davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The herald., 1893-02-01
DEATH IN THE GRECIAN ISLES.
A Terrible Earthquake in the
Island of Zante.
Buildings Toppled Over and Many
People Killed.
Prisoners Crushed to Death in Their
Cells - -Terror-Stricken Inhab-
itants Camped in the
Open Fields.

BY the Associated Press.
ATHENS, Jan. 3l.-The island of Zante
was shaken this morning by an earth
quake anu panic ensued. In the town
of Zante many houses were wrecked.
The dome of the prison fell, and many
prisoners were killed. The walls of the
prison were sprung and cracked; the
hospital was shaken partly from it's
foundations; the floors settled and the
roof sank several feet. Two hours
later tine town was shaken by
repeated shocks. More houses fell
and the prison became 30
unsafe that the remaining prisoners
were removed. The people fled from
their homes, crowding the market place.
Scores OF families are camped in the
fields. Many dead bodies have been
found in the ruins and hundreds of peo-
pie severely injured. 1t is impossible to
get further details. The government
has sent provisions to relieve the home-
less.
ZANTE, Jan. 31.-A violent shock of
earthquake occurred here at 80 this
morning. This is the culmina-
tion of come 800 shocks felt
during the past FIVE months.
The center was the sea be-
tween the island of Zante and Morea.
Many houses were destroyed and all
badly damaged. Some villages are
heaps of ruins.
The herald., 1893-02-01

So FAR we have had within fraction
OF sixteen inches of rain for this season.
The HERALD has advised its readers,
from the start, to rely upon a generous
precipitation this year. The downpours
of the last three or four days have been
worth millions of dollars to Los Angeles
and San Bernardino counties, and the
northern portion of San Diego county.
No meteorologist has so far given any
account of the curious fact that, Just as
one approaches San Diego, going south,
the precipitation steadily decreases.
Old Captain Wilcox of the
Colorado Steamship Navigation com
pany was won't to say, when
he ran up to San Francisco
to meet his old friend, Captain Harts-
horne, raining in Los Angeles, threat
ening rain in San Diego" This was the
exact truth, and no amount of good ma
ture could change it. The San Diego
river shows how broad that stream can
be occasionally, but it is generally so
destitute of water that many people
from the east, not knowing the peculiar
tiles of many California rivers, indulge
in unsightly levity about the matter.
They think that big river ought to run
bank full.
The herald., 1893-02-01
A SUICIDES WILL.
The Proceeds of Lottery Ticket Be-
uuesthed to the Poor.

Inc frOceods OF a LOttery Ilcket BE-
questhed to the Poor.
SAN BERNARDIso, Jsn. 3l.-An IN
known man committed suicide in a
lodging house last night by taking chic.
roform. Among his effects was found a
Mexican lottery ticket, on the back OF
which was written: "Give half of this
to the poor of San Francisco, Los An
geles and San Diego, and buy lot with
the balance in which to bury me-" 1t
is not known whether the ticket drew a
prize.
The name of the man is still un-
known though the coroner's inquest re-
vealed the fact that a man signing him
self @. Nickles had purchased 80 grains
of morphine at Bedford's pharmacy,
which corresponds to the bottle found
in the room of the deceased, but from
the care the dead man took to conceal
his identity it ia thought that G.
Nickles must be an assumed name. A
clipping from Los Angeles paper was
found in his room, giving partial &C.
count OF case in Judge Ovens court in
Los Angeles, in which the names of
McCrary and Schultz appear, and as a
handkerchief of the deceased is marked
II. NJ, it is thought that his name may
be McCrary, and that some light may be
thrown on the mystery by searching the
justice court records in Los Angeles.
The herald., 1893-02-01

lowed it up by the Gadsden purchase.
Mr.. Jefferson's purchase of the Louis
lana territory gave US noble extension
of territory. We ought to have held to
our original proposition of fifty.four
forty or fight, on the Puget Sound terri
tory, but we failed to do so. The
Sandwich islands, as coaling station,
ought to belong to the United States. II
we do not acquire them the least we
can do is to prevent their falling into
the hands of any European power.
There is really nothing the matter with
the Sandwich islands as republic,
with an American protectorate. Eng.
land would like to grasp the islands,
but she knows we'll that the United
States will not allow them to pass into.
the possession of any other power.
The herald., 1893-02-01

