VALDEZ, ALASKA, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1,-1915. N0. 26.
SUBMARINE RAID SHOCKS BRITISH,
MANY MERCHANT SHIPS DESTROYED
BRITISH ADMIRALTY CLOSE8 ALL PORT8 IN ENGLAND UNTIL
DANGER IS PAST—HARBORS ARE PROTECTED WITH NETS—
SUBMARINE SEEN TODAY NEAR LIVERPOOL—INSURANCE MEN
RAISE RATES, WHICH ARE NOW PROHIBITIVE, AND GOVERN
MENT MAY TAKE OVER INSURANCE BUSINESS—FRENCH WAR
SHIP ALSO SUNK—TWO BRITISH SHIPS LOST TODAY OFF THE
COAST OF HAVRE.
LIVERPOOL, Eng., Feb. 1—The
raid made by German submarines
near here last Saturday and the sink
ing of three British merchant ves
sels has caused a sensation in Great
Britain. The fact that the Germans
are now determined to sink merch
ant vessels in spite of the fact that
heretofore such ships are subject to
capture only when the crew can be
taken from the ship and saved, has
sent a cold shiver up the backs of
all the people, who realize that if
the policy adopted by the kaiser’s
'naval fighters continues that it may
seriously effect the importation of
food supplies.
Insurance Men Worried.
Insurance men have immediately
jumped the rate on all vessels oper
ating near the British Isles from five
to twenty shillings per cent. The
mj^rate is almost prohibitive and
may result in the government en
tering the insurance business and
paying for ships and cargoes lost.
French Warship Sunk.
BERLIN, Feb. 1.—The admiralty
has announced that a German, sub
marine had succeeded in sinking a
French torpedo boat destroyer which
was on guard duty at the entrance
to the harbor of Havre. The sub
marine sent home a torpedo which
caused an explosion on the French
boat. Some of the survivors of the
French warship were picked up by
motor boats sent from the shore.
German Submarine Near Liverpaol.
LONDON, Feb. 1.—A German sub
marine was seen today near this port
and it is believed to be the same ves
sell which aided in sinking three
merchant ships thirty miles north of
this port.
British Ports Closed.
As a result of the success of the
I
German underwater fighting craft the
admiralty has issued orders closing
all British ports and detaining alt
.merchant ships until the sea can be
cleared of the submarines. The big
wire nets have been anchored at the
entrance to the harbor to stop any
submarine from entering Liverpool
and some of the other harbors have
been protected in the same manner.
Two More British Ships Sunk.
Two more British ships were sunk
today off the French harbor of Havre.
The names of the ships have not been
given but it is believed that two of
the government vessels used to sup
ply the troops in France with supplies
were caught. What happened to the
crews is not known.
STORM SWEEPS
OVER LMGELES
LOS ANGELES, Feb. 1.—A terrific
hurricane swept over this coast yes
terday, doing damage totaling $500,
000. Many piers and buildings near
the water front were damaged by
the big seas driven on the beach and
by the high winds. A large number
of small cottages were also wrecked.
Several deaths have been reported
along the beach and it is almost cer
tain that a number of the small boats
far out from shore were caught and
the occupants drowned before they
could reach safety.
Mrs. M. M. McDonald, a daughter
of Adma Swan, the owner of the
(Emporium, arrived in Valdez this
morning and will visit with Mr. Swan
and with Mr. and Mrs. Frank Millard
for some months.
a a DACIA SAILS FROM GALVESTON,
STATE DEPARTMENT NOT WORRIED
FORMER HAMBURG-AMERICAN FREIGHTER, NOW OWNED BY GER
MAN-AMERICAN, STARTS ON V OYAGE—BRITISH HAVE WARN
ED U . S. NOT TO ALLOW 8HIP TO SAIL—WILL SEIZE HER.
t
GALVESTON, Feb. 1.—The steam
er Dacia, formerly the German
American steamer of the same name,
but now opeating under an Ameri
can register, having'been purchased
by a German-American, left this port
today with a load of cotton for Brem
en, Germany. The steamer has been
loaded for more than a week but
clearance papers were held up by
the custom officials. It is believed
here that Secretary Bryan insisted
that the investigation into the valid
ity of the sale of the steamer to the
American be investigated before the
boat left and was seized rather than
after the British take the ship into
port as a prize of war. .
