The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, March 15, 1902, Page 1

VOLUME XCL—NO, 105. CRATER IS RENT ASUNDER Sharp Volcanic Erup- tion Occurs Near Cook Inlet. | Kenai Residents See Flames ThroughGap in Mountain. Earthquake and Tidal | Wave Accompany Disturbance. , i 1‘ Special Dispatch to The Call. JUNEAU, March 7 (via Seattle, March 14) —Informstion has reached Juneau that about two months ago a terrific volcanic eruption occurred not far from Kenai, on Cook Inlet, about seventy miles above English Bay. After the eruption, or dur- ing it, there was a terrific earthquake, which burst the mountain asunder, leav- ing & large gap, and the mes could be plainly seen from the village. e town of Kenai was eovered with es and subsequently a tidel wave came in, which did much dam- mge. The water in the inlet rose to a great | beight and terror reigned throughout the village | The mountain was still smoking at the | time the letter w tten and occasion- | ally large quantities of lava were thrown from it The letter bringing this information is | from the Russian priest at Kenai, who at one time resided in Juneau. The Excelsior The ground at @id not stop here on her down voyage, consequently the information which was | sent to Juneau Aid mot arrive until the return of the vessel. The steamer at this time of year cannot touch at Kenai, and the letter was brought out to the nearest office by native The Discovery @oubtedly will bring more complete de- | tails. a un- | TEXAS MUD GUSHER ROCKS A BIG HILL | Spindle Top Is Severely Shaken and | & Well and Machinery Are Wrecked, BEAUMONT Mareh 14.—Bpindle Top wae shaken as though by an earth quake to-da) mud gusher d the Texas when the greatest gas and | history of the hill well and buried the arilling | an excavation resembling of & voleano that had been torn out at the mouth of the well in the - ma the hinery in crater Nocks ae large as & man's head were thrown upward until they were wholly lost sight of and the derrick was de- molished. The well finally choked itself. | Then there was a subterranean roar And‘. the earth recked as though from the ef- | fect of an earthquake | Experts are discussing the direction nli the k in the hope of discovering the of the oil stream ADVOCATES NEW LAW TO STOP TRAIN ROBBERY | Congressman Kahn Explains the Ne- cessity for More Vigorous Meas- | ures Against Bandits. ! WASHINGTON, March 14.—Representa- | tive Kahn of California to-day submitted the report of the Judiciary Committee on | © suppregs train robberies. He points out the extent of these depreda- | tions ularly in sparsely settled lo- | calities, where it is difficult to organize | & poss e robbers escaping before the | Posse pursuit | we are accustomed. to | sneer futile efforts of Turkey, | Gr and other countries to stop | brig t we have In train robbing | v em olving both robbery and murder, & cious as brigandage. The b ides the death penalty t hen death results to a the train, otherwise imprisonment | for € 10 ten years. .. R DYNAMITE DESTROYS | RAILROAD PROPERTY Miscreants in Leavenworth Blow Up | Street Cars and Injure One ‘ Woman., | AVENWORTH, Kans, March 14— | Two cars of the Kansas City-Leaven- | worth electric line were dynamited here | to-night. One woman was injured, | The first explosion oecurred early in the | evening the line rumning to Fort Leavenworth, The car was damaged be- yond repair, one of the wheels being torn | off and the motor ruined, A sixty-pound | on wll was split in two, A second explosion oocurred later in the evening on the Wifth | Svenue line. No damage was done beyond breaking of windows. T'he company has offered rewards of 880 for information leading to the arrest of gullty parties, A strike has been on In Leavenworih for some weeks and the Aynamiting of the cars 1s & result - AUTHORITIES ARREST A MUCH -MARRIED MAN | Alleged Bighth Wife Causes the Ar. rest of Christian Nelson in Texas, | BAN ANTONIO, Tex., March 14.—Upon the complaint of his alleged eighth wife, formerly Mrs. Mary A. Parker of Platts- burg, Mo, Christian €. Nelson, alias Cap- | tain A. N. Freeland, alias John Anderson, | alias Nelson Porter, was arrested here to-day at a hotel while in company with his alleged ninth wife, formerly Mrs. A, | E. Milbugn, whom he married at Fort | Bcott, Kans., two weeks ago. | Nelson admits that he is wanted in sev- | eral Btates and it is charged that he has undivorced wives In Los Angeles, Port-| land, Or., Plattsburg, Mo., Salt Lake, St. Paul and other points. He is about 4 years old, good looking, well dressed and speaks with a #light German accent. | uni RATIFIES RULES OF WARFARE Senate Upholds Work of Hague Peace Conference. | Criticismof Funston’s Method in Taking Aguinaldo. Burton Admits That Americans Acted as Spies. WASHINGTON, March 14.