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About The Oregon daily journal. (Portland, Or.) 1902-1972 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 8, 1904)
THCv iT OOD EVENING. tare rpHE Journai Is Not An Organ X The Weathers Tonight and Tuesday, occasional light rain or mow; continued cold; "winds mostly westerly. It does not neck to nerve the private ambitions of anyone. Therefore it fclvee all (he news without coloring any of it for private ends. VOL. II. NO. 287. PORTLAND, OREGON, MONDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 8. . 1904. TRICE FIVE CENTS. MAGNMC mmi -3 JiilJ . .... ..... ZJi t " I k I I 1 f . I ' , I I I 1 I 1 II I I I I ,1. ,- BALTIMORE'S mrr :rnmm etut v ;;:nRHTFMTi GREATEST FIRE M CTAD7" 'AG AlUiCDir A .i k s'f , . . w ... b ; h t, f a w t m n ti a h " -. 1 XlV I Jiattlli-llji-i. : ; Baltimore, Md., Feb. 6 At 3:15 o'clock under an immense outpour of water from probably the greatest fife forces ever assembled in the world's history it was believed" the terrible conflagration had been put under control and practically held within the boundaries given by the geodetic survey. Never in any history have more fearfully exciting episodes been enacted. The total loss cannot now be correctly estimated biit it is believed , that $300,000,000' will riot cover the great damage. People are panic stricken and rumors are current that more than three score of lives have been lost Many of the handsomest buildings are destroyed and not for many yeare can this :o ; ; 1LW . v. ',. v -," " ' - Fire Fiend Continues Its :Work Aided by -the High Winds. HARBOR IS' DESTROYED Many, Firemen and Policemen Over come and Are Carried to the . Hospitals Citizens In,' fear it Panic 44 Tery Utest fir mm on pf 4. ' ; (Journal Special Berrlce.) Baltimore, -Md., Feb. . The ,morn Jn broke with little tgn of abatement of the flame and presented a tad sight of blocks upon Wocka of .ruined dwell ings and business houses. - ' Where stately piles one stood twisted teams and toppling walls now appear. A bis contingent of Are apparatus ar rived from near , by cities. , A greater fire brigade 'never assembled before on -earthi-Hlft lbout-e -pollee- from-the (tame outside cities are assisting to keep away vandals who have been prowling -over the burned district-waiting chance to steal property. A number of arrests have been made and the prisoners are sent from the City to Jails in towns adjacent. ' ' The governor has issued a call for tl militia to report for guard duty, as it -is impossible to restrain the people who seem panic stricken. Communica tion with the district In flames Is dif ficult as telegraph wires in the city are all down. .,..1 ...-.... - Of TMt Bipans. At nearly noon the Are extends and covers everything south of Fayette street to Light, north to Lexington, west to Liberty and then south to Hopkins Place, east to Bowley's wharf and Pratt street thence in a direct line to a point on West Falls avenue north of 'Block street. ' . "J The geodectlc survey in .giving out th above sutement says it includes HO cres. The latest estimate 6f losses to buildings i alone is $126,000,000, which, added to the contents, brings the amounts, according to the Are under writers, te near the tjuarter-bllllon marlt The New; York Are department with seven engines and six hose reels on six trucks arrived at o'clock and imme diately entered the fight. The militia is now In full charge of the district a-, slsted by regulars. - One New York in surance company at 10 o'clock this mornlng,.flgures ita losses at 0.000,000. ? nremea uooumb. i . i X. . Hundreds of firemen succumbed dur- ' ing the forenoon to tha terrifto heat The emergency hospitals are filled, and many case are taken by citisens. The body of Fireman Elgenf rits, who came, with the relief crew from . York, Pa., ' was found at noon In the Equitable building, where he tried to carry a line of hose. President Hood of the Balti more street railway. Is missing. The Western Union established tem porary offices with 20 wires at noon at North And Saratoga streets, which were immediately deluged with press matter. Only one paper is being published In the city, that of the Evening World, a Bcrlpps paper, Vts bulldfng , having escaped."- Thousands surround the office, where extras are issued as fast as pos sible. The mayor has caned a meeting of leading cltlsens to discuss ways and means. A Quarter Billion Lorn. ' Aft o'clock this morning the flames were still beyond control. The wind was blowing a gale and practically all the wholesale and a large part of the retail district Is swept. About 40 blocks stretching a mile In one direction Is In ruins. The loss is easily 1100,000.000 and may go to $200,000,000. The .4th and 8th regiments of the Maryland mili tia and regulars from Fort Henry and police from , Washington; Philadelphia and N(?w York aro guarding property; 'AU local newspaper plants except one re consumed. Some paper are being tKsued from the Star and Post plants In Washington. - , ; ; 1. ;!'" - . (Continued on rf Two.), THE' DOVE OF PEACE IS SHATTERED ! v1- . V V - . : .V :v;U , . ? .