VOL 13 VALDEZ, ALA8KA,'■THURSDAY, APRIL 15, 1915. NO. 98.
GERMANS THREATEN
MAKE REPRISALS
Jf British Treat the Crews of Cap
tured Submarines As
Pirates.
LONDON, April 15.—The announce
ment made by the British press that
the admiralty intended to treat as
pirates the members of the German
submarines which operate against
merchant vessels has caused the kai
ser’s government to make a strong
protest to neutral governments, which
protest has been forwarded to the
British government. The Germans
threaten revenge upon British prison
ers if the threat is carried out and
insist that man for man they will
hang a British prisoner for every
German hung by the British.
The loss of the British steamer
Fiabia with a death toll of 116 non
combatants has aroused public opin
ion here to such an extent that the
demand for swift punishment of the
German sea raiders who have failed
to obey the laws of nations that were
been in force before the present war,
may force the hand of the govern
ment.
Knute Knowland, J. C. Hansen and
Bill Sansbury were arrivals last night
from the Granite mine, where they
have been employed.
Men’s negligee and dress shirts—
new patterns and styles—at Blum's.
DESPERATE FRENCH ATTACKS ARE REPULSED
French Defeated
BERLIN, April 15—The attacks by
the French upon the German posi
tions near Reims, northwest of Ver
dun and south southeast of St. Ml
hiel, and east of Thann, have been
repulsed. The enemy, believing that
the line had been weakened to
strengthen the Austrians in the Car
pathians, sent in a general attack up
on the German line, bringing on a
general engagement which threaten
ed to extend the entire length of the
western battle-line.
Attacking Force Lost Heavily.
The attacking force lost heavily.
The concealed batteries of the Ger
man force cut them to pieces. Re
ports Indicate that fully 20,000 were
killed. The French finally withdrew
to the trenches.
Line Remains Unbroken.
The western line remains unchang
ed in spite of the assaults of the en
emy by superior numbers.
Renew Attack On Ossowetz.
The war office announces that the
attacks upon Ossowetz have been re
newed by Gen. von Hindenburg, who
Is sending in strong infantry attacks
upon the Russian trenches, while
shelling the stationary forts with the
big siege guns. Several of the Rus
sian forts have been reduced by the
bombardment which has been under
way for twenty-four hours.
Fighting In East Prussia.
The fighting has been resumed in
East Prussia. Gen. von Hindenburg
is determined that the Russians shall
not weaken the northern line in an ef
fort to send more Troops against the
Austrians in the Carpathian moun
NAVY DIVERS REACH THE F-4
RREAK DEEP DIVING RECORD
NAVY EXPERTS GO TO DEPTH OF 290 FEET AND FIND SUNKEN
SUBMARINE WHICH IS REPOR TED CRUSHED BY WEIGHT OF
WATER—START WORK OF RA ISING SHIP AS SOON AS SURVEY
OF WRECK IS COMPLETED—NEW DEEP 8EA DIVING BELL RE
PORTED AS WORKING NICELY —200 FEET DEPTH FAR AS IS CON
SIDERED SAFE.
* HONOLULU, April 16.—Tests made
here yesterday with the diving ap
paratus brought to this city upon the
U. S. cruiser Maryland demonstrat
ed that the naval gunners can de
scend 240 feet to work on the sunk
en submarine F-4, which went down
on December 26th in this harbor.
Special ; appliances were taken
across the United States from the
Brooklyn navy yard by Chief Gunner
G. D. Stillman and his party of deep
sea divers. The Maryland took the
party from San Francisco and came
here under forced draft, making fast
time.
The repression tank in use by the
divers weighs 5,460 pounds and is
one of the largest belonging to the
navy. The divers now using it have
descended 274 feet in Long Island
sound with the equipment. The sub
marine lies on the ocean bed 240 feet
below-the surface Salvage compan
ies rarely work at a depth over 200
feet as it Is considered dangerous.
The navy engineers expect to place
steel cables around the submarine and
then, by the aid of pontoons and the
boat take the submarine into shal
low water.
