12
PHASES OF MOST RECENT GREAT TRAGEDY AT SEA TOLD
PHOTOS PLAY PART
AT FIRE INQUIRY
Unwilling Witness Forced to
Admit Destruction' of Grain
Ignited Old Dock.
PROTESTS GO UNHEEDED
Slanager of Door Company Bays
i Complaints to police and Flro-
v . men liererrcd to Mayor, Who -
. Gave Allen & Lewis Permit.
1 Witnesses who wished to evada Ques
tions asked by Coroner Slocum and
Deputy District Attorney Boblson at
the second day's hearing; of the Ster-ling-BaJoerh
inquest yesterday found
themselves confronted by a set of pic
tures taken by Roblson and showing
the condition of the grain piles which
are said to have been the cause of the
blaze.
F. T. David, of 281 Twenty-second
street North, watchman on the Montr
Komery dock, where Allen & Lewis
were .burning up the remainder of the
grain damaged in the fire of March,
after answering unsatisfactorily a
number of questions . regarding the
quantity of grain, its danger to ad
Joining, property, and its state of com
bustion, was shown the pictures and
forced to admit that there was a quan
tity of burning grain close to the bulk
beads. "On May 7 I went to work to burn
the grain," said David. "We burned
four days, then quit and started again
on May 20, and burned until May 31."
Asked If there were pieces of wood,
the remnants of the dock, among the
wheat, and if that wood was being
used to feed the fire, he replied that
be did not know. Then Robison pro
duced the photographs and showed
that there were quantities of wood and
remnants of sacks among the wheat.
Contradictory Testimony Given.
David contradicted himself on an
other point when he said that a week
before the fire Wednesday there was
no blaze nearer to the south end of
the dock than SO feet. He said that
wheat in the condition of that on the
dock would not burn 20 feet in a week,
and would be more likely to burn two
feet. In the pictures it was shown
that wheat at the bulkheads was
burned.
A dramatic scene came when Robl
son asked David if he were the man
who told John Walker, a tent-maker,
to mind his own business when Walker
informed him that a spark from the
burning grain had lit on the door com
pany's platform. David said that he
Was not.
'Did you ever see that man before?"
queried Robison, as he pointed to
Walker. David looked at Walker, with
out saying a word, for fully two min
utes. The crowd, which became tense
at the question, remained so for a min
ute, then the humor of the situation
struck them and they laughed.
David said he did not remember such
a conversation, and Robison then
Asked Walker if he knew David was
the man. He answered that he was
positive, and the crowd laughed again.
Walker said the incident occurred Me
morial day. Then Robison asked if
David was willing to declare under
oath that the conversation did not take
place. He said he was willing.
To further corroborate evidence
arlven by Walker as to the conduct of
the crew of the ferryboat W, S. Mason.
1 - L -rigs1 -nr15 I r-
:..... ..ff. i4-J&!idi ri.r. f w i r -'sv r ; . -4 - -' f&&s' .
Photo by Bain News Service.
Top Row (left) Landing Bodies of "Victim of Empress of Irelamd Disaster at KlmonU. Center Collier Storstad.
Skowlox Smashed Bow Suffered by Collision. Risrht Transferrins; Coffins a HJmomkL The Two Portraits
at the Top Are Those of Captain Anderson, of the Storstad, and Miss Tina Townsend, a Keif Zealand Girl, Who
Owes Her Life Wholly to Her Bravery, Coolness and Physical Strength. (Photo by TTnderwood & Underwood.)
She Swam Alone for Nearly an Hon r After the Vessel Sank, Until Picked V p by One of the Storstad's Boats. Cen
ter (Left) The Canadian Steamer Lady Grey. Right Three Women of the Steerage Who Survived the
'Wreck. Bottom Row (Left Coroner Plneanlt. Who Held the Inauest at RlmoushL (Right) Robert W. Crellln
and Little Girl, Florence L. Barbour, Whom He Rescued.
