davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1894-08-01

PHILLIPS, Wis, July 22-At daybreak
this morning dense smoke covered an
area OF forest hundred miles square and
the centre was this desolate. fire swept
little city More than 2,50p persons have
fled into the forests or to the village near
by. The town this morning was a heal,
Of ruins and the smoke was 80 dense that
the headlight OF locomotive could not
be seen fifty feet away.
Three reIieftrsins reached Phillips soon
afler o'clock this morning. One was in
charge Of Gov. Geo. w. Peck and his staff
The second came from stevens Point in
charge Of Frank LOmoreaux and Crosby
Grant and the third from Marshfield in
charge Of Major W. II. Upham, Republi-
can nominee for governor. As soon As he
arrived GOV. Peck called his staff together
and directed the work of unloading the
provisions
There were several ear loads Of food and
a warehouse was opened in one Of the
buildings. Through the dense smoke
Governor Peck started out on a tour Of
inspection. He soon found two heavy
walls of masonry which marked the place
where the two banks had stood. on in
quiry il was learned that the valuts ofthe
banks contained S2.O0. and Governor
Peek Immediately swore i'm a dozen men
to guard the money in the vaults. They
were armed with Winchester rifles and
ordered to remain ON duty in two shifts
day and night.
The loss by the great confagration in its
entirety is difficult to estimate. out Of
so buildings in the town only 81 remain.
W. Davis of the Davis Lumber company
estimates the total loss at SI,5O0.O00 with
scarcely half Of the full amount covered
by insurance. The Davis Lumber Com
pany lost $4,000, fully insured.
There is no way of estimating the num-
Der OF lives lost in the fire and even after
4s hours had passed no one czm he found
who ventures an opinion of the loss Of
life. When the people fled before the
wave OF fire they became separated and
can give no account of each other. II is
known that Is persons persisted on the
rait that burned in the bayou. A bridge
or trestle crossed the bayou and when
the supports of this bridge were burned
away it fell. Women and children were
crossing at the time and some must have
persisted.
As the fire swept towards the bridge a
number of children were seen 10 take re-
fuge in the big lumber yard. Their cries
were heard by others who fled towards
the water. hut the children have never
been found. Ofthe ten persons who lost
their life on the raft that burned in the
bayou eight are now in the water.
Dynamite was exploded all day in the
bayou and a number of bodies were raised
by this means.
The true story OF this ill-fltsd raft has
never been told. The only man who tells
a comprehensive narrative of the horror
is Joseph B0llen, lumberman. He was
standing near boat house when a num-
her Of women and children came toward
him. There were three or four men fol-
lowing. They went to the raft and at
tempted 10 push it from the shore when il
caught fire. Some jumped into small
boats and Others remained on the raft.
All these persisted, as the boats were over
loaded and sank. The ran burned 10 the
waters edge.
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1894-08-01
Three Little Boys Meet With Frightful
Death.

HARTFoRD, Conn, July 29.-The three
lost children Of James w. Guinan, an en-
gineer in the Consolidated railroad shops.
who have been missing since last Thurs
day, were found to-day dead in a box ear.
Last Thursday afternoon the three boys,
Raymond. aged 9. Leroy, aged :, and
Freddie, aged 4, LEFT their home to follow
their older brother down to the bath
house to 60 swimming. Since then moth
ing was heard of them. and - great has
been the excitement that searching
parties containing hundreds of men have
secured the country for the past three
days. Last night the chief Of police start
ed out on a new theory, that of searching
cars ON the railroad that runs only about
100 yards from the Guinan house. officers
Mantle and Grady were detailed for the
work. After searching for some time an
awful stencil greeted their nosiFils. This
oder seemed to come from a newiy-paint-
ed caboose, which for week past has
been standing on u side track. The door
was not locked and the officers walked
in. At first they saw no traces of the
children, but on closer investigation it
was found that the stencil came from
corner of the car. where there was small
locker. This was locked with spring
lock and was burst open. The sight that
met the officers eyes il beyond description.
The cubby hole into which the boys had
crowded was only II inches one way by
. the other and was five feet high, en-
tirely closed i'm and almost air-tight.
In this eoifin-like tomb the children
were found, one piled on top the other
SO tightly were the bodies crashed into
the locker that il was with some difficulty
that they were removed. The bodies Of
all the children were stripped naked, and
all were horribly decomposed. There
were no marks of violence. The theory
i that the children's minds were full of
the idea of going in swimming. They
wondered in the wrong direction and
something frightening them they crawled
into the caboose. Once in here they
played going in swimming taking of
their clothes. These they tucked away
in the locker, which was open. BY and
by they erawled in there themselves and
the ear being on an incline, - the door
came TO. the spring lock snapped and the
children were caught in a living tomb.
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1894-08-01

