Unl evsity at Oregon
WEATHER iraximum yesterday, 91; minimum today, !) 4. FORECAST Tonight ami tomorrow, fair. '
Library
L I MBUN
DFORD
MAI
E
f
Forty-BPventh Year. 1
giiTTw,.f.h T.T. . , MEDFORD. OivlOOOy, SATURDAY, AIK i UST IS, 1017 : NO- 137
MANY SLAIN FIGHTiHG ALOHS ENEMY WARSHIP i "g- ,, WILSON PLANS ALLIES WIN
iimd mm FLANDERS FRONT REPEATEDLY III W W TOREDUCE COAL m m
Trip pi IrisEWE "I Mm wPc X Sk
w.Ul DlU iLnll I German Barrage Inadequate to Stop British Sroutinfl in German Bay Open IVW T 'J x ' President Goes Over Figures on Cost 111 ILiBIvLJiIIiO
J . , ., Advancing French and British Fire on Destroyer and Mine- II ft tj T 111 of Production and Plans Cut Not , .
Series of Terrific Explosions Wreck
Great Munition Factory at Rigaud,
Quebec Death List Estimated as
High as 250 Loss Runs lnto-Mil-lions
Buildings Mile Away De
stroyedCopper Colored Smoke
Covers Country.
RIOAUD, Quebec, An?. 18 The
peat plant here ,of Curtis & Harvey,
Ltd., explosive manufacturers, was
wrecked today by a scries of terrific
explosions and buried beneath the
rums of a dozen or so structures
'comprised the factory are an un
known number of dead.
Several thousand male and female
workers employed at the plant were
in., tho danger zone for hours. An
(t,'jy estimate, based on first reports,
placed the number of killed at about
250, but indications were this after
noon that there were comparatively
few casualties.
A relief train arrived from Mont
real at noon, bringing-doctors and
nurses, but owing to the fierce heat
from the burning ruins of the plant,
they were unable to approach. No
death list can be obtained until the
ruins cool. ,,
Jxss Ilcnchcs Millions.
The loss in the value of buildings
nnd stock will reach well up into the
millions of dollars.
Tho first explosion was caused by
the over-heating of the machinery in
the nitric acid building. The flames
leaped along thru the building and
another explosion occurred. Most of
the workers, however, are believed to
have had ample time to escape.
Other explosions occurred every
five minutes or so, shaking the sur
rounding country like a scries of
earthquakes. Altogether fifteen de
viations were counted.
One of the explosions blew down a
number of houses in Dragon, where
laosf of the workers lived, and farm
houses in the vicinity also cn.aglil
fire. Provision was made by the
people of Itignud for earing for the
homeless workers.
IiOss Estimated n( i!-0.
, -MONTREAL, Aug. IS. A terrific
explosion at the powder plant of
Curtis & Harvey, l.ld., at Uiguud,
Quebec, today is believed to ' have
caused heavy loss of life, five thou
sand men and women are employed
rial the n nut. w hie i covers nn urea o
va.;
r roin points near liiguuil if. was
learned that three explosions took
place. The first, at 11 o'clock, was
heard in Vaudrcul, miles away. It
's followed by two others in ipiick
succession.
The explosion disrupted telephone
and telegraph continiinicatiiin with
Hi'Aiud. Traffic on the Canadian
1'ai'ifie railway's Ottawa-Montreal
line, which passes close to the plant,
has been suspended.
Trainmen who got away from the
scene of the explosion reported that
forty houses at Dragon, a little vil
lage near the powder plant, occupied
hy workmen, were raed by the ton e
f the explosion.
lac whole countryside was eover-
M at 10 o'clock with a dense copper
(Continued on pane fix )
WAY 10 SIBERIA
t'l'TDiiill, t l t .... 1 - T
"i iii'un.iif, .nr.'. ii. 1 - "
Urines from Viatka, on the noillurn
'"ale to Silieria, report the pa--i -gi
? two swcinl trains with lowered
Minds which no one win allowed l
approach. The trains, which are go
lnR eastward, arc assumed to 'in -tain
the former emperor, Nichol.i-.
ad his family.
