Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-06-25
Private Nichpls Of Cd New York
Strusk BY Lightning.
SIXTEEN OTHER MEN STUNNED
They Were on Practice March,
Encamped on Tampa Heights.
NEWS OF DISTRICT TROOPS

Special From a STAFF CORE spondent.
TAMPA, Fla, June 25.-Again the bril-
gade to which the District boys are at
tached has been visited with a fatality.
This time it fell upon the I'd New York
Regiment. Yesterday afternoon it was the
turn of the New York regiment to go on
the semi-weekly practice march, and they
started out in the face of tremendous
thunder storm. Hardly had they gotten
their day tents pitched on Tampa Heights
before the rain began to come down in tor
rents. Flashes of lightning rent the skies,
and the peals of thunder sounded like the
roar of eannons- The New Workers hastily
took shelter In their little tents so as to
avoid the rain as much as possible Sud-
denly a binding flash of lightning struck in
the midst of the camp of Company C, from
Troy. The bolt struck a tree and split 1t
from branch to trunk. The shock instantly
killed Private Nichols, whose tent was
about ten feet from the tree. His tent mate
was rendered unconscious. as were also
about a dozen others.
Seventeen Failed to Answer.
AS soon as quiet could be secured the
ass emily was sounded, and the roll called
Seventeen failed to respond to their names,
ard an inspection was made. Nichols was
found dead in his tent. There was not n
single bruise on his body, and he evidently
met death without pain or knowing what
struck him. His gun was lying by his side,
the stock completely wrenched from the
barrel. Private Mcbride was the most seri-
olsly injured of the others, and it is feared
that he will not live. All Of the injured men
belong to Company {, commanded by Capt.
John b. Teavor. The injured men were
carried to the division hospital, where they
received the best possible attention.
Col Harries personally inspected the
camp this morning at o'clock. He found
everything in excellent shape. Rifles had
been nicely cleaned. brasses were polished
up brightly. The quarters were clean and
neat. On the whole Col. Harries is very
much pleased with the result
Owing to the fact that the army regula-
tions prohibit Sunday work, the District
regiment will not go on the semi-weekly
practice march this evening, but will go
out tomorrow afternoon in order to have
the drill Monday morning. The boys are
getting so accustomed to these marches
now that they don't appear to mind them
in the least. They are becoming more and
more seasoned every day. and the minor
ailments that used to appear at the hos
frequent. There were but twenty minor
cases at the sick call this morning and only
three OF these were sent to the hospital.
This is excellent for a regiment of nearly
one thousand men.
Recruits Mustered In.
Lieut.. Col. w. T. May of the 18th In
diana Regiment, who is a lieutenant Of the
18th United States Infantry, and is the
hixyi=i
trict camp yesterday afternoon and mus
tered into the regiment J. d. Greeve, H O.
Goldsbcrough. F. E. Barrows and Geo. Z.
their companies at once
Private Samuel Marshall of Company NJ
has been ordered by the Secretary of War
to report to Washington at once. 1t is I'M
derstood that he will be given commits
sion in the volunteer service. Corporal Elk
tri has been promoted to be sergeant and
Private F. H. Smith has been promoted to
be corporal.
The result Of the court-martial of Private
Everett Springer for being asleep on duty
has not as yet been made known.
The men are getting very tired of re-
manning inactive. They are very anxious
to get to the front and show the material
of which they are made The daily rou-
tine while gone through with a will Is be-
coming irksome.
No Idea When the Regiment Will
Move.
No one here has an idea when the regi-
ment will be ordered to move or where
they will go. Most of the news in regard
to the movement Of the army Is read in
the Washington and New York papers.
One can learn more about Tampa by read
ing the outside papers than in Tampa, but
the information is not all reliable.
Lieut.. Robt d. Layer, the new regimen
tai adjutant, arrived this morning. He will
enter actively on his duties tomorrow
morning.
INTERIOR DEPARTMENT CHANGES.