CITY EDITION
tea All Hkr4 and It's Alt True
-COMMUNITY N'WS The Communi
ty news page of th Sunday Journal
: five Journal readers a close-up -view
of f Hands and' relatives in the reslden- -tial
sections ef Greater Portland,- There
is no section of the paper that will
be found' mora absorbingly Interesting.
CITiY EDITION
ff All Here and I f$ All True
iTHB WEATHER-iTwiifht, enow ; not
. so cold ; Staurday. rain 3 winds turn
ing to southeasterly.
Portland i...S',JNew Orleans ...70
" Chicago '.-i;.VS. S i New York , ..,..80
Los Angeles - . . 48 i Helena . . i ..... .-
VOLXX. NO; 34.
Entered u Saemd-tilias Matter
at Poauffies. Pvruaad. Oiccoa
PORTLAND, OREGON,? FRIDAY EVENING, DECEMBER - 8 1922. TWENTY-FOUR PAGES,.
;price : two; cents, aav"AS20,vs?:
OUT 27 ASTORIA. ML
ted between mmmrnmmmimm
FIRE. WIPES
LOSS
- . ISESTIMA
ALL BUSINESS AREA
IS OBtlTERATED IN
TEffilFYIlfliiES
'Four BanRs, Two Newspaper Plants, Both Telegraph .Offices,
Weinhard Hotel, Blue Mouse, Liberty and. Star Theatres, in
Addition to. 0 Fellows, Elks and Red Men's Halls Razed;
City Hall and Hospital Damaged; Patients Moved to Safety.
Astoria, Dec." t. Twenty-seven
est structures, are a. mass or Emouiaering. smoKing ruins today as a.
result 'of a' fire which' originated in a restaurant ' at 2:15 this morning
and raged unchecked until 11 o'clock. . The damage is estimated be
tween $10,000,000 and $15,000,000.
Two lives were forfeited in the
of jhe Bank of Commerce,. 'succumbed to heart disease, induced by ex
citement incident to Jiis 'efforts to help save automobiles in a garage.
This afternoon the body of George J. Smith, a logger, was found hang-
t lng from the dock, it is believed
in the turmoil of the flaming disaster 'and went to the waterfront and
ended his life.
The Weinhard hotel,' Hostler's candy store, the newspaper plants of
the Budget and the Morning Astorian, the American Railway Express
company, the Pomial and Western: Union offices, First National,. Astoria
Savings & Trust , company. Bank, of Commerce, .Astoria National, the
Blue Mouse, liberty" and Star theatres, Elks club. Odd Fellows', hail,
Bee Hive 'department store and the Red "Men's hall "are among the
structures which have been obliterated.
At 10 o'clock the Logan block, in
occupied the second Yloor. and the
Prael-EIgner Auto company the main floor, was burning, with tio hope
that It would be-saved, '.-'-. W
: The Ore was halted after ' It ' had
swept as far as the city hail and the
' Catholic hospital. For a time little
" hope was held for the saving of these
buildings.'' but' desperate efforts of
rweary firefighters-at last triumphed.
Patients had been moved , from - the
hospitals to places e? safety,
c FIGHTEUS-HAatPSREB: 7 f
One renert has It that the fire -der
; partment was considerably hampered
' in it early efforts by failure of the
water eupply.-l L ,-'' ,:- . -b
The city will be. bi complete darkness
tonight save for flashlights or oil
lamps that may be used.;; Cable lead
; era to - the pewer plant were burned
' out and the service - cut off.'v I M.
'.- Buck and H. !- Raesa, engineer for
the telephone company, say - they exr
pect the city's phone connnunicetlons
to be restored shortly. The telephone
office was saved, but -the downtown
service plant was destroyed. t
SOCKS ARB SATBB,' t ,
The fire was kept from the Sanborn
. docks on the waterfront.
The construction of Commercial
street was one of the main factors of
the spread of the flames. The street
: was built - on piling - with - a . wooden
floor, on which pavement had been
laid. The open space under the street
acted as a' duct, spreading. the flames
in. all directions, to buildings across,
up and down the street.
