Seward Weekly Gateway
~VOI.. IV. SEWARD. ALASKA, SATURDAY. JANUARY 18, 1008._><>• 23
WHOLE FAMILIES LOST
IN HORNING THEATRE
During Benefit Performance in Opera-House at
Boyerton, Pennsylvania, Gas Tank Explodes
Setting Eire to Building Causing Wild
Panic in Which Eifty to Seventy
Eive Perish and Scores Are
Trampled and Mangled
By Cable to The Dally Gateway.
Boyerton, Pa., Jan. H —Between
fifty and seventy-five people were
burned to death here last night in the
operahouse fire. A benefit perform
ance was being given in the opera
house, and an audience numl>ering
several thousands had assembled in
the theatre. Without a moments
warning a gas tank exploded, and
flames burst forth causing instant
panic. A general stampede was made
for the exits, everyone struggling to
escape. Scores of women and children
were trampled under foot, and whole
families were wiped out in the crush
and the rapidly devouring flames.
ALASKA MINING
MEN IN SESSION
Prepare Suggestions for Denver
Congress In Re Jurisdiction
of Inferior Courts.
By Cable to The Dally Gateway.
Seattle. Jan. 17 At a meeting of
Alaska mining men now in session in
this city a committee has been ap
pointed to prepare suggestions to be
presented at the convention of the
American Mining Congress to be held
at a later date in Denver. These sug
gestions embody recommendations
that the inferior courts Ex? given origi
dal jurisdiction in cases.
ALASKA COAST
TO BE FORTIFIED
Representative Kahn Will Make
Strong fight for Extensive
Protection in North.
By Cable to Tne Daily Gateway.
* Washington. I>. C., Jan. 13 Julius
Kahn, representative from California,
is putting up a strong light for
extensive fortifications on the coast of
Alaska at the most suitable point be
tween Seward and Ketchikan.
HOUSE BUCKS AMENDMENT
TO PENAL LAW MEASURE
By Cable to The Dally (gateway.
Washington, 1>. I'.. Jan. 1G—House
of representatives is putting up a
strong fight against the penal law
amendment bill. A bill has been intro
. duced referring to unlawful acceptaney
of money by legislators, and the ques
tion of bribes ineidentially touched
„ upon.
375 Tons Precious Metal
Since the assay office was established
- in Seattle about 375 tons of gold have
been received from Alaska. The
predictions are that the output from
• the same source in 1908 will be between
$25,000,000 and $30,000,000.
The fire spread quickly consuming not
only the opera house, but also St.
Johns Lutheran church which stood
near by. This is the worst theatre
disaster since the Iroquois fire in
Chicago on New Year’s day three
years ago.
Number of Deod Reach 167
Boyerton, Pa., Jan. 15—The number
of victims of the opera-houss tire in
this place Monday night has now
reached lfi". Many of the injured are
dying. The origin of the fire remains
a mystery, and an investigation has
U'en started to ferret out the cause
UNALASKA MAY
GET WIRELESS
Strenuous Efforts Made to Place
Marconi Station at Far
Western Point.
Sy Cable to The Dally Gateway.
Washington, I>. C., .Jan. 16—Mea
sures for estahlishng closer connection
between Alaska and the states are
being persistantly pushed to the front. !
Among these measures is one |
vigorously advocated for the purpose
of establishing a wireless telegraphic !
station at Unalaska.
ALASKA MAY
GET RELIEF
Sill Introduced to Permit Appeals
From Territory to Go to
Seattle and Portland.
8y Cable to The Daily Gateway.
Washington. I>. U., .Tati. 15—A bill
has been introduced in the house pro
viding for appeal?. from Alaska court
decisions to Ik* hoard at Seattle, Port
land and San Francisco, instead of all
appeals being taken to San Francisco,
as heretofore,
KETCHELL AND SULLIVAN
TO FIGHT IN FRISCO
By Cable to Tbe Dally Gateway.
San Francisco. Jan. l->—A big tight
is to be pulled off here between Pugil
ist Ketchell and Mike Sullivan. The
agreement has been signed for twenty
live rounds and, and the date set for
February 22.
Japan’s New Warship
It is announced that the Maxims are
building for Japan a new type of ship
for the transportation of small subma
rine vessels to the scene of battle.
