NEWS OF THE WORLD.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7722, 4 June 1903, Page 2

NEWS OF THE WORLD.

SAN FRANCISCO MAIL SUMMARY. (Per R.M.S. Sonoma, at Auckland.) SAN FRANCISCO, May 15. THE STRIKE IN CHILI. A cable to the " New York Herald," from Valparaiso, Chili, says: "The city to-night is in possession of a mob of striking dock labourers. One policeman has been killed and six injured} andl fifty of the mob arc dead or dying. A battle took place in the streets of the city this morning, and the police were driven to their barracks by a superior force. ' Many of the pawn-shops of the city were looted by the strikers. After routing the police force the mob set fire to the South American Steamship Company's docks, and then attacked the fire department when it responded to the call for aid. In ' consequence, much property was burned. All the shops in the city are closed, and transit is suspended. The strikers are in control/ and greater bloodshed is expected at any moment. The mob is now surrounding the offices of "El Mercurio," newspaper, threatening to sack and burn the establishment. Thousands of strikers are marching on Admiral Moatt's private residence, swearing vengeance on the occupants, and the destruction of the building. The authorities seem powerless to check the mob, and, owing to the bitter feeling against the police, it has been decided to keep them in barracks rather than further excite the strikers by further attempts to quell them. Owing to the confusion, it is impossiblelo-night to ascertain the exact number of dead, or the amount of damage clone. The fire is still burning in the debris of the steamer company's property. A EIRE AT SEA. A despatch from Philadelphia, cf May 11, says that the American Line steamship Eriesland, which came into port yesterday, from Liverpool, with 114 cabin passengers and 648 steerage passengers, was in grave danger of destruction by fire at sea. On the fourth day out, Captain Apueld was called from the breakfast table and found smoke pouring from the hatch. Tlie captain ordered the pumps to be manned, and soon had men hoisting out bales of cotton, barrels of resin, paraffin and wax. The captain, crying, "Come on. men, there is work to be done," seized a rope and swung himself into th"s ..hold, where several men had been nearly* 1 suffocated. In an hour's timo the fire had been conquered. Near the place where 'the fire originated, were barrels of oil. Had these ignited nothing could have saved the ship. The captain and men had their faces, arms, and legs badly blistered. GREAT FIRE AT OTTAWA. A despatch from Ottawa, Ontario, of May 10, says:— A fire, probably of incendiary origin, this afternoon destroyed hundreds of houses and millions of feet of lumber in this city. John White, just released from the Penitentiary, after serving' a term for arson, was caught near where the fire was first discovered. He was taken to , the Police Station and- charged with starting to-day's conflagration. The fire originated a stone's throw from where the great Hull fire of April 26, 1900, was checked. The Hull fire started on the opposite side of the river and spread to the Ottawa side, destroying millions of dollars' worth of property. It burned out near where the Ottawa and Perry Sound Railway enters the western part of the city. It was in lumber yards near the railroad where to-day's fire originated. An hour before the fire started two smaller blazes were discovered and extinguished in lumber yards near the Canadian Pacific Railway. When the third fire was discovered there was delay in getting water, and the fire got beyond control and swept along over the same ground as the former fire, but going in the opposite direction. The fire area was on the fiat below the large cliff which extends from the Ottawa* River into the corner of Margaret and Preston Streets. At two or three points it came near getting over the cliff. Had it done so nothing could have saved the city. While the fires were burning swiftly all the brigades in the city were summoned, but were forced to remain idle because of a broken water-main, and for an hour not ai drop of water was thrown into the flames. A stiff south-west wind waa blowing, and by the time water was available the lumber yards were a mass of glowing embers. From the yards the flames spread to the settlement formerly known as Rochesterville, where every house was destroyed. The fire went on into a more thickly settled district, stopping only a short distance from •the Canadian Pacific Railway Depot. Nearly feix hundred families are homeless, but the Mayor (Mr Cook) -says* that the city would oppose aid being asked outside 'of Canada. ' DISASTROUS LANDSLIP. At France, North-West Territory, on Aprii 30, a dreadful disaster swept down upon a mining town. The top of a mountain was dislodged, though there was no explosion and apparently no earthquake. The avalanche was of such large dimensions that the cloud of dust was taken for smoke at a distance. The whole east end of the mountain, 4400 ft high, slid outwards and across the entire valley. A number of lives w^ere lost, about seventy, about ten houses ih the east end of the mining town were buried, and entire families were killed. Great alarm was felt for tnose in the mine, but it was demonstrated that those inside the mine were safer than those without. Sixty -four miners were entombed, but were not without air, and succeeded in digging their way out, surprising their friends and relatives, who mourned them as dead. The Canadian American Coke and Coal Company, owners of the mine, suffered small loss compared with what was at first feared. The superintendent of the Canadian PacificRailway, Mr R. R. Jamieson, was promptly on the ground to assist Division-Superin-tendent Taylor in the work of restoring the railway line, which will* toe vigorously prosecuted. BOER IMMIGRANTS TO MEXICO. A despatch from New York, dated May 12, states that General Benjamin Viljoen and General W. D. Snyman, Boer commanders, have returned from Mexico, where they have completed .. arrangements with the Mexican Government by which eightythree thousand acres of the best land of that country have been secured for homes for immigrants from South Africa. General Viljoen says: — "Fully one thousand families will join the movement to seek freedom on the American Continent. The land secured by us is a beautiful fertile strip, known as Santa -Rosalia, jn the State of Chihuthua, near Oriz, a station on the Mexican C^tral Railroad. Our success in scouring land was largely due to the assistance of President Diaz, Enrique Crel and Mr Limontour, Minister of Finance." THE BALKANS. A despatch from Paris, dated May 11, says that there was a simultaneous publication that morning in Paris, Vienna and St Petersburg of the. official view <if the Bulgarian situation. Isris carries out the view previously cabled by the Associated , Press, that the Powers are satisfied with Bulgaria's course, and will not tolerate the adoption by the Sultan of Turkey of stern measures against Bulgaria on account of tlw Salonica outrages. It is pointed out) that the question is not merely pne as between a su/erain and vassal, 'but one between Turkey and the Powers signatory to the Berlin Convention, mainly France, Austria and Russia, owing to their geographical/ positions. The official communication sums up aa follows: — yTwo important points mark the status of the emhroglio. F,irst, the . Bulgarian Government is not responsible for Macedonia's violence ; and, second, neither St Petersburg, Vienna nor Paris haa any intention of allowing Bulgaria p» »

