Corvallis gazette., May 16, 1902, Image 1

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CORYA
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A.
WEEKLY.
r&.fiJriV.t.! Consolidated Feb., 1899.
CORVALIilS, BENTON COUNTY, OREGON, FRIDAY, MAT 16, 1902.
VOL. XXXIX.
NO. 21.
EVENTS OF THE MY
FROM THE FOUR QUARTERS OF
THE WORLD.
A Comprehensive Review of the Important
Happenings of the Past Week, Presented
in a Condensed Form. Which Is Most
Likely to Prove of Interest to Our Many
Readers.
Congress has raised its relief appro
priation to half a million dollars for
Martinique.
The Danish parliamentary commit
tee is deadlocked on the Danish West
Indies treaty.
There are 2,000 dead at St. Vincent
is and irom the volcanic disturbance
in the West Indies.
French troops are interring the dead
at St. Pierre very slowly. Looting of
the bodies has begun there.
Since the capture "of General Meth
uen the British have reduced the force
of General Delarev by 8fS0 men taken
prisoners.
the president has ordered a review
of the Kathbone case. This may
necessitate amendment of the Cuban
criminal law.
Three thousand and fifty gas workers
are on strike in Chicago because their
companions ha 1 been discharged for
joining a union.
Oregon has rei-.'ived 14 gold medals,
four silver medals, 18 bronze medals
and 82 honorable mentions at the
Charleston exposition.
At Tucuncariz, N. M., three men
were killed in a fight.
The strike in the Oregon City woolen
mills is practically over
Americans will own the ships of the
new shipping combine, but they will
fly the English flag.
The coal shortage is already apparent
at Reading, Pa., in eonsequence of the
Scranton mines being idle.
The Italian government will send a
cruiser to represent Italy at the in
auguration of the new Cuban republic.
In explosion of naptha near Pittsburg
a score of lives were lost and about 200
persons were injured, many of whom
will die..
It is now generally admitted that
30,000 people lost their lives at St.
Pierre. The streets of the city are cov
ered with corpses.
The new steel casting combine, to be
known as the American Steel Casting
Company, will control one-fourth of the
production of the country.
Another revolution is on the" tapis in
Hayti.
Peace may bo officially proclaimed
in South Africa on May 20.
The government Jrill for enjoining
the beef trust has been filed at Chi
cago. -
Government troops who were ordered
to disband in China have raised the
standard of revolt.
It is reported that threeother islands
of the West Indies were extensively
damaged besides Martinque.
Natives whose kraals were burned by
burghers, attacked a Boer laager in the
vicinity of Scheepers Nek May 5, and
killed 32 Boers.
The United States government has
dispatched vessels to Martinque to
render any "assistance possible to the
stricken inhabitants.
Further details add only to the ex
tent of the St. Pierre hoiror. From all
over the woild assistance is being sent
to the unfortunates.
The anthracite companies have told
their miners not to report for work at
Scranton, Pa., and it looks like a lock
out. Both sides are preparing for a
long struggle.
President Simon Sam, of Ilayti, has
resigued.
Admiral Sampson's remains have
been buried in Arlington cemetery.
The British press demands that the
government take action on the steam
ship combine.
The attorney general of Missouri has
filed proceedings against the beef trust
in his state.
The nomination of II. Clay Evans
as consul general to London has been
confirmed by the senate.
The house has passed the omnibus
statehood bill admitting Oklahoma,
Arizona and New Mexico.
It is now estimated that fully 40,000
people perished in the earthquake at
St. Pierre, Martinique. The American
consul and his family are among the
dead.
The attorney general of Washington
has rendered an opinion that Mr. Mo
Bride is still lieutenant governor "but
is invested with the power of chief ex
ecutive. Queen Wilhelmina is convalescent.
Nine men were injured in an explo
sion in an Anaconda smelter.
Over 2,000 pounds changed hands in
betting upon a game of ping pong in
London recently.
Athens expects to be visited by more
than 10,000 tourists, chiefly English
anl American, during the present
month.
Sixty-two miles an hour is to be the
average speed maintained by a new
train to run on the English service, be
tween Paris and Calais. The journey
will only occupy three hours.
ON ST. VINCENT.
Two Thousand Dead as the Result of Vol
canic Disturbances.
