn., Feb. 2L Calling or friends of prohibition to stand togethef and fight for a legislature that wil take no backward step in liquor legis lation, but will make provision for ef ficient enforcement of present laws the Tennessee state executive commit tee on law enforcement, appointed at the Thanksgiving day prohibition con ference, issued an address today. The committee predicts that the op position will set to music for the coming campaign the , prohibition of submission to the voters- as regards the liquor question until they get con trol of the government ana election machinery, when the question will cease to be a live issue. The commit tee considers it more advisable that the prohibition Question be set at rest by the election of the governor and legislature in November. Legislation urged by the committee includes mak ine it unlawful to sen Deverages con tainlng more than one-half of one per cent alcohol: making tne city respon sible to the state government and em- nnwerine- the state government to in tervene where officials fail to enforce the law. , WORST SNOWSTORM I IN SIXTEEN YEARS Passenger Train Caught in Snowdrift for Whole Day But Passengers Suf fered No Serious Effects. i By Associated Press. Enid. Okia.. Feb. 21. A rescue crew was sent to Covington, Okla near here early today to dig out of a enow drift a passenger tram on tne at i-ou:s anu San Francisco railroaa, wnich was ca-ht In yesterday's atorm. No se riots suffering cf passengers is re ported. . The snowstorm was the worst known in this section in sixteen year. TrsCns on the Atchison, Topeka and Ssa.ta Fe, the "Frisco ryatera and th Chfcago, F-rok lsiard and Pacific were anabie to leave here lor hours yester tiai Conditions are becoming better today with the prospect that traffic wil be in normal coccuuoa cy nignt- jfall nil nn T ULLHi w nnAnn iii l OUHhu GVES TURNER pinirin in Engineer Rommel Reports That All of Work Done Is Unsatisfactory. THE BOARD THEREFORE DECIDES TO AWARD CONTRACT TO TUR NER CONSTRUCTION CO., WHOSE BID WAS $-3,335.92 ROMMEL SAYS SPECIFICATIONS WERE jNOT FOLLOWED BY FORMER CONTRACTORS. That the plumbing and heating sys tems installed in the new county. Jail building are unsatisfactory and would not answer the purpose of properly heating the building. . even though completed according to.' the original plans and specifications, and that it should, therefore, be condemned wis the substance of a resolution adopted at a special meeting of the board f county commissioners yesterday after noon. - The adoption of the resolution followed the report of Geo. Rommel, Jr, who had been employed to Inves tigate the system and make a recom mendation to the board. CONTRACT IS AWARDED. Following the adoption of the reso lution, the board accepted the bid of the C. H. Turner Construction Co. to install new systems of plumbing and heating and to complete the work, th' aggregate amount of the bid submitted .M accepted being $6,335.92. The onr other bid submitted was by the bonds men of McGhan & Sons, the pi umber r to whom the contract had been origi nally awarded and who had forfeited the contract before completing th work. The bid of the bondsmen was tc complete the work according to th' original speciflcations. According to 'J.e original contract, the bondsmen, if :oi:rse, will be held responsible for anv 'fs to the county In completing the work. ; The amounts for which the Turnf Construction Co. agrees to complete the work In the various department; were as follow: For the "heating syq 'em, $5,994.82; for the plumbing, $1, $.49 Cor th - bot -.ws tr: .system ery com crehoRvr ve ne, -pointed ovr rt-an," defects and contained a reeom mendetlon thftt the entire system t-r 1one over, it be'ng the opinion of th er.isrineer that the work done was no , (Oontlnr.ed on Page Bight.) MISSING PAPERS ARE TURNING UP Some of Documents Wanted In Case of Major Ray, the Army Paymasters are Sent to Committae. By Aasoclated Preen. Washington, Feb. 21. Some of the documents in the nas of Mala Beecher B. Ray, which, were said t' rave been missing from the war de rartment files, turned to-day an'" were sent to Ihe Helm wmmittee b' ecretary Stlrcwcn. who said the paper? 