A JftPflN FIGHTS RUSSIA Muscovites Startled bu tho Sudden and Success ful Movements of the Mikado's War Vessels Against Their Fleet. RUSSIAN SQUADRON CRIPPLED IN FIRST ENGAGEMENTS RU83IAN TRANSPORT BLOWN UP. Mine Accidentally Struck by 8hlp. Captain, Three Officer and Nine ty Men Killed. BRITISH 8TEAMER FIRED UPON. A report has been received at St. Petersburg from Viceroy Alexleff, say fog that tho Russian torpedo transport Yenlsc.1 lias been blown tip as the re sult of accidentally striking a mine In tho harbor at Port Arthur. Tho Yenisei tank ami ('apt. Stvpanoff, three officers and 91 men were lost. Tile Yenisei was built at the llaltlc works In 1899. She wag of 2.500 tons displacement and cou'.d ma!;? If! knots, llor armament consisted of five 12 pounder and six 3-poumler quick-firing guns. The British steamer Fu ring, when leaving Port Artmir, was flred upon by llflusslans. Three. Chinese members of .the crew were wounded. Tho Rus sians afterward apologized for firiiiK on tho vessel. The Fu Plug, upon Its ai rival at Wei Hal Wo I filed a pro test with the UritJsh commissioner. TiiO American consul has reported to United Slat's Minister Conger that the Rii3slp.n authorities haw refused to allow the American steamer Pleia des to leave Tort Arthur. The Pleia des sailed Horn Seattle on February 2, with a cargo of flour. Ilaron HayashI, the. Japanese min ister at lndon, 'has received a ills patcii from Toklo announcing that on February 11 two Japanese merchant Btean.ers, tho Nakanoura Maxu and Znsho Mari while on their way ftom Sakahata to Otaru. on the Island of Hokkaido, wore surrounded and shelled by four Russian warships, presumably tho Vladlvostock pquadron, off tie coast of Herunshl (Okhushlrl). Tire Nakanoura Nam was sunk, hut the Zensho Mam escaped and arrived safely at Fukuyama Island of Hokkai do. Tho Brlt.lsh government has Informa tion which leads It to believe that. Ja pan Is likely to take possession of Port Arthur n week from now. In the best Informed Japanese circles here It is privately thought that the war will be ovier by July. Those British of ficials who nre cognizant of the extra ordinary thoroughness with which Ja pan prepared for war are Inclined to share tho Japanese view regarding tne duration of the struggle. The Associated Press understands that the Japanese troops mv ad vancing rapidly toward the Yalu river. There, It Is expected, they will meet and engage the Russian forces. The Japanese declare that tho numbers of the Rust-Jan troops are greatly exas perated. UNCLE SAM SPEAKS A WORD. Secretary Hay Acko Powers to Pre serve Chinese Neutrality. As soon as the State Department was Informed that hostilities had broken out Secretary Hay sent a note to all the Powers Inviting their ad hesion to a programo outlined by him. The chief feature of tho program Is to compel China to preserve strict neu trality. At the same time he took oc casion to reaffirm the statement of) July 3. 1900, that our chief concern In territorial and governmental entity of the Chinese Empire. The circular asks the Government to pledge them selves to make such representations ai. Peking as will, to them, seem best cal culated to cause China to preset va strict neutrality. Report of Rustlan Vio'-cry. male iviuhi (iiiis w,iTitru ai t luui' vostock. report the complete rout of , tho Japaneso by the Russians on tho Yalu river. These advices also claim , 'iat Chemulpo, Korea has been occu-' jeu by Russian soldiers and marines Welsh Coal for Russia. Orders have been received at Car ff, suspending all shipments of coal ' r the Russian government and can-' idlng the chartering in Its behalf. r' FOURTEEN KILLED. Engineer Falls to Obey Orders. More Than Twenty Hurt. Fourtoen persons were Wiled nnd more than a score Injured In a col lision between two passenger trains on the Canadian Pacific near Sand Point Tuesday. The trains wero the teastbound and westbound "Soo" spe cials. Both trains were under orders to stop at Sand Point and pass. An official statement given out by the Canadian Pacific, placed the re sponsibility for the wreck upon the crew of the westbound train. Con ductor Kldd. of that train, this Even ing admitted that his engineer had orders to stop at Sand Point, but failed to obey them. Investigation to Be Thorough. The Senate Committee on Privileges and Gloctlons agreed that the hearing of the chuiges agalust Senator Reed 8moot would begin March 1. Chairman Burrows was given unlimited power to summon witnesses and to appoint a sub-committee to go to Utah to take testimony, If