davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Opelousas courier., 1898-05-07

was held at the top, and by releasing
this at the eventful moment Gushing
destroyed the Albemarle and his own
boat at the same time, and then made
one of the most daring and romantic
escapes in the annals of naval his.
tory.
Many improved systems were en-
ployed and much ingenuity was dis
played, the most inventive of all ex-
perimenters being a Confederate
officer, who, previous to the war, had
been q well-known dancing master.
For a season towing torpedoes were
in great favor. These were handled
from the ship, and by certain dextrous
shiftings of the connecting lines were
carried off each quarter at a safe
angle, and made to dive at the desired
moment. They proved to be danger
Gus, however, and all effort was there.
after directed to the dirigible, or the
automobile torpedo. Generally de-
scribed the dirigible torpedo is one
that contains its own p%ropell1ng and
firing mechanisms, and is piloted
from the shore by means of electric
cables, which function the machinery.
The automobile torpedo is a weapon
that is shot from a tube, generally
called a torpedo gun, and takes up its
line of progress by machinery con
tanned in its body. There are many
forms of these, like the Howell ant
the Whitehead, for example, and som.
The Opelousas courier., 1898-05-07

ever. it's practical abandonment for
many years.
Submarine boats had been gener-
ally employed in all experiments up
to the beginning of the Civil War, and
it was really not until 1863 that NOV
able or fixed isolated torpedoes were
brought into general use. The Con-
federate torpedoes were usually made
of copper and filled with powder,
varying in weights, according to cir
cumstances of employment, from fifty
to one hundred and fifty pounds.
These were carried on spars attached
to ships or boats, were anchored on
the bottom, or were sent drifting
singly or in pairs, connected by long
lines, down tide streams. The fuses
fitted were generally of the percussion
type, and illuminate of mercury en-
tered largely into their composition.
The Housatonic was destroyed by
a submarine boat, but the Albemarle
was blown up by Gushing with a tor
peCo, carried on the end of a spar.
This torpedo was made of q stout
cylindrical copper case and fitted with
= hollow tube, which carried at its
bottom a illuminate cap. A small
sized grape shot, secured with a pin,
The Opelousas courier., 1898-05-07

Dom Paul Kruger seems to have q
life position. Mr.. Kruger is a won
derful man, and his unexampled sue
cess in maintaining the Independence
OF his country in face of a rich, intel
ligent and violently hostile majority
Of the actual inhabitants Of the country
within, and against all the forces OF
modern civilization without, is q fact
to which history furnishes no parallel.
He is the incarnation Of the spirit OF
his race, masterful, stubborn, rugged
and tenacious Of their own. In addi-
ton, he has q quality foreign to his
people, such sagacity and craft in
policy that Bismarck or some similarly
competent judge declared him to be
the n born diplomat he had met.
The history of Kruger and his race
reads like q chapter out Of Lacede-
monian history. In stern contempt
for luxury and progress. hatred OF
foreigners, grim content with old
fashioned ways, disdain for refine
ments and comforts, scorn Of wealth
and oil it . bring beyond four meals
> day and long range rifles, they are
like the people who chose iron for
money metal and trained their young
% sleep out Of doors, There is no
olace for such q people in modern
civilization yet. Its time viii come
when civilization shall have bred
weakness and decay and grown ripe
Tor another conqusstbyrude strength,
las Hoesa will not last till then, The,
ksYe ooasa TOO lsss " 100 seoa.
The Opelousas courier., 1898-05-07
BLOWN UP BY
MINE OR TORPEDO.
Marine Tragedies That Recall tie Maine Disaster.

No navy is free from sad stories of
explosions in it's powder and ammuni-
ton magazines, and since the begin
ming of our Civil War the number of
vessels destroyed by torpedoes in some
form, or by submarine MINIS, makes
q grewsome list. Is it generally
known. for example, that in the Civil
War seven monitors and eleven wood
en- vessels of war were totally de-
stroyed by submarine mines? Had
the Southerners possessed the same
knowledge at the beginning Of the
war, says the New York Herald, the
struggle would have been, at least,
much prolonged, and the disaster to
life and tonnage been greatly increased.
During III early struggles several
vessels were blown up, notably the
Randolph, of immortal memory, but
the most memorable case, and surely
one of the most pathetic, was the de-
struction of the Intrepid, commanded
by the gallant Somers. She was fit
ted out as q floating mine, and on the
night of September 4, 1904, started
from off shore under sail for the inner
harbor of Tripoli. Anxious eyes
watched her from the blockadingfee
and at 10 O'Clock o thunderous report
was heard, a column of flame was seen
vibrating in the skies, and then the
roar of hundreds of guns mounted
ashore. No one came back to tell the
story, but it is believed that Somers
kept his word not to be taken alive by
The Opelousas courier., 1898-05-07

