Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-11-17
RUSSIA AND JAPAN.
Evidence of Straired Relations Be-
tween the Two Governments.
Japan's Typhoon and Tidal Wave.

VICTORIA, e. c., November l6.-Accord-
ing to advices from the Orient, brought
by the steamship Empress of China, the
difficulty arising out of the MaSampo
affair is evidently far from adjustment
AS Masampo lies in a commanding position
between Fusan and Tsushima, and as it is
OF immense Importance from a strategic
point of view, Russia is anxious to gain
possession of it to use as naval base con-
Meeting Vladivostock and Port Arthur
Prior to this Masampo affair, however, it
was said that difficulties which might
cause war between Russia and Japan ex-
listed and many Southerners living in Port
Arthur and Chez Foo hastily removed to
Shanghai for safety.
The story is told Of an averted collision
on an occasion when the Japanses cruisers
in the gulf of PechiIi Unexpectedly appear
ed before Port Arthur. The Russian sig
nal officers at the outer station signaled
that the port was closed to foreign ships
of war. Disregarding or misunderstanding
the signal, however, the two Japanese
cruisers steamed straight into the harbor
They were intercepted, however, by a Rus
sian steam launch having on board an Off
cfal who warned the Japanese captain that
the forts would fire ON the cruisers if they
were not Immediately withdrawn. This
advice was taken, it is said, by the Japan
csc commander, but with very bad grace
Details are contained In Japanese papers
of the Shidsouaka tidal wave which caused
fearful loss of life and property October 8.
The tidal wave swept in between the banks
of the river Suzukawa with almost incred-
IDLE rapidly, and carried off so houses and
drowned rs inmates. Hundreds of other
houses were submerged. The wave at
tanned height of about S5 feet
On the same date of the tidal wave,
Japan experienced the most severe typhoon
which has visited that country in many
years. Hundreds of houses in different
parts of Japan were wrecked, and several
steamships and dozens of native craft
foundered. But the worst casualty of all
was the blowing from a bridge of a heavily
laden passenger train near Utsomaya, 100
miles from Tyko, in the Hod river, which
was swollen by heavy rains, The train
consisted of two locomotives, three break
vans, one first-class car, two second-class
and three third-class cars. Fifty passeu-
gers are believed to have been drowned
Twenty bodies have been recovered. Of
those saved 80 were severely injured. This
hurricane was preceded at Toxic by almost
"a hours of continuous rain.
Accounts of marine disasters came in
from every Japanese port. The Japanese
steamer Toyohashi, for Kure, September
g. has not since been heard from. Wreck
age, supposed to be portion of the ship,
was picked up on the beach at Toyohashi.
The steamer Toshiman Maru, of the va
kodatel Steamship Company, ran aground
at Crystal Island, Hokokaido, and will
probably be a total loss
The French mail steamer Tonl1in, lying
at her pier was carried out to sea IN the
big typhoon and narrowly escaped collision
with three big ships
The master OF the German bark Silo,
which arrived in Hong Kong on October 9,
spoke the American ship Emile Reed on
September II in Baka straits with a cargo
of kerosene oil for Hong Kong. The YES
sci was leaking to the extent of four inches
an hour. The master intended making for
Singapore.