10 I J5 fnrtrf mt 6iSuS3SlsS STrihirm 10 . ,-. ' c . ' , i CUt ) UJGJNTS. Ij'ett S STAGE" ST BE NEAR , Will Refuse All Demands for Maine Indemnity. COURT OF INQUIRY REPORT Every Precaution. Adopted to Keep the Matter Secret. Idmiml Sicard Ii Determined Thnt thn Administration Shall Have Op portunity of Inspecting the Uoporl Trior to Publication in Newspapers. Tlio Honrcli lor Good Ships Conlln tiGs on 1'artol IJolh Spain und the United Mtatei. Washington, March 17. The trend ot today's news In the Spanish-American Imbroglio Indicates that an acute stage may he reached before many more hours have passed. It Is stated that the president expects the report of the court of Inquiry to morrow or next day, and that It may even now be on Its way from Key West. It Is almost a foregone conclusion that the document will attribute the cause of the Maine disaster to an external agency. In the face of this comes a seml ofllcial declaration from Madrid that tha Spanish commission will almost un doubtedly aver that the explosion was due to an Internal accident and that If such be their finding, any demand for an indemnity will be indignantly re pelled by Spain. The other important developments were the determination to form a new squadron of war ships at Hampton Roads, and Senator Proctor's exposi tion to the senate of what he saw and heard in Cuba. Upon the court's arrival at Key West yesterday, Admiral Sicard communl- cd.eu wun wasnington arci . "vs at termined that to maintain the secrecy .of the court's verdict, the report should not lie teiegrapneu in cipher or other wise. Admiral Sicard was therefore In structed to place the documents in the custody of a naval officer, who should carry them to the capltol. Whether or not he has vet started Is not known, any more than his identity. lieuten ant Commander Marlx, judge advocate of the court, will probably be the man to undertake this grave mission. ADMIRAL SICARD'S CAUTION. Kvery precaution thri human Inge nuity can suggest will be adopted to safeguard the report, the main nppre- lon being that there may be some- r n rmbllontlnn In ihf pu'snmm .? tnat may lnterfere seriously with uj successful working out of the policy ot tne administration. The documents will be sealed at Key West under the personal observation of Admiral Sic ard and the nuval officer will be ex pected to deliver the envelope with seal unbroken Into the hands of the secre tary of the navy. As Admiral Sicard Is the very Incar nation of caution In the discharge of official matters and as he Is technically responsible for the safe delivery of the court's report to .the secretary of. the navy It may be safely set down as a fact that any publication that attempts to set out either in full or in substance the court's report will be absolutely conjectural In its basis. SPAIN'S ATTITUDE. The semi-nflicinl statement of th'e Spaniards comes under Madrid date and reads: The report of tho Spanish commis felon on the Maine Is not yet known; but, tho statement of several technical officers, who have made a close, exam ination of the bcene of tho disaster show It was Indisputably due to un Internal accident. American 'asser tions to the contrary are therefore de plored In olTlclnl quarters as tending to mislead public opinion and rentier the bltuutlon more dlfllcult from tho standpoint of maintaining friendly re lations between tho two countries. It may be recarded as certain that should the American technical com mission present a report declailng the disaster to be duo to an external ex plosion, tho public here will refuse to accept such a finding and any demnud for nn indemnity based thereon will be Indignantly repelled by Spain. This statement has attracted much Interest in official circles. There has been little doubt for some time that Spain was preparing for th'e contlngen of an adverse report by the AmerJ I court of inquiry and to that end was preparing to anticipate and offset it by making clear the government pol icy of standing by the report of the Spanish commission. The report ot the latter body was due in Madrid yester day and while its conclusions are not officially known. It Is a foregone con clusion that It will find that the Maine disaster was due to accident resulting In Internal explosion. This was fore shadowed In tho advance utterances ol Captain Pernl, head of th'e Spanish commission who stated publicly several days ago that the theory of external explosion was untenable. Along with the semi-official state ment from Madrid that a demand for Indemnity will Ijo Indignantly repelled, la the further