—The Senate | spent an hour in executive session to-day on the convention growing out of The Hague peace conference relating to the conduct of war on land and sea, and fin- | ally ratified the agreement without a division. The discussion turned dircctly on the conduct of the war in the Philip- capture of Aguinaldo. Se eller inquired whether, if this treaty had been in force at the time, the method of Aguinaido’s capture could have been justified. He quoted the prov treaty relating to fon of the the conduct of spies and said that he did not mean himself tc that General Funston’s course would not have been regular, but merely fo secure the opinion of Senators who had given attention to the treaty and say who also were familiar with the details | of Aguinaldo’s capture. IN CAPACITY OF SPIES. Senator Burton replied to the inquiry, speaking especially for General Funston, and said that he was sure the proceedings on the general's part had been not only humane, but that they had been in ac- cordance with the rules of civilized war- fare. It was true, he said, that General Funston and his force had acted scme- what in the capacity of sples, but what | they had done had been in the line of | honorable warfare, Benator Hoar also spoke at some length regarding this provision In the treaty He referred to, Aguinaldo's capture and sald that he belleved the adeption of the treaty would have a tendency toward elevating the conduct of modern warfare Bome of the members of the Committee | on Forelgn Relations sald recently that the ratification of this treaty would place | this eountry in accord with the thought of the times, and expressed the hope that the treaty would receive the unanimous support of the Benate, Those who ralged questions apropos of the dis- cussion diecfaimed any Intention to pre- | vent favorable action. PARTY TO THE TREATY. The countries party of the treaty are Germany, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Bpain, the United Btates, Mexico, France, Great Britain, Greece, Italy, Japan, Lux- embourg, Montenegro, The Netherlands, Persia, Portugal, Roumania, Russia, Ser- via, SBweden and Norway, Turkey and Bulgaria. The provisions of the treaty are binding only on the contracting pow- ers in case of war between two or more of them and cease to be binding when a non-contracting power joins either of the belligerents. The most §mportant feature of the treaty, the contents of which have been generally known, is that prohibiting the use of “dum-dum” bullets. Among other things specially prohibited are: To empioy poison or polsoned arms. To kill or wound treacherously individuals belonging to the hostile nation or army. To kill or wound an ememy who, having ia1d down arms, or having no longer means of defense, has surrendered at discretion. To declare that mo quarter will be given. To ‘employ arms, projectiles or material of & nature to cause superfluous injury. To make improper use of & flag of truce, the national flag or military ensigns and the enemy’s uniform, as well as the distinctive badges of the general convention. To destroy or selze the enemy's property such destruction or selzure be impera- tively demanded by the necessities of war. PERMITS RUSES OF WAR. Ruses of war and the employment of methods necessary to obtain information about the enemy and the country are con- sidered allowable, The treaty provides as follows regard- ing sples: An individual can only be con. sidered & spy If, mcting clandestinely, or on false pretenses, he obtains or seeks to obtain information in the zone of opera tions of & belligerent, with the intention of communicating it to the hostile party, Thus, soldiers not in disguise who have penetrated into the sone of operations of a hostile army to obtain Information are not considered spies, Mimilarly the fol- lowing are not considered mples; Holdiers or clvillans, carrylng out thelr misslon openly, charged with the delivery of dis- patehes destined either for thelr own wrmy or for that of the enemy. To this class belong Nkewise Individuals sent In balloons to deliver dispatches and gener- wlly to maintaln communieation betw the various parte of an army or & terrl. tory Sagasta May Be Crowded Out. LONDON, March 16~The Madrid cor- respondent of the Btandard says in a dis- patch that Premier Bagasta is belng el- bowed out of office. The Premier has long been aware, says the dispatch, that the palace favored a concentration Ministry under Benor Montero Rios, the President of the Benate, and elected to fall on the bank bill rather than walt for a crisis on the more delicate question of religlous de- crees. - FPestoffice Bill Is Passed. WASHINGTON, March 14.