Durango semi-weekly herald., 1904-04-21

the terrible strain which this rapid
FIRE entails? Are the gun forces being
overtrained and becoming too danger
GUS TO our own ships and men to war
rant the continuance Of the system?
This is the fourth serious accident
10 guns of our battleshlps In about
year Three of them We're attended
by serious loss of life. that on the
Missouri exceeding all the others com.
bined
While every officer is careful not
TO imply any censure on anyone. and
TO regard the calamity as Inevitable
in view of the still meager knowledge
that even the most advanced naval
officers have of modern war ships and
their guns. the theory most generally
accepted is that the disaster was
caused by the premature ignition of
the powder charge by fragment of
the canvas bag or by grain OF pow
der still smoudering when the new
powder charge was rammed home.
The powder charge for a modern
gun Is encnscd in canvas bag. When
gun is 10 be fired the shell is first
put in and then the powder charge
200 pounds for a 12-inch gun. in four
bags of 90 pounds each. In the old
days OF the smooth bore and bTeech-
loader, burning black powder, the gun
WAS swabbed ont TO prevent any frag-
ments remaining In the gun when the
new charge was put in. hut The modern
theory is that the shot which FITS
before 1t. and therefore there Is no
danger of smouldering fragment be
ing left Officials are of the opinion,
however. that the theory has not been
absolutely established They think it
not Improbable that fragment of
smouldering cloth could lodge behind
the shell which would not be detected
in the haste Of loading and firing,
The fragment might be large enough to
5et fire to the new bag and cause Its
contents to ignite Smokeless pow.
Ter burns with the fury and heat OF
piece of celluloid. Anyone who has
;arelessly brought celluloid comb in
contact with an uncovered gas jet
knows what that means,
DENVER, April 1S.-The executive
inuncil of the American Federation of
Labor opened its convention at 10
o'clock this morning in the Windsor
hotel. The convention will last one
week
President Gompers arrived this
/ I.ts NlnA prAut
dent John Mitchell. who Is also presi-
dent OF the United Nine Workers OF
America Mr. Mitchell denied that he
had been talking with officials OF the
Colorado Fuel G. Iron company in re.
gard TO a settlement Of the coal strike
existing In the southern part OF the
state
II is thoroughly believed that prompt
steps will he taken during the week
|. looking toward a permanent settle
ment Of the labor troubles which have
upset the state for such a long time
Both Mr. Mitchell and Mr., Com
pers express great surprise that the
militia have continued to rule.
NEW YORK, April lS.-Emil Tot
termhn. a swedish sailor who murder.
ed Sarah Martin in James slip hotel
in this city last December, was put To
/ death IN the electric chair at Sing
! Sing prison today. Totterman's
crime attracted wide attention at the
/ time 1t was committed on account OF
It's close resemblance in horrible de
| tail to the noted Jack the Ripper"
murders of London. The victim was
woman Of the streets.
INDIANAPoLlS, Ind, April 1s.-
| While the entire city fire department
was fighting a fire In the Occidental
hotel this morning a second alarm was
/ turned in from 81. vincents hospital
AT the latter fire one life was lost
and several patients were injured be
for the arrival OF the fire companies
! The fire caused panic in the hospital
and at every floor could be seen pa
tients terror stricken and crying for
aid. People dangerously Ill crepi
from their beds and attempted 10 leap
| from the windows. Harriet Leahy, an
employe met her death by jump from
! the fourth floor.
The FIRE started from spontaneous
combustion.
ALBANY, n. Y. April 1S.-The
Democratic state convention here Is
the scene of considerable interest.
The headquarters of Tammany, Hill
and Hearst were astir early this morn
ing There Is no apparent change In
the situation.
1t ls reported today that Tammany
has agreed TO the adoption of the uni
rule II the name OF candidate be moi
mentioned. 1t being felt that at least
two-thirds of the convention favors
Judge Parker an adoption OF the uni