rtatertient from reliable source3 that Spain has made it clear , to the authorities here that interven tion may lead to war. The prospects of such Intervention appear to bo seri ously entertained by Spain, and strong efforts have been modo to avert It by Bhowlng that tho condition of tho re concentradoes Old not warrant the step and als-j that It would threaten to end nil prospects of further pacific negotla-ilnnx. r1 I CONFERENCE WITH JUDll$)AY. ,Jt. Mysterious Meeting llctwren thn Judge nnd Spanish .Minister. Washington, March 17. The Spanish fnlnlster called at tho state department at 'J o'clock nnd remained with Judge Day something over an hour. Roth patties to the conference were extreme ly reserved at Its conclusion. It Is un derstood, however, that It developed no new phase, but was a general talk in which pacific assurances wire ex changed und a hopeful view of the sit uation expressed. At that time, the naval orders taking the battleships Te.vas and Massachusetts from Key West and assigning them to tho lleet nt Hampton Roads was not known at the state department, so that the min ister was not officially Informed ot tho fact. He heaid It later, however, nnd was t.aturally much gratified as the gradual strengthening of the American ileet at Key West and has been tho source of grave apprehension by the Spanish government. The largest measures of preparation yet made by the war department to meet tho contingencies of tho future probably has Just been completed. It Is the preparation of a bill providing among other sections for th'e placing i of the army on a war footing for thn I full strength of 101,000 men. Tho bill 0 OO f 0OKKK OO I CUBANS WILL NOT $ Proclamation of the Cuban Junta, Through Its Presi S dent, to the People of the United States. New York, March 17. The Cuban junta, through its pres- l iclent, T. Estrada Palma, tonight issilctl a proclamation to the ) people of the United States, declaring that the Cubans will not accept autonomy; that their motto is still independence or death, and expressing confidence that the United States will not aid y Spain to subjugate the insurgents. 0 fHO-fHOHOtO0OtO000COfOOK00 has been carefully gone over by the war department and will be Introduced In the house by Representative Hull, chairman of the house committee on military affairs, who, It Is expected, will urgo it vigorously Inasmuch as It Is nn administration measure. The basis of the bill will be the well known three battalion organization. That Is the Ideal peace status of tho army, but provision Is made for the exercise bv the president of full power to Increase each one of the existing companies from seventy-five men, the present strength to 230 men. According to the latest report to con gress, based on the returns for 1S97, (the total organized stiongth' of the mil itia of the country Is lil.liu men, while the total of men available for duty (unorganized) Is 10,501,339. Of these, to mention tho chief states of tho union, Pennsylvania leads tho unorganized list with S7S.39I. She has 8.521 organ ized. Naw York has 00.000 and 13.894 respectively; Illinois. 750,000 and G,2f0; Ohio, 050,000 and C.00I, and Indiana, 500.000 and 2,873. The house committee on naval affnlrs h'ad disposed of tho question of in creases in the vessels of the nnvy, un less there is some change of disposition among the nmmbers. Tho committee by unanimous vote adopted the motion of Lepiesentatlve Foss, of Illinois, to authorize the construction of six new torpedo boats and six new torpedo boat destroyers nnd the provlslc.n for this has been incorporated in the naval bill. It has not been decided what appro priation will be made for this purpose. Representative Wheeler, of Alabama, introduced the following Joint resolu tion today: Resolved, That a Joint committee, consisting of five membeis of the sen ate to be appointed by the vice presi dent, and live members of the house, to be appointed by the speaker, be created to report without delay to the two houses nn address to the govern ment of Spain declaring In firm und diplomatic language that Americans nnd American interests In Cuba must be protected and that the atrocities now being perpetrated In that Island must cease. Resolved, That tho executive be re quested to Immediately transmit this address to the government of Spain by such methods as ho may deem moat advisable, together with a letter of endorsement nnd appioval of this action nnd the part of congress. DAY. H CONGRESS. Sonnto 1'nsBon n Hill Authorizing the Erection ot n Stnluu to Presi dent Lincoln nt Gettysburg. Washington, March 