Daily Democrat, Volume 1, Number 16, Decatur, Adams County, 29 January 1903 — Page 1

VOLUME I

TIS AWFUL. Frightful Explosion at Fort Wayne. — ECKERT PACKING ESTABLISHMENT SCENE OF HORROR. • Buildings are Ruined, Four People Killed, Five Fatally Hurt and Many Badly Injured. The dead: HENRY PIENDRINK. CONRAD MILLER. JOHN FOLTZ. “RED’ MATTHEWS. The dying: JOHN YOBST. CLEM TELLER. The wounded: Three other men are believed to be fatally hurt and a dozen more so badly injured that it was necessary to take them to the hospital for treatment. Some of these may be worse injured than hasty examination this morning would reveal. Besides this a number were slightly injured. At seven o'clock this morning the Fred Eckert Packing establishment at Fort Wayne was totally wrecked by a terrific gas explosion with the result as shown above. Details of the accident are meager, in fact no one seems able to tell just how the affair happened, though it is presumed that a leak in a gas pipe allowed the gas to accumulate in the cellar and when the employees reached the factory this morning one of them attempted to light a fire or lamp thus causing the awful explosion. The shock was felt all over the city and when the crowd began to arrive the wrecked building had taken tire but was soon extinguished. Then began the work of getting out the dead and wounded. Four lifeless bodies were found, being those of Henry Piendrink, Conrad Miller, John Foltz and “Red” Matthews. Os these the first named iwas terribly mangled but the others had not a mark to show the cause of death and it is believed they suffocated. About the building are a number of pipes constantly filled with amonia and used for scientific cooling purposes in the refrigerative department. These pipes were broken and the fumes united with the deadly gas and caused strangulation of the men. Two men, John Yobst and Clem Teller, are in a dying condition and are probably dead by this time, while three others are fatally injured. The scene is descrilied asjterrible and the accident is the worst in .Fort Wayne in years, The Eckert packing house is located in Bloomingdale on the north aide of West Main street. The loss is manytthousand dollars in a financial way; the loss of life has east a gloom over the city and there are many sad homes in Ft. Wayne today.

The Daily Democrat.

PENSION BUSINESS. The Pennsylvania Railroad Company D Pension Employes. The pension department of the Pennsylvania Railroad companwcompleted the third year of its existence on December 31, 1102. The statistics of the department show that there were authorized to be paid to retired employes during 1902, allowances aggregating J 328,403.10, which,"added to the allowances authorized to be paid ’ during 190), $244,019.97, and in 1901, $292,290.2* xnakes a grand total disbursed in pension allowances during the three years of $864,713.27. The entire amount was borne by the company, and the employes were not called upon to make contribution it*i any manner whatever for pension allowances. In addition to the pension allowances granted, all expenditures ! in connection with the retirement of the employes and the cost of operation of the department were likewise assumed by the company. Since January 1,1900, 1,851 employes were retiftd and granted pension allowances, of which number 381 died during the period ending December 31, 1902. Os the total retired 359 were of the 65 to 69-year class, 261 of whom were retired on their own request, with the approval of the employing officer. SAW IT’S FINISH. The “Ripper Bill” Amended aift will Pass. The ripper bill met its finish yesterday in a lively session of the house, which killed the original measure and submitted for it <4 a compromise bill offered by the “‘msurgeuts.” The remodeled measure was passed to third reading without debate, the mighty leaders being denied an opportunity either to discuss the question or to offer any amendments. Friends of the bill credited the democrats with causing its defeat. , HAPPY THOUGHT. J x * I Senator Fleming Working in the Di- > • vorce Business. Senator Steven B. Flemming of Fort Wayne, at the request of a number of , ministers,»will intryduce in the state a nite a bill providing for the tempo--1 rary legal separation of husband and wife. On application to a cirMit court 1 either party may have the marriage r relations temporarily suspended but if at any time they decide to renew their [ former relatione all that is necessary 1 is to get the saction of the court. The ’ 1 bill is introduced for the reason that I so many divorced couples afterwards I remarry. During the temporary sep- , aration neither party has the right to I the property or earnings of the other II and neither has the right to commit I acts that would be wrongful if tbe 1 marriage relations existed.J STATE MEETING. ' Presbyterians are in Session at InI dianapolis. The national evangelistic movement of thi Presbyterian church, inaugurated by the general assembly, which is the highest body of that denomition, was launched in Indiana Saturday night at the opening session of the state conference in Indianapolis. Prominent ministers and laymen from all over the state are in attendance, while thejspeakers include a number of the leading churchmen of the country. The conference is a school of methods for the preacher and the parishioner, intended to lead to a great forward movement for the strengthening and broadening of the church and the more effectual reaching of the people. In Indiana seventeen evangelists are giving their entire time to the movement, while a number of preachers are assisting in sjiecial work. ELECTED OFFICERS. The St. Vincent de Paul society met with Mrs. R. J. Holthouse yesterday afternoon. The most important part of the session was the elejtion of officers who were chosen as follows: President, Mrs. C. 8. Niblick; secretary, Mrs. D. D. Clark; treasurer, Mrs. J.S. Colchin.

