Events and Comments

EVENTS AND COMMENTS. BY EDWARD H. ANDERSON. Disaster on the Society Islands.— On the night of February 7, and continuing until about 4 o'clock the succeeding afternoon, a terrific tidal wave, followed by a fearful hurricane which reached a velocity of 120 miles, struck the Society Islands, in the Pacific Ocean. Seven lives were lost and much property. Since the Islands were discovered, in 1769, by Captain Cook, the sea had never before been known to rise high enough to do any damage, and for this reason the people had always felt perfectly secure. At Papeete, on the Island of Tahiti at about 7 o'clock, the sea [began to break over the reef, and the waves in the harbor washed over the quay. The sea was rough, but made very little noise, and owing to the fact that a gentle rain was falling on the iron roofs of the houses, the greater portion of the population did not realize their danger until the sea had reached their houses, which it did about midnight on the 7th. At that time church bells were tolled to arouse the populace. The terror and excitement which followed can scarcely be described. Merchants tried to save their stock of goods, and the residents of the city near the beach were frantically endeavoring to save their household effects. In the intense darkness this task was more than difficult. At the time, nine elders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were in the city of Papeete, engaged in building a new meeting house. The elders endeavored to remove and save some of the books and records from the American Consulate, but, owing to the darkness and confusion, were forced to wait until daylight, at which time, at the risk of their lives, they managed to recover most of the important records. The sea continuted to rise until 8 o'clock, on the morning of the 8th, when the cyclone broke over the island, uprooting trees, tearing off the roofs of houses, and adding to the damage already done by the waves. The city of Papeete suffered more than any other place on the Islands, although some of the islands, which are little more than sand-covered coral reefs, were in many instances swept bare. Most of the city of Papeete lying near the sea coast was destroyed.. The property of the Saints, including the new mission headquarters building, now being erected by the Church at a cost of $7,000, was not damaged in the least. The property is situated in the high part of the town of Papeete, and therefore was subject only to the wind, much of the force of which was broken by the protecting mountains.

500 IMPROVEMENT ERA. In appreciation of the assistance given by the elders, the American Consul, William F Doty, penned the following letter of thanks and good will to President Joseph F. Smith : Consular Service, U. S. A., Tahiti, S. I., Feb. 15, 1906. President Josehph F. Smith, of First Presidency, Latter-day Saints, Salt Lake City: Dear Sir: — It gives me great pleasure to .inform you that during the cyclone and high water at Papeete, Tahiti, February 8, the "Mormon" elders rendered conspicuous service at the American Consulate, at the risk of their lives, to rescue the archives. The elders were Messrs. Hall, Peck, Clawson, Pierson, Tibbetts, Miner, Wilkinson, Noall and Huff aker. Mrs. Hall and Mrs. Wilkinson also were kind and hospitable to myself and my relatives during three days, while we were their guests. The elders have produced a splendid example of loyalty to the interests of their country abroad. I have reported their bravery and succsssful service to the department of state. I congratulate you upon such noble representatives in this insular community. I am glad to see that the mission house is nearly completed; it is a splendid structure. With high regards, I am, Respectfully yours, William F. Doty, Consul. Ecclesiastical Changes. — In the early part of February, Gearson S. Bastian was chosen to succeed President Willis E. Robison, of the Wayne Stake' of Zion, as President Robison has removed from the stake. Brother Bastian for some time has served as first counselor in the Wayne Stake presidency. — On Sunday, February 4, at a conference held in the Nineteenth ward, Salt Lake Stake, a portion of the Nineteenth ward lying north of Fifth North and Pear Streets, was organized into the Twenty-fourth ward, in the Salt Lake Stake of Zion. William Wood, Jr., who was an alternate member of the Salt Lake High Council, was chosen bishop, with Fred C. Rich and Hans H. Pederson as counselors. — Sunday, February 11, the Turner ward was organized, in the Bannock Stake of Zion, with Joseph P. Greene bishop, and James Brower and William Corbett, counselors. Formerly the Turner ward