The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1916-02-05
important Events In Sweden,
Norway and Denmark.
BRIEFS FROM OLD COUNTRY
Interesting Items From the Three
Great Kingdoms Of the North Be-
iected for SeandInavIans and
Their Descendants.
BY MARTIN w. oDLAND.
Norway.


ago. The property loss is estimated
at s15.000.000 and 1000 persons were
rendered homeless. II was the bust
ness section OF the city that was de-
stroycd and business has been tenn
porarily paralyzed in this leading com
mercial center of Norway. A relief
ship promptly sailed from Christiania
with food and clothing for the home
less people. and the king and minister
of war hurried to the scene to rem
der whatever aid was in their power.
The difficulties of the 1000 persons
now without homes were increased
by the fact that the largest storage
houses, filled with provisions for sup
plying the surrounding country. were
burned. II Is harder to obtain gro
cerics today than at any time since
the outbreak of the war.
Bergen never was 30 flourishing as
at the beginning of the present year,
these conditions being due largely to
the increased merchant marine.
The fire started Saturday evening
in an ironmonger's shop and famed
by hurricane, the flames spread rap
idly and soon enveloped all the bust
ness portion of the city.
All the largest buildings, including
hotels. newspaper Offices and telegraph
and telephone exchanges, were de-
stroyed. The telegraph officials
worked bravely in sending messages
until their last lines were broken.
The firemen endeavored to circum-
scribe the area of the fire, but their
task was hopeless. To prevent a
further spread of the confagration.
they finally blew up buildings on the
outer edge of the path of the flames.
Next to Christiania, Bergen is the
largest city in Norway and was for
centuries the metropolis of the land.
Christiania having taken the lead in
the nineteenth century. Even today
1t is the principal seaport, more ships
entering its harbor than that of the
capital city. 1t has always been prom
inent as commercial center. the big
gest merchants of Norway being To-
Gated there until half century ago.
A Christiania dispatch says that the
Norwegian government proposes to
levy special assessments against GER
tain industries whose earnings have
increased by reason of the war. in
order to secure revenue to meet the
extraordinary expenses incurred by
the government during the war The
assessments will fall heaviest on the
shipping industry, the earnings of
which have been fabulous, and In the
next place on the electro-chemical, cop
per, nickel, pyrites, and wood pulp in
dustries, all of which have made good
money since the advent OF the Euro
pean war The assessments will be
levied in the form of fees rather than
taxes, as the former can be collected
when the extraordinary earnings are
being made, while the latter cannot
be collected until a considerable time
after they are levied.
II ia stated that the whaling indus
try, which has been one of the million
aire-making industries OF Norway in
recent years, showed a slight falling
of In 1915. The total value OF the
industry in 1915 was about 100000
crowns, which Is about 100000
crowns less than the output for 1914.
The price of whale oil was higher the
past year than 1t was in 1914 and 1918
and the price will in all probability
continue to go up. BY far the largest
part OF the whole catch was made In
the Southern ocean. The northern
fields report the smallest catch In
years and the African fields have also
fallen off heavily in productivity. The
bulk OF the product has been sold IN
the Norwegian and British markets.
One Of the most protracted legal
disputes in Norway Is that which fol-
lowed the "Samlag" election at Dram.
men-an election to determine wheth-
or the sale of Intoxicating liquors
should be permitted in that city On
the face of the returns there was
majority of go votes against permit
ting the sale of liquors, but the advo-
Gates of the "Samlag" maintained that
there we're irregularities and appealed
to the courts. About 80 voters have
been examined by the courts and It
is said that 200 will be examined in
all before the case will finally be de-
cided.
An airship, believed to be zeppe-
lin, was seen early in the morning re-
Gently passing over Fredrikstad. Il
sailed high in the air in an easteriy
direction and was apparently return
ing to It's base after q tour OF explo-
ration. Il had powerful searchlights,
which played upon the landscape be-
'ow.
A London dispatch says that the
Morse steamer Bonhour was sunk By q |
Flftssn member Of the
rev vsrs sAssd.