Fort de France, Island of Martinique,
May lb. ihe United states govern
ment tug Potomac, which came to Mar
tinique from San Juan, P. B., cruised
the coast of this island Tuesday. She
encountered an inky black column of
smoke, which made it necessary for her
to go five miles out of her course.
The Potomac brought a ton of sup
plies to Martinique, consisting in part
of codfish and flour. A famine here is
imminent. The northern section of
the island is depopulated. Business
here is suspended.
The Potomac will leave here for the
island of St. Vincent, where conditions
are reported to be worse. La Souffriere,
on St. Vincent, was in full eruption
May 10. A stream of stone and mud
half a mile wide was then issuing from
the volcano. Stones two inches in
diameter fell 12 miles away. At King
ston, the capital of the island, the
ashes were two irehes deep. Seven
hundred dead were reported Sunday,
May 11. It is estimated that the total
number of deaths in St. Vim-ent will
reach 2,000. Most of the seven estates
on the island nave been burned to
ashes, and it is authentically reported
that two earthquakes occurred there,
It is believed that the submarine cables
in St. Vincent have been broken by
the disturbances. The present vol
canic eruption on St. Vincent is the
first since U812. Governor Hunt, of
Porto Rico, has asked Louis Ayme,
United States consul at Gaudeloupe,
who is now here, what assistance he
could render. Governor Hunt's offer
has been communicated to the govern
ment, which will accept it.
The looting of the ruins at St. Pierre
has begun already. While coming to
Fort de France the Potomac picked up
boat Containing five colored men and
one white man, whose pockets "were
filled with coin and jewelry, the latter
evidently stripped from the fingers of
the dead. Lieutenant B. B. MeCor-
mick, commander of the Potomac, ar
rested these men and turned them over
to the commander of the French cruiser
Suchet for punishment.
APPEALS TO THE PEOPLE.
President Asks Relief for the Stricken People
of the West Indies,
Washington, May 15. The following
was Issued from the White House dur-
ng the afternoon :
"The president has appointed a com
mittee to receive funds lor the relief of
the sufferers from the recent disaster
in Martinique and St. Vincent. The
gentlemen appointed from each city
will be asked to collect and receive the
funds from their localities and neigh
borhoods as expeditiously as possible
and forward them to Hon. Cornelius N.
Bliss, treasurer of the New York com
mittee, which committee will act as a
central distributing point for the coun
trv. The president directs all the post
masters throughout the country and re
quests the presidents of all the national
banks to act as agents" for the collec-
ion of contributions and to forward the
same at once to Mr. Bliss at New York.
The postmasters are also directed to re
port to the postmaster general within
10 days any funds collected on this ac
count. The president appeals to the
public to contribute generously for the
relief of those upon whom this appall
ing calamity has fallen, and ajks that
the contributions be sent in as speedily
as possible."
The National Red Cross Society has
also issued an appeal for aid for the
same cause.
The Number Incretaed.
Pittsburg, Mav 15.-A careful and
systematic search for the dead and in
jured in the Sheridan honor reveals a
list of 23 dead and 202 injured. A
complete list of the injured may never
be known, as many were able to get
away without making known their
identity. A conservative estimate by
those familiar with the situation places
the numbei more or less seriously hurt
at not less than 300.
Former Senator in Mining Deal.
Tierre, S. D., May 15. Ex-Senator
John M. Thurston, of Nebraska, and
ex-Senator W. J. McConnell, of Idaho,
have joined in a mining venture and
will operate in New Mexico. They
have incorporated the San Ygnacoi de
Uora -Mining Company, Ltd., with a
capital of $1,000,000.
Profits of Steel Trust
New York, May 15. Cheeks aggre
gating $10,000,000 were sent out by J.
Pierpont Morgan Co., in payment of
the second distribution of profits re
sulting from the formation of the
United States Steel Corporation. The
amount of cash advanced by the syndi
cate was $25,000,000, which was re
quired during the early stages of the
corporation's negotiations, and returned
after the first six or seven months.
Violated Rules of War.
New York, May 15. Great carnage
was wrought at Larupano, the ene
zuelan seaport town which was at
tacked, savs the Port of Spain, Trini
dad, correspondent of the Herald, by
land and sea, May b, by government
troops and gunboats, without 24 hours'
noti- e having been given, eo that non-
combatants could leave the town. For
eicners are without assistance from
their governments. Many women and
children were killed.
NEWS OF THE STATE
ITEMS OF INTEREST FROM ALL
PARTS OF OREGON.
