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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 25, 1913)
Mil' PORTLAND, OREGON, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 25, 1913. PRICE FIVE CENTS BASELESS CRY OF"FIRE"CAI)SE OFjODEMS Children at Miners' Cele bration Trampled in Rush for Exits. BODIES CHOKE STAIRWAYS Panic Comes to End Only as Every Means of Egress From Hall Is Blocked. DANGER REALIZED TOO LATE Woman Fails to Check Words of Tragic Santa Claus. BODIES PILED IN ROWS Calumet. Mich., Christmas Tree Given by Striking- Miners Turned Suddenly From Rejoicing to Occasion of Woe. ' CALUMET. Mich.. Dec. It. Four seore- persons, mostly children, were l-lled tonight at a Christmas celebra tion held by copper mine strikers tn Italian Hail because of a needless panic i.nised by a false alarm of fire. WMIe several hundred miners and tVeir wives looked on and scores of cs-ildren pres5-d eagerly towards the s.uge to reicKe Chrl!tmaapresents. a man resembling Santa Claus stuck his liead In at the door of the hall and yelled "Hire." The cry waa taken up at once by those In the hall. Kveryona started for the doors. The weaker persons were thrown to the floor and those behind tried to climb over the human barrier. Earas Completely Blocked. In a few minutes the panic was stopped by the fact that the stairway and the other avenues of egress were blocked so effectually that those within could not set out and those without could not net in to aid the maimed and remove the dead. The alarm waa spread outside the hall by a few persons who had been .near the door and escaped unhurt A crowd soon assembled and the work of clearing; the hall waa begun. The only regular exit was a stairway at the back of the hall. When this had been cleared of the bodies that filled It to the top and a quick ac counting had been made it was found that 74 corpses bad been piled up be side the bail buildlnr- It was believed that perhaps a dozen more had been carried away by friends. . People Daa4 by Tragedy. The dead Included 37 girls, 1 boys, f3 women and five men. The excited reiatlvea stood about the building, some dazed by the audden change from holi day festivities to tragedy, others call ing hysterically for a missing child, and a few even threatening violence to the rescuers forcing them back from the long row of bodler. There was not much work for the doctors who hurried to the scene as soon as the alarm was spread, for those who were not killed In the first crush were trampled to death afterward. Only three Injured persons were taken to hospitals, and a few went home with the assistance of friends. For many days the children of the copper mine strikers had watted for the free Christmas tree exercises that had been arranged by the women's aui:tary of the Western Federation of Jdtners. The entertainment was set for early In the evening and the man se lected to play the part of Santa Claus hsd appeared In his gala dress to. dis tribute the presents that were piled around the tree. Calldrea Ready for Marek. The children were instructed to march up the aisles to the tree so that the presents could be handed to them. The aisles were filled with the boys and girls when a man put his head la at the door of the main hallway and -felled "fire:" A woman near the door realized the danger and. seizing the man by the shoulders, tried to counteract the alarm, but her efforts were useless. The man tore from her grasp and dashed away. The fatal word had reached the ears of many In the ball and It waa repeated throughout the room. "F!re" was shouted In several lan guages as parents rushed forward to reach their children. The lives were rrushed out In almost a twinkling. Then the physical impossibility of fur ther .movement brought the panicky people to their senses. It was realised too late there waa no (Concluded oa Fare T.)" FATHER FINDS LONG LOST SON BY GIFT F All EXT DEEDS IiAND, NEWS PAPER STORY DOES REST. Spokane Wagon Driver Reads of Dad Under Different Name, but Photo graph on Deed Ilea sti res. SPOKANE. Wash.. Dec 14. (Spe ciaL) Austin M. Erickson, driver for the Paris Dye Works, today received a substantial Christmas present in the of half a block of land at Meadow Lake, and at the same time found hie father, whom he lost track of II years ago. Erickson read In a dally paper that a man In Los Angeles had filed a deed la the County Auditor's office, conveying to him the , land, but he did not recognize the name of the grantor and could not understand the matter. ' The grantor, J. A. Hendricks, had done an unusual thing in attach ing to the deed a photograph of him self. Erickson says he thought the land ' was conveyed . to another man with his (Erickson's) name, but today, after thinking of the matter