' DECATUR, INDIANA, THURSDAY EVENING, JANUARY 29, 1903.

TIED UP. s • The Car Famine Causes Considerable Trouble Here. The car famine presents a serious affront to the merchants of this city, and they are patiently waiting for an opening up and a clearance of all difficulties. The hay-balers have as high as one hundred carloads of baled hay awaiting shipment, the grain shippers have their elevators filled, lumber men and stock buyers are greatly hampered and inconvenienced on account of this difficulty. This great trouble is not occasioned by the scarcity of rolling stock, but owing to the lack of proper yard facilities. The unlooked-for amount of business has caused a great blopkade on the railroads, and cars are months on the roads when they* should be handled in one-tenth of the lime. Merchants of this city who buy and sell in earload lots have had goods on ' the road between four and five months. The great railroad systems ! are taking steps to meet another rush I like the present ote and will spend I millions of dollars this summer in leaking the requisite yard improveI tiients. AT FOGARTYVILLE. © Major Allison and Wife Leave Birmingham. * Major R. B. Allison and wifeoieft Birmingham the first of the wee]j, and i ere this are located at theft 1 southern i home at Fogartyville, Florida, whqp for the next two months the major wdl fish and enjoy life as only he knows ho# Their first visit in Birmingham was an enjoyable event from start to finish and the remainder I of their visit will be a continuation of the same brand of joy. All winter, previous to their departure, the major had been on the lift somewhat, but the change of climate seems to have provided the needed balm and he is now several degrees to the good. PRETTY GOOD. ’ St. Marys Claims to Have Located a Big Factory. St. Marys. Ohio, claims to have secured a contract with a company who will monster mauufltcturiug concern there at once. They will employ 500 skdled mechanics, and will increase the population of the town at least 1,000. The St. Marys Daily News tells the news, but say they are not yet at liberty to tell the nature of the business. Perhaps it’s a brewery, I but any way it’s a big thing if it gives employment to the number of people claimed. The proposition was accepted by telegram and the contract is to be dosed today. It was obtained through the efforts of the St. Marys Commercial club. A NEW “COON.” . » Colored Man of Standing in Jail. A negro, twenty-seven years old and ’ giving his hame as J. Johnson anil his home at Richmond, Ya., was picked up last evening by Policeman- Fisher and placed in jail for safe keeping. I He was well dressed and a pretty smooth looking individual. He said he was a gentleman in a little tough run of luck and was on his way to Logansport to accept a position. He was turned loose this morning with orders to glide out of town as quickly as possible aud he obeyed. AT THE FAIR. Indiana’s Display will be Something Lovely. State Geologist Blatshley wants SIO,OOO for a special display in the. mineral building at the St. Louis exposition. Governor Durbin’s plan is thought to lx, appropriate enough to erect a building for Indiana and to put the mineral display in it, with the agricultural exhibit. Bletchley siren uously objects to this, and declares ho will have nothing to do with a display unless enough is appropriated to havea mineral display in the building with the mineral exhibit of other states. He is busy lobbying to get his plan adopted.