Robison had David. Identify two pic
tures which Robison had taken of the
Mason, showing her boats and her life
preserver. David was not sure of the
life-preserver, but remembered seeing
the boats. He Bald Roblson's picture
of the burning grain piles looked "like
a storm at sea."
David further said that he was Bent
to the Inquest by L. O. Ross, of the
firm of Allen & Lewis, who testified
Friday. They talked over the case, he
said, but he was not told what evi
dence to give.
Assistant Chief Laudenklos, of , the
Fire Department, was another witness.
On May 14, he said, he sent the fire
boat to the dock and - wet down . the
burning jgraln. He told of several con
ferences on the matter, in one of
which, he said, he told Mayor Albee it
would take six months to burn the
refuse. He . said he did not tell the
Mayor that the fire was dangerous or
not dangerous. On several calls to the
Fire Department, he said, he found the
bulkhead burning. He said he made
12 calls to the place between the time
of the big dock fire and the outbreak
of 'the blaze at the Northwest Door
Company. He was not at - the fire
Wednesday, he said, because it was his
day off duty, and he was out of town.
BI111 Manager Testifies. .
W. F. Greer, city sales manager of
Allen & Lewis, said that he was a
personal friend of the Mayor, and had
known him for seven years, and for
this reason was chosen by the com
pany to try to obtain from the Mayor
a permit to burn the grain on the dock
where it lay, after Albers Bros, had
removed part of it as salvage. He
said that he knew Mayor Albee
through Insurance circles. He said
that he was not cautioned as to the
method of burning the grain.
Sam ConnelL manager of the burned
mill, and a part owner of it, was posi
tive as to the circumstances leading up
to the fire. "After I had received a
number of complaints from the men at
the mill about the smoke and stench of
the fire, I called up the Police Depart
ment. Captain Moore referred me to
Fire Chief Dowell, and when I got him
he referred me to Mayor Albee. I tried
to get in touch with him, but talked
with William Warren, his secretary. I
asked to have the fire put out.
"The next day Fire Chief Dowell and
Battalion Chief Stevens came to the
place. I went over the crrounrl with
them. Dowell said that he would put
out the fire If I would get an order
THE SUNDAY
Ross came over, and they seemed dis
appointed because some of the boys
had turned in a fire alarm. I finally
said that if they could get it cleaned
up in three or four days, as they prom
ised, I would try and stand it. They
promised. They did not get It out In
three or four days.
Insurance Aid Asked.
"Later when I came -down one day
and thought the thing was worse than
usual. X called up Harvey O'Bryan. the
Insurance man, and asked if something
could not be done. He said If the un
derwriters had any influence he would
see that the fire was put out. That
was Saturday, and on Monday he called
me up and said he thought he could
arrange it. That day the flreboat came
down the river, but It was not to put
out the fire in the grain. Tuesday they
came again, but It was for a fire near
by. The next day was Wednesday, the
day of the fire.
"At 4:30 o'clock that afternoon when
I came out of my office to go down
town to an appointment the heat from
the grain was such that the levers of
my machine were hot. I started back
to the office to turn in a fire alarm,
but looked at my watch, realized I was
late for my appointment, and decided
to leave. I had hardly reached down
town when the fire alarm came In."
He corroborated the evidence of
Leonard O. Ross, when Ross said Fri
day that Connell had assured him he
might go ahead with the fire if he
would clean It up In three or four days.
Employes Send In Alarm.
Charles W. Blair, of Bell Station, an
employe of the mill, told of the fire
alarm referred to by Mr. Connell. "The
smoke was so bad, the stench so an
noying and the danger of sparks so
great that I went to Mr. Connell and
told him that something should be
done," said Blair. "The next day it
was worse, then 10 of us chipped in a
dime apiece and gave it to a little fel
low to go and ring In a fire alarm. He
did and the fire department came and
threw water on the grain for three or
four hours." Mr. Connell did not know
of this alarm, as it came when he was
out at lunch, and was puzzled when
David and Ross came to protest against
It, said Connell.
