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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (July 31, 1916)
Ifilill- VOL. LVI--XO. 17,3T.. PORTLAND, OREGON, 3IOXDAY, JULY 31, 191G. PRICE FIVE CENTS. BERLIN REVIEWS WAR CONQUEST PRISONERS IN' SECOND YEAH GIVEN AS 2,658,000. NAVAL MILITIA IS, HOMEWARD BOUND HIGHEST PYTHIANS ARRIVE IN CITY CARRANZA TO QUIT AS FIRST CHIEF JUVENILE OFFICER BURN; ISO PERISH COMMITS SUICIDE MARBLE HEAD IS ON LAST LINK OF CRUISE. GENERAL PABLO GONZALES TO BE NAMED INSTEAD. $25,000,000 LOSS DUE TO EXPLOSION Canadian towns Three Known to Be Dead; Many Severely Injured. 19 BIG WAREHOUSES BURNED Country Many Miles Around Is Literally Showered With Bursting Shrapnel. FIVE STATES FEEL SHOCK Cause Believed to Have Been Fire on Barge, Which May Have "Been incendiary. NEW YORK, July 30. Property loss estimated at ?25,000,000 was caused early today by a series of ter rific explosions of ammunition await ing shipment to the entente allies and stored on Black Tom Island, a small strip of land jutting into New York Bay off Jersey City. The loss of life cannot be deter mined definitely until there has been opportunity to check up the workmen employed on the island and on boats moored nearby. Three Known Dead, Many Injured. Three are known to be dead and at least five more are missing. Scores of persons were injured, some of them probably mortally. The detonations, which were felt in five states, began with a continuous j rapid fire of small shells, the blowing Up of great quantities of dynamite, trinitrotoluene and other high explo sives, followed by the bursting of thousands of shrapnel shells, which lit erally showered the surrounding coun tf y and waters for many miles around. 19 Huge Warehouses Burned. Fire that started soon after the first great crash, which spread death and desolation in its wake, destroyed 13 of the huge warehouses of the Na tional Storage Company on Black Tom Island and six other warehouses in which were stored merchandise valued at between $12,000,000 and $15,000, 000. The flames, shooting into the clouds, were reflected against New York's "skyline" of towering office buildings, which only a few moments before were shaken to their founda tions as by an earthquake. Miles of streets in Manhattan alone were strewn with broken glass and shat tered signs. Fatalities Probably Few. Early reports of heavy loss of life .were impossible of verification, and t the authorities asserted the number of deaths probably would be small. It was said that, owing to the extent of the wreckage, it might be several days . before the exact figures could be ob tained. The cause of the disaster had not been determined tonight. Officials of the National Storage Company and the Lehigh Valley Railroad, which also suffered heavily through loss of property, declared, however ,that re ports to them, showed a fire started shortly after 1 o'clock this morning on a barge belonging to an independ ent towing company that had been moored alongside a dock used by the railroad company to transfer arnmuni tion shipments from trains to vessels in the harbor. Plot Rumor Being Investigated. The barge, it was said, was there without authority of either the rail road or the storage company. The of ficials refused to disclose the name of the independent towing company saying they were investigating "to ascertain whether the barge purposely had been set on fire as the result of a plot." A statement issued late today by the Lehigh Valley Railroad Company, after a conference between heads of all rU--.-' , fits here, said: - a irick storage warehouses f " t- operated by the National . -..z: f .i lpany and six others f in storage company leased i i i Valley were destroyed. o' -c-s of the brick warehouses b. d'y . j.? v a. t'.e damaged and some minor one to the Lehigh Val tors. In addition, as far a Pase Columnl7) Ninety Per Cent of German Wound ed Said to Have Returned to Front Large Area Occupied. BERLIN, July 30. By wireless to Say ville, N. Y.) The German government Issued officially the figures relating to the conquests at the end of the second year of the war in a statement which reads: "The central powersoccupied 431,000 square kilometers, against 180,000 a year ago. "The central powers, Bulgaria and Turkey captured 2,658,000 enemy sol diers, against 1.695.000. Of those taken prisoner by the Germans, 5947 officers and 318,000 men were French; 9019 offi cers and 1,202,000 men were- Russian, and 947 officers and 30,000 men were British. "The war booty brought to Germany, in addition to that utilized immediately at the front, comprised 11,036 cannon. 4,700,000 shells. 3450 machine guns and 1,556,000 rifles. "According to the list of statistics of German wounded soldiers. 