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About Oregon City courier. (Oregon City, Or.) 1896-1898 | View Entire Issue (May 7, 1897)
Oregon City Courier. A, Wi OBKNBT, rnbllibar. BEGON CITY OREGON EVENTS OF THE DAY Aalatereatlng Collection of ItemaFrom the) Two Ilemlaplierea Freeented Id a Condensed Form. Forest tires are said to be starting up gain around Ashland, Win. The Pun tn Ve purchased the Atlan tio & Pacific railroad at a foreclosure ale for $12,000,000. The Tranflvaal will observe the queen's jubilee day an a holiday as a token of appreciation. A big fire In Pittsburg, Pa., de stroyed (3,000,000 worth of property, and reunited in ono death and the in jury of four persona, The banking-house of - J. B. Wheeler at Co., in Ma niton and Aspen, Colo., have gone into the hands of assignees. No reason is given by the directors. W. D. Case, of Pittsburg, Columbia county, and J. V. Duncan, of Uma tilla, Umatilla county, Oregon, have been appointed fourth-class postmasters. A Washington special says that it has been definitely decided that Nation al Committeeman J. K. Boyd, of North Carolina, will be appointed solicitor of internal revenue. Colonel John Hay, the newly ap pointed United Status ambassador to England, was received with unusual distinction while presenting his cre dentials to the queen at Windsor castle, It has been found that Victor Koski was the. man drowned off the coast a few days ago with John Rock, while fishing Dear Astoria. Koski was a rem dent of West Astoria, 80 years of age and unmarried. Johanna Spath, widow of Jacob Spath, ia suing Katz & Sons, sausage manufac turers, of San Francisco, for $100,000 damages. Iler husband was killed in ths defendant's factory and the widow charges the firm with being resiionsible on account of negligence. President McKinley has sent to con gress a message concerning the lynch ing of three Italians at Hahnville, Va., August 0, 1896. Ho recommends an appropriation of $10,000 tor the heirs f the persons without admitting the liability of the United States in tlis premises. In the German reichstag Count von Kanits, the agrarian leader, interpellat ed the government on the Bubject of the proposed United States tariff. Be eked if the government wished to con tinue the agreement of 1891, and said tha Dingley bill implied less the in--orease of American customs revenue than tho successful expulsion of Euro pean imports from American markets. A duel was fought at the entrance to Washington Park, Chicago, which might have resulted fatally for one of the principals, had not the seconds load ed the revolvers used with blank car tridges. Tho principals were W. L. King, son of a noted lawyer who died some time ago, and Colonel Jeremiah Busk, a veteran of the Confederate army, who had fought on board the Merrimnc. Aftor shots had been ex changed the duelists' honor had been satisfied, and they shook hands. Four lives were lost in a tenement house fire in Brooklyn, N. Y. Fire consumed the elevator and othot property of the Iowa Elevator Company at Peoria, 111.; loss, $300,000. Trainwreckers threw a switch and wrecked a train on the Houston & Tex as Central and killed one man and in jured several. Tho sohoonor Annie was crushed in an ice floo off St. Johns, N. B. The crew of twonty-flve men barely escaped -with their lives. N. Burris, Son & Co., of Norfolk, Va., one of the most prominent and widely known banking firms iu the South, has failed. The insurgents against Spanish rule In the Philippine islands are still 25, 000 strong and offering stout resistenuc in the mountains. The Hansard union of printers and publishers iu London, which collapsed in 1891, has paid a quarter of a million sterling of its indebtedness. The minoowners of Leadvillo, Col., met and subscribed $50,000 toward draining the mines, and it is estimated that opening tho mines will put 700 tuen to work. The French fishing vessel Valiant, Captain Pierre, from St. Malo for Mi quclon, struck an iceberg on tho Grand bunks, near St. John's, N. P., on the 18th inst, ami almost immediately foundered. Sho had seventy-three fishermen on board, and all took to the boats. Only ono of these bouts has so fur boon heard from. When it left the vessel, its complement was ten men. Three perished from exposure anil hun ger. The bodies of the first two were thrown overboard, but tho survivors, in thoir desperation, were driven to can nibalism, and ate the third. The