nocessary. The witness es to 5B Humuiouod before the comuilO tee are for the most part members of the Mormon church, among them be ing children alleged to be the offspring of polygamous marrlngps ..contracted since the manifesto of 181)0. ' r1 'THREE TRANSPORTS CAPTURED Russian Cruiter Varlag and QunLoat Korieti Oo Down After Fight Near Chemulpo. Three transports of the Russian vol unteer flee;, conveying about 2.om) troops, have been captured by the Japanese off the Corean coast. A dispatch from Port Arthur says the Japanese fleet returned there Tuesday afternoon and again bom barded the Russian flevt and forts, but that It soon withdrew. The losses to the Russians, the dispatch Bays, were small. During the firing a Japanese cruiser giounded. A message from Iitulon says: Offi cial dispatches from Toklo received by Huron liayashl, say the Japanese ad miral, on arriving at Chemulpo. Cores.. Monday, sent word to tho two Rus sian warships, the Varlag and Korletz, giving them a time limit In which to leave. Shortly afterward the Russians cam? out and attacked a Japanese tor pedo boat, which replied with a tor pedo Ineffectively. A general exchange of shots then followed. After a hot fire tho Russians to turned to Chemulpo and at the en trance of the harbor. The Russian cruiser Varlag, which was reported to have been sunk at Chrmiulpo by the Japanese fleet, was captured and has arrived nt Sasebo. Seven Warships Crippled. In addition to the Russian vessels damaged in the torpedo attack at Port Arthur, seven ether vessels were cap tured. Tho damage done to the Russians at Port Arthur by the Japanese fleet un der Vice Admiral Togo Is far more extensive than was at first reported Sewn war.ihlps belonging to the Rus sians wero put out of action. Too Pallada was not sunk but lies on her beam ends on the boaehh, so badly damaged by the well-directed blow of n torpedo that It Is doubtful If It will be possible to make her seaworthy for many months to come. The battle ships Hetx'.san and Tsarevitch wero damaged below the water line. If the action had taken place at sea they cer tainly would nave gone to the bottom. In the second fUht th battleship Pol tava and the cruisers Novlk, Askold and Diana were seriously damaged. The Japanese have dealt the Rus sians a crushing blow at Port Arthur. An advance squadron of the Japanc.iT fleet, under command of Vic? Admiral Tof,o, and comprising 10 battleships, and cruisers with a numerous torpedo flotilla, left tho main fleet off Shan Tung peninsula on Sunday Immediate ly that the news of the diplomatic rup ture became knjwn. It cruised slowly outside without showing lights. The Russians were lying In the roadstead apparently feel Ing secure from attack. Nearly nil the Japanese torpedo boats wvro ills patched on their dangerous nnd dar ing task. They ru.-.hed full steam :n the enemy, who were vompletely sur r vised. A great rattle of small arms greet ed the Invaders, who, however, escap ed unhurt, nnd the Retvlzan, the estate vlteli and the Ballads were almost im mediately torpedoed. The Japaneso dashed along the en tile line of the Russians, exposed by now to n terrible fire from the machine guns and small arms from both the ships nnd the shore. There was tho utiuott consternation among the Rus sians, which probably accounts for tho Japanese torpedo boats escaping prac tically unscathed nnd Joining the ad n 'ral outsde'e. The admiral's fl?ct during the attack kept out of range tf the Russian searchlights. Line of battle was then formed and '.he Japanese fleet moved In within a runge of two and one-half miles nnd r.r.cuot1. fire on tho Russians. The booming of guns wa3 beard far out to tea. A cablo from Cheroo says: Sixty Japanese transports are landing troops at various points of Korea from Masampho and Fusan, on the south, to Kunsnn. Mokpho and Che mulpo on tho west. Thirty Men Killed. The Shanghai correspondent of tho London "Dally Mall' says an Import ant btldgo on tho Manchtirlan railroad has been blown up and 30 man have been killed. GUNBOAT MAY BE SEIZED. Firing on American Steamship Arouses the War Department, Specific Instructions have been ca bled Rear Admiral Wise commanding the training squadron In Dominican waters regarding the protection of American shipping Interests theie. The firing on the lighters of the Clyde, ' line steamer New York by a govern-! mont gunboat has aroused Indignation ' In official circles here and It was said i nt the Navy repartment that the prob. ! able cours3 of action after such an outrage would be the