Rensselaer Democrat, Volume 1, Number 4, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 May 1898 — IN GENERAL. [ARTICLE]

IN GENERAL.

There is increasing evidence that the Santa Fe Railway management is working to close up the gap in its road between Mojave and Bakersfield and gain an entrance into San Francisco. News has reached San Francisco of a terrible explosion of powder that was being carried by pack train to Col. Dan Burns’ Candelaria mine in Mexico. The explosion took place on the road near Saß Vicente, State of Sinaloa. The pack train was unusually large. It consisted of over 110 mules, and the attendants numbered some forty Mexicans. A part of the freight consisted of ammunition, caps and boxes of powder. It is reported that 218 boxes of powder and 20,000 cape exploded with such force that fifteen men and sixty mules were killed. The cost of maintaining the amalgamated regular and volunteer armies is a good deal more than most people appreciate. The item of subsistence alone will be an enormous one. The subsistence officers have reported to Secretary Alger that the provisioning of the army in the field to Aug. 31 will involve an expenditure of nearly $5,000,000. The estimate for subsistence is 20 cents per day per man, and is for an army of 185,000 (consolidated force of 60,000 regulars and 125,000 volunteers) $37,000 per day. It has been recognized now that the estimates prepared must not contemplate the maintenance of an army for a less period than a year. This means an annual cost for subsistence alone during that period of $13,505,000. Ninety pounds of Klondike gold dust, the property of three men, two of whom are 6*. J. Neville and E. M. Canary, came by »J.ie steamer Discovery, Capt. Grant, wbirA arrived nt Seattle, Wash., from Lynn canal. Neville and Canary were in ',he Klondike about fifteen months, and it is their purpose to purchase supplies and return to the district via St. MJehael and the Yukon, taking passage on the first vessel to ascend after the opening of the river. John Kill, who has' been constructing double deck barges on Late Bennett, was a passenger on the Discovery from Skagnny. It is his purp.j.«e to try the feat of delivering 600 head 0/ live sheep at Dawson City. He will strip them to Taiya, and thence undertake to drive the sheep over Chilk»x>t pass to the lakes. After a battle with fire for over nine hours the crew of the wooden steamer Servia were forced to see their ship go down in Lake Superior. The shipwrecked men were taken on board the steamer Alberta, and carried to the Soo. The Servia loaded corn for Kingston at Duluth, and had in tow the schooner F. D. Ewen, with a similar cargo. The steamer Argonaut was sighted from the Servia flying signals of distress, as her machinery was disabled. • A line was given the Argonaut from the Ewen, and with her additional tow the Servia was started on her voyage again. Two hours later fire broke out on the Servia in the forward end. In spite of the efforts of the crew the blaze gained headway steadily. The steamer Alberta of the Canadian Pacific line, bound up, arrived on the scene at this time. The combined efforts of all the crews were not sufficient to master the fire, however. The dry corn of the c-srgo added a fierce fuel to the flatAes, and the heat was terrific. When it was se?n that nothing more could be done the ort'er to abandon ship was given and all hands made for the Alberta, which was still’lying alongside. A few minutes after the steamer was deserted she sank, going down bow first. The Alberta then tool the Argonaut and Ewen in tow and assisted them to reach Waiskni Bay. The Servia belonged the Hawgood & Avery fleet, hailing from Cleveland.