Rensselaer Democrat, Volume 1, Number 2, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 April 1898 — EASTERN. [ARTICLE]

EASTERN.

Fred S. Kelley, local cashier at Omaha, Neb., for the Phoenix Fire Insurance Company of Brooklyn, is missing. It is said there is a shortage in his accounts of some $2,100. The Wilson Line steamer Marengo, which arrived in New York from Newcastle, England, brought 250 tons of war material, consisting of guns, gun cartridges and unloaded cartridges. The deal at Willimantlc, Conn., which involved the transfer of the Willimantlc Cotton Company to the English syndicate is off for various financial reasons, but chiefly ou account of the war outlook, the Euglish capitalists are shy of the investment. An unknown vessel, believed to be a passenger boat, was lost off the Jersey coast in the vicinity of Barnegat the other night, leaving no trace of its identity or of the fate of those who were on board. Information to this effect was given to the Maritime Exchange by Captain Holm of the Norwegian steamship Bratten, just arrived at New York from Hull. Captain Holm reported that when off Barnegat he passed through a large quantity of wreckage.

The extensive plant of the Penn PlateGlass Company iu North Irwin, Pn., is in complete ruin. Fire started near the new casting ball, caused by the blowing out of a gas converter. The flames spread with great rapidity from one building to another, uud iu one hour nothing but smoldering ruins remained of the largest and most successful independent plate-glass works of the United States. The loss is estimated nt $750,000, with an insurance of about $450,000. The concern employed about 500 men. The employes of Parkhill mills at Fitchburg, Muss., are out on strike, refusing to accept the cut in their wages. The strikers went to the mills, started up their looms, and, after running them a few minutes, left the mills and proceeded to the upper common, where a mass meeting was held. The mills are three in number and give employment to about 1,100 hands at present, more than is employed by any other one concern in the city. To be forced to shut down at this time will mean a great loss to the city. The operatives claim that the new schedule of wages offered by the mill management was equal to a cut of 28 per cent of their salaries.

Precautions have been taken to guard the Brooklyn navy yard against attack by Spanish spies, who are known to he in New York. The navy yard authorities suy the United States secret service men arc Matching them. An anonymous warning Mas sent a few days ago to Admiral Bunce, signed “Naturalized Citizen,” Mnrniug him that several Spaniards Mere n-nitiug in New York to strike a blow for Spain the moment hostilities open. Not only is the Brooklyn navy yard aimed at, according to the informer, but nil naval depots in the country, including the powder magazines at Dover, N. J., Cramps’ shipyard on the Delaware and the Newport News navy yard.