THERE is certainly something very
amusing in the way England throws out
morality to the United States on the
question OF the acquisition of territory.
When the tight little island wants any
thing, whether it is in Africa or India Or
In the Mediterranean, in the north seas
or the south seas, or anywhere else, she
Immediately proceeds to take it, es-
pecislly if thequestion in dispute should
happen to be with very weak power.
In the case of the Sandwich islands, the
people OF that romantic country actually
desire annexation to the United States,
and they ought to be taken at their
word. AS generally happens, when the
crisis came our armament at Honolulu
was quite small, the Boston, vessel
chiefly adapted for coast defense, being
the only msn-of-war we had in Hawaiian
waters at this critical conjuncture.
While the United States may not annex
hawaii, it is absolutely certain that it
VIII never permit any other power to
absorb this plum of the Pacific.
The herald., 1893-02-01
HONEST STREET WORK DEMANDED.

The HERALD's structures upon worth.
less psvements and sidewalks yesterday
morning caused some OF our larger prop
erty-owners to put on their thinking
caps. They begin to see how it is that
men whose business methods were abso-
lutely conscienceless could always get
street contracts under the former sd-
ministration, while men who believed
in "a fair days work for fair day 8
pay" could bid forever and not get a
contract. Yesterday the new street
superintendent, accompanied by the
city engineer, made an inspection of the
new psvements and sidewalks. on Sec
ond street, referred to in yesterday
MORNINGS Issue of this paper. A
HERALD reporter met the city engineer
on the street at late hour in the after
noon, and asked him what he thought
about it. The city engineer said he was
not prepared to talk about it now, but
would make report upon it at the
next meeting of the city council. 1t is
generally understood that it will CEN
sure the contractors pretty severely.
There are about $4,000 superficial
feet of cement sidewalk and asphalt
pavements now contracted for or else
covered by ordinances of intention. The
taxpayers union, under the leadership
of the indefatigable Griffith, is thor
oughly awake to the exigencies of the
situation and is about to place an ex-
pert on every bit of this contract work.
When work that should contain 164
per cent OF good cement is found to con-
tain less than 6 per cent it is about
time that people began to look after
their property interests. A street de-
partment run in the interests of con-
tractors who do not believe in rendering
fair equivalents for what money they
receive is not useful appendage to any
municipal form of government.
Just now that Office is in the hands of
young man who seems to be independ-
ent of that class of contractors and who
does not seem to be looking to them to
furnish him with the "sinew OF war;
for reelection in 1894. Ga the con-
trary, he has the appearance and be-
havior of self-reliant young man who
realizes the fact that no partisan record
is as good as that OF having made a re-
sponsible and conscientious officer; and
the HERALD takes this occasion to re-
mind Mr.. Watson that he can hold his
present position as long as he likes, pro-
vided that he holds himself above the
temptation to become rich by serving
two masters. He has certainly made 6
good start in official life and is moi
likely to fail for the lack of good be.
ginning.
The herald., 1893-02-01
FISH IN THE STREETS.
A Little Eposide of Mondays Storm
Sent to Col. Teed.

Sent to Col. Teed.
President Teed of city council yes
terday morning received the following
interesting communication signed w.
F. Barber, fisherman, 29l5 Figueroa
street:
AS you are the official representative
of the Fifth ward, believe it is the
duty Of the residents of that ward to
notify you of any event or circumstance
that may tranepire which may be of
interest to that section of the city.
AS we now have every prospect of the
establishment OF emelter as well as
packing house, both of which will be
located in other sections of the city
than the one you represent, | would
propose that you use your influence in
starting fish curing establishment
somewhere in the neighborhood of
Figueroa and Adams street, and as
objections may be raised to such i'm
provements, on the ground of scarcity
of raw material, hereby send you a
sample of fish caught in front of Major
Bonebrake's residence last evening,
January 80, at O'Clock.
Do what you can for us in the matter
and under no consideration take any ac-
ton 20 relieve the residents of Figueroa
street of their fishing privileges.
The carp is about IL inches long and
is supposed to have come down tine
Arroyo de los Reyes from reservoir
No. 4, or down the ZaDia,
The herald., 1893-02-01

