..nitrrP
I 14 111 .1
ll l
Hill v
of mm
noHiopPil fflnrn All
... itii ii I v 1 1 ll in mi uu -
1
Ala r h nniii
, parts oi iiiu "Ul,u'
, OUDAN8 IN CONTROL.
'' .S 'N6W,YonrsiDftv.:
Havann, Doc. 21? New Yc'nr'fl dny
L
TARED FOR THE BUSY READER
;,.! Wit Not '""ft
ni.u do tho Stftto,
Hee?Wol8not 8CC,?,ng PUbHC
neinovormcn'T rc?uccd
?Aba has been taken.
i .a lit ana unci a nciu u
AjKftSlof th. coast of
,i. jurthflUaKU.
... ...... fmnt. hritl ft flrfi
Strict. The damage i ,.,... ...
n. Chinese imperial railway nan
.5.. Almost nil foreign employe.
iv..,!if(pr mo rouu wm Vi.v
jliuiv-.---
1
The government 1ms secured evidence
I L rk.ra havo been soliciting
UMfromraiiroaua m v...
The Hamburg-American nteamehlp
.noi-imr inr ii u rucv imu nvm
PapMc coast through
Panama canal.
Errytato and city in tho United
'itM led by the government, has
lief funds for tho
.l -nrlWHUlWo HI 1 1 1 (TCi T8 .
P(tmater8 throughout Groat Brit-
UYCDIuih.u "v n
i li.U ll... itnvnrnmiint Will
twmelftn students burned castro
111 ll 11 . - . . t 1 .
win wunoiiB mo ooginmng'of tho evac
uation of Cuba bv tho firm v nf nntlfl.
0 "" w 'IV 14
cation, which, hits boon In poBsossIon of
uio isinnu smco tuo tioglnning of tho
provisional cov'ornmont. In OntnW.
1000. The first provisional regiment of
murines, numbering 000, which will bo
nmong tho first troops to loavo, aro now
concentrating from various posts at
Camp, Columbia.
About half tills regiment will sail in
January'on tho Cruiser Pralrlo, which
arrived hbroChrlstinns eve, bound for
Nowport Nowb. Tho Pralrio will roturn
about tho mlddlo of tho month and
ombnrk tho remainder, Tho final em
barkation will not occur until April 1.
Tho ombarkation will bo ofToctod with
as llftlo ceremony as poBsiblo and it is
probable that thoir departuro will bo
mado with as llttlo notico as marked
thoir landing. Tho purposo in doforrlng
tho loparturo of a portion of tho 17th
Infantry until April 1 has bcon tho
nubjoct of considorublo speculation, but
it is boliovcd this was agreed upon at
a conforonco botweon Governor Ma
goun und Presidont-oloct Gomez. It is
not thought to bo a mcasuro of pro
caution, for which not tho slightest
necessity is apparent, but it probably
is for tho purpose- of keeping tho bar
racks and quartors in good order unUl
It in possible to turn over to tho Cuban
authorities a model camp for occupa
tion by tho now permanent army undor
command of Genoral Pino Gucrrcra, the
nucleus of which will bo formed, It is
intended, with tho present corps of Cu
ban artillory and 1,000 members of tho
IturnI Guard.
All nations aro hurrying aid to tho
lneannauBKu aunt-rum.
Foraiecond timo vandals liavo Ioot-
. . . , i fl T .
l J swish tempio at oun r ranciocu.
Crttkimcn broko into tho Fowler,
.1 uiiifflui infn nnil nornrixl Xl.iiUI).
lie number of deaths in tho Blue-
.11 flf If- Mf...i illafialiiii mnv rnnpfl
All cities in California have Joined
- l -l ll. r.nlr.Vif
The government hus secured Bubatan-
tTldence acuinst the bcoi trust at
Hie Pioneer Flour mill atJ3cramonto,
cneiD. ;
Count Boni has lost control of his
mouier.
Junta A. Finch has been convicted
Portland of murder in tho first dc
lor Kiinntr icninn Eisner.
" -
Two men held up a Roso Ciy park
ll rort and nnil Hecurt'd S'u. cacan-
Tbe Chicago police donartmcnt and
uw and Order league havo joined
Oaui Sprcckles left an estate valued
about t',n nnn nnn
Tie American battlcshipvflcct has
Cosgrovc has improved so much
ii uvFmrnr una iimam iniinri t i .