17. No political questions were discussed in the house today. The whole session was devoted strictly to the postofllce appropriation bill which was taken up for amend ment under the flve-mlnute rules. The questions wh'lch consumed the major portion of the time related to the al lowance for eltrk hlr-a at postofllce and to rural free delivery. The house In creased tho allowance for rural free de livery from J150.000 to $300,000 and de feated tho proposition for Increased clerk hire. In the senate today a bill was passed to authorize tho erection of a statue of T resident Lincoln at Gettysburg, aP.. to cost $50,000, the statue to be erected by a commission composed of the sec retary of war, the commander of tho nuny, the governor of Pennsylvania and th'a commander of the Grand Army of tho Republic. Ited 'rnss Supplies. Philadelphia, March 17. The Red Cross society of this city today shipped Its sec ond contribution of relief supplies to the starving Cubans reconcentradoes, The shipment weighed 13,220 pounds and was sent on the steamer Kcnnott. The des tination Is Matanzas. The cargo consist, ed of clothing, cornmeal, beans, con densed milk, canned goods, Hour, bread and medicine. Another shipment will be made on April 2. NienmMilp Arrivals. New YorW. Mnrnh 17.Rril1ivl. jnmn.4i Liverpool. Queenstown Sailed:' Cermnnloj lum. nunciuum-Buueu; Hotter dam, New York. Brcmerhavcn Arrived: Havel. New York. Genoa Arrived: Buule, New York. Sailed: Kins, Ntw York. SCRANTON. PA.. PURCHASE-OF MORE WAR IMPLEMENTS A Torpedo Boat Deslroycr Bought In England. WILL SAIL UNDER SEALED ORDERS Itnpnrled New Acquisition ot Tills (Juverniiit'iit--Ituly Snltl to Have Sold bpniii the t miser Vnretio--''lin I'onnnl TrunMor of the Amnzonns to This Government to lie Made Today. London, March 17. According to a special dispatch from Sunderland, the United Status government has pur chased n torpedo boat destroyer from a sh'ip "builder of that place, named Doxford. The warship Amazonas, purchased by tho United States, will bo formally tinnsferrcd to the United States gov ernment tomorrow at Gravesend. lieu tenant Commander Colwell, the United States naval attache here, will take possession of the vessel on behalf of O OOOOOOO OO A ACCEPT AUTONOMY. the government, and will receive the ship from her Brazilian commander. A crew from the San Francisco will then be marched on board and the Rrazlllan Hag will be hauled down and the Bia zlllans will be landed. The executive officer of tho San Francisco will prob ably take command of tho Amazonns, and sl will sail for the United States as speedily as possible, under sealed orders. It Is pupposed she Is going to tho nearest American stntlon where her crew will be reinforced. The Amazonas has Just been provis ioned nnd coaled for her trip to Iira7.il. The United States government has purchased all her supplies. Commander Wlllard II. Brownson, tho ajiun? 01 tho United Stntes navy department, who arrived here yester day from Now York, has been besieg ed by ship-men and reporters. He says the reports of the objects of his mis sion are Incorrect, and that his errand is one which' ho cannot speak iibout. Apparently Commander Browns,on Is acting as advisor to Lieutenant Col well. A special dispatch from Rome says the Italian minister ot marine. Admit al Brln, has informed tho Spanish am bassador to Italy, Count do Bonomar, that his request that Italy should sell three warships to Spain will be dis cussed at the next cabinet meeting. Another special despatch from Rome says tho Italian government has sold the armored cruiser Varese to Spain. Cravesend, England, March 17. Part of the otllcers and crew of the Ama zonas, the vessel built for Brazil but sold to the United States, left here this afternoon. Her American crew will take charge of her tomorrow morning at 11 o'clock. SEARCHING FOR SHIPS. Administration Explains Its Pur chase ol Vessels. Washington, March 17. Both govern ments have been sounding each other on th'e activity of the other In search ing for ships, but there has been little ground for objection on either side ns both have been in the same markets. The administration explain its buying of ships on the ground thaRpaln's at titude has been so menacing as natur ally to call for an augmented navy, while Spain tokes the same view that the activity in th'e United States re quires suitable preparations by the Spanish navy. The report that Spain had protested against a filibustering expedition to Pu erto Rico cannot "be verified as officials here tay this expedition has not yet got away. Tlie