destroyed, among them prominent Of
ficials and citizens of the town who
were on board.
Among other crimes laid so ~unjustly
to Irish sympathizers by the English
press and people was the destruction
of the British gunboat Dotterel in the
Straits of Magellan. She arrived off
Punta Arenas about 9 a. IN. on
April 26, 1881. The captain went
ashore soon after to pay his official
call, and about ten a.. m. two TERRIBLE
explosions were heard, and an i'm
mense cloud of smoke was seer
hovering..over the ship in the perfect
calm of the morning. Proiectiles of
all kinds, masses Of human beings, Of
ship equipage and of general wreckage
were discovered flying through the
air, and the water for a quarter of a
mile around the ship was Uttered with
debris.
Boats put off from the shore, and
out of the whole ships company of
over $50 souls, only eight were saved.
Fenian plots were held to be the cause
of the disaster, and South America and
Australia were the scenes of police in
quiry for months. It is now believed
that the explosion was due to the
spontaneous ignition of a paint then
used in the British navy. This, under
deterioration OF when exposed to heat,
was found to give off a highly infam-
mable gas, and as the first explosion
occurred in the neighborhood of the
paint locker, this plausible theory is
now accepted. During the last twenty
years two other cases have occurred
one, when in 1880 a Spanish gunboat
was blown up in the harbor of Santiago
de Cuba, and the other in 1898, when
a most damaging and distressing ex-
plosion occurred on board of the Ger
man armored ship Baden, then at
anchor off Kiel.
OF the war inventions employed to
destroy ships by submarine or aerial
projectiles or by mines the number is
We were among the earliest
to employ these, and our contribu-
tions to the history of torpedo war
fare have been very many and very
notable. The famous "Battle of the
Kegs has been sung in mock heroic
verse, and the Philadelphians of 1777
had many merry Jest over the valorous
made by the British grenadiers
upon these innocuous barrels.
Captain David Bushnell, of Con-
necticut, was one of the earliest ex-
The Opelousas courier., 1898-05-07

extraordinary results have been OBJ.
tanned with both. The Whitehead is
discharged from the tube by steam OF
powder, and just as it leaves the muz.
zle a lock automatically opened re.
leases the compressed air carried in a
flask and sets in motion the machinery.
Three things must be done by it. II
must go through water at a high speed,
preserving its linear direction; it must
float att constant depth, and on strik-
ing it must explode. The ingenuity
and simplicity of the mechanism which
effects these three things are really
marvellous.
The Howell torpedo is based upon
the well-known principal of the gyro-
scope. Its speed and surety of direc.
ton are given by the functioning of an
inner wheel, which is relatively very
heavy on the periphery, and reyolves
with such velocity and in such a con.
slant plane that high speed and great
straightness Of trajectory are secured.
There are many other forms, but these
two are employed in u service, and
the Whitehead is used by nearly all
the navies of the world.
The term Submarine mine" is ap.
piled to defensive mines or to those
which would be used to obstruct the
channels of a river or estuary, Or the
approaches to afortified or unprotected
seaport. Colonel Samuel Colt, the
inventor of the American revolver, frs;
demonstrated the pr%actieability O:
blowing up vessels by submarine mine.
fred by electricity. In 1912 ne blew
up the old gunboat Boxer and in 1874;
he destroyed a brig in the Potomac
River while the vessel was under way.
sailing at the rate of five miles an
hour.
Many forms ofmines we're used here
and abroad, and they were success.
fully employed against US in the Civil
War. Every system Of coast defense
concerns itself with their distribution
and use, and every well-known harbor
of the world is at this day so mapped
out that the planting of those mines
may be done on a plan which prom
ises the greatest utility. Some of
these ~ constant depth mines-that
is, such as will float always at a certain
depth below the surface, no matter
what may be the state of the tide;
some are fitted to explode on contact,
and most are SO arranged that they
may be exploded at will by observers
stationed at points OF refuge, in bomb
proof and lookout stations ashore,
The Opelousas courier., 1898-05-07

perimenters with ~torpedoes, though
Robert Fulton was the first to call a
magazine Of powder intended for use
under water by this name. This great
inventor made many experiments, and
the partisans and opponents of the
new system filed the journals of that
day with acrimonious discussions.
The failure Of torpedoes in the War
of 1912 and the general feeling
against thia mode Of warfare % In.
human and barbarous caused, bow.
The Opelousas courier., 1898-05-07