That England is determined not to
recognize the transfer of the ships
owned by German companies and
now interned in neutral ports from
the German owners to American or
other neutral owners is certain. The
Dacia is expected to be captured soon
after she leaves the gulf. The ques
tion will then be taken up through
the American State Department* and
Sir Edward Grey, head of the Brit
ish foreign office. The Dacia is a
freighter and one of the small boats
of that line but if the German steam
ship company is successful in making
the transfer of the freighter the large
steamers now held in American ports
will immediately be transferred to
American owners and operated be
tween the United States and Ger
many.
Washington Not Worried.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 1.—While It
is admitted that the British govern
ment has warned the American State
Department that Great Britain was
not willing to recognize a transfer
of merchant ship" from the German
to the American flag if the transfer
is mhde after the declaration of war
on August 4th between England and
Germany, and while it is almost cer
tain that the American steamer Da
fcia, now loaded with cotton, will be
seized because she comes under the
classification of the British foreign
office, yet the State Department of
ficials do not seem at all worried re
garding the outcome. It is, however,
denied that the American wai^^ips
will convov the ship to th^flRt of
Germany. The matter wutfe fought
out in the British prize courts and
between the diplomatic representa
tives of the two governments.
The big free dinner at the ‘Big
Place tonight at 9:30. All are wol
come.
WIFE
Wealthy New York Real Estate Deal
er Almost Wipes Out Family
—Worries Over War.
- I
NEW YORK, Feb. 1.—Herman
;ernack, a wealthy real estate deal
er, of this city, killed his wife and
two daughters and then committed
suicide today because of worry over
the European war. A six-year-old son
escaped death because the father
could not locate him hidden away
in a closet, where he went when the
insane man started murdering his
family.
The boy is the only remaining mem
ber of the family and will inherit a
large fortune amassed by the father
,ce his arrival in this country.
Mrs. W. J. Morton left last night on
the steamer Mariposa for Seattle to
undergo an operation for appendicitis.
CHILDREN
By I
i
New Orleans Orphan Asylum Blown
Down and Twenty Little Boys
and Girls Are Kurt.
I
NEW ORLEANS, Feb. 1.—Twenty
boys and girls were injured last
night when ttoe orphan asylum in
this city was blown over during the
terrific hurr'cane which swept this
city along with the other cities on
the gulf.
Ths building in which the children
was housed was old and the terrific
winds soon played havoc with it, final
ly crumbling it into kindling wood.
Most of the children were hurried
into a larger and more substantial
structure near by, but twenty of the
boys and girls were hurt and some
of them seriously.
An investigation will be made by
the state officials because of the lack
of care for the wards of the state.
REPORT II EARLY NEXT WEEK
PRESIDENT TO ASK FOR $5,000,000 THIS WEEK AS SESSION IS NOW
DRAWING NEAR ITS CLOSE^SOME OBJECTION HAS DEVELOP- *
ED BUT EXPECTED TO BE OVERCOME—PLUMS FOR DEMOS.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 1.—President
Wilson will ask congress for an ap
propriation of money to' start the
construction of a railroad in Alaska
from the coast to the interior. The
announcement was made late Satur
day night and is believed to be au
thentic. Just how much money will
be asked for is not stated. Various
estimates have been made, but the
opinion generally held is that the
president will request the appropria
tion of $5,000,000. The work is to
be pushed at once because of the de
sire of the administration to have the
use of the coal in Alaska for the
navy in case of trouble between this
country and a foreign power.
The report of the Alaska Engineer
ing Commission, composed of Messrs.
Edes, Mears and Riggs, is expected
next week, but the president will
make his request for the appropria
tion and ureg its lmedlate passage,
because of the lateness of the pres
ent session, which is now drawing
near its close and should the asking
of the appropriation be delayed much
longer the danger of Its not pass
ing would be great, as some opposi
tion has developed among congress
men who have not been able to se
cure money for work in their own
districts and look with disfavor up
on the spending of government funds
in Alaska.