THERE are two questions that at
intervals engage the attention of con-
gress. The first is whether it would not
be good thing to abolish all of our dip
lomatic service above the rank OF consul
and consul-general. The long array of
ssrvitors at the court of Europe, ambas-
sadoss, ministers plenipotentiary and
extraordinary, are all people that rep
resent effete conditions. They really
represent, in their wretched court para
phernalia, the old foppery of the middle
ages. To have a lot of solemn prigs dressed
up in the old court costumes may still
please lot of old women, but it really
1nnults the civilization of the day to
have such effete costumes trailing
through this age, which, by the way, is
prosaic and work-a-day one.
The herald., 1893-02-01
HEAVY RATE CUTTING.
The Pacific Mails Action In View
Competition.

The Pacific Mails Action In View of
Competition.
New YORK, Jan. 3l.-The policy of
the Panama railroad company in put
ting on line of steamships in opposi-
tion to the Pacific Mail company has
impelled the latter to reduce the pas
senger rate to Colon from 500 to $40,
and the freight rate from SO to So per
ton The significance of this action will
be grasped when it is considered that it
js an eight days journey to the isthmus
This commercial war gains additional
significance from the alleged fact that
the management of the Panama rail-
road company has advertised abroad for
foreign steamboats, to carry freight from
New York to the isthmue.
The herald., 1893-02-01

Nor every opponent OF county division
can have Divine Providence on its side,
which seems to have been the case in
the person OF the advocate of Mr.. Price,
who had charge of the bill dividing
Fresno county, and who dropped dead in
his tracks. Riverside county will prob
ably materialize, as it ought to. There
will be few more attractive regions in
the world than that which will comprise
the new Riverside county. The pro-
jected counties of San Antonio and San
Jacinto will not 60 through at this ses-
sion. The old Latin line make haste
slowly" will come into play on that
proposition. 1t would really puzzle any,
body to present logical argument why
Riverside county should not be created,
and Sundays edition of the HERALD
settled the question, in our judgment.
The herald., 1893-02-01

IT WAS in vain to deprive the fu.
neral of Blaine of the inevit-
able characteristics of public
demonstration. The fact is that his
immediate family ought to have recog-
nized the fact that the public has rights
when it comes ton man at once distin-
guished and loved by masses of the peo-
pie. There nay be sslfshness in grief,
and surely there is something appreci-
ative in the noble tribute of whole
people. In the late funeral the people,
we are glad to be able to say, were
saved one thing. There were no post
mortem agonles to still further intensity
the grief of his friends. Mrs. Blaine i :
9 lady of marked force of character, and
she settled that point peremptorily and
for good. She also did her best to keep
all prurient details of the illn ess of her
husband from the papers, which was
distinctiYely step in advance.
The herald., 1893-02-01

Los ANGELES county, in starting off by
electing an accomplished lady member
of the local board OF education, has not
made a challenge of such pronounced
character as might appear at the first
glance. The truth is that Mrs. Hughes
is a woman OF consummate tact and
talent, and quite capable of ruling any
body of the kind in America. There
was no prentice hand about the Los
Angeles voters when Mrs. Hughes dedi-
Gated her experience and ability to the
educational advancement of this city.
The herald., 1893-02-01

WHILE in California we are having an
ideal season. in the east they are having
weather that is not only exceptionally
severe but phenomenal for its rigors.
In Montana forty degrees below zero is
not an unusual figure. In Spokane
Falls the mercury has dropped to twelve
degrees below zero-an unusual drop
OF temperature on this coast.
We are sometimes not suffi.
GENTLY grateful for the benefcence
OF nature hereabouts. In the east if a
man happens to take severe cold, the
chances are twenty to one that he will
die, and that his cold will eyentuate in
pneumonia. In California, on the other
hand, the instances in which pneumo-
MIA is anything but troublesome cold
are 30 rare that the death of any we'll
known citizen from that disease is very
unusual indeed. The truth is that we
really do not know how happy we are.
The herald., 1893-02-01

HAWAII has always been most inter-
esting feature Of the Pacific ocean. AS
acoaling station in the broad Pacific, to
state nothing more, it is point of i'm
mense significance. The revelation of
the other day has had one good effect.
lt has enabled US to know whether or
no this country has still distinctively
American tinabre. Under such sensa-
tional circumstances. in the old
days. there would be very lit
tie doubt about the future of
the Sandwich islands. This country
has never made mistake in the line OF
pluck. Our annexation of Texas was
center shot, and American pluck fol-
The herald., 1893-02-01
A CIGARETTE CRUSADE.