Hampton Roaas squadron will fit at consist of flvo ships all the best of their types. Two of them, the bat tleships Massachusetts and Texas, are withdrawn from the present North At lantic lleet at Key We3t and Tortugns. It would be a gntvo mistake to suppose that In ordering this movement, the navy department is nnimnted by any purpose of yielding to reptesentutions or Imitations that may have come from the Spanish minister, as to iho mischief caused by the gathering of so large a naval force cs Admiral SIcard's lleet In tho vicinity of Cuba. On the contrary the formation of the new squadron vas brought about by purely strategic con siderations, although It appears from the nature of the forco so far under orders to rendezvous at Hampton Roads that this strategy Is of tho defensive nature. T" new squadron cannot be called a "flying squadron" because the association of htiavy battleships with fleet cruisers like tho Brooklyn, Colum. lila and Minneapolis reduces the avail ahia speed of the whole to tho speed of the slowest vessel und tho squadron could not do much "Hying" In the nuval sense. Tho Indications rather nro that when reinforced by smaller cruisers, the squadron will constitute an Ideal naval defense. INFLUENCES AT WORK. For the past two months Influences have been ut work In the navy depart ment to bring about this change and as n policy board headed by Captain Crownlnshleld has been in frequent ses sion of )ato at the department, It Is believed that It has endorsed tho plan at last. Although the other ships to be added to tho squadron have not yet been definitely selected it is surmised that they will Include some of the other battiohin "IT ' - ,r FUIDAY MORNING. mored cruiser New York, In which case Admiral Sicard, it. Is believed, will com mand the now force. In place of the crulrer New York the people of Key West will look upon tho grim outlines of tho big monitor Puritan, supposedly the most powerful ship In smooth wuter in tho whole world. She will have to assist her on guard the double-turretted monitor Mlantonomoh and the monitor Amphltrlte. Tho Puritan Is now at Nor folk almost ready for sea, the Mlan tonomoh is at League Island quite ready and so is the Amphltrlte nt Port Royal. H. C. So the order will In the end result in the gathering of tho pick of the North Atlantic squadron at Hampton Roads. Tho point Is said to bo tho best strategically on the Atlnn tlc coasts. It is almost centrally lo cated nnd the Fhlns from that point can reach any portion of the coast In short order, which Is regarded as de sirable since no one can .tell Just where a flotilla of torpedo destroyers or a fast cruiser mny turn up with hostile in tent to attack a town. The gunboat Helena reported to the department that she had sailed today from Funchal Madeira for Key West to Join the squadron. It Is now said that It has been definitely determined to bring the battleship Oregon around South America to Key West. The new torpedo boat Rodgers will also Join the flotilla nt Key West. The Columbia and Minneapolis are still each 2C0 men short of their full mmtn i..,t it is expected that enough men will bo secured In the course of a few days to enable the ships to be sent to Hampton Roads to execute tho orders Issued to day. The naval recruits officers In the south are meeting with success at New Orleans. Yesterday they secured forty men who were professionally fitted for the navy. SPAIN PLANS DELAY. Seeking Pretexts lorPutting oil Intor- vcntion.-Tliut Is Supposed to lie Sngnitn's Policy. Washington, Mnich 17. The Mont gomery has been ordered from Havana to Key West, but the move Is not In response to the Spanish representations with regard to tho massing of the lleet in southern wateis. It Is simply in pur suance of the established policy of tho department to keep the vessels of the fleets In motion. The Montgomery was ordered to Havana originally to take the place of the Fern, and that vessel is back again with wrecking apparatus. It may be partly a sanitary measure, for It has been found Invnrlably that sickness has appealed In the crews of American warships stationed at Ha vana soon after their nrrlval. It Is not safe to keep the crew of any vessel there for a long period. At the same time a good deal of feeling has been aroused by the attitude assumed by the Madrid government. Of course It Is open to the construction that the Sagasta ministry Is putting Itself In a position to shift upon the shoulders or the United States responsibility for the falure of autonomy and for troubles which may arise later from that source