The certainty that the building of
a railroad in Alaska will provide
many fat jobs for hungry Democrats
may aid in its passage. While the
administration is interested in the
economic side of the question and
believes that the building of a gov
ernment road will not only open for
development the large coal and oth
er mineral deposits of the territory
and the certainty that the cheap coal
will be of great benefit to the Pacific
coast states and the navy, the politi
cal pot hunters see in It an oppor
tunity for many fat jobs similar to
those which the Republicans had
during the building of the Panama
canal.
WHEAT IS STILL
CUMUIC HIGHER
CHICAGO. Feb. 1.—Wheat still ad
vances. The continued buying orders
from abroad cause the brokers to ex
pect the advance will soon reach $2.
Agents here from Great Britain have
orders for 60,000,000 bushels of wheat,
but they dare not place the orders
until the market becomes more calm,
as heavy buying orders now would
result in a panic. Great Britain has
been buying heavily and has been
storing millions of bushels of wheat
in England in case of a temporary
blockading of the ports of England
by the German submarines. In or
der not to push the market up the
Bellgan Relief Commission now pur
chase wheat from the Armour com
pany.
Orpheum Photo Plays.
Tonight at the Orpheum something
extra interesting in the two-part dra
ma, "From Father To Sor/ featur
ing Robert Leonard and Betty Schade.
This drama is one of the best put
out by the Rex company. "Misplaced
Love,” with Peart White, is a most
laughable melodrama.
"From Father To Son," a Rex two
part drama at the Orpheum tonight.
ITALIANS DEMAND
CHEAPER BREAD
ROME, Feb. 1.—The people are pro
testing against the high cost of bread
in this country and have become so
threatening that the government to
day abolished the tax on wheat im
ports which has been maintained in
spite of jthe war and the fact that
the crop returns of last year were
poor. The government must look
elsewhere for a substitute tax in or
<Jer to keep up the expense of gov
ernment and to pay the cost of mob
ilization of Ahe troops. It is now
thought almost certain that Italy will
be forced into the.war by the action
of the people. The government, how
ever, is making every effort to pre
vent any overt act and to cool the
temper of the populace.
LOCAL BREVITIES.
Representative Robert Gray is in
Valdez from Katalla.
Olaf Olson arrived in town this
morning from the Sealey-Davis prop
erty.
Dr. M. O. Adams, the Valdez den
tist left on the steamer Mariposa for
Seattle. The doctor will be gone
about six weeks.
CARPATHIAN BATTLE BEGINS,
MISTBUNS ARE REINFORCED
BATTLE 18 BEING FOUGHT BETWEEN OUKLA AND WY8ZK0W PASS
—FATE OF AUSTRIA-HUNGARY IS IN THE BALANCE—GERMANS
SEND MANY ARMY CORP8 TO AID THEIR ALLIE8—RUSSIANS
REPORT GAINS IN EA8T PRUSSIA BUT ADMIT ADVANCE IS SLOW
AND COSTLY—RUSSIANS HAVE BEEN DOING GREAT DAMAGE
TO TURKISH SHIPPING IN THE BLACK 8EA—IS AUSTRIA’S
LAST HOPE.
PETROGRAD, Feb. 1.—The battle
that will In all probability decide the
fate of the Gallcian-Hungarian cam
paign is now on in the Carpathian
region between the pass at Dukla and
that at Wyszkow, in the Carpathian
mountains. The battle will be one
of the greatest In the present war as
immense bodies of men are engaged.
The Russians have been massing
troops for weeks and have been gath
ering in the scattered units to con
centrate the strength of the empire
in a terrific smash at the Austrian
German line protecting Hungary.
The battle started several days ago
with a success for tflxe Russians.
The Germans have since that time
sent large bodies of troops to rein
force the line and are prepared to
give battle to the advancing Rus
sians.
Hungary’s Fate In Balance.
The fate of Hungary is in the bal
ance. The victor of the battle now
being fought will determine which
nation can occupy the plains of Hun
gary, as the battle is being fought
on the last natural line for defense
that remains to the Austrians. From
the Carpathian mountains the level
plains give little opportunity for de
fensive work and the Cossacks will
sweep Hungary from, end to end if
successful in the present conflict.
Russian Victories In East Prussia.