boat' was picked up by a schooner. The sur vivors are in a shocking condition, and are so badly frostbitten that their arms must le amputated. The fourth annual meeting of the Pacific Coast Women's Congress has opened in San Francisco. John Forepaiigh and two prominent Spaniards were killed in a railroad ac cident near Tampa, Fla. A careless motorruan left bis post, and the trolley car wus run down by a fast mail train. Supervisor Kakestraw is preparing fit the national educational institute to be held in Portland, Or., in August, at which it it expected all the Indian schools and agencies in the west will be represented ON THE AGGRESSIVE, Inaurgent Operations, In Havana rrov lure Attended With Huuceaa. Now York, May 8. A special to the Press from Key West, says: Havana advices show that the insurgents are active in that province. Tapasta was attacked last week by a force of 400 insurgents, und held for an entire day. The Spanish garrison in one of the blockhouses retired completely, while the other held their ground and did not fire at the insuregnts or disturb them in any way. The Cubans took posses sion of tho vacated blockhouse, looting it of all the arms and provisions they could find, and then set it on fire. The other blockhouse, with a gar rison of 300 troops in and around it, kept quiet, no offensive operations be ing attempted by the Spanish in com mand. The Cubans camped within half a milo of the Spanish force, and plundered the stores of the town with out opposition. La lleiba was attacked by a force from Rodriguez' army, the first of the week, and tho Spanish garrison driven out. There is a small earth fort there and two backhouses. They attacked the earthworks early in the morning, and carried them by a dashing charge, tho Spanish retreating into their block houses at the other end of town. One of these was attacked by the Cubans, and three bombs exploded under its walls, shuttering it badly and killing several inmates. The Spanish surren-. dored, and were paroled by tho Cu bans. Some firing took place between the insurgonts and the other two block houses, but no attack was made on them, the Cubans apparently being con tent with the viotories they had gained. They entered the stores, took what they pleased, and loaded their plunder in ox teams in plain view of the Spanish. The Spanish loss is said to have been about seventy-five killed and wounded. Word readied the palace yesterday that a garrison of 200 men at a small pluce in the southwestern portion of the province desorted to the insurgents last week, carrying all their arms and ammunition and a field piece. The insurgent captains, Rafael Men doza Sioarros, and Kicardo Haldez,who voluntarily surrendered a fortnight ago in Pinar del Rio and were liberated un der Captain-General Weyler's amnesty decree, have been arrested. They are to be deported in irons to Ceuta for confinement. Advices from Snnnti Spiritus report that the Spanish volunteers in the gar rison there are becoming mutinous, ow ing to the government's failure to pro vide adequate commissary supplies. From thirty to forty are deserting daily. Dr. Zertucha In Trouble. New York, May 6. A dispatch to the Journal from Havana says: "Dr. Maximo Zertucha, Antonio Maceo s physician, who is alleged to have be trayed the Cuban general to the Span iards, was arrested at his homo near Guines yesterday and brought to Ha-, vana under close guard. It is under stood at tho palace that Weyler has or dered his deportation to Chafarinas island, a Spanish penal settlement off the African coast." A FORTUNE FOR A TRAMP. Jacob Loealng- Is In Luck If He Can Re Found. Now York, May 5. This story has to do with one Jacob Loesing, a tramp who ran away from his home in Havre, France, when a little boy of 1(1, and who haB just been left $38,000 by a rich uncle who died. Tho man was taken to a lawyer's office nine months ago to be examined us a witness in an assault case. In the course of an ex amination these facts wore brought out: The man was Jacob Loesing; ho was born in Havre; his uncle, who con ducted a largo flour business at Havre, took charge of him and sent linn to a boarding shcool. When tho boy was 16 years old lie ran away, went to Paris, mastered the English language, earned a little money, made his way to Liver dool and came to this country on a cat tle steamer. Finding it was necessary to work, even in America, the runaway went West and obtained a position