The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, October 8, 1899, Page 1

The Tall VOLUME LXXXVI-NO. 130 SAN FRANCISCO, SUNDAY, OCTOBER 8' 1899—THIRTY-TWO PAGES PRICE FIVE CENTS. WAR PRACTICALLY ON IN THE TRANSVAAL Great Britain Restraingd From Beginning Hostilities by Her Claim of Suzerainty Over the Boers. { 0ld Fort at Mafeking, Where the Boers Are Concentrating Troops. OND 144 4+++4+4+4+4+4++++++++abling the navy to land a brigade of about + + | 2000 men. 4+ ROME, Oct. 7—The Ital the + SoEoatenie 4+ Arena and other papers state that + | BOERS REPORTED TO + the Pope has again written to 4+ + Queen Victoria, appealing to her + BE ABOUT TO YIELD + Maje humanitarian sentiments + it P esting her to use her in- Lecs e S Beetiag her ko e et A S TONDON: Oct. 17 Tihelmost Hranorient + e with her Ministers in'the +{ 1< ; £ | .nt paradox | % e news comes from the Transveal to-night, | n + direction of peace. The Queen, it + : indle Nng of the | 3 (o cetd resling courtonusly o the < | WhICh, If true, probably indicates that the Sl S Son ol Bouth’ African republic is about to yleld, + message, giving his Holiness to un- 4 | o2y an o oie FimiT 0 8 RPN T8 e + derstand that it was beyond her 4 | goneq all ideas of invading Natal. 4+ power to iInterfere with the prerog- <4 The news is comprised in a cablegram + atives of the Ministry. + from Newcastle, Natal, which says that + 4 the farmers who arrived thers to-day from the Buffalo River state that the + 4+ ettt Lt b Boers are returning to thelr homes, leav- enaeah = 2 ing patrols along the river. The comman- jent would som her to break off is this legen her to pal , and at 1 two mont rst blow i& s wish to Dela- r friendship mozn af- support in to asiert ons 31l s P : Phe : : Sanoa, | b oA o 1 or | for tarat | tn London, The Government is much criticised by many of the papers of their own follo ing, as well as by the military assemblles, s in sending out the army , some going so far as to say ajuba Hill re s ftself, Lord Salis- will have only to blame. The Admiralty is also coming in for a share of criticism over the length of time | required to get transports. and bungling are alleged. C. Colwell, Incompetence Lieutenant J. United States naval attache when asked regarding this satd: “I belleve that the Admiralty has done splendidly, fully maintaining the reputa- tion of the British nav I am falrly ac- quainted with the details of the present operations, and I believe they are a proof oL the great advantage to be gained by the navy control the transporta- tion of troops.” A royal proclamation summoning Par- liament to meet on October 17 and author- alling out of the reserves was this morning. The Gazette an- nounces that a summons will be issued for the number of reserves necessary to bring every battalion ordered to South Africa up to its full strength of 1000 men. The men must present themselves before ber 17. The forward movement.is fully counterbalanced by storles of mili- sreparations In the Transvaal and ree State. icld force for service in South Af- e War Office announces, will com- obilizing next Monday. The War unces that, under the procla- g out the reserves, 25,000 men med. red at Portsmouth that the will organize a flying squadron pe of Great Britain's military ns can scarcely be grasped by ading of individual items as y. A fair no- v can be gained from al statement that for the transport of the army corps about seventy ships of from 2000 to 4000 tons burden are req ding a score or more of trar dy on the way to the Cape. If these vessels effectively disem- bark thelr cargoes of men, horses and equipment within five weeks from thefr date of salling, the programme will have fulfilled the forecasts of the most opti- mistic British militz experts. If all the troops are able to take thelr places as component parts of the army corps by the end of November they will have done, ac- ders still remain on the Free State bor- der. The dispatch also says that the feeling at Newcastle now is that the Boers do not | intend to attack that place and that the evacuation of the town was premature. |, A dispatch from Durban also states that the excitement there has abated, owing to the Boers holding back from the frontier. This retirement of the Boers is what the | Britlsh war authorities have expected, as | thetr defective commissariat would pre- | vent-them from long remaining massed | along the border. Telegrams received here | lately have made frequent reference to the | scarcity of forage and supplies in the Boer | leagers and have stated that many