The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-11-17
EVENTS in THE ORIENT
MAIL ADVICES REGARDING THE
RUssO-JAPANESE DIFFICULTY.
Two Cruisers Forced to Leave Port
Wireless Teleg raph Tested.

VICTORIA, B. c., Nov. 1e-According TO
advices from the Orient. brought by the
steamship Empress of China, the difficulty
arising out of the Masampo affair is evil
IDENTIFY far from adjustment AS Masampo
lies in a commanding position between Flu
san and Tsushima, and as it is Of immense
Importance from strategical point of
view, Russia Is anxious 10 gain possession OF
it to use as a naval base connecting Vlad-
livestock and Port Arthur. Prior to this
Masampo affair. however. it was said that
difficulties which might cause war between
Russia and Japan existed and many South
| erners living in Port Arthur and Chee-Foo
hastily removed to Shanghai for safety.
| The story Is told of narrowly averted
| collision on an occasion when two japanese
| cruisers. in the Gulf of Pe-Chi-Li, unex-
pectedly appeared before Port Arthur. The
Russian signal officers at the outer station
| signaled that the port was closed TO foreign
| ships-of-war. Disregarding misunder-
! standing this signal, however, the two Jap
anese cruisers steamed straight into the
| harbor. They We're intercepted, however.
| by Russian steam launch having on board
| an official, who warned the japanese cap
| tains that the forts would fire on the cruis-
ers if they were not Immediately with
] drawn. This advice was taken, it is said
| by the Japanese commander but with very
| bad grace.
Full details are contained in japanese pa
pers of the Shidsouaka tidal wave. which
caused fearful loss of life and property on
| Oct g. The tidal wave swept in between the
banks of the River Suzakuwa with almost
incredible rapidity, and carried off fifty
houses, with their inmates. numbering sew
| enty-eight. Hundreds of other houses were
submerged, many being moved some dis
lance from their foundations The wave
| attained "A height of about thirty-five feet.
On the same date of the tidal wave Japan
| experienced the most severe typhoon which
| Hundreds of houses in different parts of ia
| pan were wrecked, and several steamships
and dozens of native craft foundered. But
| the worst casualty of all was the blowing
| from bridge of a heavily laden passenger
| train near Utsomaya, one hundred miles
from Toxic, in the Hoki river which was
| swollen by heavy rains. The train con-
| sisted of two locomotives. three break vans,
| one hrst-class car, two second-class. and
believed to have been drowned. Twenty
| bodies have already been recovered. OF
| those saved, thirty are more or less severely
| injured. A number Of surgeons, nurses and
| assistants, together with wrecking appli-
| aEces, were sent by special train to the
scene of the disaste and the injured pas
senSerS have since been taken to the gov
| eminent hospital at Utsominoya. This hur-
| Iicane was preceded by almost sixty-four
| o
hood of Toxic
Just before the steamer sailed a series
OF murders were reported committed in
| Shang-Tung China, the victims being SUBJ
ordinate Chinese officials. The murders
| were in revenge for alleged high-handed
treatment of Chinese peasants by army of
ficers. Serious rioting by Chinese is reported
| at Koken-On, in Kngse. Houses occupied
| by missionaries were stoned and afterward
| fired, while the station there was destroyed
All the missionaries were safely taken TO
| adjoining stations
| Shanghai is excited over the charges of
| religious bigotry in its municipal council.
tory to which is attached chapel. A Japa-
! nese rate payer applied to have the corpse
| of japanese lady burned there and to be
| allowed to hold religious services in the
! chapel The cremation was allowed but the
| applicant was told that he must hold the
| religious service outside in the open air.
| Chinese students continue to be sent TO
japanese schools at Toxic. where there are
now upwards of three hundred Chinese taxi
| ing the japanese course Of study.
A plan Is being advocated for the dis
| patch of British mails to India China and
| Australia by new route Instead of the
| overland journey to Brindisi and the ship
pffgb Or the mails there it is to
where the mails will be put on a steamer
| for Port Said. Mails will be transported
| by railroad and steamboat to Ostend and
thence conveyed by the Orient express d.
| rectly through to Salonico. A fast line of
steamers is to be established for the serv-
| ice between Salonica and Port Said and the
| trip Will be shortened seventy-twO hours
| Elaborate experiments in wireless teleg-
| raphy have recently been conducted by the
Japanese government. Successful results
| have invariably obtained and the commune
| cations department will put the system into
| permanent operation between Idzo Point
| and Mikami island distance of nine miles
| The Hankow-Canton Railway is now re-
| garded as certainty, contracts for its con-
struction having been let with the proviso
that work would be commenced within six