News and Notes

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Nov 4, 1897

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 23, No. 43.

FOREIGN.

—The Duchess of Teck, cousin of Queen Victoria, died on October 27 as the result of a surgical operation.

—Vacher, the French “Jack the Ripper,” has been captured, and has confessed to twelve murders. He has been accused of nineteen.

—A report from Mazatlan, Mexico, states that an epidemic of yellow fever has broken out at that place, and a number of deaths are reported.

—It is reported that a mysterious disease has broken out at Dawson City, which the physicians are unable to check, and is carrying off an average of five men daily.

—A fierce cyclone raged along the eastern coast of Bengal on October 27, causing a number of deaths, damaging a large amount of property, and driving seven vessels ashore.

—A destructive cyclone, followed by a tidal wave, visited Leyte, one of the Philippine Islands, recently, doing incalculable damage to property, and it is stated that thousands of persons lost their lives.

—The Spanish Government is seeking to negotiate another loan of $200,000,000 to meet current expenses in the army and navy, and fit up her war vessels recently launched or in process of construction.

—The sultan has demanded the recall of two American missionaries from the province of Aleppo, on the pretext that their distribution of relief will cause disturbances. The United States legation has ignored the demand.

—Twelve survivors of the Norwegian bark Seladon, which was wrecked on a reef in the south seas in August last year, arrived in London on October 22. They had lived for ten months on a little isolated island before they were rescued.

—Five whaling vessels are reported frozen in the ice flees of the Arctic Ocean, without hope of extricating themselves before spring, by which time many of them may have been crushed in the ice. Being near shore, it is thought the whalers will find shelter among the Eskimos.

—Inhabitants of Porto Rico are said to be planning an insurrection by which they hope to “sweep into the sea” all the Spanish forces in the island. They are waiting for an expedition from the United States consisting of arms and ammunition, and claim that hostilities will be inaugurated soon after its arrival.

—Fifty-four persons were suffocated or trampled to death in a panic at Khnieloff, Crimea, on October 24, caused by an alarm of fire. The officiating priest was powerless to quell the tumult, and the weaker ones were thrown down and crushed under the feet of the stronger as the frightened crowd rushed for the exits.

—Both the English and French are despatching troops to the border of the Hinterland, West Africa, each nation claiming what the other is not willing to grant in regard to territorial rights, and as no surveying has been done in that part of the country, it is expected that the opposing forces may clash at any moment.

—The German Government is making preparations for the increase of its war strength, and has decided to hold its army maneuvers for the coming year in Alsace-Lorraine. They will be on an exceptionally large scale, and, being held in this locality, will not tend to lessen the enmity between Germany and France.

—A despatch from Cairo, Egypt, states that the Abyssinian army, which started out to punish the Somalis for massacring three regiments of Abyssinians has already laid waste a large territory, and has completely annihilated four large tribes, their work of revenge being accompanied by acts of horrible brutality.

—Recent advices from Honolulu state that the island government has finally agreed to the arbitration of the claims set forth by Japan, but is not willing to accept the king of Belgium as arbitrator. President Dole suggests a commission of three, one from each government, the third to be chosen by these two representatives.

—The International W. C. T. U. convention in session at Toronto, Ontario, held its last meeting on October 26. The following officers were elected: Honorary president, Mrs. M. C. Leavitt, Boston; president, Miss Frances E. Willard, Evanston, Ill.; vice-president, Lady Henry Somerset, England; secretary, Miss Agnes E. Slack, England; treasurer, Miss Mary Sanderson, Danville, Quebec.

—The Spanish Government refuses to publish its reply to the note of U. S. Minister Woodford, but the contents of the reply are announced to deal largely with America’s responsibility for the maintenance of the insurrection in Cuba through the arms and ammunition which they receive from this country. The hope is expressed that through granting autonomy and withdrawing of American support, the rebellion will soon be suppressed.

—A portion of the Spanish army, which the government designed to send to Cuba in November, has refused to don the colonial uniform, and state that when the time for embarkation comes, they will refuse to go to Cuba. In the Spanish army such insubordination is punishable with death, and the government is perplexed over the situation, disliking to inflict the penalty at the present time, and upon so many.

—Brigadier-General Castillo, commander of the Cuban army in Havana province, was betrayed by supposed friends and shot near Havana on October 25. A proclamation signed by Maximo Gomez and president Capote is being circulated in Havana, rejecting autonomy or any concessions made by Spain short of absolute independence, and threatening with death any envoy approaching the Cuban army with any proposition short of independence.

—A column of English troops has started from Berber on the Nile to drive Osman Digna, the Dervish general, from the region of the Atbara River. The Dervishes have taken terrible vengeance upon a large tribe which refused to join them in withstanding the British. Every male member of the tribe was killed, the older women and many of the children were thrown into the river, while the young women were taken to the harems of the chiefs and the khalifa.