of | those in the camps were inclined to strike | for thefr homes unless active operations | were undertaken immediately. The dispatch from Ne tle looks as though they had done as they threatened and had abandoned the idea of fighting. Meanwhile further transports from India, | with two field hospitals and hussars, have arrived at Durban and the men and ma- | terfal were forwarded to Ladysmith in- stantly. General Sir George White, V. C., who will command the Brit- ish forces in Natal, has also arrived and landed. General Sir William Symons, his second in command, came from Glencoe to meet | him, showing that he does not fear a Boer Incursion into North Natal. A num- | whole party left by train for Pleter- | maritzburg amid great excitement and | cries of “Remember Majuba.” ANTI-BRITISH SPIRIT OF THE GERMAN PRESS BERLIN, Oct. 7.—Affalrs in South Af- rica are still commented upon in the press | here and elsewhere in the same anti- | British spirit. Even the Liberal press is now hostile to England. The Frankfort | Zeitung says: “It is a regrettable face that even in a constitutional country like England the Cabinet is endbled to put Parlfament in the presence of accomplished facts in a way that makes it almost impossible for Parliament to do anything but consent to warlike measures.” The Cologne Gazette calls the coming struggle of the Boers “heroic, with the same herolc thought as inspired their struggle in 181" “They go Into the fight fearlessly,” says Stewart | He was greeted by a large crowd. | ber of other officers were present and the | RARCONS SYSTEN MEETS AL DENANS Wireless Telegraphy Now Firmly Established on This Side of Atlantic. TRICMPH OF WIZARD People Ashore Informed of Move- ments of Yachts Before Those on Excursion Boats. e PONCE IS IN A" COLLISION Sending Vessel Struok by a Drifting Steamer, | and Signor Marooni Is Enabled to G.ve an Additional Example of the Value of His Woncerfal Work. Ay Special Dispatch to The Call EW YORK, Oct. T.—Again to-day did the Marconi system of wireless telegraphy meet every demand | made upon it. All during the day | Signor Marconi kept the yachts In view, at the same time glving those ashcre almost as plain an understanding of the | | maneuvering that was being done as was | enjoyed by the excursionists. |~ Unfortunately for those on the steam- ship Ponce, the view of the start of th | yachts, which was a magnificent one, w: marred by what for a moment promised | | to be an accident of serious results. The | Cambridge, a light-draft steamer from Baltimore, was caught in the current and drifted across the bow of the Ponce. Cap- tain Lloyd was on the bridge with “Dyna- | mite Johnnie” O'Brien. Both saw that a | crash was imminent, and in a moment the great whistle of the Ponce sounded a ter- | rific warning, while the signal to the en- gine room set the propeller in motion for a sternway. The momentum of the Ponce, however, | | was too great, and she went crashing into | | the smaller craft, whose railing was crushed In and a hole made in her hull. For a time it was feared that the Cam- bridge would sink, and her captain asked the Ponce to stand by ready to take off the passengers should it become neces: sary. All was excitement on the Ponce, and for a few moments a panic Was nar- rowly averted on the Cambridge. Had there been a larger crowd on the unfortu- nate boat there certainly would have been | 1oss of life. As it was, several women fainted, while- others were restrained | | from hurling themseives overboard into | the water. | The Ponce aid not have time to back out of the hole her nose had made in the | Cambridge before Signor Marcon! was glving the news of the accident to the operators at Navesink. Fortunately . it was learned before great excitement could be caused ashore that the damase to the Cambridge was slight and the passengers were in no danger. While all this was going on the final signal for the race had been given, and the Columbia and the Shamrock went | over the line with as pretty a start as has ever been seen in any race for the Amer- fca’s cup. Just as soon as it was dete mined that the Cambrid as in no da | ger all eyes were aga on_the and bulletins of the race, which 1 interrupted, were resumed. | attempt of the Shamrock to blanket and take the wind from the Columbia was flashed to the bulletin boards in New York City lgng before it was known by those vho were watching the maneuver whether | it would be successful. Again, the experi- menting with the sails which was going on was fully described by Signor Marconi. Often