Harry E. Slaughterback, an employe
of the mill for seven years, who lives
at 1035 Denver avenue, told of his work
fighting the fire and crawling out on
his hands and knees after the blaze
J.ot . beyond controL. He said, he had
OREGOXIAN. PORTLAND,
frequently seen the bulkhead afire and
seen sparks flying toward the mllL
After Connell finished his testimony
the day session was adjourned, about
6 o'clock. It will be taken up again at
9 o'clock Monday morning.
lire Victim Buried. '
Funeral services for William Ster
ling, who was drowned during the fire
which destroyed the Northwest Door
Company's factory at Alblna avenue
and River street last Wednesday, were
held yesterday at Dunning & Me
Entee's chapel. Interment was in
Rlvervlew Cemetery Mr. Sterling was
45 years old and Is survived by a
widow. The body of Alex Balogh. who
was drowned with Sterling, will be
taken to Hillsboro, Or.
THRESHER MEN WILL MEET
State 'Association to Hold . Conven
tion Her Monday and Tuesday.
The Oregon State Threshermen's As
sociation will hold its annual conven
tion in Portland Monday and Tuesday,
June 8 and 9, In Woodmen Hall, East
Sixth and Alder streets. Dan Kauff
man, president of the association, will
preside at all the sessions.
State Labor Commissioner Hoff will
deliver an address on the attitude of
his office toward the labor situation.
Paul C Bates, of Portland, will speak
on "Liability Insurance." H. L. Bowl
by, State Highway Engineer, will speak
on "Highways and Bridges." Two hun
dred or more delegates are expected.
PARTIES DEAD; NOTE. VOID
Court Holds Paper Not Collectible
Because of Indorsement. .
A $1000 note, executed by a man now
dead, in favor of a woman now dead
and which she ordered destroyed in
case of her death, was the subject of a
short trial before Judge Cleeton yes
terday. Matthew J. Whittall, adminis
trator of the estate of Mrs. Harriet E.
Bradley, brought suit to collect from
Winthrop Hammond, executor of the
estate of Byron H. Arnold.
Judge Cleeton ruled that it was not
collectible.
JUNE 7. 1914.
IN PICTURES
G. W.BOHN IN CUSTODY
ALLEGED EMBEZZLER TO BE AR-
HAIGED HERE 'jUIVK 20.
Government Charges Former Lumber
man Drew Funds of Bankrupt by
Making; Fraudulent Cheeks. -
George W. Bohn, charged with em
bezzlement by trustee of the funds of
a bankrupt, will be arraigned in Port-"
land June 20, according to telegraphlo
arrangements made vesterdav bv As
sistant United States District Attorney
Rankin, following the receipt of a tele
gram from the United States District
Attorney at Covington. Ky., saying that
Bohn had surrendered to the United
States Marshal there.
The offense wltn which Bohn Is
charged and for which he was indicted
by the last Federal grand Jury, accord
ing to Mr. Rankin, Involved alleged
alterations of checks.
Bohn was named as trustee of the
bankrupt business of W. E. Jones, who
had a book Btore on Oak street, in Oc
tober. 1912. The. affairs of the busi
ness were closed up and the money re
sulting from the transaction deposited
in the First National Bank. Bohn went
from Portland to Lexington, Ky., and
checks were received, signed by him,
on the account In the local bank.
The law requires that checks drawn
by a trustee on a bankrupt account be
countersigned by the referee In bank
ruptcy. To obtain these counter
signatures, Mr. Rankin says, those por
tions of old checks bearing the stamp
of Chester G. Murphy, referee in bank
ruptcy, were cut off and spliced to the
new checks.
About 1400 .was paid on the checks
that the Government contends were
fraudulent. Payment was stopped on a
later check coming from a bank in
Cincinnati.
