The National tribune., 1883-02-22
THE NEWS OF THE WEEK.
SeTenty-fVe Lives Lost by a Mine
Disaster in Illinois.
THE WESTERN FLOODS.
Events at the Capitol and in
the Departments.

The Jeanette board of inquiry has submitted
its report to the Secretary of the Navy. The
board finds that the Jeanette formerly the
Pandora) was a staunch vessel, although her
model was not specially adapted to such SER
vice. The delay caused by her want of speed
and her search along the Siberian coast for the
Swedish exploring ship Vega put her COM
mander at great disadvantage when he en-
countered the pack too early in September in
the vicinity of Herald Island. He was obliged
either to return to some port to the southwark
and pass the winter or to force his way through
the ice to Wrangel Land. The board justiies
him in accepting the latter alternative. The
narrrtive of events as given by the report has
heretofore been published. The skill, pru-
dence and foresight of Commander DE Long
in meeting emergencies in maintaining dis
cipine, and enforcing regulations for preserv-
ing the health of the officers and men are
highly commended and his general course is
deemed to have been proper under the existing
circumstances. Lieut. Danenhower is especially
commended for the part he took in navigating
the wbale-boat, in which the Melville party
finally reached the Siberian coast. The board
further says: There is conclusive evidence
that, aside from trivial difficulties such as
occur on shipboaTd even under the most favor
able circumstances, and which had no intiu-
ence in bringing about the disaster of the ex-
peditiOn and no pernicious effect upon its
general conduct, every officer and man so con-
Quoted himself that the court finds no occasion
to impute censure to any member of the party"
Rerdell, one of the defendants in the star
route suit, withdrew his plea of not guilty
last week and was accepted as witness for the
prosecution. His examination is still proceed
ing Among other things his testimony re-
veals the fact that ex-Assistant Postmaster
General Brady figured in the books of the
star route contractors as William Smith, and
received a certain per cent of the profits of
their operations Rerdell also testified that eX-
Senator Dorsey had begged him not to reveal
the secrets of the ring the ground that it
would ruin him and his children, and be the
death of his wife.
In accordance with instructions by res0lU-
tion of the Senate on the 9TH of December, the
Senate Judiciary Committee has investigated
the question Of the title to the National Sol
diers' Cemetery and the site of Fort Myer, ION
the Arlington estate,) and on the 18th inst.
submitted its report through Mr.. Edmunds.
The report expresses no opinion as to the cor
rectness of the judgment of the United States
Supreme Court restoring the estate to George
Washington Custis Lee and recommends that
the proposition of Gen. Lee TO sell the property
TO the United States Government for $150,000
be accepted.
1t is understood that Secretary Folger has
directed Treasurer Gilfllan not to order any
more of the new five-cent nickels from the
mints until their legality can be established.
1t is claimed that the new nickels do not come
within strict construction Of the law creating
them because they do not indicate precisely
what amount they represent, and it will be
necessary to add the word Cents" on the re-
verse side before they can be considered lawful
-na1hey.
At meeting of the board of directors and
ineorporators of the Garfield Memorial Asso-
citation in this city on Monday evening, reso-
lBsion was unanimously adopted directing the
purchase of the Schneider property, on Boun-
dairy avenue, at the head of Tenth street, con-
tanning six and three-quarter acres of ground
and large dwelling, providing it can be had
for reasonable sum. The price asked is
$4,000.
Mr. Hampton on the 10th inst reported to
the Senate from the Military Committee the
bill to reimburse the State of Florida on ac-
count Of expenses IN the Seminole war in 1855,
1855 and 1857. The amount claimed to be due
was over 100000, but the committee has fig
ured the amount down to S92,64S
The subcommittee appointed by the Mill
tary Committee TO investigate the Hampton
Soldiers Home has decided that it will have
no time this session either TO make trip of
investigation to the home or to take testimony
here.
Among the resolutions introduced in the
Of the Wisconsin Legislature, requesting the
Senators of that Stateto use their utmost infiu-
ence IL aid Of the passage of the $40 pension
bill.
CRIMES AND CASUALTIES
A Braidwood, Illinois, dispatch says: It is
now ascertained that seyenty-four men were
overwhelmed in the Diamond mine ON Friday.
The mine is situated about two miles from
here, and is operated by the Wilmington Coal
Association. The sudden thaw and heavy rain
fall have transformed the prairie into lake.
About Diamond the water stands from six
inches to three feet in depth. With scarcely
any warning there suddenly appeared an open
ing from the surface Of the earth into the mine.
The surface being covered with water, it took
only short time for the water 20 permeate the
entire mine, drowning all who were unable TO
get out before the rising water caught them.
The galleries were low and narrow, and only
by painfully slow crawling could the poor vic
Tins escape. There was an alr-shaft offering
Rn avenue Of escape, of which many availed
themselves but the water came in too rapidly
to allow all to reach it. There is no chance of
rescue, but in order TO reach the bodies of the
dead, Mr.. Fordice, general manager ef the CON-
pany, has gone TO the scene of the disaster with
two steam pumps. An engineer estimates the
amount Of water at several million barrels, and
with the present pumping capacity it viii take
twenty-five days TO pump out the shaft. Mat
tess VIII be rushed, and neither money nor
trouble viii be spared to make speedy find of
the buried men, dead or alive. Most of the
drowned were men with families depending
upon their support. Some blame the corpora
tiOn because q more experienced man was not
kept at the bottom Of the shaft, whose duty it
was 10 watch the pumps and sound an alarm in
case Of danger. Thomas Daily, new hand,
stood at the post when he saw the water gain
ing Oh him. Instead Of sounding an alarm, he
rushed 10 the top Of the shaft TO see If the
pumps were at work. Upon his return he
found the water slp to his waist. He then di-
rected the driver TO run back and escape by
the air-shaft and yell to the men as he ran
and did what he could himself. he saved one
boy-au that he could reach-and then as
cendcd and sounded the steam whistle, which
called out the villagers. A BTaidwOod dispatch
Of the 20th inst. says: Six new names are added
TO the list of those killed in the Diamond mine
disaster, making eighty in all. 1t is feared the
number may vet reach 100. The new names
are: Lewis Williamson, who leaves a wife and
six children Samuel Lcnguaski, who leaves
wife and four children In Germany; John
Dowing, single; Abel Lincominge, relative;
unknown; Louis Slartrick, who leaves family
and John Jellif
The tax collector Of Lawrence county, Ala
bams. Mr.. ID. Houston, left COurtland ON the
18th inst on horseback for Moulton, the county
seat, with s., 300. which he Was carrying to the
county superintendent of education. Abou
six miles from the tONn, in a lonely part Of tbs
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