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VOL. XXIII.-NO. 66. GEN. ROBERTS AWAITS MASSING OF THE BOERS Transvaal and Free State Forces, Under Supreme Com mand of Gen. Joubert, Assembling to Resist the Progress of British Toward Blosmfontein— No Hint as to Plans of Britons. i 'i Gen. Roberts is beeping silent as to his in- j! I tent ions, but it is believed that he is awaiting |; ; the massing of the Boers in his front, in order J! j; to strike the crushing blow of the campaign. It || [• is announced that Gen Joubert is in personal <! ; command of the Tra isuaal and Free State || \' troops who will oppose the advance of the Brit- !j I; ish. There are said to be about ten thousand j! j men in the force of Boers that is immediately !; !; in front of Gen. Roberts, but there is reason to ; believe that a much stronger position will be ! found back where Gen. Joubert's army is con j; gregating. A great battle seems imminent LONDON, March 7.—Lord Roberts still pauses In the neighborhood of Osfontein, 'while stores, remounts and fresh troops stream toward him from the Cape. The British position also continues to improve In the minor spheres of the campaign. Natal is clear of Boers, and Cape Col ony is nearly so. The Boers, seemingly, ere pursuing the course commended by the strategists and are concentrating to resist the British main army. Various messages from correspondents with Lord Roberts report that the enemy are in creasing continually on his front, extend ing, as one correspondent wires, eight miles, and, as another says, eighteen miles. The lowest estimate of their num bers gives the Boers from 8,000 to 10,000, ■with smaller bodies moving north and couth of the British lines. Each army Is on both sides of the Modder river. Although the Boers have mounted eight guns on the top of kopjes and appear to be too far away for Inspection, the British scouts report that they are diligently using pick and shovel. Military opinion Is that Uieir present position merely ; ecreens a more easily defended one further back. No one seems able to Xathom Lord Roberts' plans, but it Is suggested that he Is quite willing to give the Boers time to assemble all their men in order to be able to give a sweep- Ing blow more effectively. ANNEXATION SCHEME. The round robin, In favor of the an nexation of the Transvaal and Free States, which is being promoted among the supporters of the government In the house of commons, continues to receive B'.gnatures. The signatories to the me morial to Mr. Balfour affirm that the time has come for plain speaking inside and outside of parliament, and that Lord Salisbury's words are being construed Into a pledge against annexation, and Lord Roberts" proclamation into a pledge of no confiscation of Boer property. The Transvaal agency at Brussels pre dicts a rising of Cape Dutch in the event of annexation, though why the Dutch should rise then rather than now is not explained. Mr. A. G. Hale, the Daily News corre spondent, who was captured by the Boers on Feb. 9, was released at Bloemfontein and put through the lines near Slerk- Btroom. He telegraphed that the Boers are demoralized, but adds that they have been treating the British wounded splen didly. REPORT FROM ROBERTS. Tho war office has received the follow ing dispatch from Lord Roberts: "Osfontein, March 6.—Gen. Gatacre oc cupied Stormberg yesterday. The lines of railway north and west will now be repaired. Gen. Clement? is at Joubert s Siding station, beyond Colesberg. The Duke of Marlborough, with the Oxford company of the yeomanry, has left Cap* Town lor Naauwpoort. •'Gen. Buller reports Natal now prac tically clear of the enemy and that he cannot hear of any formed body of them anywhere. The Boers left some amrnu bulances full of iheir sick from which the mules had been taken for transport service." Surgeon Treves cables from Ladysmith that the condition of the town is most deplorable and that there are 800 casea of typhoid fever. Lavish supplies of comforts are now In the place, however. ACTIVITY OF BOERS. A dispatch to the Dally News from Mod eler Kiver, dated Monday, March 5, and describing the Boer position in front of Lord Roberts, says: "The Boers seem to be busy intrenching. They have mounted eight guns on high kopjes. It is marvelous how they drag these weapons into such positions. "It Is reported that at a recent emer gency meeting of the Free State raad at Bloemfontein a radical difference of opin ion developed, the majority favoring peace at any price, but the minority, including President Steyn, advocating a nj^ht to the end." GEN. JOI'BERT COMMANDS. A dispatch to the Standard from Osfon tein, dated Sunday, March 4, says: "Gen. Joubert Is reported to'bs in su preme command of the Boer forces here." AUSTRALIANS COMPLIMENTED. CAPE TOWN, March 7.