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About The morning Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1899-1930 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 8, 1907)
LUME LXIII. NO. 269, ASTORIA, OREGON, SUNDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1907 PRICE FIVE CENTS CATASTROPHE APPALLING V People Dazed by Terrible 'Disaster HEARTRENDING SCENES Greatest and Most Appalling Ac cident in the History of American Mining. BODIESINTERRIBLECONDITION fearfully 1 Crashed, Dismembered tad Blackened and Burned Beyond Recog ttitiom Ar th CorpMi of th Ill-Fated Miners Who Met Death la th Mines. MOXO.NGAH, W. Va,, Dec. 7.-Wlth unabated energy, Ave rescuing partle an working from every powibl point to tutor and explore Mine Number Six and Eight of the Fairmont Coal Com pany, a subsidiary of the Consolidated Coal Company of Baltimore, where a terrific explosion of black damp oc curred yesterday, re thia morning putt ing forth every effort to reach tin 315 men whom they have every reason to believe are a till in the mine, dead or alive, although there 1 scarcely a hope entertained thai a tingle one of the 400 or more men who went Into the mine Mterday morning ha aurvived the terrl fie explosion and the poisonous gn with which the mine .tilled Immediately after the death dealing crash. ' Eighty five bodies have so fi been brought to the aurfate and the dozen undertaker from this and surrounding town who were on duty all night, by day llglit had these bodies washed and made a preventable a possible la an luipro-v1m-U morgue, Into which one of the nuns uu uuim iiat been convonea. With dawn of day there began a heart- renmna diaron uu ana uawn me aisics ttiui which these bodies have been kid, tiy fobbing wive and mothers and eweet tiearta, orphaned children and atrong men, eaob teeking a near "relative or be loved friend.; v ; (There are bat-ween 6,000 aud 6,000 In habitant In the mining town of Monon gali and it J believed Unit In this entire population there are not a score of per on who have not either a near relative op a close friend numbered among the viotlme Of the disaster. The -people of the town are stunned by the catastrophe. They had long regarded these mine a practically immune from tho danger o common to the coal mining industry. The plant of the company waa provided with every device for the protection Of life and the equipment wn considered the mot modern and complete outfit used in the production of bltumlnoui coal. " Last night hundred of men atood about the entrance of the two mine. They, said nothing but when approached and naked a queatlon they would slve way to their emotions and often-give way to tear. During the night few women were to be aeen, but all day yea- terdav the women were the chief acton n most tin the tin and baartrendtnir miui Itey crowded the (idea of the hill over- 1.1 At. 111 Ji - I . if An ftnw a1vaiiia:1. Ka. . ll J T. I a - , fspense. ", - v " f lOne woman pulled out her hair, hand ful at a time, another tore all the akin from both of her cheek with her finger nail. Soma lav down .l the frozen Brniin.1 and cried thamselve to deep. , la thi ndition many were carried to their riiomc nearby without awakening, i The rescuing parties penetrated Mine Number Six about 8,800 feet before thoy. cam upon the fleet of th dead, A ma jority of tha corpse will, It I believed, I found about a, mil further back. It I hardly pomlbl that all th bodie will be recovered for everal day. Tb 400 men were working in a territory on mile square. It will be day 'before a thorough waroW all ofthl are can U flifttfa, a th aearohlng partle advance tlieyntuit clear away tbadebri. The ex ploilon wrecked ovtr WO mine ear and the choked tha entrance on all aide, A peculiar and remsrkabU feature 1 the) notwithstanding th fore of tb ex pMoa very little of th min roof Wit wrecked. By tho who wltaewed it the explosion wa likened to tii discharge of a cannon. Every movable object bot with terrific force through th mint, At tha entrain of Mine Number Eight a oonereU power hou wa compltely demolished, A plc of concrete weigh ing fully 1,000 pound wa blown clear cro th Wert Fork rlvr, landing on th ld of a bill. la a radiu of a half mil not another plec of concrete can be found. Great hole war torn id the hill on cither (Id of the entrant of No. 8. Min car were oruahed a though mad of paper- and a hug Uel tipple wa blown apart. On