seizure of the '. government guuuout by Rear Admiral j Wise, in which event it probably would ! bs carried to Guantanauio. P. R. R. Borrows $50,OCO,000. That part or tho Pennsylvania Rail road Company which operates the lines west or Pittsburg has borrowed $50,000,000. It will got the money from Kuhn, Loeb & Co. of New Yoik on April 1, and will Issue notes which are guaranteed by the Pennsylvania Railroad Company proper. It Is an 18 months loan at the rate of 4V4 per cent a year. The purpose of the loan Is said to be the building of additional tracks, both passanger and freight, on tho Pennsylvania lines between New York nuil Chicago.' NEUTRALITY ASSURED. No Aid to Either of Belligerent Na tions Can Be Given. The proclamation declaring the Uni ted States neutral In the war between Russia and Japan was Issued by the president on the 11th. The document was prepared by Secretary Hay. The Russian request that the United States remain neutral was made on the 10th, whJle that of Jaunn was de livered to Secretary Hay on the 11th, together with a formal notice of Ja pan's declaration of war. Count Casslnl. the Russia ambassa dor to the United States, and Minister Takahira. Japan's representative In Washington, met face to face for the first time In many weeks, In the watt ing room of Secretary Hay's office at the state department shortly aftef noon Wednesday. Mr. Takahira had called to deliver to Secretary Hay Japan's formal notice that a state of war existed. As he came out of Mr. Hay's office ho almost brushed the garments of the Russian ambassador, who was standing near tho iloor awaiting his turn to enter. The two diplomats surveyed each other gravely for an Instant and then both bowed, slowly, formally and very low, without uttering a sound. TUB MIKADO'S PLEA. Formal Declaration of Hostilities at Tokyo Gives Japan's Reason for the Clash. WANTON DELAYS ARE CLAIMED. The following Is tho text of the Im perial rescript declaring war against Russia, which was Issued In Japan yesterday: We, by tho grace of heaven, emper or of Japan, seated on ths throna oc cupied by the same dynasty since time Immemorial, hereby make proclama tion to all our loyal and brave subjects as follows: We hereby declare war against Rus sia, and wo command our at my and navy to carry on hostilities against, her. In obedience to their duty, with all their strength, and we also com mand all our competent authorities to make every effort, In pursuance of their duties, to attain the national aim with all the means within tho limits of tho law of no'ions. We have always deemed It essen tial in International relations, and hao mndo It our constant aim, to pro mote tho pacific progress of our em pire In c.lvillza'ion, to strengthen our friendly ties with other states and to establish a state of things which would maintain enduring peace In the far east, and assure the future security of our dominion without Injury to the rights cr Interests of other powers. Our competent authorities have also performed their dutifs In obedience to our will, so that our relations with all th? powers had been steadily growing In (tircllallty. It was t'.nu entirely against our Ex pectation that we have unhappily crime to open hostilities against Rus sdn. Tho intogrity of Korea Is a mat ter of tho gravest concern to this em plre. not only because of our tradition al relations with that country, but be cause the separate existence of Korea is essential to tho safety of our realm. Nevertheless Russia. In disregard of her solemn treaty pledges to China nnd her icpeated assurance to other powers. Is still In occupation of Man-chu-in and Is bent cn final annexa tion. . And. since tho absorption of Man churia by Russia would lender lmpus s..,.e to maintain the Integrity of China and would. In addition, compel the abandonment of all hope of penes in tho far east, wo were determined In those circumstances to settle the question by negotiations and to secure thereby permanent peace. With that object in view, our competent authori ties by cur order made proposals to Russia, anil frequent conferences were held during tho last six months. Russia, however, never met such nropcsals li a spirit of conciliation, but by wr.Rton delays put off a set tlement of ti.o serL.us questions, nnd by ost-ns.lhly advocating peace on one hand, while on th other extending her naval and military preparations, ecup.ht to accomplish her own selfish designs. We cannot in the l?ast ad mit that Russia had from the fust any seilurs or genu.'ne desira for peace. She