Evening Star Newspaper, March 12, 1898, Page 1

THE EVENING STAR. ———— ee PUBLISHED DAILY EXCEPT SUNDAY. AT THE STAR BUILDINGS, 3101 Fenrsyivania Avenne, Cor. 11th 8t., by 7 ag Soy ery ey Few York Office, 40 Potter Building ‘The Evening Star ts served to subscribers in the eity by etrriers, on thelr own account, at 10 cents Ber week. or 44 cents per month. Copies at the center 2 certs each. By mail—anywhere in the United States cr Canada—postage prepaid—60 cents per month. Saturday Quint Sheet Star, $1 per year, with foreign postage added $5.00, (Entered at the Po.t Office at Washington, D. C.. ‘ag sec md-class ma‘l matter.) © All mail subscriptions must be paid in advance. Rates of advertising made known on application. ng Star. No. 14,050. WASHINGTON, D. ©, SATURDAY, MARCH 12, 1898-TWENTY-FOUR PAGES. TWO CENTS. Advertising is not an you want to invest your profitably you will cache St your advertisements in such @ paper as The Evening Star, that is read regularly and thorough]; by everybody worth reach ng. ¢ Star is the recognized household and family journal of the National Capital, and hag no rival as an advertising med ium. NO WORD HAS COME The President Not Informed by the Maine Court of Inquiry. 1S IGNORANT OF ITS VERDICT No Better Posted Than the Humblest Citizen. REPORTS £0N PROGRESS OF WORK Cabinet Members Assemble at the White House. ACTIVITY CONTINUES The President has received no in- timation of what the court of inquiry into the Maine disaster will report. The President has not had a word from any man directly or indirectly connected with the court, either as to the trend of the testimony or the opinions of the members of the court. The President, it can be stated fur- ther, would consider it highly unbe- coming to obtain any advance in- formation as to the findings, as he desires that the court’s verdict shall be above all suspicion of being in- fluenced. Upon the verdict of that court will probably hang momentous action—action on which it is desired to have the approval not only of this nation, but of the world. Secretary Long, Secretary Alger, Secretary Gage, Representative Dingiey and others close to the Pre ident today condemned the publish- ed stories of advanced information being received as utterly false, and as having no foundation. The President today feels as keen an interest in what the board will re- port as the humbles: citizen of the country, and today expressed to the cabinet his deep interest. He is at sea as much as anybody. It is not denied by prominent vis- itors to the White House that each man has his beliei as to what the re- port of the board will show, and it is thought that on these expressions of mere belief have been founded stori that the administration knows of the findings. Reporting to the President. There was a long conference at the White House today, the participants be- ing the President and Secretaries Alger, Leng and Gage. When these officials ar- rived, shortly after 10 o'clock, the Prest- dent entered the adjoining room, where had assembled a number of congressional ¥1s- itors, and, shaking hands with each vis- iter, said he would be engaged for a good while and would be unable to see any one iu detail. onference with two of the cabinet continued for about two hours. ; Long did not remain more than half of that time. Secretary Long was ac- com d by Commander Bradford, chief of the equipment bureau of the Navy De- partment. The President had asked for a report from the equipment bureau and this s furnished by the Se tails of everyt were given, and t was satisfactory. a few minutes All this before the h minister. happen: presentation of the Spa just Work of the War Department. After rture of Secretary Long © President received a detailed report m Secretary Alger as to what is being War Department. General the White House by request The President takes a erest in these matters and listened vely to an explanation cf the War ment’s ideas of what is necessary to the dey ne Alger went t to make this report keen ion by the President of reports ‘avy Departments in- , he is keeping in touch preparations throughout the coun- h the Fortifying the Tortugas. of Seereiary Alger’s report @ discussion followed, Secretary Gage tak- ing part, in regard to fortifying the Dry ‘Tortugas. 