Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-26

| WITHIN q Few minutes the WhOle telephone
| system of the city was going, the news
I paper offices were besieged by inquirers,
| people warned their friends and relatives,
| the observatory was invaded by an anxious
! throng asking exactly what time they might
| expect the crash of doom.
| The report soon reached his ma jesty, who
| was also somewhat alarmed until he had
! sent a special messenger to ascertain the
| facts.
Mysterious and Ominous Message.
| Meanwhile Prince Arthur and his suite
| with brilliant assembage of the diplo-
| matte corps were attending a concert at
| Uyeno Park, where japanese performers
| were carrying out a program of western
music. A trio was being rendered when
the master of ceremonies of the imperial
| household received mysterious and oml-
| nous message. He communicated it to the
| British ambassador, who proceeded to the
| platform and whispered 1t to Prof. Yunker.
| the director to hurry through a terrible
| disaster was about to happen In order to
kavoid panic it was decided to conclude
| the first part of the concert as soon as
| possible and some Russian and Bohemian
| choruses were given. In the meantime only
| Sir Claude Macdonald and Prof. Yunker
| knew of the impending fate hanging over
! the city.
Then Prince, Arthur quietly left, the re-
| mainder of the company following, and the
| second part of the program was left unren-
dered. The whole affair was splendidly
| managed, and only few people were
| aware of the reason.
| While this was proceeding, however, in
| other quarters the city was terrified me
| awful prognosticat ton was announced by
| the speaker to the house of commons,
| which was sitting at the time. Immediate
| " all fires were extinguished, and the mem
| bers of the house In the confusion seized
| the wrong hats and rushed into the open
| spaces. .
| ence which was taking place of the great
| political parties. Merchants left their SHOPS
and went into the streets, some people
| hacked up their valuables and prepared to
| fy others ran from their dwellings, ana
| rode about the streets on tramcars until the
| vehicles stopped Then seeking the safest
| places for the night. watches We're organ
! lied and a good many people slept III Tic
| open air in the Hibiya PARK
Scare Was Hoax.
| Professors ceased lecturng, employees
| were ordered to leave the factories, from
| the finance minister's residence all the val
| uab,e furniture was carried out into the
| garden. many of the tea houses refused
| puests and the geishas declined to dance.
| Although extra editions of the newspa-
| pers were issued containing an authorlta-
| tive statement to the effect that whlle IL is
| always necessary to be ready. there was
| nothing scientifically to warrant the re-
| mort II was not until the city awoke the
| next day that It was realized that the Whole
scare was hoax of magnitude quite I'M
precedented in the history or practicai
I Jokes Much Indignation exists, and II is
| suggested that possibly the report was
! started originally to facilitate the work OF
burglars But even If this was the original
| plan the scare must have exceeded the
| Widest dreams Of the burglars-succeeded
| to the extent of making the people watch
| full and alert, and, consequently. 1t would
| have been even more difficult to Dlunder
| on large scale
| lit hoe In
| of the humorous the famine in The Year
| of the Kicking Horse is anything but
| Joke Reports from the more remote prov
| inces have tendency to increase rather
| than diminish the apprehension that has
| been felt The districts which are appar-
| emily the most affected by the famine are
| several provinces in the northeastern part
| of japan. The staple productions In those
districts are rice and silk This year both
these crops have failed. In some of the
| provinces these Industries are utterly
| ruined for the time. The calamity at hrst
| seemed capable of local relief, but on closer
| investigation 1t proved of such an alarming
| nature that more than LOCO 600 people are
| literally on the brink of starvation
! Famine-Stricken Provinces.
Columns in the newspapers have been
| filled with the saddest stories about the
| distressed families in the ADMINISTRATION
| provinces. The Japanese government has
| been doing everything within its power to
! alleviate the sufferings and provide such
| employment as may eventually enable the
| recipients to regain their positions. In the
affected districts there was a failure of
crops two years ago and during the war
owing to some thousands of the working
| classes in these provinces having been
! called to the front and agricultural pur-
| wits were to some extent neglected.
TO this fact 10 doubt some of the present
| disaster is due. While the Japanese are
/ proud almost to the extent of eccentricity,
! even the government gladly welcomes do
| nations from sympathiZers in other lands
The great japanese battleship now In the
| launching stage, at kure, is said to be one
| of the wonders not only of the orient. but
J of the naval world. One remarkable inno-
walton in this new battleship will be a re-
| turn to yards and sails. She will carry two
| tall masts fitted with light steel fire control
| platforms. On each of these can be spread
| topsails, topgalant sails and lower courses.
| 1t will, of course be difficult for the mod
/ ern naval mind to reconcile the certainly
very questionable utility of lacks and sheets
| to a modern battleshp with the manifest
| disadvantages of so much additional top
| hamper to deal with in clearing for action.
| The new vessel is to have displacement
| of 1900 tons, and a sea speed of twenty
| one knots is being aimed at.
|
| Boyds and Vicinity.
| Special Correspondence OF The Star