SAN FRANCISCO MAIL NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2545, 24 December 1902, Page 49

SAN FRANCISCO MAIL NEWS.

Ventura, at Auckland.) The first graphic accounts of the calamity which overwhelmed Guatemala on October 24 have recently come by steamer to San Francisco. Some refugees, who have lost their all, managed to escape with their lives on the steamer City of Para. It is estimated that between 3000 and 4000 natives were killed by the volcanic eruption, and vast areas which were covered by rich coffee plantations are now buried feet deep under ashes and stones. The- following are extracts from accounts given by Ferdinand Bardwell, who arrived at San Francisco on the Para : — Bardwell has been al Cuytecango several days, and was on his way to the home plantation when darkness overtook him. He was almost within sight of home when there came a terrible rumbling of the earth, and great columns of smoke and fire arose, apparently from the peak of Santa Maria. The earth shook with almost constant vibrations all of the following night, and the morning showed a sky enveloped in a thick cloud of smoke. " Ashes, like coarse sand, fell in heavy showers for several hours. Then the ashes became lighter, and drifted about in clouda of light dust. Breathing became difficult, and the atmosphere was so hot that it seemed that the skin must be peeled from a- person's body. For three days we were in almost total darkness. The fourth day a light breeze from the south rolled the smoka clouds away from the mountain, and at times the light would break through. Then we saw that ruin had come over our plantation. We were on the side least exposed to the eruption, and at least 30 miles from the mountain, yet our place is ruined beyond all hope of recovery. We went to Champerico to take the boat, and while on the way saw hundreds of natives wandering about the ruined country without food or shelter. We met planters from the opposite side of Santa Maria, and they told us of the complete destruction of property, and that 3000 or 4000 people had perished. One refugee said that on his way from the ruined districts over a road leading from Exlouitz he « counted 70 natives lying buried under stones and ashes, and each of them lying beside a pack of household goods. These had gathered their treasures together and tried to escape at the first warning from the volcano. The plantations are surrounded by villa ores, in which thousands of natives lived. Most of these villages are covered with stones and ashes to a depth of from five to seven feet. The frail houses could not withstand the terrible downpour of volcanic «debris, and the people within were buried after beine stunned by the awful hail of stones. Robbers now infest the roads leading out from the ruined district, and these have murdered many victims for the food and valuable.-, they carried. Houses which were deserted and to which their owners afterwards re-turned have also been looted. The volcano, which broke into eruption was not Santa Maria, but a iiCtle mountain that nettles at the base of it. and is locally known as El Rosario. Ashes were still falling when the steamer left Guatema^ though 16 days had elapsed since the first outbreak. THE TROUBLE IN VENEZUELA. The re-estab-lishment of the authority of Castro as President of Venezuela, which has been accomplished, has led to a reopening of questions between the Republic and Germany. Great Britain, and Holland. Germany's grievance* has never been settled. It is the making good to German capitalists of the interest on the Caracas-Valencia railway, which was guaranteed by Castro's predecessors. England has a new grievance against Venez.nela which relate* to interference with British trade in the Orinoco by a vessel effecting a soi-disant blockade. The -Wrokade was declared ineffective by the a^pmbled foreign consuls at Caracas, nevertheless Venezuela tried to stop British vessels plyiug in the Orinoco. There is an impression among all foreign nations, most of whom have cause to quarrel with Venezuela owincr to her ill-treatment of fore-ieners, that it is Oastro'a game to repudiate the acts of hip predecessors. Germany objected to this, and pent a squadron to La Quayra more than six months ago to enforce her demands. The United States a«ked Germany on what terms ehe proposed to coerce Venezuela, and it was asrreed that debts could be collected and punishment by indemnity inflicted, but there should be no territorial asreenvnt. The same rule will enply to Great Britain, whether she is alone or conjointly with Germany.

A ROMANTIC MARRIAGE. A despatch from Quebec states that confirmation has just come from England of the story that Arthur Fortesque. nephew of the Duke of Portland, has renounced the world of luxury for the sake of a Russian opasant girl, whom he first saw in the Far West of Csvnadi yoked to a plough with oovoral other Doukhobor women. The Englishman and the Doukhobor were made husband and wife according to the stranee xitrs of the community. The vounff m.in (whn is an honours graduate of Oxford and wHI known in tiniv^rsitv athletic eireW) willinc-lv siirrendored fortune and a popsible title for the girl he found harnessed to a plough.

SENSATIONAL SCKNE IN A COURT. Just as the rnse of CK'-ence Peaks", charged with the murder of Silas Hulin at Clinton, Term.. was about to be called in the Supreme Court at Knoxville (Term.) on October 20 (cays a telegram in the San Francisco Chronicle), a man entered the courtroom unannounced. and. addressing C'hipf Justice Beard, said: "I am Silas Hulin. wl-o was not killed by Clarence Pcake." Peake, who is the son of a prominent family, had beem sentenced in a lower court to 10 years in the ppnitentiary, and is now in the insane asylum near Knoxville. a rovincr maniac as a remit of his troubles. Hulin declares that Peake shot another. who=e »iamo Ls now unknown, and that he (Hulii^ pseaned on the firet train and went to Colorado, fiom which State he came back to prove that he was not dead.

A PRIESTESS KILLS HERSELF. Mi\s Ida C f'raddock. high priestess and pastor of the Church of Yoga if Chicago, wind mis^ionarv of her peculiar philosophy in New York, killed her=e>lf by taking illuminating gas on the night of October 16, at her home (says a telegram published in the 4aa FnaoiKto Chroniolal. at* had al§o

slashed herself with a razor before turning on the gas. Her suicide was undoubtedly caused by the prosecutions which she has suffered for circulating books and pamphlets in propaganda of her remarkable tenet*. They were so bold that not only Anthony Comstock, but the United States authorities, had her arrested. She served three months on Blackwell's Island for circulating a book called "The Wedding Night." Miss Craddoek was born in Philadelphia. She had lived in Denver and in San Francisco. In the latter city she held a position as stenographer in the Anglo-Californiin Bank for 6ome time, continuing to spread the propaganda of her faith. She was 45 years old. Miss Craddock secured, at one time, a qualified endorsement of her work from the Rev. Dr W S. Riinsford, and an unqualified endorsement from William E. Stead, the English journalist.

ADVANCED RELIGIOUS VIEWS. A telegram from London on October 31, published in the San Francisco Chronicle, says : " The Rev. William H. Freemantle, dean of Ripon, addressing a meeting of the Churchmen's Union on the subject of ' Natural Christianity,' created a sensation by suggesting that the idea of the immaculate conception should be left out of account; because, except in St. Matthew and St. Luke, the virginal birth of Christ is not mentioned in the New Testament. Thtf speaker then proceeded to ask whether it was irreverent to believe that Christ in the matter of miracles, such as raising the dead, etc.. could not have failed to make a. distinction between death and various form of unconsciousness. With regard to tir resurrection the Dean of Ripon said he coi sidered this was meant spiritually, and nc materially.