__ „„ VALDEZ, ALASKA, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1915 NO. 1
WvJLUMJli lo _
SUBMARINE BIDS
OPEN THURSDAY
Two of Coast Guards will be Con
structed on the Pacific to Re
main in These Waters.
WASHINGTON, D. C., Sept. 29.—
It has been announced by the navy
department that the bids for the con
struction of sixteen submarines au
thorized by the last session of con
gress will be opened Thursday next.
Scores of bids have been received by
the department from the big steel
manufacturers who are anxious to se
cure the government contracts for
building the undersea fighters of the
United States navy. Two of the sub
marines will be built on the Pacific
as authorized in the appropri
ation.
The submarines will be construct
ed along different lines than the old
/ eesaels and will be modern in every
f particular, giving them a wider range
vot action.
Some of the undersea additions to
the navy will be sufficiently large to
permit of their cruising across the
Atlantic as convoys for battleships.
The submarines to be constructed on
the Pacific will remain on the Pacific
roast.
II. S. TROOPS MAY
INVADE MEXICO
Mexican Raiders Escape Punishment
By Crossing Border and Then
.Battle With Troops.
WASHINGTON, D. C., Sept. 29.—
Col. Blocksom, commanding the U.
S. cavalry along the Texas border,
near Progreso, wherfe Mexican ban
dits have made numerous raids over
the border, has wired the war de
partment that he may have to follow
the bandits across the line into Mex
ico in order to punish them and pre
vent a repetition of the raids.
The Mexican bandits have been
able to evade the vigilance of the
\border patrol by crossing into Texas
individually and then forming raid
ing parties along lonely ranches.
When attacked they decamp for the
border and from Mexico engage the
United States troops in long range
warfare.
The officials of the department, it
Is believed, will order Col. Blocksom
to prevent any invasion of Mexico at
the present time owing to the Pan
American conferees being in session
devising plans for the restoration of
peace for the waT-torn Mexican re
public. It is feared that should the
tmvalry patrol invade Mexico to pun
ish the bandits that fighting will be
come general on both sides of the line
and that Intervention will be forced
upon Presidential Wilson.
POPE WILL ASK FOR
TRUCE ON ALL SAINTS.
ROME, Sept. 29.—It is reported
that pope Benedict is endeavoring to
prevail upon the warring nations of
Snrope to declare a truce on All
Saints day, November 1. It is re
ported that the Austrian emperor has
agreed to suspend hostilities if the
other nations are agreed to the truce.
It iB the hope of the Pope that the
Balkan states can yet be prevented
from entering the struggle and he is
using every endeavor to prevent open
hostilities and urging delay.
FAIRBANKS PRISONER
J has been captured.
FAIRBANKS, Sept. 29.—Amos
Sprunger, who escaped from the Jail
guard a few days ago while working
in the garden of the Detention hos
pital, and for whom deputies and
posses of citizens have been scouring
tfas district, has been captured 35
»ih. down the Tanan river. The
prisoner was captured by an Indian,
and the native will receive the re
ward of $50 offered by Marshal Er
win lor Sprunger’s capture.
PETROGRAD REPORTS FORTY THOUSAND
GERMAN TROOPS DROWNED NEAR PINSK
PETROGRAD, Sept. 29.—By flood
ing the marshes near Pinsk the Rus
sians have succeeded in trapping and
drowning forty thousand of the first
line German troops on the eastern
frontier. The strategy of the Rus
sian generals in leading the Germans
into the trap has only been equalled
during the present war when General
Hindenburg trapped the Russian
army in the Mazurian lakes district
last winter. It is reported that forty
thousand German troops, with their
entire equipments, were swallowed
up in the marshes when the water
was turned on the low land, causing
the ground to become a quagmire.
The news of the annihilation of the
German troops in the marshes has
been authentically announced by the
war office, and offers an explanation
for the reported checking of the Ger
GERMANS WERE LED lfc’TO TRAP IN THE RUSSIAN MARSHES AND
DROWNED WHEN LOW LANDS W’ERE SUBMERGED.—LOST MEN
WERE PICK OF GERMAN FORCES ON EASTERN BATTLE FRONT.
PARIS REPORTS GERMAN CASUALTIES ON W’ESTERN FRONT
REACHED 120,000 DURING THREE* DAYS’ FIGHTING.—BRITISH
TROOPS MAKE ADVANCE AT LOOS AND CAPTURE GERMAN
TRENCHES IN CHAMPAGNE COUNTRY—BRITISH TRANSPORT
SUNK WITH ALL ON BOARD.
mans in their advance into Russia
south of Pinsk.
German Casualities Heavy.
PARIS, Sept. 29.—The war office
has estimated that the German cas
ualties on the western battle front
since the Allies’ drive was inaugu
rated three days ago have reached
120,000 men, not including the num
ber of prisoners captured. Desper
ate engagements are reported to be
raging along the Flanders and Bel
gian frontiers, where the British
troops have captured a number of
German positions.
British Transport Sunk.
CONSTANTINOPLE, Sept. 29.—
A British transport, carrying rein
forcements to the Allies at the Dar
danelles was sunk by a German sub
marine and it is reported that not a
man of the thousands on the trans
port escaped. The sinking of the
transport has been officially reported
to Berlin by the officer commanding
the submarines.
British Capture German Line.
LONDON, Sept. 29.—Dispatches
from the front state that during the
night British troops succeeded in
capturing the second line of German
trenches at Hullock Loos, after des
perate fighting.
French Claim Advance.
PARIS, Sept. 29.—The war office
has announced that the French troops
have made substantial gains over the
Germans in the Champagne district
and east of Souchez.
INVESTIGATING THE
SU8NURIHE GRAFT
*
Charges Have Been Made that Pre
mier McBride Permitted Graft
In Submarine Purchase!
SEATTLE, Sept. 29.—The mem
bers of the Canadian commission ap
pointed by Premier Borden to inves
tigate the scandal which has develop
ed in connection with the purchase of
two submarines by Premier McBride,
of British Columbia, from the Seattle
Drydock and Construction company
here, have arrived in Seattle and will
immediately begin taking testimony.
Charges have been preferred
against Premier McBride that he au
thorized the purchase of two subma
rines built in Seattle for the Chilian
government, when he knew that the
agents of the British Columbia gov
ernment were grafting to the extent
of $500,000 in making the deal.
The submarines, which were built
for Chili, were to cost the South
American nation $1,000,000 each,
and when settlement for the vessels
i _j - l n. „ T> mi liriVi PaIii ni hio
uiuui/ vj - -
government, the price had been rais
ed to $1,250,000 each. The officials
of the Seattle Construction & Dry
dock company state that they are pre
pared to disclose their books to the
commission covering the transaction.
Premier McBride has admitted that
there may possibly have been graft
practiced in connection with the pur
chase of the submarines, but if so he
was not cognizant of it when the pur
chase was effected.
The submarines were bought after
the war had started, and at a time
when it was feared that German
cruisers were to attack British Colum
bia coast cities, and was an alleged
violation of international law, which
provides that no nation may sell war
vessels to another nation in time of
war. The transaction was rushed
through without the usual delibera
tion.
FAIRBANKS ANTIMONY
BE FREIGHTED TO COAST.
Fairbanks exchanges state that an
timony ore from Si Scrafford’s mine'
on Treasure creek, Fairbanks district,
will be shipped over the road to Chit
ina during the winter months, owing
to the strong demand for the metal
due to the European war. The N. C.
Co., which carries the interior mall,
will operate auto trucks and has of
fered Scrafford a low rate to bring
the ore to the end of the Copper Riv
er railroad, at Chitina. The trucks
would otherwise make the trip to the
coast practically empty. Scrafford
mine is turning out about 25 tons
per day with a force of thirty-two
men working. The-trucks to be used
by the N. C. Co. are of the Jeffrey
Quad type.
James Millsap, deputy United
States Marshal at McCarthy return
ed to his home on the Evans this
morning.
ITALIANS LOSE
BIG BATTLESHIP
Explosion in Magazine Destroys the
Warship and Admiral and Most
of Crew of 811 Perish.
PARIS, Sept. 49.—The Italian bat
tleship Benedetto Brin, which was
on service guarding the Adriatic
coast of Italy, was destroyed yester
day by a fire which caused her mag
azine to explode. Admiral Rubin
derverin and hundred of her crew
were killed by the explosion or were
drowned when the battleship sank.
The warship carried a crew of 811
men and it is reported that few were
saved. The survivors, who were
picked up by small boats, are unable
to account for the origin of the fire
in the hold of the battleship.
The Benedetto Brin was one of the
older type of warships of the Italian
navy, having entered service in 1898.
She carried a complement of 811 men
and was built at a cost of $5,750,000.
Her armament consisted of four 12
inch, four 8-inch, twelve 6-inch, six
teen 3-inch and eight smaller guns,
and was rated at having a speed of
19 knots per hour.
EUGENE SCHMITZ
IS MED DOWN
Mayor Rolph of San Francisco Re
nominated at Primaries Yester
day—Bribery is Charged.
SAN FRANCISCO. Sept. 29.—At
the primaries yesterday in this city
Mayor James Rolph was overwhelm
ingly renominated over Eugene
Schmitz, the former labor leader who
was convicted of having grafted from
the city. The primaries were keenly
contested from the opening to the
close of the polls and a heavy vote
was cast.
Charges of bribery and illegal vot
ing has been made by both sides. Rev.
Fysh, who has taken an active part
in securing the defeat of Schmitz has
been arrested in connection with the
reported. The labor element, which
formerly kept Schmitz in power, fail
ed to give him their support and it is
believed that the poor showing made
by him will effectively convince him
that he has lost his control over the
city’s affair*.
' MBS'" "•' " ’" '
Lieut. t$*gherty, who is making
a trip of iMpection 0f the telegraph
stations innls division between Val
dez and Fairbanks, was at McCal
lum’s roadhouse, on the delta, last
night.
WILSON REVIEWS
THE GRAND ARMY
Men Who Fought for Country Fifty
Years Ago Pass In Review Be
fore President Wilson.
WASHINGTON. Sept. 29.—Thirty
thousand of the two hundred thou
sand veterans who marched in review
before President Andrew Johnson
fifty years ago today paraded' on
Pennsylvania avenue today and were
reviewed by President Wilson. The
aged veterans, many of whom were
unable to walk, rode in autos. Their
numbers are fast becoming fewer as
the years roll past.
President Wilson has accepted the
invitation of the Grand Army of the
Republic to lay the corner stone of
the new amphitreatres in the Arling
ton National Cemetery across the Po
tomac river from Washington, during
the encampment ceremonies tomor
row.
Ten of the twenty-nine survivors
of the Union Light Brigade, of Ohio,
which acted as President Lincoln’s
mounted escort from December, 1863,
until his assassination, took part in
the parade today. Many of them are
crippled and unable to walk and rode
in automobiles.
DEPUTIES SHOOT
ESCAPED COHWCJ
Refused to Surrender When Discov
ered Under Floor of House Near
Scene of His Crimes.
ALBANY, Ore., Sept. 29.—The
convict who escaped from the Salem
penitentiary yesterday after having
killed Superintendent Harry Minto
and one of the prison guards in his
break for liberty, has been killed by
deputies. He refused to surrender
when discovered under a farm house
near the penitentiary.
When the convict was discovered
the deputies ordered him from his re
treat but he refused and being still
armed with the gun taken from the
dead guard, the deputies were ordered
to fire their rifles under the floor.
The convict was serving a lifetime
sentence before he made his break
for liberty.
Mrs. P. D. Blodgett, wife of the
well known Kodiak canneryman, was
a through passenger on the Evans to
Seattle.
Thomas Noyes and wife of the
Shushanna district werd passengers
on the Evans to Juneau this morn
ing.
GREGORY SAYS THE
SEAMAN'S ACT FAILS
Holds that Regulations Governing
American Ships Will Not Apply
to Foreign Ships.
WASHINGTON, D. C., Sept. 29.—
Charges that the seaman’s act has
imposed further burdens on Ameri
can shipping, putting them at still
greater disadvantages in competing
with foreign vessels under lighter
regulations, have been sustained by
Attorney General Gregory in an opin
ion recently made public.
The attorney general’s opinion
deals only with the section which re
quires additional life-saving appli
ances on foreign and domestic ships
leaving American ports, upholds
the ruling of Solicitor Thurman of
the Department of Commerce that the
only foreign ships affected by the sec
tion are private passenger ships reg
istered in countries not having regu
lations analogous to those of the
United States and not extending a
similar courtesy to American inspec
tions.
This ruling will come as a heavy
blow to Senator I.a Follette and his
friends, who argued that the require
ments as to lifeboats, which have
been attacked as burdensome by all
American shipping interests, would
fall lust as fully on foreign ships. In
that way, they said, the act would
really tend to equalize competitive
conditions. As Mr. Gregory leaves
the meaning of the word "approxi
mate,” as used in comparing foreign
with American regulations, vague, it
is supposed that the old custom will
be followed of holding nearly all reg
ulations intended for the same pur
pose “approximate” to those of the
United States.
TEXAS RAIDERS ARE
ROVING BANDITS.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 29.—It is re
ported that General Funston, com
manding the army patrol along the
Mexican border, has reported to the
war department that the Mexicans
who invaded Texas and sacked the
town of Progreso, are not allied with
either the armies of General Carran
za or General Villa. They are roving
bands of outlaws, owning allegiance
to no recognized army and living off
the country.
Carranza officials have been stren
uous in their denials that Carrana
troops have participated In or encour
aged raids on the border. Despite
the denial of Carranza’s agents the
war department has received infor
mation that the Mexicans bands
which were chased by U. S. cavalry
patrols near Brownsville were a part
of his army.
C. G. Wulff, wife and family, left
on the Admiral Evans this morning
for their new home In Brooklyn. Be
fore going east they will visit the
San Francisco exposition and other
southern cities en route to the east.
DISPLAYS DEAD
AS A TROPH
Mexicans Place Head of United Stai
Private Killed on Border on
Pole as Insult to U. 8.
BROWNSVILLE, Sept. 29.—1
entire state is aflame with indigi
tion over the latest atrocity of t
raiding bands of Mexicans who hi
been invading the border towns a
engaging the U. S. troops in bat
across the Rio Grande. During
Mexican raid upon the border to
of Progreso, Private Richard J. Jol
son, a United States soldier, v
killed and his head severed from
body by the Mexicans.
The cavalry under command of C
Blocksom routed the Mexicans, w
fled across the border and plac:
Johnson’s head upon a pole, displ
ed it as a trophy of their raid. C
Blocksom refused to permit
troops to cross the border to pun
the murderers of their companion
General Punston has wired Pr<
dent Wilson that the officers will
unable to restrain the United Sta
troops from invading Mexico in p
suit Of the Mexicans and has expri
ed the belief that intervention is n
necessary as the Mexican raids are
daily occurrence.
SWANITZ AND WEST
COMING TO VALDE
Railroad Builder Declares Balia
Is Seeking Notoriety In Hl»
Suit for Damages.
SEATTLE, Sept. 29.—Col. Swan
the Alaskan raliroad builder, and
torney West, of San Francisco,
in Seattle en route to Valdez to
tend the case of the Alaska North
Railroad vs. John E. Ballaine, set
trial at Valdez early in October.
Col. Swanitz was connected v
the Alaskan Northern railroad d
ing the early days of its construct
out from Seward and will be an
portant witness in the case in wl
the railroad company is suing 1
laine for an interest in the Sew
townsite, claiming that the town
was purchased with money belong
to the railroad company.
Swanitz declares that Balia
who has filed a damage suit for
000,000 for defamation of charai
against the Alaska Northern offlci
is merely seeking notoriety, and
deavoring to scare the railroad >*'
cials from prosecuting their <
against him for the recovery of ;
townsite.
TEUTONS READY I
INVADE m
Army of 350,000 Men Reported Re
to Advance Upon Serbia from
Direction of Orsova.
I
I .
LONDON, Sept. 29.—The Lon'.
Times publishes a dispatch from?
correspondent at Belgrade stat
that a Teutonic army of 350,000 r
has been assembled in Southern J
tria to begin the invasion of Sen
as soon as Bulgaria is prepared
entrance into the struggle as an
of the Teutons.
The declaration of King Ferdln
of Bulgaria, that the mobllizatioi "
his army is not intended as an of
sive movement against the-other 1
kan states, is regarded as a mov
gain time by causing the mobilisa
of the Greek army.
J. Frank Warner, the well kn
government surveyor was a thro
passenger on the Evans.