The San Juan islander. [volume], March 24, 1898, Image 1

About The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914

Image provided by: Washington State Library; Olympia, WA

                
VOL. VIII. NO. 6.
TERRIBLE
...CUT...
On the Best and Largest Stock of
Dry Goods
Notions, and
Gent's Furnishings
in the Northwest.
■I I ii
Ate making room for
the Largest Shipment
that will cross the
mountains this spring.
We Are Going ta Do Business
and this is the starter.
A few prices for your
careful consideration:
Yard wide Bleached Muslin, 4)^c a
yard, regular 7c quality.
Yard wide Bleached Muslin, s>sc a
yard, regular T^c quality.
Yard wide Bleached Muslin, 6c a yard,
regulai 8 1-Sc quality.
Yard" wide Bleached Muslin, 7>£c a
yard, regular Dc quality.
Yard wide Bleached Muslin, I^ca
yard, regular 10c quality.
2 yards wide Bleached Sheeting, 15c a
yard, regular 22 ' 2 c quality.
m yards wide Bleached Sheeting, 18c
a yard, regular 2T 1 2 c quality.
"Yard wide Tobacco Cotton, 2 3 4 c a yard,
regular :J 1. 2 c quality. *
Yard wide Sea-Foam Cotton, 3 3 4 c a
yard, regular 5c quality.
Yard wide Unbleached Sheeting, 4 3 4 c a
yard, regular 7c quality.
Yard wide Unbleached Muslin, 6c a
yard, regular 8 l-3c quality.
Yard wide Unbleached Muslin, 7^c a
yard, regular 10c quality.
Good Outing Flannel, -i^e a yard, reg
ular (i] 4 c quality.
Heavy Outing Flannel, 7>oC a yard,
regular 10c quality.
English Flannelette, 8c a yard, regular
12,^'c quality.
Standard 64x64 Caiico, 5c a yard, regu
lar It quality.
Standard C4xG4 Gingham, 4}£c a yard,
regular \\Kq. quality.
Russian Fleeced Vicugna, 7^c a yard,
regular 10c quality.
Table Oil Cloth, 48-"inch, 12)£c a yard,
regular 15 and 20c quality.
Curtain Scrim, 36-inch, %~%c a yard,
regular ti.^'c quality.
Fancy Curtain Cloth, 36-inch, 10c a
yard, regular 15c quality.
Table Damask, Bleached and Un
bleached, Turkey Red and Fancies,
all at reduced prices.
DRESS GOODS.
All-Wool Fancy Dress Goods, 22c a
yard; a good value at 30c.
ill-Wool Henrietta, 42-inch, 27c a
yard, regular value, 50c.
All colors English Henrietta, 36-inch,
18c a yard, regular 25-cent quality,
figured Mohair, 42-inch, 40c a yard,
regular 60c quality.
*l»wd Mohair, 44-inch, 48c a yard,
regular <]- X quality.
"gored mohair, 46-inches wide, 80c a
yard, regular $1 quality.
Black and White novelties, 68c a yard,
regular |1 quality.
lack, Blue and Brown Serge, 46-inch,
«c a yard, regular 75c quality.
'*'* Cheviot, 54-inches wide, 52c a
yard, regular f 1 quality.
ALL-WOOL FLANNELS.
me Angora Flannel, 27-inches, 16c
a yard, regular 25c quality.
tllte Gilbert Flannel, 27-inches, 20c
a yard, regular 27c quality.
nite AA Gilbert Flannel, 27-inches,
**ca yard, regular 35c quality.
eJ Medicated Flannel. 27-inches, 12c
* yard, regular 20c quality.
c ounce Medicated Flannel, 27
--jn-hes, 28c a yard, regular 35c qual
Il is impossible to enumerate the
.. n>. extra good values we are going
£ offer Be "the early bird," that
T , Ja dollara in your pocket. No sam
pies cut.
This Sale starts at once and
will last for a short time only.
Montague & |Je|||
°»-Holly St and Railroad
' Avenue.1 v:K\#iS
N^WHATCOM -'WASH.
Che San Islander.
FRIDAY HARBOR, SAN JUAN COUNTY, WASHINGTON, THURSDAY, MARCH 24, 1898.