—An undated telegram from Colerberg says that the Australian regiment has been honored by a visit from Lord Kitchener. The Arundel column has been largely reinforced. An official notification has been issued that the Queenstown procla mation of Nov. 27, regarding certain terms offered the rebels by Gen. Bra bant in event of their surrender, has been Withdrawn, but those in arms against England may return to their farms upon surrendering their weapons, receiv ing a pass, but they are liable to be call ed to account later. REBELS GIVEN FREE HAND. ORANGE RIVER, Cape Colony, March 6.—The recent British victories have had a wonderfully quieting effect upon the rebel Dutch, many of whom in the neign. The St. Paul Globe borhood of Douglas are reported disheart ened and about returning to their homes. The commando in the neighborhood of Britatown has been given carte blanch* by President Steyn to raise as many re cruits and to do as much damage as possible. The rebels in the neighborhood of Ken hart are particularly aggressive, acting on the supposition that the- troops of Lord Roberts are fully occupied in the Free State. BRITISH ADVANCED CAMP. COLESBERG, March 6.—The British advanced camp is now at Oorlogspoort river, several miles beyond Ashertong CAPE DUTCH REBEL. CAPE TOWN, March 6.—Nearly the whole of the Dutch population of the Prie-ska and Kenhardt district are in re bellion. Many of ihe Dutch from neigh boring districts are reported to have joined them, notably Piet Moolman, who will lead the rebels. WOMEN BOER PRISONERS. CAPE TOWN, March 6.—Many women and boys, said to be good .«hots, are among the Boer prisoners arriving here. Lord Roberts has accepted the honor ary colonelcy of the City of London Vol unteers. HORRORS OF WAR. Ghnstly and Revolting Evidences of the A ■»%• fnl Struggle. LONDON, March 6.—The Boers in Northern Cape Colony are in full retreat to the Orange Free Slate. .The posses sion of Stormberg puts Gen. Gatacre in railroad communication with Gen. Clem ents at Colesberg, for though the Boers partially wrecked the railroad it iir-un derstood that it can be quickly repaired, and thus the entrance of additional Brit ish troops into the Free State will be greatly facilitated. The position gained by Gen. Brabant at Dordrecht is reported to be exceed ingly strong. According to the Times correspondent, the Boers' numbers alone enabled them to retreat from Dordrecht practically unhindered. He also reports a violation of the white flag by the Boers, and that they deliberately fired at close range on a stretcher party. Gen. White's garrison has begun to leave Ladysmith and is arriving at the Mooi river camp, where the troops will remain several days, after which they will go further south. They are ema ciated and exhausted and say the road to Colenso presents scenes that exceed in horror those depicted in Dante's "In ferno." Dead men and animals are lying, mutilated and putrifled, in the trenches formerly occupied by the Boers and fill the air with a sickening stench. In cases where hurried burial had been at tempted the rains have washed the earth away, and out of the earth stick ghastly legs and arms of dead burghers. A dispatch from Osfontein says that, according to the Boer prisoners, another important British success will cause President Steyn to flee to Pretoria, leav ing a provisional government at Bloem fontein, which is likely to make peace I overtures, those Free Staters not wish i ing for peace trekking into the Transvaal j and there helping to make a stand, which" ! most of the British military critics now point out will constitute the most diffi cult and deciding feature of *he war. BOERS WEL.L. SI PPLIED. Agent Van Sicklen Srj-r AH They Xced Xow Is Cash. NEW YORK, March fi — "The Boers have plenty of money for Red Cross pur poses, :ind all the ambulances, etc., (.hat they need," said George W. Van Sicklen today. "I have this information in per sonal letters from Dr. Xeyds, the Boei European agent at Brussels. Dr. Mueller, at The Ha^ue, and Dr. Hoffmeyer, prepi' dent of the Afrikander bund, at Ca;ie Town. They tell me what they need now is money for the Boer widows and orphans. "I sent }2,000 to the Boers on Friday lastT and checks are still coming in. We have had upward of a thousand men ap ply for fighting duty In South Africa, mostly German, Irish and French, and quite a number of Americans, among them discharged soldiers and sailors ot the United States army and navy," but, of course, we have no money to send men over there." FAVORS THE BOERS. Ex-President Harrison on War In Souili Africa. NEW YORK, March 6.