90.2 per cent returnej to the front. 1.4 per cent died, the rest were unfit for service or were released. The military measures of the central powers. In consequence of vaccinations, were never disturbed by epidemics." CROSSING ACCIDENT FATAL Meridian Men Mortally Injured When Train Hits Their Auto. HUNTINGTON. Or. July 30. (Spe cial.) An automobile carrying A. V. Robinson .and Frank Wigart, both of Meridian, Idaho, was hit by an O.-W. RS& N. train this afternoon on a cross ing near Weatherby. Wigart was killed instantly and Robinson fatally injured. A trailer was attached to their automobile and the engine hit the rear of the trailer. The wives of both men are visiting at Battleground, Wash., where the crossing victims had driven. The Coroner's jury called to investi gate the accident had not returned a verdict at midnight. COUPLE WEDJN ESPERANTO Unique Ceremony Performed In His toric Virginia Capitol. ANNAPOLIS, July 30. Esperanto was used for the first time in a wed ding ceremony when Miss Isabelle A. McCoflrey. Washington. secretary- treasurer of the Esperanto Association of North America, was married at the State Capitol here yesterday to John S. Horn, of San Jose, Cal. The ceremony took place in the old chamber where Washington resigned hiatcommission as Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army and was en tirely in Esperanto. PETR0GRAD FIRE REPORTED Bridge, 1 2 Big Steamships and Gun Works Said to Have Burned. BERLIN, July 30. via Sayville, N. T. Reports of a great conflagration at I'etrograd. in which a bridge across the River Neva, 12 large steamers, in eluding several trans-Ailantic liners. and the PutilofT gun works and other establishments were destroyed, are printed in the Lokal Anzeiger. The newspaper adds: "The police suspect that the con flagration was the work of anarchists, who planned to burn all public build- ngs being used for military purposes.' STRIKERS MODIFY DEMAND racking-House Employes Not to In sist on Recognition of Union. ST LOUIS, July 30. The packing- house strike situation was cleared to day when 1200 strikers at a meeting today voted to submit modified de mands to their employers. The new demands do not insist on recognition of the newly-formed union but Insist that the packers do not discriminate against its members. Conferences will be held Monday. If the new demands are accepted, the men will return to work immediately. REFORMED MAN PARDONED Georgian Who Began Life Over Again as Fugitive Is Set Free. ATLANTA. Ga., July 30. Thomas Edgar Stripling, who under an assumed name acted as chief of police of Dan ville. Va., while a fugitive from jus tlee from Georgia on a murder charge, was pardoned last night by Governor Harris, after serving five years of a life sentence in the state penitentiary. Broken in health he will join his family, who have lived near the prison farm at Milledgeville since he was sent there. GREEKS VOICE PROTEST Mass Meeting Held in Spite of the Cautions of Police. KAVALA, Greece, July SS, via Lon don. July 30. Despite the efforts of the police to prevent it. a huge mass meeting was held here today to protest against the luck of foodstuffs and again.it famine prices. Later the people marched to the French and British consulates, where they cheered for the consular repre sentatives. A large contingent of troops is now guarding the streets to prevent further demonstrations. Bush Fires Work Hav- "v i oc in Ontario, .-oV. ' DEATH LIST MAY INCREASE Isolated Settlers Take Refuge in Lakes and Rivers. 57 DEAD IN ONE HAMLET Hundreds of Square Miles of Land Burned Over; Relief Trains and Consignment of Coffins Are Sent Into Region. TORONTO.- Ont., July 30. Reports received from Northern Ontario say that the towns of Cochrane. Matheson Nushka Station and Timmons have been wiped out by disastrous bush fires which started yesterday. Porcupine Junction and Iroquois Falls are re ported burning. At least 150 persons have perished. Fifty-seven bodies are reported found at Nushka Station and 34 at Matheson. Many are injured. All Wires are down north of Engle hart and only meager reports have so far been received from refugees. A relief train with doctors has left North Bay for the scene and Cobalt has sent coffins. Small Towns Wipe Out. Several small towns have been wiped out by the flames that have been raging for 48 hours. Reports thus far received show that 57 perished at Nushka, a French Canadian settlement and 34 at Matheson. Cochrane has 18 killed and 34 injured, Iroquois Falls 15 dead and many injured and Ramore 15 dead. The number killed at Porcupine June tion is not known, but the entire town was destroyed, except the railroad eta tion. The death list will be materially in? creased, it is feared, by victims ip out lying