-r v - .- : - ; -:-.:: ; London, Feb. 8. Minister "Nayashl said in an Interview this morning that a state of war exists and It Is possible ther will be no further declaration. ' ' The British foreign office Is in receipt of a constant stream of cablegrams and Great . Britain's navy is preparing for mobolliatlon at a moment's notice. , Toklo, Feb; 8. It is expected here that the first battle between Russia and Japan e will occur oft Port Arthur, where the harbor is inadequate to protect the entire ( Russian fleet. The Japanese fleet Is now proceeding there from Nagasaki. , j 0 OV 44 3; JiVI'''u"'r'rtli'ltt1'ftkrrmiilit,t.,l. ;.rr i i llllinl 1 1 1 iii it Ihii. L - . Jtl I) I 1 tl i; ,; ..h-Ti... ."fl' '-saw . --v-w ,J7'Wi.slfin.'' THE Clir WRECKED Complete Destruction of Commercial District of ' . Baltimore. CARTOONIST; MUR)?ky-SHOVS the-perilous position, that; THE dove op peace in thenar, east has been IN during the last v fortnight,' nov.the cables' bring the JiEWs thAt'the poor bird has been -shattered by one 01 THE big GUNS.-' I 1 Sensational Testimony Against Wakefield ; of Home Buyers., . Witnesses for the-government.' testi fied this forenoon In the case-against C O. Wakefield and Ross Nicholas of the Fraternal Order of Home Buyers, accused of using the malls to defraud. ' J. M. Head said: "I. had a number of talks with Mr. Wakefield relative to th& Order of Fraternal Home Buyers. ' He made me a proposition to go to work for the firm as a solicitor. : He unfolded the scheme to me and after I had read some of the advertising matter of the order I came to the conclusion that the scheme was a bad one, and told him that it was a misrepresentation and that the order could not. live up to the promises they made and that eventually it would go up, in the air and some one was likely to got Into trouble. Wakefield told me that if I ud not want to be corrte an agent he would give me an office "Job at $125 a month, - that be wanted to get rid of both Harbaugh and Glos. who at that time were work ing, in the office. I told him that the Whole thing was , a fraud and that I would have no connection with it, J Waa t700 to the Oood. . "Wakefield told me that the scheme was. a paying proposition and was mak ing money, and he was not afraid of It, that up to Octouer he was 7,600 to the good, and that - people would give him credit for getting the money. That even If tie did -get three years In the penitentiary .he had made enough money to be willing to do ao without having any kick coming. He further said that he was . the whole company and , that the , others associated with him were only dummies, and that he could handle the thing as he saw lit. He also said that tha company., would In time wind up In a natural manner and there would be no trouble." , 'ToBtalXBspeotor.TeJSUles. . O.' C. Riches, the postal Inspector who made the Investigation which led up to the arrest of Wakeflejd and Nicholas for the alleged violation of the postal laws, gave the following testimony , - , " ; "My Investigation Is on the assump tion that both the contract holder and the Order of, Fraternal Home Buyers live up to their agreement. - My find ings are practically the same as those testified to by Frank Davey last Friday. Taking 1.000 $2,000 : contracts for , a basis, the result at the end of 20 months but 25 contracts will have matured' and that there will be only $975 In the treas ury. According to the terms of the con tract the company guaranteed to mature all the contracts In that period or rer . .(Continued on Page Two.) RUSSIA AND JAPAN BOTH READY " '.f;l!iLE!Bri- THE DOGS OF WAR JapanMakmg Eager; Preparations for the Spring 'pri ; Korea-.-At r t Be ginning a . 