—A special from Auburn, lnd., •ays: "Ex-President Harrison has been inter viewed by many public men of Indiana in regard to the British-Boer war, and he minces no words In expressing his sym pathy for the Boers, although he persist ently refuses to be publicly quoted, lest his words embarrass the McKinley ad ministration." Honor for Lady White. LONDON, March 6.—Lady White, wife of Gen Sir George White, has been in vested by the queen with the order of the Crown of India. Officers Gazetted. LONDON, March 6.—The following on cers of Lord Strathcoiia and Mount WEDNESDAY MORNING, MARCH 7, 1900. Royal corps were gazetted tonight: Sam uel K. Steele, of the Northwest mounted police, to be lieutenant colonel, with the saint' temporary rank in the army, :md Lieut R. C, A. Laurie, R. Belcher and A. M. Jarris and A. E. Snyder to be ma lort,. NIHILIST PLOTS. They Hnve Caused Activity In Una. winn Police Circle*. ST. PBTEtjgBURG, March C.-The re cent dls<(iv.M'\ of Russian and Polish nihilist plots have led to renewed polio* precautions. On all the Russian fron tiers the police are cxciciHiiiK extreme vigilance and are guarding the czar's movements. The entire routes of the czar's visits to barracks, theaters and pub'ie fluctuations are doubly patrolled by secret police, while the guards about the winter palace and along the Neva Quay are particularly numerous. Mm, Stevn at Aberdeen. LONDON, March 6.—The Press Asso ciation says that the wife of President Steyn, of the Orange Free State, is re siding at Aberdeen with relations. HllklnHon'H Review lirlef. LONDON, March 7.—Spencer Wilkin son, in the Morning Post today, confines his review of the military situation to ft mere record of events and concludes as follows: "It almost seems as If Lord Roberts wishes to let the Boers assemble as much of the-ir army as possible before begin ning to try conclusions with them." RAPID TRANSIT SLUMP. Grand Jury Indicts Men Charged With Responsibility for It. NEW YORK, March 6.—The special grand jury which has been investigating Brooklyn Rapid Transit matters brought In a report before Judge Furstman, in the criminal branch of <he supreme court, together with indictments against the men, making them in part responsible for the false reports that have been circulated about Brooklyn Rapid Transit, which re sulted in a depression of the stock. The men indicted are Alfred R. Gorlin, who was arrested in Philadelphia; Harry J. Alexander, an advertising agent; Charles T. Davis, editor of the Wall Street Re view, and Eugene L. Packer, aW three of whom were put under arrest in this city; Warren T. Allen, the alleged stockholder of the Brooklyn Rapid Transit company, and one Bogart, who is said to be Gorlln'g private secretary. The presentment of the grand jury in timates that there were others implicated In the circulation of the false reports, although sufficient proof against them has not been submitted to the grand jury. ■ Davis was arraigned on three indictments, ! two alleging felony and one misdemeanor. He was held in $11,000 bail. Packer was held in $4,000 on two indictments, charging 1 misdemeanor. Alexander was held In $7, --000 bail on three indictments, charging fel ony and conspiracy. Gorlin has not yet been brought to this city from Philadel phia. Alexander and. Davis were commit ted to the Tombs, being unable to furnish bonds. LYING IN STATE. Remains of the Lute Archbishop Hennemy, of Dnbnqne. DUBUQUE, 10., March 6.-I^l6 remains of Archbishop Hennessy were transferred to the cathedral this afternon, where they lie in state, viewed by hundreds of people. Officers of the mass at the ob sequies will be Bishop Cosgrove, of Dav enport, celebrant; Rev. John Carroll, D. D., deacon; Rev. J. R. Fogarty, sub deacon; Father Johannes, assistant priest. More than a hundred priests ar rived today. By Wednesday evening Car dinal Gibbons, many archbishops, bishops and other church officials are expected to be here. DAVENPORT, 10.. March 6.—Bishop Henry Cosgrove, of the Davenport dio cese, senior bishop of the archdiocese, is suggested by many Catholics as suc cessor to the late Archbishop Hennessy. ' WHITTAKER HELD. Preliminary Hearing? In Goebel Ai< slNftinatton Catte. FRANKFORT. Ky., March 6. — The court house was packed today at the ex amining trial of Harlan Whittaker, on the charge of assassinating Gov. Goebel 1. The prosecutor was assisted by Col. L. C. Campbell, of New York. All the witnesses today were those who participated in Whittaker's arrest, including the detec tives, who told startling stories. The defense did not cross-examine any wit ness. Whittaker was held to the grand jury. ■■ FATHER OF HOUSE DEAD. < ongrpMman Hariner Expires at Hl* Home in Germantown, Pis. PHILADELPHIA, March 6.—Congress man Alfred C. Harmer, of the Fifth Pennsylvania district, the "father of the house," died at his home at Germantown. I a suburb of this city. Mr. Harmer had been ill since last November. WASHINGTON, March 6.