districts. There are apparently well authenticated reports that many prospectors have been trapped at Ta- shota and Kowasb.. Farmer and Ten Children Burned. Oi;o far-.ner and his ten children are lenov. n to have been burned, while the man's wifo was vainly, seeking aid to check the onrusmng flames. Nushka, a hamlet consisting of a (Concluded on Page 2. Column 1.) PYTHIANS HERE l -Hrs. C. A. Clllan. f Vale. Or., Hei.fr of the 17 1 hla n Slstera: 121 Judxr Gf.rg l. Hanson, of Calala. Me Pant Supreme Chan eellor and Prevtent Associate Jus tice of Maine Supreme Court i 43) OeorST B. I' i. of Houston. Tei Supreme Representative and Superintendent of Pythian luscr anco Department In That Statet 14) Judae W. I Bradahavr, of The Dalles. Past Supreme Representa tive! IS) W. M. take, of Portland, I'aMt Supreme Representntlve; ) John K. Onion. oJ Dallas. Tex m Supreme Representative From That States (Tl C. A. Glllan, of Vale. Or Here mn Representa tive In Grand lxds;e of Advance Lodge, Kt, lOo. iv r V -3- St --v . $ i. y . - Cruio- vC-v". ns From Port Angeles ,v -and Tomorrow Afternoon. BREMERTON. Wash, July 30. (Spe cial.) The Oregon Naval Militia is homeward bound on the last link of its annual cruise. The cruiser Marble- head, on which the men have been to Alaska, hauled up anchors tonight at Port Angeles and is to atart out of the straits at daybreak tomorrow, reach ing the Columbia River Tuesday morning and Portland early Tuesday afternoon. Three days at Bremerton have been enjoyed by the men. Every person on the ship had at least 24 hours of shore liberty. The militiamen have beem given full privileges in the Bremerton Navy-yard, and, in addition to visiting 11 the shops, ships and other things of interest, have gone through three submarines which are in drydock. Most of the men took a trip to Seattle to pass part of their time. Soon after the Marblehead reaches Portl-- she is to be returned to the Bremerton Navy-yard for repairs, ac cording to announcement here today. A survey of the ship was made by Navy engineers, and plans made for spending about $40,000 ti repairs. AUTOS HELP PASSENGERS Arizona Train Is Abandoned After Wreck on Washed-Out Bridge. FLAGSTAFF, Ariz.. July 30. Sixty passengers of a Grand Canyon Rail road train, wrecked last night by run ning into a washed-out bridge, were brought here today in automobiles. The passengers were uninjured, but Fred Terry, of Grand Canyon, Ariz., fireman on the train, wys killed and Engineer John Oswald,- of Williams. and Brake- man William Havers, of Grand Canyon, were severely injured. Word of the wreck was taken to Grand Canyon by a brakeman, who ar rived there at 4 o'clock this morning, after walking most of the way and rid ing the remainder on a mule borrowed from a rancher. HEAT IS DAY BEHIND FROST La Grande Feels First Hot Wave. Touch of LA GRANDE, cial.) La Grand touches of the weather. Or., July 30. (Spe s today felt the first Middle West torrid While the mercury rose no higher than it has previously this year there was a marked humidity, in sharp con trast to yesterday when a light frost visited the valley early in the morn ing. FOR SUPREME LODGE AND GRAND V' i ? - - V . : : j .c" .. "V Special Trains Get . From Chicago. In CONVENTION DELEGATES HERE Sisters of Order Also Are Vis itors to Portland. SESSIONS ABOUT TO OPEN Today Will Be Devoted to Reglstra- tion and Preliminaries Im portant Business Will Come Vp .Tomorrow. TODAY'S PROGRAMME. . Registration supreme lodge Knights of Pythias . at Portland Hotel. Registration delegates to su preme temple Pythian Sisters at headquarters at Imperial Hotel. . Registration delegates to grand lodge of Oregon at Oregon Hotel headquarters. Reception to Knights of Pyth ias supreme lodge, supreme tem ple, grand lodge and vlsitora at Baker Theater. Open to the pub lic. Evening. Reception for deTegates to Pythian temple at Imperial Hotel headquarters in the evening. Memorial services and report of historical committee of su preme temple of Pythian Sisters at Elks' lodge rooms at 3 o'clock in the afternoon. This is the first meeting of the supreme temple and the only one that will be open to the general public The Supreme Lodge of the Knights of Pythias and the Supreme Temple of the Pythian Sisters, to say nothing of the Grand Lodge of the Knights of Pythias of Oregon are. to all prac tical Intents and pMrposes, beginning their session this morning. The most important delegates to the two Supreme Lodges reached Portland last night by special trains from the East, and while today Is devoted, ac cording to the programme, to registra- (Concluded on Pace 4, Column a.) LODGE- SESSIONS. Present Head of De Facto Govern ment of Mexico Plans to Seek Election by Voters. LAREDO, Tex.. July 30. Venuatiano