The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-03-24
.lI1E AUSTRALIAN NEWS.
.rrrCERs OF DUTCH STEAMER DE-
youRED BY CANSIBALs.
pssonic Plague st sydney Caused by
mead Rats and Insects-The
utsease Is Also Manifest in
he New Hebrides Islands.

VANCOUVER, p. c., March 22.-Ac-
.c,,rts Of a number Of marine disasters in
snsralaeian waters were brought by the
steamer Warrimoo from Sydney, which
.,riyed in port today. A serious loss OF
~ occurred in the wreck of the cutter
rspelgIe, owned in Nukualofa, which
rsnt 10 pieces on Otoma reef, when Capt
fnnn Castle and twenty TonEans were
srowned. A valuable cargo was also lost.
Another total loss was that of the four
~,ested French bark, Emile Renouf. from
Tsio New Caledonia, for Glasgow. She
esrried cargo of 800 tons of nickel ore
IN February she ran upon an unchart-
sred rock eighty miles south OF Mare
ssle and sank Immediately. The crew Of
thlrty-six with the wife and children OF
me commander. Capt. Bouga, escape In
fxc small boats, without food or water.
10 sudden was the disaster. The ship
wrecked company remained In the boats
for a night and a day. but on the second
night they were picked up and landed
safely at Noumea.
The marine board Of Sydney has paid a
high compliment to Commander Everett,
OF the u. s. s. Culgoa, for his gallantry
IN effecting the rescue of thirty-one pas
seugers and the crew OF the steamer Air
| lie, wrecked on Chapman island reef on
January Il.
A shocking story comes from Dutch
New Guinea Of the capture by the ma
tiyeg OF three officers OF the steamer Gen.
Pei The captives were subjected to the
most horrible tortures and were devour-
ed, while yet living. by the cannibalistic
natives. While the Gen. Pei was In Dutch
New Guinea four OF her officers went
ashore and were about to take photo
graphic views, when they were surround
| ed BIZ the natives, and three Of the naval
men were taken prisoners. The only
member OF the party who effected his es-
| cape was the Pels chief officer Ernest
weissnd, who. however. was badly
wounded by arrows. In spite of his
wounds he fingered in the woods long
enough TO see his comrades tied to trees
and used targets by the natives, who
/ subsequently, sliced OF portions of their
living flesh and finally devoured all three,
| after roasting their feet and legs The
Dutch government has sent the man-of-
war sumatra to the scene TO avenge these
sirsetties.
| on February "a, the plague had not level-
o'ied 20 the extent indicated by recent
cables. but one death had occurred. There
vas a second serious case under treatment
and twenty -five persons had been quar-
sntined. As In Kobe and Honolulu the
authorities waged war against the rats,
which had beer dying In large numbers
about the wharves, before the outbreak OF
H. tht dlAease. The rats were being DESTROY
3D. under the direction 81 the health or
hnsla, by means Of bacillus OF mouse
yrhoid This seemed to be very deadly
70 TIE rats, the typhoid disease spreading
HAPPILY among them and killing them on as
snscsively as a mineral POISON The sew
| srase Of Sydney Il blamed for the plague
The hrSt sydney victim, Capt. Dudley, re-
moved dead rats from his drain pipes ana
j en the next day was taken sick with the
uplaxue The health authorities say that
VI phEue virus II generally communicate
ga By incubation from insects watch had
h~rofne infected by dead rata The dis
Msa's has broken out In the New Habr!des
when have been proclaimed infeothd and
four deaths and eleven eases ara "a
ron those Islands. Fresh cases continue