The islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1891-1899, 1897-12-09
NEWS OF THE WEEK
From all Parts of the New
and Old World.
BRIEF AND INTERESTING ITEMS
Comprehensive Review of the Imnort.
ant happenings of the Cur
rent Week.

comprehensive Review of the Import
ant happenings of the Cur
rent Week.
A terrible railroad accident has &C.
curred in Warsaw. While passenger
train was stationary at the terminus,
a heavy freight train ran into it, owing
to the error Of a pointsman. Eleven
rersons were killed and 20 others were
seriously injured.
The receipts of the customs so far
this fiscal year undoubtedly will fall
considerably short of estimates made
by the managers of the new tariff bill
during its tendency in congress. At
that time it was estimated that the
customs would yield about $3.50, O00,-
600 during the first year. The indica-
tons are now said to be that the re-
ceip4s from this source will not aggre-
gate more than $165. 10000
a plate of armor, representing a lot
Of 500 tons for the turrets of the battle
ships Kearsarge and Kentucky, was
tested at the Indian Head proving
grounds Tuesday. For testing pur.
poses, two eight-inch shells, one Car
renter projectile and the other
Wheeler sterling. were fired at the
plate, one at high and the other at a
low velocity. Neither penetrated nor
cracked the plate. but both partially
welded themselves into it.
Word comes of a wreck on the Santa
Fee near Williams, Ariz., in which
three men lost their lives and much
valuable property was destroyed.
After the first section of freight train
Ne. 33 had pulled out of Williams the
air that controls the brakes gave out
and the train dashed down the steep
grade with rapidly increasing velocity.
The hand brakes were unavailing to
check the speed, and when a point
about 10 miles west was reached the
train left the track. Two engines were
coupled to the train, which was very
heavy one. Engineers. Newton and
Watsons and Fireman Berry were PIN
ned under their respective engines and
loot tHCli INSo, IL 10 odiu, ny OOius
burned to death.
The celebration in honor of Oregon's
martyred missionary, D.. Marcus Whit
man, was begun in Walla Walla, Wash,
Monday. Large crowds were in attend
ance. The opening address was made
by Rev. l.. II. Halock. A monument
Is to be erected over the grave Of DIR.
Whitman.
Senator Lodge, of the committee on
foreign relations. was at the state de.
p9rtment early in the week. He would
say nothing about the Cuban situation
except that the committee had accom-
pJlshed great deal. The first business
would be to confirm the annexation of
tying the treaty, or by legislation.
Asphyxiation caused the death Of
three men in the Grand Trunk railway
tunnel at Port Huron, Mich. The
train which was being hauled through
to the Canadian side, broke in two.
The engine backed down to get the de-
tached portion of the train. but for
hours nothing was heard OF the crew.
Finally a searching party found the
dead bodies, and also rescued two brake
men, in an unconscious condition.
Three members of the searching party
were also overcome, but were rescued
by another party. The tunnel gas
arises from the hard coal used by the
locomotives
Colonel Domville, M. P, who went
north in the interest of the Klonkide-
Yukon Stewart Company, Of London.
says his company will build wagon
road through White pass, placing steel
bridges over the canyons. Work is to
commence Immediately, and the road
is to be ready by February. They will
build steamers to ran from Lake Benz
nett to White Horse rapids, around
which they will have tramway.
From the end of this trawmay they will
have steamers to run direct to Dawson.
These steamers, he says, will be ready
when the river opens. The wagon road
through White pass is to be followed
Immediately by railway.
One of the bills that will be pushed
in the coming session of congress is
that introduced by Representative Sha-
froth, of Colorado, which provides for
changing the time when congress shalt
meet. 1t is very sensible bill, and
ought to be passed. The first session
OF congress after an election would be
IN the January following the election
IN November. This session could last
as long as would be necessary. The
congress elected in November could
legislate before another election was on
hand. The second session could meet
IN December previous to the coming
congressional election, and the congress
would expire before the election took
place. As the matter now stands the
first session of congress is given over to
politics by representatives who wish to
be reelected. The short session Is
often discredited and defeated con-
gress and oftentimes enacts very bad
legislation because it will not be called
to account before the people. Pos
sibly, Mr.. Shafroth's bill will get 3
hearing, though such reforms IS this
move very slowly.
Emperor William opened the session
Of the German reichstag in person for
the first time since 1894. The cere-
mony took place in White hall, in the
royal castle. His majesty read the
speech from the throne.
The steamer San Bias has arrived In
San Francisco from Panama and way
ports. She brings the news that tho
Salvador coffee crop for this season
will be one-third larger than ever be-