Renewed Eruptions in the West Indies
The volcanoes on both Martinique and St. Vincent have been in active eruption during the past week. Mount Pelee has been literally torn asunder by great explosions which were of sufficient force to throw down buildings in Fort de France, fifteen miles away. These explosions were of much greater force than the one which destroyed St. Pierre, and many persons in Fort de France were hurt by stones crashing through the roofs of the houses. Virtual panic has reigned in Fort de France since the terrible activity of Mount Pelee has been resumed. The town of Le Carbet has been destroyed by the later eruptions, and at least 20 persons have lost their lives there. Ashes and stones and lava continue to cover over the ruins of St. Pierre. Thousands of persons have left the threatened city of Fort de France, as many feel that this city also is doomed. Those who have visited the ruins of St. Pierre and the adjacent country continue to tell of the terrible scenes witnessed there on every side. The distress on St. Vincent continues, and a great portion of both islands seems destined to complete destruction from the lava and ashes that are being poured upon them. Contributions for the stricken people have been closed, as it is felt that enough has been contributed for the necessities of the living. The statue of General Count de Rochambeau, who brought the forces of France across the Atlantic during the Revolutionary War, was unveiled at Washington on May 24. There were present at the ceremony the President and members of the cabinet, the chief justice and associate justices of the Supreme Court, the lieutenant-general of the army, the admiral of the navy, senators and representatives; while France was represented by General Brugere, the highest field officer in the French army, Vice-Admiral Fournier, General Count Chalandar, the descendants of Rochambeau and Lafayette, and others distinguished in French military, literary, and official life. With them were the French ambassador, M. Cambon, and the staff of the French embassy. The diplomatic representatives of other nations also were in attendance. Brief addresses were delivered by President Roosevelt, the French ambassador, M. Cambon, Gen. Horace Porter, and Senator Lodge of Massachusetts. At noon on May 20 the government of Cuba was turned over to the officials elected by the Cuban people, the American flag came down from the staff of the palace and from Moro Castle, and General Wood, who had acted so long as governor-general, sailed away from Havana on a warship of the United States. The booming of cannon from vessels in the harbor and from the forts, with the ringing of all the bells in the city, declared that a new republic had come into being. The enthusiasm in the city was boundless. The people were fairly mad with joy over the fact that after so many years of anxiety and struggle, they were at last a free people. The streets were full of surging, cheering men and women, as many as 100,000 outsiders having come to Havana to take part in the demonstration. In the evening the city was gaily illuminated, and a gorgeous display of fireworks was given from the walls of the old Spanish fort, Moro Castle. A report from Vienna states that an attempt has been made to take the life of the emperor. A bomb was found hidden in the railway coach on which he was to make a journey from Vienna to Budapest. On May 22 Senator Hoar of Massachusetts occupied the attention of the Senate for two and one-half hours in a strong speech against the policy of the government in the Philippines, contrasting the treatment of the Cubans with that of the Filipinos. He declared that the attitude of our government toward the Filipinos was one of the most wicked and foolish chapters in American history, and urged that the policy be abandoned before it was too late. He was listened to with marked attention by the Senate body as well as by a crowded gallery, and was interrupted by frequent bursts of applause. At the conclusion of the speech the demonstration was so pronounced that the presiding officer had to remind the senators of the rule prohibiting any expression of approval or disapproval. A report from St. Petersburg, Russia, states that an attempt has been made on the life of Prince Obolensky, governor of Kharkoff, who was recently commended by the czar for his work in suppressing the rioting among the peasants of that district. A few days previous to this an attempt was made on the life of General von Wahl, governor of Vilna, for ordering the flogging of political prisoners, many of whom are educated, and were therefore, according to Russian custom, exempt from flogging. The governor received two wounds, neither of which was serious. The whipping of such prisoners is creating much bitterness among the populace. Naval experts have freely testified before the House Committee on Naval Affairs to the efficiency of the new type of submarine boats, known as the Holland type. Captain Caldwell of the Holland states that he has been under the water in that vessel four hundred times; that every trip was successful; that the craft is almost perfect; and that she is capable of discharging a torpedo with ten times the accuracy of a surface boat, with much better chance of getting away after accomplishing her purpose. This report will doubtless be followed by a large increase in the construction of such vessels. A report from London states that the Lords of the Admiralty have been witnessing experiments in gunnery in which a new kind of shell is used with great success in piercing armor. It is predicted that the results of these tests will be the partial rearmament of a large number of battle-ships. This is the shell with the soft nose, some time ago adopted in the American and other navies. Speaking of this, the London Times says, “Once more it is being made unpleasantly plain that there is no finality in naval progress. It behooves us not only to be wise, but to be wise in time.” The official findings of the court that tried Major Waller and Lieutenant Day for the execution of natives in the Philippines have now been made public. General Chaffee, the reviewing