Central headquarters of the Astoria
fire department, 'directly across . the
, street from the- location of the latest
blaze was damaged.
The courthouse,, postoffice and tele
phone exchange are still standing, so
far apparently . out of , reach of the
'-. flame. ,
The flamea were fanned during the
early hours ef the fire -by a strong
north wind, which switched later to
'the south. A heavy rain fell 'during
. the morning -hours.
SPXEABS RAriOLT
". v The rapid spread of the flames is
considered due to the numerous frame
buildings in the path of the conflagra-
; tion. . .. ' '
rynamite was used in half a dozen
places te rase buildings in an effort
t check the flame. The long dls-
tance - telephone "offices ? were tempo
rarily established in the clgjr hail .as
n emergenry. . The only means of
communication out of town: tor, a time
vas by telephone, as both telegraph
f offices were destroyed. ; r-,-,,. i-t'
- Xineteen city blocks nad been, rased
'' r were ; burned at 7iSO o'clock.- j The
fire area extended, from Astor to Tu
m, four blocks, and from Ninth to
lth streets. -Tlirev blocks between
. Kighth and Ninth streets and two be
tween Exchange and Franklin" streets
were partially destroyed.
STARTS IS RESTAVRAXT '
- v Cause of the fire had not been de-
iermined. The flarr.es broke out in
Thlel Brothers' restaurant' .and pool
: room on Commercial . street, between
. 11th and litn streets, across the street
frotr Hoeflers.- The blase spread so
rapidly that all efforts to cheek It were
fruitless and. appeals were .sent, out
to nearby "towns for help. - .
. - Guests at the -Weinhard Astoria ho
tel were warned and left.- Lodgers in
. the rooming houses were Also' waned
and escaped. ". ' ' a i
By o'clock the block bounded by
Commercial. . Bond, Uth. and. -12th
t
W',enalii,.Wl,MWa,,,!nwlw,,,bI:lw
LLC
city - blocks, Including Astoria's choic
holocaust. Nprris Staples, president
that Smith temporarily lost his mind
which the Astoria Business college
Nyquist Motor Car company and
streets was completely destroyed,,' the
flames had Jumped Commercial street
and were eating their . way through the
adjoining block and 'had also tumoed
Bond "street; wiped out Ihe Mason-Ehr-
(Coaehtiad m Fate TS.. Column Xto)
iiaings
Destroyed
f. . .... - .
i Astoria, Ueo. 8. Included in the
buildings destroyed in today's fire are
Temple of Astoria lodge of Elks to
gether with Its magnificent furnisninga.
valued at more than $50,000.
,Troy laundry, one of .the largest in
Oregon outside of Portland, owned by
John Tait. for many years & laundry
man in the Rose City.
Home of the Young Women's Chris
ten j Association.
Old Astoria theatre, for many years
the.' leading playhouse for road shows
here."
Five-etory Weinhard hotel, owned by
the .Weinhard estate of Portland and
conducted by F. N. Whitman since
1914, is, but a. blackened shell of its
once proud sell
Four banks, the Astoria National
bank, which occupied a fine structure
of two stories, white glased brick and
was Just completing 925,000 worth of
alteration work ; the .Bask of Com
merce, the Astoria Savings bank, which
occupied a fine five-story pressed brick
(CmcIbM ras Fin. Column One)
Detroit. Mich.. Dec 8.-HII. N. S.V
Mrs. May Ford, wife of Key Pord,
wealthy second cousin of Henry Ford,
automobile king, broke down complete
ly,, when arraigned todav to iim-r
charge that She plotted to have her hua-
Dua muraered.
1 Mrs. Ford became so hysterical ehe
was led tmk She recovered her compo-
puic, itiunien ana pleaded not guilty
i nura. juagt Marsh fixed her
ball , at $25,000 and -ordered her exam
ination for December 18.
r. roro was arrested last night
by Detective Sergeant Ovid Stralth
as she was standing at Woodward and
i em pie avenues waiting to meet the
gunman" who was to kill Ford, po
lice charge.