was a branch of the Lund ward, Bannock Stake. — Sunday, March 4, the Murray Second ward was organized with the following officers : bishop, Jacob Emil Erickson; first counselor, Joseph G. Park; second counselor, Andrew E. Anderson. The ward is bounded as follows : on the north, by the north line of Murray City, on the west, by the Jordan river, on the south by Highway No. 75, and on the east by the San Pedro railroad tracks. Died. — Saturday, February 3, 1906, at Kanosh, Henry Dalton, a veteran of the "Mormon Battalion," and a Utah pioneer, born in Michigan, and joined the Church at the age of 21 years. — The same day, at Pine Valley, Robert Gardner, a pioneer of 1847, born October 12, 1819, in Scotland, baptized in January, 1845. He was an active Church worker, and for a number of years was counselor to Bishop Reuben Miller, of Mill Creek ward. Later he was presiding bishop over the settlements in St. George Stake. — At Payson, Wednesday, 7th, Marilla S. Bates, a Nauvoo veteran, and pioneer of Tooele county. — At Lehi, Satturday, 10th, George Murdock, a pioneer of 1847, and one of the first settlers of

EVENTS AND COMMENTS. 501 Lehi, born in Fulton county, Illinois, Feb. 28, 1841.— At Springville, Sunday, 11th, George Mason, a pioneer of that place, born in England, and baptized April 11, 1841.— At Layton, Tuesday, 13th, Nephi Packer, a veteran of Nauvoo and a Utah pioneer, aged 67 years.— At Springville, Wednesday, 14th, Ann D. Bramwell, a pioneer of 1852.— At Fillmore, Saturday, 17th, James Payne, one of the oldest residents of Fillmore, born at Ridgeway, Worcestershire, England, January 12, 1832. — The same day, at Mt. Pleasant, Christian Sorensen, a pioneer of Sanpete county, born in Denmark, April 21, 1835; joined the Church in his native land and crossed the plains by handcart in 1859:— The same day, in Provo, Johnson B. B. Young, one of the early settlers of Utah.— Also in Provo on that day, William Farrar, a pioneer of 1847, born in Brigsteer, Westmoreland, England, January 26, 1821.— In Salt Lake City, Tuesday, 20th, William W. Woodland, a Utah pioneer, aged 74 years. — At American Fork, the same day, Mary Pitt Okey, a Nauvoo veteran and Utah pioneer, aged 86 years.— Wednesday, 21st, at Grantsville, Thomas H. Clark, a Nauvoo veteran and Utah pioneer, born in Herefordshire, England, May 10, 1836.— The same day, at Brigham City, Christian Erika Forsgren Davis, the first woman baptized in Scandinavia, born in Gefle, Sweden, April 26, 1820; joined the Church August 4, 1850, through the administration of her brother, John E. Forsgren. — The same day, in American Fork, Willard Paxman, who recently returned from a mission to the British Isles. — At American Fork, Friday 23rd, Joshua [Adams, a Nauvoo veteran and Utah pioneer, born in Bathurst, Canada, September 26, 1833. — In Salt Lake City, the same day, Emily Lewis, wife of Walter J. Lewis, an active worker in the Salt Lake Stake, and a faithful Latter-day Saint. — At St. Anthony, Saturday, 24th, Dudley W. Chase, a pioneer of Weber county, aged 71 years. — At Pleasant Grove, the same day, Elizabeth Brown, a pioneer of 1848; born December 21, 1822, in Monroe county, Miss. — At Manti, Sunday, 25th, Moses Franklin Farnsworth, recorder in the Manti Temple, and a pioneer in Southern Utah, born in Edinburgh, Indiana, February 5, 1835. — At Springville, Wednesday, 28th, Hugh M. Dougall, a prominent citizen, of Springville. — Joseph G. Fones, died about 15th in Salt Lake City. He was one of Utah's pioneers and veteran musicians and hymn writers. He was born June 18, 1828, in England. The Isthmian Canal. — The message which President Theodore Roosevelt, sent to Congress February 19, transmitted the majority and minority reports of the Isthmian Canal Board of Consulting Engineers, and of the Isthmian Commission, with letters from Secretary Taft, and Chief Engineer Stevens. The Board and the Commission did not agree on the kind of canal to be built. The Board voted, eight to five, for a sea-level, but five out of the six Commissioners, with Secretary Taft and Engineer Stevens, voted for a canal with locks. The President agrees with the latter in their statement that the disadvantages are fewer in the case of a lock canal, and the advantages very much greater. It now depends upon Congress whether it will direct a sea-level canal to be made, or whether that body will agree with the President, and have a lock canal. If the latter is built it will be at an elevation of 85 feet. In the report of the majority of the Commission, the arguments for and against each of the two types of canal, are fully considered, and

