PRICE FIVE CENTS. CASTRO SEARCHES MEDFORD TOSSED T FORESTS ABLAZE OVER NORTHWEST RAILROADS SHOW BETTER EARNINGS IV WEEK GAIX IS . IEIt CENT OVER YEAR AGO. HOTTEST DAY IN 4 T POINTS TO FOR FRIE1NDLYSP0T BY SUDDEN GALE T AT YEARS MELTS CITY HOLD LOWER RATE T'VTT T1. TRYING HARD TO PUT OrERAIIOCSE LIFTED . TWICE FEET OX VENEZUELA. OFF BASE, SHACKS FALL. i urn i" i ii i T T T I - n 1 T " TTTT "V" O? 1 0l 1 VOL. LI 0. FRAN HONS 00 ASOUITH Is SPOKANE LOSES CONTENTION Long-and-Short-Haul Clause . Is Not Absolute. RAIL TARIFF ZONES FIXED Interstate Commission Holds Tint Coast Rates Mar Be Lower Than to Intermediate Points, bnt Redoces the Differential. joints or DECISION. fpokana and othr Intermedials points f!l In thslr eonisntlna for transcontinental rates equivalent to thos In !t-t from Eastern points to Portland and Pucvt sound. Ths Interstate Commmt Commla slna rrKnlss tha Influence of water competition on all rates from East ern points to tha Coast except from territory embraced In a sons west of a line isno miles east of PortUnd. Tha tlM-t of the rutins Is Indicated In tha following examples: On freight originating la Missouri River terminals, ppokaaa la entitled to the Coast terminal rata. On freight orlflnatin In Chic as f rates to Spokane or other Interme diate points mar be sot mors than T per rent creator than the rates to Coast terminals. from Buffalo or Pittsburg the In teraedtarr rata mar be 15 per cent hlsher than the Coast rate. From Atlantic terminals It mar exceed Coast rates not mora than 33 per cent. Rates previous fy fixed by the Com mission are not ordered tn and the railroads are left to work oat their own schedules In accordance with tha decision. Tie effect of the decision Is te lower materially the rates to Inter mediate points, but not to an extent that win actually diminish the p res ts, of Coast cities as distributive renters tn territory bow covered. WASHINGTON. July 24. In what ire known as tha Spokaae-Reno-rsclfle rases, tha Interstate Commerce Com mission today ordered material reds tion In freight rates from tha East to points between Denver and the West em terminals of tha transcontinental railroads. For many years tha railroads have exacted from ahippers to Intermediate points such as Spokane and Reno high er rates on Eastern freight than were charged for the much longer handa to Seattle. Pan Francisco and other Pa ciflo Coast points. Comparison Is Defense. The theory has been that the rail' roada must meet water competition to the Pacific Coast. The higher rates to Intermediate points, arbitrarily fixed. hare been defended by a comparison with the Coast rates, plus a theoretical backhaul from the coast to tha Inland stations along the line. The Commission recognises the right of a railroad to meet water competi tion to Pacific Coast points, bat prac tically wipes out the back-haul rates to Inter-Rocky Mountain terrttory. Fair Rate Laid Down. It lays down what It considers would be fair and Just rates to various freight sones In the West and gives the railroads until October IS to adjust their tart IT accordingly. The Commission holds In the so called Reno case that traffic origin ating at Chicago and In Chicago terri tory moving under commodity rates may hare a rate T per cent higher to Intermediate points than that Imposed en freight originating In Chicago and Chicago terrttory destined to the Pa cific Coast terminals. Eastern Rate May Rise. From Buffalo-Pittsburg territory the rates may rise above those demanded for the same points to Pacific Coast terminals to the extent of IS per cent: while from New Tork and trunk line terrttory. trunk rata charges shall not exceed !! per cent over Pacific Coast terminal rates. These are the first decisions an nounced by tha Commission In which a definite principle tn response to the long and short haul provision Is laid flown. While the opinions fully recog r.txe the Influence of water compe tition, to a marked extent they draw a line upon Indiscriminate "market" com petition. Commercial Causes Count. The effect of the decisions will be to notify the carriers that they will be allowed to meet water competition to a reasonable extent, but that the location