HONOLULU, April 16.—The navy
divers operating off the mouth of
this harbor in an effort to reach and
raise the sunken submarine F-4, broke
all records this morning by diving to
a depth of 290 feet, where they reach
ed the submarine and found the great
weignt of water had crushed in the
sides of the boat. It is believed tho
ship is full of water. Only an in
complete survey of the boat was made
as the divers could not remain long
at the great depth at which they are
forced to work The new diving bell
used oy the Navy Department has
been found to work perfectly. The
survey will be completed tomorrow
and the work of raising the ship
started. Heavy steel cables will be
firmly tied to the ship and it will be
slowly lifted to the surface, while be
ing pulled towards shallow water as
It is taken from the mud bottom.
MOTHER POISONS
HER TOUR CHILDREN
^ SPOKANE, April 15.—Mrs. Duther
Leonard poisoned her four young
children and herself today because
of despondency. The little children
were huddled about the dead mother,
to whom they had gone for shelter
when the poison commenced to act.
All were dead when discovered.
W. D. Cushing was admitted as a
patient to the Valdez hospital, suffer
ing with diabetes.
BLUE RIBBONITES TO
MEET IN SKAGWAY
SKAGWAY, April 15—The Wo
man’s Christian Temperance Union
of Alaska will meet in this city on
May 14th and start an active cam
paign to have Alaska go dry.
Captain Austin Lathrop, the Cor
dova “movie” man, passed through
last night on the Admiral Watson.
It Is reported that Captain Lathrop
will open a big show house in the
westward town and will secure the
finest films obtainable on the Pacific
coast and also a number of high
class vaudeville artists.
Ladies, see the new arrivals of
Kayser’s silk hose at Blum’s. tf
FAIL TO BREAK DOWN GERMAN LINE IN NORTHERN FRANCE—
ZEPPELINS RAID ENGLAND AND DROP BOMBS NEAR NEWCAS
TLE SHIP YARDS—BRITISH POUNDING AWAY AT DARDANELLES
FORTS—RUSSIANS ADVANCIN G IN CARPATHIAN—BRITISH HAVE
LOST 114,000 MEN—GERMANS'PROTEST AGAINST TREATMENT
TO SUBMARINE CREWS AND THREATEN REPRISALS.
tains. To prevent them doing so he
has ordered renewed fighting from
the Baltic sea to southern Poland,
while the Austrian forces have re
sumed the offensive in Bukowina at
the extreme southern end of the east
ern battle-line.
Zeppelins Raid England.
LONDON, April 15.—The German
admiralty sent a number of the new
Zeppelins to raid British towns. The
attack was directed mostly against
Newcastle, on the Tyne river, where
the big ship yards are located. Scores
of bombs were dropped but most ot
them landed across the river from the
yards and did little damage.
Coast Cities Damaged.
While the effort to reach the
yards was made in vain the aviators
succeeded in dropping a number of
bombs upon the coast cities and some
property loss is recorded. The coast
guards were able to drive the Zep
pelins away and they returned to
HOLDUPS STEAL
TONS OF FREIGHT
Ten Masked Men Stop N. Y. Central
Train Near Buffalo and Steal
Auto Loads of Freight.
BUFFALO, N. Y„ April 15.—Ten
masked men held up a freight train
on the New York Central railroad
near here, stole ten big auto truck
loads of freight from the cars, which
they broke open and then escaped and
have not been apprehended by the po
lice, who have been searching for
the gang which carried out the bold
est theft of modern times.
The train crew were stood up
against the cars and held at the
point of a gun, while the balance
of the men unloaded from the cars
the freight they wanted. Shipments
of rich silks were taken, the men
loading the cases on the big autos,
which left for parts unknown as soon
as they had been loaded. The bandits
disabled the engine so that it could
not be run to town and it was some
time before the news of the robbery
reached police headquarters in this
city. The police sent scores of men
to the scene of the robbery in high
power automobiles to search for the
missing goods and arrest the ban
dits, but they have failed to secure
a clue.
The freight stolen was worth many
thousands of dollars.
BUFFALO, N. Y., April 15—An in
vestigation made by the railroad of
hcials and the police resulted in plac
ing the loss to the company at fully
150,000. The holdup rqen seemed to
know which of the packages contain
ed loot of value, thus indicating that
it was an inside job and that men
in the employ of the railroad are in
on the steal.
