.... . . ••»H
BURN !!
EAT i |: MATANUSKA
; ALASKA j! j; COAL j!
!-..—. —
* — _.
'.. THE ALASKA EVENING POST
SEWARD, ALASKA, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1917 TEN CENTS PER COPY
m v III! --- _ — - - . - ■■■ ' ■ ■■ ——mmmmm i ■■ ■ wrnmmmi^i ii mwm ' - >■ ————m ■ i i ■ ■ ■ — i ■■ ■ ■■ n — mm ■ ■■—, ■■
CITY IS PARTIALLY
WRECK D-HUNDREDS
CAUGHT IN FLAMES
II VI IF VX [let. 7. — Two thousand dead, and the list growing hourly:
thousand injured, some frightfully: wreck and ruin everywhere and the
damage to property estimated into the millions of dollars, this is the bare
facts of the great calamity which struck this city yesterday morning fol
lowing the collision between i munition ship and a relief steamer in the
harbor. . , ..
Today** scent* have never before been paralleled on this continent.
M«n. women and children maimed, some with eyes blown Irom their heads,
others with parts of their faces blown away, hundreds crippled, broken legs
and arms, caught beneath falling buildings, hundreds now screaming lor aid.
their voices being heard from beneath tons of debris.
Soldiers here on leaxes. direct from the battlefields where scenes of
carnage have been of daily occurrence; soldiers who have seen everything
that war means, they turn todav from the scenes presented, taint at heart.
Wagon loads of dead being carried to the morgues; snow covered with
blood and parts oi human bodies, hundreds of doctors and nurses moving
about giving administrations; hospitals filled to oxertloxxing and grid in
«\ ery household—such is the scene here today.
Vbo»e all this horrible of horribles, a fire bell suddenly rings out, lire
has broken forth in a new part of the ruined section, from beneath crumphd
beddings and wearied men ru>h here and there extending what assistance
tired people can extend.
Not until late last night was anything tangible secured of the great dis
aster to this city. City officials Dominion officials and military officers took
charge of the relief work under way and then information began being cen
tralized.
The explosion ocrurred in the harbor at 8:30 o’clock yesterday morning
between the French munition ship Mont Blanc and the Belgian relief
steamer, Into. The Mont Blanc was outbound under slow hell, owing to the
heavy mist over the harbor and the Bel Rian relief ship was inbound. There
»ac. fnund of crunching ships and then an explosion which was heard for
over one hundred miles. In a moment flyinjt parts of ships, burniitR and ex
pl„diiiR munitions was hurled in all directions. Glass in windows cracked,
building tottered from the force of the explosion and collapsed. Tires broke
out a-id above it all came the cries of the dying and the wounded.
l ev a few moments everybody seemed paralyzed, but as lurid flames
shot i le the air and the agonizing wails of Ihe injured penetrated the wreck
ed art vo k started to extinguish the flames and succor lor those who need
(Hi it.
The fire spread up and down the waterfront, then hack into the business
section »nd swept on. This morning two and a ball* square miles are in
ruins. Every side of every building in the city, not a complete wreck, is
damaged. Business is entirely suspended, the schools closed and churches
and school buildings turned in*o morgues or hospitals.
Shipping has suffered and several steamers are reported to h.i\e sunk »*.i
their wharves, others badly damaged from lire which spread along the har
bor front.
Snow is falling and impeding the work of rescuing the injured and re
covering the bodies of the dead. The snow is aiding the firemen, however,
in quenching the remaining flames.
Special trains with doctors, nurses and supplies are arriving from all
nearby sections.
The casuality list is too large to print today and only partial lists are
being posted and these are changed practically every fix* or ten minutes.
The injured are mostly suffering from flying glass which cut them
seriously; from falling parts of buildings and from flying materials which
were hurled through the air when the explosion occurred. Many along the
\, ater front were injured by the tidal waves, twenty feet high which swept
them from their feet and whanged them against buildings and piles. Scores
of boats were blown out of the water and turned turtle when they descend
ed, their occupants trapped.
EVE WITNESS TELLS OF THE SCENES FOLLOWING EXPLOSION
ST. JOHNS, Dec. 7. — Refugees from Halifax are beginning to arrive
here on every train. The first eye witness to the Halifax explosion and fol
lowing disaster to give anything like a correct account of the horrors of the
disaster is Esmond Burry, a postal clerk. lie said that the people die*5 like
flies. Mr. Barry was on the outskirts of the city hound in on the morning
passenger train. The train was stopped and the crew and passengers rushed
into the stricken .city.
