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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 9, 1922)
VOL. LXI NO. 19,362 Entered at Portland fOron yotofflcp as Seeond-ciasi Matter. PORTLAND. OREGON, SATURDAY, DECE3IBER 9, 1923 26 PAGES PRICE FIVE CENTS 24 BLOCKS CIS IN am IE Business District Swept by$1 2,000,000 Blaze BANKS IN PORTLAND OFFER ASTORIA AID OPTIMISM RULES ASTORIA CALAMITY LAID" TO FIREBUGS MAYOR AND POLICE CHIEF SrSPECT RADICALS. OREGON GUARD FEEDS (J 1 1 CTJTf C unnflrri ceo tudomq nLL ulnIL u RELIEF- COMMITTEE ESTIMATES NEEDS US AIM 11 n Dili 4 Stocks for Christmas Add to Losses. I lUlVILLLOO I lllUUUO STRUM CIT! HOTEL MEN RAISE $5000 FOB RELIEVING DISTRESS. SUPPLIES TO CARE FOR 3000 SENT TO ASTORIA. ENOUGH SUPPLIES ON" HAXD FOR PRESENT USE. FOOD WIDE TERRITORY HAZED 2000 Homeless and Food Supplies Are Taken Over by Relief Committee. MANY CITIES OFFER RELIEF Portland Sends Apparatus to Help in Battle Against Flames Sweeping City. ASTORIA, Or., Dec. 8. (Spe cial.) Fire, which broke out short ly after 2 o'clock this morning,' to night had swept through 24 blocks of the business district of the city, done damage estimated at $12,000, 000, destroyed every department store, hotel, bank and countless small business establishments and taken a toll of two lives. Summarized tonight, the situa tion was as follows: Two thousand persons homeless. The city cut off without banking facilities. No food obtainable, except from central distributing station, es tablished by a swiftly-organized jommittee of 50 business men. Relief arriving hourly by train nd automobile from Portland and ther points. At nightfall the situation was in hand. Beds had been provided for all without them and hot meals were being served at several sta tions. One prominent citizen is dead from heart disease, brought on by the strenuous work of fire fighting. He is Norris Staples, president of the Commercial Savings bank and of the new Columbia Hotel Building company. His death occurred at 4 A. M. at the height of the inferno. Laborer Found Suicide. Another death accredited to the excitement of the blaze is that of John G. Smith, a laborer, 50 years of age, who was found hanging by the neck from a pier at the foot of Eighth street at daybreak this morning. Coroner Hughes declared he believed the man a suicide be cause of fright. The blaze was discovered a few minutes after 2 o'clock this morn ing in the rear of a frame building occupied by Thiel's cafe, on the north side of Commercial street, the main thoroughfare of the city, between Eleventh and Twelfth streets. Cries of "fire" were set up by several who discovered the blaze at about the same time, but not until it had eaten well into the frame structure and burst through the roof of the building. In re sponse to the general alarm which was immediately sounded, the fire apparatus arrived on the scene, but the flames had already spread to the Beehive department store ad joining the frame restaurant. Blazes broke out simultaneously along Commercial street both east and west of the source of the fire. It was apparent that the rapid spread of the fire had been caused by flames eating their way beneath the paved streets, attacking the creosoted pilings which provide the support for the pavement. To this honeycomb construction of the streets of Astoria is attributed the amazing speed with which the flames traveled, breaking through in myriad places. Flames Escape Fighters. Half an hour had not elapsed be fore it was evident that the flames were out of control. Local appa ratus was overtaxed and for hours the fight against the roaring flames was a fruitless one. Citizens ten blocks from the fire were busily at work removing furniture and val uable's from their homes. Call for aid was sent to Portland by 5:30 and by 6 it was noised about through the crowd of im promptu fire fighters that relief was on the way. Fire apparatus ICoacudoii on Page 8. Coiuam 1. Institutions in Burned City Are Sot Expected to Reopen Inside of 48 Hours. No sooner had the banks of Port land been made acquainted with conditions in Astoria, where fire has practically destroyed the city, than they notified the Astoria banks that they stood reaay to Eive any neces sary aid.