Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937, January 30, 1922, Image 1

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A OL. LX NO. 19,09.5
Enterrrl m'Port !i n d lOrenor?,
Prtfftm nf Nf onrt-')! Matter.
PORTLAND, OREGON, MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 1922
PRICE FIVE CENTS
MANY PROMINENT MEN
AMONG THEATER DEAD
ROAH OF THEATER
ERNEST SHACKLETON'
DIES IN ANTARCTIC
$2,000,000 TERMINAL
PROJECT UNDER WAY
POKT TO BEG IX FILLING IX
FOR FOUNDATION.
MOUNT HOOD STEAM
REMAINS MYSTERY
'S
WESTERN PEOPLE
E
CHACXCEY C. BRAIXF.KD OXE
HEART DISEASE IS FATAL TO
SEEKER OF SOUTH POLE.
FOG KEEPS OBSERVERS FROM
OBTAINING DATA.
OP VICTIMS.
jliiiritttiff
107 BODIES DOG
FROM WRECKAGE
DISASTER
SPARES
YOUNG
AMERICA
PACE KILLING
4
-4
i
I
I
I
4
4
Theater Ruins Searched
' All Night Long.
92 NOW. IRE IDENTIFIED
Exact Number in Structure
at Time Likely Never ,
to Be Known.
LAUGHTER DIES. IN CRASH
Audience in Uproar When
Snow t Caves In Roof.
Rescuers Heroic.
WASHINGTON, D. C, Jan, 29.
One hundred and seven lives were
lost in the Knickerbocker theater last
right when the root,' -weighted by
more than two feet of snow, col
lapsed and buried patrons of the
house under a crushing blanket of
concrete, plaster and steel, accord
ing to official police records.
The official list, according to au
thorities, contained the names of all
those whose bodies had been recov
ered up to midnight from the ruins
ot the theater.
Search Nearly Finished.
The volunteer workers including
police, firemen, marines and cavalry
from Fort Myer, had practically con
cluded their search of the wreckage,
the only portion of what had been
the orchestra pit remaining to be
searched being a far corner in which
it was not expected additional bodies
would be found.
Elimination of duplicated names
brought the final total down from
the unofficial peak of 112. The list
of injured stood at 134, with 14
listed as "seriously injured." Caught
beneath the falling foot beams,
scores were taken to hospitals suf
fering with broken Kmbs or severe
internal injuries. Many received im
mediate medical attention at impro
vised nearby stations.
Several Make Escape.
In the audience but one person
was found who had become aware of
impending doom in time to reach an
exit. Several others worked their
way to safety through scant open
ings in the wreckage.
Rescue workers, fighting a des
perate battle through 'dark and day
light, had recovered that number
of bodies. More than 100 others
were known to have been injured.
Of the dead, 92 had been iden
tified. The majority of killed and
injured were local residents. Ex
ploration of the ruins went on un
checked after dark, but those in
charge believed few additional
bodies would be found.
Own Risk Disregarded.
Without regard to their own risk,
soldiers, marines, police, firemen,
sailors and citizen volunteers had
fought their way beneath the wreck
age over practically the viole floor
space of the auditorium.
The exact number in the theater
when the steel and concrete span of
the roof buckled and fell under its
three-foot load of snow probably
never will be known. The stories
of perhaps a hundred who got out
uninjured have been reported. These
accounted for a few more than 300
in the audience that was 'roaring in
laughter at a filmed comedy when
the roof fell on them like a blanket,
carrying down theTront of the wide
balcony in its crash.
Snow Keeps Crowd Away.
Normally the theater has had
every seat filled at that hour, and
nearly 2000 persons was its capacity.
The same unprecedented snowfall
which brought death to the venture
some few kept many at home.
Street-car traffic had been aban
doned and streets and sidewalks
were all but impassable.
There had not been time for offi
cial inquiry as to the cause of the
disaster. The ruins disclosed, how
ever, that the mass of steel-held
concrete that formed the roof had i
come down. The crash swept the '
supports from under the balcony,
apparently, and Oris hinged down at
lv.u4isiudtU ua l'as 5, Cvtajun Li
Guy S. Eldridge, ISrotlier-iu-Luw
of Senator - Smoot, Also
Loses Life in Crash.
WASHINGTON, D. C. Jan. 29.