Commercial and Financial Happenings of Im
portance A Brief Review of the Growth
and Improvements of the Many Industries
Throughout Our thriving Commonwealth
Latest Market Report.
Many emigrants are arriving daily at
Medford.
The Salem Federal Labor Union has
been organized with s membership
of 68. . , .
The fruit growers around Medford
are jubilant over the. recent rains and
the fact that prospects for a good yield
are better than for years.
The mill on the Lucky Bart group at
Gold Hill is running day and night on,isb government, in reply, referred them
ore from the lioubttul claim. A 30-
inch vein of high grade free milling ore
assaying $4o per ton was reesntly ; reiusea permission to we isoers to con
struck in this claim, which will bring suit their friends in Europe. Event
tbe Lucky Bart group to the front fually, while refusing an armistice,
again, something over $ 150,000 having
already been milled from the several
ledges on the property.
The number of strangers now pouring
into Oregon is being felt even in the
backwoods. A year ago it .w as believed
that all the public timber land worth
taking had passed into private hands,
and investors were buying freely from
the original locators. But since then
the more inacessible and less timbered
land is being eagerly sought by people
anxious to file on timber tracts.
This season in the Snmpter district
will witness the greatest placer clean
ops known there for years. In several
places there has been a marked revival
of interest in the placer diggings.
Companies have been organized to op
erate diggings on a large scale, and
scenes where there has been compara
tively little life since the boom days of
pioneer times, will be teeming . with
workers. '
The camps and mills near Alma
are vainly applying for men. ...
Fire at Praire City destroyed an en
tire block and caused a loss of $20,000.
la Grande is enthusiastic over the
Lewis and Clark fair and a general
meeting will be held to get subscribers
to the stock.
Ed Graves, of Marquam, has con
tracted 5,000 pounds of hops from his
yard five miles east of Woodburn, for
12 cents per pound.
3 A bill has been introduced in the
United States senate granting a right
of way across the Cascade forest reserve
for the Oregon & Southeastern railroad.
The city council of Baker City has
awarded the contract for the extension
of the mains of the waterworks system
to a contractor of that city on a bid of
$33,314.77.
The wool industry of Oregon ranks
well up with wheat and lumber, and
out in the eastern part of Wasco coun
ty's plains is the greatest wool market
in the world.
The Eastern Oregon term of the su- I
preme court opened at Pendleton with
32 cases on the docket, all but three
being appeals ffom Umatilla, Baker
and Union counties.
The Oregon national guard will as
semble at some centrally located point
in the Willamette valley, in brigade
camp, tor instruction, tor a period oi
eight days, July 17-24, inclusive.
PORTLAND MARKETS.
Wheat Walla Walla, 6566c;
bluestem, 67c; valley, 65c.
Barley Feed, $2021; brewing,
$2121.50 per ton.
Oats No.l white, $1.251.27;gray,
$1.151.22.,
Flour Best grades, $2.853.40 per
barrel; graham, $2.502.80.
Millstuffs Bran, $1516 per ton;
middlings, $19 20; shorts, $1718;
chop, $16.
Hay Timothy, $1215; clover,
$7.5010; Oregon wild hay, $56 per
ton.
Potatoes Best Burbanks, 1.501.65
percental; ordinary, $1.251.35 per
cental; growers prices; sweets. $2.25
2.50 per cental! new potatoes, 33c.
Butter Creamery, 1617c; dairy,
12M15c; store, 1012c.
Eggs--1516c for Oregon.
Cheese Full cream, twins, 12
13c;YoungAmerica, 1314c; fac
tory prices, 1 lJic less.
Poultry Chickens, mixed, $4.50
5.50; hens, $5.506.00 per dozen.
HM12c per pond; springs, 11
llc per pound, $4.006. 00 per doz
en; ducks, fo.uu(g.uu per dozen; tur
keys, live, 1314c, dressed, 1516c per
pound; geese, $b.507.50 per dozen.
Mutton Gross, 4&c per pound:
sheared, 34 c; dressed, 7c per pound.
Hogs Gross, 6J4C; dressed, 7fc8c
per pound.
Veal 68c for small; 6K7e for
large.
Beef Gross, cows, 4c; steers.
5c; dressed, 88Jc per pound.
Hops 12K15 cents per pound.
Wool Valley, 1214; Eastern Ore
gon, 812c; mohair, 25c per pound.
The British administration in India
is alarmed by rumors of sedition in Af
ghanistan. .
