Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1899-01-01
Copyright. 1895, Associated Press.)

Copyright, 1895, Associated Press)
London, December 31.-Londoners
are barely recovered from the Christ
mas festivities, which have been made
to last as long as possible, many bust
ness houses closing from Friday, De-
cember 23d, until Wednesday last.
The discordant note of the festive
season was struck in the announce
ment that the bubonic plague had ar
rived in England, through passenger
landed at Plymouth from the mail
steamer Golconda, the case having de-
veloped on her homeward voyage from
India, and by the arrival in the Thames
of another suspicious case, landed at
Gravesend. This startling news caus-
ed a stir. But the Lancet now an
nounces that the man landed at Ply
mouth was only suffering from mild
type of the disease, while the suspi-
cious case at Gravesend proves to have
been sickness due to some other cause
than the plague. Both patients, how
ever, have been isolated and the Col
conda has been disinfected. The rats
on board the steamer, which are ac-
cused of
SPREADING THE PLAGUE
in India, have been utterly extermin-
ated by burning.
Christmas Day saw the inauguration
of the imperial penny postage. About
So, 700 letters benefited by it during the
first three days. The majority was
composed of letters destined for Can
ada Over 5000 letters paid the old
rates, through the senders' ignorance.
The White Star line steamer Majestic,
which sailed from Liverpool for New
York on Wednesday last, took the first
Canadian batch under the new ar
rangement her mail consisting of 430
sacks, which is above the usual guam
tity at this season of the year.
Mr.. John Henniker Heaton, M. P,
the father of the imperial penny post
age scheme, which was passed July
18th of the present year, and who in
troduced telegraph money orders in
England and the parcel post in France,
had silver pennies struck and distri-
buted among those who co-operated
with him in bringing about this postal
reform. He sent one Of these pennies
to Queen Victoria, who accepted the
memento and replied, saying: THE
completion of this important change in
the relations of the various parts of
my empire is a matter of sincere salts
faction to me-"
The Cars disarmament scheme re-
ceives almost daily
hit BELOW THE BELT"
in abe shape of announcements of the
extension of the military and naval
forces of the various powers, in one
form or another. After the news that
the German field artillery will be de-
tinitely armed with the new quick
firers by the beginning of the New
Year, comes the announcement that
the French field artillery before the
spring will be fully armed with the
new rs centimeter quickfirers, rival
ing the German arm.
Serious attention is being given in
Great Britain to these important
changes, which one authority describes
as being 1.-The most ,portentious military
advance in armament since the intro
duction of magazine rifles, or perhaps
since the Germans used breech-loading
needle-guns in the Austrian war of
1866"
Experts estimate that batteries of
the new guns will be at least three
times as powerful as the present bat
teries Each new French battery costs
$4,000 (S60,000). The re-arming thus
costs France &5, 100000 1928, 500, 000)
in guns alone, while the improved gun
will also necessitate the reorganization
of the ammunition transport, which
will bring the total expenditure to
nearly 910,000,000 (S50,000,0O0). Brit
ish artilleryists point out that against
these new guns the British artillery
would be swept off the field, and they
urge that the British field gun be
brought to the level of the foreign arm.
Great Britain must be prepared for an
early expenditure of 92,500,000 (s12,-
10000.
THE FRENCH NAVAL BUDGET.
published this week, involves the ex-
penditure of 304,078, 400 francs, being
an increase of 17,121 asa francs. France
will have ninety-one warships building
in 1899.
Interesting details have been pub
lished regarding the French submarine
boat Gustave Zode, which, it is claimed.
has just emerged from some successful
tests at Toulon. She is said to have
torpedoed the French ironclad Magenta
twice, once when the latter was an
chored and the second time when she
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