a few days, he decided to fall at the Auditor's office and see the photograph of the grantor. "Why. that's my father," he said, when Auditor Butler showed him the photograph on the deed. Erickson. however, could not account for the fact that his father Is now going by the name of Hendricks. .Hendricks sent the deed for filing from Los Angeles, but evidently did not know where his son was, for after his son's name In the Instrument he wrote an address In Salt Lake City which was Erlckson's place of resi dence before coming to Spokane two years ago. "I have not known where my father was for 13 years." said Erickson. "I don't know when or how he acquired the Meadow Lake land nor why he now calls himself Hendricks. He has probably found my old address In Salt Lake and sent me a letter there explaining." ARCTIC "S. 0. S." IS HEARD Wireless Call for Help Is First Ever Received From North. LONDON. Dec 24! The first wireless call for help ever received from the Arctic Circle Is told about in the York shire Observer today. "Bergen Is working S. O. S.. wait and listen." the paper states, -was the mes sage which went tho rounds of Eu rope's wireless stations at 1 o'clock Tuesday morning. All did as requested, and the fact was then ' established that the Norwegian steamship Bagnvald Jarl had gone ashore on one of the Leloden Islands, 00 miles north of Bergen. Norway. Thia la double the working distance of the ship, and to enable Bergen.to communicate, all sta tions were asked to close down, so that the faint signals might be read. MOTHER EJECTED BY SON Aged Woman Forced From Home She lias Occupied for Years. LOS ANGELES. Dec. 24. After years of litigation, William F". McCann ob talned today a court order giving him the right to eject his aged mother, Mrs. Mary McCann, from the home she baa occupied for years. The litigation hinged on documents signed by Mrs. McCann several years ago for a consideration of $700, and when she was in ignorance of the fact that one was a deed, she said. . Judge Wilbur, of the Superior Court, Issued the court order to McCann. He said that under the law there was nothing else for him to do. Mrs. Mc Cann will leave her home tomorrow Christmas day. $50,000 PAID FOR TIMBER Weyerhaeuser Buys 719-Acre Tract In Grays Harbor Section. ABERDEEN. Wash, Dec 14. (Spe cial.) Sale of 719 acres of timber by H. Goodwin Green. A Pennsylvania capital ist, who has been heavily interested In Grays Harbor timber, to the Weyer haeuser Timber Company for a sum said to approximate $50,000. Is the largest single transaction of thia kind reported in many a day. The transaction Is a matter of record. The tract lies in the eastern part of the i county near the end of the Lyle Log ging A Mercantile Company's railroad. It Is known as an exceedingly choice belt of timber. f EXHIBIT SHIP IS COMING Austria to Send Floating Display of Manufactures to America. "WASHINGTON. Dec. 14. A large Austrian merchantshlp. the Kaiser Franz Joseph I. is preparing to start on a trip around South America bearing a floating exhibition of the various wares of gold, silver, bronze, china and glass which Austria produces. The Austrian government, it Is under stood, is actively assisting the manu facturers who proposed the trip. CHRISTMAS VISIT FATAL Von th Hurrying From Train to Sec Mother Falls Beneath Wheels. BELLXNGHAM, Wash., fee. 24. Hur rying home today to spend Christmas wflh his mother. George Wheeler, 1 years old. Jumped off a moving passen ger train, -stumbled over his suitcase and fell under the wheels. Both legs were crushed and the youth died two hours later at a hospital. LANE GIVES EAR TO DEMAND FDR ACTION Report Urges Develop, ment of REAL INF.iVE IS DESIRED Investor, as Well as Settler. Deserves Consideration. "SPECULATOR" , IS CURSE Xew Methods Suggested to Overcome Irrigation Difficulties Hundred Million Is TTrged for Need- , ed Enterprises. OREGONIAN NEWS BUREAU. Wash ington, Dec 24 "The fuller and freer use of our natural resources," is the underlying theme running through the annual report of Franklin K. Lane, Secretary of the Interior, submitted to the President today. The report Is a clear, direct and forceful plea for the abandonment of Governmental policies which have resulted in tying up the natural resources of the country. Secretary Lane squarely advocates a conservation policy which will not only permit development of coal, timber,' waterpower, farm lands. Irrigated lands, and other resources, but which will offer some real Incentive to those honestly desiring to avail themselves of these opportunities for Investment. "We abruptly closed opportunities to tho monopolist," he says, "but did not open them to the developer." West Deasaads Actloa- The West, he says, is "reconciled to the Government's making all proper safeguards against monopoly and against the subversion of the spirit of our land laws as. It is reconciled to the policy that land should be used for that purpose to which It Is best fitted, and should be disposed of by the Gov ernment with respect to that use. But the West asks action," he adds. "It asks that the machinery be promptly established in the; law -by which the lands may- be used.