Omaha daily bee., 1889-07-27

for Arctic laurels, until the goal has been
reached and photographed. II IL Is ever at
tained, it will probably be by q small expedi-
tion OF picked men in charge OF q leader like
Nansen, who has plenty OF dash, vigor,
strength and intelligence. II next season
proves to be an unfavorable leo year, the ex-
pedition may return TO await a more hopeful
occasion; but II Nansen, finely equipped, has
such chance to steam as far north rs Leigh
Smith enjoyed on some Of his trips to Franz
Josefs Land, he will be likely to make
notable Arctic journey whether he fetches
the Pole or not
-.
Within the last two months, IL the reports
conveyed from China are true, not less than
| seventy thousand persons have been
| drowned or burned TO death in the empire
| The horror Of the Conemaugh disaster be-
comes Insignificant, so far as loss OF life was
| concerned, when compared with the terrible
| floods That devastated large districts in the
| Chinese provinces, and now comes the news
of recent fire at Lu Chow, which burned
| for twenty-three hours, destroyed 81, 900
| dwellings and caused tho loss of l,S0O lives,
no less than 200 persons having burned IN
the flames. Should these calamities con-
| tinue TO follow upon each others heels even
|
soon be swept away. The loss OF 10000
| people out of population of 100, COO 900 may
| seem small by comparison, but 70, 900 in two
months would mean 100000 In twelve
months, and from present indications it
would seem as though the percentage Of loss
| from calamities Of all kinds, including the
| periodical famine, would be maintained II
| not increased.
The tact of the shah was demonstrated be-
yond question ut Birmingham, England.
When he stepped on the platform tho crowd
fairly mobbed him. He took in the situation
| at glance, smiled, and readily responded to
| the requests of scores of men and women to
| shake hanls with him. Had he been Eu-
| ropean, says one London journal, instead Of
an clstern sovereign, he cound not have
shown himself more apt to comprehend tho
| free and good-natured spirit Of an English
| crowd. No one wonders at his ability to rule
| Persia. When he went TO Sheffield, on en-
| tering the station, after listening 10 an ad-
| dress of welcome, he found the waiting room
| packed with presents for him. the gifts of
| the various local manufacturers. There
| were fishing rods, tackle of all kinds, a mar
| vellous variety of artificial flies, minnows
and other small ware, all put up in handsome
boxes. The shah, through Prince Malcom
| Khan, expressed his thanks and said the
presents would be put on exhibition in Per-
| sa, and would be q kind of educational aid
| to his people, and let them ses what iugen-
| ious and useful things tho English can pro-
duce.
Professor Sayce, who spent last winter in
| Egypt investigating some newly discovered
| archives, says that from these records we
| learn that more than fourteen hundred years
| before Christ, and a century before the ex-
| odus of the Jews from Egypt, there was ac-
| tive literary Intercourse between Babylon,
Egypt, Palestine, Syria, Mesopotamia and
| eastern Cappadocia. This intercourse was
| carried on through the Babylonian Ian
| guage and the complicated Babylonian
| script showing that all over the civilized
| east there must have been libraries and
| schools where this language and literature
were taught. Babyloniam at that time,
| must have been much the language Of
| diplomacy and cultivated society as French
| in our day.