as a certain sail would be carried in the stops into position, those on shore watching the race through Signor Mar- coni’s eyes knew what was being at- tempted before the canvas was given to the wind. Finally, when about a mile from the start, the Columbia gradually drew away from the challenger, the suc- cess of the American yacht was bulletined before half the boat's length separated | the two contestants. As usual, the ap- | paratus employed by Signor Marconi w accurate in its work, and was watched by | all who could crowd near the chart room. Aboard the Ponce was Lieutenant | Commander Hubert von Rebeurpaschwitz, | naval attache of the German Embassy in | Washington, who officially represented | his Government in watching the opera- | | tions of Signor Marconi. Although the | German was intensely interested in the | contest going on between the Columbia | and Shamrock he seldom took his atten- tion from the apparatus used in sending messages ashore. At the of the d he expressed himself as more than plea: ed with what he had seen. “The Herald Is to be congratulated,” said the lieutenant commander. *This has been the first time that I have scen the Columbia and Shamrock together, but on Tuesday and Thursday Signor Mar- coni, through the Herald, made it pos ble for me to watch the yachts almo; well as I have been able to do to-d However, 1 had no adequate idea of the importance of the work being done until I saw for myself. The world will accept this discovery just as it has accepted everything else, and in a very short time the people will cease to wonder. But it i8 all really marvelous. Signor Marconi has gone far in advance of his contem- porary workers in the fleld of practical sclence as applied to electricity. No doubt England s already making ar- gether. off her rival. wind. sed. keeping or cup-losing matter and the tale Is yet to run. Three attempts at racing and three resultant flukes, and all that is beat the other is that on the first occasion the Columbia had a slight advantage at the inconclusive ending of the contest; that on the seccnd trial the two finished on even terms, and In yesterday's unsat- isfactory bout the American boat quit with a slight lead. The averaged-up prob- lem stands where it rested before the con- testants met. But it is not so much a question as to which yacht is the speedier in a race. It when there is going to be one. That's That's the problem which overshad- ows that other one regarding relative merits. What the people are asking now is: “When is the wind going to blow long enough for one to see which of these | yachts is the better boat?"” “White folks and women,” the S is mighty onsartin’ ald of the New York it. be may weather. | over. the course, and morning and forenoon there was every sign that the promise would be fulfilled. But a change came as the day wore on. The wind weakened as the hours went by, and the heavy sea, which had been rolled up by the gale of Friday and Fri- day night, moderated to a long rhythmic swell. It was blowing a good twelve to fifteen miles an hour breeze when the yachts stood out to the starting line. It was from the north-northeast, and the course was laid ‘south-southeast to the turning mark, anchored fifteen miles down the coast. The sea was rolling In a heavy | swell from the northward and eastward, | so heavy that the yachts would frequently | disappear to their main booms behind the | bulky rollers. | There was but little maneuvering for | position before the start, and the starting | gun found both yachts near the line. To | observers it seemed that they crossed it | in company, the Columbia setting her bal- | loon jib as she went over it, the Sham- | rock luffing up under baby jib ana jib top- | sail, seeking to gain the weather berth. | To prevent that the Columbia also stood away to the westward, and the first part | of the race was merely a luffing match | for windward position. Neither gaining any advantage in that | dfrection, the Shamrock took in her baby | jib topsall, set a lug foresail In place of | the staysail, and breaking out her bal- | 1oon 4ib as the Columbia set her spinnaker | aloft, the two settled down to plain sall- |ing. Meanwhile the wind was gradually | dying out, and before the first hour went i- known of the ability of either yacht to | The Weather Bureau promised | |a wind that would send the yachts kiting | during the early | cording to the best able opinion, re- | the Rhenish organ, “and the Warl’d may Britain's de- a markably well. The disembarkation of General Shafter's army from