—The death of Representative Harmer caused a feeling oi genuine regret in Washington. Speaker Henderson was informed tonight of his death and tomorrow a committee of the house will be appointed to attend the funeral. -mm*- NOVEL LIBEL SUIT. Col. Jack cii in ii Resents Alleged Talk of n Woman. FRANKFORT, Ky., March 6.—C01. Jack Chlnn, tlie turfman and politician, and who was with Gov. Goebel when the latter was assassinated, has filed A suit for libel against Kate M. Banta, wife of a merchant of this city. The first para graph charges that the defendant, in the presence of various people, declared that she saw Chirm "shoot Goebel from behind," and that by this libelous dec laration he has been damaged in the sum of $25,000. m KILLED A WOMAN. Chicago Ex-Alderman Shoots Vic toria Goodwin to Death. CHICAGO, March 6.—Ex-Aid. Biers shot and probably fatally wounded Victoria Goodwin, in a saloon tonight. He was ar rested. The shooting is believed to have been actuated by jealousy. m Zaza in Danger. CLEVELAND, 0., March 6.—The police had received instructions to attend the performance of "Zaza" at the Euclid Av enue opera house, by Mrs. Leslie Carte-, tonight, for the purpose of securing evi dence as 'to its morality. Mrs. Carter did not appear, however, and it is thought her engagement will not be finished. Died In Prison. ATLANTA. Ga., March 6.—Edward C. Flanagan, who murdered Miss Ruth Slack and her uncle, at Decatur, a sub urb of Atlanta, in 18S6L died in the jail there this morning. Flanagan has bad four trials. DlHastronn Flood*. ST. LOUIS, March 6. - One human life has been lost and Immense amount of damage done within the la=>t twenty four hours by-the floods throughout the American bottoms and the territory north of Alton, 111 SEHDS IN HIS RECORD ADJT. GESV, (tIHItIV \IH)HKS.st4.s A COMMUNICATION TO SENA TOR DAVIS DEFENDS HIS ARMY CAREER Appenltt to the Minnesota Senator to InveMtiK'utc the I'nctn Presented, and Authorize** Him, In the Event They Be Found OtherivlMe Than Claimed, to Send His ReMliruution to the PrCMident. WASHINGTON, March 6.—The resolu tion adopted by the senate, calling for a complete record of the court-martial which tried Adjt. Gen. Corbin when lieu tenant colonel of the Fourteenth colored infantry, on a charge of cowardice, and other information as to his military ca reer, called for a mass of papers that will require a weeks time to copy, accord ing to the estimate of the war depart ment. Gen. Corbin, in anticipation of the re ply, today addressed to Senator Davis, of Minnesota, an appeal for an immediate examination of his soldle ly record from the day he entered the service of the United States as a sevcnt€ sn-year-old boy, thirty-eight years ago, vi to the present time. Moreover, he auth rizes the sena tor to present his (Corbtti's) resignation to the president if the search reveals a suggestion of unworthiness. The letter includes the findings of the court-martial, which most honorably ac quitted Lieut. Col. Corbin of the charge, the president conferring on him two bre vets for gallant service at the time he was charged with cowardice, and finally a letter from the colonel of the regiment who preferred the charge* praising his work in the campaign. The text of the letter is as follows: Adjutant Generals Office, Washington, D. C., March, li »-Hon. Cushmto K. Davis, Lnlted States Senate—Dear Sir- My attention has been caiied to certain newspaper reports puiporUug to set forth extracts from a memorial that is said to have been transmitted to you, which are In the nature of charges affecting mv record as an officer of the army So far as these statements or any other may be deserving of consideration or explana tion 1 desire to place myself at your com mand or your committee to permit of a searching investigation in order to de velop the facts in the case, and I say to you In all earnestness that if the in- Hnn f^n? \ exe*l« ihJ* sllShtest founda tion 1 will close the discussion so far us l am concerned by authorizing you to ? 