as porter in a hotel in Iowa, lie drifted to San Francisco. There, sad to re late, tho wanderer was compelled to serve eighteen months in San Quen tin, accused of having broken into a laundry. When liberated ho camo to New York. All this Jacob told tho lawyer. The latter did not place much confidence in the man's storv, but after giving it careful consideration, ho decided that there might be some truth in it, so he wrote to a counsellor at Havre and re ceived the reply that Jacob's uncle had died several months aw, leaving an es tate valued ut $38,000. It was only for Loesing to go there and prove his identity. Money needed for expenses would be advanced. But Loosing can not bo found. Prownrd In Salmon Hay. Seattle, May 5. B. II. Waller, cook of tho schooner Compeer, loading lum ber at Ballard for Central America, drowned in Salmon bay this afternoon. He had quit, intending to goto Alaska, and a new cook had been engaged for the schooner. They started in a small skiff for the ship, tho skiff capsized and Waller drowned. The new cook saved his life by clinging to the over turned boat. Fire at I.oe Angelea. Los Angeles, May 5. Fire at an parly hour this morning destroyed $20, 000 worth of residence property on San Julian street, this city. The tire began in the livery stable of John Goodman. This was totally destroyed, and a row of throe houses owned by Dr. John P. Whistler was consumed with their con tents. Six horses and four valuable hacks were burned in the stable. As comets near the sun their Telocity always increases. HOLD THEIR GROUND Greeks Maintain Their Posi tions in Thessaly. FIGHTING AROUXD VELESTINO The rreaence of Foreign Wnrahipa at Volo Beaaaurea the Inhtililt-anta-The War In Kplrua. London, May 5. The Times prints the following from its Volo correspond ent: When I arrived at Vulestino'yes terday afternoon, I hud just seen the Turkish infantry advancing in two col umns, intending to cut tho railway. The Greeks, 1,000 strong, under Gen eral Smolenski, by wjiose side I watched the encounter in the rear of tho Eighth regiment, under Colonel Gannikosta, gradually advanced our battalion to hold the railway, the other to slpport the artillery, which had mounted gum on the right center. Tho Seventh regi ment of infantry, under Colonel Regli, advanced to a low plateau on tho left, where two batteries were in position. General Smolenski had ordered the shelling to begin when the enemy was well within range, consequently the guns did not open fire before 5:30. Tho Turks were evidently about 1,400 strong. Thoir cavalry reconnoitured the wood where the Greeks were con cealed, but tho batteries remained silent until 6 o'clock and at the time the fire fell short of being effective, though the Greek practice was the best I have yet noticed. The Turks ran away from the shells, but continued to advanoo in good order. Our right was really never engaged, and tho iiulway station was defended by only a small force with two Krupp guns. Towards the end, the largo Turkish center was seen to advance in the distance, but sunset, at 6:45, caused a temporary ces eation. Trains are running to Fharsala now, and I managed to get through. lie- turning on horseback in tho darkness to Volo, I was captured by tiie Greek out posts, thanks to the failure of head quarters to issue regular passports. I was treated with much civility, but was retained until a late hour. Having met reinforcements on the way to Volo, I went out again today, when the Greeks brought up nearly the whole Pharsala force. Save in the sharp struggles during the night, the Greeks havo been successful, holding their ground. The Turks maintained a battery on a hill facing the Greek left, approached tho end of the wood and burned a small village. Nearly all the fighting today has been on the extreme right, in the direction of Lake Karla and the eastern Volo road. Whoever gains this road com mands Volo and could cut off retreat there. The troins still run to Velestino, the officials displaying great coolness and courage. As yot the Greek losses have not been heavy. The Rod Cross Society, for merly muoh in evidence, is now con spicuous by its absence, and this fact causes comment. A dispatch to the News from Vele stino says the presence of Crown Prince Constantino at Pharsala would be quite superflous, if he were not the future king of Greece. He ought to remain there, if only to prove to an exasperat ed nation that lie