its thirty- o-operation st an diplomatist, cussing ven transports is not forgotten by Brit- t 1y, said: “Germany it ish officers. Although the vessels to be oo « g our friend-| employed In the Cape service are larger ; v aw game ad on the average than those which carrled the Americans to Santiago de Cuba, the admiralty, in accordance with the exist- ing regulations, is sUpplying them all and taking complete charge from water's edge is a painfully, iwn be n hear of their losing battles, but never of thelr losing courage or hope.” The influential Hanover Courler consid- ers that Germany’s chances will be very poor if England vanquishes the Boers, as then German Southwest Africa will be lost. 3 The papers are also considering the military probabilities, the general opinion being that England will not be ready to to water's edge. This means a tremend- »us outlay of capital. ‘Although the impending army corps is a hatter of pre-eminent military interest the troops already on the scene of prob. sble action constitute no Insignificant body. The original Cape garrison was 500 men, and this has been increased by 4%, There are 12,000 men at sea on the .y to the Cape, and thelr arrival wil ake the approximate total of British roops in South Africa, prior to the ar- al of the army corps, -25,000. These ,ops do not include the irregular forces, « Cape Mounted Rifies, the Port Eliza. ih Volunteers, the Natal Police, the In both | Jumanitarian sen- take the offensive until November. In the meantime, it 1s believed the Boers will do England real damage. The mili- tary expert of the Cologne Gazette's stafr says: “German and French artillery and the Mauser will be opposed to English weapons. Both sides.are good shots and military _experts will follow the duel, which will be mainly decided by the rifle with keen interest.” M Some of the papers discuss the eco- nomic consequences of the war. The Ber- liner Tageblatt belleves that a diminu. tion of the gold output would seriously affect business. The Government press remains mute, with the exception of the military! broking that President | gold is an act | ger of the bank of the itution | y rangements to use wireless telegraphy in the war which impends in South Africa. | There it will be given a severe test, which | I have no doubt will be successfully met. | Here we are away out on the ocean with- | out tangible connection with the land, | and yet the Herald is enabled to tell us that Queen Victoria has called out the reserves. Her Majesty’s action makes | it appear as though peace is now im- | possible yet. Important as her act is it | is not, in my mind, of so great importance as I8 the discovery which has made it possible for us to know that it had been taken. Of course it is impossible for me to say how much importance my report to the German Government will have, but 1 venture the assertion that the ex- ample of the Italian Government, using the Marconi system on all its war vessels, will speedily be followed by every other naval power.” From the Ponce upward of 2000 words were bulletined ashore during the yacht race, and more than the usual number of private messages were sent. Some of the latter were cabled to England, while oth- | by both yachts were dipping their balloon jibs aback with every pitch of the sea, They had plenty of room on that race down the wind, the lane they traveled be- ing a full four miles in width. On their starboard hand was a line of torpedo boats, under command of Lieutenant Com- mander John C. Fremont, which kept the excursion fleet on that side well clear of the course of the racing yachts. On the port hand was a line of revenue cutters, | commanded by Captain Robley D. Evans, | guarding the seaward side of the pre- | scribed course. As the yachts were midway in the run |to the turning point, a nomadic freighter | came blundering up the lane from the | southern end. The cutters tooted warn- | ing signals, but the stranger kept on, and | not until the auxiliary yacht Allen had | fired two shots did the vessel sheer out | of the course of the racers. The spectacular feature of the race lay at the outer mark and at a time when the yachts were rounding it. That was the turning point of the race, but it was no turning point in the fortunes of the takes t con- at significance and I scarcely blam 1t Kruger if he rban Light Infantry, the Australian e and the regular naval brigade. .o Cape squadron now includes ten Aships, all heavily manned, and the North German Gazette, which recalls the fact that the Transvaal has no right to expect