and to enable Spain to go before the world as a victim of American aggres sion. Spain's object now, It Is thought, 111 be to delay conclusions. The pur pose Is to make other nttempts In the direction of autonomy, and by Inter posing one excuse after another induce tho United States to defer indefinitely a recognition of Independence. In this policy It Is supposed the Spanish gov ernment will have the secret sympathy of one or more European powers, so that in the event of an acknowledg ment of the failure of uutonomy the United States In recognizing Independ ence will be regarded as guilty of an act of aggression. If such n policy Is Sagasta's purpose, he has selected his agent with gieat skill. Senor Polo y Bernabe Is the most plausible diplomat who has represented Spain in Washington since the pres ent controversy nrose. He has an ad mirable air of frankness. LUMBER YARD FIRE. Establishment ol Ezra Cnnlisld, ol Willlnmsport Dostiovcd--Sovrnl Millions or Lumber Ruined. Williamsport, Pa., March 17. The ex tensive lumber yard of Ezra Canfleld, three miles east of this city. Is In flames, and several millions ot feet of lumber will be destroyed. A lire company from this city was tent to the scene, but owing to the wind it is not probable that any of the lumber can be saved. An estimate of the loss cannot be given nt this hour. SAYS SHE IS IIAWLEVS WIDOW. Former Housekeeper linn tVlttiuat to Nubstiuitlnle Hnr Clnini. Aurora, III., March 17. The former housekeeper of the lute Paul Hawley, of Kendall county, now claims to bo his widow nnd seeks to have tho pres ent administrator of the estate remov ed. She shows a marriage license and has witnesses who testify that they were married at Kenosha, Wis., July 21, 1S97. The administrator claims that Hawley spent tho day of July 21, 1S07, at the Aurora races. Negro Lynched. Greneila, Miss., March 17. Alexander Andeivon, a young negro, attempted to criminally assault a school glil last night ut 9 o'elock. Threo hours later he was captured by a mob, confessed and wus hanged. Anderson was made to climb a cotton-wood tree with a rope about his neck. He was then pushed oft a limb und strangled to death. Ol II III II H CollttpM). Chlcugo, March 17.-Tho two big col umns forming tho mnln support to the entrance of the Colllseum building de stroyed by fire not long ago .collapsed without warning tcday, killing K. R. Baker and futally Injuring John Rico. Several others were slightly injured. All wero workmen engaged In clearing up the ruins. Mupeilor Jmlgim Dine. Harrlsburg, March 17. The Judges of tho Superior court und the Judges ot th Dauphin county court wero tendered a dinner' this evening at the Hotel Rubs by John II, Weiss, a leading member of tho Wnl bar. MAHCII 18. 189S. TERRIBLE STATE OF RECONCENTRADOES Air. Proctor's Rcmarknbla Statement to tbc Senate. AN AWFUL TALE OP WANT Duntli in tliu Ktreoti Not Uncommon. Victim Die of Starvation in Hie Mnrkut Plai-o with Pluntf ol Food All About-.JJcorcs tho HulbtirUy Inuuiiurnled bv Uovlor. Washington, Match 17. From many view points tho statement of Senator Proctor to tho senate was remarkable. Every element of sensationalism had been studiously eliminated from It, and except so far as the facts recited were sensational, it bore not the slightest evidence of an effort to arouse the pub lie mind, already keenly alive to the condition of affairs on the Island. The utterances of the senator aroused a breathless interest. Ho said, in part: "Outside Havana, It Is not peace, nor Is It war. It Is desolation and dis tress, misery and starvation." He rend sections of thn nnlw lannH by Weyler to tho reconcentradoes. They forbid the transpottatlon of provisions from one town to another without per mission of tho military authority, direct the owners of cattle to bring them into the town, prescribe that eight days shall be counted from the publication of the proclamation to the head town of the municipal districts and state that If news Is furnished of the enemy which can be made use of it will serve as a "recommendation." Many doubtless did not learn of this Older. Others failed to grasp Its ter rlblo meaning. Its execution was left largely to tho guerillas to drlvo in all that had not obeyed und I was satis fied that In many cases a torch was applied to their homes with no notice and the Inmatos fled with such cloth ing as they might havo on, their stock and other belongings being appropri ated by tho guerillas. When they reached the town they were allowed to build huts of palm leaves In the su bjrbs and vacant places within the trorlms and