force Of the state % assist the Prosi-
denf in maintaining order and enforc-
inq the law. While the Governor is
entitled TO fuH credit for his patriotic
action in this particular, and has re-
lieved himself thereby Of adverse eriti-
cisn. we are Of opinion that little
closer attention to home affairs and the
suppr,.ssioa Of the lawlessness rampant
in some sections Of our Commonwealth
would become him and also relieve the
public Of much anxiety. For instance,
the deplorable condition Of affairs in
the coke region should have speedy
and determined handling, and the or
ranized and defiant hostility 20 law
and order prevailing there should be
slImmariIv crushed. For weeks past
hundreds Of alien strikers have in or
ganized and armed bands been march
ing through that region. intimidating
workmen. terr0rizing the entire conf
munity and enforcing idleness through
fear. The law-abiding citizens and the
willing workmen Of that section Of the
STATE are entitled TO, and should have,
speedy and ample protection from these
ignorant and lawless men. These or
panized miscreants are not American
bv either birth or adoption, but a. a
rule are the scum Of Europe, aliens in
sympathy and aliens TO law and order
and good government. Riotous, bru-
tai and fearing nothing but bayonet
law. they must he put down with a
strong arm and an iron hand, if the
civil authorities are not equal TO the
task of controlling them The Ameri-
can and naturalized workmen Of that
and other regions are, with scarce an
execution. law abiding, law respecting
citizens. who are entitled TO protection
in their persons, their property and
their labor from the authorities Of the
Commonwealth, and it i the duty of
the Governor 10 see TO il. There should
he no parleying, no hesitancy, no tri-
ding with the brutal and anarchistic
aliens now terrorizing portions of West
em Pennsylvania. TO hesitate Is a
crime. The Governor has the power ;
let him use it. Riot and disorder must
be Put down. II the Governor was 50
prompt in rendering the armed forces
Of the State for the purpose of putting
down rebellion and mob law at Chica-
90 and other places, why not Use the
forces for the suppression Of anarchy
and lawIessness at hoine2 Let the
Governor act before riot becomes chron-
ic and the citizens are constrained to
arm themselves in self-defense.
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1894-08-01

New York Letter in Philadelphia Ledger.
one Of the strangest things in the re-
cent political history Of the country, i the
way in which the names and fortunes of
Cleveland and Hill have continued to be
linked together. notwithstanding the
wide difference in the personality and an
tecedents of the two men, Cleveland and
Hill were Mayors respectively Of Buffalo
aud Elmira when, in lSs2, without any
previous personal acquaintance. they
were nominated for Governor and Lieu
tenant Governor ON the same ticket. aud
were some weeks later triumphantly
elected by 300.00 plurality. At Albany
they soon represented different wings Of
the Democratic party, and have ever
since been opposing leaders. Cleveland's
selection as President made Hill Cover
nor. Cleveland's defeat for reelection in
lSSS made HIS re-electi0n * Governor
possible, although the latter has always
bitterly resented the imputalion that he
sold Cleveland out, and he has always de-
nounced the President for never having
put a stop 10 what he has regarded as a
base slander. In lSs0 the two men ap-
peared As rival candidates for the Presi-
Dental nomination, and now in the great
eSt debate of the Cleveland administra-
ton, Hill comes 10 the front as the de
fender Of the President, although it i
said he has crossed the threshold of the
White House but once since Cleveland
was inaugurate,L
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1894-08-01