Carranza is to retire as first chief of the de facto government of Mexico at an early date, and will be succeeded by General Pablo Gonzales, according to information given out by Mexican official circles in Neuvo Laredo tonight. General Carranza will enter the Held as a Presidential candidate at the forthcoming general election. It was said today, apparently confirming re cent unofficial advices from Mexico City, which intimated that the first chief would seek elevation to the Presidency at the hands of the voters. The conference of Mexican Generals with Carranza, soon to be held in Mexico City, according to these ad vices, will arrange for the call for general elections and for the retire ment of the first chief. This confer ence was said to have been summoned to prevent possible friction in military circles over the proposed transfer of power. While no date has been set for the conference, several high officers of the de facto government military forces have left the border within the last few days with the announced Intention of proceeding to 'Mexico City to confer with General Carranza, and it is be lieved in Nuevo Laredo that the acces sion of Gonzales to the administrative power will not be delayed long. AMERICANS SEE BULLFIGHT Hundreds Cross Rio Grande to See Affair at Juarez. EL PASO, Tex., July 30. Hundreds of Americans crossed the Rio Grande today to attend the first bullfight and broncho-busting contest held In Juarez since the Villa regime. General Fran cisco Gonzales, commandant, and An dres Garcia. Mexican consul, expressed gratification over the number attend ing, r The bull ring was thronged with Mexican soldiers, rifles across their knees and cartridge belts swung about their bodies. Interspersed between them, about the arena, sat American men and women and hundreds of gaily-dressed Mexicans. BOY SNOOZES IN TRUNK Parents Alarmed When xvoungster Is Missed Nearly Call Police. Edward McBride. an 8-year-old lad who lives with his parents at 4z7 Tenth street, crawled into a trunk lowered the lid and went to sleep Sat urday night- Missed by his parents, they scoured the neighborhood for two hours. They were on the verge of calling into aid the Police Bureau. In a last resort to make sure the lad was not in hiding Mr. McBride looked behind the trunk and in so doing heard what he recognized as "the noise of a sleeper." and opened the trunk. There he found Edward comfortable on a soft stack of clothes. The lad explained that he was tired and merely crawled into the trunk for a snooze. INDEX OF TODAY'S NEWS The JW'eather. YESTERDAY'S Maximum temperature, 78 degrees; minimum, wS degree.. TODAY'S Partly cloudy and occasionally threatening; much cooler; westerly winua. Knisht. of Pythias. Pythian parade route is fixed. Psge 4. Oregon Pythlana gather for convention open. lag tomorrow, t'sge 4. Highest Pythian officials are In Portland Page 1. Pythian Slaters to hold memorial aervtce today. -P g War. Convoy not ordered for submarine leutach- land. Page i. Central Powers snld lo "have taken 2,6o8.000 prlsonera In ua.t rar. 1'skm 1. Teutonic armlea 'retiring before Russians. Page 2. Allies reaume drive and Kain ground on even-mile front. Pase -. Pore lar a. Canadian towns In path of bush ' fire burned; 10O or more perish. Page 1. National. Conrresslortal Union women tell Wilson vo'.es depend on what bemo.Tttn do for suirrsge. rmf 3. Domestic. Advertising men urge Republicans to uaa blllboarda In campaign. Page 3.- Torrid tiunday in Chicago takes 123 lives. Page a. . Explosion In New York harbor causes S25.- nuu.ooo property inaa; latailtles lew. , Page 1. ' Auto crosaea continent in less than six days. Page 1. , Tip on munition, explosion received In Washington, page . frport. Pacific Coast League results Portland. II San Francisco. 1-12; Vernon, 7-8; Oak land. 4-5; Los Angelea. 4-2; alt Lake. ,-l. page lo. Detroit erout said to be aweet on Ward and Noyei. Pair lu. Baby Beavera maintain winning streak Page 10. Boston displaces New York in American LeiKU-, leadership. Pane 10- Mlfcs HetTenh.ch. or Idaho, and Clyde Cur le. California. win tennia title. Page 11. Murray-mead tennis entries approximate ISO. Page 11. Ma.crnt snn uorman maimed for net Friday night. Page 1 1. Pacific Korthweel. Oregon City prisoner is sui-pccted of bomb outrage, rage .-. Oregon naval militia homeward-bound Page 1. Marine. Vessel captured by French from Germany in port irom rew iaiano. page e. Keel of one ship laid at Peninsula shipyard Page 8. 