The American people have d vory;
sweettooth. Last year they consumed
2,096, 1853 tons of sugar-an increase
over the consumption of the previous
year of 1876 lit tons. During 1897
we produced II, 347 tons of beet sugar,
289, 009 tons of cane sugar. and enough
sugar from maple trees and sorghum
to bring the total amount up to $780,
$50 tons. This is a good deal Of sweet
ness, but it is a mere trife in COM
parison with our imports of 1,760, COZ
tons from foreign countries.
The Opelousas courier., 1898-05-07

into the powder barrel of the period
and thus blew the ship skyward.
In the English service there have
been a number Of notable cases of ex-
p%losion, but mainly i'll action. One
we'll known in me of peace was the
destruction Ct We frigate Amphion,
Captain Israr . ellew commanding,
off Plymouth lgland. Here, too a
gunner's ma; pears as the god i'll
the machine-.or epocryphal or not,
it is belief f6eAis day that the sea-
man in question %eat with a lighted
lamp INTO the magazine to steal
powder, which then e=-,ady
market. Se~eralhundred people were
The Opelousas courier., 1898-05-07

c~reepingly how a gunner's mate had
been punished as he thought uniustly,
and in revenge destroyed the ship. In
50 doing he lost his own life, but failed
in killing the object of his hatred, an
officer who had left the ship quietly q
short time before the commission Of
the crime.
The real story seems to BE that q
snddled gnnner'a mats by some error
nsade h.s way into the magazine with
nj sRpessa lighted candle, stumbled
The Opelousas courier., 1898-05-07

the enemy, and blew up the ship to
escape capture,
It was learned that the Intrepid had
grounded on the north ledge Of the
harbor, and that she had been attacked
by three gunboats. 1t was surmised,
but never known, that, to prevent the
valuable supply Of ammunition falling
into the hands Of the enemy. Somers
fred her, destroying his " people
and the Tripolitans swarming out of
their boats into the hapless American
tender.
In June, 1929, the wooden ship Full
ton. stationed as the receiving ship off
Brooklyn, blew up from causes never
revealed. Sev~enty-fve persons were
killed and about thirty were wound
ed. Tradition has woven many a ro-
mantle, many an impossible story
about this disaster. One yarn told
The Opelousas courier., 1898-05-07

A compositor on q Southern paper
has brought the editor of that paper
into trouble. The editor wrote;
''Miss Costello's entertainment met
with the greatest commentator"
The compositor made it read 'scondem-
nation" And there you are.
The Opelousas courier., 1898-05-07

Ex-senator John B. Henderson has
thoroughly studied the problem of the
West Indies, and he predicts Euro
pean flags on the islands will be
pulled down one after the other until
there will be a powerful republic OF
the Omitted Islands of America"
The Opelousas courier., 1898-05-07

The manufacture of bogus antiques
in the Egyptian penitentiaries under
English management has reached
such proportions as to call forth a pc
tition against the practice from the
Royal British Antiquarian and Arch
geological societies.
The Opelousas courier., 1898-05-07

Says the Chicago Hnter-Ocean: The
Shah of Persia is said to own $75, OO0,-
900 worth Of jewels and gold orna-
ments. He doesn't keep upmuch of a
navy, and buys diamonds instead OF
gatling guns and bombshells.
The Opelousas courier., 1898-05-07

The value Of a newspaper as an
advertising medium consists In
its circulation.
When you can secure the COM
bined circulation of two papers
for the price Of one, it is money
saved!
"The st. Landry Democrat"
was consolidated on the Sd of
March, 1894, with f." The Opelou.
sas Courier" The advertising
rates have not been increased
while the price Of subscription
has been reduced to 50 a year.
THE COURIER being BY odds
the best paper in the empire Par.
lsh Of St. Landry is therefore the
ahaaDaaf,
The Opelousas courier., 1898-05-07
OPELOUsAs. LOUISIANA

The number of marriage licenses is
sued in Chicago has been steadily
dropping for the past four years, and
in 1897 it was nearly twenty per cent.
less than it had been in 1898.
The Opelousas courier., 1898-05-07

A single sasaewes stalk al Barns,
ksa,. bore 233 blaotas At one tine.
Adams County news. [volume] (Ritzville, Wash.) 1898-1906, 1898-08-03
SUPREME COURT.