- w Ul.l UI1L I3L CU UCDi
be COlintv Irrntnrrr nt Wnnn.
Tie Yaqui Indians and the Mexican
'"'i nave arraiiKca terms oi
An Austrian scientist believes the
i"" i oi oicuv win BiiiK Dcncain
J Wi22ard in Knclanil linn- lied tin
'uu iranic iseveral ncrnnns have
A ItOrm in ll. T)-1... .....:.
"H H.UI1C.
There remain c little innKf tnf iltit
mi r r i rfi m i a : .
"v were Killed.
"Miornia Shinnrr.
av Sn.mct to aid them n fight-
- t.klUIIL 11(1.
'"dy Roosevelt. Tr.. U .ml nil crood
mill g tnthl'r lirnllsn lln linQ
on i . . "-"-
i "wiiv in ii enrnpr wi-.iviiiir es-
.iilicnr.
Chastened6 'bfftr
Ethel
" wasiiington society. .
Kbbers sccnrKil -?n nnn nmrili nf
c rv fi,i " -
u, Jewelry store.
CASTRO THE LOOTER.
Unknown Ten Years Ago, Now Prom
inent World Figure.
Washington, Dec. 29. Since Cipria-
no Castro, uresidout of Venezuela, has
left his country but slight regret ovor
his departure and subsequent vicissi
tudes havo bocn expressed on tho part
of tho pooplo over whom ho has tyr
nnulzcd and whom ho has impoverished.
Sinco 1800, when, at tho head of a rev
olutionary army, ho drove his prodocos
or, President Andrndc, from tho capi
tal and made himself absolute ruler of
Vonezuoln, Castro scorns to havo had
but ono obejet in view, nnmely, to on
rich himself. And in this he has suc
ceeded to on amazing extent.
Naturally no person knows, nor can
nn cstimato bo mode of tho' woalth
which Castro ha garnered at tho ex
pense of tho poor und rich nllko among
tho Venezuelans. It le pretty definitely
known that for years he has bcon send
ing vast sumfl of monoy to England,
and this fnct lends color to tho belief
that his departure for Europe, osten
sibly to consult a noted physician con
cerning a serious ninlndy, was only an
other of his tricks, porpotratod In ordor
unfniv in rue firm from tho COUntrV
which expects to see him no more.
. 1 1 ii..
Ten years ago uns;ro ttus prucuuuu
unknown. Born of obscure parents In
n.n nrnvlnon of Ban Antonio in 1800.
ho grew up practically without educa
tion. .
RELIEF WORK IS ENDED.,
Ce,
oejicfit of a min mum tariff. f
....(..iiitiit mint.
'Heram nf t..n - ' ...hi'-i..
"me (i n.i . "v v,vu waT iv" uc
st Comm.-.;" A n' $2.'"
tonSky-, llca! of the pure food
ellK.nt t0 "ch n. extent that
-v 'viuuycu.
Pcter.l...
nd H l'""u,5 cnoicra. New cases
Says Ho Will Stay In Fight on Higher-
ups if Ho Dies for It.
Washington, Doc. 29. "I nm going
bock to Ban FranclBfco to finish Patrick
Calhoun, and I am going to stay with
tho graft prosecution, oven If thoy kill,
mo. What's tho dlfforonco whether one
dies nt 40 or,C9f"
Francis J. Honoy mado this state
ment today whon asked what his plana
were. " Although wook from tho wound
nllictcd by Morris , Unas' bullet,
Honoy professes to hav6 lost nono of
his enthusiasm. Ho will not admit
that tho possible dangors of his posi
tion rob him of either zost or determination.
'My wife is very nervous about
mo," ho sniil with a smile. "She fears
some other follow will do a better job
noxt timo."
Honey will call at tho While House
this afternoon in rcsponso to a special
invitation sent to him by President
Hoosevelt. It is rumored that ho will
give the president his views 'on tho
utility or tho secret sorvico in cateri
ng criminals.
COLORADO BORDER TANGLE. .
Congressman Cook Says Government
Was Misinformed.
