Current Mention

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D.C. · Jul 23, 1908

— Reports gathered by the Chicago Tribune show that 71 persons were killed and 2,624 injured by fireworks on July 4.

— Twenty-three persons lost their lives in New York City during July 6 and 7 as a result of the excessively high temperature and humidity on those dates.

— On July 8 a fire swept a large portion of the waterfront of Boston, causing a property loss of over a million dollars. Several large vessels and lighters narrowly escaped destruction.

— In view of the charges of political corruption that have been made during other national campaigns, the presidential nominees for both Republican and Democratic parties have declared that the books of the campaign committees must be open to inspection of the public. The nominees hope thus to eliminate from the campaign all charges of the use of political corruption funds.

— Two hundred and twenty-eight dead bodies have been recovered from a coal-mine at Yusovo, Russia, where an explosion occurred on July 1.

— At Pottsville, Pa., on July 15, seven mine workers were killed, and ten others injured, by an explosion of gas in the Williamstown colliery of the Summit Branch Mining Company.

— The Mexican authorities have recently condemned to death fifty men charged with the crime of rebellion against the government, or with aiding those who were in rebellion.

— The representatives of the Prohibition party in convention at Columbus, Ohio, on July 16, nominated for the office of president of the United States, Eugene W. Chafin, of Chicago, and for vice-president, Aaron S. Watkins, of Ada, Ohio.

— Fighting between the Persian government and the supporters of parliament has ceased, due largely, it is said, to the influence of Russia and England. Russia is especially active. Her soldiers have occupied Teheran and assumed control of the situation there.

— Advices from Chile state that a terrific earthquake occurred in the provinces of Tacna and Arica in Chile, and in the southern portions of Peru and Bolivia, on July 16. These localities being sparsely settled, accounts for the fact that no loss of life has been reported.

— New York hospital surgeons have discovered that in the most acute attacks of peritonitis the application of pure oxygen to the seat of the difficulty will generally effect a cure. An incision is made into the abdominal cavity, and a tube inserted, which is connected with a tank of oxygen.

— The revolutionists of Paraguay have succeeded in overturning the government and setting up a new one. Former officials and friends of the former government have taken refuge at the Argentine legation, and the government of Argentine is taking active measures to insure their safety.

— The great German firm of war-implement builders known as the Krupps has purchased of a Swedish inventor all the rights, outside of Sweden, to a weapon of war known as an aerial torpedo. It is claimed for this torpedo that it can be directed with great accuracy, fired without noise, and that it will completely demolish any vessel or fort upon which it may fall.

— Manuel Bonilla, former president of Honduras, has precipitated a revolution in that republic, and captured the city and province of Gracias. During the week there have been conferences at Washington between the acting secretary of state and the representatives of Mexico and all the Central American states except Honduras concerning the new revolution and plans for maintaining the neutrality of all the other states. In view of the revolution in Honduras, the United States cruiser “Albany” has been sent to Amalpa, the Pacific port of Honduras, to guard American interests. Reports from Honduras state that the government forces have retaken the town of Gracias, recently captured by the insurgents, and are moving upon other positions held by the latter.

— The United States battle-ship fleet arrived at Honolulu, H. T., on July 16, and received an enthusiastic welcome from the islanders.

— A disastrous and extensive oil-field fire occurred at Ozuluama, Mexico, on July 5, continuing several days. The actual blaze was a mile square, and the flames penetrated to the oil-measures below the surface, causing a terrible explosion and an upheaval of a considerable portion of the surface of the oil-field region. It is estimated that millions of barrels of oil have already been destroyed.

— Much has been said recently in the public press in reference to a noiseless gun perfected by the well-known inventor, Maxim. The danger to the general public in the manufacture of such a weapon was generally admitted. But now comes the invention of a gun which is both noiseless and powderless, thus as a weapon of war practically eliminating all possibility of ascertaining its location at any considerable distance. At an experimental test conducted at New York on July 13, this gun was operated at the rate of one hundred shots a second. The only noise heard by those who witnessed the test was the noise of pouring the bullets into the hopper of the gun, and the patter of the shots as they struck the target.