'were found in soma personal effects o' en. J. Franklin Bell, formerly chief ol 3taff of the army. Ray. the army paymaster, had been mder fire before the committee on barges of political activities. - NEGROES FATALLY SHOOT CONTRACTOR hey Make Their Escape, but a Nash ville Pcssa is Following and Lynch Ing May Occur If They Are Caught. By Aasoclated Press. Nashville, Tennu Feb. 2L Mack Volt, aged 35, superintendent for tht .Vaiton-McDowell Construction Com any, as shot and fatally wounded at 9 o'clock this morning, it is charged by Jim Johnson, a negro, at Brent wood, near here. Johnson and a com panion whose identity is unknown made their escape towards Nashville pursued by the sheriff, his deputies md a posse of railroad men. the latte xrmed with guns and pistols. If tht negroes are caught and returned to Brentwood, danger of summary treat ment at the hands of the railroad workers is feared. The snooting occurred in a nego cabin wnere volt had gone to ordet tne men to go to work. The negroes re members of the construction gang working on the new Lewisburg and Northern railroad right of way. ANARCHY SPREADING THROUGHOUT MEXICO AH That's Required to Plunge tha Country Into Another Civil Strife la tha Appearance of a Leader. Bv Associated Press. Washington. Fea 21. Advices from Mexico to the state department today, indicating widespread anarchy south of the Rio Grande, caused much un easiness in official circles. Villages and towns are reported to be in the hands of rebels. Protests by Americans against rob beries are multiplying and robber bands are operating without apparent Interruption throughout the republic It is feared here that all that is re quired to plunge Mexico into another civil atrtf e Is the appearance of a leader who can harmonize and bring the rebellous elements together. Sinaloa. Oaxaca and Yucatan are said to be virtually in a state of open warfare against the Madero govern ment, while from all quarters of Mex ico reports of raids by marauding fcanda continue to increasa. o LU GOVERNMENT 70 SELL DRY DOCK HE DECLINED A SEAT OFFERED ON SUPREME BENCH HOLD-UP ATTEMPTED OF FAST MAIL TRAIN rrtgr SIsnalHng Caused " the En- 1 By Associated Press. Cedar Rapids, la., Feb. 21. Five mer nade an unsuccesful attempt to hold ip passenger train No. 9, westbound on the Chicago and Northwestern ailroad at 3 o'clock this morning neai 3ertram, ninemiles east of here. The rain Is known as the fast mail and arries no passengers. It was former; .o slow to 4 miles an hour on accijr t ;f construction work being, done on the outskirts of the village aril it was at his point the men signalled the en Ineer to stop. J Suspicious of the irregular method 'ised in signalling, the engineer did not iring his train to a stop. When the 'ailed failed to stop, one of the bandits pened fire on the . engineer, hittinie -dm in the arm. Throwing on all steam :he engineer brought his train to thif 'tiy, where a posse was formed and Marted in pursuit of the bandita PLUNDERING GRAVES 1 TO SECURE JEWELS ' . . ! Those Containing Bodies Buried More 'Than Seventy Years Ago Are En tered by. Robbers. By Associated Preaa. , New Orleans, Feb. 21. Grave rob bers plundering the graves containing codies buried more than seventy years jl40, securing jewels valued at several hundred dollars was the story brought to this cityq last night from Polnte-a-LA-Kache, Plaquemine parish. The water-soaked casketa, glasses smashed nd , containing wasted ; bodies were round above the ground Monday y persons .living near the cemetery. Xhese caskets had been recently re moved from, the private burial ground of a wealthy ante-bellum family to the present cemetery by the parish offi cials. There is no clue as to the iden tity of the robbers. - TEXARKANA HAS STORM. Texarkana, ArkvFeb. 21. A terrific wind and hail storm swept over the iiitle town of Stamps, near here, last nlht, demolishing several houses and killing cattle. No loss of life has I ee.-i .epoited. The storm was followed by a light snow falL SOUTHERN EDUCATORS TO MEET. Montgomery, Ala-, Feb. 21. The Southern Educational Association will meet in Louisville on November 28 to iO, it was announced today by Secretary-Treasurer W. F. Feagin of the or ganization. Sixteen southern states compose the association. Heavy Damage Meridian by By Associated Preaa. I Meridian, Miss.. Feb. 21. A de structive wind storm swept over this district last night, destroying thou sands of dollars worth of property, killing many head of cattle and de molishing homes in the surrounding country. Rev. W. T. Carroll was seriously In jured when his home at Klondyke,ten