- This demand Is reasonable." One hundred million dollars for Ir rigation Is strongly urged by Secre tary Lane, as Indicated by bis Inter view given last Autumn on his return from a trip through the West. He I also urges an amendment to the reclamation law giving settlers 20 years. Instead of 10, in which to pay for their water. "We mistook the ability of the (Concluded on Fuse 8.) $ii ' Wafer 1 ltl) INDEX OF TODAY'S NEWS The Weather. rESTERDArS Maxim am temperature. S decrees; minimum, 3Z degrees. TODAY'S Rain, oowlfcly part snow; brisk southeasterly winds. National. Burleson now respecting- Civil Service as to fourth-class poatorlices. face J. Trusts ask peace terms of Nation.' Pegs 6. Secretary Lane urges policy of development of West. Page 1. National honor Included In peace treaty pending -with Denmark, .rage J. Domestic. Cold watch still being kept for Outlaw Lo pes. Page . Mrs. Glover tells of De Tuners' killing. Page ). Four score, mostly children, killed In need leas panic caused by cry of '"Fire." Page! Victims of train robber identify Bostlck. Page 2. Carollnans turn out to greet President Wil son, page L Sports. . Cosst League will annex Seattle and Van. oouver. says McCredie. Page 6. Ralph Gruman, Portland boxer, back home with featherweight standing. Page (. Surf-riding to be feature of Christmas swim. Page 6. Hlnbey will coach Tale. Page 6. Pacific Northwest. Oregon Teachers oppose massmeetlngs In big cities to fix school taxes. r-ase is. Nationally-known bridge architect wanted or Vancouver citizens, .rase Last rites over Asabel Bush at Salem are simple. Page 16. Pastor In Jail at Tacoma declared to have 2o wives. Page 7. Father finds lost son by deeding him tract of land... page 1. State officers are crowded and more room needed, page IB. Commercial and Marine. Wbeat trade checked by lack - of selling. Page 17. Improved Weather In Argentina weakens wheat at Chicago. Page 17. Another substantial advance recorded in the stock market. Page 17. Jolly tars will spend Christmas on rolling waves. Page Id. FortUnd and Vicinity. Christmas food provided poor by charity organizations. Page 13. Flood of Christmas supplies received by Associated Charities. Page 12. L. C. Oilman will assume duties at once as president of Hill lines. Page IS. Data regurdlng Auditorium due tomorrow. Page U. . City distributes $1304 among 430 laborers. Page 10. . . Russell Chamberlain restored to post by Civil Service Commission. Page 1. Inmates of Babies' Home bkve big tune Page 12. Joys of holidays start with Christmas day. Page 10. Mayor Albee shuts doors to all agitators. . Page 10. No Immigrant flood to Pacific Coast via canal, nor sale of tickets on Installments, says report. Page 7. Postofflce keeps abreast of greatest rush in history. Page 13. WOUNDED FIGHTER JAILED With Bullets' In Body, Slayer Drives ' 20 Miles to Surrender. BAKERS FIELD. Cal., Dec. 24. After he had killed Ross Merthaw, a. fellow workman. J. H. Price, employed by a power company, drove 20 miles, over mountainous roads with " two bullet wounds in his body to surrender him self to Constable Wlrth, at Kernvllle, 68. miles from here. He was brought to the County Jail and underwent a minor operation at the Jail for the re moval of a bullet in his back. The quarrel started Tuesday morn ing when Merthaw called the prisoner a fighting name and shot at him twice. Price then fired three shots into his assailant and, on learning he had killed the man, hired the rig at Falrvlew and drove to Kernvllle. -i CHRISTMAS PRESENTS. CAROLIIIAHS OUT TO GREET WILSON President Speeds To ward Gulf Coast. CORDIAL RECEPTION IS GIVEN "Thank You," He Says When Called "Greatest." WIFE'S GIFT IS CHOSEN Mrs. Wilson, Who la Artist Herself, to Surprise Husband With Paint- j lng by Another, According to New York Report. CHARLOTTE, N1. C Dec. 24. Presi dent Wilson and his party passed through here today en route to Pass Christian, Miss., where he expects to pend a three weeks' vacation. SPARTANBURG. S. C Dec. 21. Large crowds greeted the President along the route through North Carolina. Many of those who crowded about the train were lavish in their compliments. "You are the greatest American, liv ing or dead,' exclaimed one. "Thank you," smiled the President Many women brought their babies to see, the President and Mr. Wilson greet ed them aLL " "Merry