Quick Work in Crossing Steenbeke Sweepers, Which Escape, Crippled, f ' mm$tt Only at Mines, But of Jobbers and
Londoners Forced Back From Over Mine Field None of British fe J' 4 Retailers Government Likely to
Advanced Positions. Vessels Damaged. . SU,1lIy Distrilllltion
l'.UmSH KltONT IN FRANCE
AND JSKIXilUM, Aug. 18. The
fighting Thursday at Polygon was
unusually desperate. Wave after
wave of the enemy came surging up
against the London troops, who held
on determinedly with rifle and bay
onet until two simultaneous counter
allacks from different directions
forced them to retreat.
Ciiadually they withdrew, fighting
all the way. Some few of them, in
deed, were surrounded, nnd fought
until forced to surrender. Ono
young officer, in command of ten
men, found himself encircled hy the
enemy and his men being swept by
machine gun fire. The last heard of
him was contained in a message he
signalled hack to his division, saying
his men were fucing death and that
he .saw no way but to surrender and
save their lives.
Along most of the. French front it
was eomparatively quiet, altho a
hard local battle was continuing
about a strong German redoubt
known as Les Lilas, which lies
about n thousand yards southwest of
the St. Jansheek rivow
I'oeUet (lel'man Positions.
In their advance, the French surg
ed forward on either side of the pos
ition, making a sort of a pocket
about it, and it, was said the small
(icrman garrison would be compelled
to surrender shortly. The Germans
delivered a counter-attack on the
French extreme right Hank, but this
was repulsed by artillery fire.
The contact between the French
and British armies was excellent.
The prisoners accounted for to date
total more than .'170, and this figure
represents considerably more than
the entire French casualties along
their whole front in Thursday's of
fensive. The remarkably small num
ber of casualties was due to the fine
work of the French artillery. Pre
liminary bombardment of German
positions was very effective and the
advance was made under a perfect
barrage.
ItuiTugo Inadequate.
As was the case on the Hritish
front about l.angcmarck, the German
barrage was totally inadequate and
the counter battery work, upon which
so much depends, gave no trouble.
The French counter battery firing re
sulted in silencing a large number of
enemy guns, nnd as a result the
French have been little troubled by
gan
fire in carrying out consolida-
tioas.
'flic work
rif the French engineers
(Continued on Pag Six.)
Ti lidf Mc llioiiMiml prlncr were Inken l)- (Jcncnil hornlloff from llio Ansliiniis cm tho (iulli Inn front lim ing tin- .oii rliiiii parly's vlll. Hero arc purl of llieni Ih-Iiik taken
I Hie war under Kiinrcl. To Ititilil: lliitslan women are clciln tlielr klinra of the Irnivy wink licwk of Uio new ilcinoirai j-'s IrriK-lii-s. Here Is shown itroup of lliein r-mli-lng a mil
road track . cvllte Uiinscrtiitk.n of IlioarniJ-. , , , , ., -
LONDON, Aug. 18. Tlio admir
alty announces that a hostile de
stroyer and two mine sweepers were
damaged severely by Hritish naval
forces on Thursday. The British
warships were not damaged.
The announcement follows:
"Some of our light naval forces
scouting a German bight on August
Hi sighted an enemy destroyer, at
9:4.1 a. m. Fire was opened and the
enemy destroyer was chased. She
was seen to bo repeatedly hit and to
be on fire, but she escaped thru the
mist over the mine field.
Mine Sweepers lilt;
"Enemy mine sweepers were sight
ed shortly after the sighting of the
destroyer nnd a heavy fire was op
ened on them. At least two of the
mine sweepers were seen to be very
severely damaged, but similarly with
the destroyer, our ships were unable
to follow them, owing to the proxim
ity of the. mine fields, t
"During tho engagement our ves
sels were attacked by a submarine.
After the action a second submarine
attacked, in both eases without re
sult. Our vessels suffered no damage."
(crnijiii Account.