0 re t She ntp^,den St SnatiOn fl°m the Bervi<» I believe in dealing with radical meas ures with quick remedies, and sof™ ■ L lies in my power this rule is followed in the administration of the adjutant Sen" eruls department, and I shall not shrink J™ m havlng the same rule applied in my ut%% V, Bo*K> y <*uty a« an officer of the aimy to afford you and through you congress fall and complete information referring to my .department of the miU }£•■>' service in part or in whole I have the honor to hand you herewith j£i offi cial copy of General " Order No 6 Headquarters First Division, Army the^oceetS £^»^Uofe 18Sl %£&*& t0 wlt-: Most honorably acqSit" That tne court was composed of officers or experience and high character iroes findings and approval were in all re questioS 1^ and I&WfU! has never been nfY?E£ at #nn, t!? n is also lnvited to a copy of the official record inclosed herewith t* «♦ f f/^agements of the Fourteenth Suited States colored infantry in arid about Decatur, Ala., during the latte" part of the month of October, 1864 printl ed in volume 4», part 1. pages 714 to 716, of the records of the Union and Confed erate armies. War of the Rebellion which report is signed by the officer who later preferred the charges upon which I was and place W ielate<* to that time I feel confident that your own long ex perience as a public man and your high sense of justice of the ofßcia'l records herewith brought to your attention will not allow you to be misled or to accept as true the statements contained in the memorial- referred to. Tf. however, you desire to make further examination into my record, 1 will gladly grant you any assistance in examining the records made day by day from the time when, as a lad of seventeen, 1 left my father's farm :n Southern Ohio, and joined the volunteer army, i am now closing my thirty-eighth £T aJ .of t . continuous service, a service modest though it is, yet I claim to have been honest and faithful. My service in the volunteer army cov ered nearly four years-, in that time hav ing received commands of six grades from that of second lieutenant to and* including that of colonel, with brevet of brigadier general. From that service <H-WaX t h°norably discharged. Not only this, but Gen. Grant, while secretary of war ad interim (two years after the trial herein discussed had been of record in the war department), conferred upon me by authority of the president, two brev ets, one of major for gallant and meritori ous conduct in the battle of Decatur, Ala., and another of colonel for like serv ices in the battle of Nashville (copies of which are inclosed, covering the exact dates set fortly in the specifications in the charge tried). Following my discharge from the vol unteer service I was appointed a second Uf. utenant in the regular army, and July, l&W. I was appointed a captain in one of the new regiments, and so far as I rim aware without the solicitation of any influence outside of the military service" I had been an officer of the army moro than fourteen years before I had the hon orable, the personal acquaintance of any member of congress, and any one else '" tou<>r" wlth ways in Washington. My first ten. years in ihe regular army were spent with my company in the then remote Western state? and territories of Kansas, Colorado, New. Mexico Ari zona and Texas, having in that time marched in different expeditions against hostile Indians and changes of station from Fort Riley, Kan. (the Western ter minal of the railways leading to the West), to Fort Brown, at the mouth of the R'"o Grande (the distance traversed and difficulties of this service being fully understood by those who Iw/e had the experience). Dining all those ten years T was never absent from duty for a sin gle day from any cause whatever. I served fourteen years as a captain of PRESIDENT Wlbb SIGN PUERTO RIGAN Bibb' WASHINGTON, March «.—President McKinley, In conversation with callers at the White house, yesterday, reiterated his belief that the peo ple of Puerto Rico were entitled to free trade with the United States. He made it clear that hs views had undergone no change since he wrote his message to congress. He still adhered to the sentiment therein ex pressed. At the same time he said he was unable to subscribe to the theory that the constitution followed the flag; that the Puerto Ricans must have free trade as a necessary legal right. When he found that «J.he house deem#d it the part of wisdom, the president explained, to im pose a small tarifi. upon condition that the revenues so collected all be returned to the Island, he had been constrained to yield to the judg ment of the house. The tariff under such conditions would be no hard ship to the Puerto Ricans. Moreover, he believed it advisable, at the earliest moment, to secure a decision of the supreme court on the con stitutional question involved. Therefore he had given his consent to the nominal tariff, and agreed to sign the bill. He left no doubt in the minds of his callers—whom he questioned closely regarding the drift of public sentiment—that congress, not the executive, was responsible for the change of policy. BULLETIN OF IMPORTANT NEWS OF THE DAY Weather Forecast for St. Paul: Fair; Warmer. 1«-Hew« Fr»m South Africa. Corhln DefendN HI in Mcl f. Horrible Mine l>lfsii*t<r. it— Patron* of the Library. Sclioolm Figuring- Economy. Bldnt for Xcw Dome. B—Minneapolis Matters. Gov. Lind Removes Metcalf. Duluth*M New Mayor. 