German Outlanders to render mili- tary service. ers were intended for friends in distant cities In the United States. In addition to sending to the Ponce news of Queen Victoria's action in call- contestants. One may live long and never again see such a spectacle as was presented when the two yachts swung around the stake GRAND STRUGGLE FOR THE AMERICA'S CUP Columbia and Shamrock Fight Gamely for Supremacy, but the Wind Fails and the Third Race Is a Fizzle. A race which | between the two and to an unofficial ob- | server of the race the contest might yet | | be In doubt, so close were the yachts to- | gether when they made the turn. | The manner in which they approached | the mark was almost as exciting as the | | way in which they rounded it. The Sham- | rock, which had stood a few hundred | yards to the westward of the line, gybed around to the starboard tack and headed | straight for the mark, intending to keep it on her starboard hand in turning and intending, moreover, to get around it first. That well laid plan of hers went all aglee through a clever maneuver of the Columbla’s captain. That vessel, hur- rying to the mark, managed a fine by bit of seamanship and a quick shift of the helm to interpose between the Sham- rock and the stake boat just at the mo- ment when that point was bobbing past | the Shamrock’s bow. Round went the wheel of the Columbia, up went the tiller of the Shamrock, and, turning on their heels, the two boats swung around the stake, beam to beam, and so close together that a penny might | have been flipped from one deck to the other. Around they came with the Co- lumbia’s bowsprit slightly overlapping the lead of that vessel with its narrow margin of inches or of seconds that no one could tell by what distance she led. Trimming the sheets flat aft as they came into the wind the two headed back to the to port. Then followed a series of tacking and effort to blanket each other or to get the best position. As far as one could see there was nothing to criticize In the handling of either boat, both being man- aged with a skill that compelled the ad- miration of all who followed the contest The wind grew steadily lighter, and owing to fits fluky character, worked alternately to the advantage of one and then to the other, first one yacht had the lead and then its rival. nd as the hours wore on it began to look as though the history of the two preceding races would be again repeated. | This feeling became conviction when, at | 4 o'clock, the finish was still three or | four miles away and the yachts were bobbing about in a breeze that was not very far removed from no breeze at all. Then boomeu a gun announcing that the race was off, the Columbia then being ap- | parently about 250 yards nearer the goal than was her rival. The excursion fleet was out in as great | a force as in any of the preceding days, | and in the drunken beam-sea roll many | of the excursfonists discovered what sea- made the discovery before the boats did some wild reeling in the sea that surged start of the race, Dipping thelr noses deep in the sea, Racking their stays and stanchions free; In the wash of the wind-whipped tide. The wallowing as exceedingly uncom- fortable and the rolling was but little lessened when the fleet got under way and stood down the course in company with the racers. The run back was not so disquieting, the sea then having moder- ated so much that but little motion was felt on the larger craft. SEneb s TECHNICAL VERSION OF THE THIRD FAILURE NEW YORK, Oct. 7.—There was a spanking breeze from the northeast and a heavy swell from the eastward when | the yacht Columbia, under mainsail and | that of the Shamrock. But so slight was | finish line, close hauled and with booms | reaching In search of the wind or in an | which | sickness 1s, if perchance they had not | | about the lightship while waiting for the | belie his coun threatened. I do | Bryish first-class protected cruisers Ter- not expect any more gold to come out | ribb and Powerful will soon arrive, en- Continued on Second Page, Cantinued on Sacond Pass ene was salling in the other's shadow. in company and so close together that |jib, filled away from a point off the south- ‘west spit at 9:25 to-day and, with sheets Steamers Ponce and Cambridge in Collision. | N BOARD THE STEAMSHIP PONCE, OFF THE HIGHLANDS OF NAVESINK, Oct. T.