Omaha daily bee., 1903-03-22

- department u 1T DOW NPNH
NPH6N his return from the Philippines,
S~ is the third member OF his family
TO attain the rank OF brigadier general in
tho regular army OF the United States, and
the second to ommand the Department OF
the Missouri. II predictions now freely
made are confirmed, by the time he reaches
Omaha he will be the second OF his name
TO become major general, for 1t is said that
he is TO be made a major general in July,
and no will probably not reach Omaha be-
fore August.
General Sumner Is the son OF Major Cen
eral e. V. Sumner, who in the earlier stages
OF the civil war commanded the second
army corps, afterward commanded by Cen
eraI Hancock. That corps was attached
to the army OF the Potomac and saw con-
siderable service. At that time both sam
uel 8. Sumner and his brother, e. V, Sum-
ner, brigadier general, retired, were upon
the personal stan Of their father as lieu
tenants. In 1864 General Sumner became
captain OF the Fifth cavalry, his brother
having been made captain OF the First cav
airy In 1863. Both brothers remained In the
cavalry service from that day until the
retirement OF General e. V. SumneT'i in 1901.
AS colonel during the Spanish war he COM
manded the Department OF the Missouri Tor
a short time. General Samuel Sumner at
Lno beginning OI Tue opdHlSh u q
colonel OF the Sixth cavalry. He was made
brigadier general OF volunteers and COM
manded cavalry at Santiago. For this able
administration OF duty he was made major
general Of volunteers and commanded a III
vision OF cavalry. At the conclusion OF
hostillties in Cuba he accepted the detail
of military attache at the court OF st.
James. which he held until his regiment,
the Sixth cavalry, was ordered to China,
,vl,, IA, ua,..,afaA 40 ha RnrpnfttaH IN "a
turn to his regiment. Upon the removal of
the United States troops from China he
went with his regiment to the Philippines,
where under General John c, Bates, he COM
manded a department of the army, and was
In charge OF the troops which received tina
surrender Of General Juan Cables, a Fill
Pine insurgent general. who was not a Fill
Pine, but a French East Indian. He was
appointed brigadier general in the regular
establishment February 4, 1901, and has
since had command in the Philippines. For
all of his forty-two years OF service in the
regular army of the United States General
Sumner Is one OF the youngest appearing
general officers in the United States army.
and is said to be one OF the most able AMI
energetic OF ~ofhcers. He has risen to his
present rank entirely through the line.
bearing the same relation to the cavalry
In this respect that General Bates bears
to the infantry, for neither OF them since
1861 have lost through stan appointment or
otherwise their position In the line.
Nebraska rivers have a bad reputation for
sudden rushes in the spring, but the amount
OF damage they do is nothing in comparison
with what Is reported from other states.
Out here the snow never gets very deep on
tho ground, and doesn't lie in huge drifts
under the lee of sheltering hills, waiting
for the FIRST warm days of March to set II
on into floods. II is the ice In the rivers
that makes the trouble. When the sun be-
gins to approach "the line" and the tenn
p~erature goes up with a bound, the streams
are quick TO respond and break their icy
letters with a snap that usually means
trouble and work for the bridge builders
An ice gorge is the easiest thing imagin,
able to erect, but a desperately annoying
thing when Il is once well built up. OnC
big cake Of ice lodges. and then another
and a third, and so on. and there you are
The water IL damned up and the low bank
OF the river are soon OVERLOOKED, and tn
temporary lake covers the low grounds
often floating large pieces Of ice far ava
from the stream on which they wer
formed, But the gorge doesn't last long
The Ice OF which Il is formed is rotten an
soon the weight OF water piled up is NOR
than the barrier can ~su5tain, and ava
goes the whole affair with the most destruc
tive swoOp. Bridges and similar structure
are swept away. and much havoc is wrough
by the waters as they hurry along to tn
all reeeivink Missouri, and within a ia
or two the little rivers Of the state hav
resumed their normal stage Of quietuds.
isn't every spring that witnesses the rul
shown In the pictures in this number. Ii
often enough It happens.
-
Ruth Rebekah lodge Of Omaha gave a d.
IiEhtful entertainment at It's lodge roo
last Saturday night, one Of the features
a-L---LA.L nan.anGLnn