2 It is x antine station, Department. se will consent to turning the er to the War Department if it is to it as a fortified S left undecided, open jon to be hereafter reached. use National Defense Appropriation. tary Gage disc’ d the subject of om the Cannon resolution. The dent is anxicts that the public shall in th future what was done with every perny of the money now being spent 2 9 be spent For that reason it has been-dee that Secretary Gage will keep @ separate account of the Cannon appro- priation. The expenditures will net be mixed up with the ordinary expenses of the government and of the War and Navy Departments. In the future, with the expenses open to any one for investigation, there will be no opportunity for political capital. The cabinet officers who took part in the conference said to a Star reporter that there is absolutely nothing new in the situation. They emphatically state that the administration has no knowledge of what the board of inquiry will report. The New Military Departments. The War Department is making every ef- fcrt to execute the changes in the great military departments announced in an or- der issued by Maj. Gen. Miles today. The important change made by the order is the crestion of the new department of the gulf by the combination of the old department of Texas with the southern portion of the Cepartment of the east. The other changes made are in the directicn of rectifying the nes of the central western departments so as to make them more symmetrical and ily ac m_ their respective central headquarters. For this reasoa the state of Ohio, for many years attached to the department of the cast, has been thrown into the department of the Mis- souri, which now rejoices in the new name of the department of the lakes, a change of name made, it is said at the War De- partment, for purely sentimental reasons. The southwestern states included in the department of th+ Dakota have been trans- ferred to the department of the Platte, while to maintain the present proportions of this department the northern section has been throwa into the department of Dakota. No changes have been made in the department of the Columbia, the de- partment of California or the deparment of Colorado. Order of Reorganization. The fcllowing is the general order reor- ganizing the mitary departments: “By direction of the President, the fol- lowing changes are made in the territorial Emits, designation and headquarters of geographical departments: a “1. The department of the east Will em- brece the New England states, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Marylend, Districi of Columbia, West Vir- ginia, Virginia and North Carolina, with headquarters at Governor's Island, New York. “2. A department is hereby established to be known as the department of the lakes, to consist of the states of Wisconsin, Mich- igan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee, with headquarters at Chicago, i. . The department of Dakota will em- brace the states of Minnesota, North Da- kota, South Dakota, Montana and so much of Wyoming and Idaho as is embraced in the Yellowstone National Park, with head- quarters at St. Paul, 1. “4. The Department ef the Colu embr he states of Was: Idaho (except som embraced Park) and tae headquarters bia will , Oreg Alaska, Vancouver territory of at with barracks, ment of ifor will ie siates of California and Ne with headquarters at San Francisco, of Wyon much thereof as is e (except so tae Yellow braced i territories cf Arizona aad w ut Denver, Col. of the Platte will embiace the states of Iow ka, Mis- souri, Kansas and Indian territory and the ter h headquarters at Oma the Department cf the Guif, of the states of South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippl, Louisiana and Texas, with headquarters at “The Departments of the Missouri and of S ure hereby abolished. Department of the partment of Texas to the Departme the Guif. : |. Gen. John R. Brooke u is assigned to tment of the m M. Graham artment of the cers of the several staff de- y on duty in the Departments of the Missouri and Texas are assigned to like duties in the Departments of the Lakes and of the Gulf, respectively. “The travel required uader these orders is necessary for the public service.” The Selection of Atlanta. Senator Bacon of Georgia was at the War Department today and expressed his gratification that Georgia had been made the center of the new department, with headquarters at Atlanta. This step, Mr. Bacon said, was due entirely to military considerations, and no personal or pollti- cal motives had figured in the transac- tion. Heretofore there had been only one military center along the Atlantic, name- ly, that at New York, but the present condition of affairs made it apparent from a military standpoint that it was desira- bie to have another center on the South Auantic. As a result, the interior military center, heretofore known as the depart- ment of Texas, had