4—Editorial Page. DebN Heard of Again. tt—Sporting Xewn. Root-Ryan Mnteh. Vote on Gold Bill. 6—Popular Wain*. \«'hn of ItililroadM. 7—Market** of the World. Chicago May Wlimi, (S6 l-Bc. Bar Silver, si> 5-Hc. Stocks Irregular. B—ln the Labor World. Brlggs Divorce Cane. School Board Appointments. OCEAN' LINERS. NEW YORK—Arrived: Steamer West ernland, Antwerp. Sailed: Saale, Bre men via Southampton. PHILADELPHI A-Arrived: Rhynland, from Liverpool. GLASGOW—Arrived: Sarmatian, Boston. BOSTON—Arrived: Ultonla, Liverpool. LIVERPOOL—Arrived: Bovic, New York. BREMEN—Arrived: Darmstadt, New York. ANTWERP—Arrived: Noordland, New York. NAGASAKI—SaiIed: Victoria, Seattle. PLYMOUTH—SaiIed: Patricia, from Hamburg, New York. TODAY IN ST. PAUL. METROPOLITAN—"The Highwayman," 2:30 and 8:15. GRAND—"The Telephone Girl," 2:30 and 8:15. Palm Garden—Vaudeville, 2 and 8 p. m. Charter commission meets, city hall, 8 p. m. School board meets, 2 p. m. Democratic city and county organiza tion, precinct committeemen meet, New York Life building, 8 p. m. infantry and in the adjutant general's department; nine years in the grade ol major; seven years in the grade of lieu tenant colonel; two years in the grade of colonel, and at the time of my appoint ment as adjutant general was the senior colonel of the department. Your attention is also invited to the fact that the president tendered me the commission of major general of volun teers, which I had the honor to decline, bo that all three offices (limited to num ber by law) might be given to officers serving with troops in the field. I have now served in the regular army more than a third of a century, and I have been absent from duty from any cause less than thirty days. This appeal is made to you in the name of justice, and I am confident that it is not made in vain. Very respectfully, —H. C. Corbin, . Adjutant General. 1«>. PHILIPPINE COMMISSION. N It Is Now Complete, Mr. Moses Hav ing Accepted. March 6.-Prof. Ber nard Moses, of the University of Califor nia, had a conference with the president today. Mr. McKinley tendered him the vacant place in the new Philippine com mission, and Mr. Moses accepted it. This completes the commission, whose personnel is as follows: Judge Taft, of Ohio, pureaident; Dean C. Worcester, Michigan; Luke Wright, Tennessee; Hen ry C. Ide, Vermont; Bernard Moses, California. SHIP AFIRE AT SEA. Had Been Abandoned to Her Fate by Her Crew, PHILADELPHIA, March 6.—The Amer ican line steamship Rhynland arrived here today from Liverpool and reported having sighted the Norwegian ship Sol heim, from Mobile, Jan. 23, for Fleetwood, England, adandoned and on fire. The fire was burning fiercely from the stern amidships. Not finding any life the Rhynland blew her whistle for quite a while, in the hope that the crew of the vessel might be within hearing and make known their whereabouts, but the Rhyn land saw nothing and proceeded. She is supposed to have carried a crew of from fifteen to twenty men. Her cap tain's name was Metzen. TRACK GAVE AWAY. Fatal Accident on the Fort Wayne & Chicago. PITTSBURG, March 7.—The west bound track of the Pittsburg, Fort Wayne & Chicago railway, which spans Robinson street, Allegheny, sank under the weight of a heavy freight en gine at 1 o'clock this morning, letting an engine and freight car drop to the street. There were four men on the engine at the time, two of whom were killed out right, a third probably fatally injured. The dead are: A. K. Miller, aged 21; E. J. Dewald. brakeman. Conductor James Martin was badly scalded, and his recovery is hardly pos sible. The engineer, Samuel Brier, escaped by jumping. ORDER DISSOLVED. Sad Blow to the ANsamptlonlKt Fath om In France. PARIS, March 6.—The appeal court to day gave judgment upholding the sen tence ol' dissolution pronounced against the Order of the Assumptionist Fathers by the lower court, but granting them re lief from the fine of 16 francs each, In accordance with the provisions of the first offenders' law. PRICE TWO CENTS-{SMTJfifc^ AWFUL MINE DISASTER COSTS MANY LIVES Fifty Men Are Entombed in the Red Ash Mine, in the New River District of Wast 'Virginia-Ex plosion of Fire Damp Believed to Have Been the Cause. jj FIRE GREEK, W.VVat. t March 6.