502 IMPROVEMENT ERA. the majority contends that a canal with locks will be better than one at the sea level, for the following reasons, because: (1) It provides greater safety for ships and less danger of interruption to traffic, by reason of its wider and deeper channels ; (2) it provides quicker passage across the Isthmus for large ships or a large traffic; (3) it is in much less danger of damage to itself or of delays to ships from the flood waters of the Chagres and other streams ; (4) its cost of operations and maintenance (including fixed charges) will be less by some $2,000,000 or more per annum; (5) it can be enlarged hereafter much more easily and cheaply than can a sea level canal; (6) its military defense can be effected with as little, or, perhaps, less difficulty than a sea-level canal." The total cost of a sea-levei canal is estimated at $247,000,000, and it is said that it will take twelve or thirteen years to build it; whereas, the total cost of a lock canal is estimated at $139, 705, 000, with only nine years required to finish it. New York People Abnormally Clever. — A Southern woman's impression of New York City, is the heading of a recent article in the Independent. There are some wise sayings in the writings of Mrs. L. H. Harris, Nashville, Tenn. , for that is her name and city. She argues that there is such a thing as doing too many things, hurrying too much , and learning too much. Her impression of New York is that too much is going on there ; the people are too clever , and too enterprising; and she argues that it is not healthy, and it does not tend toward sanity or morality. Then she illustrates her meaning by this anecdote : I met a clergyman who was making a life study of insects , of the evolution of matter, and of astronomy. He put his conscience into it and worked very hard. ' 'What good does it do to wear yourself out learning these things?' ' I asked him. "I take pleasure in knowing that I know them," he replied. " Would you learn everything that is to be learned if you had the time and the capacity?" I asked. "Yes," he replied, feeling that he had given a moral and elevating answer. Being in the most charitable of all vocations, he had become an intellectual glutton and did not recognize himself as an encyclopedic monster of comparatively useless information along the way he had to go. For when I asked him what use he made of his studies in the ministry he gave this illustration : "I prove the miraculous conception of Jesus thus. For instance: There was a time when nothing was in existence. Then God created the heavens and the earth out of this nothingness. Well, if he did that, he could call a soul into existence that had not been begotten according to the usual process of generation." I do not know if he learned this from the study of insects, or of astronomy, or of the evolution of matter, but I do know that he was the pastor of a New York church. There is such a thing as being a learned fool. When a man has only a few faculties it is not commendable to spatter them over too wide an area. "Dreadnought" — England's Monster Battleship. — The latest addition tc the English navy, and the largest and most powerful battleship of the world's navies, is the Dreadnought, which was launched at Portsmouth, England, February 10 , last. While the name is famous in the annals of the sea, the ship is the

EVENTS AND COMMENTS. 503 first of a new class, in which the constructors have embodied the best lessons which were obtained from close observation of naval operations in the recent war between Japan and Russia. It will displace 18,500 tons, which is some 2,000 more than our six new ships of the Connecticut class. It will have the heaviest armament ever carried by a ship, — ten heavy twelve-inch guns, and no other guns except some quick firers for repelling torpedo attacks. From these ten guns she will be able to discharge, every minute, ten projectiles weighing 8,500 pounds, with sufficient velocity to send them twenty-five miles, and to penetrate sixteen inches of armor at a distance of two miles. The cost of the ship is placed at $7, 500, 000. The details of its construction have been kept in strict secrecy, but, as stated, are the results of the observation made by British experts who were allowed to accompany Admiral Togo during his attack on the Russian fleet. Insurance Affairs. — As a result of the recent long investigation of the insurance companies in New York, eight bills have been introduced into the legislature of that state, which are intended to rectify many of the evils that were discovered in the management of the great insurance companies. It is difficult, at this time, to say what the result will be from these various