Washington, Jan. 2. Representa
tive Cook, of Colorado, has been re
quested by President Roosevelt to sub
mit to him by next Tuesday morning,
n time for the cabinet meeting on that
day, a brief of his contcntoins and ar
guments concerning tho veto of the bill
fixing the boundary lino of Colorado,
New Mexico and Oklahoma as tho 37th
parallel of latitude. Mr. Cook saw
tho president some time ago and said
that the facts had been misrepresented
to Attorney General Bonaparte, upon
whose recommendation President
Roosevelt vetoed tho boundary line.
Mr. Cook alleges that the Colorado
Fuel & Iron company is opposed to the
border being located as fixed in the bill.
Committee and Red Cross Society to
Go Out With Old Yea.
San Francisco, Dec. 20 With tho
ond of tho old year, tho San Francisco
Roliof ond Red Cross Bocloty, whieb
has handled $0,500,000 In contributions
since tho groat fire, will go out of ex
istence. This huge-sum was distributed
nt an oxponso of 2.3 por cont. Noarly
8'IOO.OOU IB 1011, WIUOI1 win uu
t i ..n-tnnn nlinrlticH. ThO SO-
ciety not only fed and lodged thousands
for sovorni monius uner mu
It has provided 8,000 permanent homos
oa nnn nnnnln nnil lins established
IVI DUW j.uwj..w .
a pormanont homo for tho aged ana m-
llrm nt n cost oi lujyvv.
monoy contributed, New York gavo $2,-
700,000 and Illinois $050,000.
Poison Squad Tost.
San Francisco, Doc. 20 A campaign
!..,.. .ntnnlntful to domon-
strnto beyond any doubt whothor sul
. . ii-i.i n. ..iinl nt nroROIlt in this
stnto in tho pro)aration of dried fruit,
I .1 . n run iiiiiiiitii DTfl.wt" ..
i w Mm local maalcai
1 l.,i.loto n n rOHlllt Of tUO
liter, mm biiwi - ..
long-standing controversy botween tho
" . . , "ii .ntnD nf Washington
puro-xoou uuui"'v ..
ii.- .l.lnil.rnlt. nnekors of Ulll-
fornla. A "poison squad' h b
selected and it is propo-. Jo -o "
own fnniiunr weaponn wuu.""-.
oy W. wiioyj
QhrthnnH Record Made.
an WrnnlHco. Doc. 20 Ruth Olson,
i.vnnr.nld San Francisco girl, has
ostnblishod a now world record for hor
ngo for rapid shorthand writing, xn
ft tOSl poiuru oiiu" i
Graham, the girl wrote 8C0 words in
flvo m nines , . ,
.. in ni.nn'i rnnnrd is COnBlll
roW.. r matter road to
OrOU piiuuiiiw"" : ....
d written by her was taken n from a
transcript or proccuuiiiKo .v -
tho court nios.
mi.,o nnslra Onlum.
. ti- onririlorfl woro lssuod
,n'. "u,-: nr of natives at
i. i n n m n ir niiiiiiii iiui'i""-"
0UB -a ya llot oi
Z l in wbleh oTo officer and ten
civil lam Tworo killed. Tho populace at
ffiS! taup lo;arms and B00 troops
IU"H" l ..... i. mofnrn order.
NEWS FROM THE NATIONAL-CAPITAL I
HENEY AFTER CALHOUN.
Arrest Murderous .Reds.
Washington, Jan. 2. Three young
Navajo Indians are in custody at the
Ship Rock agency in Northwest New
Mexico for complicity in tho killing,
on Christmas eve, near Ameth, Utah,
of four members of their tribe and the
serious wounding of an Indian woman,
according to a dispatch received at the
ndian aflaird bureau today from su
perintendent W. T. Shelton. Mr. Shel
ton went to tho scene of the trouble
ast Saturday. One of the Indians, it
is said, has confessed to tho killing.
Of the killed two are women. No
cause is assigned for the tragedy.
Wihthrop Accepts Job.
W.ishiniiloii. Jan. 1. Rcckinnn
Winthrop, of Massachusetts, assistant
secretary nf the treasury, lias been
iffercd and accented the ollicc ot nrst
issistant sHicrctary of state under the
iirommtr administration, succeeding
Robert Bacon, of New York who in
laiiiiarv next is expected to tem
porarily succeed Iilihu Root upon the
attcr s retirement, l lie tender was
made with the consent of President
elect Taft by Senator TCnox, whose
selection as secretary of state was an
nounced several days ago.
Stamp Slot Machines.