ef the markets hereafter will be left more to the play of commercial causes than to the will of the traffic managers ef railways, Ths eases Involved are those of the Ctty of Spokane against the Northern Facl&n Railway Company, known popu larly as the "Spokane rate case"; the Commercial Club of Salt Lake City against the Atchison. Topeka a Santa y Railway Company and others; the VCeocloded ea Fesa t Water Competition Still Factor. Increase Xot Considered Large, rat Indicate Recovery From Ten dency Toward Contraction. CHICAOO. July it- (Special.) For the first time In a considerable period the weekly report of railroad gross earnings shows some Increase, the to tal for the first week In July of all railroads In the United States aggre gating fS.04I.01D. a gain of .1 per cent, as compared with the earnings of he same roads for the corresponding week a year ago. While the Increase Is not very large. It is considered satisfactory, as show ing recovery from the tendency toward contraction that has been In evidence for some time past. In the South, the Central of Georgia, Chesapeake at Ohio, Louisville Nash ville. Seaboard Air Line and Mobile Ohio, among the leading systems, now report gains, while in the West and Southwest earnings are larger than last year on the Denver Rio Grande, Minneapolis ex St- Louis, Missouri, Kan sas A Texas. Missouri Pacific and Texas Pacific. In other sections of the country the Chicago A Alton. Chicago Great West ern. "Sod" and Wabash are among the roada that report Increased earnings. BLAST DESTROYS LAUNCH Richard at Bay Ocean Is Burned After Explosion Occurs. TILLAMOOK. Or.. July 24. (Special.) Whan the boiler of the T. B. Potter. Realty Company's launch. Richard, ex ploded at the Bay Ocean wharf this morning the boat was wrecked and the fire, which followed, consumeu the wreckage and gutted the hulL Joe Richardson, the only occupant at th time was badly burned about the hands and face. The Richard had Just returned from Garibaldi and docked at the wharf and Captain Richardson was tinkering with the engine, which was still running hen the explosion occured. He was stunned for a moment, but had pres ence of mind enough to crawl out through a window. It Is though that the explosion was caused by ignition In the muffler. Tha Richard xcis a seagoing craft. which has been maintained at Bay Ocean for pleasure purposes, and has been there since the first of the .year. She was a speedy gasoline launch and was fitted especially with passenger accommodations. Her length was about 10 feet. OLD COIN IN CIRCULATION Fctal Sarrnsrs Bank Brings - Out Money Hoarded for Years. WASHINGTON. July a. (Special.) Postmaster-General Hitchcock has received a letter from Wlllian- F. El gin, postmaster at Corinth. i'lss.. In which he Inclosed a sliver dollar of the coinage of 1889. a sample of several hundred ha has received since the pos tal aavlngs bank system went Into effect In his office about a week ago. This coin has a coating of green mould, seeming to Indicate that It has been either burled or kept In a moist place for some years at least. Postmaster Elgin In his letter to the Postmaster-General says: "I am Inclosing, with my compliments, a sil ver doilar which was deposited to gether with several hundred others Just like It which hsd apparently been burled for many years. I send this to show you the benefits which the enact ment of the Postal Saving Bank law Is bringing about. I believe It will be the means of putting a great deal of money Into circulation which has been eoacealed heretofore and will In reality prove a benefit to the banks rather than an Injury as some have predicted prior and subsequent to the enactment of the postal saving bank law. ENVELOPE FACE CLEARED All Stamps bnt fncle Sam's Must Be oi Reverse Side. Vse of Red Cross or other Imitation tamps on the address side of domestic mall has been prohibited by orders Just Issued from the Postofflce Department at Washington. Postmaster Merrick has received a copy of the order, which pro vide that no adhesive stamps or imi tations of stamps, of any form or de sign whatever, shall be affixed to the address side of domestic mall. "All such stamps." reads