The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1892-05-26
GREAT LOSS OF LIFE.
Over 1,2OO Persons Said to Have Per
ish in the Hurricane Which Swept thu
Island Of Maurftius

oScF I,SOO PERSONS Sa1O TO have fefs
ish in the Hurricane Which Swept ths
Island of Mauritius.
LONDON, May 21.-As reports come
in from the recent hurricane which
swept the island Of Mauritius the de.
vastation wrought increases in magni.
tude. 1t is known that in the city OF
Port Louis alone 900 persons were
killed. In the various country districts
thus far heard from 800 persons
lost their lives, and these fig.
,.res are more than likely to
be added to when news is received
from the remote districts in the
mountains. It is believed that when
the death roll is completed it will be
found that over 1900 persons were
killed. The great part of the fatalities
were among 'he laboring classes.
The latest official estimates confirm
the previous statement that 1,2O0 were
killed. 1t is thought that many of
those who were injured will die.
One-third of she capital city, Port
Louis, was destroyed. Among the
buildings wrecked was the Royal col
lege and twentyfour churches, Many
sugar mills in the country were demol-
ished and the valuable machinery en-
ployed in the grinding of the cane and
in boiling the product, vacuum pans,
centrifuga's etc, were badly damaged.
Mauritius, or Isle of France, is one Of the
English possessions in the Indian ocean 1t is
about 500 miles east OF Madagascar and has an
area Of 713 square miles. The island is divided
into nine districts. Port Louis, in the north
western part Of the island is the capital and
the port through which all the foreign trade is
carried on. The population is made up
of various Asiatic, African and European
races, and Of every conceivable admixture Of
them all. Among these are several thousand
Hindoos, by whom the sugar estates are mostly
worked The English element is generally con-
fined to English functionaries and a few mer-
chants and has not penetrated the mass Of the
population, which in 1881 was estimated at $780,
S47. English is little spoken
Maurtius is exceedingly picturesque, having
lofty ranges of hills, with bold and grand out
lines. 1t is intersected by three chains Of
noun tains, with spurs radiatirg to the coast
which vary from 200 to 2,S0O feet above the
sea. The rainy season is from January to
April, but showers and storms are frequent at
times particularly in the interior.
Between December and May the island is
subject to hurricanes, for which it's neighbor-
hood is famous. In 1773 the church and 300
houses were destroyed at Port Louis by a hur
ricane The sea opposite Port Louis rose
IS feet at that time. In March, l8lS
and February, 1924 great hurricanes did i'm
mense damage to the plantations and shipping
and caused the loss Of many lives. During
cyclone March l0-12, 1860, nearly 5000 valua BILE
buildings, including some of stone and iron, and
more than 20, 900 huts of the laboring population
were destroyed The number OF persons killed
was eighty-nine.
The vegetation of the island is abundant In.
digo, cotton and spices have been successfully
cultivated. The na tive timber is Of excellent
quality and considerable variety, including
ebony. which is considered the finest in the
world. Nearly every beautiful tree of the
tropics fourishes there Thirteen kinds of
bananas peaches and pineapples are raised on
most Of the plantations Horses, mules,
donkeys horned cattle, sheep and hogs are ex-
ported. The largest quantity of sugar ever i'm
ported from the island was in 1863 to the
amount of 296, ,OO0, 600 pounds.
The Church of England is represented by
bishop with the title Lord Bishop of Mauri-
titus and Its Dependencies. The Roman Cath
olic is however, the prevailing religion.
The government of the island is vested in a
governor aided by an executive council and q
legislative council consisting OF seven Official
members and ten nonoficial members chosen
tTOHl tIle cnlel llHueu prOprletOrS Oh tne lSldnu
and confirmed in the appointment by the crown.
THE METHODISTS.
Resolutions Against the Opium Trade and
Liquor Traffic.
OMAHA, Neb.. May 21.-Bisrop Foss
presided over the session of the Meth
odist conference.
DIR. Hammond. of California. intro
duced resolution declaring that the
iniquitous opium habit was making
fearful headway on the Pacific coast
and that prompt measures should
be taken to stamp it out. He
spoke vigorously upon the resolution
declaring that $4,000 pounds of
prepared opium reached the United
States from China every year. This
prepared opium was of no commercial
value excepting for the use of the
opium smokers and the prohibition of
its importation would not be detrimen-
tai to the legitimate trade. The reso-
luton was adopted.
The committee on temperance and
prohibition of the liquor traffic pre-
sented resolutions holding it to be the
duty of the Methodist Episcopal church
both to save the fallen and wage inces-
SAINT warfare against the liquor traf ffic;
that the word Of God, the teachings
of science and lessons of expert
ence all combine in declaring total alb
stinence to be the duty of every indi-
vidual: that the saloon is an unmiXed
evil, full of diabolism, disgrace
to our civilization, the chief cor
rupter of political action and
a continual menace to the
order of society and the peace and puri-
ty of houses: that the people who sus-
tain them directly or indirectly should
not receive the suffrage of Christian
men; demands no compromise but the
unconditional surrender of the traf-
fic; rejoices in the declaration Of
the supreme court that states may leg
islate for the benefit of public health
and morals; commends the senate for
itsaction and condemns the house for
refusing the appointment of a national
commission to investigate the traffic.
The report concludes:
eve recommend all members Of the Metho-
dist Episcopal church who enjoy the elective
franchise to so use that solemn trust as to pro-
mote the rescue Of our country from the guilt
and dishonor which have been brought upon
it by criminal completely with the liquor
traffic. We do not presume to dictate
the political conduct of our people, but we do
record our deliberate judgment that no political
party has right to expect, nor ought to re-
ceive, the support Of Christian men, SO long as
it stands committed to the license policy or re-
fuses to put itself on record in an attitude Of
open hostility to the saloons
Punished for q Crime.
CoLUMBIA, $. c., May 21.-Elisha
Young, ky Young, Holman Mabel, AL
fred Cressby and Martha Young were
hanged Friday in the Jail yard at Ches-
ter for murder. Martha Young bore a
child to Alfred McAlley last year, and
he, understanding she neglected it, went
to her house and took it away with him.
The following Sunday Elisha Young,
who appears to have been the ringlead-
er, melted Martha and others to attack
McAlley at church with stones, he lead
ing the assault with pistol. The MUIR
dered man was soon knocked down,
when one of the party crushed his skull
with a stone.
Sixteen Negroes Drowned.