all eidt electric light wire were thrown to tb ground and many , per none narrowly escaped death from thee in th ruh from tb mine following th explosion.' Th Fair mont and UarkabuB Traction Com pany' car passed within ten yard of th iniiM entrance and a large ear crowd ed with patwngert miraculously escaped being blown Into the Wet Fork River. Alt th passenger war tunned by the terrific concussion. Th mint official tale that forty per cent Of tb victim ar American. Fifty phylciana are at or near the mine attending member of the rescuing party, many of whom haw been over-1 come and needed medical attention and ready to micoor any who may be brought KING OSCAR LIES BEAD Aged Swedish Monarch Succumbs to Illness, . SUBJECTS ARE GRIEVED Crowds Waited Patiently in the Rain In Front of Royal Palace. CROWNPRINCEGUSTAVUSKING Surrounded by Member of Hi Family and Official tt Hi Court and Cabinet Sweden' Monarch Paatei Into th Unknown, (Continued on page I) CANNONVS Speaker of House Expresses His Sentiments. UNIONISM HAS BEEN VEHICLE For Progre Toward Better Condition For Wag Earner Pay Compliment to Goraper a an Organiier -Bear no Enmity Toward Noted Labor Leader. WASHINGTON. Dec. 7-Cannon today expreed hi (entiment toward orga nised labor and It leader, Gomper. with reape'et to the 'latterV campaign for hie (tbeSpeaker'a) defeat, th occaalon being a call on bim by a committee of local plate engraven, with a Kb of reaolu tlon commending tla Speaker or hit legislative work on behalf of the plate worker,, presented by the chairman of the delegation. The reply of Cannon, after expreing gratification, entered into an Informal discission of "ono-man political leadership" of organized labor. lie aid while he We no enmity toward the prosident of the American Federation of Labor, he did not believe union men, a Anieriuau ' citizen, would ever aicocpt dictatorehlp over tlieir votes. That if he were ft craft, worker lie would ally himself with a trade union . becaiiee unionism ha been the vehicle for all progres toward better condition for wage earner, but ha would hold hi fealty above tho right of any leader to direct. Ho paid a high compliment to the ability of Gomper a an organize)' and expressed himself highly sensible of th work done by- him within the func tion alloted to hlra a a labor leader and a the president of the American Federation of Labor in behalf of the working man and the country. He made it plain that lor hia part he would pur sue hi own idea in legislative matters in-espectlva of Gomper' opposition to torn of them, He said that in aome things he knew Gomper had misrepre sented to the two million men composing tha organization-which he leads; that hi Cannon's) latest re election was u decisive' verdict. . 1 .. ' STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Dec 8. Oscar II, King of Sweden, died at an early hour thi morning. The King ha been suffering for everal week from a complica tion of disease brought on by nreakne of hi heart and kid ney. He wa uearty 80 jcar old and is succeeded by hi eldest" son, GuUvu, who on Wednesday last, waa formally appointed reg ent, owing to the dead monarch's extreme illness. ' ' ' recovery I impossible although ,; tber are slight hopts of keeping the (park of life burning until morning. H li surrounded by hi family, 'and member of hi court and cabinet. Bishop Bill ing, of Lun, summoned by special train, I praying at tb bedside, - , Oscar IT, King of Sweden, wa born January 21, lO, He wa the son of Oscar L and grandson of Marshal Bema dotte. He wa married in 1857 to Prin ces Sophia, of Nassau, and ha had four tons, tb eldest of whom it the Criwn 1'riuc Ou-tavus, bora in 199 and who wa married In )m to th Princes Vid Uria of Baden,, and ha three on, born in 1882, 1884, and 1880, respectively. The eldest on of Prlnc CutUvu it Prince Cftfitavu Adolphus," who wa married in I1M)5 to P;inces Margaret of Connaught, and ha a otl born in lOOfl., Th Klng-j other son arei Prirto Oscar, born 1869. fho wa married to Lad bba Munck, on of hia mother' maid of honor, utl relinquUbed his right to th throne; Prince Carl, born in lHiil and married in 1907 to the Princess Ingeborg, second daughter of the King of Denmark, anl Prlnc Eugene, born in J863. Tbe King ha a nelce, Louise, married to the King of Denmark. The royal family comes Irom Napoleon' Marshal Hernadotte, i Frenclunan, who was elected heir an patnt to th crown of Sweden1 in 1810 and became King in 1818. HOP GROWERS MEET. ROOSEVELT nilZED Action is Denounced Sending Troops, for STOCKHOUr, Sweden, Dec 7.