Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-12-31

VvV " W LII S5s NPssos THE YEARS OBITUARY ROLL. Political Affairs, Miscellaneous,
 Sporting and Personal Items-Loss
 of Life and Property by Accidents,
 Shipwrecks, Storms and Confla-
 grations-A Chronological Review.
 It was predicted that the year 1907 would bo one of widespread disaster fin America. Early in the year the is land of Jamaica was visited by an earthquake which nearly destroyed the business portion of Kingston. A sec ond quake visited the island in June. Chile was also visited ill June by se- we're shocks. Calabria province, Italy, scene of frequent quakes. was again shaken in October, a disturbance near ly simultaneous with one in Russian Turkestan, where 12O00 lives were lost by shocks which destroyed the town of Karatagh.
 Notable fires of the year were the confagration at San Francisco in April. the Cincinnati fire of Aug. p and one the same day in Pittsburg. The losses in these fires aggregated $5,O0O.O0O. Springfield, Mass; Amster- dam, N. Y.; Lancaster, Pa; Youngs- town, O., and Harrisburg, Pa, also suffered heavily from flames. The collapse of the cantaleyer bridge at Quebec, resulting in the death of eighty-four workmen, was among the calamities of the year. Many distress Ing mining accidents occurred in Amer lea and Europe. The chief strike of the year was that of the telegraphers. which began in August, but did not seriously affect business.
 The second peace conference at The Hague was one of the events of 1907. The final act of the congress before adjournment in October was re- equalization of the thirteen conven- tions actually agreed upon by that body, none of which is binding except upon such powers as sign them before tine last day of June. 1908. Of these conventions nine refer exclusively to warfare. three deal with tho immedi- ate circumstances of war, and only one has to do with the direct prevention or prohibition of war. The list appears as follows:
 First-Thc peaceful regulation of in- ternational conflicts.
 Second-Providing for an interna, tional prize court.
 Third.-Regulating the rights and du. ties of neutrals on land.
 Notwithstanding the rights and duties of neutrals at sea.
 Fifth.-Covering the laying of sub marine mines.
 Sixth.-The bombardment of towns from the sea.
 Seventh.-The matter of the collec- ton of contractual debts.
 Eighth.-The transformation of mer chantmen into warships.
 Ninth.--The treatment of captured crews.
 Tenth.--The inviolability of fishing boats.
 Eleventh.-The inviolability of the postal service.
 Twelfth.-The application of the Ge- neva convention and the Red Cross tc sea warfare.
 Thirteenth.--The laws and customs regulating land warfare.
 Two wars disturbed the peace of na- tions. but were of brief duration. 1'rou- ble began in Morocco in March. when the French troops occupied the Moroc- can town of Oudja. Casablanca was attacked by Moors fin July. and after several conflicts between French and Spanish ships and native land troops. In which cavaIfy figured largely. tine Moors accepted terms of peace offered by France in September. In February Honduras declared war on Nicaragua. and in April the Nicaraguans ended the strife as victors, no severe battle taking place.
 In July the emperor of Korea abdi- cated in favor of the crown prince, and Japan assumed full control of Korean affairs. Russia was disturbed by nu- merous assassinations of prominent of 6cials, among them chief of police at St. Petersburg. The ear dissolved the second dOuma in June for insubordl- nation. and a third douma elected to cooperate with the ministry convened in November. Considerable war talk resulted from the authorization of the dispatching of fleet Of United States warships from the Atlantic to the Pa ciic. especially in view of the anti Japanese feeling shown in San Fran cisco carly in the year. In spite of the rImored hostility of the mikado's subjects toward this country. our secTe- fary of war was hOspitabIy received by Japanese offcaIdom on his visit to To kyc. While in the far east Secretary Taft inaugurated the frxt Philippine assembly.
 Several nOtaste haycon flights were made during the year. the Msreoai SITS ten of wireless serTice across the At Isnfic opened for commercial traf7c. the seam turbine vas demonstrated a s1ccess for ocszn travel. the three hun dredfh anniversary of the landing of