rejected the prop.osals of our gov. crnment. The safety of Korea was In danger and the Interests of our em pire were menaced. Tho guarantees for the future which we failed to se cure by peaceful negotiations can now only be obtained by an appeal to arms. It is our earnest wish that by the loyalty ami valor of on- faithful sub jects peace may soon be permanently restored and the glory of our emplte preserved. Aid for Baltimore, At the session of the Maryland Leg islature Tuesday the question of relief for the city of Baltimore was taken up and a Joint resolution adopted pro viding for the appointment of a Joint committee of Senators and delegates to meet Mayor McLane and tho Citi zens Committee of Raltimore for con sultation with a view of ascertaining just what assistance is needed. A bill was Introduced In the House by Representative Emrich, Illinois, appropriating $1,000,000 for the re lief of Bufferers from the Baltimore flri. The bill was referred to the Committee on Appropriations. Dies at Ago of 102. Philip Kelfer. a wealthy retltcd man ufactuter, of Dayton, O., who celebrat ed the one hundred and second anni versary of bis birth a few months ago, died on the Oth. He came to Dayton from Maryland In 1832. He drank six cups of coffee dally all his lire and was an Inveterate user or tobacco. Representatives of Insurance com-, paiuea estimate ti.e fire loss in. Balti more1 at' $123,000,000 with fiO.000,000 Insurance. MASAMPHO SEIZED. Port Will C Fortified and Used as Military Base. Japan seized Masampho Sunday and dispatched a heavy force there. She will fortify the port and establish a naval and military base. Masamr.ho Is on the southeast coast of Korea, ab-ont 100 miles from Seoul, the capital. It fronts on the narrowest part of tho strait of Korea, which leads from the Yellow sea Into the sea of Japan. Thus commanding the strslt. It, In conjunction with the naval station at Hiroshima, almost ex actly opposite on the Japanese coast, I enables Japan to close the southvrn I entrance to the Inland and western side of the empire. GZflR DECLARES WAR. 8upreme Manifest Commanding an Armed Response to Japsnese Challenge at Port Arthur. APPEALS TO LOYAL 8UBJECT9. The Official Messenger of St. Peters burg contains the following "supreme manifest:" "By the grace of God, we, Nicholas II., emperor and autocrat of all the Husslas, etc.. make known to all our loyal subjects: "In our solicitude for the mainten ance of peace, which Is dear to our hearts, we made every exertion to maintain tranquility In tho Far East. In these peaceful alms we signified as- ; sent to the proposals of the Japan- . ese government to revlso agreements regarding Corean affairs existing be tween the two governments. How ever, the negotiations begun on this subject were not brought to a conclu sion, and Japan, without waiting the . rerclpt of tho last responsive propo als of our government, declared the negotiations broken off and diplomatic telntlons with Russia dissolved. "Without advising us of the fact thnt the breach of such relations would It self mean an opening of warlike opera tions, tho Japnnese government gave orders to It3 torpedo boats to attack our squadron standing In the outer harbor of tho fortress of Port Arthur. Upon receiving reports from the vice roy in tln Far Kast about this, wo Immediately commanded him to answ er tho Japanese challenge with armed force. i "Making known this our decision we, with unshaken faith In tho help of tho Almighty and with a firm expec tation of and reliance upon tho tinanl j mons willingness of all our loyal sub i Jocts to stand with us In defense of ' the fntlverlnnd. ask God's blessing up on our stalwart land nnd naval forces. "(liven at St. Petersburg, January ! 27. 1904. A. 1)., (new calendar, Feb ruary 9, 1904), and In tho tenth year ! or our reign. Written In full by the I hand of "Ilia Imperial Majesty, "NICHOLAS." TROUBLE IN LUZON. Cavalry Scouts and Constabulary Sent I to Vlgan. A revolt of the constabulary nt Vlgan has developed Into a Bmnll up j rising against tho American and loyal i Filipinos. Two American priests. Fath ers McClosky and Kirk, have been fired upon, but no casualties nre re ported. The telegraph wires leading ! to tho disturbed diHtrlct havo been icut. Rlcarto, one of the former Fill Iplno lenders, Is believed to be at tho ! head of the movement. Seventeen of tho constabulary do i serted, taking with them 50 rllles, 5, I (tot) rounds of ammunition, nnd $700 obtained by looting tho commissary I department. Tho number of fugitives i