Among the victims of the wrecking
of the Knickerbocker theater here
last night were many men and women
o prominence, not a few of whom
were known nationally.
The list of Identified dead fd.lowe:
A. J. Barchfeld, ex-representative
In congress, formerly of Pittsburg, Pa.
Miss Helen Barchfeld. his daughter.
Archie Bell, formerly of Vlneland,
New Jersey. '
Chauncey C. Bralnerd. Washington
correspondent of the Brooklyn Eagle.
Mrs. Chauncey C Bralnerd.
Wilfred Brosseau, North Adams,
Mass., student at Georgetown Uni
versity. Guy. 6. Eldridge, Salt Lake City
brotiier-in-law of Senator firnoot of
Utah.
Oscar G. Kanston, Chicago, his wife
and daughters. Helen and Anyln.
Cutler Lafltn Jr.. 16, Chicago.
Miss Annie Lee Lambert, Ashlelgh,
New Jersey.
' W. B. Sammon. of Wyoming, stu
dent at George Washington TJni
versity.
W. L. Schoolfield, Danville, Va.
Laverne Sproul, 17, Chicago, nephew
of Representative Elliott W. Sproul
of Illinois.
Clarence B. Stephenson, Port
land. Me.
Lewis Strayer, Washington corre
spondent of the Pittsburg Dispatch.
H. Conroy Vance, Fredericksburg,
Virginia.
Mrs. H. Conroy Vance, Fredericks
burg, Va.
William Walters, Brooklyn, N. Y,
student at Georgetown university.
Mary Ethel Atkinson.
'Joseph W. Beal.
William G. Bikle.
Thomas R. Bourne.
Mrs. Daisy Garvey Bow den.
William M. Canby.'
W. M. Crocker.
Vinson W. Dauber.
Thomas M. Dorsey.
Miss Helen Dorsch.
A. G. Eldridge.
Mr Alfred G. Eldridge.
E. 1L Ernest.
McC. Farr.
' Mat. Virginia Farraud, sister of
Minister Blachin of Gautemala.
Christian Felge.
John P. Fleming.
Miss Mary Lee Fleming.
Thomas Fleming.
G. 3. Freeman.
Mrs. Clyde M. Gearhart.
E. IL Hall.
Douglas Hillyer.
William G. Hughes.
Daniel K. Jackson.
Miss Elisabeth Jeffries.
John M. Jeffries.
Howard W. Kneesi.
L. L. Lehlcr.
Leroy Lehmer.
Mrs. Leroy Lehmer.
David H. Lyman.
Wyatt McKimmie.
Julian McKinney.
Ernest E. Matellio. '
Mrs. Norman E. Martindale.
Miss Agnes- Mellon. "
Miss Veronica Murphy.
Mies Vigian Ogden.
D. F. O'Donnell.
Mrs. D. F. O'Donnell.
Miss Louise Pitcher.
Miss Hazel Price.
Mrs. Marie Russell.
Mrs. Cora C. Sigourney.
Miss Marie H. Smith.
Victor M. Sturgin.
Mrs. Gertrude Taylor.
William Tracy.
Miss Gladys Thomas.
CharlesCowles Tucker.
Mrs. Charles Cowles Tucker.
Jacob Urdong.
Mrs. Jacob Urdong.
Louis F. Vallyntine.
Mrs. Louis F. Vallyntine.
;Mlss Mildred Walford.
John L. Walker.
Mrs. John L. Walker.
Captain William R. Warner, quarter
master corps. United States army.
Mrs. William R. Warner.
Mrs. Charles M. Wesson, wife of
Colonel C. M. Wesson, ordnance de
partment. United States army.
Ivan J. White.
Miss Margaret Dutch, Ludington,
Mich.
Miss M. C. Blckle.
Kneesi (son Howard Kneesi).
Scott Montgomery.
William A. Walters.
D. N. Walsh.
Jack McKimlie.
Christine Thompson.
Paulus 1-amby.
Miss M. E. Walsh.
Kirkland Duke.
Esther Foster. " .
Russell Maine. '
Mrs. Russell Maine.
Mrs. Carrie Parson.
Albert Baker.
Miss Frances Bikle.
Dr. James F. Shea.
W. N. Crawford.
Among the injured were:
Mrs. Bateman Adams, Nobile To
masso Assereto, third secretary of
the Italian embassy; June Bergman
Buhler, R. J. Bowen, Mrs. R. J.