been moved eastward and centered at Atlanta. The same com- uder, Brig. Gen. Graham, will be in command at Atianta as had previously been in command of the department of 1 Some of the War Department offi- cials apprehenced that this move would meet with political opposition, and that the efforts of the department would be overcome, and the order changed so as to re-establish the department of Texas. Sen- ator Bacon sald, however, there was no fear of such a return to the old system, as the military exigency was so self-evident thai patriotic impulses would overcome any feeling of perscnal ur political pride in locality. Gen. Wilson Returns, Brigadier General John M. Wilson, chief of engineers of the army, returned coaay after a trip of over 3,000 miles, which he accomplished inside of one week. Natur- ally his visit to southern fortified points, where extensive fortification work is in progress, has excited much comment. Gen- erai Wilson declined, however, to discuss in any way this phase of his trip. It is un- derstood that he visited Cumberland river, St. John’s river and the works at Tampa and Key West, Fla: The inspections of the Cumberland and the St. John’s rivers were in connection with river and harbor im- provements, the former being the point where Captain Carter's alleged irregular- ities occurred. General Wilson spent a day at Key West and another day at Tampa, but the nature of his inspections is not dis- closed. While at Key West he met a num- ber of the officers of the United States fieet concentrated there; and heard the usual comment on the cause of the disas- ter to the Maine, which, however, was purely speculative. He did not go to Tor- tugas, notwithstanding the reports current while he was in the south that he was ex- amining this strategic point with a view to HAVANA HARBOR AND THE WRECK OF THE MAINE, having hurried plans for its fortification put into effect. Transforming the Auxfliary Cruisers. The bureau of construction of the Navy. Department finds itself exceptionally well prepared for any emergency work that it may be called upon to perform in connec- tion with the auxiliary cruisers. It is due to an organization which in ordinary times is so arranged that the force can be made speedily available for emergency dem It is said that less than an hour's w would be required in the office here to com- picte all the plans for the transformation of two of the best ships on the Atlantic into auxiliary cruisers. The work of reconstruction could be ac- complisted with like dispatch probably at, the League Island navy yard. At that point there is a navai constructor and an an ple force of draughtsmen. Work on the battle ship Alabama is now In progress there, but there is no present prespect of completing her. The large force of men could be withdrawn from the Ala- bema and set at work on the auxiliary It is not doubted also that the " yards would give the government eility in the way of workmen at their disposal, The same readiness for quick work of construction ex at Newport News and At Newport News there 1s a or, three assistants and onstr ntsmen ready to begin work of any cler at time. The large deck at that point gives an additional facil- ity. At Norfoik the construction depart- ment has an effective force ready to begin werk at any time. Thus far the work on iliary fleet has not begun, but it is a source of satisfaction ai the Navy De- periment to know that ample ities are ready ou short notice whenever this branch of work is required. Vessels Under Construction. The latest report of the chief of bureau of construction of the Navy Department in regard to the condition of vessels now under construction shows them to be com- pleted to the following extent: Battle ships Kearsarge and Kentucky, 56 per cent; iilin per cent; Al ‘a, 48 per cent, and W 33 per nt. Gunboats— Princeton, orpedo boat: Rodgess, ¥2 per cent; Rowan, 91 per cent; Dahlgren, Farragut, 7 per cent; Craven, 35 per cent; per cent; Davis, 71 per cent; Fox, 69 per cent; Morris, per cent; Mackenzie, 85 per cent; McKee, 62 per cent; Stringham, 12 per cent, and Golds- borough, 2 per cent. Submarine torpedo boat—Plunger, 66 per cent. Patriots for Revenue. The War Department officials are an- noyed at communications sent to bidders for furnishing supplies of various kinas by varlous persons, representing themselves to be managers of commercial newspapers, and offering material assistance to the de- partment if an advertisement 1s inserted in the paper. One of these communications addressed to the bidder suggests to him that the writer could help him in future contract business