— Another fizzle, but a grand struggle. A finer struggle for the cup was never witnessed. was a fight from gun to gun. The yachts got off nearly to- Each at times had an advantage over the other, but neither was able to shake The turn of the stakeboat was the closest ever seen. around it, but the Columbia almost lapped her, and when around came into wind- ward position and stood off shore to begin the long, hard fight for home against the But there was not wind enough to take the rivals home. eral miles from the Sandy Hook lightship when the gun ended the struggle Shamrock did remarkably fine windward work. The Columbia was handled splen- didly, but she did not do as well in reaching as on Thursday, owing to the roll of the Her sails suffered by comparison with the Shamrock’s. is the better boat in light weather is still a matter of opinion. Three efforts at a decision in this cup- | There was hardly a second's difference |eased a trifle, headed for the Sandy Hook The Shamrock led They were still sev- The The question of which lightship at a twelve-knot ¢! Besides Managing Owner Iselin and Mrs. | Iselin, there were on board Herbert Leeds Captain Nat Herreshoff, who when the 8 sociated Press boat kols was lying on the weather the deck watching the sails of through a pair of green goggles; Captain | side | Woodbury Kane, whbury Thorne and st named representing Royal Ulster Yacht Club. Captain Barr had the wheel to windward, one of the crew assisting on the lee side. The rest of the crew was distributed along the veather rail. The Columbia was same mainsail as on Thurs The Shamrock made an early Sandy Hook Bay. She passed out by the | point of the Hook at carrying the same sail as the Columbia, arriving off the lightship at a few minutes before 10. | On her deck were seen Henry F. Lippett, the New York Club's representative, Sail- maker Rats Hugh McGill Downey, | Sherman Crawford and Captains Parker, Hogarth and Wringe. At | the Columbia sent up her working tops: in stops, the wind being strong enou: at that time to warrant the s that sail, but even while they w ing it the wind lightened con | and fifteen minutes later the No. topsail was bent on. The Shamrock also bent on a No. 2 club topsail, and hoth achts set these sails at almost the same me. At 10:50 the tug which was to drop the 10g off the | outer mark started to of fifteen miles to leeward. Four minutes later down came the Shamrock’s club top- sall, and In just nine minutes her biggest Jackyarder was ma out. The Columt stheade and s kept he ) sted top- sail on, Captain Barr probably hoping that it would be a more desirable sail in d work and that it would not the work the windw make sufficient down the wind At 11:05 the prep: given, at 11:15 the warr 11:20 the gun to start. ing signal was given both yachts were on the starboard tack, east of the committee boat, the Columbia to windw: | heading to the southwest. The wind was then light from the north-northeast, with little promise of freshening. The Colum- | bia luffed first of the two, until she was | close on the wind on the Starboard tack, | heading as if to cross the committes | boat’s bow. The Shamrock stood on a | little longer, then jibed and came up on | the same tack, setting her staysail as she did so. Captain Barr, to fill in the time, | kept the Columbia off for about thirty | seconds, then luffing her sharp on the | wind again headed her to fetch close by | the committee boat’s bow on the way to the line. Her staysail had not been set, and the Shamrock was traveling with bet. ter headway toward the same spot. Skip- per Hogarth, seeing his chance, it now being less than a minute before gunfire, sent the Shamrock’s bowsprit close along the Columbia’s lee quarter, ready to luff out at gunfire if the opportunity came, Both yachts were running parallel to the line, nefther daring to keep off until the signal. They were able to be at the cen- ter of the line at gunfire. Quick as a flash Skipper Hogarth put her helm down, shot the Shamrock across the Columbia’s wall and as he straightened her up again her bowsprit overlapped the Columbia’s weather quarter. He was able to accom- plish this by reason of the Irish hoat having better headway than the Colum- bia. Captain Barr held his course almost over to the lightship at the weather s of the line before sweeping off, thus try- ing to ferce Hogarth out of the command- ing position which he had so cleverly ob- tained, but in vain. The Shamrock not only held her position, but began to over- haul the other and blanket her. The official time at the start was: Co- lumbia, 11:21:02; Shamrock, 11:21:19. As on one of the previous races Hogarth did not set his balloon jib topsail, being better prepared with the No. 2 iib topsail difference in