The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-05-16

And what measure II was to be sure!
For impudence in the way OF powers
sought TO be conferred by II this previous
measure has never been equalled. Ii pro-
posed 10 give TO Gasman Addicks, Mike
Cunnin of Boston and some other experts
iD the gas stock jobbing business a rowing
charter TO esta blish in any city or town
in the State of Rhode Island, plants for
the manufacture and distribution of gas.
That of itself would have been sufficient
TO kill IL, but there was another provision
still more audacious which conferred
upon Addicks and his confreres the right
TO rip up the streets In any city or town
or in all OF them without let or hindrance
on the part OF the city or town councils.
Indeed, the local municipal governments
were entirely ignored and II that bill had
gone through there was no power by
which any city or town could stay the
wrecking of its roads and highways by
Addick and his men or secure payment
for the damage wrought by them. Alto
gether ii was startling in the immensity
OF the powers IL proposed to confer and
in Its utter disregard of the right of
municipalities az well as of corporations
and individuals.
The framer or father of this monstrous
measure sbrewdly enough introduced IL
mt Newport in the hope that in the haste
which characterizes all legislation Mt the
May session ii would slip through with
out attracting attention and become a law
before its real scope and purpose were un-
derstood. There is a very strong probable
ity that such might have been the Gaze
had il not been for the fact that the press
was quick to discover and expose it's OUT
rageous provisions. Then, too, the Trainer
or father of Ii found when tho measure
came before the corporation com mittee,
that while he VAS present -he-dld- net
constitute the whole committee, and that
there were some members who would not
give the bill their endorsement until they
understood what its scope and effect
would be. The result of.this unexpected
hitch in the committee resulted in the
giving OF public hearing on the day fol-
lowing the introduction OF the bill.
And at that hearing the measure was
torn to tatterO. Its audacity and inn
pudence were exposed and denounced by
such men as the late Colonel Van Slyck,
Francis w. Miner and others. When
they finished there wasn't a shred OF II
left. But its champion was not dis
couraged. Another attempt was made TO
get favorable report upon il from the
committee but without Huceess, and the
bill was returned to the House with the
endorsement of a minority only and
tncto IL Wdb but
thar wasn't the last OF IL. At two subse-
quent sessions OF the General bly, Ii
bobbed up again, sborn OF some of its
most impddent provision, but by that
tine the Legislators and the people had be-
come thoroughly informed as to Addicks
and his methods and il was on each oc-
casion killed without compunction and
almost without comment.
That was a terrible disaster which be-
fell the city of Sherman, Texas, yester-
day, when almost in an instant a consid-
BILE part OF ii was wiped out and scores
upon scores of people were killed. This
co cetastrophy calls to mind still more de-
structive one which occurred early in the
present century, by which an entire city
and every one of its inhabitants, with the
OF bate, were destroyed. On
The 9th OF October, 1893, there was & cloud
burst in the mountains back OF the city
D! Funchal on the Island of Medeira. The
waters rushed down from the muntains,
sweeping houses and people into the sea.
Of such force was the torrent that not
even the foundations OF the buildings
we're left, the earth being carried away
down to the native rock. baby found
asleep on piece OF board on the shore
Is said to have been the only living thing
hat ESCAPED the Wholesale uestructjon :