the order, "provided they do not resemble lawful postage stamps, may be affixed to the reverse side of domestic mall matter. All such mall bearing any such stamps on the address side will be returned to the sender, when the address la known, otherwise they will be forwarded to the dead letter office." GERMANY MUST SPEAK OUT Lloyd-George's Speech Interpreted by France as Warning. PARIS. July 14. Opinion In France Is that the time has arrived for Ger many to say what she really wants, since the present situation of uncer tainty may soon disturb International relations. Meantime, the speech of David Lloyd- George, the British Chancellor, before the London bankers last week. Is Inter preted as a direct warning to Germany. and Is considered as having enormously strengthened the attitude of France, which will not accept any German pro posal for a wholesale turning over of French colonial territory. The press Is unanimous In Its opinion that Lloyd-George's words signified that tha British-French entente is resl- ly an alliance with which Germany must reckon. Thermometer at 99.3 Stifling Record. DESERT FIERY WIND WAFTED Cascades Powerless to Check Interloping Breeze. JULY CLIMATE IS FREAK Portland Third Warmest Place In Union In Surprising- Day Noon Mercury Highest for Lone Period Relief 2 Days Oft. HIGH TEMTERATTRES IV FA CIVIC NORTHWEST MONDAY. Portland 09 3 Spokane 04 Oreson City . 102.0 Tacoroa 92 Boi.e 1'2.0'tt-alla Walla.. -.100 Marshfleld .. "0 0 Taxoosh Island. TO Rose burg ...100.0 When the mercury roes to a point within seven-tenths of a degree of the 100 mark yesterday afternoon at 4:10 o'clock. Portland basked In its hot test temperature since July SO, 1907, when .102 degrees was recorded. Tho afternoon was a scorcher, the comparative mean temperatures show lng nothing to equal It since the record day of 1907. The emercury ranged above 97 degrees from 1:4S o'clock until 6:45 P. St. and between 4 o'clock and 6 o'clock, was above 98. Between 4 and 6 o'clock It was 99 degrees and at 4:20 o'clock was 99.3 degrees. The day started with unusual tem peratures, 70 degrees being reached as early as 7 o'clock. At 10 o'clock SO degrees was registered and at noon 89 degrees, the hottest at that hour for many years. From noon on the mer cury rose at- a great rate until the maximum was attained at 4:20. With the evening the usual cool breeses were wanting and at 7 P. M. the mer cury was still up to 92 degrees. Desert Heat Blown. The heat waves, as usual, came from the deserts far to the east of Portland and were so hot that even the Cas cades could not take the edge off be fore they reached the city. A hot breese from the east was stifling. On the Willamette bridges the hot wind could be felt most of the afternoon. Portland wos not the hottest place In th United States, but It was not far 1-om it, according to tha afternoon Weather Bureau reports. Phoenix. Aria, led tha list of cities with 102 degrees, and Roseburg and Walla Walla were tied for second place with 100 de grees. Portland came a close tnira witn hsr 99J degrees. New Tork's maximum was S4 degrees and Chicago 7S degrees. Galveston. Tex-, was the coolest place In the United States,- a maximum tempera ture of 68 degrees being recorded and the weather being clear there. The present July is dubbed at the Weather Bureau as a real hybrid In tConcIudsd on Pass 10. t Lightning; ninnies Shaken City and Kaln and Hall Fall Damage to Fruit Considerable. MEDFORD. Or.. July J4. (Special.) Destroying thousands of dollars' worth of fruit and blowing down a number of flimsy structures, an unprecedented storm raged here this evening between 8 and 9 o'clock. A furious wind heralded the storm and the Medford opera-house was twice lifted off Its foundation by the force of the hurricane, windows were broken by flying objects and wires were blown down, leaving the city In darkness for two hours. The damage to orchards resulted largely from fruit blowing off the trees. However, a number of trees were felled In the more exposed portions of the large orchards south of town, and this loss will be considerable. The storm came from the , south- There was a display of electricity un usual In this section of the country. followed by slight rain and halL METEOR SWEEPS HEAVENS Brilliant Spectacle) Over City Is Wit. nessed by Citizen. X, D. Coffey. 