“People were running about with their noses oft”, eyes blown out, faces
j and heads cut, and blood streaming, in fact spurting. Agonized cries were
I heard on all sides. One man was calling for help and when 1 reached him
he was breathing his last. Both of his eyes had been blown from his head,
and his right arm was hanging limp, hit by some flying material. Children
were streaming and running about, crying for their parents. Parents were
running from the residential sections to the school buildings and women and
men wete running to the center of the frightful scene. Maimed people were
coming from the scenes and —oh, it was horrible. 'Then Ihc flames began
to break out. A building would collapse and cries of those caught beneath
the timbers were heard. There was seemingly no safe place. I went to work
on one wrecked building and saw a baby fifty feet away under the burning
mass. The baby was crying for rescue, hut we were unable to reach it and
could only watch it slowly burn to death. When 1 left last night with a
train load of injured, there were live hundred dead bodies in the park*.
Every conceivable vehicle was being pressed into service, carrying the dead
' and wounded. I never want to see or witness such a sight again.”
“No, I am positive that the casuality list will grow when the dead arc
checked up along the waterfront and when n list is made of the various
shipping. As far as could be learned the munition ship carried 2900 tom
of high explosives. The Belgian relief ship was loaded with supplies taken
j aboard at New York City. Not a piece of the two boats that collided re
mains to he seen.”
! —
LIST OF THE DEAD IS GROWING, SAYS GOVERNMENT REPORT
MONTREAL, Dec. 7. — The list of dead and injured is grow ing according
to advices received by government officials here today from Halifax. Two
thousand dead is believed to he too small, hut as order is secured and the
panicky feeling subsides definite information will he obtained.
Halifax, the stricken city, is the capital of Nova Scotia. It has an ex
cellent harbor, is strongly fortified and since the outbreak of the war has
been the port where the great majority of soldiers have been sent on er
ne as. There were fine docks, warehouses and manufactories of machinery,
boots, cordage, cotton and woolen goods, numerous fine buildings, including
cathedrals, churches and schools. The population in 1911 was given a*
10.119, hut has about doubled since that time.
I'he disaster at Halifax has been brought home to Sewai^i. ilarry Hob on
l a - a brother and other relatives in business there and he has sent messages
trying to ascertain their fate.
SEATTLE JUDGE
OFFERS TO BE
POLICE CHIEF
SEATTLE. Dec. 7. — King County
Superior Judge Kenneth Mackintosh
announced this forenoon that he would
resign and accept the position of
Chief of Police of Seattle if the War
Department would lift the ban on
Seattle. Judge Mackintosh stated
that he would clean the city of the
class of people who has caused the
Department to prohibit soldiers from
Can;> Lewis from coming here.
Chief of !* dice Charles Rockingham,
who it i* rumored will resign, has
given no confirmation of the repoj x,
NOTICE TO GUARDS
There will be a regular meeting to
night of the Seward Home guards at
which the usual drill will bo held. It
is intimated in military circles here
that unless there is a more lively in
terest taken. Corp. Williams may be
recalled and the guns issued else
where.
-o
NEW GERMAN BOAT
AFTER AMERICAN PLAN j
LONDON, Dec. 7. — The attack
made on British vessels patrolling
the Belgian coast by an electrically
controller high-speed boat, leads to
the belief that the boat is a device
similar to the radio-controlled torpe
do with which the United States has
been experimenting.
-4
CITIZENS TO CATCH
THEIR OWN TROUT IN
CITY FOR BREAKFAST
SAN FRANCISCO. Cal., Dec. 7. —
San Franciscans will soon be to
go out and catch their own *rout for
breakfast. A municipal fishpond is
to be established in Golden Gate park
and it will be fully stocked with the
speckled tit>ut and black bass.
BOOTLEGGER PINCHED
J. R. Bonn was arrested this fore
noon by Deputy Marshal Evans and
36 bottles of beer and whiskey found
in his establishment, the old McKay
home, was confiscated. This after
noon, Benns, before U. S. Commis
sioner Whittlesey plead guilty to “en
gaging in the sale of intoxicating li
quor without first having obtained a
license to do so,” and was fined $150
and costs.
-*
\RE TOLD TO “GIT”
Seven undesirables, “tin horns,",
were warned by Deputy Ma aha!
Evans during the day that Sewaru
would be an unhealthy place for them
after the departure of the Alameda.
They will take the hunch and leave
the city.
■ --—
GOES TO JAIL
Otto Strand, arrested Dec. 3rd,
charged with vagrancy, has been
tried and found guilty. He was sen- ,'
tenced to pay a fine of $100 or spend
50 days in jail. Strand is in jail.
-A
ARRESTED FOR TRYING
TO EVADE THE U. S. LAV*
■ 1
Fred Ganz and Harry Wendia.ul,,
who left Seward on 4 ho last steamer,
were arrested at Valdez and jailed.
Ganz and Wendland are Germans andj
according to the present laws must;
have a permit beforv traveling. U. S.
Deputy Marshal E*.vr.% received their'
application and sent it to Washington
but the two men ih.-»igl:t they would
beat it. Their arrest followed at Val
dez and they will now be interned
for the remainder of the war at the
camp in Arizona.
-*
PRESIDENT NOMINATES
COFFIN ON.AIR BOARD
WASHINGTON, Doc. 7. — Presi
dent Wilson today nominated Howard
E. Coffin, of Michigan, as Chairman
of the aircraft board.