authority, has expressed his disapproval of the courts’ findings in both cases, and declares that the acts of these officers partook more of the nature of unlawful retaliation than of a justifiable act of war. While recognizing that the marines underwent great physical suffering before their rescue in Samar, the general still holds them guilty of unwarranted actions. At Lansing, Texas, on May 22, a negro who had assaulted a white woman was burned to death after the most terrible and revolting torture at the hands of his lynchers. His eyes were burned out with live coals; his neck and other portions of his body were burned with fire brands, while the crowd was clamoring for a slow death. When the negro had succumbed to this most savage torture, railroad ties were piled around his body and it was consumed. Pieces of his bones were carried off by those present as relics. The House, on May 19, passed the naval bill, after so amending it that half of the vessels to be constructed must be constructed in government yards, and that all may be so constructed in case the builders combine. The five per cent differential in favor of Pacific Coast builders was stricken out, leaving the East and West on an equal footing so far as bids are concerned. Many senators are strongly opposed to government construction, and will seek to defeat it in the Senate. The international pedestrian match over the road from Berlin to Dresden, a distance of 125 miles, was won by the vegetarian Carl Mann in the remarkable time of 27 hours, 13 minutes, and 14 seconds. The next man was 1 hour and 45 minutes behind. The vegetarian averaged a little more than 4.6 miles an hour, which is considerably better than the famous Greek’s run from Marathon to Athens. On account of the existence of disease in the vicinity of Canton, China, the Boxer element is stirring up much feeling against the foreigners by charging that the foreigners are adulterating the salt with some dangerous drug. Blind men have a monopoly of retailing salt throughout China, and they say they cannot help it if the salt is bad. A disastrous explosion occurred in the Crow’s Nest coal-mines at Fernie, B. C., on May 22. Of the 133 men known to have been in the mine at the time of the explosion, only 24 escaped alive. The work of recovering the mutilated bodies is progressing slowly on account of the destruction wrought in the tunnels by the explosion. At the automobile races recently held at Nice, the winner covered one mile in a little less than 48 seconds. According to a statement prepared by the attorney-general, 542 claims, aggregating $6,097,077.78, have been filed by American citizens for damages alleged to have been caused by the Cuban insurrection in 1895 against Spain, which the United States agreed, in the treaty of peace, to settle. Pursuant to the terms of the treaty, Congress has created a Claims Commission. The attorney-general’s statement indicates his belief that most unreasonable demands are being made by some of the claimants. The empress dowager of China has issued an edict for the official decoration of certain missionaries. The most of those accepting the decorations were Catholic bishops. One Protestant, however, was decorated; but others for whom decorations were intended insisted that they wanted no buttons, peacock feathers, or badges. The sultan of Turkey has issued an irade granting to Germany and Italy the right to protect their Catholic subjects in the East. This action of the sultan is a blow to France’s claim to exclusive rights to protect Catholics in the East, and ends a prolonged controversy over the matter by the powers concerned. A report from Santiago, Chile, states that there is now good prospect of Chile and Argentina reaching an amicable understanding. An agreement is being drawn which will limit the increase of armament on the part of both countries and provide for the general arbitration of disputes. The United States Circuit Court of appeals has decided that a person traveling on a pass on the railroad is entitled to damages in case of accident, or his relatives may collect damages in case of his death, in case carelessness or negligence can be proved against the company. A terrible explosion of gas in the Fraterville coal-mine near Coal Creek, Tenn., on May 19, resulted in the death of over 200 of the men employed in the mine. Only one miner of those in the mine at the time was taken out alive, and he was injured beyond recovery. Lord Pauncefote, British ambassador to the United States, died at his residence in Washington on the afternoon of May 24. Lord Pauncefote came to Washington in 1889, first as minister and afterward as ambassador. He had reached the age of 74 years. On May 22 the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church adopted the report of their committee on creed revision, making changes in the confession of faith. The vote was practically unanimous, and was taken with little debate, yet many of the old men wept. The coronation ceremonies of the new king of Spain, Alfonso XIII., ended in a grand military review in Madrid on May 19 and a reception at the palace in the evening. The king was greeted with hearty cheers as he passed down the line of soldiery. Washington senators declare that the bill which passed the House recently for the admission of Arizona, New Mexico, and Oklahoma into the sisterhood of States, will not be passed by the Senate at the present session of Congress. Many lives were lost in a destructive hurricane which swept over the province of Sind, British India, on May 19. Forty miles of railway were washed away, and houses, embankments, and bridges disappeared. Latest advices from Washington indicate the possibility of Congress passing some relief measure for the Cubans before adjourning; but the measure, if passed, will be a compromise only. The latest reports from the scene of the recent terrible tornado at Goliad, Texas, show that 98 persons were killed and 103 more or less seriously injured. The report from Santo Domingo that the capital and government were in the hands of the revolutionists is confirmed, and the latest reports indicate that peace again reigns in that republic.