Bohn formerly was in the lumber
business in Portland. Five years' im
prisonment is the maximum sentence
for the offense with which he Is
charged.
FAILING SCHOOL WINS BEE
Returns Show Spelling ' Champions
"With Average of 98.3 Per Cent.
The results - of the spelling ' bee
recently conducted in the Portland
schools are known sufficiently to show
that the pupils of the Falling school
are tne spelling champions of Port
land. Of the pupils in the 19 rooms of the
large Failing school, 54 per cent spelled
8.11 of the 100 words correctly while
tne building average was 98.3. The
apitoi Hill school, a two-room build
ing, tied with Failing for the honors.
In addition to the honors of the
highest building average and the
largest percentage of perfect grades,
awards are to be made to the respec
tive classes which . excel in the
particular grades. The tabulation of
figures by grades has not been com
pleted. CANCERS and TUMORS
Removed by
LATEST APPROVED
METHODS and
Without Cutting Them Out
Wa believe our bucciii
proves we have the Best.
Mlldtxt andQaickesiMetAod
Registered Pkrsicias stteeim
EDITH MARIAN KEITH. Masaia
OFFICE TREATMENTS
wmreence Dnrtir and
mtt 1U VII TESTIMONIALS
Address OCEAN PARK SANATORIUM CO.
702 South Spring Street
Los Angeles, CaL
. -Opposite Fint National Bank -:.
tou FOR
-111
Cornell Road
Ps-'i f
The chance of a lifetime to secure this magnificent Portland home
at a. bargain price! Located on the beautiful Cornell road. Wonderful
view of mountains and river.
Home built half brick and half timber. Every feature a
fine home should have three-room family- suite, closed off
from balance of home. Two bathrooms, one of them a tiled
shower. In private suite.
7000 square feet of ground, beautifully landscaped. Large porch.
Frontage of 170 feet on Cornell road, enclosed by brick wall THIS
HtKUAIV WILL BE SNAPPED 11' QUICK.! Good terms. See Air.
Watson. Monday, at
F. N. Clark & Co. IS'ltZriii
LODGE TO HONOR DEAD
ODDFELLOWS OF CITY TO HOLD
, MEMORIAL SERVICES TODAY.
Impressive Proarramme of Musle With
Address by L. K. Grimes Arrsnsred,
Exercises to Be in Orient Hall.
Oddfellows memorial exercises will
be held at 2:30 P. M. today at the hall
of Orient Lodge. No. 17. East Sixth
and East Alder streets.
The programme will be: Song,
"Will There Be Any Stars?" quartet;
prayer. Chaplain Rev. S. A. Starr; In
troductory remarks, W. P. Lewis,
chairman; roll of deceased members
called, Rebekah Assembly; song,
"Beautiful Isle of Somewhere," quartet;
roll of deceased members. Oddfellows'
secretary; song. "Jesus, Lover of My
Soul," quartet; address, L. K. Orlmes;
song, "Nearer, My Ood. to Thee," quar
tet; benediction, chaplain.
The lodges taking part are: Samari
tan Lodge, No. 2; Hassalo, No. 15; Ori
ent, No. 17; Minerva. No. 19; Harmony,
No. 106; Peninsula, No. 128; Woodlawn,
No. 171; City View, No. 201; Arleta, No.
216; Star, No. 219; North Portland, No.
230; Ellison Encampment, No. 1: Gold
en Rule Encampment, IV o. 28; Colum
bia Rebekah Lodge, No. 3; Acme Re
bekah Lodge, No. 32; Utopia Rebekah
Lodge, No. 62; Marietta Rebekah Lodge.
No. 72; Rose City Rebekah Lodge, No.
170; City View Rebekah Lodge. No.
179; Mountain View Rebekah Lodge.
No. 196; Silver Leaf Rebekah Lodge,
No. 206; Winona Rebekah Lodge, No.