The submarines will be stored away
in a sort of tunnel traversing the
hold of the vessel, whence they can
emerge, unperceived by the enemy,
by means of locks.
HARLAN HAS
NOT RESIGNED
Query to Attorney-General Brings
Quick Reply That no
Vacancy Exists.
ATTORNEY HELD IN HIGH FAVOR
Only Guggenheim Interest Opposed
Which Grows Out of Feeling
Over Canyon Fight.
Special to The Daily Gateway.
Valdez, Jan. 8—Delayed in trans
mission- District Attorney Harlan has
not resigned and so far as anybody
here knows has no intention of laying
down the cares of his present office.
A query to the attorney-general
brought back the prompt answer that
there is no vacancy in the office of
district attorney of the Third judicial
division of Alaska.
Judge Harlan himself wired from
York, Nebraska, his old home, to his
assistant in Valdez several days ago
that he expected to start from York
January 11 on his way to Valdez, if
able to travel. He was then suffering
from grip. If he starts on the day
fixed he will sail from Seattle January
16.
General sentiment in Valdez is in
favor of Judge Harlan but the Gug
genheim contingent, headed by the at
torneys of that interest, are anxious to
see him vacate the office of district at
torney. They are also violently op
posed to W. T. Scott, the issistant at
Valdez. This grows out oi the Key
stone canyon railroad fight and the
prosecution of Ed Hasey, who fired the
shots that killed one man and wounded
several others. Hasey is out on a
$15,000 bond and the grand jury which
will be impaneled January 20 in the
district court is expected to indict him
on the charge of murder. Commis
sioner Lyons bound him over to ans
wer for murder in the second degree.
inasmuch as a new district attorney
would prosecute Hasey it is not clear
why the Guggenheim forces are so hit
ter against Harlan and Scott, but the
fact exists. It grows out of the fierce
feeling that was aroused following the
canyon light and in the preliminary
examination of Ilasey and George
Hazelet. The laboring classes are
unanimous and bitter against the Gug
genheim interest. To a considerable
extent the idea prevails among them
that the collapse of the Reynolds
enterprise was caused by some diaboli
cal plot devised by the Guggenheim
octopus, and that the Guggenheirns,
not Reynolds, are responsible for the
non-payment of wages by the Reynolds
railroad.
Sell Copper Property to Syndicate
Messrs. Jacobson, Hansen and Cam
pion. three prospectors of Seward, sold
their copper property on Driftwood
bay to a Hoston syndicate for $100,000
The property is situated three miles
south of Cape Resurrection and about
seventeen miles from Seward. The
above named gentlemen discovered
and staked the property early last
spring, and it is said to be very rich in
copper and easy of access to steamers.
It is also said that the new owners
will put a force of men at work at
once and develop the property. Mr.
Jacobson, one of the discoverers is at
present in Cordova working on the
piledriver at the ocean dock. His
partners are both in Seward.—Cordo
va Alaskan.
Extension of Line
It is stated on reliable authority
that the White Pass Railroad Company
is planning an extension of its line
from White Horse to the Windy Arm
copper district, and that work on the
extension will be commenced in the
early spring, as soon as the weather
will allow of men goingto work.
JUDGE REED IN
HIGH FAVOR
Will Make Swerping Changes in j
Commissionerships Through
out Third Division.
POPULAR RECEPTION PLANNED
First Order of New Jurist Was for
Admission of Wickersham to
Practice in Alaska Courts.
Special to The Dally Gateway.
Valdez, Jan. 8—Delayed in transmis
sion—Sweeping changes will be made
in the commissionerships of the Third
judicial division by Judge Silas H,
Heed, the new judge. Very few of the
present incumbents will survive.
Other changes will be made in the
appointive positions at the disposal of
the judge. One of his first official acts
was to appoint O. A. Wells of Okla
homa clerk of the court. Mr. Wells
will be placed at Fairbanks, in the!
main office. The bar of the south end
of the district want to see Ed. Hender
son retained as deputy at Valdez.
Myra H. Cox was reappoinied dep
uty at Seward by Judge Heed the first
day of the term. Nominally of course,
the appointment was made by Clerk
Wells. Mrs. Cox was indorsed by all
the Seward lawyers.
