Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-09-21

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place in the currents of the Pacific
as the result of earthquakes In mid
ocean. The Kobe, Japan, observa-
tory reported a terrific earthquake
as having taken place In the mid
Pacific several hours previous TO the
earthquake which destroyed Valpa-
raiso, and II Is to this event that the
changed Pacific currents are ascrib-
ed, with the result that navigators
being unacquainted with the new
currents are unable to keep of
shoals, etc.
Hong Kong, China, was visited
by a most terrific hurricane last
Tuesday, which resulted in great loss
of life and not less than a million
dollars in damage. The hurricane
struck the Hong Kong water front
about 10 o'clock in the morning, and
ragged with great fury for about two
hours, and then subsided as suddenly
as 1t had come. The harbor was
filled with foreign craft, which was
all more or less damaged, many or
the vessels being total wrecks. The
vessels which were not sunk at their
anchorages were hurled up into the
streets Of the city and pounded to
pieces in many instances. Scores OF
native junks and ferryboats were sunk
in Pearl river. While ii is impossi-
BILE TO give accurate figures as to the
total loss Of life, 1t Is certain that the
death roll will go we'll up into the
hundreds. The damage to the city
itself was tremendous and as a re-
suit all business is at complete
standstill.
Mayor Dunno Of Chicago, is
about to be successful in his efforts
to acquire possession of the street
car systems of that city. 1t will be
remembered that Mayor Dunno was
elected on a municipal ownership OF
the street car systems PLATFORM.
Since his election he has been fought
at every turn he has taken. The leg
islature Of Illinois authorized the
city OF Chicago to issue bonds to the
amount OF $75,000,000 which was to
be used for the purpose of paying
for the traction lines. The validity
Of these bonds or certificates was at
tackled in the courts and last week
Judge Windes decided in their favor.
at the same time sustaining the may
or in all Of his contentious. The va
rious traction companies have sub
mitted figures at which they are will
ing to sell out The aggregate OF
the figures is something like $72,-
100000. Mayor Dunno and the
board of aldermen having the matter
in charge, claim that these figures
are too high. They figure that the
entire street car service Of Chicago
can be duplicated anew for $7O,OOO,-
900 or less.
Senator Bacon Of Georgia, dis
cussing the government ownership
of railroads., as proposed by Mr..
Bryan, said in an interview in WASH
ington a few days ago: I'm its prac-
tical operations II would be the most
extreme and radical measure OF pater-
nalistic socialism. i can think OF a
score of strong and sufficient reasons
against it. and scarcely good reason
for it-certainly not one that is not
counter-balanced in tenfold degree
by the evils which 1t would entail.
1t would be impracticable for the
government to maintain and operate
100000 miles of railroads economi-
cally and honestly and build the new
lines that would be required as we'll.
It would present the most inviting
and unlimited field for graft and
thievery the world ever saw. The
fact that the postoffice department
is successfully run by the govern
ment is no evidence to the contrary
Of this The railroad business Of the
United States is, in it's magnitude,
scope, intricacies and difficulties 100
SICdtCA lloli SiichS Va thS POSS
Office department" Senator Bacon
believes that government ownership
would constitute a political machine
the reach and resiStless power OF
which cannot be realized"
One Of the most amazing cases
OF thievery from the United States
government, on record, was unearth-
ed at the Philadelphia mint recent
ly, and as a result Thomas w. Hurff,
for twelve years assistant weigher at
the mint was arrested on Monday
last. According to the secret service
men. Hurff's alleged falsifying of the
scales has enabled him to steal SIS
worth of gold every day. 1t is
claimed that Hurff has been working
his scheme for six months. The tes-
timony of the secret service men
goes to show that there are five
or six "melds' Of gold, Of 5000
ounces, each day. and the Weighing
of this gold, which is being used In
the coinage Of Mexican coins, valued
at SO a piece, has been a part of
Hurff's duty. The system by which
1t is alleged that Hurff defrauded the
government was a simple one. A
copper planchette, or unstamped
bottom or laid in the pan of the
scale in which the gold is weighed.
One of these planchettes weighed
11-100 of an ounce, which is the ex-
act weight of the SO Mexican gold
pieces. Consequently at each weigh
ing the government lost SO in gold,
and, figuring on six weights" day,
the loss per day was SIS. Under the
law the weigher is allowed 10-10O Of
an ounce shortage in weight, for
wear, on each 5000 ounces Of gold.
Charleston, s. c., September IS:
The Clyde steamship New York,
from New York, arrived in port
twenty four hours overdue this
afternoon, having encountered hur-
ricane off Frying Pan shoals and la
mariners who were clinging to
wreckage in that vicinity. The ship
wrecked men were Chief Mate Gar
diner F. Goold, Caleb Herring, cook,
and Frank Harrington and Manuel
Crabtree, sailors Cf the schooner K.
d. Bibber The men were clinging
to pieces of wreckage nearly eX-
bausted, having been in the water
several hours. On board the New
York. Mate Goold told of the voyage
of the schooner Bibber Capt. Say
res, beginning at Savannah, Septem-
ber 9, when the vessel cleared with
a cargo OF lumber for New York.
The weather was bad from the 18th
and on the night Of September 16 1t
was found that the schooner was
leaking The storm was upon them
and the lashing Of the deck load
parted and the lumber went adrift.
The port main rigging was carried
away and a little later the vessel
turned turtle, casting the crew into
the sea. A sailor named Manuel
had been lost before this. and there
were remaining five men. The cap
tain and a sailor named Anthony
caught a spar and Mate Goold and
three others clung to a piece OF the
deck For hours the New York
searched for Capt. Sayres and the man
but they had disappeared. The res
cue was made at the height of the
storm and showed skill and courage
on the part of Capt. Staples.
A Rock Island railroad passen-
ger train, known as the Texas. Kan
sas City and Chicago express. went
down with the bridge over Cimarron
river near Dover, Okla, Tuesday
morning and as a result not less
than twenty persons lost their lives.
The train consisting of an engine,
two baggage cars, three chair cars
and a Pullman sleeper all went into
the river except the Pullman sleep