Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-03-20

navigation. 1t is a fact well established that
water may not be diverted by one party from
It's natural course to the detriment OF another
having a right to it's use. Steamboats, on
water the river affords. The mills using the
water for power are entitled to the entire
volume not diverted to any considerable
extent beyond ordinary consumption. Last
week the city Of Worcester, Mass, had
Judgment rendered against it by the courts
for diverting water, and the city of Atlanta
should be careful that If any considerable
amount of water Is diverted from the river
that this same water shall be returned to the
river for use of steamers and mills depending
on it lower down. During the summer
months the steamers would ike all the water
they can get, and the mills have arrange
ments by which they would prefer that no
considerable amount Of water be diverted and
not returned for their use. The water shed
on one side OF Atlanta drains into the Gulf of
Mexico. and on the other side into the At
lantic ocean. II portion of the river NAV
DE diverted from the Gulf to the Atlantic
with the same reason all might be so diverted
ana the mills Of Columbus would be without
power, ana the steamers without water in the
channel"
The following fuller account of a subject
mentioned in the dispatches of Yesterdays
NEWs IL from Yesterdays Augusta Chronicle /:
y esterday afternoon reports reached the
city Of most atrOciOus and unheard of trap-
edy IN Burke county, in which several coll
Ored children had been br italy murdered in
capin winch their parents had just left In
NeStlSdtlOn INTO these rumOrs showed that
tHey were revoltingly true, and special ad-
wees 10 the chronicle from Mclean. near
where the quadruple murder was committed
developed a story lacking only in slckening
details. The names of the colOred family we
10 not know. About a mile from Mclean
however, yesterday morning, in a little cabin
just across the creek, in Burke county. a col
0red man and his wife, the parents of the un-
fortunate children, left for the field, taking
with them their eldest son. In
the course of the morning the old
mans plOWg gearing in the field broke down
and he sent the lad back to the house for ma
terlals 10 mend the harness. The boy repaired
10 his home, which had been left Just after
daylight, and around the doorstep and floor
was greeted with traces of blood. Becoming
terrified at the suggestive sight he stampeded
to the field and hurriedly told his father
what he had seen. The old man mounted his
morse and rode homeward with all possible
haSte. ANU bursting through the door, was
appalled, at the horrible spectacle. There Law
upon their beds and floor, weltering in their
blood, four little children. Two of them were
chopped 10 death and two were almost in
death agony. Pools of blood clotted about
the Inanimate forms and dyed the
rude flooring with stains. The
parents We're almost beside themselves,
anu no conceivable clue TO the tragedy could
be obtained. The house was not robbed
there had been nothing there to steal; no yes
uee OF the mysterious and murderOus hand
could be detected. 1t Is useless TO add that
the white and colOred people of Burke county
are shocked and incensed al the wholesale
slaughter Of innocent children. They do not
believe that any such demon exists in their
midst who would commit such an act Every
possible aid and sympathy has been extended
the afflicted family by all classes and cOlors and
every effort viii be made To ferret out matters
and to apprenend the perpetrators. The old
est child, girl. We are told, may survive
with proper attention. although she was un-
conscious last evening" According to infor-
nation received by the NEWS from Mclean
Yesterday, the children were chopped to death
with an axe. The oldest was Years old and
the youngest was a babe.