Smythe's Condition
Has Not Changed
Chicago, Dec 1 Physicians fc re
ported today: that the condition of Dan
P. Smythe of Pendleton, Or., was un
changed. No i operation has yet been
performed on the Oregon banker.. ,
SuKrapT
xmimmmmmmmmmumxmmmm
asinnatiatitnmiianancnniainmantacMHaa
)YD 'GEORGE TO WRITE
'THE JOURNA L has
- g - y - , f
; i lished'nexl Sunday.
General View of the Down-Town District
THIS view, looking east, gives an excellent idea of the business cbstrkt which has ben
house (No. 2). These buildings are on Eighth street, which marks the westward boundaxyof the fire. iThetwo structuresrwere not burned, but practe
is gone. The einhard-Astoria hotel (No. 3), at Twelfth and Duane streets, is among the prominent structures "destroy ed, a$ is the Spexarth buU
were not destroyed. Arrow indicates where fire started, opposite Hoeffler's restaurant in; Commercial street 1 " f 5 ' ; 'T--s". ..' ' -: .'
liiiilpliilSiili r--
f-wW' '
.. x -.
i
GIVE SUCCOR
Mayor SlBnd ? jBodJbf r Inquiry
to Astdiiais ! Fond ;
ManyBidies to Aid;
The sympathies:, of Portland . and its
great heart, gf generosity were deeply
touched -earlythis morning .when the
extent of the conflagration at 'Astoria
became apparent. From widespread
sources there began at once the fori
mation of plans for1 immediate relief.
The stricken' city was assured.- even
while the fire was-at its he ighC that
its sister city , of Portland would do
all within its power to .alleviate dis-'
tress and help inthis-me of dird
emergency..,. , ;-"v"i-'' '
.That Astoria . may .depend -upon
ample supplies, and -i whatever .other
service Pprtland aa a -city 'government
and its citizens as individuals can
furnish was made certain early when
various agencies began to coordinate
their efforts to , prepare.: for the for-,
warding of whatever isneeded by the
homeless Astorians. i-f s
The city government the Red Cross,
the American Lgion, the Chamber of
Commerce, the Portland Ad club and
other organisations began eacry in the
day to plan for assistance. ,
Mayor Baker tendered to the mayor
of Astoria aU available help, either
in the way of police, guards-or food
supplies. On his own initiative he got
in touch with Colonel Anderson at
Vancouver barracks, and the colonel
at once agreed to provide relief, sup
plies and men from that point.' to en
train on one hour's notice, as' soon as
it could be definitely determined that
Astoria should have Uo have outside
help at -once. ..'' rw. --;,-' -f-a -, ..
Colonel ; Anderson made arrange
ments to send. In charge of Major King
five officers and 75 men of Company
K. Seventh regiment, with ene medical
officer and a staff of eight assistants,
and supplies consisting, of 15.000 ra
tions. 1500 blankets. - 500 - cots, " mat-
(Coaeladwl
Pas NiMteea, 0hua Sre
Traffic Chief GTo'es
To Aid1 of Astoria
Salem. Dec .-T.' A. .Raffety. chief
of the state traffic bureau, with all
state traffic men available, left today
for Astoria to patrol the lower Co
lumbia highway and aid In handling
traffic in Astoria-i' I . ,s.
1 , - .- ..... Ti-1 f -
PORTIWO
t X .
BifntntNiianenwtauaasiiMisuaiiaiiaiianiianwiiaMnSttrai
secured the
t j w - -v-- . "af" "
, These cable dispatches,
WKiWiH;itimn trwwaiii nite-i;t.ririr-HIii!rtBMitnMinBnuM
'!"ff"im"l"W t'
' J US'1
tquipmentp
Jk At
are
A special train ' wito. ftrefighUng ap-
-parat us, v hose - and - firemen lft, ..here
at I m today to. jissist Ja fighting
the conflagration sweeping over 'the
business district ot Astoria
Fire Chief Young received'-woed ihis
forenoon . that the flrefigbtlng-equipment
ajd men sent from 'Portland b'y
special train arrived at Asforia at 10
.o'clock and were able Immediately to
get into position to do -some effective
work.,
The party swasr organised ifry
Fire
Ch'jlcAh, Young and Walter Tong;
of pe, iIcBg company, local rep
resentative of the American France
Fire Apparataus company.-. , Two
steamers, one pumper, f 000 eet of hose
'and eight men were taken down on the
-special train. : long '' furnished . the
pumper;' Which is the same one used at
the Washington high school fire, li
is kept on .hand in .the salesroom of
the A. -G. Long company.
