RISE OF BOULANGER

1888

were the foundation of the Margaret Louisa Home in New York and the Corcoran Art Gallery of Washington.

This year in Egypt was tranquil as compared with some of the preceding years. On September 21 Suakim was regularly invested by the rebel Dervishes, 2,000 strong, who dug trenches, mounted guns, and threw shells at the town. General Grenfell sent to England for reenforcements. Ten days later the British and Egyptian troops, under Grenfell at Suakim, made an attack on the Arab position, which was carried after fierce resistance. The Arabs lost heavily. The casualties among the British troops were nil. At the same time a British protectorate was proclaimed over North Borneo, Birunei, and Sarawak, comprising 2,000 miles of coast and 70,000 square miles of territory. The Suez Canal Convention was signed by the representatives of the Powers on October 29. It guaranteed free navigation at all times. In 'Abyssinia the position of the Italians near Alite, in April, was relieved by the retreat of the Abyssinians.

Marshal Bazaine died in exile at Madrid during the year. In 1873 he was court-martialed for his surrender of Metz at Versailles, the Duke of Aumale presiding, and was convicted of criminal incapacity and treacherous designs to restore the Empire. He was degraded and sentenced to death, but had his sentence commuted to banishment. The last years of his life were spent in poverty.

In France popular dissatisfaction with the Republican institutions became more marked. While the Government passed into the hands of the Radicals, the most significant electoral successes fell to the Monarchists. General Boulanger, who, for his insubordination to the Government, while acting as Minister of War in 1886-1887, had been dismissed both from his position and from the army, was elected a Deputy. He acquired a strong following among those who desired to see a military dictator, or "man or horseback,” rule

1888

PANAMA CANAL COMPANY IN TROUBLE

the destinies of France. In April disturbances arose in Paria from an anti-Boulanger demonstration made by the students of the Latin Quarter. They crossed the Seine and were met by the followers of Boulanger. The conflict had to be stopped by the police, who at length restored order by blocking the bridges over the Seine. As the result of a passage of words in the Chamber, a duel was fought in July, between Boulanger and Floquet, in which both were wounded. Disturb ances occurred in various parts of France during August. The funeral of the Communist, General Emdes, who had fallen dead while addressing a number of Parisian strikers, occasioned an Anarchist demonstration. At Amiens a serious riot, arising out of the strike of the velvet weavers, was checked only when the soldiers charged and wounded many people. The weavers of Lille, the glass-blowers of Lyons, and in Paris the stone masons and restaurant waiters, all struck for higher wages and fewer hours of work. Not until the 17th did the strike of the Parisian navvies come to an end. It had lasted nearly a month, and the funds of the labor organization were exhausted.

On November 14 the Pasteur Institution in Paris for the treatment of hydrophobia was opened by the French President. Ferdinand de Lesseps's attempt to issue a fresh series of 1,000,000 bonds to "finish the Panama Canal" failed to attract subscribers for more than 200,000 of them. The proposal was consequently withdrawn, and the Government having appointed a committee to administer the affairs of the company, De Lesseps resigned his directorship. Great anxiety prevailed as to the attitude of the shareholders. On December 15 the bill brought in by the French Ministers to sus pend for three months the payment for which the company was liable was rejected by a large majority.

In Brazil the Chamber of Deputies voted the immediate and unconditional abolition of slavery in May. Cuba, in the

THE GREAT BLIZZARD

1888

meantime, had relapsed into its disturbed state. In the earlier months brigandage had so increased that four provinces were put under military law.

A revolution which had broken out in Haiti in July culminated in the destruction of public buildings and the flight of President Salomon. With his Ministers he took refuge on the foreign ships of war at Port-au-Prince. Not until August 14 was order restored. On September 29 there was another outbreak in which Telemaque and 400 of his followers were killed while attacking the Palais National. In December the Haitian Government, on a peremptory summons of 'American war vessels, delivered up the ship "Haitian Republic," an American filibuster detained by the authorities. The United States exacted $2,000,000 as indemnity.

