Books 71-74

Aug 20.

DROWNED IN WASHOE LAKE.

A Young Man from Virginia City Falls Out of a Boat.

The Journal is indeted to Conductor McCormack for the following particulars of a drowning which occurred at Washoe Lake yesterday. It appears that George Neimeyer, Jr., a young man , was out in a boat not far from the club house. He was standing in the boat and lost his balance and fell into the water. He could not swim and he disappeared almost immediately. His companion in the boat was a good swimmer and threw off his clothes and jumped into the water, but was unable to find young Neimeyer. This occured early in the morning and the body was not recovered until 3:20 in the afternoon, when it was found some distance from where the accident occured, it having been carried out into the lake by an undercurrent. The body was taken to the Virginia City where the parents reside. Deceased was about 19 years of age, and son of George Neimeyer, engineer of the C. C. mine.

To Tour the World.

Owney, the postal clerks' dog that has been traveling about the country for several years, and visited Reno about two months ago, left Tacoma last Monday on the Northern Pacific steamship Victoria for a trip around the world. Owney returned three weeks ago from Alaska. Captain Parton of the Victoria will take charge of him to Hongkong. There he will be placed on a mail streamer to Calcutta, and from there on a liner to London, whence he will leave for New York, and from there to Tacoma. Owney will try to beat Nellie Bly's record.

Jewish New Year.

Today is the Jewish New Year, it being the 5655-56 year of the Jewish era. The festival commenced at sunset last evening and will be observed until sunset tomorrow evening. It is called Rosh Hashanah and is the oldest holiday celebrated. It is the beginning of the month Tishri, the first of the civil year, corresponding to the seventh of the Mosaic or ecclesiastical year.

[Note: transcriptions of the bottom two short articles need to be added to the document]

Against Saloon Men.

At the session of the Sovereign Grand Lodge of Odd Fellows, now meeting at Atlanta City, N.J., and amendment to the constitution was adopted providing that no saloonkeepers, bartenders, or professional gamblers shall be eligible to membership in the Order. This amendment has been introduced at the annual sission for four or five years past, but its supporters have heretofore been unable to pass it.

Death of Jack Furlong

John Furlong known to every one about here as "Jack," died Sunday night from injuries received at the race track in Reno last Friday. He was brought home Sunday morning at his earnest request and seemed better to be home. After his first night's pain he suffered comparatively little and was conscious to the last. An autopsy was performed by Drs. Guinan and Hennessy revealed that the intestines had been broken in three places, and confirmed Dr. Manning's opinion that there was no hope from the beginning.

John Furlong has been a resident of this city for the past twenty years and was well known to every person in the city. He was a man of great daring and his services were always called into requisition whenever a man of nerve was required.

Deceased leaves a wife, two sons and a brother in this city and an aged mother in Michigan. He was a member in good standing of the A.O.U.W., from which his wife will receive the insurance. The family has the sympathy of the entire community in the hour of sorrow. -- Carson News.

HENEY'S BOND.

It Has Been Approved by the United States Attorney.

A dispatch received at this office yesterday is as follows:

RENO, Sept. 30 -- In the Mint shortage case, James Heney's bond in the sum of $300,000 was approved by the United States District Attorney. Heney's securities are J. Klein, Dr. S. L. Lee, John Meyer and Ella Barnes of Carson, T. Hanson of Genoa, James Loughran and J. B. Mallon of Virginia, John McGrath of Gold Hill and J. W. Wiggins of Empire. Marshal Humphrey went up to Carson this morning to arrange for the release of the prisoner.

Sutro Tunnel Closed

At last the expected has come to pass and the Sutro Tunnel is closed down entirely, not a man being at work. The management says operations will be resumed as soon as the company can raise money to square up the indebtedness. The company is indebted to those who have worked there for several months wages.

MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES. In The Shade. Tuesday, August 11, 1896. Philadelphia - 98 degrees St. Louis - 96 degrees New York - 94 degrees Chicago - 92 degrees San Francisco - 62 degrees

DEATH RECORD BROKEN. One Day's Mortality in New York Due to Sunstroke is Unprecedented.

