The record-union., 1899-10-10
ADvIcES FROM THE ORIENT.
BIG CONFEDERATION AT HO-
KADATE, JAPAN.
Three Thousand Houses, About a
Fourth of the Buildings in the
City, GO UP in Smoke.

Correspondence of the Associated Press }
YOKOHAMA, Sept. % (via San
Francisco, Oct. 9).-The Twentieth
Kansas Regiment has come and gone,
adding materially to the very favorable
impression made by all the American
troops who have passed here on their
homeWard way. The one man who has
been the center of attraction has been
of course General Funston His modest
bearing and strong personality have
made him as great a favorite among
the citizens as he manifestly is among
the men of his own regiment.
The Newport, on it's homeward voy-
age had on board a large contingent of
discharged soldiers. These men, find
ing that they outnumbered the rest of
the passengers, and filled with an over
Whelming sense Of the required citizen
ship, carried things with a high hand.
Dissatisfied with their accommodations,
they practically took possession of the
ship and driving the officers from their
quarters, installed themselves therein.
On arrival at Nagasaki, Consul Harris,
being apprised of the affair, went on
board with four Japanese policemen
and personally arrested the ringleader
of the mutineers
Work has been begun on the trans
port Morgan City, which was wrecked
in the inland sea- The whole of the
mails sunk, 1000 bags, have been for
warded to Manila An examination of
the vessel shows a large hole on the
bow about twelve feet in length, high
up near the water line. AS she lies in
sheltered spot the prospect of rails
ing her is deemed very favorable.
The Japanese Government intends to
introduce in the next session of the Diet
a law freeing foreigners from all restric-
tions in regard to the mining business
in Japan. The existing law prohibits
them from becoming shareholders or
partners in any mining company. By
the new law such provision will be en-
tirely done away with.
A great fire at Hakodate on the 18th
resulted in the destruction of nearly
5000 houses. AS it is a town of 10000
inhabitants this means the wiping out
of about one-fourth of them. Within
little more than a month three great
fires in Yokohama, Toyama and Hako-
date have destroyed upward of 1l,0O0
houses, a fact which has led to a seri-
whether the time has not come for the
adoption of an entirely different style
of urban architecture, in order to pre-
vent SO frequent a recurrence of these
disastrous confiagrations.
Shanghai is excited over the ghastly
news from New Chang, where a Gov
ernment doctor sent to make investiga-
ton, discovered four depots containing
1000 fresh coffins of plague victims
waiting to be sent to their native pro-
vinces. The dean of the diplomatic
corps at Pekin has wired to the Tsung
Ii Yamen to put stop to the export Of
coffins from New Chang.
A rumor is rife that the Emperor of
China has succeeded in sending an ap-
peal to the Emperor of Japan to rescue
the writer from his imminent danger of
deposition and death at the hands of
assassins.
Tt is also said that powerful influences
have been brought to bear upon the
Empress Dowager inducing her to nesi-
| tate in her design to place new occu-
pant upon the throne.