Current Mention

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Sep 17, 1908

— Two more battle-ships of the “Dreadnought” class are to be launched for the British navy before the close of the present year, and work on still another one will be begun.

— Experiments have been made upon an obsolete war-ship of the British navy for the purpose of determining whether the suction gas-engine can be successfully used on ships in place of the high-pressure steam-engine. It is said that favorable results were obtained.

— A despatch from Milan, Italy, states that the pope has promulgated a secret bull abolishing the privilege hitherto appertaining to certain governments of vetoing the election of the pope. This bull is said to impose major excommunication upon any cardinal daring to submit to such a veto.

— Advices recently received indicate that all the provinces of Persia are in a state of anarchy, and that the country is on the eve of a civil war. One despatch declares that the revolutionists have sent an ultimatum to the shah demanding the formation of a ministry composed of members of their party, the exile of reactionaries from Teheran, full amnesty, and the immediate convocation of a national assembly.

— A gale which swept over the English Channel one day last week did much damage ashore as well as on the sea. The wind, at times, blew at the rate of seventy miles an hour, which is almost unprecedented at this time of the year. A large number of vessels were driven ashore or obliged to seek shelter. Fortunately there was no great loss of life, except in the case of the British bark “Amazon.” Twenty-five of her crew, which numbered thirty-three, were lost.

— The town of Eureka, Cal., was visited by sharp earthquake shocks on Tuesday morning of last week. More than a hundred chimneys were thrown down, many plate-glass windows in the business portions of the town were shattered, crockery in the homes was broken, and the people were driven into the streets in terror.

— Recent advices state that Abdul Aziz has given up hope of retaining the rulership of Morocco, and has disbanded his army. It is said, however, that Germany will not proceed with the policy outlined in her recent note with reference to the recognition of Mulai Hafid as sultan of Morocco. Battles still continue between the tribesmen and the French troops.

— Last week Chisholm, one of the cities of the Mesaba range in Minnesota, was totally destroyed by forest fires. Much damage was also done in many other places. The total number rendered homeless will reach twelve thousand, and conservative estimates of the damage place the total at $3,750,000. This disaster is without parallel in the history of Minnesota, and in view of the appalling calamity the governor of the State has appealed to the generosity of the people of Minnesota for liberal aid.

— Holland has demanded of Venezuela the revocation, before November 1, of the decree issued by President Castro on May 14 last, which made obligatory the transshipment of all goods from and to Maracaibo and other ports in western Venezuela at Porto Cabello instead of Willemstad, as previously had been the custom. The minister of foreign affairs, Jonkhern van Swinderen, admits that some of Venezuela’s grievances are well founded, but takes exception to the summary dismissal of the Belgian minister, stating that the Dutch government would undoubtedly have recalled him if it had been requested so to do.

— There was a falling off of $2,899,508 in the internal revenue receipts for July, 1908, as compared with the receipts for July, 1907. The decrease in the receipts from the retail liquor dealers’ special tax indicates that between eight and nine thousand retail liquor dealers went out of business during July. This result is largely attributable to recent prohibition legislation.

— Two thousand socialists and unemployed in Glasgow, Scotland, attempted forcibly to invade the Catholic cathedral during services last Sunday. A large body of police who had been stationed there to prevent such an occurrence dispersed the mob. Several were injured.

— The public press during the week has been giving much attention to the work of the aeronauts, especially those operating machines that do not depend upon balloons to keep them afloat. In France, Wilbur Wright, of Ohio, and Leon Delagrange, of the French Aero Club, have been giving interesting exhibitions in their heavier-than-air machines, while at Fort Meyer, near Washington, D. C., Orville Wright, brother of the aeronaut above named, has astonished the world by his performances in a machine similar to that used by his brother in France. With the last-mentioned machine, Mr. Orville Wright, on September 9, remained in the air, soaring about over the proving grounds, one hour, two minutes, and fifteen seconds. This followed a performance earlier in the day in which he remained in the air fifty-seven minutes, guiding the machine in every conceivable direction with astonishing ease. The last feat of the day was to take another passenger in the flying-machine, and demonstrate its ability to fly with them both. On the following day Mr. Wright remained in the air one hour, five minutes, and fifty-two seconds. In these performances the American aeronaut has broken three world’s records.