because he is a Washing- ten newspaper man, acquainted ‘with the chiefs of the bureaus, and with senators and representatives, and could ask with good grace certain favors that might be desired, all of’ which he would do if an advertisement w given for the news- paper. The officials think that contractors should be warned against (he offers of all such persons, 2s their claims are absolutely ridiculous, without the least foundation in fact, to which no attention whatever should be paid. Cruise of the Oregon. In making preparations for the possibil- ities of the future, the Navy Department hes by no means overlooked the strategic defense of the Pacitic coast. To properly guerd this important seaboard it has been found necessary to send an advance guard seme distance down the southern Pacitic ocean. The battle ship Oregon, the sister of the Indiana, and gave the Iowa, one of the mcst powerful vessels in the navy, has been selected for this work. Secretary Leng today telegraphed orders to her com- mander, through the commandant of the Mare Island navy yard, to leave San Fran- cisco and cruise down the southern coast. The vessel will report from time to time by cable to the Navy Department and re- celve such instructions as the changes in the conditions may warrant. At present she is taking on her ammunition, about fifty tons in all, which was unloaded at the powder station when the ship went north™last fall to have her bilge keels put in place at the Bremerton naval station. As soon as this work is done she is ex- pected to sail soutl.ward, ee . Local Naval Recruiting Station. ‘The Secretary of the Navy has. directed that a recruiting Station. be opened’ in Washington. immediately, the special pur- pose being to secure ordinary seamen and machinists. Lieut. Robinson, at present on duty at the Washington navy yard, will be in charge of the station, which will open for business at the yard next Monday morning. The naval inspection board has gone down to Norfolk to examine the gunboat Machias, just returned from the Asiatic station by way of Suez. These inspections are always made on the return of a vessel werk in theoretical astro! from a tour of duty on a foreign station, with the purpose of ascertaining the exact conditicn of the ehip and what she needs generally in the way of repairs. In the case of the Machias it is probable that rather extensive overhauling would be nec- eesary to put the vessel in prime condition, but in view of the large amount of emer- gency work on hand, and the desire of the department not to be deprived of the use of the ship for any considerable time, it is probable that the board wil! reduce repairs to be ordered to the lowest possible limit. The Ferm et, Mainnzas. The Fern, ladem with supplics for the suffering Cubans, arrived at Matanzas, Cuba, from Key West this morning. Capt. Cowles merely reported his arrival at the Cuban port to the Navy Department, with- out making any mentign of the condition of affairs at Matangas, After dischargi of the stores there Capt. Cowles will 1 ceed with his yessel te Sagua la Grande and leave the remainder. Civil Engineer A. J. Menocal has been detached from thé League Island navy yard and ordered to Key West. This is re- garded as significant and as indicating a purpose on the part,of the Navy Depart- ment to make immediate and considerab!c iroprovements at the naval’station at Key West. For several years past Engineer- in-Chief Melville has been urging upon the department the ‘advfsability of erecting a food machinery repair shop at the naval station, pointing out that the great volume of shipping’ passing from ‘the gulf to Ex rope and the eastern states had at present no place in which to effect even temporary repairs on thelr voyages without going a considerable distance out of the way. His preposition was that the shop should be originally devoted to naval uses, but that it might easily be arranged that merchant vessels should avail of its facilities in case of need upon easy term: At present the North Atlantic squadron is obliged to defer making any repairs that cannot be done abcard ship—a state of affairs that should not be permitted to exist in time of trouble, The lowa Sails for Tortugas. The battle ship Iowa sailed from Key West for Tortugas today. The torped> beat Dupont arrived at.Key West.’ The gunboat Wilmington has reported her ar- rival at Barbados. ——+0+ COUNTERFEIT SILVER DOLLARS. Denyer Flooded With Coins Which Cun Scarcely Be Detected. DENVER, Col., March 12.