News and Notes

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Dec 8, 1898

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 24, No. 49.

International.

The English Government has commissioned Lionel Decle, a former French subject, to conduct an exploring expedition from Cape Town, South Africa, to the navigable waters of the Nile, with the assurance that he will be met at Uganda. This is the beginning of an all-British highway from Cape Town to Cairo......The Mad Mullah, who, with 6,000 men, has been threatening to pass the Swat frontier, in India, crossed the Swat River on November 27, and fighting has occurred between his followers and the Indo-British forces......Reports from the Orient state that seven Japanese spies have been captured at Port Arthur by the Russians, and shot. The Japanese are said to be preparing to resist Russian aggression in Corea, and they are reported to be landing troops in the hermit kingdom. ......Italy is alarmed over the report that Emperor Menelek is marching on Boru-Mieda with 100,000 men armed with rifles, and a large train of artillery. His destination is supposed to be the Bhar-el-Ghazal basin, where he will force a definite boundary settlement......Russia is preparing on a large scale the movement of her troops into Manchuria, China. By the coming spring she will have 50,000 troops in Port Arthur, and she is preparing barracks for 15,000 at Talien-Wan. Soon after these troops are placed we may look for the beginning of China’s partition......The British Government has decided to grant relief to the sufferers from the recent hurricane in the British West Indies. The Mansion House fund which has been raised for this purpose, amounting to about $200,000, is regarded as wholly inadequate......The British steamer Southern Cross, conveying the Borchgrevink Antarctic exploring expedition, was spoken by another British ship near Tasmania, on November 20......Bands of rebels have crossed into Uruguay from Brazil and are marching toward Montevideo, the capital. Troops have been despatched to disperse the invaders......The Italian Government has sent an ultimatum to the sultan of Morocco on the subject of the ill-treatment of Italian subjects. The sultan is given one week in which to reply......The Government of Chile has announced its intention to issue no more paper money.

The German Government has decided to explore the fishing beds of the Arctic Ocean, and a war ship with 300 scientists on board has been ordered into the Northern sea......The Government of Spain, fearing a Carlist revolt, is now attempting in a systematic way to prejudice the people against Don Carlos. It is reported that the success of the latter in obtaining means from France and England has disconcerted the rulers......Official statistics show that German cattle everywhere are suffering from tuberculosis and other diseases. In some localities seventy-five per cent. of cattle are suffering from tuberculosis, and the general average is forty per cent......The United States navy landed marines at Tien-tsin, China, on November 26, and these were taken up the river in launches to Peking to guard the American legation there. This action was taken after the other principal foreign nations had landed guards for their legations......A proposition now before the American and Canadian commissioners in regard to the Bering Sea fisheries involves the purchase by the United States of the Canadians’ fishery rights in those waters......France has decided to prohibit the importation of American plants, trees, and shrubs, and to inspect thoroughly all fruit from this country, both fresh and dried, for the purpose of preventing the introduction of the San Jose scale......The rebellion in Salvador against the government has been quelled, according to reports.

Domestic.

The battle-ships Oregon and Iowa sailed from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on November 23, on their voyage around the horn to Honolulu and the Philippines. They are to coal at Montevideo......A recent report of the director of the Mint at Washington shows that the amount of gold in the world at the present time is $660,457,000, and that the amount of this metal in coin has increased over forty per cent. within the last five years......The annual report of the Secretary of the Interior shows that there are 16,255,000 persons attending schools of all kinds in the United States, and recommends an appropriation of $65,000 for the education of children in Alaska......The annual report of the Postmaster-General shows an increase of over $6,000,000 in the business done by the post-offices of the country during the last fiscal year......The Secretary of the Navy has submitted his annual report, which deals largely with the work of the navy during the war, and recommends the building at once of fifteen formidable war vessels, three of which are to be battle-ships of the largest size, carrying the most powerful armament, and twelve to be cruisers varying from 2,500 tons to 12,000 tons.

The mayor of New York has directed the Board of Public Improvements to begin work upon a third bridge across the East River, the structure to cost $15,000,000......The strike among cotton-mill operatives at Augusta, Ga., now affects 6,000 workers......A device has been invented by Prof. Henry A. Rowland, of Johns Hopkins University, by which eight messages can be sent over one telegraph wire at the same time, four in each direction......The battle-ship Wisconsin was launched at San Francisco, Cal., on November 26. She is the largest vessel ever built on the Pacific Coast, her length being 368 feet, her breadth 72 feet, draft 23 feet, maximum displacement, 12,325 tons. This vessel will carry four thirteen-inch guns in her main battery, each of which will throw half a ton of steel at every discharge. She will also carry fourteen six-inch rapid-fire guns, sixteen six-pounder rapid-fire guns, four one-pounders, two Colt guns, two field guns, and four torpedo tubes. Her contract speed is to be sixteen knots per hour.

Casualties and Calamities.

Advices from Yokohama dated November 23, state that there has been severe street fighting between the political parties at Seoul, capital of Corea. On one side twenty-three persons were killed. The Japanese Government has been asked to send troops to preserve order. The reform party is said to be gaining ground, and the emperor has expressed his determination to institute reforms......The powder mill at Lamote, Mo., was blown up on November 23, resulting in the death of six men and wounding of several others......A severe storm swept the coasts of England and Ireland on November 26, wrecking many fishing boats and causing the loss of many lives. The storm was accompanied by a heavy fall of snow throughout the British Isles......One of the worst storms in many years visited the New England States and coast on November 26 and 27. Over one hundred vessels of all descriptions were driven ashore, and a large proportion of them are total wrecks. Seventy lives are known to have been lost. On land the storm was accompanied by a high wind and a heavy fall of snow, seriously impeding traffic of all kinds......On November 28 the river steamer T. C. Walker, plying upon the Sacramento River, was wrecked by the bursting of a steam drum. The explosion caused the death of the captain and his wife and five

others, while fourteen of the passengers and crew were more or less severely injured......The steamer Portland, plying between Boston and Portland, foundered off Cape Cod in the great gale which swept the New England States on November 27. Of the 117 persons on board, including passengers and crew, not one is known to have reached the shore alive. Many bodies have been washed upon the beach, and wreckage is strewn along the shore for miles. As these columns close, the steamer Gate City, a Savannah liner, is also believed to have foundered, with all on board.

The Peace Commission.

At the joint session of the American and Spanish commissioners at Paris on November 28, the Spanish representatives formally agreed to the demands of the United States. These demands include the cession to the United States of the islands of Porto Rico, Guam in the Ladrone Islands, and the whole of the Philippine Islands, which takes in the Visayas and Sulu groups, and the renouncing of Spanish sovereignty over the island of Cuba. In lieu of all claims for indemnity in the matter of taking over the Philippines, the United States agrees to pay to Spain $20,000,000. All counter propositions made by the Spaniards having been rejected by the Americans, and Spain having received discouraging answers from all the powers of Europe in regard to the matter of interference in her behalf, she feared the loss of the Canary and Caroline Islands if she broke off the peace negotiations. All European powers except England accuse America of extreme harshness in her treatment of her fallen foe.

Cuba.

Orders have been given to the army corps stationed at Augusta, Georgia, to proceed to Cuba, occupying the central provinces, which are to be evacuated by the Spanish on December 3......The first American troops to enter Havana landed on November 25, and marched, with colors flying, to their quarters......A native Cuban has been appointed mayor of Santiago......General Blanco has resigned as Captain-General of Cuba, in favor of General Castellanos. The usual ceremonies were dispensed with.