Washington, Dec. 30. If one can
Iron a penny in a vending machine
uid obtain a niece of chewing cum or
a handful of peanuts, why not be able
to drop in a com and secure a postage
stamp? This is what tne postotticc
lenartmcnt wants to make a popular
feature of its service, and it today an
nounced that it is now pTcparcu uj
issue limited quantities of postage
siamns in rolls of SOD or 1000 for use
in stamp-vending and stamp-affixing
machines..
Revenue Cutter on Trial.
Washington. Ian. 1. The new rev
piinp cutter Yamacrow. recently com
Dieted by thfc New York Shipbuilding
company of Camden, N. ).. is to have
her olhcial acceptance iriai tomorrow
nn tli Delaware river. The Yama
crow is of the Seminole type and is
ii(iuleil fnr service on the south At
lautic coast, with headquarters at Sa
vannah.
Dead Letter Sale.
AVnslmiL'ton. Doc. 20 Over $2,000
more wns ronlizod by tho postofTico dQ-
mrtmcnt by tho Uhrlstmns saio or ucnu
ettor packages this yoar than last.
rriil viinr's nrococus woro iii,juu.
Undor tho law tho monoy must bo hold
for throo years, during whicli timo tho
sender or any uoau iouor pncKugu aura
in
knockod down
NEW BOSSES LIKE- OLD.
ProfoHb'r Fdfd, of Princeton, Draws
' Parallels In History..
Washington. Dec. 31,- With James
Brycc, British ambassador) presiding,
the American Political Science Society
met here this week, in its first annual
gathering. The general topic for con
sideration was "The Increase of Fed
eral Force and Power in the United
States." One of the principal papers
was by Stephen Lcacock, Magill Uni
versity, Canada, on "The limitations
of the Federal Government."
In the course of the discussion Pro
fessor Henry Jones Ford, of Prince
ton University, declared that neither
the power nor the responsibility essen
tial to democratic rule was embodied
in the American state. "The resem
blances," he said, "that historians are
now noting between ancient and mod
ern bosses, grafters and spoilsmen rest
upon substantial identities, affording a
fine demonstration of the universal
principle that like causes produce like
effects, irrespective of the intentions
with winch tile causes arc pt.t in
operation."
IJc asserted that efforts of reform
ers were directed against conditions
from winch the power was earned
rather than against conditions under
which power was exercised.
May Condemn Site'.
Washington, Dec. 30. Dissatisfied
with the high figures placed upon real
estate offered to the government by
agents for a site for a subtrcasury
building, the government, through As
sistant Secretary of the Treasury
Bcckmnn Winthrop, has threatened to
secure property in San Francisco by
condemnation. Secretary Winthrop
has notified Baldwin & Howell, real
estate agents for property bounded by
Sansome. Clay, Merchant and Battery
streets, partly owned by the Kohl es
tate, that it must be placed at a lower
price than $"335,000 demanded fo:- the
site. Winthrop declares that ff a
lower price is not set, the government
will secure other property in the block
and will begin condemnation proceed
ings, as the treasury department wants
the property in that section. -
Harriman Money i'n Salton Sea.
Washington, Dec. 31. The attor
neys of E. H. Harriman arc alarmed
at tiic possibility of failure on the
part of the congressional committee
on claims to allow even a portion of
the remuneration asked by the rail
road king for work done by his road
in curbing the Colorado river, where
it broke its banks and threatened Im
perial valley. The claim has been 're
duced to $1,083,073.97, but there is iiq
indication of desire on the part of the
legislators to take up the matter.
Epoch in Canal Building.
Washington, Dec. 30. With ' the
early arrival in Washington from
Parifl of Lcroy Parks, the isthmian
canal Commissioner, will be signalized
an epoch in the buildincr of the canal.
The time has arrived, it is said, whenj
tiic mnxmum force lias been em
ployed. Henceforth the work in the
canal zone will be confined to excava
tion and dam and lock construction.
Diplomats Are Uneasy.
Washington, Dec, 31. The stir in
diplomatic circles caused by the resig
nation of Ambassador Griscom has
led to much speculation as to the fu
ture of all of America's representa
tives abroad. Although no statement
has come from Mr. Taft, it is not im
probable that a number of the diplo
matic officers abroad will be asked to
retain their positions.
Used 4,000,000 Trees.
