Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1905-08-22
From Washington.


Washington. ID. c., August ~.
Secretary Bonaparte will shortly order
A general court martial for the trial OF
Ensign Charles Tobias Wade, chief en-
gineer officer of the gunboat Bennington,
on charges based on the finding Of the
court of inquiry which Investigated the
explosion of the boilers of that vessel in
San Diego harbor. The principal charge
against him will be failure to make a
personal inspection of the safety and
sentinel valves of boiler b, the defec-
tive operation of which is initially re-
sponsibe for the explosion. He also
failed, it is alleged, to have proper tests
made. Had these valves been in work
ing order the pressure would have been
relieved, in the opinion of the court OF
inquiry, despite the fact that the steam
Indicator was cut of by mistake and the
water tender and fireman we're not aware
of the terrific strain to which the boiler
was being subjected. Rear Admiral
Goodrich, cOmmander-in-chief Of the
Pacific station, will appoint the members
of the court to Try Wade, and the trial
will be conducted probably at Mare Is
land navy yard. Ensign Wade is TWEEN
ty-six years old. During his terms of
service in the navy he has had wide ex-
perience in the engineering department.
He was appointed to the Naval Academy
from Hackettstown, n. j., Sept. 3,
1896, and since his graduation has
served on the Massachusetts, New York,
Culgoa, Glacier, Manila. Pompanaga,
Foote and other vessels. Among OIL
GERS 70 the navy, Wade was understood
to /. an excellent officer fer work In
the engine and boiler rooms.
The local grand jury which has been
considering the cotton leak scandal OF
the Agricultural Department this morn
ing convened after an adjournment of a
few DAYS during which time District
Attorney Morgan II. Beach secured the
services of three detectives to investigate
the records of different banks in this
city for the purpose Of disclosing
whether or not Edwin ). Holmes, IT,,
or John Hyde, former statistician OF
the bureau of statistics of the Depart
ment of Agriculture, ever transacted
business with certain New York cotton
brokers. Several New Workers, promi-
nent in the cotton brokerage business are
known to have business dealings with
Edwin S. Holmes, and it was the pur-
pose of Mr.. Beach's visit to New York
Sunday and Monday to confer with the
federal authorities there for the purpose
of having subpoenas served upon these
men. This morning, Secretary Wilson,
of the Department Of Agriculture, had a
long conference with the District At
torney prior to the converting of the
grand jury.
The earthquake vibration felt in the
middle west cid not extend to Washing
ton. An examination of the seismO-
crab, a delicate instrument for the meas
urement of earthquake vibrations, at the
Weather Bureau, indicated this morning
that no disturbance had occurred in this
vicinity during the past twenty-iour
hours. NO ODSbINdtlOu VI ohVOh N"o
felt at the Naval Observatory, although
mail reports of the shock in the west are
expected at both the observatory and the
Weather Bureau from observers in the
zone of the earthquake.
The federal grand jury today returned
an indictment against Thomas f. Wag-
gaman, a local real estate dealer, charg-
ing cmbezzlement of So, 900 from the
estate of the late Adele sB. French.
Among the benefciares OF the estate
was the Little Sisters Of the Poor. Wag-
gaman is now in California. He recent
" went into bankruptcy with liabilities
aggregating over a million dollars, one
of the heaviest creditors being the Cath
Ole University, of which he was
trustee.
The committee appointed by the Sec
retary of Commerce and Labor to revise
the pl esent rules and regulations under
which the immigration laws and the
Chinese exclusion laws are administered
have begun work.