—During the past two weeks the attention of the busi- Ness men of the city has been attracted ta the unusually large number of counterfeit silver dollars made 6f silver that are in circulation. The counterfeits are such re- markably close imitations of the genuine coin that it is almost impossible to detect them, and even government experts are frequently at a loss to choose between the false and the true. & it is thought that there are vast numbers of them in cifculation, At the mint it is stated that the situation is so serious that the treasury has made it the subject of a communication to Congress, regarding the propriety of adopting -@ new device for the coin. It is estimated that there are fully two million dollars’ worth of these spurious coins In circulation im the country. All that have been found*bear the mark of the New Orleans mint, a lower case “‘o” imme- diately under the eaglé, and are dated 1889. The government is making every effort to detect the men engaged in this business, so far without suecess, though it is believed that they are made somewhere in the south, ———— REGISTER BRUCE'S ILLNESS. —_— Fears Expressed That He May Not Re- cover. Blanche K. Bruce, register of the treas- ury and ex-senator from Mississippi, is se- riously ill at his residence here, and it is feared that he may not survive. He has been suffering from, acute stomach trouble for some weeks, amd this week the illness took an alarming, farm.t He is well knowa throughout the country as a leader of the negro race. _ ~ et ee New Honor for Prof. Newcomb. The :Imperial Academy of Scierces of Rvseia has awarded to Prof. Simon New- comb of Washington what is known as the Shubert prize. . This; prize, which con- sists of « sibstantial sym of money, was founded by the Russian lieutenant Béneral Shukert, and is awarded for the greatest y. This award is the latest of a longer series of honors than have been bestowed upon any Amer- fean s tist, and is considered to have iven to Prof. Newcomb as the astronomer. ‘The rules and regulati Verning the fire department are b: revised .and amended under the Commis- sioner Wight, who has ¢ the*@e- | would |SPAIN’S LAST EFFORT | Attempt to Turn This Government's Policy, | —— i OPINION IN CONGRESSIONAL CIRCLES —— + No Further Autonomy Pretenses _ Believed Possible. SUBTLE DIPLOMACY Several things published this morning, ceming from remote quarters and di: nected, are regarded in congressional ci cles us indicative, of a last desperate effort to give a turn {0 the policy of this gov- ernment faverable to the interests of Spain. They are regarded as significant of “the Effort, not of its suc First is the report of the speech of Senor Moret at a banquet in Madrid in which he jd that the patriotism of the Spanish people would preserve Spain from the loss of an “inch of ter "Another is the interview with Captain Peral, president of the Span- ish board of inquiry in the Maine disaster, in which it is deciared that the investiga- tion of th ish officials has shown that the explo. was internal, but which very adroitly leaves the w open for the Spanish board to make a different findiug at the conclusion of its examination. An- other is the announcement of the arrival in Havana of the Austrian ship Donau, “one of the five promised to Spain in case of war.” Still another is a curious sug- gestion of autonomy’s being forced upon the Cuban insurgants by this government, which was sent out by the Associated Press, with the assertion that it “has re- ceived the approval in a general way of leading men whose counsels have weight with the administration,” and which is supported by a long anonymous interview, hostile to the recognition of the independ- ence, and insistent upon the propriety of Spanish sovereignty being preserved in Cuba. How the Suggestion is Regarded. This latter would attract no attention were it not for the fact that it is known te be the policy of the Associated Press net to handle such matter anonymously escept upon very high authority. No sug- gestion that has been made with respect to the settlement of the Cuban question has met with more evidence of disapproval in congressional circles, and it is not be- lieved that the President would for a mo- ment contemplate an attempt to force upon Cuba another dose of Spanish autonomy pretenses. The acknowledged failure of autonomy in Cuba, the horrifying condi- tions on the island, the treacherous de- struction of the Maine and the moral cer- tainty, established by past experience, that as long as the Spanish remain in Cuba the Cuban question will be present to irritate ard injure us, render any suggestion which centemplates the perpetuation of Spanisa ccntrol in Cuba, under any conditions, utterly