- 'The First National bank dispatched Elliott Corbett and W. L. Thompson, vice-presidents, to the stricken city on the early afternoon train. They went with the author ity to give the Astoria banks ajl possible aid in affecting a reorgani zation and opening for business. E. C. Sammons, assistant cashier of the United States National, is representing his institution at the scene of the disaster. The North western National and Ladd & Tilton did not send representatives to As toria, but telegraphed to their ' cor respondent banks that they were ready to give any aid desired. The- Astoria banks will not be able to resume business for at least 48 hours, according to local bankers. It will require that time to cool the vaults so that they can be opened. All of the banks are in excellent financial condition and will not re quire a great deal of outside aid in order to get started again. "Every dollar and all the credit of the First National bank are at the disposal of the banks in Astoria and are back of the town," an nounced A. L. Mills, president of the First National bank of Portland. "I have sent Mr. Thompson and Mr. Corbett to Astoria to find the bankers there and tell them that they can draw on us to any amount and that we are behind the town with out resources." Attempts of the bank to get in communication by wire with Astoria failed, so Messrs. Thompson and Corbett prepared tp travel to the stricken- city by motor until they were informed that there was too much .snow at Clatsop crest for a car. The bankers then went to As toria on a special train. Five thousand dollars was pledged for the relief of Astoria at the meet ing of the Oregon Hotel Men's as sociation yesterday. The hotel men were in annual convention when the distress of Astoria was learned. A proposal to raise $5000 was quickly responded to, E. V. Hauser contrib uting $1M0 in the name of the Mult nomah, and the remaining $4000 was subscribed late in the afternoon. ONE IS DEAD IN FIRE Seventy Homeless in Blaze Which Destroys Settlement. NELSON, B. C.. Dec. 8. One per son is dead and 70 homeless as the result of fire which destroyed two big community houses and the en tire group of auxiliary dwellings belonging to the Doukhobor settle ment at Brilliant, B. C-, according to word reaching here, today. AT Llii T IS WEIMIARD HOTEL, , . $ - - Srrr ' v ' fcfJ 1 t 4- jf " v& v . " x - iff; f 4 -X ""'o " v 1 lw-w.nwywiiwMliiiii.iiiiiiiwwlwwi hli ".Mumum ' "iy .jjlu.j . .iu iJf.lfnm um'i'fflmiiKin'iwajMWWM ; Best Harbor on Coast Is Left, Says Mayor. BIGGER CITY iS TO RISE Portland Is Thanked for Aid in Fighting Flames. SOLDIERS - NOT NEEDED Executive Says Strict Measures Will Be Adopted to Pre vent Marauding. ASTORIA, Or., Dec. 8. (Special.) A striking spirit of optimism, a glowing example of "down, but not out," prevailed in this stricken town tonight despite the misfortune which in the last 24 hours had eaten out its heart. Statements made by the mayor, city officials and prominent business men, paus ing long enough in their work of fire fighting, salvage and relief to take cognizance of assistance and expressions of sympathy from out side, bear it out. No word of discourageme .it was heard on Astoria's streets tcday. A forward-looking spirit prevailed. In his battered office in the scorched and battered city hall, its ceilings dripping water and its windows partly shattered and still giv'ng way periodically to thundering detonations from ruins j-cross the street, Mayor James Bremner had this to say: "We've got no town left, but we've still got the best harbor on the Pacific coast. We will start rebuilding at once on the old site. These things have happened before; to us, to San Francisco, to Chicago and many other cities, yet folk have gone ahead and built bigger and better cities on the mine. We hope to do just that. . Portland People Thanked. "I want to thank the people of Portland who have helped us 60 in the hour of our greatest need and I want to tell them, and I. know they'll be happy to know it, that we are down but not out. To all other relief organizations, to the city of Seattle, to the Red Cross, the hotel men of the state, I extend the same thanks, but to Portland especially. Those fire engines did invaluable service." A disposition to get along without the use "of soldiery was expressed by the mayor. "We are glad to have the few (Concluded on Page 6. Column 3.) HEART OF ASTORIA'S BUSINESS PERHAPS MOST WIDELY KXOWX , Fire Chief Foster . Also Is Quoted w Rutins Conflagration ncendiary Origin. 