the war. surprising China and japan he
ION % fight 1t cat between themselves, IS
naturally rife; aud the most common e.
innate seems 70 be that China hiss the ad-
vantage chiefly On her side And at first
sight the chances OF victory do appear to
be decidedly IN China's favor. Her pop
ulation is eight or ten times as great as
that Of Japan, and she can therefore put
a vastly larger army in the field. Her
terrifary Is Immediately contiguous 10
that Of corea, 50 that she can send troops
thiiher by both land and sea. while Japan
must send hers all by sea. The navies Of
the two powers are not greatly unequal
in strsngth but the coasts and ports of
Japan are e1nsidcrably more vulnerable
than those of China. The latter country,
therefore, has in these maierial particn-
lars decided advantage over iis antago-
mist.
A more important factor. however,
than mere numbers or position Is that
touched upon 10y an intelligent Chinaman
long resident in this country, when he
said: "The japanese areth real Chinese.
They represent the best elements Of the
s Mongol race His words were entire
IL true. Not only are the japanese the
best of the Mongols, but they are close
rivals Of the best of the Caucasians. The
progress they have made within the last
generation has never been paralleled by
any nation in SO short period. In edu-
HrNa.-,1 ssetrrr
and indeed all the clements Of civiliza-
ton. Japan i TO be ranked with America
and the nations of Western Europe, rath-
er than with Asiatic countries. And such
qualities tell in war as well as in peace.
The arsenals, foundries and shipyards OF
Japan are comparable with the best in
the world. The organization and disci-
pline of her army are far superior to
those Of the Chinese. And in pluck, per-
sistent valor and patriotic spirit there Is
no comparison between the two. The
true Chinese were, perhaps, many gener-
ations ago. the equals Of the japanese.
But they have long been Overborne and
; crushed by the Mantchoorian Tartars.
who are now the dominant element in the
Empire. and who control it, destinies.
{ The true Chinese made one tremendous
attempt 10 reassert themselves in the
TAPPING Rebellion, and but for foreign
intervention wonld probably have sue
ceeded; hut they were beaten, and have
since had little part in public affairs. The
ruling classes in China, then. represent
/ the worst elements Of the MOngol race,
as the japanese do the best, and those
clements also tell in war.
These conditions, in a contest between
/ the two powers, must surely be Of great
avail in determining the result. Foreign
I Intervention. Of course, may come, in one
form or another, and may take the play
ing of the game entirely out OF the hands
Of the original contestants. But left "a
I themselves. there i reason 10 hope that
/ the japanese spirit may prove more pO-
tent than China's huge material bulk,
and that of this war may be repeated ths
words of Macaulay on the siege Of Lon
I douderry: "The victory remained with
=. in the nation which, though inferior in
number, was superior in civilization, in
I q" capacity for government, and in
" stubhornneSs of resolution"
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1894-08-01
cOxeyites Destitute.

WASHINGTON, July 2S.-The bodies OF
men styling themselves THE L. 5. In
dustrial Army" in camp at Roslyn, Va.
opposite Washington, finding themselves
in lad straits, have issued an appeal to
the public for aid.
The appeal recites the sufferings of the
men in journeying hither and the object
Of coming hoFe, and announces that while
''at war with hunger, wretcheiness and
despair" they propose 10 stay here unless
iorcibly removed, until their demands
are granted
Continuing the appeal says: THE en-
campment i to-day nearly destitute OF
provisions or means of shelter, and it is
absolutely necessary that the friends OF
this movement should come to our imme-
diate relief. We therefore make aH earn
est appeal to all who can contribute some
thing for our support 10 do 50 immediate
~.
Il is stated that upwards Of 1900 men
are eneamped at Washing and vicinity
and that others are arriving daily. Com
plant i made of mismanagement tpre-
sumably by Coxeyl, and friends Of the
movement are urged to organize boards
OF relief to assist the men a. soon as pos
sible, and the same request II made OF
labor and reform organizations. COntri-
buttons should be sent 70 \. =. Digs. lO7
Eighth street, Northeast, Washington, d.
c. Members Of nine eontingents sign the
appeal.
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1894-08-01
War Begins in the East.