NEWS OF THE WEEK
From all Parts of the New
and Old World.
BRIEF AND INTERESTING ITEMS
Comprehensive Review of the Import.
ant Happenings of the Cur
rent Week.
An Ottawa dispatch says the houa«
of commons rushed the Yukon railway
bill through committee in less thaa
half an hour. A clause in the bill
provides that a majority of the direct
ors of the road must be British. The
bill now stands for a third reading.
The Wolff & Zwicker iron works of
Portland, Or., have received an order
from the secretary of the navy to rush
work on the three torpedo boats they
are now building, with all posfible
speed. By working night and day the
22 boats Davis and Fox can be
made ready for service in three months.
General Superintendent McGuirehas
announced that large gangs of men are
at work all along the line of the Astoria
& Columbia River railroad, and only
11 miles of rails are yet to be laid.
The last spike -will be driven about
April 1, with appropriate ceremonies.
The man to drive it has been selected
from the ranks of the men who have
worked faithfully during the winter to
push the line through.
The Kepublican leaders of the house
are pressing for an early adjournment,
and it is said that their course meets
the full approval of the president. All
save three of the appropriation bills
have gone to the senate. The action' of
the appropriations con.mitteein prepar
ing the general deficiency bill at this
time is the best evidence of the inten
tion to secure early adjournment.
The construction of five modern dry
docks haa been agreed on by the house
committee on naval affairs. They are
to be located at Portsmouth, N. H.;
Boston, League island, near Philadel
phia; Algiers, La., and -Mare island,
Cal. These docks are to be of wood,
except those at Algiers and Ports
mouth. The material of construction
of these will not be determined upon
until later.
Charles E. French, formerly a prom
inent citizen of Red lands, Cal., com
mitted suicide by shooting himself
through the heart, after making care
ful preparations for his end and attend
ing to the minute details of his busi
ness affairs. He first mangled his wrist
with a pocket-knile and lost over a
quart of blood, but fearing that death
would not come, be fired a shot from a
pistol into his body.
A ledge of gold-bearing quartz has
been found by men engaged in grading
Seventeenth street, in San Francisco.
The street is being cut through a bluff
varying from 40 to 55 feet high, and
about 300 feet long. Three years ago
a tunnel was sunk through the hill to
allow the laying of a large water main
to the reservoir on Clarendon Heights,
and low-grade quartz was then uncov
ered. Tbe quartz which is now declared
to show traces of gold was uncovered
by a blast.
A patient at the Oregon State in
sane asylum, C. B. Chatfield, pushed
an attendant, Arthur Moore, through a
window and jumped out himself. The
fall was from the third story, and the
attendant and patient are now in the
asylum hospital, under treatment for
fractured bones and bruised flesh.
Two estimates of appropriations to
meet the cost of the recent addition of
two regiments "of artillery to the army
have been sent to congress by Secre
tary Alger. One was of a supplemental
estimate of $40,131 for the pay of the
army for the fiscal year, and the other
of a deficiency of $154,150 in the cur
rent year appropriations to defray the
expenditures for the remainder of this
year.
The Washington state superintend
ent has refused to issue certificates to
applicants in the recent examination
on account of violation of the rules
which prescribe that no communication
shall be allowed during the time the
candidate is writing upon the ques
tions. This is the third time tbe su
perintendent has enforced the law re
lating to certification. One of the
cases is held in the courts of Pierce
county still undecided, upon the de
cision of which rests the superintend
ent's rights in the premises.
Benjamin Cluff, jr., president of the
Brigham Young academy at Provo,
Utah, has returned from a visit to the
Hawaiian islands, where he went at
the solicitation of United States Sena
tor Frank J. Cannon, to determine the
status of the annexation sentiment
among the Hawaiian islands. He said:
"As a result of my investigation I
would say that probably one-half of the
intelligent natives of the islands are
pronounced advocates of annexation.
Of the remaining one-half I would say
that the great majority are primarily
in favor of the restoration of the mon
archy, and secondly they would much
prefer annexation to the United States
to a continuation of the present govern
ment."
Thirty-six carloads of ammunition
have been sent to Tampa, Fla.
