Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-09-05
HAMPTON COLLEGE BURNED.
Loss About So. 0OO--T'vo Men Drown
ed--The Kearsnrge.


NEWPORT NEWS, September 4.-(Spe-
cial.)-The Hampton Female College was
totally destroyed By fire this afternoon
between and o'clock. The engineer Of
the building and his assistant were alb
sent, and though the Fire Department
responded promptly, the blaze could not
be controlled, owing TO tho delay In get
ting on a stream OF water. In less than
an hour the college was mass Of ruins
The building was erected in 1897 at. a
cost Of $4,000. The total loss IS about
$2j go, exclusive OF the personal property
belonging 10 the teachers. only small
part OF the furniture was saved.
TWO MEN DROWNED.
Johnson Hayes. an American, and John
Johnson. a Swede. seamen on the schoon-
or John r. Randall. which arrived here
Saturday for coal, were drowned while
painting the stern OF the vessel. a rope
was thrown out 70 the imperllled men.
Hayes could have reached it and saved
himself, but &c refused 70 do IT, and
worked TO save Lis comrade. Both men
went down bofo"s a boat could reach
them. Their les have not been re.
covered. Hay is from Williamsport,
Pa. Both men shipped AT Boston August
18th last.
THE KEARSARGES TRIP.
All preparations for the builders trial
trip of the frst-class battleship Kear-
sarge have been completed, and at G
o'clock tomorrow morning this splendid
ly-built and formidable product Of the
Newport News Ship-Building and Dry
Dock Company will start for the ocean.
The course will be from the ship-yard.
through Hampton Roads 10 the Virginia
Capes. out a distance Of forty or fifty
miles. and return. The big defender will
tie up at the ship-yard again about S
o'clock tomorrow night
All Of the ships stores for the trip. in
Guiding ten tons Of ice. We're put aboard
this evening. and the bunkers have been
filed with coal.
The last dock trial was given this af-
ternoon. Captain Farcloth, senior cap
tain of the Ward Line. will navigate the
Kearsarge on this trip for the ship-buid-
ing company. Engineer Ernest Baohman,
Of the ship-yard, will have charge of the
engines. The crew will number 200 Sc
lected employees Of the yard There will
be no guests aboard. General-Superin-
tendent Walter A. Post and the high offi.
Gals Of the company; Captain w. NJ
Folger, who VIII command the Kearsarge,
and several other officers who will be at
tached 20 the ship; Captain Chester, OF
the Kentucky; Naval-Constructor Wood
ward and Captain Rearick. and several
representatives. Of the government de-
partments at the gard viii be the only
persons outside of the crew who Will 80
on the ship.
LABQR-DAY OBSERVANCE.
The observance Of Labor-Day here was
marked by the largest celebration of the
kind every Witnessed IN this city. THEE
was a continuous round OF games and
sports from 9 to 6 o'clock at the Casino
Grounds and at o'clock the Casino was
crowded with union labor men. who as
semblod 10 hear the public speeches.
Mayor Moss made the opening address
and a. b. McCulloch, OF Richmond, de-
livered the principal speech.
Agent Harry Blackstone, Of Furness,
Witty & CO.. stated to-day that he had
more than enough white longshoremen TO
replace the colored strikers. There are
now between 80 and 400 men at work,
and the shipping companies will not be
embarrassed for want of experienced
men. Ii looks dark for the negroes, who
are making no move whatever.