abhorrent to the prevail.ng senti- ment cf both houses of Congress. The suggestion is regarded as a final move in the Giplomacy of Spain, backed up by the bluff of Moret's eloquence, Aus- trian ships aud Capt. Peral’s premature report on the Maine disaster. The arrival of the Austrain vessel at Havana and the account of its enthusiastic reception is confirmatory of the statement made a long time ago that Austria would Provide Spain with five vessels in case of war. This is regarded as more likely, if cerried out, to involve Ausiria in trouble than to alarm this government into a change of olicy toward Cuba. The dec!2- rations of Capt. Peral as to the cause of the destruction of the Maine are regarded as utterly of no consequence. The Untied States is not depending on Spanish inquiry to determine the cause of that explosion. War Situation More Grave. If the utterance of Capt. Peral is to be interpreted as meaning that Spain will in- sist upon th> accident theory, and if Senor Moret’s speech really means that Spain will not yield an inch of territory, it only ren- ders the war situation more grave. These two things, it is said, are all that is neces- saty to render war inavitable. It is prac- tically the universal opinion in Congress that the only possibility of avoiding war would lie in Spain’s making reparation for the loss of the Maine, and acknowledging the independence of Cuba, or at least, of not res2nting the recognition of the inde- /Dendence by the United States. |; Another play which is being made, ap- parently for the purpose of weakenirig’ the ‘policy ofthis government, is the myst2r- us int ition that other f¢ -nations involved in a war: between States. felt by Congress on point. The Euro- pean situation is such as preclud2 ag- gressive part of any European: With other ques- tions” more vitally, with most of tha nations with the United States, France or Austria, to go to the assistance of Spain in such a conflict. The preparations for war by this govern- ment ar> being made with increased en- ergy, and the opinion is aknost univerral in Congress that the recognition of the in- dependence cf Cuba will follow soon after the report on the Main2 disaster is promul- gated. The suggestion of the purchase of Cizban independence me>ts with very general dis- approval in Congress, and it is not believed that the President entertains the idea. Spanish Diplomatic Subtlety. Observers of internatior al affai perceive: in the simultaneous appearance of the in- terviews with President Peral of the S$: ish board of inqui and a striking illusiretion subtlety of the Dons. There felt in the minds of those familia~ wich the policies that have been directed by the authorities at Madrid that the announce- ments of President Peral and Minister Pelo were influenced directly by the S ish government with the intention of sti further ccmpliciting the vexatious prob- lems _now confronting the United States ard Spain. The advices from Havana received since the wreck of the Maine which related to the work of the Spanish divers showed that the latter were too poorly equipped and too inexperienced to accomplish any practical results in their examinations of the ve: sel. So far as can be learned, the wit- nesses calied befere the Spanish board of inquiry were exclusively Spaniards who were on board the Spanish man-of-war an- chored near the Maine and entirely depend- ent upon what they saw after the explo- sion had completed the disaster for any information they might have posscased. Ac- cordingiy President Peral’s announcement that the explosion was internal is based upon nothing tangibic, but fs made, so it is thought, merely in pursuance with in- structions from Madrid, with the view of effecting opinion when the report of the United States board of inquiry is made, which it is generally and contidently be- leved will find that the disaster was caus- ed by an external agency. Minister Polo de Bernabe’ regarded in the circles unde as being inspired for the pur ing Americar cyes to the re: of Spain. That he voices the desi Spanish government nto the Maine disaster ef the diploma no doubt interview is purposes re of the in his announcement s sentiment of the Spanish people in this regard. is not for a moment believed. The sentiment herein described is very generally enter- tained by public men, although they do not care to make opeh expression of it. ————_--e. GEN. SUNG IS BELLICOSE. Chinese € mander at Port Arthur Will Hold His Forts. TACOMA, Wash., March 12.