1034 Ohio street, re ported the appearance of an exception ally large meteor at 9:35 o'clock last night. It rose in the south and passed entirely across the heavens, being visible for half a minute. Mr. Coffey said that It resembled a brilliant sky rocket of enormous size and was fol lowed by a long showering train of bright sparks. He heard no sounds of hissing or explosions such as often ac company the passage of a big meteor ite. The meteor disappeared in the northern sky. SPRINGFIELD. Or.. July 24. (Spe cial.) A huge meteor Illumed the heavens here at 10:05 tonight. It le believed the sky-visitor fell In the Mohawk Valley. FAMILY TICKERS ON SPREE Untimely Timepieces in Salem Home Cause Alan to Lone Sleep. SALEM, Or, July 24. (Special.) Ben Ling, Salem manager of the West ern Union Telegraph Company, en countered a timeless hoodoo last night. As he started to retire be wound a large clock. Exercising too much strength, the mainspring broke. He then started operations on his ' watch, when by a strange coincidence the mainspring of that broke as welL As a last resort, Mrs, Ling wound her watch. As she started to hang It on the wall she In advertently put her finger through the crystal and that watch stopped. Manager Ling remained awake the remainder of the night so as not to be late at the office this morning. WORKMEN' DIE IN CAVE-IN Four Dead and Seven Missing: FN lowing: Accident in Oklahoma, MUSKOGEE, Okla-, July 24. As the result of four cave-ins this afternoon on the line of a municipal trunk sewer, four workmen are dead, six Injured and seven are missing. Two hundred workmen witnessed the accidents. OUT OF A JOB. Scene Unparalleled English History. in BRITISH HOUSE IN FRENZY Premier's Speech Is Drowned in Wild Uproar. ... . VETO BITTERNESS CAUSJI After Prime Minister Is Jeered Down for Three-Quarters of Hour, Speaker Declares Adjourn ment to Prevent Blows. LONDON. July 24. The last act of the Parliamentary revision was ush ered In today amid a revolutionary scene. For the first time in its history the House of Commons refused to lis ten to a speech by. the Prime Minister. For the first time in its history the Speaker was compelled to invoke the rule which empowers him, "in case of grave disorder," to declare the sitting adjourned on his own responsibility. Ko such hostile passions have had free rein in a chamber which tradition ally carries on its debates with chival rous courtesy since the stormy days of the Gladstone home rule bills. Proba bly there has been no such passage in the American Congress since the re construction era. For three-quarters of an hour Mr. Asqulth rose at short in tervals and read a sentence or two from a manuscript, only to be over whelmed by leers, hootlngs and cries, unmr which "traitor" was the most freauent. but with "Redmond,'' "Pat rick Ford" and "American dollars" of ten distinguishable. Asqulth Loses Temper. Again and again the Prime Minister tried to speak, but his voice was drowned. He spoke a few broken sen tences, a word or two of which could be heard. Finally his mouth hardened and he glared at his tormentors like a Hon at bay an Impressive figure, with straight-cut features flushed with an ger. He closed nis manuscript sou cried: "I am not going to degrade my self. I shall simply state the conclu sion at which the government has ar rived." Having announced the government's intention as briefly and hurriedly as possible although . they were not heard the Premier sank back in his seat. The leaders in the outburst against the Prime Minister were iora nugo Cecil, Intensely unpopular member of one of the oldest families, and a young barrister. F. E. Smith, who recently achieved prominence In the Conserva tive party. Blows Narrowly Avoided. The former kept up a constant fire or monotonous cries, and a labor mem ber. Will Crooks, in rough clothes and slouch hat, sitting across the aisle, several times Jumped up as though (Concluded on Pace 3 ) Watchful Guardians Tnrn Him Back Just as Success Seems Sure Whereabouts Mystery. WASHINGTON, July 