LIFE IS ENDED. An Old and Well Known Settler of the Community is Dead. Diedrick Schoppmenn. eighty-two years, five months and fourteen days, died last evening at nine o’clock at his home iu Madison township, Allen county, one mile south of Hoagland. He was well known here and especially so by citizens of the north part of the county. He was an honest, worthy and splendid man and during his fifty-five years residence in this community has proven himself entitled to the respect and honor ®f every one. He was born iu Germany August 15, 1820, landed at New |York in 1840 and came to Allen countv in 1818. By years of industry and attention to farming, he became wealthy and influential. In 1897 Mr. and Mrs. Schoppmenn celebrated their golden wedding anniversary, Mm. Schoppmenn dying December 7,1902. Grand-father Schoppmenn has been ill for some time with a complication of diseases usual with old age and death came as a result. He leaves six children, Mrs. Conrad Reiter, Fort Wayne, Mrs. Herman Reiter, Mr< Charles Borne and Diedrick jr., Ferdinand and Fred Schoppmenn, who i - side i ear th® parennl home. Rev: Huge will conduct the funeral service which will be held at the St. John Lutheran church next Sunday at 1:30 p. m. • o ALWAYS TO THE FORE. Champion Dog of the United States Belongs to Indiana. • Indiana has the champion dog of the United States derby. The dog is a pointer, owned by C. H. Foust, of Warren, Ind. Ho is a wonderful animal and the choicest in last week’s national competition. (®) NEW FEATURE.

G. R. & I. Railway Adopting the Latest , Air Brakes on Cass* 0 Officials of the Pennsylvania rail- : road system have recently made a number of experiments with a highspeed Westinghoust air brake, afld have found it very effective. A train, consisting of an engine and two cars, while running at the rate of sixty five I miles an hour, has been stopped in less than three hundred yards, and ' has so pleased the officials that all passenger cars will be equipped with the new air system. The rolling stock of the G. R. & 1., a dependent line of the Pennsylvania system, will also be equipped with this brake as fast as the cars can be taken out of service. © PAPERS ARE SENT. Transcripts Finally Sent to the Muncie © Lawyers. After much squabbling and quite a little effort Lawyers Templar & Templar, of Muncie, finally realized they were dealing with people who knew their business, and sent the necessary i money to pay for the transcript of I proceedings in the Brown vs Gemmell I case. Accordingly a neat little pack age went out from the county clerk's office this morning and ’therein con ’ tained are the documents which are ' an absolute necessity to the success of j the trial of Templar vs Ola Brown, I lien on her judgment against G. F. Gemmell. The case comes up tomorrow in .the Jay circuit court. AFTER THEM. The Kentucky Fugitives to be Given Another Round. “If Gov. Durbin again refuses to honor a requisition for tho return of W. S. Taylor and Charles Finley to Kentucky a suit will bo filed by the commonwealth of Kentucky against state of Indiana and Gov. Durbin’s the legal right to hold the fugives will be tested in the United Stater supreme court.” This is the statement made by T. C. Campbell, one of the lawyers for the commonwealth in the sonspiracy cases.

SERVES NOTICE. <9 Calvin Miller Refuses to Bwild Fourth Street. © An Order to Advertise for New Bids will Probably Tie Made Tuesday Evening. Contractor'Calvin Millei has served notice on the council committee on public improvements that he positively will not contract with them to construct a brick pavement on Fourth street at the figures he made last fall when said contract was awarded and members of this com mittee tell us that they cannot coig peFhim to do so, and do not care to. Mr. Miller says that his bid at that time was figured on the price of ma- ; ierial as it was then and that since the pricii, has raised enough to make a | difference of $1,500. He further states that specifications were made in such a manner that the price would necessarily have to be high, and that by receiving new bids the street could even now, be built cheaper. Uis believed that this will be done and that at the council meeting Tuesday even ing an order to advertise for bids will be made and the street finally built. The property owners desire a brick pavement if it can be secured without too much trouble and the useless expenditure of more mongy than is nec essary. . ROYAL STOCK. •— . Adams County Man Will Attend a Big • Sale. Thomas H. Baltzell left tjjis after noon for Biltmore, North Carolina, where he rtfill attend a sale of English Berkshire hogs, with the expressed determination of purchasing the finest male Berkshire in thK world and its safe to say that Tom will do this very thing. Stock men from all the country will attend the sale in which will be sold sixty-five head of Berkshires, shipped direct from England. Tom expects to buy several but the one on which he has his heart is a Berkshire boar which recently tdok first prize in the Royal stock show at London and which is said to be the finest hog in the world. There’s nothing too good for Adams county stock men. SUCH STREETS. Even Our Brick Pavements are Buried .. in JJud. The citizens are growling contin-’ I ually over the muddy condition of Wir streets, especially down town and , its an actual fact that a stranger couldn’t possible tell that we had brick streets without first digging away a half foot of mr.d Whose fault is it? Wo understand tem ploye whose duty it is to attend to Second street has b<>en relieved from that duty and is working at the electric light plant. We have no objections to this, but some one should be informed that his duty is to get this mud <IT and right away. He uffio does this will certainly have the heartfelt thanks of the citizens and residents iu general. Its a measley shame. SIGNS OF FLUKING. I •, The Koos Gas Well Shows Symptoms of Weakening. The pressure in the Koos gas well which was thought to be a phenomenally good well, suddenly gave way yesterday and fears .are now iruinent that it will be short lived. There is yet plenty of gas for all uses but the pressure has dwindled and unless it takes on new life, the gas feature of the well will peter out. During the afternoon the pressure of the gas gave way. and the well began filling up with either oil or water. It is hoped and is perhaps true that oil is filling in the well aud that it will make up in oil what it promised in gns. The company will put a pump to working anil when the oil or water is diminished the gas may again exert itself at the old time rate of speed. The well is owned by the Riverside Company, who are looking for their third well in this territory to come in tomorrow.

