The Great Round World and What Is Going On In It, Vol. 1, No. 18, March 11, 1897

There has been a great outcry against this investigation, and the Trusts are very indignant. They declare that such investigations ruin trade, and make prices higher. To prove this argument, the Sugar Trust has put the price of sugar up an eighth of a cent a pound, or about forty cents a barrel.

This is, however, an argument that works both ways. If the Sugar Trust is so powerful that it can revenge itself for the investigation by putting the price of sugar up, it is then too powerful for the welfare of the people, and it shows clearly that it is high time that the government makes an attempt to restrict the power of the Trusts.

Admiral Bunce and his fleet of warships have been engaged in some very interesting naval practice off Charleston.

The especial object of the visit was to see if they could effectually blockade the port.

In making their trip down the coast, the fleet ran into a heavy gale off Cape Hatteras, and Admiral Bunce was able to see how the vessels under his command behave in a storm.

Arrived off Charleston, the Admiral arranged the fleet in a cordon across the mouth of Charleston harbor, and when night came, ordered the little cruiser Vesuvius to steam out to sea, and then try to steal back into port without being discovered by the big warships that were guarding the harbor.

In other words, the Vesuvius was ordered to "run the blockade."

In times of war, an enemy will often blockade a port by stationing big ships in such positions that they may prevent any vessels from entering or leaving the port, just as the combined fleets of Europe are preventing the Greek fleet, under Prince George, from entering the harbor of Canea.

In our late war the harbor of Charleston was actually blockaded, and vessels were regularly employed as blockade runners, many of them getting through without difficulty, and many having hair-breadth escapes.

The steamers selected to run the blockade in war times were light, swift, and built so that they lay very low in the water. They were painted a dull gray color, so that they could not be seen at a distance; their funnels were made like telescopes, so that they could be shut up, and be little higher than the deck, when the moment for actually running the blockade arrived. They burned smokeless coal, and could blow their steam off under water, so that it was very hard to discover them, and on dark nights they could often slip by the watching vessels without being observed.

Admiral Bunce thought that the search-light system which is in use on all our war-vessels would make it extremely difficult for a blockade runner to pass a modern blockade, and it was to test this that the game of blockade running was tried off Charleston.

When all was in readiness for the game to begin, the New York, which was the flagship, sent up a rocket, warning the other vessels to be on the lookout for the blockade runner.

The flagship of a fleet is always the one which has the admiral on board. The ships in a fleet are like a regiment of soldiers, and act under the orders of the admiral in command; and as the orders are always sent from ship to ship by means of flags or signals, the ship from which the orders are issued is called the flagship.

All the search-lights were in play, and there was the greatest excitement on board the various vessels as the little cruiser steamed out to sea to begin the game.

Back and forth the search-light flashed along the whole line of the blockade. Here and there, in every direction, the waters were searched for a sign of the little Vesuvius, which was surely steaming toward them to try and run the blockade.

No sign of the cruiser could be seen, and anxiety was felt lest she should have escaped all the searchers, when the signal came from the Maine that she had been discovered, and all the search-lights from the various vessels were turned toward the Maine's light, and there was the Vesuvius, defeated.

She showed her lights, which till then had been concealed, and steamed back to sea again for another trial.

This time she so nearly succeeded that there was consternation in the whole fleet; but still she was detected in time.

Five times she made the attempt, but defeat succeeded defeat; and at last Admiral Bunce declared the game over for the night, and the Vesuvius returned to anchor, with the rest of the fleet.

Admiral Bunce declared himself highly pleased at the success of his blockade.

The next night the game was played again. This time the Vesuvius won easily, for it was a foggy night, and the search-lights were not able to pierce the fog.

Admiral Bunce would not allow that this was a fair test, but as, in real war, blockade runners would be pretty sure to wait for a cloudy night, or for one that was dark or foggy, it would seem that the test was fairer than that of the night before, which was clear and moonlit.

Before the manoeuvres were over, the admiral ordered a practice with the big guns.

From all accounts it was a very fine sight, and our navy proved itself a great credit to us.

The guns were fired at targets, and the shooting seems to have been particularly fine, the targets being hit every time.

At last beyond any further question Major William McKinley has been elected President of the United States.

The last formality was complied with when, on February 11th, at one o'clock, the Senate of the United States, headed by the Vice-President, filed into the House of Representatives to count the vote of the Electoral College, cast in the manner described in The Great Round World, No. 13.

As the Senators entered the House of Representatives, all the Congressmen rose, and remained standing while their visitors filed in, two by two.

The little procession was preceded by the officers of the Senate, who carried the ballot-boxes.

The work of counting was then commenced by the tellers, and ere long it was officially announced that William McKinley was the choice of the people for President of the United States.

    Genie H. Rosenfeld.

CRETE AND GREECE

Well, well, well! So little Greece has really done it! While the Great Powers have been worrying each other, have been forming alliances and triple alliances, have been threatening Turkey and shaking their fists at each other, have been trembling in their boots and calling conferences, little Greece has fired upon one of Turkey's ships, and "accepts full responsibility for all her acts."

The first shots came from Crete, that long, beautiful island south of Greece, called in the time of Homer the "Isle of One Hundred Cities." It has a most heroic history, remaining free long after Greece herself had become subject to Rome. Only in the year 68 B.C., after a long and determined effort upon the part of Rome, did Crete surrender.

And her islanders have the same heroic blood in their veins to-day. The trouble now is that Turkish misrule, since she was made over to the Turks in 1840 by the Great Powers, has fanned the old desire for freedom into flame.

The Greeks were most probably unwise in firing upon the Turkish transport Fuad as she was bearing munitions to the Turkish garrison at Canea; but we can hardly blame them.

There comes a time when patience almost ceases to be a virtue. The Cretans are human. They have waited long, though impatiently, and their very impatience has shown us how hard the waiting has been for men of such fiery character. They feel now that they would rather die in the struggle for freedom than submit longer to the injustice of their Turkish rulers.

I was in Athens when the coming of age of Crown Prince George, the brave, handsome young Greek of whom we hear so much, was celebrated.

The streets, from the palace to the church where the ceremonies were to take place, were most beautiful with triumphal arches. Rich tapestries floated from the windows all along the way, and the flags of all nations—among them our own dear Stars and Stripes—swung merrily to the breeze.

The city was full of soldiers. Among them were the Greek mountaineers in their picturesque costume of white linen, consisting of tunics with long, flowing sleeves, and kilted skirts so full and so starched that they stood out like the skirts of a circus rider.

Their long, pointed shoes, which turned up at the toes like a toboggan, had large red rosettes on the very points. Their caps were gayly colored, and a long tassel fell from the crown to their shoulders.

Not a very good fighting costume, you will probably think; but if you had looked into their keen eyes and determined faces, you would have forgotten the costume—especially if they had come to fight you.

They are hardy fellows, and although their enemies outnumber them four to one, we may depend upon it that, if battle comes, there will be as brave and heroic fighting upon the side of the Greeks, as when their forefathers fought the Trojans in the days of long ago.

But they will have need of all their courage, for the enemy is not only fierce, but cruel. The Turks are fatalists, who believe that whatever is to be will be, and that if they are fated to die in battle, nothing can save them.

If they die fighting bravely they believe that they are sure to go to Paradise.

With this belief you can readily see how little they are likely to run away.

Unless the Great Powers interfere, the conflict will be a terrible one. How much better it would be to settle the difficulty by arbitration, and prevent such a cruel war.

    Izora C. Chandler

INVENTION AND DISCOVERY

Many new and interesting patents were shown at the Cycle Show at the Grand Central Palace, New York City.