bills, but evidently there will be a law providing that stock companies should be made mutual ; that policy holders shall have more voice in the management ; that insurance company investments in stocks, and the formation of syndicates in insurance investment transactions, will be prohibited ; the deferred dividend system will also be abolished ; and the use of money for campaign contributions will be made a criminal offense. Full publicity of the details of the management of the great insurance companies is also amply provided for. Russian Troubles. — That the troubles in Russia are by no means ended, is shown from the terrible penalties, which, during the month ending February 7, were inflicted upon the revolutionary disturbers in that unfortunate nation. It is reported that during that period more than seventy-eight newspapers were suspended. A state of siege was proclaimed in sixty- two places, and over 1400 people were summarily executed in different parts, not including those put to death in the suppression of the outbreak at Moscow. The Duma will meet in May, if any trust can be put in the Czar's promises. Free elections will be held. All the moderate parties support the Duma and hope for success. The advanced parties, however, put not a bit of faith in the Czar or Count Witte, and oppose the Duma, as not a serious effort to give representative government, but counting it a mere ruse to satisfy the money lenders of France. Murder of Missionaries in China. — A third attack has been made by Chinese upon the Christian missionaries laboring in that country. The result is that six French Catholic priests, and two English Protestant missionaries, were killed by a mob at Nanchang, on Washington's birthday. Eight American missionaries escaped by boat. There are increasing apprehensions of further disturbances, and the boycott on American goods still prevails. The Japanese government seems to fear trouble in China, and has taken steps to increase the war es-

504 IMPROVEMENT ERA. tablishment one-third. Japan will enlarge her navy by using her own dock-yards, and is to build no more naval vessels in England. Alice Roosevelt Married.— On February 17, Alice Lee Roosevelt, eldest daughter of President Roosevelt, and Representative Nicholas Longworth.of Ohio, were married in the east room of the White House by Bishop Sutterlee of Washington. Jewels, tapestries, embroideries, and mosaics, were among the hundreds of costly and beautiful gifts received by the bride. Gifts were received from Kaiser Wilhelm, the French President, the King of Italy, the Pope, the emperor of Japan, the Republic of Cuba, the Emperor of Austria, and the Empress Dowager of China. On February 22, the distinguished couple arrived in Havana on their wedding tour, where they were officially welcomed as Cuba's guests. President Palma welcomed Mrs. Longworth as the "Daughter of Cuba's Friend," and the city council of Havana made her the "Adopted Daughter of Havana. ' ' Arthur L. Thomas Confirmed Postmaster. — The nomination of Hon. Arthur L. Thomas as Postmaster of Salt Lake City was confirmed by the Senate, February 28. He succeeds himself in a position which he has held since 1898, this being his third term. Mr. Thomas has held many public offices since he came to Utah in 1879, as Territorial Secretary, and there is general satisfaction with his reappointment to his present position in which he has served the public faithfully and efficiently. Susan B. Anthony Dead. — This great and good woman passed to her rest on Tuesday morning, March 13, 1906, in Rochester, N. Y. She* gave her whole life to the cause of woman suffrage, and, dying, gave all that she possessed of this world's goods to the same cause. She was born at South Adams, Mass., February 15, 1820. She was first a teacher for 15 years in the public schools, then identified with a temperance association, and during the war was a pronounced abolitionist; and belonged to the Woman's Suffrage Association since its organization in 1869, being its vice-president, and its president since 1892. She frequently came to Salt Lake where she was highly respected. Memorial services were held in Miss Anthony's honor, in the Assembly Hall, Salt Lake City, on Saturday, 17th March, the anniversary of the organization of the Woman's Relief Societies of the Church. Resolutions of respect were presented, read and adopted,from the State Council of Women, and from the Y. L. M. I. A., eulogizing her life, labors, and character; and speeches were made in her honor by Emily S. Richards, president of the Council, by Susa Young Gates, Ruth May Fox, Emmeline B. Wells, Alice Merrill Home, and other leading women.