left to livo it they could. Their hLts aru about ten by fifteen feet In size mid for want of space aro usually crowded together very cloielj. They have no floor but tho ground nnd no furniture and after 11 year's wear but little clotrlng except such stray substitutes ns they can extemporize. With largo families or with moro than ono In this little space, the common est sanitary provisions are impossible. Conditions are unmentionable in this respect. Torn from their homes, with foul earth, foul ulr, foul water and foul food or none, what wonder that one-half havo died and that one quarter of the living are so diseased that they cannot be saved. DEATHS IN THE STREIJTS. Deaths In tho streets have not been uncommon. 1 was told by one of our consuls that they have been found dead about the markets In tho morn ing, where they had crawled hoping to get Fome stray bits of food from the early hucksters nnd that there hnd been cases where they had dropped dead inside the market surrounded by food. I went to Cuba with n strong convic tion that tho plcturo had been over drawn: but a few cases of starvation nnd suffering had Inspired and stim ulated the press correspondents and they had given freo play to a strong, natural and highly cultivated Imag ination. I saw plenty as bad and worse; many that should not bo pho tographed and shown. I could not be lieve that out of a population of 1,000, 000, two hundred thousand had died within these Spanish forts, practically prison walls, within a few months past from actual starvation and dls easo caused by Insufficient and Im proper food. My Inquiries were entire ly outsldo of sensational sources. They were made of our medlcnl offi cers, of our consuls, of city alendes (mayors), of relief committees, ol lead ing bankers, physicians and lawyers. Several of my Informants wero Span lnsh born, but every time tho an swer was that the case hud not been overstated. What I saw, I cannot tell so that others can see It. It must be seen with one's own eyes to bo ic allzed After an enthusiastic tribute to the relief work of Clara Barton, Senator Proctor said he did not learn that the 210,000 Spaniards resident in the Is land had contributed largely In blood or treasure to suppress the Insurrec tion. He compared tho Spaniard with the Cuban to tne latter's advantage and next discussed the military situa tion there, asserting that tho Spanish aimy In men, system and equipment. Is of a very inferior character. On the political situation In Cuba, Senator Proctor said: "I Inquired In regard of autonomy ot men of wealth und men a, prominent In business as in any of the cities of Havana, Matunzas und Sagua. With out exception they replied that It was "too late" for that. Some favored a United States protectorate, somo an nexation, some free Cuba, not ono has been counted favoring tho insur rection at first. To mo tho strong est appeal is not tho barbarity prac ticed by Weyler, nor the loss of the Maine, If our worse fears should provo truo, terrlblu as aro both of these Incidents, but tho spectaclo of a million and u half people, tho entire native population of Cuba, struggling for freedom nnd deliverance from tho worst mlsgovernment of which I ever hud knowledge. I merely speak of tho symptoms ns I saw them, but do not undertake to prescribe Such remedial stops aa may be required may safely lie left to an American president and tho American people. FIRST NEGRO SALES SINCE '65. Vagrants to Go Into lionUnge Instead nl Prison Cr-IU, Glasgow, Ky., March 17. After re peated convictions of vagrancy, two negroes will Iki sold Into bondage nt the court house next Monday, the first In this section since IPCS. This Is Kentucky's new form ot Im prisonment at labor, and th'e negroes' purchasers must agree to properly clothes and house thtm. I'lrp tit Lebanon. Lebanon, Pa., March 17, Tho houBe, barn und grist mill of Mayer & Bright bill, at Derry Church, wero totully de stroyed by flro late last night. Tho' mill was a flve-Btory brick and ono of the finest In this section. Tho loss Is about 125,000; partly covered by Insurance, The flro Is thought to havo been the work of sn turemaiarv THE MWS THIS M011N1NU Weather Indications ToJayi Pair and Colder, 1 General Crisis In the ripanlsh-Amcri- can Imbroglio Is Near. Senator Proctor's View of Conditions in Cuba. Unelo Sam Buys Another Warship. Captuln General Blanco's Prophecy. 2 Tho Tribune's Popular Wnnt Columns. Financial und Commercial. 3 Local New Homo for tho Friendless Is Now Occupied. Stato Guard Subject to tho Orders ot Undo Sum. I Editorial. Comment of tho Press. C Story "A Rcgulnr Amazon." C Local-McHugh Did Not Prove His Case. Oft for the Klondike. 