Washington, Dec. 29 Tho native
forests this yoar supplied 4,000,000
Christmas trees, tho forestry servico es
timating that ono out of ovory four fam
ilies obsorved tho troo custom at Y-ulo-tide.x
Gilford Pinchot, United States
forester, upholds tho Christmas troo cus
tom and bolioves that it should bo maintained.
NEW LIGHT ON HISTORY.
Stanford Professor Finds Key to An
dent Writings.
Stanford. University, Cnl., Dec. 28 -Tbp.ikoy
which bares tho socrots po long
hiddon behind the -Etruscan and old
Italic inscriptions ban, nt. Inst been dis
covered by .Professor Georgo Hetnpl,
tha holder of tho philological chair at
Stanford university, and tho manners,
customs- and lilstory of a peoplo today
practically unknown may bo read in
the fnturo as in a book.
Experienced in his ipvestigationg of
old- Gorman inscriptions and ' rules,
Profossor Hempl was able to accom
plish In a single night tho feat under
taken by scionco ages ngo and never
before pushed to a successful conclu
sion. Members of tho faculty who were
present at tho locturo of Dr. Hempl De
foro tho Stanford Philllogical associa
tion today declared that tho discovery
is a veritable triumph and will , havo
fnr-roaching results. It will necessi
tate a re-stating of ancient Roman his
tory and it will throw a flood of light
on many disputed facts pi Latin gram
mar and etymology.
It has been tho generally accepted
viow among historians that the Etrus
cans woro an clement entirely foreign
to thoir neighbors, tho Romans. This
theory is entirely and conclusively over
turned by Professor Hompl, whoso in
vestigations prove a great similarity
between the Roman and Etruscan lan
guages and mako possiblo only ono con
clusion, that tho Etruscans and Romans
sprang from ono race, which, follow
ing the old legend, wandered to Italy
from Troy after tho fall of that great
city. Thus Virgil's Eneid is substan
tiated by scientific proof. Dr. Hempl 's
discovery is yet in its infancy. Out of
8,000 inscriptions ho has read, but 50,
yet tho littlo work ho has done has
been sufficient to convince him that the
old idea of distinct races is entirely
erroneous.
QUICKSAND IN FOUNDATION.
THOUSANDS KILLED
Sicily and Calabria Are Shaken
by Earthquakes.
TIDAL WAYESIFOLLOW TEMBLORS
Whole Cities Devastated ond Surviv
ors in State of Panic Hun- i
dreds of Boats Lost.
ay oloim tho amount at which it was
Engineors Go With Taft.
Wnahinirton. Jan. 2. President
Roosovolt hus invited a number of en
gineers to accompany President-elect
Taft on his trip to Panama this winter.
Dlx Schuyler, of Los Angeles,
ntt Arthur P. DavioB. chlor engineer
of tho reclamation Bervico, Washing
ton, aro among those honored oy noose
volt. President Requests Trip.
Washington, Dec. 30. Representa
tives Cushman and Humphreys, of
Washington, left today with the house
committee on interstate commerce for
a trip to Panama, They will sail from
Charleston, S. C, and the trip will
consume about 15 days. The commit
tee goes at the special request of
President Roosevelt.
Pinchot Starts on Mission.
Washington, Dec. 31. Bearing invi
tations from President Roo.evelt to
President Diaz of Mexico and Premier
I.fiurier and Lord Grey of Canada to
appoint delegates to the National Con
servation Congress to be held here
hebruary 18. Gilford Pinchot left
Monday tor Canada and Mexico.
Squaring Away for Venezuela.
WashiiiKtou. Jan. 1. The arrival of
Special Commissioner W. I.. Buchanan
to treat on behalf of the United States
wiiu me oiuciais oi Venezuela, and
the arrival of Admiral Arnold at La
Gtiayra, is announced in messages to
the navy anil state departments here.
Barrios Recovers From Injury.
Washington, Dec. 31 Senor Bar
rios, the Guatemalan minister of for
eign affairs, who recently was serious
ly injured in an automobile accident
called at the White House Monday
and sailed for home on December 30.
A bandage across the face was the
only trace of his injury.
Treasury Buys Silver,
Washington, Doc. 29 Tho treasury
today purchased 100,000 ounces of sil
ver for dolivory at Now York, 75,000
ouncos for delivery nt Now Orleans and
00,0110 ounces for dolivory at D.onvor,
at 4u..usa por lino ounco.
Advance Oregon Postmasters.
