The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1900-12-27
NAGASAKI.
Japan's Chief Port Where American War
Ships Secure Coal.
Special correspondence to THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE.

| Special correspondence to THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE
| NAGASAKI, JAPAN.
When the refugee missionaries and 9th
| ers from China began to arrive at Nagasa-
| Xxi from China the japanese merchants of
| Nagasaki felt that they must do some
| thing for them. They at once organized a
! committee and raised subscription of
| LOCO yen $500 in cash to pay for boats
to make daily trips to the surf bathing
beach on Takaboko Island, at the entrance
| to Nagasaki Harbor. All refugees from
China, as we'll as all other foreigners in
Nagasaki, were offered the free use of
| these baths.
Nagasaki's history is particularly inter
esting to the Christian missionary, for it
was here that the Christian religion in
Japan first secured a foothold. Christiani-
ty was introduced here in the 18th century
and grew to be very strong. There is a
tradition that less than three centuries ago
thousands of Christians We're precipitated
from the high cliffs around Nagasaki be-
cause they refused to trample on the
cross. This was during the attempt to
drive Christianity from the country.
THE FIRST FAMILIES OF THE sULU
ISLANDS.
There has never been a white woman
heretofore who attempted TO make resi-
dence in the Sulu Islands. The Spanish
army officers never dared take their fami-
lies there. The savage Moro had on more
than one occasion Speared to death the
sentries, the horses and every living thing
the Spanish had attempted to take there.
Until recently there were living in Ma
gasah four American ladies', two of
them having children with them, who are
now probably living at Jolo, Sulu Islands.
They are the families of army officers sta
toned there. These ladies have lived at
number of the army posts in the home
land and are the wives of army officers
widely known in several of the States.
They are the wife of Capt. Febiger, Quar-
termaster of the 23d Z. S. Inf, and four
children; Mrs. Sage, wife of Capt William
Sage, Adjutant, I'D U. S. Inf; Mrs. Viii
liam Nichols, wife of Capt. Nichols, of the
23d L. $. Infantry, and Mrs. w. A. Kent,
wife of Lieut.. Kent, of the same.
WONDERFUL COAL MINES.
The greatest coal mines around Nagasa-
Xxi are on TOkashma Island, at the en-
trance to the harbor. Some of the shafts
run as deep as 1000 feet below the level
of the sea, and from many of these shafts
are tunnels extending for miles under its
bed.
The United States Army transports are
now purchasing at Nagasaki 1000 tons of
coal monthly, or 500 tons a day.
The Department of War sent Col. Hyde
TO Nagasaki as Depot Quartermaster. Col
dyde mas employed an inspector 10 watcn
the cOaling of all transports and to see that
the Governments interests are properly
protected. Col. Hyde was formerly sta
toned as L. $. Army Quartermaster at
Boston, Mass.
In addition to a corps of clerks for Col
Hyde, the L. S. Post Office Department
has sent a clerk here to look after the
army postal matters, and now much of the
mail for the Philippines and China is
handled by Mr.. Phillips, who has but re-
Gently arrived here. Mr.. Phillips may be
called the first United States Postmaster
to be stationed in Il foreign land Within
the past few weeks several U. s. postal
clerks have gone through here to China.
j. MARTIN MILLER