Dr. Tomas Estrada Palma, of the
Cuban junta in New York, is quoted as
saying: "1 oonaider Mr. Quesada a
presence at Vice-President Hobart's
reception to the Belgian prince in
Washington Tuesday a matter of great
importance. He waa invited as the
accredited representative of the Cuban
republic, together with the Spanish
minister and other members of the dip
lomatic oorps. Mr. Queeada's presence
aa an honored guest is very significant.
It ia a semiofficial recognition of Cuba."
CAUGHT IN A FIRE TRAP.
Many Lives Lost In a Burn Chicago
Building. i?V
Chicago, March 18.—It required just
20 minutes this afternoon for one of
the most savage fires Chicago has seen
since the famous cold storage ware
house fire on the world's fair grounds
in 1893, to take anywhere from 5 to 15
lives, maim 30 people and reduce a six
story brick building to a pile of blaz
ing timbers, red-hot bricks and twisted
iron. • . ... .... ■ .
The number of dead is still in doubt,
and probably will not be known defi
nitely until the debris of the building
is sufficiently cooled to admit of a
search being made for the bodies that
are undoubtedly in the ruins. Three
men are known to be dead. They are:
Samuel A. Clark, bookkeeper for the
Olmstead Scientific Company.
Miles A. Smith, salesman for the
Olmstead Company.
Edward Binz, cashier for Sweet,
Wallace & Co.
Sixteen are missing, who have not
communicated with their friends to
night, and whose bodies are believed to
be in the ruins. About 30 persons were
seriously injured.
The building had a frontage of 50
feet on Wabash avenue and extended
back 160 feet to an alley. It was of
what is known as mill construction,
had two elevator shafts, one in front
and one in the rear, and reaching from
the third story to the roof was a light
shaft, which gave the flames every
chance. It was because of this shaft
that the fire spread with such awful
rapidity. The building was occupied
by a number of concerns, some of them
employing large numbers of people. It
is estimated that 400 people were at
work in the building when the fire was
discovered.
The origin of the fire which followed
an explosion, is in doubt, but the
weight «f evidence seems to be that the
explosion was in the lower part of the
building, for the flames shot up the
light shaft at once.
The sound of the explosion threw j
the inmates of the building into a I
panic, and on several floors a wild
stampede began for the stairways and
elevators. To add to the panic, the
men in charge of theelevatois ran their
cars to the top of the building, yelling
"fire" at every floor. When they
reached the top, both elevators took in
a load of frightened women and start
ed for the bottom. The front elevator
was in charge of Harry Gleason, a boy,
and the rear one was handled by Wil
liam St. John, a young man. Both of
these kept their heads, showed much
coolness and bravery, and were instru
mental in saving many lives. ...
' The elevator in the front of the
building was a deliberate affair, in good
order, but not calculated to make much
speed in such an emergency as con
fronted it today. Gleason made one
trip to the seventh floor, carried down
a load of women, and although the
smoke was rolling through the building
in dense coluds, he started up again.
At the fourth floor he stopped to
take on a crowd of girls from the rooms
of the National Music Company, be
ing assisted in his work by Miss
Katherine Carney, the forewoman. A
man attempted to force his way into
the elevator, but Gleason shoved him
back into the hall, that the women
might have the first chance. The man
never came out. After reaching the
bottom with his load of girls, Gleason
"was about to start up again, when the
supports of the elevator machinery
caught fire, and, seeing that they would
give way before his slow elevator could
make another trip, Gleason gave it up.
At the rear St. John did equally good
work, but was not able to make more
than one trip, as the fire swept through
that part of the building before it at
tacked the front. ■ '. ''.
WILL NOT BE HEEDED. .
Spain Objects to the Assembling iof
Our Fleet.
Washington, March 1 18.—The main
development in the ; Spanish situation
today was in connection with the
definite representations submitted; by
the Spanish government to the state
department concerning the : assembling
of a large fleet of American .warships
at Key West, the war preparations and
the influence which these might have
on the approaching elections ;in Cuba.