—The House to-day passed the postoffice appropriation bill. The only amendment of importance adopted was one to. Incorporate in the bill the provisions of the bill to classify the rural free delivery service, passed a few days ago highest | (Rl R ) SAN FRANCISCO, SATURDAY, MARCH 15, 1902. CONGRESSMEN ARE BECOMING SIGNIFICANTLY ACTIVE IN THE CAUSE OF THE BOERS i | + |Government Forces PRICE FIVE CENTS. HERRERA SUFFERS BIG LOSS Hundreds of Colom- bian Rebels Slain | or Wounded. ; Also Share in Disaster. 5 CHAIRMAN OF THE HOUSE DEMO- CRATIC CAUCUS, AND A NOTED BRITISH FIELD MARSHAL. ASHINGTON, March 14.—Representative Ran- dall of Texas to-day circulated among his Democratic colleagues of the House a petition for a caucus of Democratic members to consider what course should be adopted in relation to . the Gov- ernment’s attitude toward the Boers. The petition was addressed to Representative Hay, chairman of the Democratic caucus, and named March 19 as the time for the gathering. The signatures were very gen- eral on the Democratic side of the House and the caucus probably will be held, al- though no call has been yet Issued, PRty st HITT'S DEFENSE OF HAY, Sending of Relief to South Africa Again Discussed in House, WABHINGTON, March 14~While one of the bills relating to Arisonn was being considered in the House In committee of the whole, Representative Burleson of Texas got the floor and renewed the dls- cussion of the case of Rev, W, H, Thomas and wife, whose application to the Htate Department for a request to the Hritish authorities for passports to enter the Hoer lines In Bouth Africa for the purposs of distributing rellef funds, was brought to the attention of the Mouse by him a few days ago. Durleson declared that Hitt's defenxe of the refusal of the Htate De- partment to acceds to the request, while it might have been able to accede, was Ylame. The Btate Department in des olining the request, he sald, did not plead the violation of International comity, as Hitt had done. Burleson declared that the hypothesis of Hitt as to our refusal to allow Confederate mympathizers to go through the lines during the Civil War was not a parallel case, and moreover, he sald, it was not a historieal fact. He read a letter from a Unlon surgeon sta- tioned at City Point, Va., during the war, who told how the Unlon forces allowed re- llef to pass through the lines, “If General S8herman,’’ asked he, ““had concentrated Bouthern women and chil- dren in camps did any one imagine that the North would not have allowed relief to be sent to them?" Hitt of Tllinois, chairman of the Com- mittee on Forelgn Affairs, replied briefly to Burleson. He sald he felt some hesi- tation about renewing the controversy raised by a resolution which was not be- | 4 Petition for Caucus of Democrats to Con= sider the Uovernment’s Attitude. fore the House.- His- observations the other day, he said, had been of an off- hand character. He would content him- self at this time, he sald, with having read a letter he had received from Secre- tary Hay. The letter follows: EPARTMENT OF STATE, WASH- INGTON, March 12, 1902.—Sir: Referring to the resolution recently introduced in the House, I beg to make the following statement of facts: “A few days ago & young gentleman called and asked whether this department would {ssue a passport to Rev. Mr. Thomas and Mrs. Thomas, who were in- tending to go to South Africa for the pur- pose of distributing funds which had been collected In Tllinols for the benefit of the sufferers by the war, I sald at once that the department would issue the passports desired and that I would also giye Mr, Thomas a letter commending him to every one whom I could influence and asking thelr assistance in his errand, Inquiry was then made whether this Government would ask of the British Government per~ misslon for Mr. and Mrs, Thomas to go at will through the British military eamps and lines, a suggestion which I thought Impraocticable, “Piis department s ready at any time to consult with a representative of Govs ernor Yates as to the best means of get- ting Into the proper hands suma cons tributed by oharitable people of Iliinols for the rellef of the sufferers by the war in Bouth Afrien. 