209; Canton Portland, No. 1.
The officers to preside are: W. P.
Lewis, past grand, past chief patriarch,
chairman ; J. V. Swan, past grand, past
As to Guarantees
The Department of Agriculture has
ordered that after May 1, 1915, the "guar-anteed-under
- the - food - and - drugs - act-June-30-1906"
clause shall no longer ap
pear on labels.
The statement made nearly everybody
think the food product so labeled was
guaranteed by the Government, -whereas
'the manufacturer merely protected the
dealer from liability.
Yet we had to use the clause because
consumers had been used to expect it.
The Government will continue to in
spect food products sold in the open mar
ket and to hold manufacturers . respon
sible. Olympia Beer will continue what it
has always been, a natural food product,
made by cooking and fermentation from
barley, hops, rice and the incomparable
Tumwater artesian spring water and
nothing else.
BREWING
Olympia,
Olympia Beer on draught or
fc . i rorri weu-conauciea retail estao-
t hi lishments everywhere In the
rl.O Pacific Northwest, Alaska and
T 1 Hawaii. A case for your home
r yClleTz can also be obtained from our
ffonourf branch in Portland (Phone A 2467.
Main 671). Seattle, Tacoma. Spo-
"ftif ka.no, Aberdeen, Pasco or Wallace.
Announcement to
t&jhii
ggW l Ml M W W1 ,
5 2Q MC S3 apel St
J 19 BMC a opP"
" T " "is" &S5 loLoBraa' "
. ji r ! t r ' r r
. . I '. S. S J3 fKKJM . . .
4 !jS '. tH. 2e "j? 2 1 ZZ-
tTh Wry; iv V
4$ WM i k
Home Bargain!
chief patriarch, secretary: Hattie Rice,
past noble grand, treasurer; Rev. S. A.
Starr, past grand, chaplain: Nellie Tag
girt, past noble grand. Rebekah sec
retary; J. V. Swan, past grand, past
chief patriarch, subordinate secretary.
ODDFELLOW IS HONORED
Recfptlon for Henry S. West brook
Attended by 60O.
A reception was tendered Henry S.
Westbrook, grand warden of the Grand
Lodge of Oddfellows. Friday at the
Swiss hall. The Rebekahs of Portland
had the hall decorated with roses, and
600 members of the order from all of
the lodges in the city were present.
Kate Lando, president of the Re
bekah Assembly; Charlotte Woodman,
past president; Judge Galloway, grand
master; E. E. Sharon, grand secretary;
S. W. Stryker, past grand representa
tive; Robert Andrews, grand high
priest: H. M. Beckwith. past grand
patriarch; Henry S. Westbrook, grand
warden and the grand warden of Mon
tana, were seated on the stage. H. P.
Bordman. past grand, presided. Ad
dresses were made by S. W. Stryker.
grand master; W. T. Williamson and
Mrs. Lando.
At the conclusion of the reception
Henry S. Westbrook. as grand warden,
presented H. M. Beckwith with a 25
year veteran Jewel from the members
of Hassalo Lodge No. 15.
After the programme was completed
there was a dance.
Merchant Goes East for Stock.
W. W. Robinson leaves for New York
tonight, where he is to arrange for a
stock of goods for a new furnishing
and clothing store on Washington
street, between Sixth and Broadway.
He proposes to open about August 1.
COMPANY
Wash.
in bottles can be bought
Rose Festival Visitors
We invite all Festival visitors who
are Interested in wire fencing, gates or
other wire products, to call at our
salesroom ana let us show you our stock.
We have twenty-five different kinds.
The largest variety in the city to select
from. Come and get a catalogue and
let us tell you why we have the best
fences on the market, at the best prices.
WB SELL DIRECT TO CONSUMERS,
National Fence Compaq
ibi coinmDis street. I
turegon Kietrlc J-rfcr.os-t. ,Yt-po.) I -