Washington, Dec. 30 Among the
2?0 fourth-class postoffices which will
be advanced to the presidential class
.lanuaryi are tne following in Oregon;
Canyon City, $1000; Central Point,
$uoo; uakiand, $1200.
Unstable Soli Adds S500.000 toJCost
of Northwestern Depot.
Chicago, Dec. 28. A stratum of
treacherous quicksand underlying tho
site of tho new $20,000,000 station of
tho Chicago & Northwestern railroad,
now under construction, will add about
$500,000 to the cost of tho structure,
owing to tho increased difficulty of
sinking tho foundation pillars. This
information has been given lo tho
railroad company by the Georgo A.
Fuller company, which has in tnrn been
told, to go ahead with tho construction
of the building at any cost.
Interesting pneumatic processes are
now being used to ovcrcomo tho diffi
culties presented by the unstable soil,
-biiigmocrs say that Chicago soil is alive
with quicksand, in tho territory about
tho river banks. Two engineering ex
perts who handled the situation in New
York nt the laying of two big river
tunnels of tbo subway, when quicksand
there furnished the gravest engineering
problem of the kind in tho history of
Amorica, woro called by telegraph and
aro at work solving tho problem pre
sented.
Russia Approves Deal.
St. Petersburg, Dec. 28. Foreign
Minister Iswolsky mot with a favora-
bio reception in the douma today when
e presented the annual statement of
Russia's foreign jpolicy. He referred
with warm approval to the Japanese
Ainorican neTcemont, whieb he Baid
guaranteed tho open door in the Far
East, and tho integrity of China, and
the terms of which were communicated
to Russia bofore it was signed. The
rest 01 M. Iswolsky 's speech shed no
light on mooted questions, nor gave
any substance of tbo Russian proposals
egardmg tbo annexation of iiosma and
Herzegovina by Austria.
New Geyser May Result.
Vircinia City, Mont., Dec. 28 Thirty
earthquakes have been felt in this sec
tion sinco last Sunday afternoon, the
last tremor being rocorded at 4:10 yes
orday morning. Tho ground has troin
blod very perceptibly, with the earth
wave apparently coming from the
south, which has lont color to tho the
ory that a bin new coyser is about to
burst forth in tho Yellowstone park,
which lies 75 miles southeast of vir
ginia City. No damage has resulted
other than considerable plaster having
been thrown down.
Congressman Daved Dead.
Now Orleans, Doc. 28. Roprescnta
tivo Robert C. Davoy, of tbo second
congressional district of Louisiana,
died Saturday of apoplexy. Ho bad
served continuously at Washington
sinco tho fifty-third congress, with the
exception of ono term, whon ho de
clined tho nomination. Davoy was
born in Now Orleans in 1853, sorvod
several years in tho stato sonata of
Louisiana, was oloctdU a judge in 1880
and in 1888 was dofoated for mayor of
Now Orleans. Ho was re-elected to tho
sixty-first congress.
Claus Spreckles read.
San Francisco, Doc. 28. After an
illnoss of loss than a weok's duration
Claus Sprcckles, widely known as tho
" Sugar King of tho Pacific Coast,"
died at his homo in this city Saturday
Mr. Spreckles was 80 years of ago, and
wns taken ill with a sovoro cold early
this wook. This developed into pnou
mouia, nnd during tho last two days
tho veteran sugar rofinor sank rapidly,
ma deatli occurring at 4;30 o'clock eat
urday morning.
mi in mummtmmmmmrmmmmtm
Through From Chicago.
St. Paul. Dec. 29 The Northern
Pacific and Great Northern roads
through the Burlington, will establish
through service from Chicago to Sc
attle. laconia and Portland before th
opening of the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific
exposition. 1 his was made known at
the offices of the two Western lines
yesterday. The official announcement
ot the arrangements will be made in
few days.
Rome. Dec. 29 The three prov
inces of Cosensa, Catansaro and Rcg-
gio di Calabria, comprising the de
partment of Calabria, which forms the
southwestern extremity of Italy, or
the "toe of the boot,"were devastated
yesterday by an earthquake, the far-
reaching effects of which were felt
almost throughout the entire country.
The town of Messini, in Sicily, was
partly destroyed, and uaiama was in
undated. In Messini hundreds of
houses have fallen, and many persons
have been killed.
