The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-09-07
While in the Great Power House He
Tackled American Electricity
and Got a Good Scare.
FIRST NIGHT In A SLEEPER
INCIDENTS OF HIS EXCELLENCY'S
TRIP FROM WASHINGTON.
He Piled Railway officials with Many
Questions, as sUsLal-Irishmen
Aroused to Anger.

| special train bearing Lii Hung chang and
! his party arrived here at mon to-day. Rain
| was falling at the time, and the visitors
| dampened their silk blouses and gold lace
| somewhat in the journey to the Cataract
| House, where rooms had been engaged.
| Immediately arriving here Ii sent for
| dentist and had his teeth examined.
| The rain was great disappointment, as
| the Viceroy was very desirous of visiting
| the American Falls in the afternoon. There
| was no cessation in the downpour of rain
| until shortly after o'clock, when the sun
| struggled through the clouds. Carriages
were quickly summoned and the visitors
| spent two hours in inspecting the wonders
! of Niagara.
| At the electric power house of the Mia
| CARA Falls Power Company the distin-
| guished visitor had his first experience
with American electricity, the result being
| as startling as it unexpected. With his
usual curiosity and desire to make per-
| sonal investigation of the machinery be-
| fore him, he poked at a switch board with
! his walking stick. The metal ferrule closed
! circuit instantly, and Lis stick was vio-
| lently thrown from his grasp He was nat
| urally much astonished al the effect of the
sticks contact with the switchboard, but,
| fortunately he suffered no damage, beyond
good scare. However, he decided that he
| ndQ seen enough, ana went TO MS TOOlilS,
| where he remained until bed time.
| Last night Ii and his party passed their
| last night in an American sleeping car Be-
| fore this novelty they enjoyed dinner in
| dining car. This meal, which was especial
! ly prepared by the Pennsylvania railroad
! dining car people, was quite elaborate. The
! menu card was decorated with the Ameri-
| can and Chinese flags intertwined, and
| fac-simile of the autograph of Earl Ii, done
! IN yellow.
! After eating a rather hearty supper Ii
| sent for George w. Boyd, general passenger
agent of the Pennsylvania Railroad Com
| pany. who piloted the train over the lines
of his company, and spent about two hours
| questioning him about railroads. He had
| map of the United States before him, and
! once he branched off to the war of the re-
| bellion asking the names of the States that
/ seeded from the Union. Ii asked particu-
! larly about the battles in which Grant par
| tfcipated, and all of them were indicated
| on the map for his benefit. He dweIt long
! on this subject, and marveed that. al
! though the Southern forces succeeded in
| approaching quite close to Washington,
! they were never able to capture that i'm
| portant point The story of the assassin
! alton of Lincoln also interested him greatly.
| He inquired what became of Booth and
where Lincoln was buried, and then queried:
| DO not the American people regard Lin
| coin as very good man?''
OBJECT OF LIS INQUIRIES.
| The interest shown by Ii in the railroads
has convinced those who have paid atten-
! tion to the subject that his principal object
| in visiting this country was to study Amer
| lean railway construction and management
with a view of the adoption of the features
| in a proposed general extension of the Chi
neSe railway system. In fact, the viceroy
| intimated to-day that he is negotiating for
| the services of an American civil engineer,
| who, if he accepts the offer made him, will
| go to China in the near future and take
! charge of the railway extension scheme
| now being outlined.
He says there are only about 200 miles of
| single-track railroad in China at present.
! Only three trains are run each day, and
there is no traffic at night, the system being
so crude that the liability TO accident is a
| constant menace.
Ii slept during the night in a bed made
! specially for him, with a soft downy mat
tress more than foot thick He declared
when he arose this morning that he rested
better than in hotel bed. The preparation
of his toilet consumed an hour, and then he
| ate some birds nest soup and drank a cup
of tea. AT $50 he was ready to receive Wis
itors. AT his request no effort was made at
fast running, an even speed of about thirty
miles an hour being maintained. Even on
the train the Earls personal bodyguard
/ slept outside the door of his stateroom
Contrary to his usual custom he took
morning sesta sleeping soundly from
| o'clock until 9.
AT m. Canandaigua was reached.
Here the train left the Pennsylvania line
| and passed on to the tracks of the New
| York Central, the connecting line to Mag
Ivolic np1xy oh. he
stitution of locomotive OF the latter COM
pany and new crew AT Rochester GEN
| eral Passenger Agent George H. Daniels
| of the New York Central and Edison j.
/ Weeks his chief assistant, boarded the
| train. AS soon as Lii awoke these gentle
| men We're presented to him, and then he
settled himself comfortably in his arm
| chair in the observation compartment of his
car, and with Mr.. Boyd and Mr.. Daniels
| on either side and interpreter Marks at his
elbow INDUCED in his favorite pastme of
cross questioning for nearly three hours
After ascertaining Mr.. Daniels's age and
salary he inquired how much President De-
| pew received, and was astonished TO learn
| that his salary is equal to that of the Pres
| ident of the United States. Lii said that if
| he had some money he would invest it in
| American railway stocks. He declared he
was too poor and could not raise $40 000
| This statement from the popularity re-
| garded as the richest person in the world
| caused smile.
SAW "LA-PO-TU."
The run to Niagara Falls was without
| special incident. General Manager j. NJ
Toucey. of the New York Central was at
the station to meet the party ana after
Lii had paused long enough to ask him his
age and salary the procession started for
the hotel All were intensely interested in
"La-Po-Tu (Chinese for the great falls')
| and some of the party summoned carriages
| almost Immediately and started out in the
| rain to the sights.
Lii Hung Chang is not a teetotaler. He
drinks a single glass of claret with his din
| ner and at bedtime takes a small quantity
| of Chinese wine famed for its medicinal
value His secretaries declare that he can
/ not understand English at ali. He has
learned the words How do you do,'' and