was the victim of an unworthy gang of courtiers, colonels, sabreures and the like, of all grades of inefficiency, whom he had nominated to be his general stuff. The Aaauulta at the Junction. London, May 5. The correspondent of the Telegraph at Velestino, under date of Sunday, says: In the battle yesterday 7,000 Turks niado repeated assaults on the Greek positions at tho railway junction. They were driven back by the firo which poured down from the strongholds of tho infantry and Evzones. The Turkish cavalry charge on the Greeks seemed madness, for tiie horsemen attempted to ascend a long slope in tho face of two strong in truuehments of infantry. Sltunt ion at Volo. Volo, May 5. A majority of the in habitants have migrated from this port to Athens and the island of Eboea. The town is calmer, owing to tlio ar rival of the Greek squadron, and French, British and Italian warships. Two hundred French sailors are patrol ling the streets in order to reassure tho inhabitants. The Greek treasury of Thessaly, com posing 100 chests of money, which has been lying at the French consulate, was transported on board a Greek warship today to.be conveyed to Athens. The Turks are approaching in the di rection of Velestino, where 18,000 Greeks are encamped and skillfully in trenched. A detachment of Evzones is guarding the railroad station here. The French flag has been hoisted over the hospital. To Make a Slam! at Volo. London, May 5. A Times dispatch from Larissa says it is alleged there that the report that Volo had been oc cupied by the Turks is not true, and that the Greeks havo resolved to con- ; rcntrate their forces Hand. there and make a Greeka Leering fhnnala. Paris, May 5. Telegrams from Con- Ftantinople today confirm the report of I the Greeks leaving Pharsala. retiring (n Domokos. The Greek troops, ac lording to the Constantinople uJvicos, (re alo evacuating Arta. Killed by a Train. Marti nsburg, W. Va., Mar 5. I While walking on the Baltimore & Ohio railroad track near here, Benjamin MiepaM and Martin l.izcr, farmers, were killed by a tram. THE DAY IN THE SENATE. Several Important Qtientlnna Tame Up for Ciinnldiiriklion. Washington, May 5. After a recess covering practically ten days, tho senate met today with a large accumulation of routine business und several import ant questions, including the Morgan Cuban resolution, awaiting attention. The attendance was unusually largo. Among the hills introduced was one by Chandler of New Hampshire, fur the issue of certificates of indebtedness up to $50,000,000 to meet deficiencies of revenue. It was referred to the finance committee. A resolution by Pettus of Alabama, was agreed to asking the secretary of the treasury for information as to the amounts paid as druwbucks during the last ten years. Vest's resolution, directing tho com mittee on commerce to investigate and report on the causes of the Mississippi floods was favorably reported from the committee on contingent expenses. The Cuban resolution was called up by Morgan, who asked for a vote. Halo of Maine, just returned after an extended absence, desired time to pre pare his remarks. He assured Morgan there was no purpose to delay the reso lution for the mere sake of delay. Af ter proper debate, he said it would bo voted on, as he was as anxiouB as any one to have the resolution disposed of. Morgan endeavored to have a day fixed for a vote, but there were objections. In the Houae. Washington, May 5. In the house today Joseph B. Showalter, recently eleoted to represent the Twenty-fifth Pennsylvania district, to fill the place of J. J. Davidson, deceased, took the oath of office. Bailey of Texas presented a resolu tion that the Nelson bankruptcy bill, recently passed by the senate, be taken up by the house on Monday, May 10, and considered until disposed of. He asked unanimous consent for immediate consideration of tho resolution. Brewster, Republican, of New York, objected. Simpson of Kansas rose to a question of personal privileges, and sent to the clerk's desk to be read an extract from the New York Mail and Express accusing him of being an ob structionist and predicting that he would be pulverized under the speaker's triphammer. A NEW COALING STATION. The United States May Yet Eatabllah One at Santo Domingo. New York, May 5. A Herald spe cial from Wahsington says: General Grant's project for the establishment of a naval coaling station in Samaua bay, Santo Domingo, may