Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1898-12-29
A YEAR OF
GR[AT EVENTS.
The Record of 1893 a
Memorable One.
WARS AND DISASTERS.
Diary Of the Conflict
With Spain.
DEATHS HEAVY ROLL.
DEATHS HEAVY ROLL.

Fatal Explosions and Shipwrecks.
Fierce Storms and Destructive Com
flagrations-ManyN Noted Names In
the Obituary List-Personal, Mis-
cellaneous and Sporting Events-A
Chronological Summary From JAM
uary to December.
The powerful young republic of the
western world torn by what some of her
leading men regard as the relentless
grasp Of destiny from her policy of inter-
national isolation, tie political relapse of
one of the ancient Kingdoms of the orient
and the dismemberment by force of a
monarchy dating from the middle ages
are three events of 1898 the results of
which upon the progress of civilization
cannot be SO much as conjectured. OF
minor Importance, yet of farreaching and
still unknown Significance, came the
Dreyfus agitation in France and the An
glo-French imbroglio in west Africa. All
of these movements were accelerated by
the developments of the opening months
of the year.
In January the Maine was ordered to
Havana, a step followed by the infamous
De LONE letter and the explosion in Ha-
vana harbor, two incidents arousing the
American people to degree which carried
the nation beyond the control of her con-
servatiye statesmen. In January, also, the
prosecution of Zola for libel in the defense
of Dreyfus opened an endless chain of
startling denouements, which bid fair to
unsettle the domestic peace of France
The year ushered in sensational rumors
of the partition of China, and in the first
weeks the powers seized each a fragment,
Great Britain declaring that her interests
would be defended as against Russia,
France and Germany s'at the cost of
war; if necessary.
In February the French crossed the Nj
ger, the Maine was blown up while resting
under the safeguard of Spanish honor, T"
and Russia was found secretly plotting
for the lions share in China April, the
historic month in American annals, saw
the Spanish war an established fact the
Cuban ports bloekaded and both the Span
ish and American fleets active
May day was crowned with a new sig
nificanoe by Dewey's victory at Manila, a
blow SO surprisingly novel and audacious
that the brightest statesmen of the uni
verse have not yet ceased to marvel at It,
During this month Cervera's squadron
reached the Caribbean sea unmolested,
taking, as sone thought, the second trick
in the game of naval strategy, but the adj
vantage was lost by his speedy retreat in
to Santiago harbor.
In May, also, Italy was convulsed with
bread riots, the Carlists threatened to
overthrow the monarchy in Spain, peace
was barely preserved among Germans ard
Slays in Austria Hungary, and the pros
pect of an Anglo-American alliance set
the whole world to figuring upon the fu-
ture arbiter of the destinies of the nations
During June and July all interest is CEN
tered in the invasion of Cuba and the mil
itary occupation of Manila harbor. From
the hoisting of the flag at Guantanamo,
on June 10, until it replaced the standard
of Spain above the governors palace at
Santiago, July II, there were skirmishes
daily, and the three desperate battles of
July 1, Q, and 8 resulted in Bringing the
doomed city under Skaters guns, with
the luckless Cape Verde squadron, Spain's
last hope in the west, lying wrecked upon
the Cuban shore.
InsAugust Porto Rico fell under Amer
lean sway, the city of Manila also, and
the peace protocol was signed. The last
question in dispute was settled by Spain's
acceptance on Nov. 90 of Americas S de-
mand regarding the Philippines Mean
while military occupation of distant lands
has given the American people a sterner
sense of the problems involved in the new
national departure.
During the months Of greatest interna
tional excitement, May and August, two
of the world s most influential men, Bis
marck and Gladstone, passed away To
crown all, in the passes Of the ancient val
ley of the Nile was settled at stroke the
great problem cf modern warfare by the
annihilation of an army of 10000 der
wishes at the hands of few skillful artil-
lerists whose machine guns literally piled
the ground with Mosleln slain. This
unparalleled military achievement fol-
lowed close upon the heels of the cars
manifesto III ,ing general disarmament in
the interests of peace, and may have has
tened the approval given by the powers to
the farsighted autocrat's well timed ap-
peal
Then, as a sort of an anticlimax to the
cumulative series of startling events, came
the royal tragedy enacted in the peaceful
environs OF free city of Switzerland,
when the di ger of wandering anarchist
put an end the troubled life of Austria's
venerable Al d most estiinable empress
Man knows h not indeed what a day
may bring forth, much less year of 365
days
JANUARY.
/. Fire: acres of factory buildings burn
ed at WiEooski, Vt loss. 100000
Obituary: Richard Curzon Pouftney
noted American artist in London. in
that city aged 3s.
2. Accident 25 people killed and many in
jured by the collapse of floor at Lon
don. Ont.
8 Obituary Ex-Gov. l.. s. Ross noted
Confedef te veteran. at College sta
tion. Tex. aged 80.
Personal: ti Hung Chang recalled to
power in seking.
4. Fire: Grain warehouses of the Farm
ers' Union Milling Co. burned at Stock
ton. Cal. loss. 100000.
s. Obituary: Gen. johnson Hagood,
Confederate veteran Of note at Barn