24. Ex-President Castro, in the opinion of a diplomatio officer, who has given some study to the problem of finding the Venezuelan, Is now a sort of "Flying Dutchman," mak ing a desperate effort to reach a friendly port In his native country, and Just he nears his goal being turned back. not by storms, but by watchful guar dians of the coast, or warships of other nations, which seek to prevent a re newal of his activities In his own coun try. According to this official, the basis for stories that Castro had landed in "West ern Venezuela was the appearance off 1 the little Dutch Island of Aruba of the yacht Coronet, flying the Amerlc-.n flag. Facte were reported to the Governor, but the vessel disappeared. The Coronet next appeared well up In the Gulf of Maracaibo, at a point well suited for landing a party. The Gov ernor of the province started an inves tigation, but again the vessel disap peared. A careful search has been made of i the entire Goajlra Peninsula, the Vene zuelans have satisfied themselves that Castro Is not there, and the belief pre vails that he is still afloat somewhere. 4 COMETS HOVER NEAR SUN Strange Visitors. Invisible to Unaid ed Eye, Perform Antics. CHICAGO, July 24. (Special.) Four comets every one of the bashful variety which refuses to be seen by the unaided eye are hovering around the earth, dodging behind the sun and performing other antics which are keeping astronomers busy. Two of the four are brand new visitors and are more eagerly watched on that account. The two others are periodicals. One of the visiting comets has proved a distinct disappointment. This ia the Kiess comet, which was discovered about July 7 by the Lick Observatory, and was later picked up by the Terkes' Observatory at Williams Bay, Wis. Observations made this morning at Williams Bay showed that the comet was getting away from the earth. CITY SPENDS $423,791 $378, 77 of General Fund Left, and $393,166 Needed. A report showing the condition of the general fund of the city July 1 was read to the ways and means com mlttee of the City Council at its meet ing yesterday. The appropriations this year have amounted to $801, 869.51, and of this amount $423,781.87 has been expended this year. This leaves a balance of $378,077.64 on hand. The estimated expenditures for the rest of the year are $393,166.96. Of the amount so far expended $15,' 909.85 was paid on the new garbage crematory at Guild's Lake, and $16, 768.93 remains to be paid. , During the six months the street cleaning depart ment cost the city $154,275.42, and it is estimated that it will cost $133,275.09 for the remainder of the year. CATS' DIN STIRS CITIZEN Postofflce Superintendent Asks City to "Muzzle" Felines. L. S. Wright, superintendent of Postal Station F. and living at 310 Ross street, has written Mayor Rushlight and the City Council, asking that at the time the anti-chicken ordinance Is taken up by the Council, a clause be Inserted against the keeping of cats within the city limits. "A lousy, mangy torn sat will not only howl and fight all night in the street. In your neighbor's yard, or under your window, but If you suc ceed In scaring him out, he will go on down the line howling as he goes. The cats are constantly killing birds, destroying flower gardens and spread ing contagious diseases," declares Mr. Wright. $25,0Q0,000 CLAIM FILED Blnefields Steamer Company Says Fruit Firm 19 Banana Trust. PHILADELPHIA, July 24. A state ment of a claim to recover $25,000,000 damages has been filed In the United States Court here by the receiver of the Bluefields Steamship Company against the United Fruit Company. The Bluefields Company claims dam ages in this amount for alleged stifling of competition and creating an al leged monopoly in the sale of bananas In this country. The suit was brought under the Sherman anti-trust law. OFFICERS HURT IN RI0TFIRE IS FS'E miles in width Pennsylvania Miners Held on $1000 Bail for Uprising. PITTSBURG, July 24. In a riot to day between miners of the Mansfield mine, of the Pittsburg Coal Company, at GlendaJe, an Isolated portion of Alle gheney County, three Constables, two county detectives and a score of miners were Injured, several