4 ilA, Or., Dec. 8.-r-(Special.) Jiarism was responsible for ir iflaerratinn. armrfiinF tn both on, ana jocal raajcais are un- o suspicion. ' ivestigation proved that the fire at- the outset began in two sepa rate'places, simultaneously, accord ing to Chief Carlson. At least a dozen citizens who were in the vicinity of the Bee Hive department store when the confla gration started said they were cer tain that two restaurants one at either side of the department store were raging furnaces, while the store showed no sign of fire. The proprietor of the Bee Hive store re ported to the officers that he had made a careful investigation of the situation and was certain that no fires existed on his property, al though the restaurants on both sides were burning. "I am certain that the fire Was incendiary," said Mayor Bremmer, "and I am likewise certain that radicalism is responsible for the horrible deed. Of course there will be a more thorough investigation than has been possible today. When it is over I am sure it will be estab lished that the fire was set." The fire at Astoria was set by in cendiaries, in the opinion of Fire Crief Pester of the Columbia river seaport, according to statements made yesterday afternoon bymem bers of the crew that brought in the first train to arrive in Portland from the stricken city. "Chief Foster told me," said R. O. Burgess, brakeman, "that the fire started at about 2:30 o'clock this (Concluded on Page 15, Column 7.) as ; 1 INDEX OF TODAY'S NEWS The Weather. YESTERDAY'S Maximum temperature, 41 degrees; jninimum, 28 degrees, TODAY'S Rain; not so cold; southerly winds. Astoria Fire. Astoria business shops wiped out by fire. Page 1. Secretary of state goes to Astoria to aid. . Page 6. Oregon guard, feeds homeless throngs. rage j.. Twenty-four blocks in Astoria burned in 112,000,000 fixe. Page 1. All Oregon springs to Astoria's aid. Page 1. Optimism rules in stricken city. Page 1. Portland banks to aid Astoria institu tions. Page 1. Rebuilding: of phone and telegraph lines begun. Page 9. Astoria sleepers pour into street. Page 6. Astoria conflagration held due to incen diarism.. Page 1. Buildings in. Astoria not-h&avily insured. Page 1. National. Revision of freight rates in south Oregon and north. California ordered. Page 15. Ship subsidy bill changed by senate com mittee. Page 3. Harding stresses transport needs. Page 19. Japan scraps 38 warships. Page 2. Rail divorce urged by Union Pacific. Page 4. SECTION. LEFT DESOLATE WASTE BY 812.000,000 FIRE THAT BLILUIAG IX ASTORIA. AT RK.HT - . i'KOU THIS Cots, Blankets, Rolling Kitchens, Cooks and AH Dispatched From Clackamas Depot. The Oregon national guard, at the command of Adjutant - General White, threw its resources into the breach yesterday in the emergency of providing food and sleeping ac commodations to the hundreds of Astoria people rendered homeless by the fire.. Upon request from As toria equipment sufficient to care for the needs of 1000 or more people was hurried to Astoria on the train last night in charge of a detachment of men. When news of the fire reached Adjutant-General White yesterday morning at Salem from the Port land Chamber of Commerce he it once took -steps to provide the as sistance of the guard, and it was expected for a time, when the fire took on its most serious . aspect, that the entire available resources of the -guard would be rushed to Astoria. Supplies sufficient to cere for 3000 persons were made ready at the supply depot at Clackamas, 180 officers and men were assem bled at the Portland armory and the Spokane, Portland & Seattle railroad was asked to have a. spe cial train ready for a possible emergency. . . - Upon his arrival here in the after noon General White got into direct communication with Major Charles A. Murphy, former national guard officer and a member of the citizens' rel'ef committee hastily formed yes terday at Astoria. Major Murphy reported that the need would not be as great as hadbeen expected and asked for sufficient supplies to care for 700 persons, whom he declared were not yet provided for. Many hundreds more had been rendered homele'ss, but had been cared for by (Concluded on Page 4. Column 4.) Foreign. Turkish demands acceptable to allies. Page 3. Domestic. Basel Ford called martyr of war. Page