MKRLIN, Aug. .18. An official
statement issued at the German ad
miralty today regarding the naval
clash between Hritish and -German
light forces on August Hi, says:
"On Thursday a Geimnn guard
patrol m tho North sea encountered
enemy cruisers and destroyers on the
fringe of the Knglish barred zone
and attacked them. Tho enemy, who
hnd a large superiority, turned away
under the well-placed German fire
and withdrew from the engagement
with all possible haste. Wo suffered
no losses."
AMSTERDAM, Aug. 18-The mil
ituiy commander at Stettin, Gcit
many, has forbidden, "in the interest
of public, safety," meetings in Stettin
hnd in the district of Rantzow. The
socialist organ, Vorwaerts, says the
executive committee of the socialist
party sent to Chancellor Michaelis a
protest against Rucb prohibitions,
which are reported in nil parts of
Germany, and a request for the abol
ition thereof.
RETURNING AMERICAN C0MMIS
R ill J iir FLv "i.tr .
,
- ' I
General Scott and Colonel Navie
seen ill, the trenches on the Galiciau-
SENATE BILL TO
STOP INSULTS BY
WASHINGTON, Aug. 18. Con
tinued disorders this week in front of
tho white bouse, as a result of the
picketing by militant suffragists, to
day caused the Washington police to
put into effect an order prohibiting
further demonstrations.
Assailing the militunt pickets' in
tinsparing terms, Senator Myers of
Montana today introduced a bill to
prohibit white bouse picketing.
"Proceedings have been outrage
ous, scandalous and almost treason
able," he said. "I think eople are
disgusted with the woineit. The
president, nut. of the generosity of
bis heart, pardoned the women re
cently sentenced to the workhouse
for sixty days. I think be erred;
they ought to have been compelled to
serve out their sentences. It is lime
congress acted to stop these insults
to the president."
J. J. Voope! of Van Wert, Ohio, Is
a week end tourist visiting In the
city.
SlOff BRINGS PICTURES FROM
'
lskoy of the Russian army are hero
front. " . :i : !(' J Hl
PARIS, Aug. 18. Major General
Pershing told the Associated l're-is
today that the war can be won only
by hard nnd forceful blows delivered
by a well trained American army,
working in conjunction with the nl
lied armies.
Deploring the liikcwarmiiess of the
American people in regard to the
war, General Pershing added :
"Kvery man, woman and child
should support, the administration in
its dctcrniinulion to arm ami equip
the American army and to keep up
its morale and that of the allied ar
mies. This war will not, be won by
talk or by siilncril.ing to the Red
Cross. The Ameri-an penile must
come to a full rcalizahon of wnat
the war means.
"It, can be won -m'v by sinking
hard and fun-el". d l.lows, not other
wise." The general was very emphatic in
the interview, which lasted hat a f-iw
minutes.
THE RUSSIAN WAR FRONT
,CW. . M
5c? '! -n. . - A ' - ' VKTnmmn l
WASHINGTON, Aug. Hi. Presi
dent Wilson went to the food admin
istration today for a personal con
fereneo with Herbert. Hoover, and
later went to tho federal trade com
mission. H was believed tho 'presi
dent discussed the coal situation and
the. extent to which he would assume
tho powers to control distribution
vested in him by the food hill.
Under the law the president may
fix the price of coal operato the
mines or connnanileer stocks unit sell
to the public. Some decision of
which course be will pursue is ex
pected us the result, of today's, con
ferences, which were based on the
federal trade commission's new com
pleted report on the coal situation.
Takn Ovor Supply.
At the federul trade commission
I he president went, over the figures
gathered on costs of producing eoul.
The trend of tho commission's report
on the subject was to urge the presi
dent to tnfco over tho supply 'ami its
distribution.
, The president will take some ac
tion in Ihe'coal silualion early next
week. He carried back to the white
house from the trade commission a
mass of statistics on coal production
costs and will go over them tomor
row. His decision probably will he
announced Monday.
To Cut Present Pi-tecs
The president's intention, it was
learned aulhorilalivcly, is to reduce
the present prices not only at the
mines, but of jobbers and retailers.
The trade commission's report, indi
entes that operators can sell their
bituminous at a price far below the
maximum of $', fixed at a recent
conference between mine managers
and government, officials, and still
make a handsome profit.
