Evening star., 1917-04-15
FIFTY YEARS AGO
IN THB STAR

AAS L ALL ~ AAAs
The protests Of those who felt that
the United States was buying a pig
in poke" when it
Alaska Treaty took steps to acquire
p..:aa title to Alaska from
Russia were unheeded
in the Senate fifty years ago. The
treaty was ratified almost unanimously.
10, 1867, as follows:
THE treaty with Russia for the
transfer to the United States of the
Russian possessions in northwestern
America was ratified by the Senate yes
terday. only two votes dissenting. The
only objection of seeming force yet
urged against the treaty is that it is
based on the statement that this ter
ritory is incumbered by various char
far as the mere fact is concerned, It is
true. but the terms of the treaty make
special provision for these existing
franchises. Russia first offered the ter
ritory for S7,000.000, subject to the
claims of these countries. This our
government declined to accede to. The
Russian government finally offered to
assume these claims itself IL 100000
additional were added to the purchase
money, which was agreed to, and we
received the territory free from all in
cumbrance by virtue Of the charters.
franchises and privileges granted to
British. Russian and American trading
companies by the Russian government.
This accounts for the precise sum
named as the purchase money, viz.
S7,2O0.oOO. The Russian government
will be officially notified of the fact of
4 4
Although the Potomac shad fisheries
had greatly dwindled, they were suf-
ficiently productive fifty
Heavy Fish years ago to keep Wash
p.4 ington we'll supplied with
marine food. In The Star
of the early days of April run para
graphs telling Of receipts at the fish
wharf The following. printed in The
Star Of April IL. 1867. tells Of an av-
erage days business there:
Yesterday about 10000 shad we're
landed at the fish wharf, foot of 7th
street, and sold readily at So to s12
per hundred, and from $4,000 to 10000
herring, which brought from $3.50 to
So per thousand There was quite a
large attendance Of dealers yesterday
afternoon, among them several country
people who got in their supplies, the
nsn being cleaned and salted on the
spot. some are being packed in ice for
dealers In the west and generally
the scene at the wharf is busy one.
Advices from below are to the effect
that all the large seines are in operation.
ana tomorrow. when Mr.. James Skid
more Will commence to haul on the ba r
on the Virginia side of the river he
tween here and Alexandria, every seine
on the river viii be at work: and, the
pest or all, the prospects are bright for
very successful season."
Washington was shocked on the
morning OF April II. 1887, by a gas ex-
plosion in the base
f0St Uhlce Gas ment of the general
Cxn,o,;. post Office building
at the corner of 7th
and Z streets. According to The Star
of that day the lights in the city post
office portion of the building were
burning dimly, and 1t was decided to
brighten them for. the distribution of
the morning mail. So James A. Ken
nedy. superintendent of the city post
office, and II. H. Doubleday and L. B.
Moses. clerks, went into the basement
70 ADJUST the gas-generating machines.
They, wound two of them in different
rooms Tor this purpose, and going to
third room holding a machine Of an
other pattern, they entered, one Of the
three carrying lighted candle. Imme-
diately an explosion occurred Mr.
Moses fell. but was dragged out by his
companions. though they were also in
}urea, MI. Moses was most severely
burned, and he died that evening at the
residence of Postmaster Bowen, to which
he had been removed. The explosion
shook the whole building, breaking
much glass and six doors. 1t developed
that the machine in the room where the
accident occurred was connected by a
pipe, In which there was a stop cock.
with the machine in the adjoining room
The cock had been left open, as well
as two valves. and the manipulation of
the adjacent machine caused the gas to
how into the room, with the result that
an explosion occurred as soon as the
candle flame was exposed. The next day
the postmaster General appointed a
committee. consisting Of Sayles J,
Bowen, the postmaster: 3. S. Hedrick
and C. G. Page, to investigate the acci-
dent.
< x
In The Star of April is, 1857, fs the
following bearing upon the second an
niversary of the
Anniversary of death of Abraham
T;no,,,,, no.4h Lincoln, the trag-
edy being then
fresh in the minds of all Washing
tonians:
Two years ago today the rejoicines
the country at the suppress
sion of the great rebellion were sud
denly checked and turned into mourn
ing at the sad intelligence Of the death
Of the President Of the United States.
Abraham Lincoln, who perished by the
hand Of an assassin. No one who was in
Washington at the time will ever for
get the horror which filled this com
munity on the night Of April IA, 1865, as
the terrible news spread from house to
house: nor the spontaneous manifesto
tons of grief at the decease of the
patriot the next day, when
in few hours after the dismal tidines
IF death were circulated from every
hovel as we'll as the man
sion-was displayed some symbol of