All the flour consumed by the 11,-
000,000 people in Siam comes from the
United States.
Swans on the Thames at Eton and
Windsor are being fed from the local
boat rafts, as the birds are unable,
owing to the "severity of the weather, to
obtain a sufficiency of food for themselves.
PEACE NEGOTIATIONS.
London 'Tiroes
- -a
Reviews - Their
-Course in
South Africa.
London, May 14. The Times relates
the com se of the peace negotiations as
follows:
1 - ..... . .
j "Un the receipt oi the irtitch corre
spondence intimating that Great Brit
ain was ready to listen to proposals
from the Boers in the field, Acting
President of the Transvaal Scltaalk-
burger came to the British lines and
asked permission to consult with Mr.
Steyn, ex-president of 'the Orange Free
State. This led to the Boer delegates
going to Pretoria. Their first proposal
to Lord Kitchener and Lord Milner,
the British high commissioners in South
Africa, was that the republics should
merely concede all the demands made
by Great Britain regarding the fran
chise, etc., before the war. The Brit-
i tome AiiaaieDurg conieience, as the
maximum of possible - concessions and
Lord Kitchener undertook not to molest
the burghers while they were actually
holding meetings with the commandoes
to authorize the leaders to negotiate on
the basis of the surrender of independ
ence, but they were told- it was useless
to return to Pretoria without being
armed with full powers to negotiate.
Schaalkburger assented to this, but Mr.
etevn's acauiesence seemed doubtful
Mail advices received from
tona, continues the Times, "dei
that Lords Kitchener and Milner
ised generous compensation for bu
farms, promised no difficulty with
gard to the question oi' amnesty
rebels, which did not present insi
able obstacles."
WASHINGTON LANDS.
Their
Disposition Will Be Determined
Forestry Reserve Official,
Washington, May 14. Repress
tive Cushman recently calledjon
commissioner of the general land
10 ascertain wnetner or not ce
lands in Skagit and Snohomish
tiea are to be eliminated from
Washington lorest reserve and op
to settlement. Reports to this
A. I 1 J TTT 1 1
speculation. Mr. Cu'isiiman learned
that on April 18 Commissioner Her
mann directed D. B. Sheller, superin
tendent of forest reserve in - Washing
ton, to make an examination of town
ship 32 north, ranges 8, 9 and 10 east;
township 31 north, ranges 10 and 11
east, and township 30 north, range 11
east, with reference to whether it is
better suited for forestry purposes or
agricultural purposes. No report has
yet been received.
When Superintendent Sheller shall
have been heard from, the'general'land
office will convey his recommendation
to the secretary of the interior, where
the matter will be finally acted upon.
It is probable that no final action can
be had until late in the fall. In case
all or a part of the land is found to be
agricultural, that much will undoubt
edly be restored to settlement; other
wise its present status will not be al
tered. FOR RELIEF.
Congress Votes $200,000 for the Sufferers
of Martinique.
Washington, May 14. The volcano
calamity in the West Indies came up
before the house during the afternoon,
the District of Columbia measure being
laid aside to permit the relief bill to be
considered.
In view of the president's message
urging an appropriation of $500,000,
the house committee on appropriations
unanimously reported a substitute" to
the senate relief bill making it $200,
000, and placing its disposition under
the president of the United States.
Heminway, of Indiana, the acting
chairman of the appropriation commit
tee, secured unanimous consent for im
mediate consideration. The amount,
he said, had been limited to $200,X)0C
because the committee was informed
that large contributions were .being
made by private parties.
The bill was finally passed and went
through the senate without division.
Wilhelmina Steadily Improving.
The Hague, May 14. The bulletins
issued at Castle Loo concerning the
condition of Queen Wilhelmina have
been reduced to one a day, and it is, ex
pected that they will soon cease alto
gether. The marked improvement in
her majesty's condition continues, and
the'eonstant attendance of her physi
cians isjio longer necessary.
Lord Pauncefote Quite III.
Washington, May 14. Lord Paunce
fote, the British ambassador, continues
quite ill here, and his condition is giv
ing the family some concern. He suf
ers from asthma and stomach and other
troubles, and owing to his advanced
age, his system fails . to respond as read
ily to the treatment as was hoped would
be the case.
Airship Exploded.
Paris, May 14. The airship belong
ing to Senor A uguste Sevres, the Brazil
ian aeronaut, made an ascension dur
ing the morning. The airship exploded
and killed Sevrosand another aeronaut.