The Alabama Legislature Makes q Per-
nicious Habit Unlawful.
MONTGOMERY, Ala, Jan. 31.-The
house has passed bill prohibiting the
sale or giving away or otherwising dis
posing of cigarettes. cigarette tobacco
and cigarette paper in Alabama. 1t i'm
poses fine of not less than $40 nor
more than $50, and imprisonment or
sentence to hard labor for not less than
80 days, for violation of it's provisions.
The bill also prohibits the smoking OF
cigarettes in any public place.
The herald., 1893-02-01
PANAMA CANAL MONEY.
AN ATTEMPT TO TRACE ITS USE
IN AMERICA.
Col. Dick Thompson Accused of Having
Bad Memory by One of His
Former Confreres-MiIlions
for Machinery.

NEW YORK, Jan. 31.-A local paper
says Charles Colne, ex secretary of the
American Panama Canal company, who
is said by ex-Secretary of the Navy
Thompson to have vouchers and other
papers showing in detail the expendi-
lures of the company, when asked if he
would show the vouchers, announced:
II have not been connected with the
company for four years. l have no
vouchers now."
'Do you know where they are? ?"
II suppose those who should have
them can produce them"
"Who succeeded you as secretary? ?"
''P. Bayard, No. Is Broadway, was my
successor. l presume he can give you
the information you seek"
SIT is said 100000 francs were
placed to the credit of the American
committee. Will you tell me whether
that is true or not?"
''No money was placed to our credit.
have been out of the company since
March, 1889. I do not care to speak
about its affairs"
"How much money did the American
company spend for dredges?"
"We found American machinery the
best in the world. Colonel Thompson
says he had 800 cars built; that they
were built by s. Cox & Co. OF Terre
Haute, at cost of $4,000 francs. He
knows Of these cars and remembers
them because they were built in his
city. The fact is we ordered thousands
of cars, number of excavators, steam
boilers, cars of all descriptions and sup
plies. In fact everything from a needle
to an anchor. We spent at least 81 ,500,-
600. Credits were opened and pur-
chases made to fill orders as we received
them from the isthmus. Certain money
was cent to us from Paris. We pur-
chased against that amount and when
exhausted we asked for and received
more"
Colonel Thompson Gays you have all
the papers showing the transactions OF
the company"
"Colonel Thompson is avery old man.
He has said many things which he
would not say if he were not 30 DID,"
Colonel Thompson says large item
in the expenses of the American COM
pany was the cost of building and
transporting q large dredge which at
"As | said before, Colonel Thompson
is an old man and is mistaken in many
things he says. There we're seven of
those dredges and they were not built in
California. They were constructed by
the American Dredging snd Contracting
company of New York, and were built
in Brooklyn and Philadelphia.
"We sent reports to Paris showing in
detail how the money was used"
''How about the money said to have
been sent to America to quash opposi-
tion and secure neutrality?"
'The American committee had moth
ing to do with that. When De Lesseps
first visited America he appeared before
congress-, settled all that was done
openly, and nothing was left for us to do
in that line. The American financial
CT mpany had nothing to do with that
matter.'
E. L. Oppenheimer said: SIT is true
the rolling stock of the canal company
has been sold to the railroad company
as stated in dispatches from Panama. I
represented the railroad company in the
negotiations. We had been ueing the
stock for years under rental and we con-
cluded to buy it outright, that's all.
The herald., 1893-02-01

We HAVE noticed that the trend OF all
the intelligent comment upon the late
Justice Lamar dwells upon the fact that
the real theater of his extraordinary
talents was in the congress of the United
States, and not on the supreme bench.
Why this gifted man, who was naturally
4 tribune of the people, sought the COM
parative solitude of the supreme bench,
may always remain mystery.
The herald., 1893-02-01
HE OFFICIAL CITY PAPER,
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1898.

The British parliament opened yes
terdsy with a lively tilt between Bal
flour and Gladstone. The grand old man
has not disclosed his Irish home rule
measure in all its appointments, and he
will, quite evidently, not show his hand
till the proper time comes.
The herald., 1893-02-01
Heavy Bond Purobnses.

