Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-03-16

PHILADELPHIA, March 15th.-The Times
to-day prints two additional letters from Lieu
tenant Melville-one written before he left
San Francisco, and the other during the voy.
age Of the Jeanette.
La the first he expresses doubt as to the
seaworthiness of the vessel, saying that the
Tigress was bsd enough, but that the jean
nette was much worse. He said he had left
nothing undone to provide against what was
ahead of him, and ne was not going to back
out; but that the Jeanette would never
come back, because she could not stand the
ice.
In the second letter, which contained the
last news received from the Jeanette until
Melville sent the telegram announcing that
she had been crushed in the ice, he
said: "We did not send eur con-
voy back from st. Michael's, as we
expected. because we were too deeply laden
already to take on our stores. 1t was very
fortunate for as that we had her to carry our
extra coal and stores over here. for on the
way we were caught in terrible gale of
wind, and owing to the condition of the ship,
and deeply laden as we were, the sea had
clean sweep over US. 1t stove in our forward
parts, carried awaythe bridge and bulkheads,
and in fact just drowned us out. Had we
the other stuff on board we must have
foundered, or else got it overheard 10 time.
We leave here for the East Cape to-day, hav-
ing taken on board all our stores, and we are
in even a much worse condition than we were
before; but we think that maybe when we
get into the ice, where the wind can't rsise
the sea, we will be O. X. We find from the
natives that Nordenskiold's Swedish frigate
had passed out through the Straits, so that
part of our duty is done, though we are going
to the eastward of the West Cape as far as
Nordenskjolds winter quarters to make sure
of his escape from the ice. After that we
point for Wrangell Land if we can if not,
we may drift in the pack ice TOWARDS the
North Pole "
This letter was dated ST. Laurence Bay,
west coast of Behring's Straits, August 20.
1879. s.
The Inquiry into the Peruvian Scandal.
WASHINGTON, March 15th.-This morning
Jacob R. Shipherd, accompanied by his wife,
appeared at the rooms of the House Com
mittee on Foreign Affairs, investigating the
Peruvian scandal, and was sworn. The
Chairman inquired in relation to the four
missing letters, and asked if he wrote such
letters, describing them as indexed at the
State Department, to the Secretary of State.
He replied, st is my recollection that |
did," Witness stated that he had expected
to prepare copies of the letters alluded to,
but was unable to complete them
before leaving New York. He had copies
of the missing letters in his letter books,
and of all letters sent and received, and
could prepare copies but as some of the let
tsrs were quite lengthy, he would naturally
wish to look over and compare the copies he
might have made. He would require some
further time. The Chairman made several
inquiries in relation to the letters, and asked
il his subpoena did not require him to produce
- -
was not aware that it did" Witness pro-
duced the subpoena and read from it. In re-
quired him to produce copies of all letters
written by him to Blaine also copies of all
letters written to Secretary Evarts and
Blaine between June 1, 1879, and February
l. 1882; also copies of letters written to any
Minister or Consul.
Tragedy In a Texas Courtroom.
LITTLE Rock, March 14th.-A Dallas
(Texas) special to the Gazette says: This city
was thrown into the greatest excitement ever
experienced or similar occasion, at o'clock
this afternoon, by the announcement that
ex-Mayor j. NJ. Thurmond had been shot and
killed in the County Courtroom by r. E.
Cowart. prominent lawyer. The two met
in the Courthouse, and after an exchange Of
ugly words, in which Thurmond appears
to have been the aggressor, both men
ctlultauCVuoiJ uiC" pioSOIes
Cowart firing first, the ball passing directly
through his antagonists head, blowing out
his brains and causing instant death.
ANTEcEDENTs OF THE VICTIM.
New York. March 15th.-A special says
that the ex-Mayor of Dallas, Tex, who was
killed by a man named Cowart yesterday,
Montana and Texas. He was driven from
Montana few years ago by the Vigilantes,
because he was the legal defender of road
agents. He was native of Kentucky, aged
about 40 years.
The Great Flood.
VICKsBURG, March 15th.-News from the
overlooked districts continues to pour in. The
distress is terrible. A steamer from the
Tallahatchie and Yazoo rivers. having left
the mouth OF the Coldwater, 437 miles above
Vicksburg, Sunday morning at daylight, re-
ports the water there FIVE feet higher than
ever known, and still rising at the rate of
seven inches in twentyfour hours. The peo-
pie along the Tallahatchie and Yszoo rivers
are living on the tops of residences and in
gin lofts. In many places the water was up
to the top of the buildings. Horses and mules
will be pretty generally saved, but the greater
portion of all the stock will be drowned.
Barges, skiffs and other means of relief are
being freely sent to the sufferers at different
points. A very large amount of stock and
many families arrived to-day from different
localities. The inhabitants of Delta, La.
are abandoning their homes as fast as they
can be removed to this city by ferryboats and
barges, which have been exceedingly busy all
day.
The Situation at Omaha.
OMAHA, March 15th.-An attempt to iden-
tify the militiaman who killed George Z.
Armstrong was made this morning by Sheriff
Miller and others, with Warrant for his ar
rest, but it proved failure, and the man yet
remains unknown. 1t is suspected that he
has left town.
Armstrong; remains this afternoon were
attended to the grave by 800 workingmen
in procession, with three bands of music.
The Union Pacific shops were entirely shut
down, as the men were nearly all out attend
ing the funeral.
President Dillcn, of the Union Pacific,
who is in the city, is anything but pleased
with the demonstrations made by the Union
Pacific shops during the labor difficulties.
Discharge OF Conductors.
OMAHA, March 15sh-Considerable sf
sensation is created here by the fact that the
Union Pacific began to-day to discharge
number of conductors, among whom are nu-
merous Cld-tjmers and popular men. 1t is
claimed LnaL lnkeEUOu uSleCClVSS nave DeeE
working the main lines and branches since
last August, and recently turned into head
quarters vo.uninous report, upon which the
present discharge of conductors is based. No
other reason for the discharge is given except
that their services are no longer wanted.
There are 375 passenger and freight conduct
ors employed by the Union Pacific on the
main line and branches, and it is reported
that at least $50 are to be bounced" Six
on the eastern were let out to-day 1t is said
that out of % conductors on this division, all
but two or three will be let out, and that all
but one or two on the mountain division and
Ju!esburg branch to Denver will follow suit.
Also all but two or three running between
Grand Island and North Platte Several
brakemen have already been promoted to the
vacant conductorships. It will take some
time to complete the change.
Frightfnl Boiler Explosion.
LYNN Mass J, March 15th.-Ths boiler in
Goodwin Brothers shoe factory exploded this
morning, leveling the building and killing
several men. The fire department was quick
ly called out, and Immediately went to work
to remove the debris from the end of the
building near Exchange street. One poor
fellow, badly mangled, was taken out. His
first words were, There are more in there"