-The most ;! ; I disastrous mine explosion ever known in the !; jj New River district occurred at the Red Ash j |! mine s'wrtly after the miners went to work, ! j; early this morning. Although the most heroic j jj work of the rescuing party has been going on ! j; incessantly all day, it is impossible tonight to \ jj estimate the full extent of the loss of life and I; jj property. More than fifty dead bodies have al- J! jj ready been taken out, and the nuwber of the dead \\ jj may reach seventy-five or more. It is thought ji jj tonight that at least forty-five miners are yet jj |j entombed in the wrecked mine. !; FIRE CREEK, W. Va., March C—The most disastrous mine explosion ever known in the New River district, oc curred at the Red Ash mine shortly after the miners went to work early this morn, ing. Although the most heroic work of the rescuing party has been going on In cessantly, all day, It Is impossible to night to estimate the full extent of the loss of life and property. The Red Ash mine is a large drift, and the explosion occurred near the entrance, which was thus closed by the falling slate, entombing a large number of miners. The scene of the disaster te between this place and Thurmand, on the south branch of the Chesapeake & Ohio railway, and every assistance possible was rendered by the railway company and by the adjoin, ing mining towns. Relief parties from great distances arrived as soon as pos sible. State Mine Inspector Plnekney, with, a corps of e-xpertß and many worß men, has been on the ground during the day, rendering all assistance possiWe, and devoting his attention more toward relict than to an official investigation as to the cause of the disaster. WORK OF RESCUE. J. Fred Efflnger, of Staunton, Va,, the principal owner of the mines, spared no effort in the work of lescue and relief, and his manager, Ferdinand Howell, had all the men available at work in trying to clear away the debris and rescue the entombed men. The managers and bosses of all the mines in this district came to the scene as soon as possible, and joined in the work of rescue. It Is impossible to describe the amount of work done by this concentrated army of men, but they were greatly impelled because of the extent of the enormous blockade at the entrance to the drift. The large, heavy 6ide tires of the entrance were blown out to some distance, to gether with a lot of heavy timbers. Even mules were blown out some distance. The force of such an explosion caused an immense falling of the slate and other debris, so that the entrance was filled up for a great distance and the difficulties in digging through it caused delay in the work of rescuing. As many men as could work at one time were digging away with all their might, and were re. lieved In Hhort relays by other men, so as to expedite the work of rescuing as much as possible. TEN BODIES RECOVERED. The first successful strike of the rescu ers was about 10 a. m., when ten bodies were recovered. It was found that seven of them were already dead, and the other three were dying. As the miners were located at different places in the drift, and the explosion causod the falling slate to blockade the' rooms in different parts of the mine, the work of rescuing the men met with one great obstruction after another. Those taken out about 10 a. m. wer* not far from the entrance, while others were at much greater distances within the drift. The exciting scenes around the entrance to the mines whore all these men wcr* working extended throughout the entire region, and the miners of other camps came ir. with their families, and with greatly exaggerated reports concerning the calamity. At the mouth of the mine the scone waa beyond description. The wives and chil dren and the neighbors of those who were known to be entombed were there in full force, and their anxiety and distress were most intense. While they were all seek ing to help those who were rescued and to get the mine reopened, yet the bereav ed people were for the most part in the way of rescuers, and had to be held back from the entrance. The mine is one of the largest in West Virginia, and was very heavily timbered in the different drifts. It was for thla reason at once feaced that tho^e who had nut been killed by falling debris at th% time of the explosion would be pinioned by these connected timbers and suffer deat'i from suffocation. - Air was forced into the mine by engines on the surface, which were kept working: after the ex plosion, but it was found that air could be pumped into the drift for only a short distance, as the coal, stone and earth shut off all possibility of pumping into the mines. The pumps and all other ma chinery in the mine were demolished, so that everything had to be done through temporary arrangements on the surface. APPEAL FOR AID. After the men got under headway in the work of rescue they reached the first party In less than an hour, but they met greater difficulties after that time. It was then that telegrams were sent to Montgomery, Charleston and other places MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOOJETY, for physicians, nurses and ca.skets, but during the greater part of the day there was use only for the caskets. All work was stopped In the eurroun.iing mines