1 am, slr, very rospeots fully, your obedient servant, N "JOHN HAY." Tmmedintely afterward THitt presented the resolution reported by his committes which called on the Hecretary of State for the facta In the cass of the applica« tlon made to the Btate Department in be. halt of Mr, Thomas and wife, The reso lution w dopted without debate, e Py Gy LACK OF ORGANIZATION. Admiral Beresford SBounds n Warning to Great Britain, LONDON, March 14.—In an address to- day before the London Chamber of Com- merce on the lack of administrative effi- clency In the British organization for de- fonse Rear Admiral Charles Beresford re- marked that initial naval reverses similar to the military reverses experlenced in 5 | it Wolseley Is Going to| South Africa. — ONDON, March 14.—Field Mar- | * shal Lord Wolseley will start | for Cape Town to-morrow. | Although the officlals deny | that his trip Is anything but a private visit gossip connects it with the military situation. It is point- ed out that Lord Wolseley's knowledge of South Africa, gained as a fighter and | administrator, might be highly useful to Lord Kitchener, either at the base (Cape | Town) or at Pretoria. Lord Wolseley himself says his trip is entirely private. - Colonel Frank Rhodes and Arthur Rhodes, brothers of Cecil Rhodes, and Lady Methuen will be passengers on the steamer which will take Lord Wolseley to Cape Town, HEILBRON, Orange River Colony, Tuesday, March 11, —Commandant Mentz, with the Heilbron command of Boers, broke through the Hellbron-Wolve Hoek blockhouse line at Gottenburg last night, The Boers had been pursued for several days, 8o far as known only one Boer was killed, The British columns, during the pursult of Commandant Ments, plcked up seattered parties of Boers aggregating fifty men, ——— MORE HUMANE THAN BRITISH, CHICAGO, March 4.—Cornellus I, Wensels and A, D, Wolmarans, the Boer envoys to the United Atates and Europe, and Montagu White, special representa- tive of tha Mouth Afrioan republios, ar- rived In Chicago to-day, In company with members of the Chlcago Hoer committee, the envoys attended the funeral of ex- Governor Altgeld, Afterward they held conferences with eltisens of Chicago, wiio have In hand the work of ralsing funds for the rellef of Boer women and children and prisoners of war, ‘I do not say we shall drive the Kng- 1ish out of Bouth Africa” sald Wessels, “but T ean say the war will continue, 1t will be waged until the present warriors are A and long afterward. The opin- fon that we are semi-barbarians seems to be held by many people here and in Europe. ‘“T'he release of Methuen ought to prove that our wsoldlers are at least more humane than the English. Methuen de- stroyed more farms and wrecked more homes than did any other commander. Our officers are executed for doing what the English awards the fron cross for, Humanity prompted the relcase of Me- thuen. “The recent victories show that we are not waging the warfare of brigands. We | 200 miles by way of Santiago, Indians Aid Insur- | gents in Siaughter at Agua Dulce. | PANAMA, March 14.—The Government generals, Castro and Ortiz, arrived herz at 11 o'clock this morning and received one of the most enthusfastic welcomes | ever witnessed in Panama. The crowds | in the streets leading to the railroad sta- | tion made traffic impossible. Referring to the engagement at Agua | Dulce February 20, General Castro told the correspondents that the Government (rocps, numbering 300 men, were attacked by 3000 revolutionists. On the third ‘day of the fighting both drinking water and | ammunition in Agua Dulce became scarce‘l and General Castro erdered his troops to | retreat. To do this the Government forces | had to break through the rebel lines. BRAVERY OF THE REBELS. General Castro says he knows positively | that of the forces under the revolution- | ary general, Herrera, over 700 were killed or wounded. He characterized the bra- very of the revolutionists as something | extraordinary, and said that many of | them were killed within three feet of the entrenchments. General Salazar, the Governor of Pan- ama, says that the arrival of General Bertie, with 2000 men of the battalion of Gramalotte, is expected here within a/ short time, When these forces arrive an | attack upon the revolutionists under Gen- | eral Herrera will immediately be made, | General Castro traveled over 300 miles in | croseing the Andes from Agua Dulee to ! Bocas del Toro, Many of his men died “uu this march, | A rveport has just reached here that | sixty men of the ffth battalion of Call | have landed near Colon, TRIES TO RETREAT. COLON, Colombla, March 4.