The supreme court of Washington
as now constituted consists of four
republicans and one democrat. Judge
Scott and Dunbar retiring. James H.
Lewis, democrat and w. G. Jones, a
silver republican, will probably tie
candidates for reelection to Congress,
so these two positions will probab ly
be allowed the populists. Above all
things great care should be exercised
in the selection of candidates for the
supreme bench. Men with a pull,
cranks, wornout politicians, lawyers
with little practice, old lawyers with
no practice, men with q grievance,
men who have prejuged themselves on
important legal questions for pol tic
al reasons, men who never were rust
lers, and what practice they have is
the sympathy of friends. Judges who
hang around law offices and have pets,
whom they favor on close questions,
and by the power OF their influence
with juries, and cranky, impatient
judges should all be carefully avoided.
If such men are placed upon, the su-
preme bench, they will cause litigants
unnecessary expense and trouble, and
work them an irreparable injury.
What we want on the supreme bench
is brainy, conscientious, care-taking
successful lawyer. A man who has
made a success OF his profession and
is an ornament to it; a man who I'M
derstands analytical law, that has the
power and intuition OF delving deep
Adams County news. [volume] (Ritzville, Wash.) 1898-1906, 1898-08-03
Cal: for City Warrants.

The following warrants drawn upor
the general fund of the town of Ritz.
vile, Wash, will be paid upon presen
tation, viz: Nos. 467, 1853, 469, 47O
All, 472, A7S, A74, Ats, 476, ATT, 47S
479, 4SO, 48l, 4S2, 483, 4s4, 1856, 1856
4S7, 4S8, 489, 400, 491, 492, 493, 494
495, 496, 497, 498, 400. Interest or
the above warrants will cease on and
after August 5, 1898.
W. /. OLMsTEAD, City Treas.
dated Ritzville, Wash.,(
Aug. 3rd, 1898.
Adams County news. [volume] (Ritzville, Wash.) 1898-1906, 1898-08-03
ADAMS COUNTY NEWS
ISSUED EVERY WEDNESDAY

D. A. THOMPSON, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR
subscription price 81 90 per year; six months,
= cents No subscription taken fer less than
Six months.
Advertising rates rHay be ascertafned at the
Slice. None bet first class advertisements will
be inserted.
Correspondence from neighboring towns will
Se cheerfully received. Write on both sides of
She paper If you wish and say what you have to
BAY in your OWE way. we'li fix it up.
Enterets at the Postoffice at Ritzville, Adams
County, Wash, as Second Glass mail matter.
Adams County news. [volume] (Ritzville, Wash.) 1898-1906, 1898-08-03

Through tickets to Japan and China, via the
Tacoma and Northern Pacific Steamship Co.
and American line.
Adams County news. [volume] (Ritzville, Wash.) 1898-1906, 1898-08-03

| beneath the surface and ascertaining
what the law is. Logical, and above
all, fearlessly honest, who will not
usurp the will of the legislature, but
simply declare and interpret that will
in spirit and in truth. Such d man
is the Hon. j. P. Houser, superior
judge OF Skagit county. In present
ing the name Of Judge Houser, we do
so after thorough canvass of the
field, and believe he is the strongest
available candidate for this position.
Judge Houser has been q resident Of
Skagit county for nine years, and dur
ing that time has steadily risen in his
profession, until today he stands in
the foremost rank. Since he has been
on the bench his reputation has ex-
tended throughout the state as an
able, efficient, pains-taking jurist, and
it is with pride, his friends point to
the fact, that out of the large number
OF cases, which have thus far been APP
pealed from his decision, and passed
on by the supreme court, he has only
been reversed but once. Judge Hous.
err is self-made man, who has arisen
by sheer application to what he is to-
day-an honored Ottoman able,
honest lawyer just and able Judge.
The west side populists can make no
mistake in presenting his name at
Ellensburg nor the Fusionists in
ratifying the choice.-D. H. Harrison.
Adams County news. [volume] (Ritzville, Wash.) 1898-1906, 1898-08-03
A FARMERS COLUMN.