SHANGHAr. July Z7.-Hostlties have
actually begun between Japan and Chi
ma. while no formal declaration Of war
according 10 the usual diplomatic forms
has been made, the governments of both
countries recognize thai an ac;nal state Of
war exists, and more collisions between
the forces of the two countries areeSpect-
ed hourly.
The actual cause OF the hostilities. out
side Of the growing complications in re-
gard to Korea. is said to he the fact that,
on Tuesday. japanese cruisers attacked
Chinese transports conveying troops to
Korea and sunk one of them. causing
heavy loss Of life. One story declares
that several transports were sunk.
The Chinese fleet consisted of eleven
steamers and sailed from Tukn Friday
with l2.00 troops. escorted 10y gunbOats.
Most Of the transports proceeded slowly
with the gunboats. while the faster ones
steamed at full speed. 50 as to land their
troops as soon as possible. ON the trans
ports which arrived first at the Korean
coast were a few hundred soldiers from
the Army of the North. Most Of the
force, however. consisted Of coolies with
inferior firearms or merely bows and ar
rows.
JAPANESE wARs1ITPs oPEN FIRE
The attack by the Japanese is deserib-
ed in dispatch from Nagasaki. The
firing was begun by Japanese battery
on the shore, while the Chinese officers
were trying 10 debark their men from the
first steamer.
The cruiser then steamed up and OPEN
ed fire on all the trouspOrts which were
lying to. waiting TO discharge the men.
The Chinese were unable 10 make any ef-
fective resistance. They were thrown in
to great confusion, and many jumped
overheard TO escape the hot fire. under
which two transports suffered severely.
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1894-08-01
Heat and Fires.

The heat wave in the Northwest has
been attended 10y unusually destructive
forest fires. Reports from the northern
part of Wisconsin show that much of the
territory which is covered by timber is in
highly infiamnahle condition. There
has been 10 rain of any consequence in
Price county and in the territory sur
rounding it for several weeks. and numer-
Gus blazes have got beyond the control of
the settlers Several bridges near Prem
tice have burned and a number ofsettlers
rendered homeless. Grand Rapids re-
poF - the same conditions in that section,
while from Ashland ii is reported that on
the Wisconsin Central il i impossible 10
move trains. Phillips, a town of 2,0Oo
people. is destroyed and only a few build
ings remain standing. 4 dispatch from
Fiheld says go women and children from
Phillips are in the woods there without
shelter. They sent request for food and
supplies, ~ the supply is very short.
Shorts Crossing. small village near ASH
land, was destroyed, the bopeless people
being cared for At Ashland. From many
other points the BsWs is Of like tenor and
many lumber and villages are threaten
al
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1894-08-01
Wanted someone % Love.

NEWARK, Del. July "a young man
employed on farm at McClellandsville,
near here, answered an advertisement Oi
young woman who appealed in a New
York paper for a congenial correspond
ent-Object matrimony, and asked that
she send her photograph. Back came the
reply that she had no photographs and
no money, but that if he wouid send her
two dollars she would have photographs
taken and send one on. The money was
sent, and in due time the young man re-
eeived one of Lillian Russell's photo
graphs, taken in the Operatic artists most
attractive pose.
The picture nightly pleased the sas-
ceptible young niaH, aad he at once sent
his correspondent proposal Of marriage,
10 which she replied aflirmativeiy, but
asked him to send her ten dollars, with
which To Journey 10 the place where she
might meet aim. lie sent thet ten dollars,
with the request that she come on the
train arriving at Stanton, seven miles
north of here, last evening. At the APP
pointed time he was at the station, ac-
companied 10y friend but the sender OF
the photograph did not appear, and then
it slowly dawned upon the young man
how he had been swindled.
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1894-08-01

wAsuIxGToS. d. 4. July @--seecssi
reports regarding the piaEae in China
have been received at the Marine Hos
pitaI Bureau. Secretary Denhy, Of the
United States I.cgaii N, says that at Canton
a novel and thoroughly Chinese method
OF checking the disease was IN upon. \
fortune teller, having given out that the
plague would die away with the approach
of tue spring seistice. thepeople Of Canton,
in order to deceive the Gods of sickness.
made the first day Of the fourth Moon
MAY 81 their New Years day. Every
ceremony by which the day is celebraicd
WAS gone through with sernpnlous
exactitude. The local authorities assisted
in this flrrical performance. The New
Years festivities in the presence Of such
widespread death had somewhat gli;rstiy
character.
Consul Seymour, writing from Canton,
SAYS everything continues in wild con-
fusion. Business i almost suspended
He has been in nearly ali parts Of Can
ton during the plague. and has remained
at his post through it ali, and is per
suade,l that with the observance Of proper
precautions, especially in securing sup
ply of pure water for cooking and wash
ing, and ior ilushing drains in time Of
drought there should and would be no
such thing as this plague. except where
the natives, i'm congested localities, cause
pollution of air by overcrowding and filth
| and violation of sanitary conditions for
safety. Daring ali of the plague heathen
professions have constantly marched the
streets of Canton throughout the night,
pounding gongs, exploding firecrackers.
exposing idols and other similar doings,
supported by contributions from the shops
and stores, to propitiate their gods.
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1894-08-01
M the New York rnbune.