—~The fols lowify Teport was obtained Ifom the | Government troops which arrived hers yerterday from Hoecas del Toro: Upon | | finding the revolutionary attack upon | Agua Dulee, February 2, to be irresist- | ible, owing to the enemy’s superior num- | bers, their artillery and their supplies of an'munition, General Castro tried to re- treat to David and Chiriqui, which towns | were known to be hard fressed by the| | revolutionists under Quintero and Peres. | This is a long and tiresome march over Las Pal- mas, Remedios and Harconcitos. Shortly after leaving Harconcitos a | small body of Government troops was | | met. These men reported that Colonel i Luque had been killed in battle February 2 and that the revolutionists were in pos- | session of David. General Castro there- | fore decided to try to effect the difficult | march across the mountains to Bocas del | Toro. Considering the hardships of the | march, General Castro's troops arrived | there in fairly healthy condition and are | enthusiastic to continue the struggle. The march from Agua Dulce to Bocas del | Toro occupled seventeen days, during the last five of which bananas were the only obtainable food. Drinking water was plentiful. INDIANS AID IN SLAUGHTER. General Castro’s soldiers report that 800 men on both sides were killed during the | fighting at Agua Dulce. The revolulion-‘ ists lost 550 and the Government forces | 250 men. It is also sald that the Indian chiet Lorenzo and his half-caste Indians | participated in the attacks and kllledi many of the Government soldiers with machetes, The rifle fire during the Agua Dulge battle was deadly and persistent. The din of the rifles was so great that the cannon fire could ndt be heard. The slaughter and massacre at this battle are described as something awful, The re- mainder of General Castro’s com- mand, which originally numbered 1000 men, have been killed, wounded, taken prisoners or have escaped, The Government is confident that the revolutionists are still unable to take elther Colon or Panama, Reinforcements will doubtiess soon arrive here from the Interior, Generals Castro and Ortis and the troops of thelr commands left here for Panama this morning, Colonel Uribe, cousin of General Uribe. Uribe, was killed in the battle of Agua Duies, ——— DARK CAVOUR BARELY ESCAPES DESTRUOTION Twice Baved When It Appeared Cer: tain That Bhe Would De Car- rled Ashore, VICTORIA, B, ¢, March 14.<The lal fan bark Cavour, which has arrived here, had two close culls during her storm- tossed stay off the entrance to the stralts, where she has been buffeted by continus ous gales since March 3. Bhe was driven northward by a heavy southea gale, with a mountainous sea, thrown on her beam ends, her decks flooded several times and was within seven miles of the land, Tt seemed that nothing could pre- vent her golng ashore, when a fortunate squall carried her off. Home days afterward the voasel worked to the south of Flattery, taking advant: of a southwest gale with great se: ur days ago, her mastoy salled her for the straits. The wind dropped and left her In a tremendous swell, which sent her into the Fiattery rocks. The boats were got ready and preparations made to leave the ship, for she was in the breakers between Uma- capture whole columns of English. That is not brigandage.”. 3 Fes S tilla lightship and the rocks, when the tug Tacoma arrived and rescued her. INSPIRES PRINCE’S JOURNEY Shrewd Work of the Embassador From Germany. Administration Will Watch Diplomat’s Actions. Recall of Sternberg Attributed to Von Holileben. Special Dispatéh to The Call CALL BUREAU, 1406 G STREET, N. W., WASHINGTON, March 14.