has since been augumented by a par i ty of St) escaping trom tho same quar ter. Fatal Hotel Fire. Tho Cliff Springs hotel, located at tho west end of the bridge over (he Al legheny river at Kittanning, Pa., was destroyed by fire and two men lost their lives In the flames. The dead men are Aaron Davis, of Pittsburg, married ond leaves n family; Richard Dndy, of Pittsburg, married and leaves a family, TELEGRAPHIC BREVITIES. Tho senate passed tho diplomatic r.nd consular appropriation bill with out debate. U is reported that hundreds of per sons have been killed by a volcanic eruption in the Island of Javaa. G-eorge A. Rose, cashier of the Cleveland Produce L'xchunge Rank, who embezzled $187.0() of the bank funds, was sentenced to 10 years in the penitentiary. The Rev. William L. McEwan. D. D.. pastor of the Third Presbyterian church, Fifth and South Negley ave nues. Pittsburg, was unanimously elected president of tho Central uni versity of Danville, Ky., nt a meeting of the trustees at Lexington, Ky. The Controller of the Currency an nounces the closing of the doors or the Equitable National Hank, of New York city, and the appointment of National Rank Examiner Rldgeley as temporary receiver. Burglars entered the postofflce at Oi leans, Ind and blew the safe to at oms, shattering the plate glass win dows of the building and securing $400 in money and stamps. One piece or the safe was blown through two walls. Paul Mlslk. convicted of murdering Charles Olirlen in a dispute over 35 cents, was executed at Hartford, Conn. The Norwegian Parliament has pass ed a bill, almost unanimously, author izing women to act as attorneys, soli citors and barristers In the lower as well as In tho higher courts, on the same conditions as men. Rear Admiral O'Ncil. chief of the bureau or ordlnaanco has oidered that two new 8-Inch guns which have Just been completed at the Washington navy yard be placed on the battleship Iowa In place or those which burst last Friday while at tarj.t practice. GREAT FIRE IN BALTIMORE Business District Devastated To Extent of 150 Acres. 2300 BUILDINGS DESTOYED. Firs Department Aided by Other Cities Fought the Flames Mors Than 30 Hours. LOSS ESTIMATED $125,000,000. Fins which broke out few minutes before 11 o'clock Sunday morning In tho wholesale dry goods house of John E. Hurst & Co., Baltimore raged con tinuously with unrestrained fury, ror more than 28 hours, destroy ing the entire wholesale, retail and business section or the city to the extent or about 14') acres In area. Tho fire department, although aided by engines from Washington and the surrounding counties and suburbs, was utterly powerless to make any effective resistance to tho consuming element, though for hours as many as 400 streams or water wera thrown In to tho flames. Chief Morton decided that the' only thing left to do was to dynamite build ings that threatened points and thus prevent, as far as possible a further spread or the flames. In pursuance or this plan a number or buildings on South Charles street between German and Iombard streets weie blown up. The district swept by the great, seething wave or fire embraces 75 blocks and nearly 2,500 buildings. Conservative estimates place the loss as exceeding $aoo,ooo,000. Tho burn ing blackened ruins are now under military guard. The burned district Is within tlm territory bounded on the wst by Lib erty street, on the north by Lexington street, on the east by Jones falls and on tho south by the basin. Within this district weie the big structures on Fayette. Gay, Innliard. Charles, Italderson, Elllcot. Ilnlllngsworth and Cheapsldo streets. Passing southeast along the Basin the following large blocks were destroyed: McClures. Pattersons. Smith. Frederick, Ixvng and 1'nlon. Smnll thoroughfares which do not extend as far north as Lexington street, and which were In tlm path of the flames, are Commerce, Frederick and Mill streets. Every dally English newspnper In the city has lost Its plant. The plant of the Dally Record, a legal and real estate pnper, nt the corner of Fayette and St. Paul streets, went first. Tho Herald building, of modem construc tion, on the oppop.Uo corner, was va cated at 7:20 p. m. Tho force of writers nnd printers stuck valiantly to their work of Issuing extras) until forced out by tho police. It was In tended to dynamite the structure, to stay the flames, but t fie building was burned before this could be done. Tho Baltimore News building, on Baltimore and Grant streets, burned between 9 anil 10 o'clok. All the records and valuable