The first order made by Judge Heed
after ihe opening of court was for the
admission of his predecessor, Judge
Wickersham, to practice in Alaska
courts. Judge Wickersham cam*1 to
Alaska with an appointment as judge,
and consequently had never been ad
mitted to practice in the territory.
Judge Heed has made a favorable
impression here. He is prompt and
decisive in the dispatch of business, and
extremely courteous both on and off
the bench. Without opportunity to
form conclusive opinions the bar is in
clined to size him up as a good lawyer.
A big popular reception in honor of
the new judge will be held this even
ing in the court room.
EVEN JEROME
OPENS HIS EYES
Attorney Littleton Springs Sen
sation-Promises New Tes*
timony in Thaw Trial,
By Cable to The Daily Gateway.
New York, Jan. 14—Attorney Lit
tleton made the opening speech for
the defense in the Harry K. Thaw
murder trial yesterday afternoon. His
address indicated that the defense had
some new and very sensational testi
mony to bring before the court and
jury. Even District Attorney Jerome
was very much surprised.
Evelyn on Witness Stand
New York, Jan. 18—Late yesterday
afternoon Evelyn Thaw was called to
the witness stand in the Harry K.
Thaw murder trial. Her face showed
traces of illness, but in a steady voice
she gave the history of her earlier
childhood. Owing to the plicate con
dition of her health the court adjourn
ed till next Monday.
Alaska Cable Does Big Business
That Alaska keeps well in touch
with the outside world is shown by the
fact that the United States Signal
Service cable handled commercial bus
iness in 1907 aggregating $246,871,
which includes messages sent to news
papers of the north at low rates. This
of course does not include the figures
on government business for which the
cable was primarily constructed.
PACIFIC FLEET
AT RIO JANEIRO
Squadron Greeted With Wild Dem
onstrations by the Latin
American Nation.
TRIP SO FAR IS UNEVENTFUL
January Twenty-Third fixed as
Date to Proceed on Loug
Journey to West Coast.
By Cable to The Dally Gateway.
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Jan. 1J—The
battleship fleet under the command
of Admiral Evans, now on its way to
the Pacific, arrived at this port yes
terday and was received with the most
enthusiastic demonstration. The voy
age so far has been uneventful. The
fleet will remain here untill Jan
uary 23.
Officers of Fleet Feted
Rio Janeiro, Jan, 15—The officers of
the American battle fleet have been
most cordially received by the city
officials and prominent citizens, and an
elaborate banquet was given them
last night, at which speeches were
made and the utmost good will raani*
Tested between the people of the
United States and those living in
South America.
Sends Letters of Good Cheer
Washington, D. C., Jan. l(i—When
Admiral Evans sailed away with the
battle fleet for the Pacific cruise, be
carried letters from President Roose
velt to the presidents of the Latin*
American nations, expressing to them
the good will of the United States.
Voyage of the American Fleet
This voyage will not only result in
rendering the fleet engaged in it a
homogeneous unit, but will have >till
greater value from a strategic point of
view. It will teach the Japanese to
lower their somewhat arrogant pre
tentions, which indeed have already
been considerably diminished since
the news*of the intended cruise wont
abroad.—Admiral Rohdzestvensky.
JAP MINISTERS
GO OFF IN HUFF
Disgruntled Members Leave Cabi
net and New Portfolio
May Be Formed*
By Cubic to Tbe Dally Gateway.
Tokio, Jan. 16—A crisis has occur
red in the Japanese cabinet, which
consists of ten ministers of state. The
disgruntled members left in a body,
and a new port folio may have to be
formed. The trouble has caused many
changes to be contemplated. War
talk is dying out.
Collecting Tin Specimens
A. J. Beaudette, the government
mining engineer, is making a col
lection of tin pebbles of placer tin
for the geological department of
Canada. He wants to get 500
pounds. The specimens are wanted
for distribution among the universi
ties, technical schools, high schools
and other institutions of learning in
Canada in which mineralogy, assay
ing, chemistry, geology and the like
are studied.—Dawson News.
Bids for the construction of a light
house on Hinchinbrook island, at the
entrance to Prince William sound were
advertised to be opened January 14,
at Washington, D. C.