Upon the suggestion of one of our
subscribers who is a leading farmer
in the county, we have decided to de,
vote one of the News columns exclu-
sively to farming interests and we in
vite our farmer friends to use it to
sheir own advantage. We will expect
communications for this column to
be upon live and interesting subjects,
rom the farmers and stock raisers,
among our subscribers. We have,
,ver since the paper started tried to
Encourage correspon dence of such
character, but now we shall for time
levote column to the subject any
way and if we fail to receive matters
rom the pens of our farmers we will
supply it from the columns OF our
agricultural exchanges, but we would
'refer to have the home people use the
:o.umn to advance their own ideas.
Adams County news. [volume] (Ritzville, Wash.) 1898-1906, 1898-08-03
WORD TO THE WISE is SUFFI
GENT

few words about the power Of the
irch compared with that of the sa-
n, and how the church can easily
the victory if only it was united
| Determined.
fen and women Of Ritzville and
Adams County news. [volume] (Ritzville, Wash.) 1898-1906, 1898-08-03
Pianos and Organs,

Call and see them. High grade
instruments. The best manufacturers.
Is and 25 dollars cheaper than Spo-
kane or Seattle. Fresh from factory.
You can make your own terms.
TINA HARRISON.
Adams County news. [volume] (Ritzville, Wash.) 1898-1906, 1898-08-03

article from the pen of j. c. Arthur,
'otanist, state Of Indiana, on the sub
Get of wheat scab, in July number of
'rarie Farmer, which should prove
interesting reading to the thinking,
progressive farmer. Here it is,
Scabs in Heads of Wheat.
The season, which has been so fav-
rable to many kinds of crops, has al
, developed to more than usual prom
hence a number OF fungus diseases.
1any fields of wheat, that just before
ipening promised good yield, have
uddenly been struck with kind of
light that kills the heads or parts OF
aem, and renders the grain worthless.
he part of the head affected is easily
elected at this time, as it turns
rematurely white, while the healthy
art remains green. The kernels be-
'me shriveled, and soon look moldy.
his injury is considerable in different
arts OF the state that farmers are
armed, and have accused the wheat
lidge and green fly of causing the
image. 1t is now due, however, to
~ insect, but to a minute fungus
lat attacks the wheat heads at the
me OF Towering. The spores of the
'ngus blow through the air, lodge on
re delicate parts inside the flower
Id soon penetrate the kernel and en-
slope it with mesh of moldy fla
ents which sap the life of the ker-
Il, and forming new pores spreads
Re disease to other flowers and
roughout the field. Looked ut care
lily the heads appear pinkish from
e abundance of the slightly colored
res. The disease is very appro-
lately called "wheat scah," AL
ough there is no known remedy for
is malady, in fact it has not yet re-
ived as much study as its import
'oe warrants, yet one Or two precau-
mary measures have come to light
ID should be borne in mind, 1t is
served that some varieties are less
biect to scab than others, and that
-tunately these include some of the
| substantial varieties. On the ex-
riment station grounds at Lafayette,
varieties Velvet CHAT, Early Ripe,
w Hybrid Prolific, Harvest King
d Michigan Amber showed almost
scab this season, while other variet-
were much injured, for example,
kta Chief had 25 per cent of the
ads affected; Diamond Grit, forty
cent; Pedigree Giant, sixty per
1T; White Golden Cross, seventy
per cent, and others in informed
g amounts. BY taking into ac-
mt the date OF ripening, however,
s seen that all varieties that ripen-
with us before the first OF July are
most or quite free of scab, while
)se which ripened later are al more
less effected. This agrees with the
'ervations of previous seasons. At
sent the best measures against scah
selections of early varieties, and
stening maturity by early seeding,
I'd culture and similar methods.
thing can be done to mitigate the
nry after the scab shows in the
d. J. c. Arthur,
indiana. Rotanist.
Adams County news. [volume] (Ritzville, Wash.) 1898-1906, 1898-08-03

Through the kindness of D. Buch-
man We have been supplied with an
article from the pen Of ]. c. Arthur,
'otanist, state OF Indiana, on the sub
Get OF wheat scab, in July number of
'rarie Farmer, which should prove
interesting reading to the thinking,
progressive farmer Here IL ia
The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1898-09-16
Definite.

About Nov. l, 1861" said Commo-
dore Kautz, 81 called to see President
Lincoln, with General Denver, in re-
gard to my exchange, being at the time
a prisoner of war on parole. A violent
storm was prevailing at the time, and
as the wind whistled through the trees
of the White House grounds and sheets
of water dashed against the windows Of
the executive mansion our thoughts
naturally turned toward the poor mar
liner, and especially to Flag Officer Du-
points fleet, which had sailed day or
two before.
General Denver remarked that there
would be great anxiety ON the part of
I'll of us as to the safety of the feet IN
ill it was heard from, and added, i
suppose, Mr.. President, it is now so
near its destination that you would not
object to telling us where it has gone
TOT? Mr.. Lincoln looked at the general
q moment, as though he were loath to
reveal the secret, and then said, No,
general, since you and your young
friend are especially interested in the
navy, I don't mind telling you that-it
has gone to sea. "-Harper's.