NEW YORK, August 11. -- The hottest day of the summer was the least humid of the eight during which hundreds have died of heat. Enough men were prostrated in New York City to have occupied every bed in all the hospitals within its borders.

In New York City, in Brooklyn and all the adjacent towns, and throughout the States of New York and New Jersey today's reports of deaths and prostrations overshadow the record of any other day in many years. In this city alone the death list for twenty-four hours footed up at midnight more than 100 names. Brooklyn adds about seventeen to the list and the heat victims in the suburban towns bring the total to nearly 200.

Exactly how many died in this city because of the hot wave, which today reached its crest and tomorrow will be receding, no one can ever tell. Death certificates are made out on a diagnosis of heat in instances which should be attributed to alcoholism, and in instances attributable directly to the heat, contributory causes are mentioned as the chief cause. Today 240 certificates of deaths occuring on Monday were filed with the Board of Health, and of this number fifty-three are said to be due to heat. The total number reported is 100 above the average, indicating that nearly that numbers was directly caused by heat. Tomorrow the returns will be enormously increased.

Every hospital had its corps of heroic doctors and nurses, who can boast of service continuous for more than forty-eight hours, and of but five hours sleep out of seventy. Three days of this hot term elapsed before men began to die. Within five days over 300 have died. The hospitals have saved thousands who were stricken.

So torrid was the day that even the City Magistrates took judicial cognizance of it. Magistrate Flammer expressed great sympthay for the unfortunates arraigned before him in Essex-Market Court charged with petty offenses. In nearly every case the Magistrate gave the prisoners the benefit of the doubt.

Horses suffered terribly from the heat, and twenty-six dead ones were removed from the streets. In the Central Park Zoo the animals suffered intensely, although there have been no fatalities since the big tigress was overcome on Friday. The cages of lions, tigers and pumas were frequently drenched with water and the hose was often turned upon the animals themselves.

In the top of the Central Park building called the Arsenal there is a most complete set of recording thermometers, barometers and wind gauges to be found in the city. There Dr. Draper maintains the New York Meteorological Bureau, and for twenty-eight years he kept account of the weather. His instruments are nearer the street level than those of the United States Weather Bureau, and his thermometers record more nearly the temperatures which the people endure. He was asked today why so many persons had died during the past eight days in this and surrounding cities. He said:

"Because of the high temperature,, the abnormally high humidity and the absence of wind. The termperature has been higher, but not for so long a time. The heated spell began on August 4th.

Shade Sun Time. Temperature. Temperature. Max. Min. Max. August 4 ... 1 p.m. 90 72 126 August 5 ...11 a.m. 94 76 131 August 6 ... 2 p.m. 92 77 125 August 7 ...2 p.m. 97 76 132 August 8 ...2 p.m. 97 78 136 August 9 ...2 p.m. 98 82 131 August 10...11 a.m. 94 80 131 August 11...11 a.m. 95 81 132

"The highest shade temperature we ever had was 101 degrees on September 7, 1881. The highest sun temperature was 154 degrees on July 20, 1874. Had today been perfectly clear it is probable that the sun temperature record would have been passed. The wind charts show that during the hours of sleep there has not been a strong breeze any night this week, and some nights the speed has been less than when the air is dry. The quantity taken into a person's lungs is sufficient to properly arterialize the blood, but when loaded with moisture as it as been during the last eight days inhalations are from one-half to 97 percent water and oxygen is in insufficient quantity for proper purification of blood. That accounts for the feeling of depression and stupidity from which all persons are now suffering, and for the low tone which mades prostrations so numerous. The cause of the present depressing weather I do not know. High heat at this time is normal, but humidity and absence of wind are not."

FORTY PERISH IN CHICAGO.

After a Day of Death and Torture Comes a Cooling Storm.

CHICAGO, August 11. -- Nearly forty persons died today in Chicago of sunstroke, and fully twice that number were prostrated by the heat. Horses, dogs and even cats lie dead in the streets where they have been killed by the terrific heat of the last four days and in many sections of the city the stench is unbearable.

