• The steamer "Australia" arrives in San Francisco
from Honolulu reporting 41 deaths from "the plague," and a total of 52 cases.
City officials, in an effort to control the spread of "the plague," burn down
an entire block in Chinatown. As the fire gets out of control, 4500 people are
left homeless. (Southwest/US)
• Henry Ford unveils the first Detroit-made automobile.
(Midwest/US)
• Colonel Frederick John Lugard is named High Commissioner of Nigeria
as control of the territory passes from the Niger Company to England.
(Africa)
• The Baltimore and Ohio train line tests "The Wind Splitter," which
reaches speeds of over 102 mph. (Northeast, Midwest/US)
• President William McKinley announces his intention to run for
re-election. (North America)
• Telegraphic communication between London and the source of the Nile
is established. The Ugandan Railway telegraph line crossed the river on the
19th of February. (Africa)
• As debate over military engagement in the Philippines intensifies in the
US Senate, Richard F. Pettigrew of South Dakota is accused of treason when he
attempts to read the statements of Emilio Aquinaldo, the leader of the Filipino
insurgents, into the congressional record. (Asia, Midwest/US)
• Chicago contends with its heaviest snowfall on record. The city is
brought to a standstill as railroad cars filled with livestock are stranded on
Madison Street. (Midwest/US)
• New gold fields are discovered in Nome, Alaska. Upon hearing the
news, thousands abandon Dawson, the site of the last gold rush.
(Northwest/US)
• The boxing world mourns the death, in London, of the Marquis of
Queensbury, the author of the rules under which professional boxing matches are
conducted. (Europe)
• In Britain, the Labour Party is founded. (Europe)
• Seven thousand Chicago construction workers go out on strike
demanding an 8-hour work day. (Midwest/US)
• Unconfirmed reports out of Chile detail an alleged alliance
between Peru, Boliva, and Argentina against Chile. (South America)
• The Colima Volcano on the Pacific coast of Mexico erupts, sending
waves of lava into nearby villages. Local Indians are forced to seek refuge in
the Santa Ana mines in the center of Colima's copper region. Mexican troops,
however, drive the Indians from the mines and force them back to their
homes. (North America)
• Florida's orange crop is threatened by a cold snap that sends
temperatures down to 16 degrees. (Southeast/US)
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