1 remendous INaval Mruggle Is Looked r or 1 he Japanese --Ambassador : Has"Already Left St. Petersbug , (Sperial Dtipatcb to Tbe Joorntl.) Washington, Feb. 8. "Ooaded , to freniy and entirely beyond endurance over the delay of Russia in answering her last note, and convinced that this delay was merely a cover for warlike preparations, the Japanese government was forced to break off diplomatic rela tions with Russia." v ' ' This is the statement made by the Japanese minister, Mr. Kogora Taka hira. ' He" think that his government will very shortly issue a statement ex plaining Its course and motives. " . ) Expressing his personal opinion, as to the motives that led Japan to notify her minister at St. Petersburg'to ask for his passports, the minister said: "Japan's last note, or representation, to Russia was sent January 13, and at that time the Russian government was specially requested to answer the note as soon as possible,. It. was represented to Russia in polite and .diplomatic language that Japan had already waited for " definite settlement of the questions at Issue for several months.. .The -Japanese govern ment declared that it had earnestly md In good faith and for a long period, us.d every effort .to reach an understanding, and under the circumstances It must op pose any further delay," ' : The best Information at the disposi tion of the legation here is to the effect that there- are 400 Japanese at . Seoul and 180 or 200 Russians. Official and social intercourse between the Japanese and . Russian representative and their attaches end for the present. Of course, should'-Count Casnlnl --and Minister Takehlra meet on the street they would bow, probably, with exaggerated polite ness.. But they will not intentionally be guests at the same social functions, and wise hostesses of the official set will be .careful to avoid placing their names upon the same Invitation lists. v , . - .. ' The War Qaestloa la Europe. ' ; '.: (special DlapatcB to Tbe Journal.) ' ' :New .Tork. Feb. S. The Bun's London correspondent H. P. Chamberlain, cables as follows: ... War -has , not yet technl ,cally begun In the far east, according to information at hand, but hostilities, it is believed, .are a question of hours only. ft Is "hardly expected that a formal declaration will follow, but Japan will probably notify the powers that a state of war exists, as was the case of the United States and Bpaln. . It is not expected tht. either side will attempt serious military operations until spring Is well advanced. Japan's naval campaign will probably be. of a very active description, Several prominent English naval authorities during the week made careful calculation, regarding the efficiency an equipment of the two pow ers jnd reached .the conclusion 'that the chances were 19 to 14 In Japan favor. Japan's decision on 'the whole comes as a surprise to most European oipio mats, ' Premier : Pelcaete exaggerated yesterdsy when he said Russia had con-i ceded 75 per cent of Japan's demands. Forty per cent would have been nearer the fact, but nobody took Japan quite literally when she announced at the out set that she was not trying to bargain. but was setting the Irreducible minimum of her interests. Now that it is known she meant Just what she said. It is clear that war ha been practically inevitable from the. first. The danger of complications Involving other powers are not immediate. Grave peril threatens nevertheless, and it prob ably will be Increased a few weeks hence by hostilities In the far east. ; The most hopeful element is the Anglo-French cor diality. : Both countrle are depended upon to do their best to localise the war. and every probable contingency has been considered. ' A careful reading of the Anglo-Japan ese treaty of alliance show the present situation Is precisely - what It was as signed to cover. It doe not matter whether Japan acts as the aggressor or on the defensive so long as she is seek ing to maintain the Independence and territorial Integrity of China and Korea. England' duty now 1 to maintain neu trality and to use her efforts to pre vent other powers from Joining hostili ties against Japan. ; - . Regarding tbe financial and -commercial effects of war. they will be greater on the continent, especially in France, than In England. The situation has been pretty well discounted in the Lon don markets while France ha been op timistic up to within a few days. At the Meat of .Wat. '( Toklo," Feb. $. Restless activity is the only term that can be applied to the altuatton in Japan today. On the other hand, the government is calm and pa tient, awaiting the formal reply of Rus sia to . the Japanese requests. Japan does not by any means hope to avert war, for war Is on already, but merely In a passive way. At the navyyards forces are working day and night and rapid movements of troops tell of prepa rations for an advance on Korea. The council this morning Is considering war plans and a; declaration of hostilities. Before night the signal for strife may be given The army and navy Is ready to strike the initial blow," but 'the con flict will be confined to naval maneuvers during the early period .of, toe .difficulty. Vladivostok, Feb. , 8. An Icebreaker has kept this port open despite the front until it Is -now possible for the Jtusslan squadron to take refuge, here any time, Yokohama, Feb. S.All the banks in this city have- withdrawn' their open letters of credit to he. entf re, world. : The War lm' .