* These .representations cannot ; piop
erly be regarded as a 'protest against
■ the attitude and ~ acts of the United
States government; they, may unques
tionably be set down as a remonstrance
calculated to have an effect in Euro
pean " court circles. Not, however, be
ing a technical protest, the statement
has not called ; forth any: official re
joinder on the part of the ? state depart
ment, for it is lacking in V tangible I ac
cusations, being rather an : argumenta
tiveipresentation? of alleged Spanish
grievances. /..-''-."-•"!!"-.•.'■ "-•' ,'
; That the administartion will be in
fluenced by the suggestion •■• that ! the
presence of ; the * fleet .of the North AU
lantio squadron at Key West is a dis
turbing factor is not believed for a mo
ment.• Visible evidence of that deter
mination was the ceaseless activity of
the naval officers as well as the "steady
prosecution of the plans of the war de
partment. '■__
":''.;','-i'-'-z :>; Rebellion In Uheheland. ;' .:. -/■;" ;
'^ Berlin, March 18.—The Nueu Nach
richten publishes a dispatoh which says
that the : chief %of Morere, with 80,000
rebels, has rebelled against German
rule in Uheheland. The rebels, it is
reported, are armed with Mausers.
r.£?£H 7r-*,'C :"::::;'J'~:' "rj^-^■■:;.■<,::■:■■■ ;
'■"" Ji; Japan Buys Torpedo Boat. p,v~^
London, March 18. — special dis
patch from Kiel ' says; Japan has pnr
ohased a torpedo corvette, which was
being bnilt there by the ; Krnpps for
BraziL * ■ ~ " -
:.■-■--■• Rebellion in India.
London, March 17. —According to a
; Singapore t dispatch, , ■ rebel has
broken out at Batahon, where the na
tives refused to pay taxes. A Siamese
expeditioni has defeated the rebels.
MORE ALASKA GOLD.
A. Rich Discovery Reported Near the
Yaktitat Bay.
Portland, Or., March 17. —Albert J.
Paul has jnst returned to Portland
after spending two weeks prospecting
in Southeastern Alaska—not prospect
ing for gold, but for general business.
He reports another gold strike made
just before he came down from Haines
mission. The reports of this latest
rich strike were so favorable that Jack
Dalton, who had just landed on his way
home from the States, purchased two
dog teams and set out in the night for
the new diggings. The location is on
a creek known as the Long Shorty,
flowing into Yakutat bay, at a point
about 80 miles westerly from the Dalton
trail to Port Selkirk.
The discovery became known through
the disagreement of a party that had
gone over to locate all the choicest
claims. The discoverer arranged with
10 other men to go with him and locate
claims where he should designate, on
condition that they should sell to him
for $1,000 each. One of the men who
had made the agreement would not
stick to it, and, being a son of Erin, he
would not be whipped into-compliance,
though he got pretty severly thumped
several times on the way out. This
arrangement brought the new discovery
to light the day before Mr. Paul left,
and a rush then* was imminent. The
location is in American territory, easily
accessible from the coast, and not diffi
cult to reach by way of the Dalton trail.
If it should prove as rich and extensive
as the first report indicated, the Klon
dike travel will soon be diverted there.
. Mr. Paul traveled over White pass,
Ghilkoot and five miles toward the
summit of Chilkat pass. He was con
vinced that the White pass, from Skag
way, offered a much better winter road
to the lakes than the Ghilkoot pass
from Dyea, though, as an all-year
round road, the latter would be prefer
able, especially when the tramways
shall get in operation. Most of the
Klondikers now go to Dyea, notwith
standing the inconvenience of the land
ing there. Skagway has the advantage
in the way of business, because it costs
materially more in money to land goods
at Dyea, and freight is frequently as
long getting from Skagway over to
Dyea as from Portland to Skagway.
That seriously handicaps Dyea as a
business point.
The Canadian police are turning back
all persona bound for the interior who
have not at least 1,000 pounds of pro
visions—not 1,000 pounds of outfit,
but of actual eatables. This, Mr. Paul
says, he knows to be the present prac
tice. Moreovet^ Canadians have grants
of all the available timber along the
route down the river, and the gold
hunters are not permitted even to cut
wood to burn without paying stump
age. In the very few places where
timber is still available, a charge is
made for saw pits. While the police
themselves are very decent, some of
the government regulations they are
obliged to enfrce are very unwelcome.
The best route to the interior, in Mr.
Paul's judgment, is the Dalton trail.