In March the Atlantic coast of the United States was vis ited by a severe snowstorm, or American blizzard. The weather, which had been warm, suddenly became wintry, snow drove through the air at the rate of sixty miles an hour, and soon it was impossible to remain out of doors. Vessels were wrecked, and traffic of every kind was suspended. For the first time the New York Stock Exchange stopped business by formal resolution, and many banks in the city were closed. More than 200 lives were lost, including 24 in the streets of New York.

Among those that died from exposure during this storm was Roscoe Conkling of New York. He was a political leader of marked ability. His speeches in connection with reconstruction gained him a reputation as an orator. After Garfield became President, he was the leader of the so-called Stalwart faction of the Republican party. Falling out with the President, Senators Conkling and Thomas C. Platt resigned their seats, but failed to secure reelection by the New York Assembly. Conkling thereupon devoted himself to law in New York until his death.

XIXth Century—Vol. III—||

1888

ELECTION OF PRESIDENT HARRISON

Another death lamented by Americans was that of Philip H. Sheridan, the great cavalry leader of the Civil War. Sheridan's activity did not end with the war. He visited Europe, and was present at the great battles of the Franco-German conflict. On Sherman's retirement, he took command of the American army, as general-in-chief, and held the post until his death.

Toward the end of the year, the election for the Presidency in the United States resulted in the return of the Republican candidate, Benjamin Harrison, by 239 votes of the Electoral College over 162 for Grover Cleveland. Just before the election the Administration suggested to the British Government the recall of Lord Sackville-West, the British Minister, because of his indiscreet letter recommending a fictitious correspondent to vote the Democratic ticket in the interest of Great Britain. President Cleveland refused further to receive Lord Sackville-West. The Minister retired.

In medicine the year is memorable for the fact that Dr. Fitz of Boston advocated the removal of the vermiform appendix in certain intestinal disorders. His suggestions were made only after he had performed several hundred post-mortem operations. Surgeons throughout the world have almost without exception followed his advice.

EVENTS OF 1889

Deaths of Rudolph of Hapsburg and His Mistress-Mikado Inaugurates Constitutional Government-Hurricane Wrecks British, German, and American Fleets at Samoa-Autonomy Granted Samoa under Joint Control of the Three Powers-Father Damien Dies of Leprosy at Molokai in His Mission to the Lepers-Revolution in Hawaii is Suppressed by Government-Boulanger Flees France to Avoid Arrest―Boulanger, Dillon, and Rochefort_are Convicted of Conspiracy and Misappropriation of Public Funds-Exposition Commemorating Fall of Bastille is Held at Paris-Death of John Bright, English Statesman-Defeats of Dervishes by Woodehouse and Grenfell-British South African Company Chartered-Deaths of Wilkie Collins, Novelist, and Robert Browning, Poet-Pigott Confesses Alleged Parnell Letter which He Sold to "Times" to be Forgery"Times" Apologizes and Pigott Kills Himself Cretans Rise against Turkish Rule · - Congress Passes Secret Resolution against European Control of Panama Canal-Harrison Inaugurated PresidentHe Closes Bering Sea and Prohibits Unlicensed Fur Hunting in Alaska-Oklahoma is Opened to White Settlers-Flood Devastates Johnstown, Pa.-Death of Jefferson Davis-Björnson, Norwegian Novelist, Publishes Masterpiece Haitian General Légitime Surrenders to Hippolyte-Hippolyte is Elected_President-Revolution in Rio Janeiro-Provisional Government of Fonseca Proclaims Federal Republic-It Banishes Emperor Dom Pedro-It Suppresses Counter-Revolution in Rio Janeiro-Return of Stanley from Relief of Emin Bey.

E

ARLY in the year Archduke Rudolph of Hapsburg,

the heir-apparent to the throne of Austria, was found

dead in his hunting lodge. The body of the Archduke's mistress, Baroness Marie Vetsera, lay beside him. A note which he had sent to his friend the Duke of Braganza clearly suggested suicide, yet, on the other hand, from the condition in which Prince Rudolph's body was found, it appeared that he had been beaten to death before he was shot. Suspicion was aroused against Baroness Vetsera's cousin.

On February 11 the long-awaited constitution of Japan was at last proclaimed. On this occasion, for the first time in the history of Japan, the Empress rode beside the Emperor in public. A blot upon the record of the day was the assassination by a Shinto fanatic of the Minister of Education, Arinori Mori.