Christmas1' and "Happy vaca tion" frequently were called out. NEW TORK, Dec. 24. A painting which President Wilson hag long ad mired will be one of his most prized Christmas gifts, it was learned here tonight. The picture is a landscape, "The Wood Chopper," by H. Hobart Nichols, widely known as a landscape artist. . Mrs. Wilson, herself an artist of fast-growing repute. Is the donor. The canvas has been on view In the Corcoran Gallery In Washington, where the President has seen It and. expressed his admiration for the work. With knowledge of this, Mrs. Wilson bought the picture and has made, it jj. Christ mas gilt to her husband. Ex-Policeman Convicted. CHICAGO.' Dec. 24. A verdict of manslaughter was returned in- court here today against John O'Donnell, an ex-pollceman and fireman, for the kill. lng of Phillip Sullivan, politician and saloonkeeper, last September. Punish ment was fixed at imprisonment under the Indeterminate sentence law, one year to life. ALL IS INCLUDED IN DANISH TREATY NO RESERVATIONS MADE A3 TO ARBITRATION' BASES. Xot Even Questions of National Honor Left Out Denmark Now Giving It Consideration. WASHINGTON. Dec 24. The Ad ministration has set the seal of Its approval on the general' principle of the settlement by arbitration of all questions that may arise between na tions In the attitude it has taken in the negotiations of a general arbitra tion treaty between the United States and Denmark. This convention has so far progressed toward completion as to be reduced to the form of a tenta tive treaty drafted by Secretary Bryan, and is now before the Danish office awaiting approval of certain amendments to the original text which already have been agreed on. The new treaty makes no reserva tions whatever in the subjects to be submitted to arbitration; not even questions of National honor being ex cluded. It differs from the general arbitration conventions framed by the two preceding Administrations, and which have so far failed to receive the approval of the Senate, in the inclu sion of the principal features of the peace treaties which Secretary Bryan already has negotiated with six nations, providing for a judicial investigation of . the issues in any dispute before recourse to hostilities." WOMAN KNOWN HERE DIES Mrs. Carrie Snell Passes Away at v Berkeley, Cal. Word was received in Portland yes terday of the death of Mrs.. Carrie Snell, widow of the late Georg i W, Snell of the mirm of Snell, Heltshu & Woodard. the predecessors of the Clarke-Woodard Drug Company. Mrs, Snell left Portland shoruy after the death of her husband 10 years ago and has since resided at Berkeley, Cal. She had long been in poor health and was more than 80 years old. . Mrs. Snell left Maine, her native state, to be married in San Francisco in 1862. A few years later she came up with her husband, who joined the firm of druggists and who later was instru mental In erecting the building at Burnside and Sixth streets. She had a wide circle of friends In this city. She Is survived by two daughters, Mrs. George Cleveland, and Miss. May Snell and by one son by a former hus band, Eugene Sturgen, all of them llv lng in California.. DOCTOR " WARNS DINERS Useless Consumption of Food Today Nearly Crime, Says Physician. SPOKANE, Wash., Dec. 24. Dr. J. B. Anderson City Health Officer, promul gated today a list of "dont's" . for Christmas, the principal one being, "Don't abuse the stomach on Christ mas." "The conglomerate mass of indiges tible matter usually put into the stom ach on Christmas, " said Dr. Anderson, "causes nature to exact a penalty in the shape of acute indigestion. "The great amount of useless food consumed at a Christmas dinner is great economic waste. It is- little short of a crime to gorge one's self with a dinner which it will take In the pro cesses of digestion and elimination 48 hours to get rid of." JUDGE SANTAGIVES BABY Couple In Court Adopt Child . of Widow Too Poor to Raise It. SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 24. (BpeciaL) Superior Judge Brown, of .Oakland, played the role of Santa Claus In his courtroom today, and presented a novel Christmas gift to Ernest Howell McCandlish and his wife, Mrs., Maud Scott McCandlish, of Alameda. The present was a pretty, flaxen haired baby, who persisted in shouting Tuletide greetings to the Magistrate as he attempted to conduct the morn ing session of court. The mother of the baby is Mrs. Grace Alta Mason, of Berkeley, a widow, who is unable to support the child, and agreed to present it to Mrs. McCandlish as a Christmas gift. BALLOT VALUE SECONDARY Medford Women Prefer Shopping to Voting and Fail to Register. MEDFORD, Or, Dec 24. (SpeciaD Christmas shopping thus far has proved too' engrossing for Medford women to allow them to