Bowen, Mrs. Bernard Bresslau, Miss
Sadie Bresslau. Joseph C. Bruce, El
liott Brumbaugh. Gilbert Caplan, M.
E. Ca&tney. Mrs. Mary Chalmers, C.
Claflin, Miss Margaret Cole, James
A. Cutaln. F. W. Dodson, I. B. Gibson.
J. L. Durland, Mrs. J. L. Durland.
Miss Mary Forsythe Miss Ruth
Fouts. William A. Galloway, Dr.
Clyde M. Gearhart, Norman L. Gibson,
Mrs. Haley. Hugh Glenn. Moe Gold.
Dr. Custis. Lee Hall and wife. Ivy
Hamilton. Dr. E. E. Hayden. wife and
two children; Warren Helphen, Mrs.
Douglas Hillyer, Captain J. H. Mills.
U. S. A., and wife; M. Pera Hill. Miss
Helen Hopkins. Margaret John. John
Klenner. Mrs. Howard Kneesi. Henry
iCoaviuUol sa Faa i. Column 2.)
Comedy Showing When
Avalanche Strikes.
WOMEN AND CHILDREN MOANj
Representative Smithwick
Tells of Narrow Escape.
TRAGEDY SEEMS HOURS
Planter, Bricks, Snow, Wood and
Steel Beams Catapult on Audl
' euce as Orchestra Plays.
WASHINGTON, D. C, Jan. 29. (By
the Associated Press.) An avalanche
of broken plaster, bricks, snow, splin
tered, wood and twisted steel beams
catapulting on the audience while
the orchestra played and a comedy
film ground out, Is the description
Of the Knickerbocker theater disas
ter given today by Representative
John P. Smithwick of Pensacola, Fla.
He was In the balcony when the roof
collapsed under Its weight of snow,
and escaped unaided Just how, he
cannot recall -with more -or less se
rious hurts. .
'The orchestra wag playing music
and a comic film was running," he
said in his bed, bandaged and with
his face end hands covered with cuts.
"Suddenly there was a sharp crack.
I saw a great fissure running across
the ceiling, right over my head. The
plaster began' to fall, all over the
theater, it seemed to me. While I
was looking up a great piece right
over my head started to fall. I
ducked, crouching, involuntarily, I
suppose, down between the seats. The
piece struck the seat where I had
been sitting. The force was broken
by the seat, but It pinned me down.
A'oiae la Indescribable.
"The noise was awful. It was a
great roar. It was simply Indescrib
able. I can never forget it.
"In the midst of the roaring were
shrieks and cries of women and chil
dren and a few shouLs of men. There
were cries for help, groans and,
worst of all, the moans of those In
terrible pain. It was awful. I can't
describe it. I see it all the time,
those - poor children and men and
women crying and groaning.
"There were oniy .a few of us in
the balcony. Luckily, there weren't
more. The balcony gave way and
crashed, soon after the ceiling began
to fall, onto those on the lower floor.
They were caught the worst.
"I guess there was a lapse of 20
second before the balcony fell.
Funny, but it kind of twisted, as its
supports gave way and It swung
down on those below. It did not go
(Concluded on Page 2, Column 1.)
Voo ov.
Vyfl.Y VIE voEO
i
" -
1
Norwegian Steamer Brings Body
of Famous Briton North for
- Shipment to England.
MONTEVIDEO, Jan. . 29. (By the
Associated Press.) Sir Ernest Shack
leton, British explorer, died January
5 on the steamship -Quest, on which
he was making another expedition
into the Antarctic.
Death was due to angina pectoris
and occurred when the Quest was off
the Gritvicken Btation.
The body was brought here on a
Norwegian steamer and will be taken
to Europe.
Captain L. Hussey of the Quest will
accompany the body. Professor Gru-
vel and other members of the ex
plorer's party will continue the expe
dition. Sir Ernest died on board the Quest,
which was anchored off South Geor
gia island. The previous night he
had been slightly indisposed, but no
uneasiness was felt. At S:30 A. M.
January 5. he began to sink rapidly,
and, despite all efforts by his at
tendants, he died within three min
utes. Captain Hussey. who attended him,
said the symptoms showed that Sir
Ernest had died from angina pec
toris. His body was transferred from
the Quest to a Norwegian steamer,
and, accompanied by Captain Hussey,
arrived today.