$ trait Stat; v f Washington, Feb. i.-Th'ta'te depart ment h . been advised ..thAt 'Mtnlrttr Kurlno. has left St. "Petersburg'. '-Baron De Rosen, the Rwflnh ambassador, may leave Tomo tomorrow. - Gen.. Nelson A, Mllest - "I think the war between Russia and Japan will be one of the most serious wars In the history of , the world 'for years, for the reason' that before It -has terminated I fear other European nations besides Russia will be drawn into It, It Is Impossible to express any opinion as to the probable results, not only for the reason that European complications may result, but because,. I am totally unac quainted wth the warlike preparations made by and the comparative strength of either Russia or . Japan, , It, would be Impossible to give, at tils time,, an -explicit opinion as to the outcome, and it would be equally improper until after at least one decisive engagement to venture an opinion, as to the merits of the" com bantants." , v , , , . Phlladelnhis. Feb..- R., Admiral Bias- bee, retiring commandant of League Is land Navy yard, talked freely relative to the preparations of Russia and Japan, but said it was absolutely Impossible to fore tell the outcome..- He .seemed to think, however that the Japanese, navy was better drilled for mass work than the Russian, and that Japan to be victorious would have to defeat the enemy In the early part of the war; : ; r- -Admiral BIgsbee said: "I know, less about . the Russian navy than Japan's, but I know' that Russia ha been doing a lot of hard, work with her shins. Individ ually. What she has done in fleet tactics and squadron, work I do not' know, though I believe they have been. experi menting extensively, W . vi , "On the other hand Japan hasvbeen carefully drilling In fleet work and "ma neuvers. She Is In a condition of com plete readiness both as to her navy and army, , The outcome cannot be foretold." Hews Officially Beeeived in London. : London, Feb.. . Secretary pouglarf In the houee of commons today announced that, official information had been re ceived that all diplomatic relations' be tween Russian . ami Japan had -.been broken off. r v ; Among the cabinet men 'no one will consider the eastefn. situation. . , The Agency. National publishes tf dispatch-from Toklo that a declaration is momentarily expected from -the meet lng of- the council of elders- under the chairmanship of the mJkado, which Is now In progress. , .- ;" 1 The: pall Mail Oasette asserts, .that France and Knglaftd have agreed tJ a far; eastern-.policy. Neither- will Inter vene until after a 'decisive 'engagement. When they 'WlU 'offeiv to -medlnte:, '? ; rrance to' totnaln Hantral. ;:'.'r . . ; Paris, Feb. -'-The. Paris correspon dent of the' fixtiffangte Telegraph ' is In formed In high, official circles, ' that Frnnce is determined to make an imme diate supreme effort to mediate between RuMia snd.Japsin mvl it Is stated other COLD FOR TO DAYS "Old Trobs" . Predicts More' Snow for '- Portland. (Continued on Tage Two,). Snow to thedeptir of ene-lialf inch fell last night, but it had nearly all. dis appeared from the streets by noon, but by-;l o'clock' enow waa again falling Along the foothill back otythe city the white "covering lie heavy. The ther mometer stands - at 14 . degrees above aero, and Information received by the weather bureau shows there Is likely to be continued cold weather for a day or two. x At 6, o'clock, this morning the temperature was 33 degrees, and a cou ple of tiours later; the- mercury- had droppef down' to ?L V The weather then began to moderate, and at -o'clot-k a temperature. of 14 degrees waa reached. r- For a time the weather man was- of the opinion that the cold wave which Is sweeping the northern states .west of the Rocky mountalus was going to ex tend over toward the- Pacific coast. For a time It appeared that way, but. re ports received from different localities this morning indicate that the WlUam ette valley will escape from tbLWintry blasts which are being experienced by the resident of Montana, the Dakota and . Minnesota. - - - Tha snowfall on! January. . 