register for the city election January 13. With the books closing Wednesday less than half of the last registration of 2217 has been made, and of these ' less than one fourth are women. , With the Interest in the recall agi tation, however. It is expected that the Sast few days will show a decided In crease in the number of names en rolled. STATUE STAYS IN ITALY Famous Et. John the Baptist Comes Out of Hiding After Five Centuries. FLORENCE, Dec 24. Danatello's fa mous statue of bt. John the .Baptist, which was made for his friend and patron, Martelll, and bought by the Italian government for $80,000, was placed today in Danatello's hall in the national museum, after having re mained hidden five centures in the old Martelll palace. Some large sums have been offered by foreign galleries and art collectors, but the law prevented it leaving the country. - AGED CITY JANITOR RESTORED TO POST Civil Service Commis sion Reports. APPLAUSE G REITS VERDICT Tears Flow as Russell Cham berlain Hears Plaudits. RULING DEEMED OF IMPORT Decision Based on Patriotic Service to City and Country by Veteran, Declaring Public Policy Best Conserved With Sentiment. This is a happy Christmas far Rus sell Chamberlain, veteran janitor at the City Hall. . , ' With his gray-haired wife, who has shared each Christmas with him since the close of the civil war, he will eat Christmas dinner In tho humble home on Clay street, full of gratitude that this is not the cold and unppreciatlve world it has appeared to be since De cember 1, for the Municipal Civil Serv ice Board yesterday overruled the re cent action of City Commislsoner Brewster In discharging Mr. Chamber lain for old age and Inefficiency, rein stated him to his position as Janitor and ordered his wages paid for the 24 days he has been under suspension. Many Appreciate Ruling. The ruling of the Civil Service Board was a victory for old age. It was a victory, too, for scores of other men who have given the best years of their lives to the city service as it was for Mr. Chamberlain. It was the first time the Civil Service Board of the city ruled on the question of what shall be done with men when they grow old in service That the policy of casting them aside as wornout machines Is not to prevail, at leastldurlng the present administra tion, is the source of much gratifies- tion to those who, in their declining years, might have been next in order if the Chamberlain case had not been re versed. ' Decision Is Vnanlnsoas. ' George W. Caldwell, chairman; John F. Logan and A. E. Clark, comprising the Civil Service Board, were unani mous in the decision to give the elderly man his position back. All signed a written decision which was I handed down, outlining in detair the attitude of the Board in respect to the ques tion of old age, efficiency, appreciation and patriotism for those who struggled ' in the civil war. The decision, with all members concurring, was read by A. E. Clark, who had been delegated by the Board to write the opinion. Seated about the City Council cham ber, in which the Board met, were a dozen or more gray-haired veterans, among them being Mr. Chamberlain. In front of them was Comml3isoner Brewster, and in other parts of the room were those who gathered to hear the verdict, .which was looked upon as one of the most Important decisions yot rendered by the Civil Service Board, because of the fact that the case in volved directly the question of age. Tears Tell of Thanks. As Mr. Clark read the decision, which dealt with all phases of the question, those assembled listened anxiously for the verdict. When it finally came the tears trickled down the cheeks of Mr. Chamberlain and he hurried home to tell his gray-haired wife the result. The verdict brought loud applause ( from those assembled. After the decision had been rendered (Concluded on Pago 2.) Portlands Interest in Annual The Oregonian has never pub lished an edition of greater in terest to the citizens of Port land than the Xew Year's num ber, which "will be issued one week from today. Here are a few features that will be par ticularly attractive to residents of the city: Sixteen-page section of Port land pictures, including all the large business blocks and a double-page drawing of the retail district. Summary of six months? prog ress under the Commission char ter. Articles by Mayor Albee and the Commissioners. Complete statistical review. Gains made in 1913 as revealed by building permits, bank clear ings, postal receipts, etc. Growth of shipping, new steamship lines, river and har bor improvement, public dock plans and preparations for the Panama Canal. These are only a few of the Portland features. There are many others. An order blank for the An nual is printed in The Oregonian today. . . . : t