New York, Jan. 31.-A syndicate COM
posed of Lee, Higginaon & Co., Selig-
man & Co. and Boissevain & Co. has
purchased about 500, 100000 of Oregon
Navigation consolidated per cent.
bonds and proportionate amount of
Union Pacific per cent notes to be
cancelled.
The herald., 1893-02-01

y The Democratic city committee are
getting somewhat tired of the way our
late Democratic victory is being cele-
tbrated. Our impetuous Democratic
friends ought to remember that hope
always told fattering tale, and the
fact that, in this year of grace 1898,
things gang sglee, should not disconcert
kkar,
The herald., 1893-02-01
British swtndlers on Trial,

LONDON, Jan. 31.-Sir Henry Isaacs,
formerly lord mayor of London, Joseph
Isaacs, his brother,' Horatio, lBottomley
and Charles Dolman, officers of the
Hansard Publishing union, were put on
trial today for defrauding the company
out Of large amount by buying bills
and disposing of them to the union at a
heavy advance. The company became
insolYent in 1891.
The herald., 1893-02-01
A Prtsoner Spirited Away.

WICHITA, Kan, Jan. 31.-Early this
morning habeas corpus proceedings were
begun by the attorneys for William H.
RYers, formerly book. keeper of the
Horskey- Miller Brewing company of
Helena, Mont, charged with grand lar
ceny. The chief of police expected such
move and sent the prisoner out OF
town.
The herald., 1893-02-01
Am Imnortant Direrenoe.

To make it apparent to thousands, who
think themselves i'll, that they are not
affected with any disease, but that the
system simply needs cleansing. is to
bring comfort home to their hearts, as a
costive condition is easily cured by using
Syrup OF Figs. Manufactured by the
California Fig Syrup Company.
The herald., 1893-02-01

study for years, and is quite capable of
giving an intelligent advocacy to this
special staple, which really ought to be
discussed at length amongst BUR people.
We shall recur to the subject again,
after having carefully read and adjusted
a lot OF statistics which Mr.. Slaught has
entrusted to us.
The herald., 1893-02-01
Arms for Haytien Rebels,

PANAMA, Jan. 31.-It is understood
here that arms will be shipped on a
trading schooner from New York to aid
the intending revolutionary movement
in Hayti and be transferred off the Cen
trail American coast near Colon to a
Haytian vessel. 1t is also rumored that
Monsonto, prominent Haytian who
served under General Crespo in the late
Venezuelan revolution, is going to Ja-
maica to negotiate the sale of arms with
Legitime.
The herald., 1893-02-01
Italian Bank Scandals.

ROME, Jan. 81 The list of ex-min-
listers and deputies which Monzilli,
director of the bureau of indus-
try and commerce, under arrest
for completely in the bank scandals,
gave to reporter as having been
subsidized by the banks now in trouble,
included Baron Nicotara, formerly min
lister of the interior, and ex-Minister
Amadei, also Deputies Monragna, Geppa,
Dezrobbi, Sionnetti, Mazzinio and Mar
docci.
The herald., 1893-02-01
A steamer Goes Ashore.

Fort BRAGG. CAL, Jan. 3l.-The
steamer Casper went ashore in Noyo
harbor this evening. The vessel dragged
her anchor and went stern foremost on
the rocky ehore. She iettisoned por-
tion OF her cargo and WAS pulled off
without sustaining serious damage.
The herald., 1893-02-01
Ben Butlar,a VIII.

BosToN, Jan. 31.-The will of General
Butler filed in the Middlesex probate
court bears the date Of 1854, with a cod
icil dated 1862. All of his property 10
left to relatives, including his wife and
mother, since deceased.
The herald., 1893-02-01
San Francisco safe-Crackers.

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 31.-Burglars last
night cracked two eafes, one in Kuhls,
Schwarke & Co.'s on Sutter and Kearney
streets, where they secured Sc, and the
other in ex-Sherif McMannus's coal Of
fee on Washington and Polk streets,
where they got $3.50 and some papers.
The herald., 1893-02-01
Death of victor of Rstisbon.

BREsLAU, Jan. 31.-Duke Victor o.
Ratisbon, president Of the Prussisn up
per house, died here last evening, aged
rs. He held many honorary titles.