Owing, however, to the tact mat
telegraphic and telephonic communi
cation was almost completely de
stroyed, it' is impossible to obtain
even an approximate estimate of the
damage," but reports received here up
to a late hour last night indicate that
the havoc lias oecn great, anu uic de
struction of life and property more
terrible than Italy has experienced in
many years.
ritir nf Mecafnri. tin Ktiftered
llv V. . S
probably more than any other place,
the latest information coming direct
ly from that quarter sttrting that two
thirds of the town was destroyed and
several thousand persons killed.
J. lie steamers wasmngiuu .uu
Montcbcllo, which were in the har-
Un Uin. r.-r-Hrt tr f!nt.mi:i. loa"d-
1 , JCIIV.. w F
cd with injured, who were so stupe
fied by terror mat mey seeincu un
able to realize what had happened,
simply saying that it looked as though
the end of the world had come. Five
steamers left Catania for Messina to
assist in removing the injured from
that pla.ee, who are reported to num
ber thousands.
At Catania the panic-stricken peo-
hsolutelv
refused to enter their houses, and are
camping on the squares.
The tidal wave sank 500 boats there
and did creat damage to several large
vessels and steamers, including the
Austrian steamer Buda.
Nn nnlv Hid Catania suffer from
the effects of a tidal wave, but a sim
ilar body ot water munoatea tne nanci
some streets of Messina which flank
the harbor, covering them with a
thick layer of mud, which rendered
more difficult the succoring of the
wounded, manv of whom could be
seen lying under the wreckage.
. a. a Ml -
It is reported mat tne villages 01
Faro and Ganzirri, adjoining Messina,
linv ilicnrtnpnrpd The effcrts nf thi!
" . - -
earthquake were aggravated through
an explosion of gas. The flames
swept along several streets, adding
terror upon terror.
In Calabria, the region around Mon-
felnririA wfic tti ACT -1 f ff-irl Tll vtl
1irvk nf Qtfl. Iltlirnt.1 tl.n ? till i K a Tl fc
of which number 23,000, was virtually
. a , f-
aesiroyea. vjniy live pcrsuna were
killed, but many were injured.
MANY VILLAGES RUINED.
Quake Centers at Etna Thieves Rob
Dead and Start Fires.
Palermo, Dec. 29. Reports from all
the towns and villages around Mes
sina state that serious damage has
been done by the earthquake, and that
the number of victims is large. The
gravest damage was done to public
buildings and churches at Floridia,
Noto Chiaramonto. Vittona. Paterno.
Terranova, Marianopoli and Narro. At
Mimo there were a number of shocks.
At Augusta, which once before was
destroyed by an earthquake, the tidal
wave destroyed the government salt
works. T he prisoners employed there
mutinied, but were eventually suppressed.
At Patti the shock was accompanied
by a blinding flash of light, while se
rious havoc was wrought at Barcelona
and ten persons were killed at Cas-
trorcal and Montagamo.
The Santa Maria coHeee at Ahx. be
tween Messina and Catania, was over
thrown, several of the girl students
being buried in the ruins.
I here is no doubt that a large por
tion of 'Messina has been destroyed.
lo add to the disaster thieves were
soon setting tires at various points
and stealing everything they could lay
their hands on, even robbing the in
jured as they lay hopeless, and the
dead. I he stores were broken into
and great disorder and even terrorism
prevailed for a time. The authorities!
however, promptly took the most
stringent measures to maintain order,
and those who were caught in acts of
incendiarism or robbery were severely
dealt with.
One Year for Each Cent.
Oakland, Cab, Dec. 29. One year ja .
prison for each copper penny he had
stolen was the punishment meted out
to George Gross yesterday morning
by Superior Judge Brown. He plead
ed guiuy to tne mtrgiary ot the store
of G. W. Wetmore, at Thirty-fourth
street and San Pablo avenue, about
a month ago. Thomas Driscoll was
the companion in the robbery, andJhe
two of them secured some tobacco
and eleven pennies.
San Francisco's Big Tax.
San Francisco. Dec. 20 f!5tv Ti-ms.
urer McDougald yesterday sent to
tne state treasurer s otuce at Sacra
mento $1,030,524.29 in gold, that sum
being the city's ahare of state taxes.
The money was sent through tho
Wells-Fargo express, ami is one of tho
biggest consignments of coin ever
sent out of San Francisco.
have ueen son