Chief Young received a call for as
sistance at -.30 in. the morning, and,
immediately after obtaining pcrmls-
(Cueladed on Put Mre. Ookoma Tint
on
1
' Fire losses over the state during this
year , have . been -heavier tham during
any -previous 'year-on ;-record.' accord
ing to Information obtained today from
the Oregon insurance rating bureau.:
.More than: $10,000,000 will be the
total paid out by Insurance companies,
according to an -'estimate made by
James. N. McCune, ' head off the rat
ing bureau-; while 'the ; total' received
by Insurance companies on premiums
will approximate $ 4,000,000. ;
McCune said fire hazards tn Astoria
were - such that ' about: a . year ago.
after a personal investigation, he re
fused a reduction in.- insurance ratea
. For some time prior. to the Investi
gation citlsens and boosting organisa
tions , of Astoria had been urging " a
reduction in rates,' basing ' their- con
tention on the claim that Astoria
"never had fires. McConesaid his in
vestigation showed . that there - was
I tremens
Sejiffib
Fire
VJrreg
922
Bad
Year
i!tiiianmuiitiiitiiiTrainiinwiTwiiit)aiiii,iiiiitiiiilinjliimiii
AffniTiAiTtnnr1ATnnmpni. the.
will contain his vUwsxm internatidnal topics.: Watch for
mm j w v a are J W ' Vr
1 li
Emm
JS-' '1'
t
"vy e- Have' 5rte orr mestUity
, on CdasV' SayCftizens j 'te
1 Make Plans Todayi' v f
-By Philip Parrtih
- Jooraal Staff. Correspondent ,
, 'Astoria, Dec "We have the site
i er . the finest city on the Pacifio
coast,"
.These- words by a prominent -Astoria
business, man . indicate the spirit . ot
optimism that' pervades this stricken
city .following the most disastrous. eon-?
flagration in tha history .of the Paclflxs
northwest; "'" ,'; : ' V,..
As did San FrancJsco. so will Astoria1
rebuild, - the substantial' elti sens say,
looking -toward the future. The hope
ful "attitude ..with which ' they face the"
problem, of reconstruction is typical
of the entire city. f . . ; ' , 5 .
The business men are .meeting this
afternoon to lay plans for the future
and to provide means of relief for the
present. No food supplies .are needed,'
according , to R. H. lioekini assistant
to Astoria's mayor, asi the three big
food supply warehouses of Allen A
jOnoelndd oa Ts Twenty. Qotngm rimr)
some' basis for this ' contention, since
th record of the city -was unusually
good.-but that the condition of the
buildings offset its ootimistie record.
McCune said the prevalence of frame-!
DUUdtngs made it Impossible for -the
rates to.be reduced. ! : '
At the time -of the request 'to . re
duction, an additional' - pumper ' had
been purchased and , other improve
ments made in the fire department. '
. Since the time of ; this investigation
a. year ago,, the fire' record of Astoria
has been growing steadily 'worse, Mc
Cune said. Before that time bad fires
had . been i almost entirely in lumber
mills op the ootsktrts, but during the
year the " trouble has been mostly, in
the srbustness district. 3 ' '
Conditions in Portland are reported
to be much better than over the- state
at large,' where most of the loss sus-
1
.nnirj
.il Jl'J
S Sar asaT a WW .WS VMI tes ." J j
Losses
Heavy
Insurers
jsnsusim
suiaMtiiStttGIsaitnsufiiatiililisHtittnt!4t(imiK
IT , ? '
PiSIfJTfO;':
- t' - . tr ' . ' 'n " i
rtardi Kg Says in l.f essage H e
k : i nj. ask .uovernorsA wi tu-i;
'013f BY RAPiOf " i.
