The record-union., 1897-10-09

SAN FRANCISCO. Oct. S.-The fol-
lowing japanese advices were received
to-day per steamship China from Yo-
kohama:
The japanese Government has OFF,
cially sanctioned the construction OF a
new harbor at Osaka
A submarine cable has just been laid
from Aokkaido to the Kurile Islands.
During the summer just closing over
47OO0 cases of dysentery and about g.
300 deaths from the same cause have
been reported throughout the country
The Toxic Tramway Company, which
is about to change it's present system
to that of an electric railway, has in
creased its capital stock to three million
yen.
The Foreign Department will next
year establish legations in Belgium,
Turkey and Spain, and five Consulates
at MarseilIes, Hamburg, Odessa, Cal
cutta and Kanko.
During a typhoon which caused much
damage on September Sth, the Nor
wegian bark Alette, from Vancouver
10 Yokohama with a cargo Of lumber,
dSS tduSlA dl lliC E1AtA elAASC ~
harbOr and dashed on the rocks at
Tateyama Bay, and went to pieces Her
Captain, second mate, carpenter, stew
ard and two sailors saved their lives
by jumping upon the rocks, but the
chief rate and nine of the crew were
drowned. Ninety persons We're killed
outright, 300 injured and thousands OF
houses and other buildings destroyed
e IT. Ii -
The Japan Mail" of September I'D
has the following account of the at
tempted suicide of Councillor Akyama,
the news of which was brought from
Honolulu by the steamship China to-
day:
Mr.. Akiyama, a Councillor Of the
Foreign Office, who was sent to Hawaii
in connection with the emigration
trouble, and who left Honolulu for ia
pan On the oath of July, has been in
a melancholy frame of mind ever since
his return to Toxic. Nothing calculated
TO weigh upon his spirits had occurred,
so far as the public knows, during
his stay in Hawaii. He seems to have
discharged his mission there in per-
fectly satisfactory manner, and the
agreement with referencne to arbitra-
4ion had been concluded before he left
Honolulu Still, from the time of his
return. it was evident that he had
some cause of chagrin-
AT ? O'Clock on the Doth he went
away from the Foreign Office, saying
that he felt unwell, and on reaching
home he complained of suffering, and
retired to lie down, having first par
taken of some tea, prepared by his
mother About half an hour later
member of the household entered his
room. and found him bathed in blood
A sword about three feet long was
grasped in his right hand, and several
severe wounds were visible in his neck
and stomach. He was almost uncon-
scious, but, owing to the difficulty Of
using a weapon Of such length for sui
cidal purposes. according to the ortho-
dox Japanese fashion, he had failed to
inflict mortal injuries.
1T would seem that when he plunged
the sword into his stomach and at
tempted TO draw it across, the impos-
sibility of guiding it correctly resulted
in its glancing upward against the ribs
on the left side, and although an eff
fort vas made to change the direction
to the right the enfeebling effect of the
first cut rendered the second compara-
lively harmless. The same difficulty
saved the jugular vein when the sword
was directed against the throat. Still,
two terrible wounds were inflicted, that
in the stomach being eight inches long
and two inches deep, and that in the
throat two inches long and seven
tenths of an inch deep.
when Mr. Akiyama's mother raised
his head and asked him what had in
duced him to take such a course, he
made no answer, but managed to let
if be understood that he did not wish
TO have medical aid. A physician was
soon on the spot, however, and the
wounds were treated, that on the
stomach requiring fifty stitches. 1t is
understood to be the doctors opinion
that if no complications ensue, a fatal
result need not be apprehended.
The almost invariable custotm with
a japanese who contemplates suicide is
to leave a written statement of his
reasons for the act, but nothing of this
kind has been found in Mr. Akiyama's s
case, and it is. of course, idle to specu-
late on the motives by which he was
influenced. Possibly the simple expla-
nation is mental arrangement, but nat
urallv there is a disposition to infer
that some feature of the Hawaiian af
fair had distressed him beyond en-
durance."