—The North China Herald says that a prominent Chi- nese officer attached to the Staff of Gen- eral Sung at Port Arthur, in writing to a brother officer at Sh ‘Stated that, af- ter a council of war, the venerable general decided to hold the forts at all hazanis id without orders from Pekin in case any foreign power attempted to seize them. His staff heartily concurred in the posi- tien taken by General Sung, and all mar- ried officers sent their. f: milies home, an- licipating a confiict. 1 Sung says he the forts to any power, erders frem Pekin not to mente eetene thereby precipitate war. General Sang is aff the adage, general confronting th: enemy is to ¢ guided by circumsiances and need no, on ovr n, listen to the commends of ever, the emperor. —_-- CO-OPERATIVE COMMONWEALTH. One Colony Located Near Belfast, State of Washington. TACOMA, Wash., March 12.—The Co- operative Commonwealth, founded by Eu- gene V. Debs, has located a colony of its followers four miles west of Belfast, in Skagitis county, this state. Righty mem- bers have arrived, over half of whom ren whose families stiil remain in the east. They came to look the field over and se- lect locations. They form an intelligent and thrifty Icoking company and do not appear to be afraid of toil, “The party is made up of men from Chicago, St. Louis, Maine, Michi- gan and Washington, D. C. ‘A town will be establisned surrounded by small-sized farms. —_+—__ APPEAL FOR THE STARVIN Kanans City Star Anxious to Aid Suf- fering Cubans. KANSAS CITY, Mo., March 12.—The Star devoies five columns of its front page to an appeal for aid, in the shape of clothing, food or money, for the starving thousands in Cuba, singling out the town of Matan- zas as the especial point of pressing need. The appeal, written by a returned staff corresponden: of the paper, asks in strong terms for aid of whatever description for immediate shipment to Matanzas. A cen- tral point, where offerings will be received in Kansas for shipment, has been desig- nated. Austin Gallagher, secretary of the Southwestern Millers’ Association, adds an appeal to the millers of the southwest. The Star correspondent places the number of starving in Matanzas at 10,000. Sere KEENE AND HAGERTY BURNED OUT. Big Baltimore Tinware House Sus- tains Loss of $150,000. BALTIMORE, Md., March 12.—The ex- tensive tinware and japanning establish- ment of Kesne & Hagerty was destroyed by fire at 5 o'clock this morning, entailing @ loss estimated at $150,0u0. James Bracken, the night wateaman, Was caught on the fifth floor by the #ames and narrowly escaped death, the fircwen taking him down a ladd2r whea iffe was almost extinct. The loss is covered by in- surauce. — SUICIDE AT HAGERSTOWN, MD. W. Fowler Kills Himself To- day With a Revolver. Stccial Dispatch to The Evening Star. HAGERSTOWN, Md., March 12.—Chas. W. Fowler, a young man of this city, twenty-seven years old, committed suicide here at an early hour this morning by shooting himself twice with a revolver, both shots taking effect in the region of the heart. He made careful preparations for the event, dressing himseif in his best cloihes. He went to a stable and sat down in a cart, where his lifeicss remains were found. A love affair is supposed to have led to the deed. Charlies —_-+>—_ Gatling’s Big Gun Nearly Done. Special Dispatch to The Evening Star. CLEVELAND, Ohio, March 12.—The new coast defense gun being made under the direction of Dr. Robert J. Gatling, which is nig. A’ 20380 o'ele F companied by Mr. Du ut | d'affaires, the two secretaries taries Alger and Gage be rescued by jured. office ha deny emphatically that Germany will aid Spain in case Of war with the States, and has instructed thes> pers to point out that the United States is an excellent customer of Germany-and that Spain sirce the Carolinas’ squabble has re- peatedly shown urfriendliz.+ ———— FRIENDLY GREETINGS The New Spanish Minister Presented to the President. EXCHANGE OF PLEASANT RIPRESSIONS «n- |Scene in the Blue Room at the White House. —_.+_—. MR. MORTON A SPECTATOR Senor Luis de be, the new Spenish minister, who succeeds r Da puy de Lome as the representative of Spain at this capital, was formally preseated to President McK ley at 11 o’c! and the war in full court dr called at the Sta‘! nd n, . Tesph > Dep al eecretar, ndent in rt y were received by Secretary who on afterward crted the party to the White House. The party reached the White House at 1050 o'clock and weat imre- diately to the blue room. All the Spaniards were dressed in full unifo: and wore swenis. Probably fifty ladies and a half dozen men were on the White House portico and observed the arrival and departure of the Spaniarés. President McKinley was in conference with cabinet officers