be held "responsible." The communication closes with the statement' that the Porte's first duty is to- carry out the general plan for. Balkan reform, to repress Albanian agitators and punish the murderers of tha Russian Consul, adding : "If Turkey persists in diverting attention by menacing Bulgaria, the Ambassadors, of the Powers may shortly remind the Porte of what the Powers expect." A MACEDONIAN OUTRAGE. A despatch from Sofia, in Bulgaria, says that a mosque, in which two hundred worshippers had assembled, was blown up by dynamite on May 2. The worshippers were buried in the ruins. The perpetrator of the outrage, a man named Pepow, shot himself. A paper was* found in his pocket, which described him as* a member of tho "Macedonian Knights of Death." A GERMAN VIEW. A despatch from Berlin says the German Government regards the Turko-Bulgarian situation as grave, but the officials feel that if a collision, can be staved off during th© summer sober councils- may prevail. It is asserted that Turkey certainly cannot wish for war, being unable to bear the expense, and knowing that the Powers would not permit territorial expansion as a result of victory. It is also believed that Bulgaria, though, weak toward her revolutionary elements, docs not desire war. The Powers have made representations at Sofia, emphasising the impossibility of allowing Bulgaria to realise the fundamental aims of her policy of the acquisition of part of Macedonia. The Powers know that the partition of Macedonia in favour of Bulgaria would cause Greece, Servia and other countries to raise claims for Turkish territory, hence the Powers are determined nob to permit any change in the status quo. THE LOUISIANA EXHIBITION. On April 30, sixty thousand people were present at the dedicatory exercises of the St Louis Louisiana Purchase Exposition. A .parade of eleven thousand soldiers, down the Boulevards to the World's Fair grounds, formed a brilliant prelude to the ceremony. Official representatives of all the civilised nations of the world attended the ceremony in the auditorium, where sixty thousand people were assembled to heir the words of dedication spoken by the President of the UnitejrSlates. President Roosevelt, ex-President Cleveland, and an imposing company of diplomats, governorsosenators, members of Congress, Government officials and representatives of the exposition were in attendance. Presi-. dent Francis, of the exposition management, called the great meeting to order, and: Cardinal 'Gibbons delivered an invocation, Which was very impressive. President Roosevelt's speech was greeted with mighty cheers. A magnificent chorus of two thousand voices sang "The Heavens Proclaiming" and other inspiring hymns. Altogether, the dedication o' this great enterprise was on a scale which gave token of what the coming exposition is to be. At present, important announcements are giten out daily that bear testimony to the interest taken in the great fair by all civilised nations. France and England are to produce architectural gems, the municipal exhibits will be new features, and oil the cities of the country will vie with each other -in making a typical display, showing the progress made in civic and indus--trial arts.