The silver lance., 1899-07-28
WASHINGTON NEWS.

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The President has accepted Secre-
tary Alger's resignation, to take erect
August 1st.
Secretary Alger has approved plans
for a building for the refrigerator pan p,an'
| 900 and the plant and machinery $4oV'
600.
The Navy Department has received
the first half of an order for loo new
machine guns of a new type, the most
powerful in the possession OF any gov
ernment. They are one-pounders cal
ryinp an explosive shell and can nre
$50 shots a minute. They are cooieu
by a water jacket, and it is SAID Una.
they can put fifty shots into the head
of a barrel at half a mile in quarter
| of a minute.
| Admiral Dewey cables from trieste
to the secretary of the navy, accepting
the invitation of the Washington com.
mittee for reception on the Steps Vi
the .capitol building, where the SWORD
| voted by Congress will be presented.
| Secretary Long has been chosen 10
make the sword presentation ana Ires,
ident Mckinley has promised 10 h,'ehu
the ceremony, which will nave all ,ne
attributes of a national aHalr-
| In response to the recently capieu
reouest of General Otis for 1000 horses
for use in the Philippines during the
| fall campaign, the quartermasters ue-
| partment has chartered three Vesseis'
| capable of carrying half that numper,
the first of which probably VIII leave
Seattle August 10th. The vessels are
| the Garonne the Port Albert ana tne
Victoria. The Garonne will also be apie
to>take about $50 first class passengers.
The Bureau of Ordnance has taken
steps to relieve the coast forts or the
| country from the large accumulation
| of obsolete ordnance that has been pill
| ing up ever since the change in ord
nance construction from cast iron 10
| steel guns. 1t is worth less as JUNK
than the cost of removing it and break
ing it up. The secretary has been ask
ed for authority to condemn and sell
| it, and If no bids are made the great
| guns and carriages will have to be de-
stroyed at government expense.
The following was received at the
War Department Tuesday: Manila,
| July 1S.-Adjutant General, Washing
ton: Continued rains and cyclonc
storms impede business in the harbor.
The Colorado regiment sailed on the
transport Warren yesterday, Privates
Horn and Wilder, Company G, being
left on the sick list. In addition 131
discharged men of various organiza-
tions took passage The California
regiment, on the Sherman, arrived
from Negros. The vessel must be
coaled and await subsistence Of ty-
phoon now prevailing. OTIS
Secretary Alger's experience since en-
tering the Cabinet has been very bitter.
He has been assailed and criticised
more than any of his colleagues, and
was forced to take the brunt of all the
assaults upon the administration. He
is very sensitive, of fine nerves and
refined temperament and he has suf
fered keenly Mrs. Alger has also felt
the bitter arraignment of her husband,
and is said to be bordering on nervous
prostration. She has been urgent In
her appeals to the secretary to retire,
but he was deluded with the idea that
he could fight down the opposition
and consistently protested that he
| would not retire under fire.
Immediately upon the authoritative
announcement of Roots appointment
and acceptance at the White House
Secretary Alger gave out for publica
ton the following letter, which he
wrote to Mr.. Root on learning that
Root would be offered the place
washington, July 21.-My Dear Mr.
Root: All l know is what the newspa
pers say, that you are TO succeed me
as secretary of war. Should it come tt
you 1 most urgently urge you to make
the sacrifice and accept the position
With your great knowledge of law and
your excellent health you can serve
the country in way given to few
men,"
Secretary Gage has left the cit,
rather unexpectedly for New York fol
the purpose, it is stated. of making 9
final appeal to the members of the Sen
ate finance committee, now meeting a,
Manhattan Beach, for the retention OF
an out and out gold standard feature
in the proposed measure under consid
Grafton by that committee. 1t is stated
that he has word that the Senate com
mittee is not disposed to accept the
House measure. which makes an un
equivocal declaration for gold. ani
that the members instead are propos
ing another straddle. Secretary Gage
as is well known, wants a complete
and emphatic declaration for gold by
the committee, President, Congress
and the national Republican conven
ton.
The eleventh statistical report of tn.
Interstate Commerce Commission fol
the year ended June 80, 1899, show,
that there are 2,O47 railways in tn,
United States, operating 247. .532 mile.
of track, which was an increase Of
5000 for the year At the date namet
there were in operation SO, ,234 locomo
tives and 1,326,174 cars, being /an in
crease of PAS and 2S,694, respectively
compared with the previous year. Th,
number of passengers carried durins
the year was sol, ,O66, ,6S1. an increas,