The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1896-12-16
Foreign.

The st. James Gazette is authority for the
statement that the British army estimates
for the ensuing year will be greatly in
creased. According to the statement OF the
Gazette eight new battalions Of infantry and
eighteen new batteries of artillery will be
formed and the cavalry service will be re-
organized.
Mr.. GLADSTONE has been afflicted with
frequent attacks Of shOrtDess of breath dur
ing the past ten days. The physicians at
tending the ex-premier state that, although
these attacks are momentarily alarming,
there is really no cause for anxiety, but it
will be necessary for Gladstone to spend the
winter at Cannes.
MINISTER BAYARD has written to the Lon
don Daily Telegraph concerning that jour
nails proposal to take up public subscrip.
ton for the purpose Of purchasing him ma
tional Christmas gift as token of the es-
TEEN Of the British people. Mr. Bayard de.
clines the gift on the ground that he has no
legal right to accept it,
w. o. WILSON, a civil engineer from
Tennessee, was killed ia Mexico last Friday
week by another American engineer, named
Bishop King. Both were working on an
extension of the MichaOcan and Pacific
railroad when quarrel arose and Wilson
drew pistol. King took it from him and
struck him on the head with it, with fatal
result. King is still at liberty.
REPORTS received at Havana state that
General Fingera's command had an engage
ment last week with the rebels at Rio
Hondo, in the Havana province. The rebel
outposts were captured and the position &C.
cupied by their main body in Morales hills
was attacked and the insurgents driven
from the field, leaving behind them over
sixty dead. The Spaniards lost Lieut-Col.
Aquamy, and private killed and one lieu
tenant and twenty mine privates wounded.
THE North German Lloyd steamer Sal
Ter" was lost recently off Corunas Corfu
| hndn Gpnt A hnt,1 do ,,nI
is not known whether any passengers were
on board. Later-a dispatch received from
Bremen asser 8 that there were 210 pas
sengers on the steamer, including one Ger
man, 113 Russians, 30 Galcians and 81
| Spaniards, and adds that 1t lis feared that
all OF them were lost.
HEAVY gale prevailed recently along
the coast Of Brittany, and reports received
show that heavy losses have been sustained
| by the fishermen. 1t is known that forty
five smacks have been lost but there has
been no report of any loss of life. The
breakwater at Point Edegrave, Bordeaux,
has been broken by the heavy seas pound
ing against 1t and the low lying country
| thereabout is submerged.
Dr.. MAxIMU ZERLUHA, formerly Maceos
physician, confirms the report of the rebel
leaders, death, which occurred December
| 7, in an engagement between the rebels I'M
der Maceo and the Spanish troops under
! Major Cirujedas. Maceo received one bull
let which penetrated his head, breaking his
| jaw and passed out at the union OF the neck
and shoulder, and was also wounded by
another shot which struck him in the
| stomach.
THE Americans in Constantinople are
greatly incensed at the quibbling statement
of Secretary Of State Olney regarding the
friendly attitude of the Turkish officials
during the massacres that occurred last
| August. They defy Minister Terrell to dis
| nrOVa the Stafamant that the A maripap Hap
was torn down from the mission house at
Hasse Kul, the house looted and the care
taker killed. They denounce Minister Ter
rell as an impractical tyro in diplomacy and
express the hope that he will be recalled.
A terrible disaster occurred at Here's,
Spain, last Friday, through the collapse Of
building. A house containing twenty
| five persons collapsed without warning,
burying all its inmates in the ruins. The
house fell upon an adjoining tenement
which also gave way The tenement
house was inhabited by eighty-fve per
sons all OF whom were buried in the
wreckage Eleven dead bodies and forty
six seriously injured persons have already
| been taken from the ruins and the work OF
excavation for the purpose of recovering
the others is proceeding as rapidly as pos
sible.
THE message of President Cleveland,
wherein he treats of the Cuban question, has
created bad impression in political circles
in Spain and has depressed the bourse. In
government circles great reserve is main
tanned, none of the officials displaying will
ingness to discuss the subject at any length,
though some satisfaction is expressed that
the message does not in any way advocate
the absolute independence of Cuba, and
does not. support the proposal to recognize
the insurgents as belligerents. The OPP
position papers are greatly irritated by
the threat of intervention on the part
OF the United States unless Spain speed
clare that Spain is fully able to avert such
| action.