He says it can be traveled at any sea
son of the year, it is free of police eur
veilance, and it involves less hardship
than either of the other overland routes
to the Klondike. Two parties of rail
road surveyors have been camped on
that trail a short distance from the
coast all winter—the Onderdonks, re
puted to represent the Rothschilds, and
the Perry Humbert party, of Boston.
The Onderdonks have made a survey
through to Fort Selkirk, and declared
the route feasible, the pass being but
2,600 feet high, and not nearly so diffi
cult to build a railroad across as the
Rocky mountains. The Humbert party
consists of 17 engineers, who are
camped near the pass with 800 head of
livestock. They have run a line as far
as the Dalton post, about 100 miles,
fnd they iay it is a practicable route.
A considerable number of men bound
for the Klondike are going in over the
Dalton trail. One party of 65 men,
with 100 dogs, left the Humbert camp
March 1. Mr. Paul inclines to the be
lief that the big coast town for the
Klondike trade and travel will grow up
on the other side of Lynn canal, at
Haines mission, or Pyramid harbor.
Pyramid harbor is the only place in
that country where deep water extends
right up to the land. No tide flats are
there, and it is a natural harbor of
refuge that the fierce winter storms of
the region do not reach.
THE MAINE VICTIMS.
Home Considers the Bill for the Relief
of Their Heirs.
Washington, March 17.—The house
agreed today to consider the bill for the
relief of the legal heire of the victims
and survivors of the Maine disaster as
soon as the postofflce appropriation bill,
which was taken up in the house today,
is out of th«f way. During the general
debate on the postofflce bill, mem berg
eagerly took advantage of the latitude
allowed in committee of the whole to
discuss various political questions, and
the debate consequently covered a wide
range. Griggs (Dem. Ga.) and Walker
(Rep. Mass.) discussed the cotton in
dustry, and Tawney (Rep. Minn.), a
member of the ways and means com
mittee, replied to the speech of John
son (Rep. Ind.) made some time ago
against the advisability of annexing
the Hawaiian islands,
Kvidence of Treachery.
New York, March 17.—A Press dis
patch from Key West says: A shat
tered section of a submarine cable,
containing seven conductors for setting
off mines, is in the possession of the
board of inquiry. The cable led to a \
mine under the Maine. The discovery !
was made by divers at the Maine 1
wreck. This proves that the mine j
which blew up the Maine was connect- ,
ed with a switchboard ashore, which
was in charge of a trusted and reepon
sibla agent.
DOES NOT LIKE IT
Warlike Preparations Dis
pleasing to Spain.
SENDS VIEWS TO WASHINGTON
The Communication Not a Protest, but
Merely a Mild Expression
, ' of Disapproval. ' - , '
Washington, March —The war
preparations being made by the United
States, the assembling of ships at Key
West, the purchase of a cruiser abroad
and the emergency measures in the war
and navy departments have come to the
official attention of the Spanish govern
ment, and the views of the Spanish gov
ernment thereon have - been communi
cated to the state department heie.
This has not taken the form of a pro
test, however, as it does not appear
that the Spanish government claims or
asserts the right to question such meas
ures as the United States might adopt,
even though they be of a character to
indicate preparations for war. It is
rather by way of representations, con
veyed in a friendly spirit and without
threats, as to the serious influences
which these preparations will have in
encouraging the Cuban insurgents at a
moment when the autonomy plan is to
have its crucial test through the Cuban
elections, and in this way defeat the
reforms Premier Sagasta is seeking to
carry out.
It has been especially pointed out
that the presence of a large fleet of
United States warships at Key West
cannot be regarded as a friendly meas
ure, as the sending of the ships was
officially represented to be when the
Maine went to Havana, and Vizcaya
returned the complimentary visit. In
short, the presence of this extensive
fleet near Cuba, together with the war
measures taken by the United States,
is regarded by Spain as seriously preju
dicial to the policy of autonomy which
Spain and the United States have alike
approved, and an indirect encourage
ment of the insurgents in defeating the
desires of both governments for the suc
cess of that policy.
Finally, and in the same spirit of
friendly representation, Spain pointed
out that war begun by the United
States against Spain under such circum
stances would be unjustifiable before
the world and a crime against human
ity and civilization.
The representations contained no ref
erence whatever to the Maine disaster
or redress or indemnity therefor.