ALASKA STEAMER
SINKU LAUNCH
SEATTLE, April 15.—The Alaska
steamer Spokane, bound from this
city to the north, ran down a small
launch near Anacortes this morning
and the only occupant in the small
boat was drowned in spite of the ef
forts of the crew of the Spokane to
reach him with the life boat. The
launch was cut in two and it is be
lieved that the unknown man in the
boat was hit by the flying debris and
killed. After a search of an hour
the boat continued on her way north.
Lieut. Dougherty reached Tonsina
last night on his return to Valdes
after a visit to all the telegraph
stations between the coast and Fair
banks. The lieutenant also went to
Mantasta pass. •
Subscribe for the Daily Prospector.
FREIGHT TRAIN HITS
A TROLL! CAR
Ten Women and Three Men Killed
' and Others Injured—Trolley
Conductor Is Blamed.
DETROIT, April 15.—-Ten women
and three men were killed here to
day and many injured as the result
of a grade crossing accident. The
dead and injured were passengers od
a street car which was hit by a fast
freight and the car and its occupants
were thrown many feet. The freight
train was brought to a stop and sev
eral bodies which had been caught
on the engine and on the wheels of
the first car were taken off and the
crew worked to save any in the
wreck who might be still living.
The call for doctors soon brought
a number to the scene and the in
jured were rushed to hospitals. Sev
eral of them will die as they were
badly crushed.
The engineer of the freight says
that he had a clear track and did not
know the trolley was coming, as it
was the place of the conductor of the
street car to stop his car and see
that the crossing was safe. The us
ual whistle for the crossing had been
given, he claims, and he was sur
prised when the trolley shot on the
track just in front of the engine,
which could not be reversed in time,
although the breaks were immediate
ly applied.
An Investigation is sure to be made
by the police.
Tony Wendler, who made the trip
to Seward as soon as the announce
ment of the selection of the west
ward town as the terminus for the
government railroad Was made, re
turned this morning and reports con
siderable activity in Seward.
CAUGHT A TROUT
AND THEN DIES
* TACOMA, April 15.—James Bailey,
a 50-year-old follower of Isaac Wal
ton, died of heart failure in themoun
tains near here as a result of excite
ment following the capture of a 22
inch trout which he had just landed
after a fight of twenty minutes.
Friends who were with the fisherman
saw him fall and rushed to his assist
ance but found him dead with the
big trout at his feet.
Robert McChesney, of the Pros
pector stafT, left on the Admiral
Watson for Seattle to secure medical
attention for his foot, which was
crushed two years ago at Port Wells.
M,r. McChesney will return In a few
weeks.
Bill Trout returned from sound
points last evening.
Germany, crossing the North sea high
above the fleet. One of the airships
tried to sink a dreadnought, but be
cause of the great height from which
the bombs were dropped they missed
the boat
Ships In Dardanelles.
The admiralty announces that a
British torpedo boat, supported by
one cruiser, has penetrated the Dar
danelles as far as the forts have been
bombarded. The Turkish forts fail
ed to attack the boats, indicating that
they have been silenced as a result
of the terrific shelling they have been
subject to for the past day. Both
boats, however, were slightly damag
ed by long range shots fired by forts
further up the waterway which have
not been subject to the fire of the
fleet.
Russian Advance Continues.
PETROGRAD, April 15.—The ad
vance of the Russian troops through
the Carpathian passes continues. The
positions near Bartfeld have been
strongly entrenched and strengthened
by the arrival at the front of re
serve troops from Lemberg.
Austrians Receive Reinforcements.
It is also certain that the Germans
have strongly reinforced the Austri
ans holding the passes and that new
batteries of field guns have been sent
them. The result has been a terrific
bombardment of the Russian positions
, by the Austrian and German forces.
The bombardment, however, has not
been followed by infantry attacks, as
(Continued on page 2.)
__
Pioneers, Attention!
The ladles auxiliary of the Pioneers
of Alaska will hold a meeting next
Friday in Pioneer hall. The mem
bers of Igloo No. 7 are requested to
attend as business of importance will
be taken up for consideration.
