The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-03-27

About midnight Friday the inhabitants
of Gainesville were startled from their
slumbers by the sudden discharge of artll-
lery. Those who were sound asleep sprang
up, not knowing whether it was an explo-
sion Of some boiler, or what was the cause
| though many recognized that 1t must he the
discharge of one of the cannon at the Semi
nary Soon all was quiet. But about two
hours afterward another report like the
first reverberated throughout the city.
Many wondered who it was or what was
| the cause Of all this. When morning came
! it was found that the brass cannon standing
| in front of the Seminary had been loaded
and fired by some parties, and the concus-
sion had broken more than dozen OF the
| large paneS Of glass in the Seminary build
ing.
1t is doubtful whether the petition of Hon.
/ j. NJ Tolbert, of Columbia county, relating
| to the Arredondo grant and land titles in
| his county, would have been printed by the
! United States Senate, or even received, had
one of its concluding sentences been noticed.
| 1t is said by some of the Committee on Pub
| lie Lands, who are in charge of the legisla-
ton proposed, to be an abuse of the privi-
leges Of the Senate and the right of petition.
The Objectionable words Of Mr.. Tolbert are:
lit is hoped that Congress will get to work
on some national subject and not pass bills
to swiudle our good citizens This is con-
sidered to he an imputation on both the
business methods and honor Of the Senate,
but it is not probable that any further
official notice will be taken of it beyond
making Senators in the future more careful
how they order the printing of private pc
tltions without previous inspection.
The Chief of Engineer has submitted to
the House Committee on Rivers and Har
bors the following report adverse to the
proposed improvement of the channel from
HaulOver on Indian river to Gilbert's bar:
From interviews with some of the leading
inhabitants of the district, | found that
what is desired is the improvement of the
lower river by removing oyster bars and
Strengthening the channel. Over six feet of
water exists in the channel from opposite
the Haulover to point SIX miles above the
mouth of the San Sebastian creek, dis
lance of ffty-five miles, From there to the
Indian river inlet the average channel
depth is five feet, with numerous bars hav
ing a least depth of from three and half to
| five feet. From Indian river inlet to a
point two and n half miles north of Gilbert
bar, there is again an average depth of more
than 8 feet. The steamer Indian River has
no difficulty in carrying all the freight of
fered. Owing to the very crooked channel
near the narrows, she does not run at night
through this part of the river. By the aid
of range stakes and powerful headlight
is fast filling up, and the shipment of fruits
and vegetables are increasing SO rapidly
that in the near future the needs of com
MERGE may be sufficient to warrant the
Strengthening of the channel. | do not re-
gard the river as being worthy of improve
ment now.n
Fort Myers Press: During the past week
the contractor has been busy taking up the
bodies of those buried in the old Fort Myers
Military Cemetery. Most of the bodies
were laid to rest early in the sos. Two Of
flcers were found. one of them Capt. W. H
Fowler, Co. g., First Artillery; the other
name unknown, but is supposed to be on the
records at Washington or Fort Barrancas.
One body, supposed to be an Indian squaw,
from the quantity of beads found in the
grave, and four childoen were found. In
one grave was found 70:. The collins we e
| all in a good state o. preservation, even tho
nails being as good as the day they were
driven. The teeth of all were sound and
white and the bones of the men were quite
solid and firm, except in the case of the two
| officers, whose bones crumbled at the touch.
| 1t is barely possible that the manner of liv-
ing had something to do in this case, as the
soldiers were, probably, confined to the
| rationS issued by government and probably
| the officers lived on the fat of the land. At
least that is our idea of it, There is vague
| tradition that the squaw spoken of above
| was imprisoned for some offense, and she
pounded up some glass and ate it, thus COM
hitting suicide. Fifty-two bodies were
taken out, and by the thorough search made
! there is no possibility of any remaining.
| The remains were boxed and loaded on the
schooner Alex. Cook and taken to Fort Bar
rancas, where they will be laid to rest.