BOLINA BESIEGED.
Philippine Rebels Surround and Attack
the Spanish Cable Station.
New York, March 18.—A Herald
dispatch from Manila says: The Phil
ippine rebels surrounded the cable sta
tion at Bolina on March 7, and 33
Spanish soldiers were killed. A
steamer which was sent on March 8 to
relieve the garrison was obliged to re
turn, owing to a renewal of the fusi
lade. Four priests at the garrison from
neighboring towns were massacred.
Bolina was subsequently relieved by
General Moret. The insurgent loss
was heavy.
Three gunboats and one steamer left
Manila March 10 for Bolina with troops
and artillery.
European cable operators are safe.
The provinces of Taslo, Panagasinan
and Zambales are in- open rebellion,
and it is feared others will follow their
lead. It is reported that Aguinaldo
and other rebel leaders have landed
from Hong Kong with 6,000 troops.
Artillery has been sent to the prov
inces within the last three days, and at
Manila few troops are left.
STAVES OFF THE INEVITABLE
Resumption of the Extermination Cam
paign in Cuba Urged.
New York, March 18.—A Wolrd dis
patch from Madrid says: Much stress
is now being laid upon the expediency
of acting with more vigor, both on sea
and land, especially in the eastern
provinces of Cuba, so as to crush the
rebellion promptly. Spanish generals
have been much praised for their re
cent systematic occupation of the rebel
lines and the destruction of all re
sources in the province of Puerto
Principe and the province of Santiago.
The government has been advised by
Spanish consuls that filibustering ex
peditions are organizing in New York
and Florida destined for Cuba. The
plan ib to land in Porto Rico. The
Spanish minister at Washington has
been instructed to make representations
against such violation of international
law. '
The captain-general of Porto Rico
has been warned by telegraph to be
prepared to repress with the utmost se
verity all attempts to cause a rising.
Spanish war vessels on the coast of
both islands will henceforth display
more vigor in dealing with filibusters.
FOR EASTERN SERVICE.
The French Fleet Is Prepared for Mob
ilisation.
Paris, March 18. — Aurore today
affirms that the French fleet is being
prepared for mobilization, adding that
feverish anxiety prevails at all the ar
senals and shipyards, which are work
ing until 10 o'clock at night.
Aurore says the French northern
squadron at Cherbourg is ready for im
mediate departure. The ships, it ap
pears, are being swung during the
night at Cherbourg for adjustment of
theii compasses. Finally, it is asserted
that in order to complete the necessary
number of officers, second-year students
are to be appointed midshipmen, and
all admirals have been, instructed to
arrange to reach Paris within 24 hours
after being summoned.
Russia is to be supported by * naval
demonstration in the far East.
TWO FINE CRUISERS.
The Government Secure* a Pair of Bra
zilian Vessels.
Washington, March 16.—A week's
negotiations closed today by the tri
umphant purchase by the navy depart
ment in London of the two fine cruisers
Amazonas and Admiral Abren.il 1, built
and building at Elsewiok for the Bra
zilian government. Possibly the offi
cials took more pleasure in closing the
business in this matter because of the
knowledge that Spanish agents had
been striving to secure these very ships,
and that to Spain, it is said, they would
be of much greater value in case of
trouble than to the United States.
The next question is how to get the
ships home, and that has not yet been
settled, according to the secretary of
the navy. The United States flag will
be hoisted over the new ships within a
week, probably, and just as soon as the
crew can be put aboard the Amazonas,
she will start for the United States.
The other vessel will follow at the
earliest possible moment. The terms
of the sale are secret.
The availability of the two Brazilian
ships was first brought to the attention
of the navy department by Mr. Lane,
agent of the Nordenfeldt Company,who
was authorized to dispose of these ships
building at Elsewick, and two others
in course of construction in Prance.
Mr. Lane said today that the two ships
purchased would be a most desirable
acquisition to the American navy, as
they were the latest and best products
of the famous Armstrong yards. One
of the ships is complete in every re
spect, has her coal supply and ammuni
tion on board, and steam can be raised
at any time. There will be no trouble
in bringing this ship across, as an ade
quate force from the local yards can
be secured for the service. It is said
the coal and ammunition on board
passed with the sale to the United
States. The ammunition is not of the
Amd in use by the American navy, so
that the supply of ammunition is a
necessary adjunct of the new ships.