From the New York Tribune.
Strong as have been the influences iB
favor Of a peaceful settlement of the
Corean dispute, they appear 10 have failed
10 effect their purpose. For a fortnight
the trend Of affairs has been directly to-
ward war. The resent fighting at Seoul
made il well nigh inevitable, especially
since the attack upon the japanese WIS
said TO be instigated by the Chinese Resi-
dent; and the sinking of Chinese trans
port by japanese gunboat made much
further in the same direction. And now
We have the announcement that war has
actually begun Il is war that must be
regarded with regret, and into which the
sombafants are surely not entering with
eageTnsss. Neither China nor Japan
really wants 10 fight; Corea certainly
doe not; and England, France and Rus
sia. all deeply interested in the ease, can
scarcely be supposed to desire a was
which may extend into their own Euro
pean c;rcle.
Speculation ON the probable resulto
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1894-08-01
Strike Investigators.

The President has announced the COM
missioners to investigate the controver-
sizes between certain railroads and their
employees connected with the recent strike
rs follows: Carol ID. Wright, commits
sioner Of labor; John ID. Herman, of New
York, and Nicholas f. WOrthington, Of
Peoria, III. Judge Lyman Trumbull
wired to Washington refusing to act as
government arbitrator in the Pullman
strike. Judge Trumbull gives as his rea-
son for declining that the act under which
the arbitrators are appointed win eonfine
their Investigations 10 the recent strike,
and that inasmuch as the trouble is over
ne sees no need of investigating it.
DEBS GIVES BAIL.
Dells. Howard. keIiher and Rogers, OF
the American Railway Union, are at lib
erty, under bail, pending the hearing
against them. They were required TO
give S7,OO) bond each, covering five in
dictments. in addition to the contempt
ease brought by the government and the
Santa Fe railroad. The hearing of the
contempt cases was continued until Sep
tember ). William Fitzgerald and Viii
liam SSakel, who were already on the
bond of the defendants for $3.50 each,
signed the additional bonds, and the ag-
greeate amount of their guarantee is
l.5G0 on each of the four men, $500 in
all.
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1894-08-01
caief Weather Man Talks.

PITrsBURG. Pa, July "a prediction
made by Professor Henry \. Hazen,
chief meteorologist of the washington
Weather Bureau. who happened 90 be
i'm Pittsburg last evening, was amply
verified to-day He said that the sizzling
95 degrees OF yesterday would really be
east in the shade by the excessive heat
of to-day Plenty ofthermometers testi-
fled that the temperature was 100 to-day.
As Professor Hazen's hot wave still
remained in the Mississippi Valley up To
a late hour last night, il couldn't have
been that one which Pittsburg sweltered
under to-day. Consequently. there is an
other torid spell ahead.
What Is needed, Professor Hazen
says, is the addition of ballOOning to the
Weather Service. Balloons containing
meteorologists ought 10 be sent up 70
make a study of the conditions existing
in the clouds. At present they depend
entirely on theory for all above the sur
f:ice. lie thinks the hot waves are due
to the heating of the atmosphere for a
height of 2j,010 or S0,OO0 feet above the
earth.
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1894-08-01
Set Themselves on Fire.

SULLIVAN, IND, July 2j.-The wife of
Seigel +. Raines, school teacher, COM
mitted suicide yesterday by setting fire to
a brush heap and jumping into it. Her
relatives were out blackberry picking
and she slipped away from them and
committed suicide in this horrible way.
Her body was found near the burning
brush heap, with all the clothing burned
of. AIrs. Raines had been deranged for
some time. \ few weeks ago she At
tempted suicide by hanging, bat was pre-
vented.
4 BLAZING CURTAIN HER sHROUn.
ST. LoUIs, Mo-, July 2l-Mrs. Augusta
Koch, aged Il, saturated lace curtain
with coal oil last night and wrapping il
about her person she set fire to il and re-
ceiyed injuries from which she died. 1t
is believed she had become suddenly in
sane