Washington, Dec, tJ-iV. P.) For
the ' first time in ltory tlte word
of -a president .as he. Appears before
congress 'with ' his annual message
will be heard in distant parts .of the
country. President .Harding,-when
he appears before congress today,
will speak directly ? Into . a r radio
transnatten-'sHl-wor4sXwillI be,
broadcast through s' the - naval1? air'
staUon at 'Anacbstiar It is Expect
ed that the presldentHrni--be- heard
.as tarwes as theRockymaunans.
UByBavld lwreace '
1
- MOopyriht. -4J2.bjT Journal.)
- Washington, Dec, S. President 'Hard
ing, has taken complete cognizance In
his message to congress today of the
labor ,. problems "which , made, the elec
torate so restless this year andvbrought
suck a confused result in the elections
Just month ago. J , '
- The ' president says something on
nearly every.- subject which might have
had anything to 'do: with, the balloting
or which might affect the course of af
fairs in- the national referendum in 1924,
Members , of both parties 4wlll agree
that irrespective tof. the merit of Mrl
Harding's proposals whether - they 'con
stitute a .cure for .the- ills oy a. plea in
avoidance, 'the- president has- neverthef
less by his. recitation of problems given
a. comprehensive account ot , "the .state
ef - the 'Union,' ) : , '
"Much of what Mr." Harding has reo
ommended does -not-come - as a am pi Isay.
tOeacludwl .
Fas Tuaalj.- Cokuaa One)
TOKPEGPLE OUT
a , ,
Modems, Italy. Dee. S.-r-TJ. P. Six
hundred ' persona wseapad t today from
the little town of Fiandegalli where a
hundred- bouses already have collapsed
in a landslide, and complete destine
tion is threatened. The town -has been
deserted and Its inhabitants are hornet
teas. f. ' - ---' ' ' t
I ANSI IDE DRIVES
S1lIWIJIltSSItS''SWStltlliniWltlMMSIIllWirsHllllitltHtw
l iny yu JLJ JUJr: JL :.Jvj,.jjvJ.J J-lLu
9m w ? - -a vr ea '"'' r-- " -
this supei'featurt i by one of
; i-AV.
AstprijiiMsf'
--yto.' i. T. V ijW J i.-V . 4
1"Astoria.itoe,:OlesltysnntonlyVln
preg6n but, the entire TKorthwest,. rose
jto-disUhc'tion'in : 3the earjyjdays'rwhen,
lt twsatneTcenter'tof the ; fluarrel)be-'
weentneVrUnlted I States? and .Great
Arital-n n-r Siirera.ini v. Of vthA 'North-
west territory t 2-1 " ' s .-.
,Th: first American visitor to, the site
of i Astoria "was ""Captain : RobertGray
of Boston i who visited- the Columbia
river in :t7?iln his ehlpi'ithe Columbia.
Lewis and Clarki ent their: memorable
'expedition through - the - Northwest,'
passed Astoria In i06 andrwon ' the
frieirdshlp of the Indians. whlch later
proved a valuable asset to the Ameri
can expedltlen sent out by ' John. Jacob
A.tor.-rr-v-rnt-fv
' astob; FtrKiriSHES ,fjjwds ryf. ..