miles north of Meridian, was de stroyed. A dozen other residences at that place were blown down and a number of mules and cows were killed. i i - ' v - iT ' ; ' ' Zz." '" '"i, ? Commercial Association Will Endeavor to Have Firm Buying it Locate Here. NAVY DEPARTMENT CALLS FOR SEALED PROPOSALS TO BE OPENED IN WASHINGTON ON MARCH 11 FOR THE DOCK WHICH WAS PURCHASED FROM SPAIN AND WHICH. HA3 BEEN USED AT THE NAVY YARD. The navy department has dee'dsd to sell the floating dry dock, known as the Spanish dock, which was pur chased from Spain after the Spanisa Amerlcan war, and which has bean In use at the navy yard for several years, serving both In docking naval and merchant vessels during this te riod. x With the view of keep.'ng the Tott ing dock at Penaacola, tad at the same time inducing the shipbuilding firm to locate here which purc'haes it. the Commercial Association is tend ing out circular letters to every s!V.p Luilding and dry dock frci ln tfc country, in which 'the government Rd vertisement ftr the sale tf Vie dock appears, as well as giviryr s -rne in formation relative to it, rui th, mer chant vessels which have OocUel and repaired in recent year Chair man Bingham of the con rruttee c-n manufacturing mailed out a number of these letters la?t nigbt, ard more will bo sent out today. - The dock, when it was oontructed In Bnglana in i&!'5, was then consid ered thr larreft snd most mcd-rn steel floating di-y dock in the world. At the etui of the war fc'pr.;n offered it to the United States, ana it was purchased and brought to the Pcnr cola navy yard, where It has eince been in use. A few months ago a sur vey was fculd to ascertain its con dition, and the department, after watt ing for several weeks, has called for proposals with a view of selling it. Extract from Letter. , Tha following extract!" sre taken from the letter pent out by the Com mercial Association: "This Is th so-called SpsrJsh dork, built In England aboot XS3S for the Spanish government, nd towed to Havana. sr.:.- 'a war it has been in rervice et th Pc, i acol t VaXTxardwhichyard is bflnf clwed of .. consolidation ai'sri'i'ii'' finucal ards. "We believe the dock Is !n ftrst Hass condition. Besides doing a con siderable amount of government deck, ing, the following ere amonK the mer chant vessels handled in recent years: "Steamship Elgin, 2,443 tons net register. Steamship Olympia, M.,070 tens net register. "Steamship August Bement, 2.037 tons net register. '.'Steamship B. O. Saltirarsh, 2,513 tens net register. Steamship Tarborough, l.SSJ . tens net register. , "The last named was docked only lest month for extensive repairs to bottom. The government, of course, has not sought business, only docking merchant vessels in special, or emer gency cases. "It Is possible that this dork wHl go at a very low figure. Till you not . consider its purchase, with a view of continuing Its use at this port in con nection with a modern . shipbuilding plant? "Will be pleasnd to co-operate with you in any way possible. T3: time is short." BIG EARTH SLIDES IN CULEBRA CUT Tcta! Nearly a Million Cubio Yards and Cracks in Earth Indicate An other, Which Mayl be More Serious. By Associated Press. New Orleans, Feb. 21. Earth slides totaling nearly a million cutic yards have interfered with operation in the Culebra cut section of tho Pijama canal, according to mail dispatches re-' celved here today from Colon. Cracks in the earth indicate another slide, which may aseume more alarm ing proportions. HOBSON OBTECTS TO THE LANGUAGE USED Asks Congress to Make on Inquiry Into' Charges Made By Representative Hays. By Associated Preaa. Washington, Feb. 21. Keprerenta tlve Ilobaon, cf Alabama, in a, resolu tion thla afternoon asks the house to make an inquiry into the charge made by representative Hays that he (Hob son) had attacked the military ariairs committee in a "cowardly manner." in Vicinity of Destructive Storm At Eaily, ex negro house and focr barns were destroyed. At Antioch. a church was scattered 4n every direction and two houses blown down. The store and home of D. J. Stln son, twenty miles north of Meridian, was destroyed. At Bodga. the new mill of the Sum ter Lumber Company was unroofed, a shed blown down, several negro houses wrecked and treei uprooted. Reports from the storm area are slow in reaching here, owing to th almost paralyzed condition of tLe tei ccrapli and telephone wires,