1 , Port land and Vicinity. Demand for labor exceeds supply, desplt higher wages. Page 14. Labor plss for day. Page 14. "Veda the Vampire" to be shown week beginning August 13. Page 14. Vice-President WcRae, of Boy Scouts, visit Portland, page . Unfilled lumber orders equal to 30 days' cut- Page 8. Four Injured when auto turns turtle. Page A. Movie petitions nearly completed. Page 11 Postal clerks and mallcarrlers have ga picnic at Bonneville. Page 14. Harry Bulger, chief probation officer, is cut le. rage 1. . . Harry Bulger Shoots Self Through-Head. COURT HOUSE SCENE OF DEED Death Occurs in Office Adjoin ing Judge's Chambers. ILLNESS BELIEVED CAUSE No Explanation of Act Left, so Far as Known Victim One of Best Knovvn County Authorltlea, With Lone Record. Harry Bulger, chief probation officer for Multnomah County, attached to the Juvenile Court, shot himself through the temples yesterday afternoon and his body was found last night at T o'clock in his office adjoining Judge Cleeton's chambers in the Courthouse. Ill health, which brought on despond ency, is believed to nave been trie, cause. The bullet wasrom a .38 caliber re volver. It passed through his head and lodged in the wall. Mr. Bulger was SI years old and w married. He and Mrs. Bulger lived at 229 Eleventh street. They have no children. Official Record Lonej. Mr. Bulger was one of the best known County Court attaches, having worked with the various Judges and the Sher iff's office for a number of years. At various times he has been special agent or deputy sheriff of the county, several years ago being in charge of the in sanity cases. He was employed by various administrations because of his bllity. The shooting waa done In the qui etude of Mr. Bulger's own office, away from everyone. No explanation which he might have left had been discovered last night. He went often to hla offica on Sundays to map out work for the week. It is presumed he waa at such a task yesterday when seized with de spondency which later culminated In his tragic death- Mr. Bulger i left his home yesterday t 11 o'clock, as had been his Sunday morning custom for many years, to take care of office routine. Mrs. Bulger did not notice his long absence until last night after 6 o'clock, when he did not return home for dinner. Act Apparently Deliberate. Mrs. Bulger then telephoned her brother. R. Fenkhausen, that Mr. Bulger had not returned, and asked if he would try to locate him. Mr. Funkhausen went to the Courthouse and attempted to get into Mr. Bulger's office. The doors were locked, and ha engaged N. Wagner, watchman at the Courthouse, and together they went through Judge Cleeton's chambers and into Mr. Bulger's office, where they found the body. Mr. Bulger apparently was cool and deliberate about the shooting. When his body was found it was fully dressed and seated in a chair in his office. Death appeared to have been instantaneous. It Is presumed the re volver was fired during the afternoon. Mrs. Ba later Collapses. . Mrs. Bulger collapsed last night when informed or ner nusoana s sui cide. For four years Mr. liulger had been attached to Judge Cleeton's court. He had been attached to the county for , about nine years. He worked under Robert Stevens when Mr. Stevens waa Sheriff of Multnomah County. ana served also in the Sheriff s office and court departments during Sheriff Tom Word's incumbency. Mr. Bulger was born at The Dalles. Or. He had been !!! for the last three ur four years, having undergone twu operations. Besides hiej widow. Mr. Bulger is sur vived by a brother. Frank Bulger, who was also a deputy Sheriff under Sheriff Stevens, and four sisters, two of whom live at Raymond. Wash., one in Los Armeies and one in Boston. Bullet Penetrntea Head. '.' Mr. Wagner, who was one of the first to see the body, said Mr. Bulger had drawn his easy chair up to the defk and tirtcd it apparently to get an easy posture. The revolver was found im mediately under the chair. The shot went front the right empl out through the left temple toward the front of the head. It was later picked up in the room after it had glanced off the wall. Mr. Bulger lived at The Dalles when that section of the state was a cattle country. His boyhood was spent on the range, and while a youth he was considered one of the best bronco bust ers in that locality. While breaking an outlaw range horse during his eaily career he received internal injuries from which he never recovered. As' he grew older chronic intestinal trou ble made its appearance, and five years ago he practically became an invalid, although he refused to: give up and at tended to his duties as an officer. "During the past year be lived on his nerve." said Deputy Sheriff BoW Phillips last , night. "Even the short- est walk caused him the most cxr eructating pain, but he never gave up until the doctors told him a short time ago that he would not live more than a month or two. Since then he has been despondent, but none of ' his friends ever dreamed that he would commit suicide.