—Since the publication of the charges of Improper conduct made by Emil Witte, a former employe of the German Embassy, against Her von Holleben, the German Embas- sador, Washington has been careful scrutinizing the course of the diplom: from the time he was accredited to this Government. This scrutiny has estab- lished that so far as overt acts are con- cerned the Embassador has done nothing which would bring abeut his recall. But some things have come to the attention of “he authorities which show the way he feels toward the United States. His treat= ment, or at least that of his Government, of Baron von Sternberg, formerly coun- selor and first secretary of the German Embassy, has not been forgotten. Baron von Sternberg was on terms of close friendship with Roosevelt when Governor of New York and Vice President. The Baron also enjoyed the most cordial re- lations with the late President McKinley | and Secretary Hay and through his per- sonal efforts many questions of Import- ance existing between the two Guverns ment were brought to an amicable settle- ment. Herr von Holleben went to Ger- many on leave in 1900 and Baron ven Sternbers was left here as charge d'af- faires, RECALL OF STERNBERG. Understanding the Influences possessed by the United States in the concert of na- tions respecting China, Haron von Stern- berg made every effort to have this Gov- ernment and his own move together in disposing of the question. In Heptember the German Government proposed that as A condition precedent to pegotiations China should be required to surrender the Chinese responsible for the Hoxer out- break. Understanding that the proposal would be rejected, Baron von Sternberg urged his Government to withdraw, but Germany refused to adopt the suggestion of her agent here and directed him to press it. As had been predicted, the United States rejected the proposal. Herr von Holleben was not friendly to Baron von Sternberg and the latter's friends claim that as a result of his rep- resentations the charge d'affalres was re= called and degraded. The German Government at the time denied that the Baron had been disgraced, but the fact that he was assigned to Cal- cutta as Consul General, where he has only commercial questions to deal with, while in Washington he was charge d'at- faires and discussed great International matters, shows, in the opinion of officials, the contrary. At the time it was freely stated that Baron von Sternberg's recall was due to the fact that he was entirely too friendly to the United States. Herr ven Holleben is known to have manifested great interest in the views of the Ger- man-Americans of this country and his embassy has made reports to Berlin re- garding American nival development. WILL WATCH EMBASSADOR. The authorities do not place official cred- ence in Witte's charges, but they will watch Herr von Holleben's future con= duct with particular interest to obtain more Hght upon his attitude toward this country. Herr von Holleben is given credit for suggesting the visit of Prince Henry as a means of creating a feellng of friendship between the United States and Germany. The Prince’s mission signally failed, it its purpose was to make the United States more friendly to Germany than to any other nation. A high official sald to-day that undoubtedly the action of Emperor Willlam was a matter of gratification to the President and it had undoubtedly created a good feeling which might even~ tually enable the negotiation of a recl~ procity treaty. But beyond this it fur- nished an opportunity to the Prince and his sulte to obtain an Idea of the immense resources of the United Htates, and this may be of importance in connection with Germany's future attitude toward this Government. CHIEF WILKIE EXPLAINS Chief Wilkle of the United Htates seoret Hght service to-day threw new o the question Involving the charges against the German Bmbassador made by Witle, He sald n Dee It Witte voluntarlly deliv ored (o Ovapative Plynn, who la In chaves of the New York disteiet of (he seeret wervioe divislon, & long statement and varlous ox hibite, which e alleged corroboratod his story, and thelr delivery waa aecompanied by an (i timation that he would expect to be puid fur the Intermation. These papers ware forwarded 1o me by Fiynn. An examination satisfied me that the story was overdrawn and probably 98 per cent gonsip, with § per cent distorted facis, and this opinlon was confirmed by consulia- tion with prominent Government offlcers, who doomed the entire matter unworthy of con- sideration, Just before that time vublie in- terest In the approaching visit of Prince Heney of Prussia was growing in magnitude, and Witte, having heard nothing st all from me, wrote a letter demanding the Immediate retuen of all his paners, stating that he had arranged for thelr publieation. While I did not considor it at all likely that a oublisher could ;be found who would use Witte's material, which was a practieally uu- eapported statement of & man with & griev- Continued on Page Two,