Senor Sevroe arrived - in f&ns witn a
flying machine last November. He
theu announced his intention to sail
across and around Paris. His last
balloon is described as carrying a car
shaped like a long parallelogram, drawn
, up directly beneath the balloon.
recently reacuea wasDingcon I roil , , ,
state, ind have led to considet5IeT?mploy' but "i80 ode, capable
AMERICAN METHODS
INTERESTING SUGGESTIONS ON
OUR BUSINESS ABILITY.
The British Consul at Chicago Gives a Few
Reasons to His Government lor the
Rapid Advance of the United States in
the World of Trade Reward of Merit
Chief Cause of Success.
Washington, May 15. Some plain
suggestions regarding American busi
ness methods are given by the British
consul at Chicago, Mr. Wyndham, in
a report to the British foreign office, a
copy of which has just reached the
treasury bureau of statistics.
The commercial success in the United
States, and especially of the city at
which he is located, is described by
Consul Wyndham as being due in part
"to the education which, teaches the
boys independence and knowledge of
their future responsibilities, and does
not set the professions above business-f
as a means of gaining a living.
"Athletics of all kinds are much en
couraged in schools and universities,
but very few men continue to take part
in them after" completing their educa
tion. Americans are as fond of out
door life, shooting and fishing, as are
antrv, but
tion
fere
the
been
as
oted
the
t. it
his
Hted
hief
The
;hest
om-em-
busi-
ole
for ly in
of filling some post under them.! To
these men, when found, large salaries
are given, which are drawn by them as
long as they show that they are capable
of earning them. Men employed in
business houses of all descriptions are
encouraged to discover new methods of
carrying on the business which may in
any way lessen the cost of production
or carrying on business, and specializa
tion carried on to an extreme point."
YUKON WINTER ENDS.
Ice Goes Out of the River and Freight
Soon Be on the Move.
Will
Vancouver, B. C, May 15. The
ice
in the Yukon has broken, and winter
is over. Ihe breakup was unusually
quiet this year. It occurred during a
blinding snow storm, with the ther
mometer at 40 above. The water rose
six feet, but little damage resulted. A
flood is expected unless the jam breaks
soon.'
The river is now clear from Lower
Le Barge to Big Salmon. As usual in
other years when the ice comes down
the river, steamers loaded with freight
which has rjeen accumulating at White
Horse are following the ice down, and
the first is expected to reach Dawson
this week. This will be the first ar
rival at the wharves since last fall, and
it will get a big reception. There are
jams on the river which will cause
brief delays. A big one blocks naviga
tion at Five Fingers, and smaller ones
are located below Selkirk, ne&r Stewart,
and at Ogilvie.
It was expected that the break this
year would be earlier than last, but
there is little difference in the time the
ice has broken. Last year it was on
May 14 that the break was recorded,
and in 1900 on Mav 8. In 1889 it was
May 17, and in 1898 May 8. In other
ways, the season is very backward. The
weather is cold, and very little sluicing
can be done before noon on any of the
days so far this spring. The water is
too cold to allow the work to be pro
ceeded with. There is frost every
night, and it is late in the morning
before the warm effect of the day is ex
perienced. Entire Section Tied Up.
Oregon City, Or., May 15. The
whole of a section has .been tied up by
order of the commissioner of the gen
eral land office, owing to a question
being raised as to the character of the
land, which is situated on Ogle Moun
tain, on the headwaters of the Molalla
river, ihe section was selected by the
Northern Pacific Railroad Company in
lieu of tracts relinquished in the Pa
cific forest reserve. A company was
formed, and undertook some develop
ment work on the land, which resulted
in the finding of mineral deposits.
Race War in Indian Territory.
Muskogee, I. T., May 15. A race
war is on at Braggs, 20 miles east of
here. Five negroes and one white man
have been shot, and one stabbed. Seventy-five
nergoes attempted to wipe out
the settlement of 15 families of white
people near Braggs, which is one of the
worst districts in the Indian Territory.
The whites have applied to the United
States marshal for protection, and have
been instructed to arm and protect
themselves.
NOT A SOUL ALIVE.
Every Person
in SL Pierre Perished in the
Storm of Fire. - ,
London, May 13. A dispatch to the
Times from St. Thomas, D. W. I., says
that St. Pierre was destroyed in the
twinkling of an eye, and that not 40 of
the inhabitants of the city escaped.