Pacific Northwest. Building rail lines is public service com mission's only interest in merger case. Page 4. " Sports. University of West Virginia and Oregon elevens may play at San Diego Christmas day. Page 14. Columbia plays Vancouver Legion today Page 14. Commercial and Marine. Exporters out of market for northwestern wheat. Page 24. Government and foreign bonda advance. Page 25. Pawlet and cargo lifted by new drydock. Page 15. . Prices for stock again advance. Page 25. Wheat market shows fitrong undertone at close In Chicago. Page 25. Portland and Vicinity. Snow deepest here in three years. Page 2. Big growth is shown in tourist travel. Page 19. Winners selected In The Oregonian cook ing school contests. Page 12. Police and dock budgets sanctioned. Page 24. Weather boosts vegetable prices. Page 26. Lightner asks new trial. Page 18. - IS ASTORIA NATIONAL BANK. LOCATION, J Portland Acts Quickly to Help Stricken City. BED CROSS IS MOBILIZED Troops, Nurses, Supplies Ready to Depart. RELIEF FUNDS RAISED Moratorium Deferring Collections From Astoria Business Men Virtually Is Declared. All Oregon yesterday sprang to the relief of stricken Astoria. In Portland scarcely had the news of the great conflagration reached the city before the municipal govern ment, the Chamber of Commerce, the Portland chapter of the Ameri can Red Cross, various civic bodies and many citizens were considering ways and means by which they. could render aid. In the other cities and towns of Oregon the same thought was paramount, that of re lieving In every vay possible the distress and suffering caused by the most disastrous fire in the history of the state. Portland Acts Quickly. In Portland there - was almost spdntaneous action. The one thought in the minds of all was relief to the distressed city and business mat ters, conferences, executive sessions, all were forgotten in turning to the great problem at hand. Food sup plies were forwarded, blankets and bedding to care for the homeless were supplied, financial needs were cared for and sums of money ag gregating several thousand dollars were pledged by various agencies of the city to the relief work. Further than that Portland stands ready, through its civic and semi civic bodies, to continue its aid, and the position has been taken that Astoria has but to command. Supplies!. Troops Ready. In the morning news of the dis aster set in motion machinery for relief work on a much larger scale than was actually needed. Only the news that large supplies of food stuffs had been saved and "tat the hospital had been saved from the flames and could caro for the sick as usual, prevented the sending of a special relief train with provi sions, medical supplies, a corps of Red Cross nurses, and troor of the Oregon national guard and from the (Concluded on Page 9. Column 1.) SWEPT HISTORIC CITY YESTERDAY. By Oregonian Staff Photographer. THE BURNED AREA EXTENDS OVER 24 BLOCKS IN" ALL DIRECTIONS ' . , Cities Requested Not to Act on TTnautttorized Reports Re garding Requirements. ASTORIA, Or., Dec. 8. (Special.) The .general relief committee, which was formed as soon as pos sible after the fire had been brought under control, tonight held a meet ing and estimated that there were at least 2500 homeless persons in the city for whom it would be necessary to provide rations for at least ten days. The committee decided, however, to ask the general public not to act upon any unauthorized reports of the needs of the city, as there were sufficient supplies on hand for the immediate use of the victims. The committee -arranged to hold another meeting tomorrow morning, when it expects to be able to better esti mate what the city must have in the way of food, clothing and other supplies The official statement of the com mittee was as follows: "The general relief committee has received hundreds of telegrams from cities, commercial and welfare organizations and private individuals extending generous offers of help and the citizens of Astoria are deeply appreciative of this wonder ful manifestation of sympathetic spirit. The committee is undertak ing a careful investigation of the situation to determine the nature and extent of the needs here. "The pressing needs have been provided for. and tomorrow at an other meeting the committee ex pects to be able to announce defin itely its needs, and