19, last month, was .4 of an inch, and The fol lowing day there was an additional fall of .6 of an inch.' Hence this is less of a snowstorm- than the one of the pre ceding month, unless a' sudden' change sets in for the -Worse. . - No one In Portland, has yet had the temerity to ' attempt to take, a sleigh ride thlfc year. .Borne of thera have sleighs standing in readiness to be used at a-moment's warning, and all they now lack to - carry nut their plans Ix snow and plenty of It. , . s The terminal line into the city this morning reported no trouble on account of snow. Southern Pacific and O. R. & N. trains arrived 'on time and the snow flurry was. chiefly local ' and , In .no di vision along the Caacude range was suf ficient to ; delay traffic. Railroad meu ay that so far this winter delay caused by blockades - and snowslidca have been more Infrequent than ' U usual, and snowplows have been ordered .out but a few times during the-seanon, even In.the, Blue and Cascade mounts ln, where cold ; weather and heavy snow- TylU begin early and imuaUv give liou ble until lat? t In the spring. . j V -1 ' V - - "' ' '' "' " -V . ':. . . . ;; ,'MW YOBX W IL AI. ' ; i , v '-. ' - ! W (J.mmal Hpeetat HrTlw.) -.; New t York. Feb. 8 The ohnmber of commerce which gave $1,000,000 durlna the -Chicago fire. - was one of tho-first to apk it n ti v llnanclal help was. 'needed. The ftf lork hanks ahxured the balti more bonkers t)uv could have any ai istance within - reaspir, - r AWFUL CONFLAGRATION Details of the Greatest Fire Which Has Visited the American Con tinentWork of the , ? -Departments. ... Baltimore, Feb. $.t Not in the history of any city has more excitement ami panic been experienced than that occas ioned by the terrible conflagration which began yesterday and by 3 o'clock hard destroyed probably $200,000,000 of prop erty. ' , ....,-..-'.,: At 2:30 p. m. today dynamite la again being resorted to and the scene is inde scribable. The -entire business section Is devastated. Where stood magnificent office buildings, hotels, sky-scrapers and densely packed commercial houses rep resenting the wealth of Baltimore in wholesale districts,- banks, newspaper offices, churches and public buildings It is now a mere waste crumbled walla steamtng wnlte the streets are marked by tangled wires. On the water front Are is raging and a half dozen of the principal steamship lines have already .suffered the loss of docks, warehouses and some vessels. . Ten big flour mills and a score of manufacturing plants are consunfed. Only the families of Janitors and others living In the big office buildings are made homeless.' The loss of llf will be small, probably, so far as known, but hardly a man of the army of firemen out nas received some bruise, scratch or burn, ':' t - t., i. -' ' wiiiiuni m ievt or lumuer are gone with, the burning of the water front. The manufacturing diRtrlct .is etlll threatened if the wind changes; if not the fire can be controlled, A H start. K.'-. "'At fJl o'clock yesterday morning, while a gale was - blowing from the Chesapeake a lire started in the whole sale dry goods store of john i Hurnt Cor on Hopkins street. It began in the heart of the business section of the city and spread with fearful rapidity. A'fertes of explosions announced the inclplency of the fire and before' any assistance could" arrive ' flames were leaping from many windows In the building.-- "- ,.'', i -', : i , It .is believed today that the explo sions were occasioned, by gasoline, of which-; there! were several large can stored In the building. The point where the -conflagration began . cannotvyet be reached and it Is -Impossible to de termine. the exact cause of the start. Three persons were on duty as watch men at the time, but none have been found to tell the true story.' ; A half .hour after the fire-was dis covered the entire city department was on the. scene and fully 200 streams were working within, the next hour, but ao fiercely blew tile wind that alt efforts to stop the-progress were futile. When'ls waa found impossible to con trol the 'spread of the flames, telegrams were sent to Washington, Philadelphia and. neighboring cities for alo. It was nearly :dark before the assistance came, but by T o'clock there were fully 400 streams employed In, vain endeavor to defeat the fire demon. - New York City. Jersey City, Brooklyn and Newark. N. J were asked to seed help and they at once responded. Police men by the hundreds were also dis patched ' from ' neighboring cities. The latter were sadly needed, owing to the savage attack on unprotected property by vandals. ' . . Within an hour after , the beglnnitK the fire had spread on Baltimore -street to the block between Lllrty wnd Sharp streets. Mullln's-hotel whs soon in a blute and other buildings rie,ir'it. The big, Baltimore "Bargain. -.house was the jitJit doomed, ; ,-The lry goods houxen of lanlfl -Mil. ler & Sons and M. A Hutl.m &, Co. cari next, and on German . from td-t Hurst building, a moie of biilldli.jci" wf burning. - - ' , The. Ilopklnw savings L-ink r.f ; . tloiml Kxvhatige' bank', were.'tbe turn . ' (Continued on I'.'g? '!') . ,