Governmental and military honors
were paid the body. The government
will retain custody of the body until
It is embarked for England, which
probably will be February 11.
Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton. since
the death of Robert Falcon Scott the
foremost among British explorers,
sailed from the Thames river on Sep
tember 17, 1921, to revisit the Ant
arctic and search for new land In the
south Atlantic The Quest left Rio
Janeiro December 18 for south
Georela island, which lies off the
east coast of the southernmost por
tion of South America.
The two-year cruise, as projected,
was one combining oceanography and
scientific research, with the charting
cf little-known territory touched by
Shackleton In previous voyages.
His ship, the Quest, is of 200 tons
and represents the explorer s concep
tion of a vessel fit to ccpe with the
storms and Ice it would encounter.
The crew Including Shackleton, num
bered but 19 men each not only an
able seaman but a scientist, with
definite scientific duties devolving
upon them.
It was the belief of Shackleton that
south of the extremity of the African
continent were lands of vast extent,
and lying within the. charmed circle
of ice that had prevented their dis
cove'ry and exploration. These he had
determined to seek out, before turn
ing the Quest northward into the
Pacific.
One of the missions to which he
had pledged himself was the search
for the lost Isjand of Tuanaki, almost
definitely located by ancjent charts
and famed in the traditions of sailors.
Though Shackleton inclined to the
belief that Tuanaki had sunk beneath
the surface of the sea. it was his
purpose to visit the supposed location
(Concluded on Page 2, Column 4.)
MODERN CONVENIENCES.
GrrAtiVfs
'HE.E. W S ONL CHECK OC "THH.
TO HAVE fVDCWE EVEftV
Construction of Freight Depot to
Be Hashed After Contracts
Are Let and Completed.'
Portland's $2,000,000 freight termi
nal,, to be constructed on Guild's lake
for use of all the. railroads doing busi
ness in this city, is under way and
will be rushed to completion just as
fast as contracts can be let and filled.
Such was the announcement made
yesterday by Arthur C. Spencer, chief
counsel for the O.-W. R. & N. com
pany, who has charge of legal phases
of the large undertaking.
Next Monday the Port of Portlanjd
dredge Tualatin will begin operations
along the west channel of the Wil
lamette river to execute the physical
features ot an $80000 contract with
the railroads to fill in 1,000,000 yards
for the terminal foundation, according
to present plans. It is anticipated
that the dredge will have finished the
work upon which it is now engaged
on Vhe Oregon slough channel this
week' and will be swung onto the
other by Saturday or Sunday.
As rapidly as papers can be d,rawn
and contracts for Various roadways
provided for in the terminal agree
ment with the city, construction of a
roundhouse and other buildings and
arrangements for steel rails will be
entered into. As soon as the fill is
ready the actual work of installing
the most modern terminal system in
the west will be started.
"We are proceeding just as rapidly
as legal papers and' contracts san be
arranged," said Mr.' Spencer, "and the
railroads will push the work to com
pletion as fast as is possible, every
thing considered."
The terminal will be used as a
break-up yards for all freight han
dled by the Southern Pacific, Union
Pacific, Northern Pacific, Great
Northern and Spokane, Portland & Se
attle railroads.
As soon as rails can be laid on
this terminal ground congestion In
the union pasBenger station yards will
be relieved and it will be possible for
all trains of the Spokane, Portland &
Seattle railway, including the Astoria-Seaside
division, to be .handled
there ins'ead of in the present North
Bank terminal. .
DISASTER MOVES HARDING
President Grieved by Knicker
bocker Theater Accident.
WASHINGTON, D. C, Jan. 29. (By
the Associated Press.) President
Harding issued the following state
ment late today on the Knicker
bocker theater disaster: .
"I have experienced the same as
tounding shock and the same inex
pressible sorrow which has come to
ail of Washington and which will be
sympathetically felt throughout the
land. If I knew aught today to
soften the sorrow of hundreds who
are so suddenly bereaved, if I could
say a word to cheer the maimed and
suffering. I would gladly do it. The
terrible tragedy, staged in the midst
ot the great storm, has deeply de
pressed all of ua and left us won
dering about the revolving fates."
Senator Borah One to Be
Absent by Chance.
HAWLEYS ALSO LIVE NEAR
Coast Leaders Accustomed
to Attending Theater. '
CREPE ON MANY DOORS
Miss Haw Icy, Early on Scene, De
scribes How Some Rushed Out
of Ruins, Carrying Injured.