to answer the many offers of help which have been tendered. Our citizens are showing an unbounded faith and courage and are responding to the crisis in a spirit that will set about to build a greater Astoria as soon as the. immediate task of feeding and housing the homeless is finished. As relief rations, staple articles of food, including the following, will be sent here: Sugar, canned milk, potatoes, eggs vegetables, bread, rice, canned goods and other mate rials. Clothing to be sent will in clude sox, underwear and various other articles. Coal will be required in large quantities. - OFFICES ARE IMPROVISED "Western Union Re-establishes Its Wire Service During Fire. ASTORIA, Or., Dec. 8. (Special.) Before noon the Western Union whose offices on Commercial street were obliterated had a full crew at work on the huge pile of messages to relatives outside which had ac cumulated during me morning hours. An office and a press room for the use of the dozen or more Portland correspondents sent down to "cover" the fire was improvised in the S. P & S. station. First wire service out to Portland, was established at 5 o'clock, but three hours after the fire started. OTIG IS RUINED Little Other Than Books and Accounts Saved J by Merchants. DAMAGE IS SEGREGATED About 70 Per Cent Insur ance Carried 6n Shops and 40 on Buildings. - ASTORIA, Or., Dec. 8. (Spe cial.) Astoria tonight grimly faced the most trying crisis in its history. The conflagration swept over the city at such a terrific speed that aside from books and accounts al most nothing was saved by the merchants. The losses by merchants were large on account of the Christmas stocks having .recently arrived. The heaviest losses, about 70 per cent of which were covered by in surance, were: Bee Hive Dept. Gtore $ 225,000 Skallerud store 125,000 Bates & Co 35,000 J. C. Penney & Co ........ 75.000 Owl Drug company 60,000 Spexarth & Son 35,000 Ahrens & Co 40,000 Shaner & Co 35,000 C. V. Brown 45,000 Lagassee & Co 45,000 Astoria Hardware company 75.000 Fisher Bros. Co 100,000 Harrison '& Luukinen 60,000 Burk & Co 50,000 Gordan Bros 40,000 Total $1,035,000 Among the principal losses on buildings, probably 40 per cent cov ered by insurance, are: Astoria National bank 60,00 Astoria Savings bank 76,000 First National bank. 40,000 Elks' lodge 75,000 Troy laundry .............. 35,000 Sovey Motor company 30,000 Lovell Motor company 100,000 O'Brien & Osburn 40,000 Andrew Young 60,000 Weinhard hotel 90,00 Bee Hive store 30,000 Blue Mouse theater. 30,000 Total .........,....$665,000 The Western Union and Postal Telegraph company offices were burned, but each had fitted out temporary quarters by tonight The . electric light service was restored tonight, but the telephone servic was still somewhat disturbed. , Ruined Buildings Listed. Buildings and stores destroyed by the Astoria fire, as shown by a hurried check yesterday, were aa follows: Palace cafe, Andrew & James restaurant,, the Waffle house, Pat's grill, Troy laundry, Elks' building, Liberty cafe, Columbia cafe, Bo hemian cafe, Cover & Wilson cafe, Allen's cafe, Bakerite restaurant," Parker's cafe, Y. W. C. A. building old Astoria theater, Weinhard-As-toria hotel, Astoria National bank, Bank of Commerce, Astoria Sav ings bank, First National bank, Dayton drug store, Rogers' cigar store, Scott furniture store, Endi cott barber shop, American Rail way Express office, Star theater, Bee-Hive department store, Colum bia restaurant, Postal Telegraph company, Jiing's barber shop, Peo ples meat market, Donnelly cigar store, Hansen plumbing shop, Ahrens' suit house, Best barber shop, Lukinen & Harrison clothing store, Laws & Co., plumbers, City cigar store, Farr Drug company, Spexarth hardware and jewelry store, Kinkella barber shop, Ivar shoe store, Astoria Hardware com pany, Strauss & Madison, cigars, Gordon Bros., Thiel Bros., Bell Bros., Western Union Telegraph company, Occidental hotel, Knapp ton Tugboat company, Columbia river pilots' office, Astoria Steve doring company, Allen paint store, Owen Peek feed store, Charles V. Brown shoe store, Lagassee shoe store, Hermann plumbing shop, One-to-One store, Warrenton In vestment company, Clatsop auto repair shop, Staples Motor Car company, Northern hotel, Rice & McCoy, Liberty theater, W. O. W. lodge rooms, Morning Astorian, jtCoucluded on Page 1.5, .Columa &).