papers wero saved. Tho last, or fourth extra, was ready to go to pres3 when the police ordered the building cleared. The Baltimore Ameilcan, nearby was burn ed nt 1 o'clock, and an hour later tho I'.nltlmore Sun building was In flames. The Sun Eent a staff of nien to Wash ington nt midnight, and, through tho courtsey of the Evening Stnr. In that city, and by almost superhuman work, was able to issue Its paper at. tho usual hour this morning. Tho Herald and News aio inlr.g the plant of tin Washington Post. Terrific Explosions. Tho people wero first notified of tho conflagration by a terrific explosion which occurred some minutes alter 11 o'c lock, Sunduy morning. A sharp, splitting leur went up with rever berating thunder. This was followed by a peculiar whistling noise like that made by n shrill wind. The churches In tho central portion of the city wero filled with worshipers, many of whom became frightened, and, while no pan ics ensued, hundreds of men and wo. men left their sears ond wpnt outside to eeo what had happened. In a few moments the str.et3 and pavements all over the city were crowded with cx j cited people. Another deafening crash , occurred and dense volumes of cinders j and smoko shot up over tho central ! section of tho city, and In a huge ! brown column moved tapldly toward the northwest. Borne on the strong southeast wind, the column of smoke, ; blazing cinders and even pieces of tin ' roofing spread over (he center of tho city and a rain of cinders fell, compell ing pedestrians to dodge ted hot pieces of wood. A tremendous explosion of about 150 barrels of whisky stored In the upper , floors of 24 Hanover street hurled tons of burning matter across the street on 1 to the roofs of the buildings opposite which the firemen weie drenching with water In a vain hope to make Han over street the eastern boundary lino of the conflagration. The flames quiv ered for a few moments under the water, but soon ate into the buildings , on the east side. Two more explosions followed and thousands of people hurried to the scene of the Are. Of all the specta tors, comparatively few saw the Are It self. They could not get within half a block of It. Even the policemen guard 1 Ing the approaches to tITe fire had to i repeatedly shift their positions to eg : cape railing cinders. Pieces or tin six i by eight reet square weie lirted Into ! the air by the terrific heat, sailed up i ward like paper kites, and. when tho i reached a point beyond the zone or tho j most intense heat, roll into the street. Twenty-five thousand men and wo men are out of. employment. The In surance companies have to meet the greatest losses they have encountered since the Chicago fire. It Is expected that 11 local fire insurance companies will rail. Many or the New York, the New England, with tho Western and foreign companies, will be extremely hard hit. There are hundreds of ruined mer chants. It will take years to restore I me city. I Reyes was elected president of Col ;ombia on February 2. Gonzales Val lencla was elected vice president. A FAVORABLE OUTLOOK. In Restoring Baltimore There Will Be Great Activity In Building Trades. H. Q. Dun A co.'s weekly review of trade says: War, fire and cotton were the adverse factors or the week, yet the country stood the shocks re markably well and there are numer ous encouraging aymptons. To a large degree the outbreak of hostlll ties In the Orient and the collapse of the cotton boom had been discount, ed, and the disastrous loss of the conflagration was offset very largely by the Btlmulus It will give to many Industries, notably structural steel. In restoring Baltimore there will be great activity In the building trades, while large stocks or Roods must bo replared and orders filled by Jobbers and manufacturers elsewhere. j Actual business Is still restricted i In tho Iron and stepl industry hut there Is more confidence In the future, and tho extensive starting of plants by the leading producer suggests that foreign markets will be entered more j aggressively than ever bfore. Struc I tural steel prospects have greatly lm , proved because of the Baltimore fire, I as it Is certain that an enormous ton j nngo will be required to restore the i ruined buildings. As to pig Iron no Improvement Is seen. Minor metals I have developed Irregularity, but hard coal Is In good demand. New England shoe Bhops are still rully occupied on spring lines and rail samples, but few additional or ders Tor Bprlng delivery have appear- ed during the past week. Failures this week In tho