The war office announces that
while the progress has been slow in
East Prussia the advance has con
tinued in spite of the entanglements
and field trenches and forts built by
the enemy to allow for the delaying
of the czar’s armies. Several minor
victories have been reported. The
Russian advance in three columns is
being made in order to force Gen.
Hlndenburg to hold a large part of
his forces in Prussia and not send
them to Galicia to oppose the Rus
sians operating in that region.
Russian Victories In Black Sea.
The admiralty continue to report
successes for the Russian Black Sea
fleet and Turkish shipping has suf
fered heavily as a result of the cap
tures. The two German cruisers
Goeben and Breslau are both in dry
dock at the Golden Horn, as they
were damaged in the battle of two
weeks ago.
No Changes In Caucasus.
In the Transcaucasus district no
changes have been reported. The
Turks reformed and strengthened are
now advancing upon the Russian po
sitions. German officers command
them. German artillery is being used
by the Turks and the Sultan’s army
has been thoroughly Germanized.
Russian Stake Tremendous.
The Russians have at stake the
winnings of the present campaign in
Galicia as defeat would force the
evacuation of Galicia, one of the rich
est provinces in Europe and an em
pire in itself with large natural re
sources of coal, oil and copper. This
province is now in the hands of the
czar’s soldiers.
Austria’s Last Hope.
The Austrian empire will be forced
to sue for peace if defeated in the
present engagement. The Hungarians
are now on the verge of demanding
an end to the war at the price of
Galicia and were only appeased by
the concentrating of large forces of
troops from the German-Poland
frontier in the Carpathian passes.
If the battle goes against the com
bined Austro-German forces the Hun
garians are expected to force Emper
or Joseph to sue for peace. Grand
Duke Nicholas, realizing the condi
tions, is making the supreme effort
of the campaign to strike terror in
to the hearts of the enemy and bring
the war to a speedy conclusion.
BREAK UP PUBLIC MASS MEETING
■■■ ■ ...... i *
%
EFFORTS OF SENATORS AND BUSINESS MEN OF ITALY TO ESTAB
LISH NEUTRAL LEAGUE CONSISTING OF ITALY, RUMANIA AND
GREECE FAIL8—MOBS PARADE STREETS DEMAND WAR.
ROME, Feb. X.—A mass meeting
called by the members of the Sen
ate and by prominent men in busi
ness and political life in this country
for the purpose of starting a move
ment to keep Italy out of the pres
ent European war, was broken up by
the mobs which invaded the meet
ing and demanded that the govern
ment declare war immediately upon
Austria and recover the provinces
now held by that country, but which
are inhabited largely by Italians.
The meeting had hardly been start
ed before the mobs came from every
direction carrying the flags of the
French, British and Belgium countries
and cheering for the Allies and de
manding war at once. The police and
soldiers were immediately sent to the
scene and succeeded in dispersing the
mobs, using bayonets, and as a re
sult many are in the hospitals now
suffering with cuts. The charge of
the cavalry into the mob was all that
forced them to give ground, but as
the horses started to gallop for the
crowds they broke and ran and many
were hurt In the rush for safety.
The senators who are in favor of
remaining neutral suggested that It
aly and Rumania and possibly Greeae
make an alliance agreeing to remain
neutral. The suggestion was hissed
by the mob.
173,200 Under Arms In Mexico.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 1.—The var
ious Carranza, Villa and Zapata arm
ies now operating in Mexico, accord
ing to figures given out by the Mex
ican Information Bureau in this city
yesterday, total 173,200 men. The
same statement gives the population
of the republic as 13,463,600. In the
territory controlled completely by
Carranza 102,000 soldiers are record
ed. In the other states Villa is said
to have 36,500 men, Carranza 26,200,
and Zapata 9,500, or a total of 128,
200 for Carranza against 45,000 for
the convention.
Wireless Plant In Panama.
PANAMA. Feb. 1.—Both Panama
and the Canal zone police are en
gaged in an energetic search for, a
powerful wireless telegraphy outfit
that is believed to be in operation
in the vicinity of Panama City. The
wireless telegraph plant, which was
discovered on the top of a tall build
ing in the center of Panama on
Thursday last and destroyed by the
government authorities, proved to be
{only a receiving Instrument.