Evidence was given the president
that operators have failed to abide by
the If-ll a loll agreement and that t'.i iv
have been selling their product fin
ally uinounl they could get. Short
ages in some parts of the country
have made it. possible, it, is said, for
I hem to obtain extortionate pi-ices.
The trade eommissio ngave to the
president siceifie recnmmenduli ins
as to its ideas for handling the situ
ation. It was Huggesti d, it is under
stood, that the president inuacil.atcly
put into operation provisions -if (he
food control bill which give the gov.
eminent nulhorilv to take over and
resell to the public all coal mined.
Mrs. John K. McDonald Is spendluK
tho week end visiting friends at
Grants Pans.
Germans Admit Loss of Langemarck
Efforts to Retake Lens Posi
tions Fall French Make Further
Progress Along Steenbeke River
and Recapture All Positions Re
cently Lost on Verdun Front.
HKRIIN, Aug. 18, via London.
The war office announcement of to
day says tho Germans occupy posi-
tiims in front of laingeniurck. They"
lost Langeinarck after a strong local
attack by tho enemy in the afternoon,
the statement says. ; ; '
The Helgian town of Ijangcmnrek
was eaptured hy the Hritish in their
recent, attack and yesterday the Ger
mans unuounccd that they had re-:
taken it. The Hritish official press
bureau denied this claim.
Germans Itepiitsccl, -HRITISH
FRONT , IN FRANCK
AND HF.LGICM, Aug. 18. Gerimm
troops delivered another . sharp but:
futile counler-attaek against a sec-:
Hon of tho new Canadian positions
northwest and west of Lons early
this morning. The Germans succeed- ,
ed in penetrating tho Hritish trenches.
hut were driven out immediately as
the result of strenuous hand-to-hand
fighting which cost the attackers a.
considerable number of dead and a
few prisoners. , .
PARIS, Aug. IS.-The French last'
night, made further progress in Hel
giuni north of the road between Hix-
scboole ami l.angcmarck, it is , an-
noiinccd officially. They captured
a strong point of support east of.
thn Sleenheko river. German at
tacks on the Aisno front were re-
tinlsnfl
t
On the Verdun front the French, in
a brilliant attack, recaptured posi
tions recently taken by tho Germans,
completely re-establishing their lines.
The ii it n i ii 1 1 n-.'i ii i-ii (. follows:
Official Slalemenf.
"Ill Helglum our troops continued
to make progress north of the road
from Itixschoote to l.nngcmarck and
carried a strong enemy point of sup
port, east, of Steenbeke.
"North of the Aisno we repulsed
several attacks, especinllv east of
the Froiihuont. farm, in the Cham
pagne our artillery fire prevented an
attack which the enemy was prepar
ing in the sector of Massiges.
"On the right bank of thn Mcnso
V..-. I.... I ll ..... i .....i.. ..
iiiiiiiui I loin ) mil iiiiiiin iiiion- it
brilliant counter-attack at Cuurires
wood and recaptured elements of
trenches taken by the enemy on Aug
ust It! nnd 17. Our line was re-established
completely. Heavy nrlil
lery fighting continues in this sector.
"In Alsace a German attack near
Slcinbach was repulsed by our fire.
Elsewhere the night passed in quiet."
Hussion Offensive
PI-.TRnCHAD, Aug. 1H. The. Rus
sians have taken the offensive) on tho
Caucasian IVoiit ami have occupied a
scries of villages, the war nlfiec an-noiiui-cil.
SAN HlKliO, Oil., Aug. IS. Moro
than 2 feet of l ho -in-tncli water
main connecting tho San IHcko water
impounding, system witli tho distrib
uting system, was blown out hy an
explosion nt 1 1 o'clock last nlKht, ac
cording to announcement shortly be
fore noon today by City Manager F,
M. l.ockwood. Ttint. a deliberate ef
fort was made to cripple thn San 111
oko water supply system la tho an
nounced belief of Manager l.ockwood,
who Miya that shortly after tho ex
plosion two men were seen running
from tho Bcono.