-The following bulletin regarding King Oscar's condition wa given out at 10 o'clock tonight: "The King to all appearances passed a painless day. Tber 1 no es sential change in hi strength and his respiration 1 regular." STOCKHOLM, Dec. 7. Although tho theatre are open the crowd, numbering ' thousands, patiently waited in the pour' Action Taken Looking Toward a Protec tive Organization. , SAN FRAXCTSCO. Dec 7.-A meeting of prominent hop grower wa held here today and tb preliminaries are practi cally completed , looking toward the or ganization of the hop growers' protective association. No information is given out as to what oll'M-crs will be elected or what will be the scop of the associa tion. The mal grower , ar holding aloof preferring to'pwj upon indi vidual resources to' market iheii crops at a profitable figure. 4t is said speeches were mad strongly denouncing' the brewers because of the market of the new crop being but six cents and but little more than two cent for old crops it being charged the brewers were using substitutes for bops. The intention of the promoter scheme is to organize the grower of California, Oregon and Wash Ingtoa and the association will aim to command the bop output of the wjrld, market' the crop of members and look after interests generally. V DECIDETO ASKCONGRESS Federation of Miners Will Ask for Congressional Investigation. FREEDOM FROM UNION MINERS Mine Owner Will Make a Determined Struggle to Fre Goldfield From Unit -Domination Many Offer Made of Men to Work the Mine. BONDS FOR COA8T. Pacific Coast banks subscribinc for ing rain in front of the palace and tes- Panama bond are: First National Bank titled to the popular sympathy for the of Lewiston, Mont, f 100,000 at $10455 aged monarch whose life is elowly ebbing. Trader' National Bank of Spokane, Physicans administered strong stimu- $100,000 at $103; Santa Kosa National hints and made an apparently success- Bank.of Santa Rosa, Cal., $112,500 at ful effort to reduce pain. However, they $103. The larvest subscribed for over could accomplish very little more than half a million were by the following bringing the patient to momentary con- bank: National Bank of Commerce of ciousnes. The monarch remained St. Louis, Mo, $2,500,000 -at $103.01 throughout the day in a temi-comtot Mechanics' National Bank, of New York, condition. The Condition of the King $100,000,000 at $102.13; National City is such that his " physicians itate his Bank, of New York, $000,000 at $102.65. i Uncle Sam I wish you'd do something to amus me, Coxey. '"Gen." Jacob Coxey" army will oon;tart. The army will travel by peclal train and will also carry a big oiroua taut, in which to hold meetings. New Item. , DENVER, Colo., Dec 7. At the meet ing of the executive committee of the Western Federation of Miner in this city today it wa (greed to levy an as sessment upon each member of the or ganization for th benefit of the Goldfield triker. The possibility of securing Congressional investigation of Roose velt' action in sending troop to Gold- field waa discussed and it wa practically decided to bring the matter to the at tention of Congress. , DENVER, Colo.', Dec 7"The action of the President in sending troops to Goldfield is the result of a prepared con spiracy between the Wall Street inter eaU and Governor Spark, - declared Aoting President Mahoney after the exe cutive session of the Western Federa tion of Miner held here today. He de clared there wa no need of such action; that it was unprecedented and that som: ulterior motive wa responsible for the outrage. Haywood, the secretary-tree urer said the mine owners were respon sible for the strike and that any trouble that followed must be laid at their door. He said the Los Angeles story, that he had instigated the strike, waa a fabrica tion as when he left Goldfield the miners and operator had reached an agreement, which the operators later violated. not seriously regarded status, under new interpretation, will deprive New York'a million Irom any arm ot public enter tainment for 24 hour at least, perhap for many Sundays to come. The order for trict enforcement of Jutio O. Gor man' recent decision regarding th clos ing of all place of amusement on th Sabbath wa issued today by Polio Commissioner Bingham. Even baseball on