THE OP.EGONIAN NEWS BUREAU,
Washington. D. C, Jan. 29. It ap
pears to ha,ve been only by some queer
circumstance of fate that tb,e names
of some prominent persons from
the Pacific northwest were not in
the dead and injured lists in the
Knickerbocker theater disaster last
night.
Senator Borah of Idaho, Represent
tlve Hawley of Oregon and Kepre
sentatives French and Smith of Idr.ho
with their families live withir.
radius of three blocks of the place
where the tragedy occurred.
Representative and Mrs. Hawley
live less than one block away, on the
sixth floor of the Woodley apartment
house, and could not gaze from their
windows at any minute today without
seeing the dead and injured being
carried away while white ambulances
and somber hearses moved back and
forth like trains of cars on Columbia
road In front of heir home.
Ml Hawley on geene.
Miss Iris Hawley. daughter of
Representative and Mrs. Hawley, was
one of the first to reach the front
of the theater after the crash came.
(fbnly the bad weather, she said today,
Influenced her to stay at home from
the fatal performance because, on
account of the convenience, she had
been attending this theater two or
three -times a week.
Senator Borah, too. felt that his
escape had been next to miraculous.
"I have been dazed ever" since
heard of it this morning," he said,
exclaiming, "My God. this is terrible
that such a thing could happen. It
does not seem true that Chauncy
Bralnerd and Lou Strayer are gone.'
He was referring to C C. Bralnerd.
Washington correspondent of the
Brooklyn Eagle, and I- W. Strayer,
correspondent of the Pittsburg Dis
patch, both of whom had been his
close friends since he arrived in
Washington as a senator In 1907.
Both were taken out of the debris
dead early today. Mrs. Bralnerd also
was killed.
Theater l ioallr Vlalted.
"And strange. It seems," Senator
Borah continued, "this was the first
Saturday night since I ,ean remem
ber that Mrs. Borah and I did not
attend this theater.
"This theater has been our regular
Saturday night diversion ever alnce
It was built. Mrs. Borah went to
Philadelphia a couple of days ago to
visit friends, - but I had Intended
dropping in for the ehow last night
as usual. I do not know' what kept
me away."
Telling of her arrival at the tragic
scene. Miss Iris Hawley said:
"I heard someone say, 'My dad's In
there; ytm've got to let-me get him
out.' A young boy was struggling
frantically with the police at the door
of the theater.
Street Becomes Crowded.
"The news had Just spread that the
roof had fallen In and the street was
becoming crowded with persons
whose friends and relatives were in
the wrecked building. The residents
of the neighborhood are the principal
patrons of this movie and we all
thought of the friends who might
be caught under the debris,
"I saw the wife of a member of
congress, a heavy coat thrown over
a thin dress, standing in a drift of
snow, sobbing again and again, "My
boy 'Is In there.'
"A man turned to me and said, 'The
people with whom I live have a son
and daughter in there. They do not
know anything has happened and I
cannot bear to go home and tell
them.'
' "Just then not a sound could be
heard at the building. The lights in
the lobby seemed to be burning, and
the only outward signs of the catas
trophe were the swinging doors lying
on the sidewalk, and the heavy cor
nice which had fallen to the street
Injured Carried Oat.
"But in a minute out came men
carrying somefbadly injured persons
moaning with pain, and others carry
ing the remains of the dead. Dead
and injured were placed In ambu
lances and carried away to the Chris
tian Sconce church nearby and ,to
houses in the neighborhood, where
both hospitals and morgues were aet
up. in many instances under the same
roof.
"I left the scene and returned home
last night a little before midnight.
We have tried today to keep away
from the window and to forget about
the horror of it all. but that is Im
possible. . The Knickerbocker has
been a great favorite and we have
frone there many times, and some of
Trip to Scene of Phenomena AVhen
Snow Hardens Is Consid
ered by Mountaineers.
Mount Hood was entirely blanketed
in fog and clouds yesterday and ob
servers at Government Camp were
unable to see whether the large vol
ume of steam wh'ch was arising
Saturday was still continuing.
L. F. Pridetnore of Government
Camp declared that the steam was
observed Saturday just above the
position wnere, last summer, great
streams of hot mud ran down the
sides. He believes that, possibly, the
same reasons responsible for the
streams of mud have caused the large
clouds of steam. .