The other ship has been launched,
but it will take some time to make her
ready for sea. Mr. Lane believes, how
ever, that there will be no difficulty in
bringing her over immediately if it is
desired to make the move without de
lay, as the hull of the ship is so well
along that she could be towed, and her
own sail power utilized for the trip.
Senator Proctor visited the White
House and up-town departments today,
and his calls excited a great deal of in
terest. He spent half an hour with
Secretary Alger, explaining, it is be
lieved, the military situation in Cuba,
and afterwards held a conference with
Judge Day, assistant secretary of state.
Then he went to the White House, and
was closeted with the president for two
hours. When he emerged from the
room he courteously declined to speak
regarding the nature of the informa
tion he has communicated to the presi
dent.
The two Brazilian ships will be ex
tremely valuable additions to the Uni
ted States navy in either war or peace,
in the opinion of Secretary Long, who
acknowledges they have been bought
by the United States. They are steel
sheathed and coppered, with twin
screws. The Amazonas is rated at
1,400 tons displacement, with an indi
cated horsepower, under natural
draught, of 7,000, which is calculated
to develop 20 knots speed.
Thus, while the ship is about the
size of the Charleston, she is much
faster. Her armament is also much
more formidable, not so much in cali
ber, for the main battery is made up of
six-inch guns, but the guns are what is
known as 50-caliber length, giving them
an unusual range and power. In addi
tion to this they have 10 6-pounder
quick-firing guns, four 1-pounders, four
Maxim machine guns, and two boat or
field guns. The torpedo tubes are
three in number.
The coal capacity is 850 tons, giving
her an effective steaming radius of
8,000 knots, a most valuable feature,
inasmuch as it would enable the ship
to cross and recrosa the Atlantic with
out coaling. Such a vessel as a com
merce destroyer would be vastly more
effective than what appears to be more
powerful craft, because of their ability
to get along on long cruises without
touching at neutral ports to coal, and
thus exposing themselves to capture.
The bureau of ordnance of the war
department opened bids today for a
large supply of armor-piercing projec
tiles, and for 12,000,000 rifle ball car
tiidges. The bidding brought together
a number of representatives of large
steel and ammunition companies, some
of whom took occasion to give assur
ances that in the present emergency,
government would be given the prefer
ence over commercial orders.
The bidders for steel projectiles,
varying in size from the 8-inch steel
capped shot to the 1,000-pound shot,
were the Mid vale Steel Company, the
Batha-Illingsworth Co., the Carpenter
Stoel Company and the Furth Sterling
Company. The bids varied only slight
ly on the various clasess of heavy shot,
running from $116 each for the- 8-inch
to $JBS each from the 1,000-pocnders.
The bids for rifle cartridges were in
two parts, 10,000,000 being standard
metallic ball cartidges, with brown
powder, and 2,000,000 new cartridges,
with smokeless powder. There were
three bidders, viz: The Union Metal
lic Cartridge Company, the United
States Cartridge Company, and the
Winchester Repeating Arms Company.
The bids were the same in each case,
$18.50 for the brown-powder cart
ridges, and $27 for the smokeless pow
der cartridges. One company offered
to deliver 50,000 at once, and all the
offers contemplated a delivery of 100,
--000 a day after a few days.
The bids for shot, shell and cart
ridges will be considered, and the
awards made within the next few days.
Osaka has been called the New York
of Japan. With the manufacturing
Tillages that cluster around it, it baa a
population of about a million.
PRICE 5 CENTS.
WILL ACT AS ONE.
England and Japan Combine to Resist
Russia's Encroachment* in China.
New York, March 16.—A dispatch
to the Herald from Tokio says: The
Herald correspondent learns on un
questionable authority that Japan is a
party to the negotiations now going on
between England and Russia at St.
Petersburg, and that while no alliance
exists between England and Japan,
they have a definite understanding and
are acting in harmony. A high diplo
matic official said:
"You may say positively that Japan
will back up England against Russia,
and if England maintains a firm atti
tude, all immediate danger of war is
passed, unless Russia is resolved to
fight at once. In view of England's
great superiority at sea and her pos
session of all the available coal in the
Eastern ports, Rutisia will probably
take a conciliatory tone for the pres
ent."
The Herald correppondent visited
Marquis Ito today, and asked him
whether the Jajanese government
would sell the cruisers Chitose and
Sakagi to America. The marquis hesi
tated a moment, and replied:
"I will make inquiries of my naval
colleagues, but I think I may say that
Japan prefers to get possession of all
the ships building for her as soon as
possible. Orders have already been
made to bring the ships to Japan, and
the builders have been requested to
hasten their completion^"
After a pause the marquis continued
slowly and impressively:
"The news of the last few days in
dicates a critical state of affairs else
where than on the Western continent,
and we consider it only prudent to con
tinue our provisions for the national
defense. I hope the people of the
United States will not take offense at
Japan's unwillingness to part with
these cruisers. I have always appreci
ated their kindly feelings for Japan.
The United States is a nation above all
others where public sentiment abso
lutely controls the national policy, and
for that reason I wish to have the peo
ple there understand that Japan re
taim the ships, not from a lack of
willingness to oblige the United States,
but because she needs them herself."
"In case of war between the United
States and Spain, your excellency," the
correspondent asked, "will Japan al
low the warships of both belligerents
to take coal at Japanese ports, or refuse
it to both?"
"That opens a long vista of possibil
ities," he replied. "Some authorities
contend that coal and even provisions
should be contraband of war, as both
are necessary to maintain hostilities at
sea. Whenever war is declared be
tween two or more powers, Japan, if
neutral, will bear in mind in deciding
the coal question the manner in which
her decision will affect all the belliger
ents and her own interests."
The Herald correspondent learns that
• Japan has received a cable from Eng
* land for all the warships building for
• her in English private yards, consist
» ing of three 15,000-ton battle ships and
: three n'rst-claes armored cruisers of
* about 10,000 tons each. The offer has
1 been refused.
NEW REVENUE CUTTERS
The Senate Passes a Bill for the Con
struction of Eight.
Washington, March 16. —During the
' session of three hours today the senate
passed a considerable number of bills
from the general calendar, among them
, being one authorizing the secretary of
the treasury to have constructed eight
vessels for the revenue cutter service,
as follows: One to take the place of
the Seward, cost not to exceed $160,
--000; one to take the place of the Mc-
Lane, cost not to exceed $160,000; one
to take the place of the Boutwell, cost
not to exceed $160,000; one for service
on and in the vicinity of the Columbia
river bar, Pacific coast, cost not to ex
ceed $250,000: one for harbor service
at Philadelphia, to replace the steamer
Washington, cost not to exceed $45,
--000; one for harbor service at Boston,
to replace the steamer Hamlin, cost not
to exceed $45,000; one for harbor ser
vice at New York, to replace the Chan
dler, cost not to exceed $45,000.
The national quarantine bill was
made the regular order, and will be
taken up probably on Friday.
The proceeding in the house today
were utterly devoid of public interest.
The time was devoted to District of
Columbia business. This was conclud
ed at 4:15 P. M. The senate bill was
passed to change the name of the port
of collection at Suspension Bridge, to
Niagara Falls. The senate bill was
passed which granted a right-of-way
through the Indian territory to the
Dennison, Bonham & New Orleans
railroad, also a senate bill granting a *
right-of-way through the Winnebago
Indian reservation to the Northwestern
road; also to anthorize the Monroe
company to construct a bridge across
the Red river at Grand Ecore.
MRS. THURSTON DEAD.
The Senator's Wife Expired oa th«
Anita la Cuba.
Havana, March 16.— Consul-Gen
eral Lee received the following tele
gram this afternoon from Mr. Barker,
United States consul at Sagua la
Grande:
'The wife of Senator Thurston died
on the Anita today. Shall give every
attention and wire you from Boca."
Meager advices say that Mrs. Thurs
ton died from apoplexy about 8 o'clock
this morning, when the yacht was in
sight of port.
The Anita left Matanzas last night
with all the party except Representa
tives Smith and Cummings, who went
to Sagua by rail. The passage from
Havana to Matanzas was very rough,
and that to Sagua even worse. It is
thought that this, together with the
rough passage down the coast, may
have hastened the end, bat nothing
definite is known here.