suburban lot in prohibited,- The only place in Gwter yew Yetk when th ilghti will ahiae !l in Brooklyn, wliere the "manager of in moving'-' picture bow and a skating rink eeur ed temporary injunctions restraining the police front Interfering with their buti ne'. religion entertainment held for the JUfpOM of keeping boy and young men off the Street ar prohibited. Music in hotels and restanrant will not be disturbed. " . BSYAA CHIEF GUEST, . " Enthnaiaatically Received py the People of Hi Home State. OMAHA, Dec 7r-William 3. Bryan wa the chief guest at the dollar dinner of tbe Dablman Democratic Club, 1200 being present. After the banquet the door were thrown open and about 8000 person availed themselves of tbe oppor- tuuiiy io near the peecfae of the even ing. The enthusiasm' with which Bryan wa received exceeded any demonstration ever given hy the people of hi own state. For the first tim h u. a Nebraska audience aince he announced his willingness to accept tb Democratic nomination. " The soeech follow 4J line of hi Wahnjgton address. Brvaa repiying to reference of his candidacy r ine presidential nomination said h would accept if he' wa satisfied the rank and file of the, party wished him to again lead ita forces. TESTIMONY DAMAGES Witness in Power's Trial Tells of Conspiracy. RELATES THE CONVERSATION Implicate Powers, Governor Taylor and Several Other Prominent Men Saw Powem Give Yontsey the Key to the Secretary of State' Office. UOUJFIELD, Dec. 7. Encouraced doubtless by the presence of Federal troops at Goldfield,' the Goldfield Mine owners' Association, held a meetinir this arternoon and tonight gave out the statement in which it is openly said that members of the association have decided to make a determined struggle to free Goldfield of union domination and make this an open camp. The statement of the purposes of the mine owners is a direct and .' unequivocal thrown down gauntlet to the Wtestern Federation of Miners. The officers of the. association retusert to say if any steps have already been taken to .reopen the mines, which now lie idle and are rapidly filling with water, but stated that many teleerams nad oeen received hourly offering men and that iwithin 38 hours the mines could be opened with the same number of men as formerly worked in them: One con cern in San Francisco offered to send a thousand men at an hour" notice. The officer of the association say however tmu m tneir belief there is enough men in the camp who will leave the union to make importation of men unnecessary and they are looking for these men to make (application earlv in the week. The mines ar being severely damaged by inactivity. , : . NEW YORK REFORMS. : Eastern Metropolis np Against "Blue Sudday" Laws. NEWt YORK, Dec 7.-JA "Blue Sun day" i promised New York tomorrow. The literal enforcement of the old but GEORGETOWN, - Dec 7. - Wharton Golden, a iwitness ior the prosecution in the trial of Caleb Powers, gave the most damaging testimony against Powers yet brought out. He told of an alleged con spiracy, implicating Power, Governor Taylor, Finley Howard. Youtsey, John L. Powers and others. He related num- i erous conversations that he had with Powers about the killing of Goebel. The day GoebeJ was shot, Golden said he was ; in the adjutant-general's office where he aw , "Tallow Dick" , Corahs, , Mason -. Herkersraith, Garder and Wallace, the first two being negroes. Combs was makirg threats against Goebei declaring, "I could kill Goebel now, damn him." Witness later saw John L. Powers give ' Youtsey the key to the Secretary of State's office and Powers shortly after told him Goebel was to he killed that day. Golden protested against the killing that day. , Power said "You need not worry I gave him the , wrong key." Golden afterwards saw Powers exchange , the keys with Youtsey. Golden did not know who fired, th shots, PANAMA BONDS ALLOTED. .. i" WASHINGTON, D. C, Dec 7.-Secre-tary Cortelyou today announced the allotments of Panama bonds sold to the various National Banks throughout the United States. The list of purchasers made public did not include individual buyer but merely National Banks which acquired the bonds for the purpose, pre sumably, of increasing their circulation. The average price paid wa a fraction over $103. The allotment were made in sums of ten thousand and upwards, hundreds of banks taking the bonds at their bid in sums up to several million dollars.