fatally. Fourteen men and one woman have been arrested. All were held in $1000 ball on a charge of rioting. Hundreds of Persons Flee to Safety. WIDE AREAS DEVASTATED Army of Wen Battle in Effort to Check Flames. SMALL TOWNS IN. DANGER Camp No. 6 of Curtiss Lumber Corn pany Near Mill City Burned and 140 Inhabitants Have Close Call for Their Lives. FORESTS BURNING OTER BIO AREA. From all parts of the Northwest forest tires are reported raging. Thousands of acres of valuable tim ber have . been destroyed, corporate and private property burned and hundreds of persons forced to flee for their lives. Hundreds of men. are fighting the flames. East of Mill City a fire Sunday destroyed Camp 6 of the Curtiss Lumber Company and 140 persons narrowly escaped. In the Clear Creek district, south east of Estacada, flames are burning timber over an area live miles wide. The towns of Dodge and Springwater are in danger. Fires near Brush Prairie. Clark County, are menacing farms and a large area of timber Is aflre. The Summer resort at Niagara, Marlon County, Is reported as sur Tounded by forest flres and campers and residents there are fleeing. Near Pe Ell. Wash., lire has de stroyed 1.000,000 feet of timber, but is thought to be about burned out. MILL CITY, Or., July 24. (Special.) Beyond control and sweeping with Irresistible fury through the timber east of this city, fire today threatens nearly every logging camp and town in this vicinity. Already hundreds of per sons have been forced to flee for their lives, one logging camp and . several railway bridges have been burned and thousands of dollars' damage, to tim ber and property in general has been done. Fanned by a strong east wind, a small fire which had been kept under control at camp No. 6, on the Curtiss Lumber Company's logging railroad. eight miles southeast of this city, sud denly broke out with renewed energy Sunday afternoon and In a few hours attained such proportions that the 140 persons in the camp were forced to flee for their lives. Train Saves' Lives. Their escape was narrow, and while some . took the trail to Gates, the others, among whom were many men with families, were brought to Mill City by the logging train. Though menaced on either side by the burning forests and by burning trees falling across the right of way the train made two trips to camp six before escape was cut off. It Is not believed any lives have been lost, though one man has not re ported. It is thought that he may have escaped by way of the Gates trail or taken refuge on a nearby ranch. So rapid was the - advance of the flames that many residents of camp six had no time to bring any of their personal effects. Bridge Burns Out. On the train's second trip to the camp the track was found blockad near the outskirts by a burned-out trestle and the few persons left at the camp were forced to go down through the canyon and ascend the other side to where the train was waiting. The burned district today extends for miles, and the loss is only minimized because a large portion of this acre age consists of old cuttings of the Cur-. tiss Lumber Company. The fire has now entered the green timber south east of here and unless a ram comes soon or the wind changes the loss will be enormous. The loss at camp six is approximate ly $75,000, which includes nine donkey engines, 14 flat cars, engines, camp buildings and supplies. A crew of men from the United States Forest Service and a big crew from the mlll3 of the Curtiss Company at Mill City and from nearby logging camps of the company are now at work light ing the Are, but the latest reports re ceived here Is that the fire is now of such size that the present fire-fighting force will be unable to stop it. Clear Creek District, Near Estacnda, Scene of Conflagration. ESTACADA. Or.. July 24. (Special.) -With a front five miles wide, a forest fire Is raging in the Clear Creek dis trict, about five miles southeast of thl. city, and all efforts thus far to check Its rapid spread has proved of no avail. Thus far the damage has been only to the timber, but If the wind contin ues with the same velocity throughout the day it is feared the town of Sprlng- , (Concluded on Page 5-)