Some of the outlying parishes of the
Island of Martinique have been inun
dated. The whole northern portion
of the island is burning, and has been
denuded of vegetation, and is a rocky
wilderness. The latest news received
here from St. Vincent, continues the
correspondent, says the number of dead
there is supposed to reach 500, the ma
jority of whom have not been buried.
It is reported that- Fort de France,
Island of Marinique, isthieatened.'con-
ciuaes tne correspondent, and there is
frightful tension everywhere.
Successful attempts have been made
to. reach St. Pierre. Cabling from St.
Lucia,, the correspondent of the Daily
Mail says the town is a heap of ruins'.
and dead bodies are lying all around.
Few-ever will be recognized, so great is
the mutilation and distortion.
Search parties have found 3,000
charred bodies on the site oi the cathe
dral. . All appear to have been asnhvx-
iated at first. Not a soul was found
alive in the whole town.
NOTIFY POWERS..
United SUtts Will Inform Them of the Birth
of the Cuban Republic,
Washington, May 13. The state de
partment has decided upon the method
it will employ to notify the world offi
cially of the birth of the new Cuban re
public May 20. Instead of issuing a
proclamaiton, the department will send
identical notices to all United States
ambassadors and ministers abroad that
the military occupation by the United
States of the island has ceased on that
date, and that Tomas Estranda Palma
has been duly installed as the head of a
new government of the Island of Cuba.
There will be no invitation on "our part
to the nations to recognize the new re
public, but it is expected that they will
take notice themselves of the fact that
the United States has so recognized the
Cuban republic by sending to the
island a minister resident and
legation and consuls, and it
staff of
is not
be fol-
doubted that "the example will
lowed.
Battle in Venezula.
Port of Spain, Island of Tiinidad,
May 13." Venezuelan troops under
General Vincente Gomez, attacked Car-
upano, sta'.e of Bermudez, Venezuela,
by land and by sea with the gunboats
Restaurador, Agosto and Zumbador,
but the port is still in the hands of the
revolutionists. After a seven hours'
battle, the government forces were de
feated and obliged to abandon the field,
leaving 115 men dead and 210 wound
ed. The city suffered terribly from the
shelling of the government war vessels.
The remainder of General Gomez's
troops escaped on board the gunboats
and reached Cumana, on the Gulf of
Caracas. Gomez was Eeriously wound
ed., Carupano now presents a spectacle
of desolation. The cable is cut.
Costly California Blaze.
Truckee, Cal., May 13. Six acres in
the central portion of Truckee w as a
raging mass of flames for seven or eight
hours this morning. The extensive
box factory and planing mills of the
Truckee Lumber Company, around
which the town was originally, built,
was totally destroyed. With it went
the office, with everythingjit contained,
and'a number of (warehouses and dry
ing houses filled with boxes, seasoned
lumber, glass, windows, doors and
building material. One million feet of
lumber piled on both sides of the river
was also destroyed. Loss, $200,000.
Eighteen Cremated.
Tokio, May 13. The destruction by
fire of a hospital in Kyoto, Japan, was
attended by loss of life. About 4:30
o'clock in the morning fire broke out in
the Funaokayama lunatic asylum ' at
Ojoiya Mura, Otogi Gori, on the north
ern suburbs of Kyoto. The flames
started in one of the rooms occupied by
patient. Altogether two blocks of
buildings were destroyed before the
flames were got under control, and of
the 39 patients who were in the hos
pital at the time of the outbreak, 18,
including two women, perished.
Successor of Corrigan.
Rome, May 12. The correspondent
of the Associated Press is informed
that it is not likely that the successor
of Archbishop Corrigan will be named
at the next consistory and that probably
more than a month will elapse before
action will be taken. It is therefore
probable that a capitulary vicar will be
appointed to administer the archdio
cese. Taft Will Stop at Rome.
Washington, May 13. Governor Taft
i has closed up his business here in con
nection with affairs in the Philippines
' and left for Cincinnati, where he will
1 attend to some private business prior
' to his departure from New York on the
' 17th inst., on his return to his post as
Manila." He will stop at Rome in or
der to discuss the question of the friars
in the Philippines with the authorities
at the Vatican.
NAPTHA EXPLOSION
SCORE OF LIVES LOST IN PITTS
BURG DISASTER.