United I States are 22S. against 246 last week. 302 the preceding week and 230 the corresponding week last year. Fail ures In Canada number 25. attalnst 29 last week. 28 the preceding week . and 20 last year. IRON TRADE IRREGULAR. Sales in Finished Product Larger In Pittsburg and Chicago. Of the business outlook Bradstreet's say: The Baltimore disaster and the beginning of hostilities In the far I east, though affect lug the speculative market to some extent, have as yet t had no notable results on trade out side of sections immediately concern- , ed. The Iron trade Is Irregular. Pig iron sales are not largo and prices dls. play ease, despite talk of large tran sactions In the Central West. West ern trade In finished products Is re ported larger at Chicago nnd Pltts liurg. Wire goods, plates, bars and structural note improvement and tho i pipe business is better situated than ! a year ago. Steel billets are reported being shaded through tho exchange , of scrap nnd pig Iron therefor. Other metals are dull, but copper is rather firmer, while lend Is strong. Wheat, i including Hour, exports for five days ending Februnly 10, aggregate 1.743, 1255 bushels, against 2,'i" 1,22V bushels I last week, 2.8.r)ii.4:!9 bushels this week last year, 3.175.4S1 bushels In 1902 and 4.81 1,878 bushels in 1901. KRUGER PAYS THE PENALTY. Declared on Gallows Liquor Caused I All His Troubles. j Charles E. Krugcr. tho slayer of Con stable Henry F. Ilierer. was executed Jin Gieensburg. Pa., t,n the 12th. Tho I condemned man displayed nerve, and ' utter being led to the scaffold by Sher iff John M. Tresher and Deputy Daniel 'Dincaster he passed hulf way up tho j several steps of the gallows, nnd turn ing to the small audience, In a clear voice, he snld: "Gentlemen: During my tlttio on earth I have been a ter rible sinner, arid all my troubles I can plnco to the excesslvo use of liquor. I c'.!u not care for G')d until I got Into : this trouble. He has power and : strength to savo me. and I warn all , hero to lead a Christian life. I hopo to meet you nil In heaven, where 1 am ! going now. Goodby to all." , Kruger was handed for the murder of Constable Harry Blerer, of Greens i burg, who went to orrest him on a I trilling charge. Ho was sentenced to j death, but confessed to several crimes ! arnr.ng which was the murder of j Treasurer John Blev'.ns at New Castle, j Pa. This was not believed. The Gov I crnor respited him and his mental ! condition wns Investigated. He was ; declared sane and the Governor then withdrew from fur.'hcr Jnturii rence and the luw took Its course. $5,000 Damages. Asked. Seward S. Saltsman, of Sallnevllle, O.. has filed suit in court here against John Barnhlll asking for $5.oo0 for al leged alienation of his wife's affec tions. The men are brothers-in-law, and the suit is said to be the result of family differences. Saltsman and his wife have separated and he has also brought suit for divorce. Killed at a Crossing. j Four persons were killed at th ' Southern railway crossing at Water ! loo Postofflce, Va. The killed were ' Bernard Brown, his wife and child, and I William Stokes. The party was re turning from Washington in a wagon, ; which was struck by an engine. Worried by Students. i Dr. Charles N. Haskins. an lustruc ! tor In Sheffield scientific school of Yale university, who recently was harassed by the freshmen who plugged , tho keyhole to prevent his open- ing the recitation room, has resigned, owing to broken health and nervous ' ness. Shell Carried Fifteen Miles. One of the officers of the battle ship Missouri which has been engaged In target practice off the Chesapeake capes came to the navy department with a remarkable statement. He said that one of the 12-Inch guns being elevated 17 degrees let fly a shell which the strongest glass could not follow to the end of its flight. I-ater a passing steamer repor t ! ed that the shot had struck the sea i wlfhln 300 yards of her. The steamer was distant from the Missouri Just IS miles. TWENTY-SEVEN SHARKS aaght On Hnt Xfhuu OMf ttm FUhlng Was Good. "Did you ever beat of catching twenty-seven sharks with one book?" asked Bo'sn L. W. Eacott of the British bark Antigua, recently. The bark Captain) Brady, lies at the foot of Richards street, Brooklyn. "I never beard tell of such a thing until fair and full winds left ns on tbs homeward way from Buenos Ayres, Jnst above the equator. The sblp hadn't been becalmed In the tropics) tnore'n fifteen minutes when a Ions; came an ordinary sized shark nosing around. . "Word was passed tip