yet be real ized. According to Mr. Henry Smytbe, minister to Hayti, and charge d'affaira to Santo Domingo, under the Cleveland administration, the Domingo govern ment is ready to cede such a station to the United States without asking the payment of a dollar. Mr. Smyth'e has not submitted an official report on this subject to the state department for the reason that his resignation was aocepted before he hud time to prepare it, though he had culled on Secretary Sherman, to whom he made an oral report. In a letter recently written by Mr. Smythe to a former friend in Washing ton, he says that he discussed with the Dominican foreign office a treaty which embraced the following heads and di visions: Commerce, navigation, extra dition and reciprocity of interests and concessions. Under this latter division heobtained' the concession of a coaling station for the use of the American navy during the continuance of the treaty on the sole condition that "coaling facilities" be allowed the Dominican navy in American ports. The coaling station was to be located at any point in the bay of Samana, or in either of two fine harbors east of Santo Domingo or the Caribbean sea. STRANDED IN JUNEAU. Two Hundred Men There Are Unable to tiet Away. Port Townsend, Wash., May 5. The steamer AI-Ki returned this evening from an uneventful trip to Alaska, bringing but four passengers and very little freight. A large number of stranded people aro at Juneau. They went north without supplies, expecting to beg food from others while en route to the Yukon. They were given to un derstand they would starve if they started on the trip, so they remained at Juneau. The recent raise in fare from $15 to $32 from Juneau to Sound points preclude their leaving Juneau, and the result is that there are upward of 200 men there, without money or the means of getting either to the mines or back to the Sound. No court will be held in Alaska for several months to come. A Juneau paper says that there are so few eases for jury trial upon the district court calendar for the May term that the cir cumstanoes will not warrant the great expense which the summoning of a jury would entail upon the government. Washington Supreme Court. Olympia, Wash., May 5. The su preme court has granted a petition for a rehearing in the case of the State vs. McCann, from King county, and in the City of Tacoma vs. Tacouia Light & ater Company. The Pun-ant Caae. San Francisco, May 6. The attor- nevs for Theodore Durrant today filed mP,va ol " ul ""-piiuna n uie up ' t . .1. , t - . 1 petti iu uiu riipicuicwun ui iuo uuutu (Hates. The exceptions are to proceed- ings in court April 10, when a motion for a continuance was denied and when Durrant was sentenced to be hanged at San Quentin prison June 11. The London markets hare been flood ed with pearls since the outbreak of the plague at Bombay. A FIRE AT PITTSBURG Three Million Dollars' Worth of Property Destroyed. BEGAN IN WHOLESALE GROCERY The llulldlnga Burned Were Moatly ' Fine Strurturea Situated Iu the Bualneaa IHetrlct. Pittsburg, May 4. The greatest fire that has visited this city sinoo the memorable one in 1845, started shortly after midnight this morning, in tho im mense wholesale grocery establishment of Thomas C. Jenkins, on Penn avenue and Liberty street. Three large blocks, extending from Liberty to Penn ave nue, and from Fifth to Sixth Btreets, huve been reduced to smouldering ruins. The loss will exceed $3,000, 000, and is woll covered by insurance. Among the buildings destroyed aro Jenkins' wholesale groocry establish ment; Home's six-story dry -goods es tablishment; Home's office building, the Duquesne theater, and the Metho dist Book Concern. The fire started in the cellar of the Jenkins building, in a pile . of barrels filled with waste paper. The flames were discovered by Watchman Hunter. He had smelled smoke early in the evening, but believed that it came from the outside and paid no attention to it. Tho flames leaped rapidly up the ele vator shaft, and he made a vain effort to extinguisli them with buckets of wa ter. An air shaft need to ventilate the great building fanned tho flames, and he found it impossible to do any thing. He mado his escape from the building with great difficulty because of the immense volume of smoke. The alarm was turned in about the same time by Officer Milton Bailey, who no ticed smoke issuing through the win 'dows. The fire mado rapid headway, and by 13:80 o'clock flames begun to pour out of the Penn-avenue front. All tho fire department of the city and of Allegheny was summoned, and the firemen fought bravely to check tho progress of the conflagration. The fire, however, at tacked the immense quantity of bar reled oil, sugar and molasses and flour that this building contained, and 12:45 o'clock the Penn-avenue and Liberty street fronts were a mass of flames. The fire ate its way so rapidly that the firemen narrowly escaped falling debris. Flames filled Penn avenue completely, and shot into the air 200 feet or more, presenting one of the most magnificent sights seen for years. Tho building of Joseph Home & Co., opposite, caught, and the firemen worked desperately to prevent its loss. At 1 o'clock the Home building was burning from cellar to roof, and the flames had .communicated to home's immense office building adjoining. The structure was of Btone, six stories in height. It was occupied by W. P. Grier & Co., china dealers; Bon Murche Glove Company, Snaman's carpet house, and scores of physicians. Buck's cigar factory and Hall Bros.' building next fell, and they were quick ly followed by the Duquesne theater, Methodist Book Concern building, and the Surprise clothing store. The lat ter was an immense five-story building, running back 2U0 feet. The fire was the most magnificent sight seen in Pittsburg in years. When the Jenkins and Home buildings had became en veloped in the conflagration, Penn avenue was one mass of flames, and sheets of fire, with heavy columns of smoke, were sent 200 feet into the air. The glare of the flames could be seen for miles, and the streets for blocks around were brilliantly illuminated. As soon as the fire attacked these building!, several streams of water were turned on them, but the water had no more effect than if it was not an ex tinguisher. The flames from the burn ing oil in the Jenkins building rolled but against it, and in five minutes the two beautiful Home buildings were burning briskly. The firemen then left the Jenkins building to its fate and used their unit ed and desperate efforts to save the Home buildings. ' All the streams that could be summoned were turned on these buildings, but they wore now one mass of flames. The fire department then turned its attention to the sur rounding budildings, but the raging flames rapidly ate their way to all sides. At 4 o'clock, the fire was finally mas tered, but was still burning with in tense fury within the blocks hounded by Fifth and Sixth streets east and west, and Liberty street and Penn ave nue north and'south. The loss, it is now believed, will be greatly in excess of the first estimates, and is estimated at $3,000,000. A number of firemen were injured by ; falling walls and live wires, but none of them seriously. struck for Eight Houra. New York, May 4. Two hundred and fifty union plumbers, steamfitters and gasfitters struck at Newark today for eight hours' work, with no reduc-! tion of wages. They were working nine hours. The carpenters ami lath-, ers have won their fight. The brick-1 layers and masons receive the same pay as last year. Heavy Cuntnm-Houae Bualneaa. New York, May 4. There was a big rush of importers today to pay duties, and the receipts reached $2,407,829, a record exceeded by only two days in the history of the custom house. The heaviest duties paid today were on sugar and tobacco. During the last twenty years the rail ways of the world have absorbed 50, 000,000 tons of steel, or almost half the total product. RAILWAYS IN MEXICO. Enailah Contracture i'reparlni to Build Several Llnea. City of Mexico, May 4. An import ant company has been incorporated here, with a oupitul of $1,000,000, tha larger part of the shares being tukon by Pearson & Son, tho English contrao tors having in hand tho drainage of ths Valley of Mexico and tho port works at Vera Cruz, with a few Mexican shore holders. The new compuny will be known as the Mexican Land, Naviga tion & Railway Company. The first ob ject of the company is to build a rail way from somo suitable poi"' on tn National Tehuantepeo road to a desira ble point in tho stuto of Vera Cruz. The government gives a subsidy of over 8,000 acres of public lands per kilo meter of railwuy constructed. On some 400,000 acres of land thus acquired the company will settle European and other colonists. Among other plans of the company is to acquire railways in the southern part of Vera Cruz, and also the ruilroad line has already been located, and construction will begin in two months. THE LEVEES ARE HOLDING. Worat la Apparently Over North ol the Bed Blver. New Orleans, May 4. Dispatches from all points along the river today show that the lovees are holding. A fall of one-tenth at Providence strength ens the belief of engineers that the worst is over from the mouth of Red river to the Arkansas lino. The danger points now are from Red river landing southward. At Plaquomine today the river rose four-tenths, and the levee workers in that vicinity are having a hard time keeping the line in a condi tion of sufoty. The gauge here shows 19.30 tonight. Major Richardson, chief of the state engineers, came to the city at the gov ernor's order to act as advisory engi neer on the local work, and declared the defense well constructed. Here and elsewhere tho day was devoted to hard work, and no mishaps have occur red. There is considerable alarm about Davis levee, but extensive reinforce ments will be begun there tomorrow. The High Water at St. Lonla. St Louis, May 4. The continued high water has excited a great interest, us was evinced by the enormous crowds that flocked to the river front today. The river continues to rise, marking 80.95 at 4 P. M. At a number of places along the levee tho railroad tracks were under wuter. The termi nal association, whose tracks are partly under wuter, expresses no uneasiness. One of the officials stated it would tak five feet of water before all their rivei tracks had been submerged, and thai they had engines which would work in three feet of wuter, therefore it would take a rise of eight feet beyond ths present stage before the company would be incoveuienced. Situation at Nntchea. Natchez, Miss., May 4. With tha exception of a half-tenth rise during the last twenty-four hours, the rivet situation remains unchanged. The weather having cleared, the situation tonight Beems more hopeful. While the levees ore in fair shape, they have many streams of water running through them, necessitating a large ditch to be dug to oarry off the water at Vidulia. They are being worked on by a largs force and closely guarded. In many places the river is within lessathan a foot of the top, and the current is very swift. Circulation of Currency. Washington', May 4. The monthly statement of the controller of the cur rency shows that on April 30 the total circulation of national bank notes waa $232,802,244, a gain for the year of $8,700,899, and a loss for the month of $906,650. The circulation based on United States bonds was $203,768,549, a gain for the year of $5,865,410, and a loss for the month of $999,153. The circulation secured by lawful money was $24,033,695, an increase for the year of $3,335,539, an inorease for the month of $92,503. The amount of United States regis tered bonds on deposit to secure circu lating notes was $232,749,300, and to secure public depostis, $16,313,000. Gunboata Ordered Into Commission. Washington, May 4. The first result of the laying-up of the big cruiser Co lumbia is manifested in the prepara tion of orders by the navy department for thecommisson of two new gunboats, Helena and Annapolis. The Helena will go into active service for the first time on June 1, and the Annapolis a week later, on the 7th. These boats will be kept on the North Atlantic sta tion for about three months, when, be ing thoroughly shaken down, they will be sent to one of the foreign stations, probably China, to relieve some of the larger cruisers now in need of over hauling. Alaska Mall Service. Washington, May 4. The first regu lar mail service authorized for au en tire year in Alaska has been contracted for by the postofrice department, the service being from Juneau to Circle Ciy, 900 miles each way. The con tract calls for one round trip a month beginning July 1. 1897. William F. Sailer, of this city, is the contractor, the contract price being $3,999. Battle-Ship Orrgon'e Injuriea. Washington, May 4. The full report of Naval Constructor Capps and Cap tain Barker, upon the condition of the Oregon, after her mishap at Bremer ton, on Puget sound, has been received at the navy department. As indicated by the telegraphic report, tlu injuries were not of a nature to disable the ship, and although there is a long list of beut frames and plates, caused by contact with sunken piles, there was no leakage and no necessity to repair the bents