Two Hundred Spectators were Injured and the
Physicians Say that a Majority of Them
will Die Were Watching Burning Train
When Two Tank Cars Exploded, Drench.
Ing Them with Burning Oil
Pittsburg, May 14. The Sheridan
yard of the Pan Handle Railroad was
the scene this evening of the most dis
astrous explosion and fire known is.
this section in many years. A score of
lives were lost and about 200 persons
were so badly burned that, according to
the judgment of the physicians in at
tendance, 75 per cent of them will die
from the effects of their injuries.
The accident happened in the rail
road yards at Sheridan, where the Pan
Handle Railroad makes a turn near
Cork Ran. Banked in bv two hiirh
hills, hundreds of people were caught.
In the shifting necessary to make up a
train, five tank cars, two of them filled
with refined petroleum and two with
naptha, were switched with too much
force, and one of the cars of naptha
waa broken. Instantly the inflam
mable bi-product poured out in a
stream. The trainmen, seeing that
one of the cars was da-naged, started to
pull them out of the way. As the
damaged car passed a switch light the
dripping naptha caught on the light
flame and almost instantly an explosion
followed.
The explosion sent shewers of burn
ing naptha over the freight station near
at hand, and also enveloped a number
of carloads of coke and lumber that
were close.by and in a moment all
were blazing Fifteen minutes after
the first explosion the two cars of re
fined petroleum that had been damaged
by the bursting of the tank of naptha
and were leaking blew up with a terrific
report. ' -
- The yards at Sheridan lie in a nar
row valley. On the south side of the
yard is a rounded hill, bare of trees.
On the other side of the yard a hill
fully 200 feet high rises sheer above
the roundhouse. In less than 15 min
utes both these hills were black with
men, women and children, who were
eagerly watching the flames in the cut
below.
Burning oil had found ita way into
the sewer, and as soon as it reached the
open air at the mouth the third explo
sion followed. The escaping naphtha
had blown to atoms the Sumpter hotel
and the Collis house, on' River road,
and badly wrecked a frame building
near by, in which were congregated 200
or more men from Pittsburg and vicin
ity, betting on the races and ball
games, iew of the occupants of this
building escaped injury, many being
badly hurt.
The third explosion served asa-warn-
ing to but few of the spectators at
Sheridan. Without a moment's -warning
there was an awful roar, loud
enough to be heard in the heart of
Pittsburg, five miles away, and a sheet
of flames shot up from the wreckage
and enveloped both hillsides, even to
their tops.
There was a moment's lull, as though
every living thing in the vicinity had
been annihilated, and then came the
cries, the screaming for help, and the
blanks in the crowd told of the ex
plosion's dread result. Both of the two
remaining tank cars had blown up. A
torrent of names belched forth on each
side of the tiack, sweeping back the
terrified spectators like a charge of ar
tillery, and sending a shower of flame
over their heads.
For the Dawson Trade.
Vancouver, B. C, May 14. A spe
cial from Dawson says: J. H. Rogers,
Dawson manager of the White Pass
Yukon Railway, makes -the statement
that his company would enter into
competition with the Noithern Com
mercial Company and the North Amer
ican Trading Company, in retaliation
for the statement that the Northern
Commercial Company would take in a
stock of goods for the Dawson trade.
The Dawson retail merchants had been
afraid they would be forced out of busi
ness by competition of the big com
mercial companies bringing in large
stocKs of merchandise.
Rate War on Alaskan Traffic
Seattle, May 14. An Alaska trans
portation cut-rate wai , which probably
will be bitterly fought, with disastrous
results to the lines engaging in it, and
a corresponding benefit to he traveling
public, has been inaugurated. Before
the day closed, tickets to Lynn canal
points were selling at $7.50 and $5, first
and second class, respectively. The
prevailing tariff has been $30 and $20.
The entry of the Pacific Clipper. Lines
steamer Santa Ana on the Lynn I canal
run precipitated the fight. "
Following English Precedent 0! .
New York, May . 14.-rrThe Spanish
government is following English; prece
dent in entertaining a large. Jbcily of
European princes and foreign rSapresen
tatives who will witness thelni?g3f ivil
inauguration, says a Madrid; ijdlspatch
to the Tribune. The pr n "es are either
guests of. the crown in ' palaces, or
houses with a complete retinue of serv-
r 1 .
j soio aie pmceu at tneir disposal.
Special Ambassador Curry, of the
i United States, is provided with a house.