No immediate efforts w'll be made
to reach the site where the steam Is
escaping, according to Mr. Pridemore.
for the snows are too deep and the
weather too stormy for the trip.
Danger is not feared regarding the
strange spectacle' that the rising
steam produced, for the clouds are
steady and not eruptive in nature.
Whether it was temporary and
brought about by water seeping into
crevices where there are hot rocks
can only be determined when the
weather clears and the snows harden
so as to make snowshoe travel possible.
OWN GUN KILLS HUNTER
Bend Voutli, Shot Accidentally,
Dies Instantly.
BEND, Or, Jan. '29. (Special.)
John Arnold Payton, 14-year-old boy,
accidentally shot himself while hunt
ing Saturday four miles north of
Bend. Death waa instantaneous, the
charge of shot entering his cheek and
penetrating the brain. The bod was
found at 10 o'clock last night by a
searching party which was organized
when the boy failed to return home.
No inquest will be held, said Cor
oner Niswonger, as there was no
doubt as to the accidental nature of
the lad's death.
Funeral cervices . will be at 10
o'clock tomorrow.
SCIENCE EDITORS CHOSEN
Willis J. Abbot and Albert Field
Gilmore Named by Dint-tors.
BOSTON, Jan. 29-Dlrectora of the
First Church of Christ. Scientist, an
nounced tonight that acting under
the manual of the Christian Science
church they had elected Willis J
Abbot and Albert Field Gilmore, both
of New York, editors of t-he Christian
Science publications and that the new
ly appointed trustees of the Christian
Science Publishing society had ac
cepted the elections.
Mr. Abbot was chosen editor of the
Christian Science Monitor, a dally, and
Mr. Gilmore, editor of the monthly
pubHcations, the Christian Science
Journal, Christian Science -Sentlne.
Leheraut, (French) and Der Herald,
(German.)
NEW TERM OPENS TODAY
Increase of 1300 In Enrollment in
Eight High Schools Expected.
The aprlng term of the public
schools will open this morning.
According to D. A. Grout, city su
perintendent, there will be an in
crease of approximately 1300 pupils
in the eight high schools. No ne&
buildings are reaay for this term and
there are no cnanges in the personnel
of the teaching staff.
A revised college preparatory course
will become effective this term, re
placing one which has been in vogut
for ten years.
INDEX OF TODAY'S NEWS
The Weather.
YESTERDAY'S Maximum temperature. 86
degrees; minimum, 4 delrreea
TODAY'S Rain or enow and continued
ctld; moderate northeasterly wind.
Foreixn.
Ernest Shackleton ddes. Paae 1.
Election of pope oy Saturday forecast.
Page 4.
NationaL
One hundred seven bodjee taken from thea
ter dVbrta Page 1.
Buslnees organizations fight bonus. Page 2.
Senate to be asked to probe theater col
lapse. Fage 3.
Dimmer spares northwestern people.
Pane I.
Dead laid in church until Identified.
Para 4. r
Theater victims display heroism. . Paee 2.
Domestic.
Toung America's pace killing one. declare
Chicago school authorities. Page 1.
Roar of tVter crash fcenurabtng. Page 1.
Many prominent men among dead In
theater crasn. rage x.
Pastor denounces Jass for dancing. Page
California swept by rain and snow. Pge 6.
Atlantic storm passes out to ae. Paua 6.
Girl club leaders divide on smoking.
Pu. II.
Seven-year-old girl returns from two years
In jungle OX Airica. i xc n.
Butt over pearls Involve J3M.75. Page 5.
Parlfie Northwest.
Oppo.ltlon looms for Senator Polndexter.
Page 7.
tens tor Lsndon runs for Seattle mayor
ship. Page 7.
Sports.
Washington and Idaho lead coast basket
ball conference. Page 12.
Coaching rule bars Portland schools from
orecon asao'ciallon. Page 12.
Ringers may clear Notre Dams Stars. ,
Page vi-
Bobby Harper Ml. f!ht may be delaysd.
Page 13.
Commercial aad Marine.
Harry Luckenbach here to get general
cargo. Page 13.
Portland and Vicinity.
12.01X1.000 freight terminal project under
"' way. Page 1.
Mount Hood steam remains mystery.
Page 1.