NUMBER 16

A BIG ONE. Land Deal that, Involves a Snug Sura ~ „ of Money. Qpe of the most voluminous land deals that ever took place in Adams county, is new on tap. We are not at liberty to go into details and while it involves a tract converirg several hundred acres, the amount of money considered is $38,500 spot cash. This is beginning to tell the tale of what we own in the county. During the p®t two years rqjjl estate has boomed upward until it costs at least S6O an acre to look at a farm and from that amount to SIOO an an acre to get hold of a warranty deed. The main cause for this general uprising is the qual ity of the soil, which is amply the * feost that cultivation comes in contact with. In addition to .this is the vast amount of darinage that has been . done and the many miles of macadam road that has been built. has made mdemand for farming land, and we all know that demand helps to fix the price. There is no danger of a decline in the market, aud the prices in consequence will continue to soar upward. The deal, mentioned will likely be closed up in a short time.

IONS OF RUBBER. C«' Two Car Loads of Junk were Shipped Today. Forty thousand mounds gs old rubber was purchased here today by a rep»*entative of a Boston fijpi, : and was shipped this afternoon. The goods were bought from Barney Kai- ' ver & Son and Brokaw & Son, junk I dealers, each shipping a car load or about 20,000 pounds. They also sold i a large amount of sheep pelts and other hides. It is certainly wonijpr j ful the amount of junk material ■ handled’tn a year. • • BANQUET. I Chapter Masons Initiate Members and • Enjoy Feast. The members of the Masonic Chapter lodge were enjoying life last ' night, the occasion being thi< initia tion into their mysteries of three well j known young men, Gustave Rosenthal, Herman Freidman and Henry B. Heller. The boys look worn and considerably older today, but they are happier and wiser men. The event was pleasurable and nearly every member of the lodge was present. The work at the lodge rooms continued until eleven o’clock, when the members with the three newly estab lished, as guests of honor, proceeded to Martin’s n-tsuraut aud were feasted at a banquet of considerable dimensions. BAD TOWN. • Bluffton Holds the Belt for Stand-up and Knokdown Fights. There is no town in Indiana like Bluffton for fights the real,old-fash ioned, stand-up and knock down sort. A Saturday night without one or two fights would be considered out of the ordinary, and Sunday mix-ups are of frequent occurrence. Bitiffton is a very pretty town, peopled ness men who reach out into the surrounding country, through their news papers for trade, but the place is awfully ba d. Portland Sun. AFFLICTED. Methodist Minister at Hartford City is Slightly Improved. Rev. E. E. Neal, who was stricken with paralysis at Hartford (’ity Sun day, is able to sit up in bed. The Rev. Mr. Neal had just risen in his pulpit Sunday morning to preach on the theme “Are Afflictions ever Bench cial,” when his right arm fell to his side and ho nearly fell to tbe floor. Friends tried ♦" prevail upon him to go home but he insisted on finishing his sermon. When he saw that it was impossible for him to do so he said "Friends, this may be the last time 1 shall ever be able to preach to you,” and while the congregation wept their beloved minister was taken away in a cab.