Evening star., 1901-09-07

wv hen the Dig DunulnS dt the
corner of Pennsylvania avenue and 18th
street was erected" said a high official to
a Star reporter, lit was generally supposed
that 1t was large enough to accommodate
the State. War and Navy departments for
many years to come. Although the build
ing is comparatively new. as government
buildings in this city go, it is now totally
Inadequate for the business of the three
departments assigned to 1t. The upper cor
ridors are packed witn file cases and rec
ords and the War and Navy departments
have each been compelled to seek addi-
tional quarters outside in private build
irgs at a large expense for rent, etc. one
of the buildings rented by the. War De-
partment is the Lemon building on New
York avenue. The army board of ordnance
and Notifications was originally given quar-
ters in this building. This board is charged
with the important duty Of preparing plans
for the defense of the country against a
possible foreign invasion and also to see
that the ordnance department is kept
abreast of the times in the matter of inn
proved weapons of attack and defense. Its
membership includes the lieutenant general
commanding the army and the chiefs or
ordnance and engineers of the army. A
short time ago the business of the depart
ment crowded this board out of the Lemon
building and IL was established In limited
quarters in the War Department proper,
near the headquarters of the army. The
board had hardly got settled In Its new
location when it became necessary TO SEND
it back, bag and baggage, to the Lemon
building in order to accommodate the ulS-
bursting clerk of the department, who mas
been forced out of his present quarters by
the growth of the insular division of the
department. the business Of which, relating
II the government of the Philippines and
Cuba is increasing at an enormous rate
iG
fees are very much overcrowded, and the
health of the employees endangered by the
lack of proper living space while at work
II is expected that Congress Will be called
upon to relieve the situation by providing
for additional quarters"
X X II
II had a peculiar experience in Boston
few days ago." said gentleman to Star
reporter today, land If l had not been
party to it 1 would scarcely have believed
*. 1t was nothing more nor less than a
meeting with a street car conductor in the
Hub who did not know where Harvard Col
lege was, and to make matters worse his
car actually ran by that institution He
knew where Harvard Square was, as that
was the end of his route, but he did not
know that the square was In front of the
college, and derived its name from that
circumstance. Hereafter 1 shall always
take with considerable allowance any story
which credits the car conductor of Boston
with unusual erudition. What would you
think of a Washington conductor who didn't
know the location of the Capitol? Well, in
Boston Harvard College is an attraction
great as is the Capitol in this city"
X
THAT the former royal family OF Hawan
had supernatural powers is still firmly be-
leved by a very large number of the ma
tives Of those islands," said Chief Exam
Of he civil pfSSf N
to Star reporter. when Commissioner
Rodenberg and myself visited the city Of
Hlo, while we were on the islands recent
ly we were told the story Of the rescue OF
that city from destruction by a volcano by
Princess Emma of the Hawaiian royalty
The story was told US by the judge Of the
city and vouched for by half a dozen Amer
leans who claimed to know personally.
''The volcano which was doing the dam
age Is some thirty miles from the city. 1t
began active operations, and the stream Of
lava which flowed from it started straight
for the city of Hilo, covering an area about
half a mile wide. The flow Of lava was
slow. as 1T gained only small distance
each day. 1t presented solid wall of red
hot stone six or eight feet high, and re-
mains to corroborate the story.
AS the lava approached the city the ma
tives became much alarmed and were on
the verge of panic, when message came
from Princess Emma. She said that when
there any danger of the destruction Of
the city by the lava. II she was informed of
the same, she would come to Hilo and stop
its flow. This message was just in time.
The lava had reached to within half a mile
of the city, and the princess was sent for
in great haste. She came at once. bringing
a live white dove. sucking pig and bot
tie of native rum. The populace of the
city all followed her as she proceeded to
hn nhrrEa nT ln lowe NN Ntoa,, Ne.tHz
dered the pig killed, and dipping up it's
blood with her fingers she sprinkled its
drops on the lava, repeating the while some
strange native lingo. The death of the
dove followed. and its blood was likewise
sprinkled on the flowing stone. Last came
the rum and this was poured a sacrifice to
the mystic power.
The story ends here, for the lava never
flowed another foot. The city of Hilo was
saved, and Princess Emma, likewise all Of