Chest crusaders to sweep city today,
l'age 18.
Portland houses to buy French bonds.
Page 17.
liuuLer outlook dsciarcd bright. Page 1C
Demoralization of Boys
and Girls Foreseen.
CURB ON-REVELRY DEMANDED
Chicago Parents Warned by
School Authorities.
GRAVE DISCLOSURES MADE
Jazzt Joy-Hidcs, lniroicr 1iiiki.s
and Immodest Dress Declared
Ruinous to Youth.
Chicago has started a reform movement
which soon may become natlnn-wlde.
Holding that parents are to blame, the
school authorities have asked them to put
a curb upon the Immodest dressing of
school girls and upon the freedom given
to schoolboys, some of whom either own
their own automobiles or ue their fathers'"
cara Investigation after school hours has
led to the new crusade. The story carries
Its own moral to every home.
BY JANE COMPTON.
(Copyright. 10:12, by The Oregonlan.)
CHICAGO, Jan. 29. (Special.) The
fast pace at which America has been
living the past few years has reached
the high schools of the lararer cities
.and Chicago parents have Just re
ceived a warning from the school
authorities to stop, look and listen.
' These authorities believe there ia
real danger ahead, unless a halt is
called. School children are given too
much money by Indulgent fathers and
mothers. Boys are permitted to have
automobiles of their own or the free
use of a parcnt'a car. Girls aro per
mitted an extravagance of dress
which five years ago would have
been considered little less than crimi
nal. All of which leads to the ques
tion: "Are the mothers of America dress
ing In such., youthful fashion them
selves that their "flapper" daughters
must go to the wildest extremes to
emphasize their own Junior years?,
Chicago's school authorities believe
that the paint and powder, the silk
stockings and the chiffon sleeves of
the modern schoolgirl's costumes are
provocative of thoughts which have
nothing to do with reading, writing
and arithmetic.
Serious) Tains; DlarloardL
Chicago was Inclined to smile in
dulgently at the suspicions of the
school officials when recently they
undertook to "supervise" Some of the
children after school hours. But Chi
cago has been brought up with a
round turn and has given itself over
to serious consideration of the prob
lem since two boys, members of
protdinent families, have 'been
charged with maintaining an apart
ment In the fashionable Edgewater
district -where they and their friends
had gay parties with girl students
following long Joy-rides in their par
ents' machines and visits at "jazz"
halls.
In the school Investigations auto
mobiles containing boys and girls
have been trailed to cabarets, danc-.
ing resorts, tea shops, roadhouses
and flats. At Nicholas Senn high
school, which has an enrollment o( .
4000 and is one of the largest schools
in the world, two boys were forced
to leave because the authorities de
cided that the girls In the school
would be better off if the youths and
their limousines were banished.
Small Element Drfluat.
In the appeal to parents and the
student body as a whole to rescue
the falling morale of high school
girls and boys from the demoralizing
Influences modern society has thrown
about them, Peter A. 'Mortenson,
superintendent Is not making whole
sale charges against the students.
"It must be remembered," ho said
today, "that 95 per cent of the pupils
are anxious to do right and co-operate
with us. But the refractory 5
per cent are so defiantly disobedient,
so little amenable to suggestion that
they stand forth in a spectacular
light which augments their number."
According to reports made by prin
cipals of the Chicago schaols and
members of the board of education,
the fault for the apparent moral de
terioration of the present day school
girl and boy begins mostly within the
home.
"Mother and fathers who are un
able to handle their children at
home," said Mr. Mortenson, "shove
the moral responsibility upon the
teachers' shoulders. They assume it
Is the duty of the school to safe
guard fts students during all the
hours spent away from home, for
getting that the authority of the
teacher ceases when the student
leaves school property."
Failure Are Kxplalnrd.
Benjamin F. Buck, principal of
Nicholas Senn high school, in a
"watch-your-step" ' lecture delivered
immediately befoi'e the mid-year ex
aminations, laid the failure of so
many students to make the scholastic
grades to "too much below the eyes
and not enough above.
"Paint and powder, chiffon-sleeved
dresses and bells jinglifrg from ga
loshes detract from the relative value
ot x and y.
"Constant thought about dunces, re
curring Instances of absence anu
tardiness frdm school overshadou' iht
Interest in history and mathematics
Until that Interest In school activities
can predominate over the (niereri In
1
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I rv I i ro r.