of the district, and the people within a ra dius of many miles assembled on the grounds of the Red" Ash company. Had the accident occuned an hour later many more would have been In the mines-. The estimates on the number in the mines when the explosion occurred are based on the number who entered at 7 .o'clock. The manager stated at 8 o'clock or 8:30 a. m., there would have been twice as many men in the mines. As victims were brought to the surface and carried away upon the hastily-con structed stretchers, it was frequently noticed that many met their husbands, fathers, brothers and sons among the rescuers when they thought these men were in the mines. These meetings be tween the men who had not yet entered the mines and their families were very touching. All those who could not find their friends in the crowd assumed that they were In the enclosed mines. VILLAGE IN MOURNING. The population of this mining village ia only 500. All are miners, and very many of them ««e related, and they ail knew each other. There was great distress all day among those who could not find their friends or hear from any one that they had seen them since the explosion. As Thurmond is only three miles from the ecene of the- disaster, there were some few in the mine who lived at that place, but for the most part the victims re sided here, and the calamity will reach almost evtry little house "within the mining town. None of the people have been at their homes during the day, but have remained around the Red Ash mine. Some have not eaten during the day. Food was liberally supplied to the relays of workmen in the rescuing party, but many of the women who could get no word of comfort refused to eat or go to their hones. At a late hour tonight the most reliable estimate obtainable puts the number of the victims at 125. The capacity of the mine is 175, but there have been only 130 on the pay roll so far this month, and it is stated that nearly all of these were in the mine at the time of the explosion. The manager, superintendent, t) paeon, bookkeepers and others are very busy with the force of rescuers, but at the same time they are all very reticent aa to the extent of the casualties and any information regarding the disaster. So far as can be learned there are thirty seven dead bodiesMn the village tonight that have been taken out of the mine during the day, and there are als=o parts of human bodies at different places. The bodies, as a rule, are so mangled as to be beyond recognition, and the following are the only names of the dead that ar« obtainable tonight. SOME VICTIMS. Bret Long, Thomas Day, Tom Long, Matt Quareise. Dodo Long, GrnnviUe Home, Two Lone boys, James Hackney, James Sanders, Sam Jackson, Charles Fouch, Mat Call, Novelle Dewes, Bill Sledges, Sam Shoup, Valie Edges, Charles Downey, Joe Elliott, Andrew J. Prett, Berry Wright, John Clare, John Kane, Two Hambrlck Ed Harper, brothers. Bat Joins. N. C. Ramsey, Rawson Holmes, Crick Stuart, Ernest Loy, John Day, James Washinffton, Berry Tucker, Charles Pi.-rfater. Dayidylng), TERRIBLE SCENES. The scenes around the homes where the dead bodies are lying have drawn some of the immense crowd away from the workmen at the entrance to the mine. Those working on the rescue relays say that the scene becomes more terrible aa they get farther into the mine. The men become almost faint of heart when they strike a place tilled with dead bodies, and in case the bodies are recognisable they are confronted with the remains of an old friend. Most of the bodies that cannot be iden tified or recognized have been placed in the large blacksmith shop of the Red Ash Coal company, and that place prer sents the appearance of a horrible morgue. Although the bodies are man gled beyond recognition, yet they are surrounded by those who are In distress and hunting their lost friends. The general belief Is that the explosion occurred by contact with dust when the miners entered this morning with their lights, and that it was not due to tire damp, as has been currently reported all day. Nearly all the men employed in the mine were white, only about one-fifth being colored, and most of the men were married and had families in the little cot tages near the tipple of the great mine. RELIEF TRAINS IN. A special train arrived tonight from Montgomery aU7 o'clock, filled with re porters, physicians, nurses and others, and one car contained thirty caskets. After the- arrival of the train an order was sent back to Montgomery for fifty more caskets. Another train arrived from Charleston with physicians, caskets and relief supplies. Still another train came in from Hinton, but there is no need of physicians and nurses, as the victims are evidently dead. There is great need Continued on Third Page.