when th yresenta- tive of Spain arrived. The r jon took place in the blue parlor, the in which Prince Albert was re terday. It presented a very be pearance, the decorations which had been arranged for the dinner to the Belgian prince last night having been allowed te remain. The President went down to the blue room with ex-Vice President Levi P. Mor- ton, who witnessed the presentation by Secretary Sherman. The Spanish Minister's Remarks. Ir. presenting his credentials, the Span- ish minister addressed the President as fellows: “Mr. President: I have the honor to pre- sent to your excellency the credential let- ters which accredit me in the capacity of envoy extraordinary and minister plenipo- tentiary cf his majesty, the King of Spain, in the United States of America “The principal object of my honorable mission is to endeavor, 0 far as possible, te maintain and draw closer between our twe countries the mcst friendly ri In order to attain this end, so mz harmony with my own personal fe: 1 am ready to omit no effort w my part, and I doubt not I sha’ as I hope, I shall be fortw the benevolence of your yeur effective co-operation. “In obedience to the espe charge of her majesty, the queen regeni of the king- dem, I have the honor to expres: xcellency the wishes of my ereign for your personal happini the prosperity of States of America. The President's Response. The President responded as follows: “Mr. Minister, I am happy to receive from your hand the royal letters whereby her majesty the queen regent, in the name of his majesty the King of Spain, accredits you in the capaciiy of his maje: extraordinary and minister plen in the United States of Am« “It is very gratifying to me to receive the assurances you endeavor to mi r in all porsible elations between th: ne Tre eived utiful ap- succeed if, in gaining liency and nd for e people of the United "3 envoy my own ment will ted toward the same high end. “You come hither, Mr. Minister, with the prestig ped nai your honored whose promoting good between “Spain ly passed {i this you wid will the United States have aire and to the doma.a of history. To the qualification of a persona! acqua: ance with this country and fis 1 derived from your previous official so- journ et this capital, so that you have a double title to our confidence and sympa- thy. I offer you my personal good wish and I would have you convey to her ma. esty the queen regent my sincere apprecia- tion of her majcsty’s friendly greeting and my own desire that happiness may be her portion and that Spain and the Spanish People may enjoy the blessings of peace and prosperity Pleasant Conversation. Immediately following the greetings ex- changed between the President and the Spanish minister introductions followed. The Spanish minister and Mr. Morton were old friends and expressed great pleasure at meeting each other. The affair passed off in the most pleasant te manner. There was nothing like restraint on the part of anybody, and in a few sec- onds after the formal greetings were con- cluded the Americans and Spaniards were chatting as if no cloud threatened the rela- tions of the two countries. President McKinley and resumed his cy returned to his office inference with Secre- The Spaniards « tered their carriages and were driven to the legation. A large number of peopie watched their departure with deep inte FIRE AT TORONTO, ONT. Block in Wholesale District Destroy ed—Lons in $135,000. TORONTO, Ont., March 12—A large block of wholesale and bonded warehouses situated on Front street here were coin- pletely gutted by fire early this morning, The totel loss is $134,000, fairly covered by insurance. The firms burned out are Rob- ert Carri, bonded house; P. Larkin & Com- pany, agents for the Salada Ceylon tea; R. H. Howard, wholesale liquor merchant‘ the Zopesi chemical works and the Domin- jon wire agency. Ten firemen were penned in and had to ladders. Several were in- NO FRIEND OF SPAIN. German Foreign Office Denies Ru- mored Alliance With the Don: BERLIN, March 12.—The Berlin foreign instructed the inspired press to United newena- to Germany, eS Anti-Russian Spirit in Corca. YOKOHAMA, March 12.—A dispatch re- ~ celved here from Seoul, the capital of Co- councillor: The Seoul police dispersed a Lucille Reaches Dyen. blic meeting held to discuss the situa SEATTLE, Wash., March 12.—The steam- | tion. er Australia has arrived from Alaska. Her officers report that the ship Lucille, with] Senator Proctor and Party Coming. ine been in the ppvernmient ae] saa party left this mocaing ‘at 825 tor to ve 3 7 lief expedition, has arrived at Dyea. ‘Washington