Admiral Watson Goes South.
The Admiral Watson reached Val
dez this morning from the westward
and sailed south at 4 o’clock.
J. Oliver was a passenger on the
launch B. F. M. from Hobo bay, where
he has mining interests. He reports
the snow all gone from the beach and
to an elevation of several hundred
feet.
H. M. Saling has rented the Wheat
residence on Sawdust alley and is
moving into the house today.
PROSPERITY HERE~
SAYS BANKER
Head of Reserve Bank Board Reach
es Seattle and Says Good Times
Are Coming.
SEATTLE, April 15.—Charles Sum
ner Hamlin, governor of the Federal
Reserve Board, reached this city to
day and in an interview given out
upon his arrival stated that every
thing pointed to better times and he
predicted that the United States was
about to start upon an epoch of pros
perity such as was never heretofore
known in this country and that the
financial laws passed by congress
would make possible a greater meas
ure of development and an expansion
of business which all commercial bod
ies had been working for during the
past twenty years, but failed to ac
complish.
"From now on the United States
will be a lender of money to foreign
governments and will no longer be a
borrower,” said the Reserve Board
member. “The American banks will
extend operations to the countries of
South America direct and will no
longer depend upon London banks
for transfers of money to foreign
countries."
Our first spring shipment of Stet
son hats in the latest models arrived
on last boat. Your inspection solicit
ed. S. Blum & Co. tf
HEADQUARTERS AT SHIP CREEK
IS R. R. COMMISSION PLAN
LIEUT. MEARS LEAVES SEATTLE ON ADMIRAL EVANS TODAY—
HAS TEN EMPLOYES OF COMMISSION WITH HIM AND WILL ES
TABLISH HEADQUARTERS AT SHIP CREEK—POSTMASTER FOR
KNIK—BUILD WHARF AND WAREHOUSES AT ONCE—MACHIN
ERY COMING NORTH ON MARIPOSA, WHICH LEAVES SUNDAY
—MORE OF COMMISSION’S E MPLOYES ON MARIPOSA.
SEATTLE, April 15—Lieut. Mears
of the Alaska engineering commission,
who reached this city some time ago,
will leave here on the Admiral Evans
tonight for Ship Creek to start the
work of the commission for the com
ing year. Ten employes of the com
mission will accompany him on the
trip and the steamer will have her
capacity of freight, part of which will
go to Ship Creek, where the commis
sion will start to establish headquar
ters and plan for the work.
The plans of the commission are
to establish headquarters at Ship
Creek, build warehouses and docks,
start a townsite and commence the
building of the road towards the Mat
anuska coal fields.
The commission has requested the
appointment of a postmaster at Ship
Creek, and it isi expected that Post
master General Burleson will name
a man in a few days. Some reports
are that a member of the commis
sion’s staff will be made postmaster.
A big shipment of freight for Ship
Creek will go north on the Maripo
sa leaving here next Sunday. The
machinery has been bought and is
now arriving here from the east and
from Portland supply houses. The
material for a big wharf will be as
sembled at once.
The commission is trying to prevent
a rush north of men who expect to
secure work on the railroad, insist
ing that it will be months before
the big work will start and that the
facilities at Ship Creek are such that
if many people rush into the town
Jt will cause untold misery to those
who are without means, as employ
ment cannot be furnished to many.
The plan of building the road by
contract will result In the contractors
bringing up the men they want, thus
preventing many who go to Alaska
from securing employment, while the
commission will employ Alaskans as
far as possible.
Forty employes of the commission
will go to Ship Creek and Knik on the
Mariposa.
LOCAL MILL SOON
STARTJP WORK
The Copper River Lumber company
will start work in a few days. Man
ager William Finical states that the
big raft of logs now in the mill pond
will be cut up. The raft scales 250,
000 feet. The demand for certain
sizes of lumber has been heavy and
the mill yard is out of sizes. The
company will employ twenty men.
Charles Fowlkes, assayer for the
Granite Gold Mining company, reach
ed Valdez last evening from the mine
and will remain in town until Mon- **
day morning.