7 Local Marvellous Exhibition in tho Conncll Building. Observance of St. Patrick's Day. 8 Local West Scranton and Suburban. 9 Lackawanna County News. 10 General Patriotism Displayed nt tho Philadelphia Methodist Conference. Ei..lcnt Postolllco Facilities for Alaska. EARLY MORNING FIRE It Caused a Loss of Over Seven Thousand Dollars. A large two-story barn, owned by Mrs. Patrick Donnelly, of C20 Beech street, was totally destroyed by fire at 2 o'clock this morning. The origin of the fire Is a mvstery, but It Is thought to bo from ah Incendiary cause. Two enndy wagons, two carriages, 1215 barrels of flour, about 5 tons of hay, three valuable horses, and several oth' cr things were destroyed, Mrs. Don nelly estimated her loss at about $7,000 with only about n quarter of that amount covered by insurance. The fire was discovered 'by Miss Bes sie Lansran who lives In one of the Donnelly dwelling houses In the rear and about fifty feet from tile barn. An alarm was sent In from box 4S, corner of Beech street and Prospect avenue. The Century, Neptunes and William Connell companies responded. The stream of water, oven with the steam er In use, was meager. BERESF0RD ADVOCATES ALLIANCE. Tho HritUli Admiral Saya We Can Jierer Lour in War. London, March 17. Rear Admiral Lord Charles Beresford, member of parliament for York, In an Interview todny, advocated an Anglo-American alliance as "a move in the direction of pence and calculated to immensely de velop .trade." He added: "Such an al liance Is natural, and I believe the mere fact of Its conclusion would deter oth ers from attacking any Inadequately defended Interests of either country. Now is the time to accomplish it, when the advantages are apparent to both countries. A decade hence, when. If she desires, the United States can havo become a first class naval power, and will, perhaps, have adopted the policy of free- trade, it might not be worth her while to undertake the responsibil ities of nn alliance wPh Great Britain. When Amr-ilra has liullt her navy she will be in a position to enforce her de mands, which will not take her long now with her enormous latent resourc es and mechanical and engineering fa cilities. An Anglo-American alliance would be the most powerful factor in the world for pence and the develop ment of commerce." Speaking of the possibilities of the United States going to war, Lord Ber esford remarked: "If she ever does, no matter what happens at the begin ning, she must win eventually, because of the enthusiasm and Intent patriot Ism of her people." THE CHICAGO FIRE. Three Ilnrned nnd .11 mingled Bodies Tnkon from the Ruins--r'our- teen Persons Missing, Chicago. March 17. Three burned and mangled bodies were today taken from the ruins ot the building, 215-221 Wa bash avenue, which was destroyed by fire yesterday. This brings the number of known dead to six, while fourteen persons reported ns missing had not been accounted for at a late hour to night. Firemen today unearthed the bodies of Charles A. Price, cashier; Henry R. Nelson, chemist, and Mrs. M. E. Harris, bookkeeper, all employed by the W. A. Olmstead Scientific com pany. The three victims who lost their lives by leaping from tho building to thu pavement below were Edward BInz, cashier, for Sweet, Wallach & Co.; Miles A. Smith and Sam A. Clark, em ployes of the Olmstead company. The missing were all connected with these firms. HARA10NI0US CONVENTION. Tom Cooper, of .lledin, Is Endorsed lor Governor ith n Hinh. Media, Pa., March 17. The Repuhll can county convention here today wus marked by perfect harmony. It lasted only two hours. Ex-Congressman John B. Robinson was chairman and ex Senator Thomas V. Cooper was en dorsed for governor with a rush. Ho got 232 delegates to six for Henry W. Meyer, of Radnor: one for John Wanamaker; two for Thomas J, Clay ton and two for W. A. Stone. The ticket Included Assemblvmen Thomas H. Garvin, of Sharon Hill: Wurd R. Bliss, of Chester, and Richard J. Bald win, of Birmingham, The stato dele gates are Jared Darlington, W. S. Ellis, John U. Hannum, Theodore F. Kreo ger, William J. McClure, W. S. Mc Dowell and John S. Rogers. l.nvlgnuUnilr I'lplit n Draw. Cleveland. O., March 17. Tho Lavlgne T""v rleiit was a rtmw in twenty rounds. TWO CENTS. BLANCO'S PROPHECY Says Spain Will Rule the Gulf During Present Generation. STATEMENTS AT A BANQUET Blanco's Bluff Is Received with Shouts of Approval. Spniilih Papers Claim That Cubn Will He Defended to the End ot the