The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-09-15
SEIZURE OF SIGRI
Takes Possession of a
Part Of Mitylene.
1T CAUSES A STIR IN EUROPE
Downing Street Officials Neither Confirm Nor
Deny the Rumor-lt is to Checkmate
the Franco-Russian Game.

LONDON, Sept. A.-An intimation of the
intention Of the British government to oc-
cupy an island giving point of vantage
near the Dardanelles was first heard of in
the Junes diplomatic circles of Vienna and
Berlin soon after Sir William Whites au-
olence with the Sultan on Friday last.
Nothing about it, however, appeared in
European newspapers till a Constantinople
cable startled the bourses and public TODAY.
Inc reports were at first treated as incredi-
Die and are still held to be of doubtful au-
tnentlclty, or at least exaggerated. In the
absence OF foreign Office confirmation of the
reports and until the details of the action of
BRITISH warships are known, the full sig
hlneahce OF the movement cannot be re-
vealed 1t can be stated on nigh authority,
Sir William White asked the Sultan to as
sent to British occupation of some point
within striking distance of the straits and
Offering good harborage for a feet.
Iendos and Besika bay, where the feet
rendezVouses from 1876 to 1878 have been
surveyed recently and were reported to
the admiralty adversely. The offer made
to the Sultan revived the request which
the british government made to the Sultan
IN 1870, prior to the ACOUSTIC n of Cyprus
TO purchase an island near the Dsrdanelles
Inns project was long the subject Of nego-
tlatlon ana was abandoned on signs of an
Anglo-IurklSh convention in June 1873
Inc selzlng OF Sieri, therefore, connot have
occurred without the conniZance of the
Sultan.
An official announcement was issued in
Constantlnople yesterday that q complete
mad orr ~, CT
William White and the Sultan. but the
terms OF restored harmony were not men
tloned. The lntlmation that the seizure of
the Island would be followed by it's fortiti-
cation is modified by Berlin report to-
night that Lord Salisbury does not contem-
plate permanent occupation of the island
Dut mas designed the movement rather as
demonstration to checkmate the Franco
RUSSIAN game. The movement accentuates
the diplomatic crisis. Admiral Hoskins. in
command OF the British Mediterranean
squadron, Is about to be replaced by Ad-
mlral Bryan, who holsted his flag in 1857
on the Nile and who sailed from Ports
mouth for Gibraltar on Friday to take over
the command.
Official kilograms report 1,50C persons
persisted In the destruction of Consnepra
by the overflow of the Amarguillo. Hin
dreds OF others were injured by falling
buildings, and enormous numbers of Cattle
persisted. At other places many persons
were drowned and much property dam
aged.
Late this evening another and more start
Ing dispatch comes by telegraph from
Athens. 1t is that the Greek consuIs at
Mltyiene and at Smyrna have wired the
Greek government that thirteen British
men-of war landed troops and guns at Sigri
on Friday, and that they have already
strongly fortified the place.
Lord Salisbury's chief private secretary
has returned Unexpectedly to London. and
ID busy at the foreign office.
The st. James Gazette this evening saws:
The starting news concerning the island
OF Mitylene obviously possesses political
significance of the first Importance. Com.
tlnuiDg, 1t adds that the island of Mitylene
has position of considerable strategic i'm
portance, although possessing little in the
way OF fertilization.