At sundown the official death record of the day from all causes was 124, against 164 at the same time last evening.

The highest temperature registered today by the official thermometer on the Auditorium tower , was 92 degrees, but down in the streets the mercury registered 96 and the sun relentlessly blazed upon sweltering humanity.

At 6 o'clock tonight black clouds began to gather on the western horizon and in half an hour a cool rain was coming down in sheets. Then the drops froze as they fell and hailstones as big as walnuts bounded on the pavements and played havoc with pedestrians.

At midnight the moon is shining and the delightfully cool atmosphere contains no threat of a hot day tomorrow. Professor Garriotte, the weather prophet, says the hot spell is over.

Fatalities at Other Cities.

CINCINNATI, August 11. -- Special dispatches report sunstrokes as follows: At Akron William Randall was driven insane by heat. At Parkersburg, W. Va., A. H. Thorpe, Assistant General Manager of the Ohio River Railway, suffered a dangerous sunstroke. At Sullivan, Ind., there were seven deaths from heat.

WASHINGTON, August 11. -- The relief from the heat experienced by Washington last night was only temporary. Today the temperature again rose, touching 94 at 3 o'clock. There were three deaths and twelve prostrations.

ST. LOUIS, August 11. -- The thermometer mounted upward again today and came within three points of the highest registered thus far this year. At 5 o'clock the Government record was 97 in the shade, and since then there has not been much of a decline. There is very little breeze stirring and the atmosphere is stifling. Many prostrations and five deaths have resulted.

PHILADELPHIA, August 11. -- The fearful heat continued today. Up to midnight nineteen deaths and forty-seven prostrations were reported.

BALTIMORE, August 11. -- Ten fatalitites and thirty-seven prostrations have been chronicled here today. The maximum temperature indicated here today was 95 between 2 and 4 p.m.

PITTSBURGH, August 11. -- Two deaths and several prostrations resulted from heat up to noon today. The dead are Mrs. Mary Walsh and William H. Wilson. At 11 o'clock the mercury registered 82 degrees.

SANDUSKY (Ohio), August 11. -- John Thompson and Jay Leonard were killed by lightning in a violent storm last evening. They were working on the new Government pier at Cedar Point with augers in their hands, which attracted the lightning.

VIRGINIA CHRONICLE September 10, 1896.

A CONVICT ESCAPES.

Bert Gafford, serving Seven Years for Attempt to Murder, Succeeds in Decamping from State Prison.

Chief of Police Fitzgerald is in receipt of a letter from the State Prison announcing another escape from it. A convict named Gafford sent from Washoe county for seven years "flew the coop" last evening. Gafford came from Truckee originally and was sent to prison for attempted murder. He had served about three years of his sentence. He was a trusty and he effected his escape by an original and clever deception. He impersonated Warden Henderson, and he did the trick so well that he passed out of the prison under the noses of the guards without arousing the least suspicion. Warden Henderson went to the Elko Convention, and the convict put on the Warden's clothes and walked out of the prison. It is presumed that he went to the Sacramento Fair. Mrs. Henderson was uptown at the time he decamped, and he took her jewelry and $70 in money. Dressed in the Warden's clothes, adorned with Mrs. Henderson's jewelry, and provided with a pocket full of coin, he ought to have a "swift' time at the fair.

The Reno JOURNAL says: Bert Gafford, it will be remembered, was convicted of an assault with intent to kill Seth Taylor and was sentenced to a term of seven years in the penitentiary. He was a trusty and waited on the Warden's table, hence had a little more liberty perhaps than is usually allowed prisoners. He took advantage of the opportunity and skipped out. He took a suit of clothes, sixty odd dollars and a quantity of jewelry. Gafford is pretty smooth and his success in breaking jail has proved him to be an adept. It will be remembered he broke jail here and was at liberty three or four months before being recaptured. He and Leeper were sent up for the assault on Taylor, in which the latter nearly lost his life. The officers all along the line have been notified.