.. This expedition wasv organised at the
request - off K President, r Jefferson f tc
found a" trading post- Astor furnished
funds, amounting to J400,000 for the!
expedition which toft- New York. Sep
tember 8, 1810. ' - - .---f-r ' t
- Six other 'men-accompanied' Astor,
as chief ssoT the expedition. They were
Duncan MeDoogal, Donald McKenste,
Alex McKay.Wllson Price-Hunt; Rob
ert " Stuart and 'Captain .Jonathan-
-.Thome, master of the Tonquin.. - These
men' later proved the undoing, of -the
expedition ' and" resulted 'in the seisure
of the trading pcisf byi'the British, ?-- ;
On March 22, 1811. the Tonquin with
the : expedition aboard, arrived off the
Columbia river. A 'cite half way be
tween Tongue Point and Point Oeorge
was chosen as tH location ; for the
post that is now Astoria. .The town was
(CoBchvlcd en Fm.Two, Colons -Uvea) ,
Guafd Trdops to '
. Eush.Assistance ;
.ToFireBefugees
Preparations of the Oregon National
Guard to transport tents, field kite ens,
cots and blankets to-Astoris-enouffh to
care - for.- ,3000 persons '-jwere v begun
about noon'- at CTackamaa, , where,v a
small detachment ,-of men, started load
ing the equipment on special, cars-; '
The "actkM was taken von - orderV of
Adjutant OeneWr Oeorge A. White"
while .it was still doubtful: whether the
residence' olst rict' would be destroyed.
General " WhlteaTrtver ready, to go to
Astoria,' wUK'S detachment f' 109 men
to -transport the' equipment,' In case It
Is necessary. ': , ' v v.''i
frxf ni which WilV he r tiub
.f " ," T ' .f
world's master statesmen:
-'vp.. " i'-
r -MWWA
Passenger Coaches Boun'd.From J
A Seaside- to Portland -.Stopp 3d .
r 1 v by Astoria", Fire..-
. v ; . t , 4
To avoid cutting the4lines of fire, hose '
stretched: across the tracks the morn- ,
ing v train of the' S.4 P. A- S. between
Seaside and, Portland was abandoned .
on the-western (Outskirts of Astoria at
8,v o'clcxik - this morning - and - another
complete trainfwaa made op at the ;
station .-.on he east end pt the - town,
according to R. O. Burgess, br&kemau
of the train,-who arrived here at 1 :.10
on. the: train which brought the first
eyv -witnesses pi xne-dm. ? . - . -
iBurgesa. aid . it was 'necessary to
transfer-. all mail "and . baggage back
behmd'the hiir around the city to 'the
station . at the east end of the town.
The transfer .delayed the train over an
hour.. . : -:; t:- 7"v- f ;
SCSPICT FIBEBUO ,:' ' , '
Burgess ".and passengers- on the train
gave a graphic description of the fire, r
which was at its height when the train
left Astoria shortly after o'clock.
)rVtalked with theehlef of the' fire..
department, and frorarwhat he told nv
rnr
nut lii
or 'I
S.;,-W -M w w t li lb.
v f .f- viMfc... L'J J iJ. .H-1!. Ml, .
there seems to be little doubt-that the
fire was.' of , incendiary; origin," , said i,
BorgwiA-v f '., . - - - ; .
r, -"Witnesses who' saw the fire in' its ,
"tarly .stages rail-' agreed - that-tt.'. a pna- -,
rentiy; started in, three or four dtffer- .
ent places simultaneously Burgess ;
continued' ' "-V1:"'
t 'The 'time of . the starting of the, fire
was . about Z :30, -aocording to whs t
'Burgess Van told In 'i Astoria. ' ''
-The breaking of ' fire ulains . abott
7:45 Hn several v section' of the Tity
temporarily put the fighting apparatus ,
out -'ofoommission' until the --firemen
were able iarig up pumpers near the .
waterfront and pump water up from .
the bay., " ,
TBAIX ABA5DOHED T .
"he "hoseplaced. across' the S. P. &
S. tracks along the waterfront to the -purnpers,
which were down as close as
possible to the.' waterfront, made It '
necessary ;f or ! the', train to. be aban- ;
dobed, , Burgess said there' was some
fire alongxthej tracks - sll, -the twey -around
the edge of the city, but thai
they would have, been able to; get
(Csftdndeii . Tw Swta8.' Cobuna Two)
; 1-Thel i text f President
Harding's message v will fce
found on, Page, 6..V ' 1'
, t
J:
It -L i . IT Jl t ff V
f
4.