The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-03-17
Current Events.

Current Events.
One of the most remarkable storms o.
the wear struck New York, Washington
and the East, on Sunday last, beginning
with drilling rain, then changing To
dowppour OF rain which flooded the streets
On Monday cold wave changed the rair
20 ice and snow, which was so enormous IL
quantity ss 70 blockade all the railroads
running into New York, Philadelphia
Baltimore and Washington, as well as &c
break down the telegraph lines in all direc
tons. The snow embargos OF Dakota OF
the year we're but circumstance" In
comparison. After the snow, the weather
became intensely cold, and the suffering
WAS not only great but somewhat remark
able In It's phenomena. An instance Il
cited of woman freezing 10 death on the
corner of Fulton and Broadway, N. Y,
said TO be the busiest corner In the world
Coal rose TO twenty-five dollars a ton be.
cause of the difficulty OF delivery; milk
reached fifty cents a pint, etc All street
travel was suspended and business came to
an actual stan still. Immense damage was
also done to the shipping, for the wind
blew perfect gale.
The great Mitchell-Sullivan prize fight
which had been the center Of Interest In
sporting circles for weeks, took place on
French soil on Saturday last. Ii Is now
called the great international prize
NDight' Mitchell, having adopted dodg
ing tactics, lead Sullivan a lively dance
about the tweDty.four foot ring and after
thirty. nine rounds the referee declared the
fight a draw. Both were soon after ar
rested by the French gendarmes and lodged
in Jail, to be released later on bail. They
will probably escape with light fine.
Col. Plumb has been authorized TO draw
up, at the direction of the subcommittee,
"A report on the Illinois river and Lake
Michigan waterway improvement. The
report recommends the adoption of Spring.
er's bill with the exception that the work
is to be taken from the hands Of com
mission and placed in the charge Of the
war department. Two plans are presented
one to provide seven feet of water from
Chicago to the Mississippi, the other Tor
a depth Of fourteen feet. The first l.
called the river steamer" plan, allowing
river boats of 600 tons burden a sure
channel, and Is the plan upon the Illinois
state river Improvement scheme was he
L IN and partially completed; the other Il
10 propeller plar, cont. mpiatlng cut
from Lake Michigan 10 secure flow OF
100000 cubic feet OF water per minute, the
route TO be up the Desplaines river and a
six mile cut to Chicago river, so that Lake
propellers can run from Chicago to New
Orleans This Is the plan Col Plumb
favors, and the cost Is estimated at 81 mil
lions--12 TO Is millions greater than the
first mentioned plan, which excess Chicago
claims to be willing TO ply 10 secure the
drainage 1t would afford, The amendment
IA the bill the Colonel is preparing calls for
au immediate survey and location of the
channel, 100 feet wide and % feet deep,
with locks and drains 90 make the water
way perfect. IL Is believed the geaeral
committee will approve the sub commit
tees report amt present the same to con
gress In the near future.
The c., b. q. engineers strike has made
no new developments during the week
looking 70 settlement between the con-
tending PARTIES The railroad has certainly
had the hest Of the struggle 10 far, having
succeeded In daily increasing the equip
ment of trains, so that TO the ordinary
observer, the road Is again running as
veil as ever. The application by the @"
for an order OF court to compel the Wsbash
~ exchange freight was heard by Judge
Gresham on Monday, and on Wednesday a
decision was handed down. He said In
substance that the receiver having rescind
al his order not 10 exchange freight with
me 20 there isn't anything to decide No
scisiOn Is made on the merits of the
question, and consequently II Is accepted
~ both sides as decision In their favor
81 Saturday the engineers ON the D..
tab IL p. road AT Denver quit work. The
road Is leased by the q and taps the coal
districts of Colorado. On Tuesday the
4. L. switch engin ers at Omaha got sick"
whenever 20" was found In their trains
and left their engines. and small strike
"curred from the same cause an the Iron
Mountain road In Mo. No general tie up
the roads was anticipated until on
Thursday when the men on the Santa Fe
rDad quit work ina body The men report
no grievances, and the movement was not
anticipated In the least. They simply say
iney are "a'l tired out SO the strike and
- VAtNto az wv Vubfi as 1tt. mere Is
much more In IL than mere contest for
wages by the q men. Their defeat means
that organized labor is Intellectual; their
success means that II is, so tina, il becomes
fight to determine whether the corpora.
Won can defy organized labor, or whether
labor can force the corporation TO listen TO
iis demands. The struggle, therefore, Is
me OF the highest interest.
The Emperor William Of Germany died
ca Friday night last and has been succeed.
ed by his son as Frederick III the empress
,ring Victoria, daughter of the Queen of
England, The new emperor is, OF course
in very Ill health, being unable TO speak
lat he has returned to Berlin and assumed
the conduct OF the government, aud on
Tuesday promulgated an address TO his
people. II is believed his accession 10 the
throne will do much toward bringing
about peace in Europe, which, not many
lays sgo, was deemed impossible. This
viii, however, depend on his lease OF life.