forra'd, and at chunk of pork as big as my bend was baited on a book and cast astern. The hark took right bold and we bauled It alongside and aboard. "It was peculiar kind of shark that didn't bave no teeth whatever, and It tall, which bad two flukes to It, wil bout half as long ns Its body. "Well, wo cut open the shark to see If we could find any curio Inside. There were no curios, nor nothing of that sort. All there was In that shark that we could find was twenty-six little barks, so that made twenly-seveu barks all told caught with one hook. "The little ones were about sis Inches long, all alive, nnd all were toothless and having white stomachs. "I wanted the cook to make a shark tew, for young sbnrk Is tender and good entln', but the other bands wouldn't listen to It, so we threw 'em all overbonrd and the cook put another bit of beef In soak." New York World, WISE WORDS. The process of repentance Is bitter, but Its fruits are sweet. A changed life nnd a changed mind are both essential parts of true repent ance. You cannot start the fire of fend without getting the smoke in your own eyes. An Instantaneous perfection wonld be as valueless as an Instantaneous ed ucation. A man Is diligent to cultivate bis corn, but expects his character to grow; without. No girl can be provident of her tlms who Is not prudent l:i the choice of her company. Don't keep nny company In yonf heart thnt you buve to apologize U yourself for. One thorn of experience Is worth a whole wilderness of warning. James JUiBSell Lowell. There Is more dangT in the nnder ground currents of desire than In the over-head winds of temptation. When we look on the world as our own plum wo ore almost sure to find that we have eaten It too green. ' Civility Is a charm that attracts the love of oil men. anil too much Is better than to show too little. Answers. Wli-r BkulU Are In Imnd. In the northern Shun States, on the border of Burma, Is a tribe called the Wild Was. These people propitiate with human skulls the demons whom they worship. Outside every village In their country there are many posts. II In one line, decked with human skulls. A niche Is cut In the back of each post, with n ledge on whicb the skull can rest and grin through a bole In front of it. F.very village has a dozen and ionic ns many as a hundred of these head posts. Fresh skulls are In special request nt harvest time and are purchased for largo sums, those of distinguished visitors being particular ly desired. So, ns Mr. Scott, the British superintendent of the States, remarked some years ago: "The Wns States are, therefore, no place for missionaries or globe trotters." Th Itfrcii Aulitantf. There Is one feature in the work of the Carnegie Institution, which Is of widespread Importance, and that Is the election of twenty-five "research as sistants," to each of whom Is given a sum of How or $!'J J. These "re search assistants" nre for the most part young persons who bave already been well trained and are prepared to pros ecute definite lines of Investigation un der the guidance or older, higher quali fied leaders. These men are not al lowed to be "assistants" In the ordinary use or thnt word, nor to engage la Instruction. rnltcd A set Mark 4 SO Tun. Sis Shaffer brothers, sons of Joba Shaffer, of Highland County, Ohio, were photographed In a group at Hills borough, Ohio, a short time ago. The oldest Is eighty-six years of age, and the youngest seventy-four. Their united ages amount to 480 years. Tbeir fath er's children numbered thirteen, and the children of these six brothers num ber, respectively, eleven, eight, nlner, thirteen, twelve and five, giving; tns list In the order of the fathers' ages. The Growth of London. During the nineteenth century Lon don crew from a clty,of SO0.0QO people to one of 6,500,000 that Is, Increased eight fold. New York Increased from 60,000 to 3.500,000-nearly sixty fold. London U now Increasing seventeen per cent. In a decade, and New York thirty-five per cent., or twice a fast. If this rate should hold good for thirty years more New York would bave over 15,000,000 population and be 1.000,000) ahead of London. A Lobs Weather CfeU. 'A long weather cycle of about thirty. Ave years seems to sppear In the Brit ish Isles. From records of ninety years. Mr. Douglas Archibald concludes that t dry period has just passed, and that the yearjil903 to about llJO will show more than aa average rainfall and low barometer, and two bushels per acts tUfldency la wheat yield.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers