NEWS AND NOTES

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Apr 7, 1898

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 24, No. 14.

FOREIGN.

—It is announced that Spain has secured from the national bank of that country a loan of 200,000,000 pesetas, guaranteed by the new treasury bonds.

—It is reported that 8,000 mining claims have been recorded at Dawson City since last September by the agent of the Dominion Government.

—A despatch from Haiti states that a terrible financial condition exists there. Gold is at a premium of 220 per cent, and flour is selling at $30 a barrel.

—William E. Gladstone has bade farewell to his friends, and is said to realize that his end is near. His physicians admit that his ailment is incurable, and their only service is in relieving his sufferings.

—The inhabitants of Hawaii in the vicinity of the volcano of Mauna Loa are said to be much concerned over the activity of that volcano. The indications seem to portend a disastrous lava flow in the near future.

—A recent batch of French conscripts were rejected as being physically incapable of military duty on account of injuries to the heart caused by hard cycling. They were not even capable of service as military cyclists.

—The French steamer Ludie, bound from Constantinople for Marseilles, foundered on March 24, carrying to the bottom her crew of thirty men. Several vessels were wrecked off the coast of England and Ireland on the same day, and a number of lives lost.

—William Jameson Reid, an American explorer, has declared his intention of visiting the sacred city of Thibet, L’Hassa. It was an attempt to reach this city which nearly cost Harry Savage Landor his life, and in which he was subjected to the most inhuman torture imaginable.

—Violent storms swept the coast of Norway on March 25, causing numerous casualties among the shipping. A telegram from Tromsoe Island states that forty-five fishermen were drowned off the north coast of Norway in the storm. Twenty-six boats engaged in salmon fishing on the Baltic are also missing.

—The steam sealer Greenland arrived at St. Johns, Newfoundland, on March 27, and reported that twenty-five of her crew were frozen to death among the ice-floes of the Arctic, as many more were missing and had been abandoned, while sixty-six of the remainder of the crew were so badly frost-bitten that many of them will lose their limbs.

—A recent report from Manzanillo, Cuba, states that the condition of the Spanish troops there is terrible in the extreme, and that starvation and disease are rapidly thinning the ranks. The report states that the government forces have sustained heavy losses in recent skirmishes with the insurgents, the wounded being brought to town in cart-loads.

—The Spanish Red Cross Society has presented a protest to the Spanish Government against the work in Cuba of the American Red Cross Society. All the members of the Spanish Red Cross Society have signed the protest. The protest was caused by the prominence recently given to the admirable relief work conducted by Miss Clara Barton in the Weyler-stricken island.

—A number of Spaniards from Havana recently planned a filibustering raid which was to be made into Texas from Mexico on the breaking out of hostilities between Spain and the United States. The leaders have been captured by Mexican authorities, and it has been ascertained that this expedition, which was to start on short notice, consisted of about 400 men, armed and mounted.

—A report from Cairo, Egypt, dated March 29, states that the Anglo-Egyptian forces have captured the Dervish stronghold of Shendy, destroyed the forts, and liberated over 600 slaves. The Dervishes lost 160 men, and large quantities of grain, ammunition, and cattle. The defeated Dervishes are entrenched at El Hilgi, and are suffering severely from lack of food. Another engagement is expected soon.

—M. Hanotaux, Foreign Minister for France, in stating the attitude of the French Government toward the delicate situation now existing between Spain and the United States, declared that France’s only action in the matter would be to try to maintain amicable relations between those “two nations equally dear” to France; but that further than that France could not go. His words were approved by the Chamber of Deputies by a vote of 300 to 111.

—China has yielded to the demands of Russia, granting a twenty-five-year lease of Port Arthur and Talien-wan, with rights for the building of the Muscovite railways. Russia has occupied the ports, raised her standards, and proclaimed the ports open to the commerce of all friendly nations. It is not believed that England’s opposition to Russia’s course will go farther than a protest. Russia has ordered 50,000 of her reserves to be sent to her newly acquired Asiatic stations.

DOMESTIC.

—The State of California has produced during the past year 31,500,000 gallons of wine. This is the greatest amount of wine ever produced in the State.

—The naval reserves of New England and New York have been called upon to man the old monitors, which are soon to be placed in the harbors of New York, Boston, and Portland.

—It is reported that the battle-ship Texas has again been so badly damaged as to require extensive repairs, having struck one of the many coral reefs near the southern rendezvous.

—Freshets along the tributaries of the Ohio have caused that river to overflow its banks, inundating a large amount of land, and flooding over 2,000 houses. The worst of the flood is believed to be over, and the waters are subsiding.

—During the week the government has purchased several staunch tugs and yachts, which are to be fitted up as torpedo-boats. One torpedo-boat, which was recently completed in England for the German navy, has been purchased and placed in commission.

—Commodore Winfield Scott Schley has been appointed commander of the flying squadron, now stationed at Hampton Roads, and various rumors are afloat as to the work laid out for this fleet. Captain Sampson has been given the position of commander of the North Atlantic squadron, in place of Rear-Admiral Sicard, retired.

—The governor of Massachusetts, the lieutenant-governor, the mayor of Boston, and fully one hundred other prominent citizens of eastern Massachusetts, have laid themselves liable to arrest, on account of attending an entertainment given for the purpose of raising a fund for a monument to the memory of the Maine sailors. The entertainment was held on Sunday, and the law of that State makes even attendance at such a gathering on that day a crime. It is expected that warrants will be issued for the arrest of those in attendance.

—The most vigorous earthquake shock which California has experienced since the memorable disaster of 1868, convulsed the north central portion of the State at about midnight on March 30. The vibrations were from northeast to southwest, and continued for forty seconds. Hundreds of persons rushed from their beds into the streets, expecting the buildings to collapse; but no serious damage was done. It is believed that had the shock been of the jarring nature, many buildings would have fallen, and many lives been lost. Altho the disturbance was very pronounced, it was of a wavy or undulating character, and therefore not so severe as it would otherwise have been.

—Judge-Advocate Marix, with the report of the findings of the Maine board of inquiry, arrived in Washington on the evening of March 24. The report was delivered to the Secretary of State on the following day, and by him placed in the hands of the President. Publicity was given to the report on March 28, which shows that the battle-ship Maine was blown up by a mine under the port side of the ship, and was due to no fault on the part of those on board the vessel. In the opinion of the court the explosion of the mine caused the explosion of the two forward magazines; but the court is unable to fix the responsibility upon any individual or individuals. The Spaniards have prepared a report of their own, stating that the disaster was caused by an internal explosion.

—The present outlook in the situation between Spain, the United States, and Cuba is anything but promising. While diplomats are hard at work trying to preserve the peace and reach some other solution than that in which war would be a factor, the members of Congress, backed by their several constituencies, are exceedingly restive under the restraint of the administration. Several bills have been introduced in Congress during the week recognizing the independence of Cuba, or the belligerency of the Cubans, or declaring war against Spain. These have been referred to the Committees on Foreign Relations, and some definite action is demanded before the close of the week. The preparations for war continue both on the part of the United States and Spain. It is reported that the latter country has purchased of Italy the cruiser Garibaldi, and has despatched another fleet of war vessels to Cuban waters. The war spirit of the Spanish people continues to become more demonstrative, and the same may be said of the people of the United States. President McKinley has stated that unless definite and satisfactory arrangements are concluded by March 31, the whole matter will be placed in the hands of Congress. The one hopeful feature of the present negotiations between the two governments is that Spain has agreed to rescind the reconcentrado order, and allow the reconcentrados to return to their homes, protected by the army; also to furnish implements for tilling the soil.