Chapter--General Loo Denies tho Humor That Ho Hns Applied lor a Position Elsewhere, and .States That Ho Will Look After Amoricnn Interests In Cubn Until Kscallod. Havana, March 17. General Blancoi, at the banquet last night to the offi cers ot the Vlscaya and the Almirante Oquendo, toasted "Tho King, the Queen Regent, the Army and the Navy of Spain." He said: "The present gen eration will never see another bannen than that of Spain at the entrance to the Gulf of Mexico. That banner, rep resenting civilization, progress, liberty, humanity and religion, will be eternal, like that of the first American nation." These sentiments' were received with shouts of approval and cheers. Admiral Manterola, responding on bo half of the navy, said: "In union tho nrmy and navy will always bo Inde structible." La Union Constltuclonal publishes to day numerous Interviews with leading politicians and other authorltcs on thn situation. Tho trend of nil Is to the effect that there Is no reason for war, but that Spain would defend her pos session of Cuba to tho last drop o( blood. Some of the prominent Cubantt Interviewed are represented as saying that Spain can count on the support of all peaceable Creoles. La Lucha, In today's Issue, says edi torially that Juan Cemballos, ot New York city, who recently visited Presi dent McKlnley for nn interview on tho Cuban question, has no authority from or standing in Cuba or" Spain, and asks: "Whom does Senor Cembnlloa represent in Cuba?" The American yacht Buccaneer.whlch has been expected here to take the re mainder of the congressional party north, Is more than forty hours over due at the time this dispatch Is filed, and there are fears that some accident has befallen her. Messrs. Money.Smltlt and Cummlngs decided not to wait longer, and left for Key West today on the Aransas. VALUABLE WRECKAGE RAISED. It Is hoped tho wreckers will find tampions In the big guns, and if this proves the case the guns can bo saved. If otherwise, and the marine growth) has ruined the steel of tho cores, the breech mechanism can be used in other guns. Today another one-pounder and two of the three anchors, with theln chains, all very valuable, were raised, and tho swords of First Lieutenant oC Marines Catlln and Lieutenant F. W Jenkins. The two battalions of Havana volun-. teers are drilling In heavy artillery ex ercises at the Cuban fortress. The Viscaya. Is still coaling and IK is now announced that sho will prob- ably not go to Mexico. The Montgomery left this port for1 Key West. General Paulo ia expected! to nnive tonight. Consul General L?e, Interviewed to day as to the report that he had ap plied for H. Maltland Kersey's former position as New York agent of tho iYlllte s'ar l'ne' "aid there was nq truth in It whatever. "1 have not made nnd do not con template maklnjr applIcatlOT," said) General Lee, "for any place of any kind. I purposo staying 'lere to look after tho American Interests until my own or the Spanish, government den munds my recall." REPAIRINQ OP THE MONITORS. Tive of tho Old H'nr Ilonts will He fitted Up for Harbor Defense. Philadelphia, March 17. At League) Island navy yesterday It was learned that tho board of experts who exam ined tho eight old monitors havo de cided that three of them, the Canonl cus. Manopac and Lehigh are useless and cannot be put In condition for ser vice. These three were today returned to their old moorings in the back bas in. The other five, tho Nahant, Jason, Catskill, Montauk and Manhattan can he fitted out for harbor defence. Tho principal work required on them Is to lav new decks and make a few minor repairs to the machinery. Commandant Casey said today that tho monitors could be made effective na defenders of torpedo fields, or where they could be anchored In shallow wat sr and their big guns used to ndvunt age. The battering capacity of theso guns, out of dato as they are, Is form idable, and appearances Indicate that they will be retained in their old tur. lots. Ammunition for these fifteen, inch muzzle-loader, Bmooth-bores has' been ordered and Is now being pre pared nt the government magazines at Fort Milllln. Flotilla Shuns llnrnnn. tadrld, March 17. Admiral Bermejo. the minister of murine, has wired tho commander of tho torpedo flotilla at tho Canaries not to proceed to Havana. The Herald's Wpnther I'nrecnst. Now York, March IS. In the mlddln states and New England today clear I'lid fair, couior, brisket fresh northwesterly and westerly whlth some eloudlnes and possibly iWic southern puit4 01 uun necuQ i
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers