*_ JZT " VALDEZ, ALASKA, TUESDAY, JANUARY 2, 101* *1 \ NUMBER 2
VOLUME XIV. _ _ 1
Incendiaries at work
BUSINESS SECTION NEARLY DESTROYED
* *
a- i ____
TWO RESIDENCES ARE BURNED
Homes of Anton Eide and John Nel
son Are Destroyed by Flames-—
Cause of Fire Is Unknown—Insur
ance About $3,000.
SEWARD, Jan. 2.—A Are of un
known origin destroyed the homes
of Anton Eide and John Nelson here
at an early hour this morning. The
loss is estimated at $8,000. Insur
ance on both places stated to b■>
about $3,000.
' KIM ME
I GROWSRftPIOLY
AS RESULT OF DEVELOPMENT
Alaska Steamship Preparing to take
1 Care* of Growing Demand for
Transportation — Purchased the
Steamship Stanley Dollar.
SEATTLE, Jan. 2.—The Alaska
trade with this city is greater than
at any time in the history of the ter
ritory, and promises to increase rap
• idly during the coming season, as a
1 result of the unprecedented develop
ment of the mines and fisheries of
the North. President Baxter, of the
Alaska Steamship Company, in an in
terview Saturday, stated that the
■commerce with the North was as
suming gigatic proportions, and that
the management of the company was
' making great preparations to care
j for the growing traffic. It is reported
[ that the company Saturday bought
■ the steamer Stanley Dollar and will
■ put the vessel on the Alaska freight
Lrun. The consideration for the steam
ship is not made public.
LAWSON GOING
TO THE CAPITAL
_n
ATTEMPT TO PROVE CHARGES
Lewfea Boston to Lay Before Con
i' gressman Proof that German Peace
Note Was Tipped Off to a Favored
Few Who Made Fortunes.
I WASHINGTON, D. C., Jan. 2.—
phomas Lawson, who charged that a
private tip was sent out from Wash
ington regarding the Germar peace
proposal, whereby certain favored
[persons were enabled to make for
tunes on the stock exchange and who
was advised to produce his proof or
keep quiet, left Boston yesterday, it
L reported, to bring his proofs to the
Lpital to submit them to members
If Congress.
Barry lauder’s son is
r vnian ON BATTLE FRONT
B LONDON, Jan. 2.—Captain John
Ijkf^er, & son fo Harry Lauder, the
Bated Scotch comedian, has been kill
on the front, somewhere in France,
■wording to a bulletin issued by the
lar department today.
BELLIGERENTS
DEADLOCKED
FIGHTING 18 AT A STANDSTILL
No Advance Made by Either Side Ex
cept in Rumania, Where Teutons
Are Still Advancing, Driving Rus
sians Before Them.
NEW YORK, Jan. 2.—A summary
of the news from the various thea
tres of war in Europe shows that the
belligerents are virtually deadlocked
everywhere except in Rumania, where
the Teutons are still progressing.
General von Mackensen is reported
to be pushing on toward the Danube,
his eastern flank having rolled the
Russians back from the bridgehead
at Braila. On the eastern side of the
river the Teuton line is approaching
Matchin. One thousand Russians
have been captured by the Teutons.
Fighting Transylvania.
BERLIN, Jan. 2.—Heavy fighting
is reported to be in progress in
Transylvania, where the Teutons
have entered the enemy’s trenches
and have pushed onward despite des
perate counter attacks of the Rus
sians. On the entire Rumanian front
the Russians have been driven back.
On the Verdun front the French have
made several attempts to retake the
positions captured by the Germans
last week, but without success.
MHL OUTPUT
FOR YEAR 1916
I
EXCEEDS $60,000,000 IN VALUE
Report of the United States Geologi
cal Survey Shows Territory Produc
ed 120,000,000 Pounds of Copper
Last Year.
WASHINGTON, D. C., Jan. 2, -
The United States Geological Survey
is preparing a report on the mineral
production of Alaska for the year of
1916. According to figures given out
by the Survey, the production for the
year was valued at $50,000,000, an
Increase of more than $18,000,000
lover the production of 1916. The Re
port will show that 120,000,000
pounds of copper was mined in the
territory in 1916, placing Alaska
fourth in the list of copper producing
districts.
MANY STEAMERS ARE
SUNK BY SUBMARINES
BERLIN, Jan. 2.—A bulletin is
sued by the Admiralty today states
that during the month ot November
thirty-eight hostile merchantmen, to
talling 314,000 tons, were sunk by
German submarines. Of these ves
sels 244,000 tons were British ves
sels and nertl vessels aggregating
94,000 tons were sunk.
HAGE PROMOTED TO
FIELD MARBHALSHIP
LONDON, Jan. 2.—General Hage,
commander of the British forces ou
the Somme front, has been raised to
the rank of Field Marshal in the
British Army as a reward for his gal
lant campaign against the Germans
in Eastern France.
The launch Tokeh Lou arrived In
town Monday afternoon from Ella
mar, Capt. John Johnson, in com
mand.
INSANE PATIENTS
BURNEDTO DEATH
MONTREAL INSTITUTION BURNS
rwenty Ilegrees Below Zero and Hy
drants are Frozen Cutting off the
Water Supply—Sister Dies Attempt
ing to Rescue Charge.
MONTREAL, Canada, Jan. 2.—
Forty-six women were cremated in a
Are which destroyed the insane asy
lum here late Saturday night. The
structure was occupied by one hun
dred and eighty women of unsound
mind as well as the attendants. The
building was without Are protection
and burned with great rapidity, cut
ting off the escape of many of the
unfortunates. A temperature of 20
degrees below zero prevailed, and it
was found that the hydrants adjac
ent to the building had frozen, cutt
ing off the water supply. One of the
Sisters, a nurse in the institution,
lost her life attempting to save her
charges.
The entire structure was destroy
ed, entailing a loss of more than
$100,000. An investigation into the
matter has been ordered to ascertain
who was responsible for the total
lack of Are protection in the insti
tution.
STILL HOPE FOB
A HENCE
OFFICIALS REFUSE TO TALK
Unofficial Opinion at the Capital is
Optimistic that Conference Between
Belligerents May Yet Be Arranged.
No News Obtainable.
WASHINGTON, D. C., Jan. 2.—
Official opinion regarding the En
tente reply to the German peace pro
posal is unobtainable, the officials re
fusing to make the slightest com
ment of the matter. In unofficial cir
cles the opinion is apparently still
optimistic that a conference may yet
be arranged.
DOES NOT AGREE WITH WILSON
Note to the President States that In
, tervention by Neutrals at this time
la Premature and Useless—Ger
man Terms Not Favorable.
MADRID, Spain, Jan. 2.—The
Spanish reply to the note of Presi
dent on the German Peace proposal
is not at all favorable. It is sa'd
that the note states that Spain con-,
aiders intervention by the neutral na
tions at this time to be both prema
ture and useless as Germans propo
sals are not considered favorable.
Sunday was the coldest day of the
year, tfce mercury standing at ten de
grees 4alow sero in Valdes. Yee
terday vhe thermometer recorded —<
below.
[EXT OE ENTENTE
N0TEJW5ID
1AY8 NO CHANCE FOR PEACE
Declares Germany's Proposal is Bas
ed on Present War Map—No terms
Considered Unless Including Rep
aration by Germany.
I
PARIS, Jan. 2.—The text of the
Entente Reply to the German peace
note has been given to the newspap
ers, which have devoted much space
to its publication and comments
thereon. The reply reviews the con
ditions leading up to the war, and
the present condition of the belli
gerents. It asserts the German pro
posal is nothing but a military man
euver, made by Germany in the hope
that the Entente Allies might be in
duced to accept a German made peace
and to disturb neutral opinion re
garding the conflict, hoping to place
the blame for the continuance of the
struggle upon the allies. The reply
states that peace is impossible with
out a complete reparation by Ger
many for all the damage done in Bel
gium, France, Serbia and the other
nations engaged, and binding guar
antees of permanent peace in Europe
and the free existence of the small
states recognized. Germany's peace
proposal is stated to be a sham offer
based on the war map of Europe as
it now stands. The note says this
is but a passing phase of the strug
gle and does not Indicate the full
strengh of the belligerents. Germany's
failure in her proposal to offer any
reparation for the damages inflicted
removes in advance any basis for
negotiations, as the Entente Allies
will not consider terms of peace
which do not include such repara
tion.
Allies in Accord
LONDON, Jan. 2.—Complete ac
cord prevailed among the represen
tatives of the Entente Powers over
the reply to the German peace pro
posal, the text of which was given to
the newspaper Sunday. The reply was
favorably commented upon by prac
tically every publication in London,
and the stand taken meets with the
approval of the newspapers, but the
general public as well. It is' admit
ted that the English people, as a
rule, would warmly welcome peace,
but no^ on any terms which might
be proposed at a conference conven
ed at this time as a result of the Ger
man proposal.
*->“»
Says Effort Insincere.
PARIS, Jan. 2.—The reply of the
Entente powers.to the German note
Is a flat refusal to consider the Ger
man proposition. Germany’s effort
is declared to be insincere and insuf
ficient and the suggestion for a con
ference is declared not a move for
peace, but a war maneuver. The at
tempt of the Germans to place the
blame for the war on the Entente
powers is strongly resented.
SAYS ENTENTE WILL
BE UNABLE TO RESIST
AMSTERDAM, Jan. 2.—Reports
received here from Vienna, state that
Victor Adler, father of the Socialist
editor, Adler, who recently assassi
nated the Austrian premier, spoke at
a peace demonstration of tho labor
ltes last Thursday. Adler is said to
have declared that the Entente pow
ers would be no longer able to resist
peace following the German proposal.
No Pioneer Meeting.
Owing to the conflagration there
will be no meeting of the Pioneer
Lodge this evening.
Gus Hokanson came up yesterday
afternoon from Bllamar.
FOUR SEPARATE FIRES ARE
STARTED SIMULTANEOUSLY
■0
ATTEMPT APPARENTLY MADE BY INCENDIARIES TO WIPE OUT
THE ENTIRE BUSINESS SECTION OF THE CITY—NO DOUBT
EXISTS AS TO ORIGIN OF THE FIRES—ONLY BY STRENUOUS
EFFORTS OF FIRE DEPARTMENT IS ANY OF DISTRICT SAVED—
LOSS ESTIMATED AT FROM $200,000 TO $250,000—OTTO KANITA
IS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY ON SUSPICION.
A deliberate and diabolical attempt
to burn out the business district of
the town was made early this morn
ing when some person or persons set
Are to buildings in four separate
places on McKinley street, and that
the plan did not succeed in wiping out
the entire business section of the city
is due to the eAiciency of the Are de
partment and the accumulation of
snow on the buildings.
The Arst alarm came from the
Golden North Hotel when the guests
at that place discovered Aames com
ing up past their windows from the
Arcade Cafe, next door. Hardly had
the alarm been given before it was
discovered that the rear of Max
Schmidt’s store was also aAre, and
instantly came the news that the Ala
meda House and the Ellis block were
also aAre.
The fire in the Arcade building had
gained considerable headway before
discovered, and the Golden North
Hotel was almost instantly in flames.
Here the department turned its at
tention first and then to the Ellis
Block. Sandy Levy of the Pinzon
and others did good execution on the
fire with chemicals, and Harry Whit
ley on the other side, turned his pri
vate fire-fighting apparatus to good
account on this blaze, with the re
sult that in a few moments it was
apparently extinguished. It is evi
dent however, that the flames had
eaten their way in between the parti
tions, for within ten minutes the fire
again appeared here, breaking thru
the roof and into the Pinzon, and in
a few minutes the Pinzon, Louie’s
Cafe and Max Schmidt’s were a mass
of flames, despite the fact that a
stream from Whitley’s and another
from the court house were throwing
oceans of water into the buildings.
On the opposite side of the street
the flames had spread from the Gold
en North hotel and the Arcade Cafe
to the magnificent mercantile estab
lishment of S. Blum & Co., apparent
ly entering from the back, and with
in a few minutes tne wnoie interior
was burning fiercely. From Blum’s
store the flames communicated with
the Empress theatre, driven by a
strong Lowe River wind, and that
too fell a victim to the flames. Be
tween the theatre building and Frye
Bruhn’s market was a space of about
2 5 feet which enabled the fire depart
ment to hold the flames in check.
The market was badly charred and
some damage was done to stock mov
ed out In anticipation of the destruc
tion of the building.
The flames also jumped the alley
back of the Golden North Hotel aud
caught the residence of Mrs. Hop
kins which was also checked and here
the fire was checked.
In the meantime the Alameda
House had burned to the ground, the
flames being confined to that struc
ture. In the Bills block, the firemen
succeeded, after a hard fight, in con
fining the flames to one end of the
long structure, and also prevented it
from crossing the alley to tho ad
joining buildings.
At this time, when it was appar
ently certain that the progress of the
dames had been checked. Are was dis
covered In the Interior of the Arlsona
block in which the postofllce was lo
cated. Ten minutes before Postmas
ter Todd and Assistant Postmaster
Robbins had been in the postofllce.
and there had not been the slightest
indication of fire, but when the fire
was discovered it was found that the
whole of the interior was in flames
At this time and some minutes p ••
vious the fire on the west side of the
street had burned so low that per
sons were walking backward and for
ward through the street without in
convenience, and the wind was blow
ing away from the building, preclud
ing any possibility it is believed, of
the fire originating from that source.
The postoflice building was entirely
consumed, as was the dwelling be
longing to N. E. Ohlsson immediately
in the rear and the building occupied
by Paul Haines as a sheet metal
works on McKinley street, adjoining
the postoflice building, but here the
flames were checked. The first class
mail, the accumulation of ten days
was also burned.
The fire was first discovered about
4 o’clock in the morning and at ten
o’clock nothing was left of a consid
erable portion of the business dis
trict except a heap of smouldering
embers and the partially ruined Ellis
block.
Lieut. Kohler sent a detachment
of 50 soldiers over from the Post to
help fight the flames, and keep order,
the men arriving within 30 minutes
after the alarm was sent out.
The properties destroyed are as fol
lows:
Golden North Hotel building, own
ed by Wilson, Carlson & Wilson, and
occupied by Wm. Conley, who con
ducted the hotel, and Arcade Cafe.
The loss on the building and contents
is estimated at $10,000 on which was
carried an insurance of $4,000. Wm.
Conley lost about $700, no insurance
and Jack Callin of the Arcade, esti
mated his loss at $2,500, partially
covered by insurance.
S. Blum & Company, building and
stock total loss, as was the furniture
and fixtures of the First Bank of Val
dez, In the same building. Loss on
building, stock and fixtures estimat
ed at over $100,000. Partially in
sured.
Post Office furniture and fixtures
estimated loss about $3,600, parttall?
Insured.
Building, owned by Otto Kan'ii,
estimated loss $6,000. Insured.
N. E. Ohlsson dwelling, loss esti
mated at $1,500.
Building occupied by Paul Haines
and owned by Otto Kanitz. loss esti
mated at $300 to $400. Haines loss
unknown.
Mrs. M. Hopkins, two residences,
loss estimated at $3,000; no insur
ance.
A1 White building, occupied by
Levy & Ross and the Pinzon Bar:
total loss on stock and building about
$35,000. Partially insured.
White building, occupied by Louies
Cafe, loss to building about $3,000.
Andy Marovlch, loss on stock and
fixtures, $4,500, no insurance iu
either case.
Max Schmidt (Sonnie) In W ite
building, loss estimated at $6,OCO;
no insurance. Loss on building
estimated at $2,500.
LoTe-Whltley, damage to fixtures
and building estimated at $1,500;
partially insured.
Alameda House, Mrs. Rose John
son, estimated loss between $1 000
and $4,000; no insurance.
Ellis Bloefc, damage to bulking;
estimated losa'6rom $1,600 to $2.00'
(Continued on Page Two.)