Heat Wave and Naval Explosion
The terrible heat throughout the Atlantic States continued during the week, being most severe and most fatal in the vicinity of New York. On July 18 in that city there were 190 heat prostrations and 26 deaths. On the same day there were thirteen deaths from heat in Pittsburg. On July 19 the heat deaths in New York City reached 75, with 167 prostrations, and Philadelphia had 10 deaths with 40 prostrations. New York's death roll was made up principally of infants and aged persons whose vitality had been lowered by the continuance of the heated spell. The following day the number of deaths from the same cause in New York amounted to 20. There has been a great amount of suffering in the large cities, especially among the dwellers in crowded tenement houses. The U. S. gunboat Bennington, while getting up steam preparatory to leaving the port of San Diego, Cal., on July 21, was torn by a terrible explosion. The explosion involved two of the boilers, killing 60 of the crew, and injuring more or less severely 49 others. The force of the explosion caused the vessel to leak badly; but she was soon towed into shallow water, and allowed to settle upon the mud. Nearly everything below deck was shattered or thrown out of place, and the bodies of the men, mangled as they were were almost inextricably mingled with the debris. It is expected that ten of the injured will soon be added to the list of the dead. This is the most serious calamity that has occurred in the American navy since the blowing up of the Maine at Havana. The threatened Chinese boycott upon American goods has been inaugurated in Shanghai and Canton. The Chinese Government seems unable to cause the agitation against American products to cease, altho it has made endeavors to do so. It is understood that one of the principle objects in calling together the Congress of the United States in extra session is to consider the matter of Chinese exclusion from the standpoint of its effect upon American commerce in China. The most important event that has transpired in Russia during the week has been the meeting of the Zemstvo, which convened in spite of the direct prohibition of the authorities in Moscow. It has declared itself very emphatically against the administration of the present government, and has made demands that are certainly revolutionary. There are rumors of very important changes in the administration; but all is as yet in an embryotic condition. Statistics so far gathered of the Russo-Japanese War by Gen. Tasker H. Bliss, of the general staff of the United States Army, show that the casualties have been as follows: On the side of Russia, 180,134 killed and wounded; on the side of Japan, 153,652 killed and wounded. An attempt was made on July 21 to take the life of the Sultan of Turkey. A bomb was thrown at him, while attending a salamlik at the mosque. The explosion of the bomb resulted in the death of 24 persons, and the injury of 57. President Roosevelt has decided to call an extraordinary session of Congress, which will convene on November 11. The government, on July 22, opened bids for supplying 6,000 laborers for work on the Panama Canal.