ITALIANS ARE
RETIRING NOW
FROM GERMANS
ROME, Deo. 7. — The Italians have
retired gradually from the Asiago
plateau battlcfront during the violent
Lighting which has been in progress
for the past 48 hours. The retire
ment was to prepared positions. 'Hie
Italians have abandoned Monte T o « s
Monte Castle and Gomberto.
C
BERLIN. Dec. 7. — The new Teu
ton offensive against the Italians has
resulted in the capti e of lf»,000 Tfal
ians and over sixty largo i ns.
Strong positions have boon se. red
so far.
The Teuton forces have captured
Monte Sisemol by storm beating the
Dalians to earth in hand to hand on
counters aided by artillery.
__
BEER FOR ALASKA IS
SIEZED BY OFFICIALS
OF THE GOVERNMENT
SEATTLE, Dec. 7. — A shipment
of (>000 cases of beer, consigned 1"rom
San Francisco to Petersburg, Alaska,
and other places along the Southeast
ern Alaska coast, was taken otr the
Redondo by Federal authorities just
before the steamer was to sail for
the north.
-*
MURPHY IS NAMED
J. C. Murphy, editor of the Demo-'
crat at Anchorage, has been appoint
ed U.iitcd States assistant distri *t ;,t
torney according to word received in
Seward. Mr. Murphy is well known
in this section o* the north and aDo
in the interior, win re ha was for u
number of years hero.*2 coming to
the coast.
-♦>
The trouble about waiting for
something to turn up is that you are
apt to be turned down.
BRITISH LINE
AT CAMBRIA IS
SHORTENED UP
LONDON, Dec. 7. — An of rial re
port from the British front in Frame
today says that the Gorman wedges
made in the salient before Gambia!
have forced the British to evacuate
exposed positions including Bourlon
Woods, captured during the fust two
days offensive ami several village-.
The British lines have been short
ened and made more capable of 4 »*ong
defense.
American aviators continue today
to direct the fire of the British artil
lery. Two American aviators are »o
ported to have been engaged .n a
battle with Cierman planes and em
erged victors.
GOGRT MARTIAL FOR
WOMEN OFFENDERS
SAN FRANCISCO, Cal., Dec. 7. —
Women charged with breaking the
government's law against evil resorts
within five miles of any military post,
are to be subjected to a form of
court-martial here. The court-mar
tial will not be of the drum head va
riety, hut will he conducted in con
junction with the women's court,
which has been an institution here foi I
several months past.
-„
PETROGRAD PAPERS IIA'. K
A FEW TROIHLES ALSO
PETROGRAD, Dec. 7. — The As-;
sociation of Managers and Editors of j
Petrograd daily newspapers has put)-!
lished a statement informing the peo
ple that the press may very soon find
itself in a critical condition in conse
quence of the enormous increase mj
the cost of material and labor, wear
ar.d tear of machinery, which cannot
be replaced, and of the strike in pa
per mills.
PHILIPPINES READY TO
SEND MEN TO FRANCE
SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 7. — Thoj
Philippine Islands are ready to send,
two or more divisions to France to
battle for democracy, according to aj
statement made here by Gen. Thomas,
L. Hartigan of the Philippines Xu-'
tional Guard. General Hartigan is'
visiting this country to give the Warj
Department first-hand information:
’•egaTding military conditions in the1
islands.
“There are throe infantry brigades
or 7,000 men in the Philippines Na
tional Guard,” General Hartigan said.
“We have plenty of officers. The;
soldiers and poulace are very desi
rous of showing their appreciation of
the efiforts of America in their be
half, and are holding themselves in
readiness for any service they may
be called upon to do.”
-»)
DESIGN ON COIN CHANGED
WASHINGTON, Doc. 7. — Change
in the design of the new 25-cent
pieces has been announced by the
director the mint. Draperies of the
Goddess of Liberty on the face of the
quarters have been rearranged and
the flying eagle on the reverse side
has been placed higher on the coin,
with three stars beneath.
-.»
A CTO RACES ARE OFF
FOR PERIOD OF WAR.
NEW YORK, Dec. 7. — The con
test board of the American Automo
bile association, which governs auto
mobile racing in this country, has
decided not to issue any more sanc
tions for motor contests during the
period of war exigency. This prac
tically means the abandoning of auto
mobile racing until after the war, it
was stated.
-*—
C. S. TROOPS TO ITALY
WASHINGTON, Dec. 7. — It was
reported this afternoon that the Unit- j
ed Slates government may send troops
to Italy very shortly.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 7. — With
less than an hour’s debatem the Sen
ate today pased the resolution tor
war against Austria by a vote of 70
to 0. Senator LaFolIette left during
the speechmaking so he would not Ik*
required to vote. Senators Gronna,
Norris and Vardanian, who voted
against the resolution declaring war
with Germany, voted in the affirmative
today.
Senator William J. Stone presented
the war resolution to the Senate and
moved it's immediate adoption. Be
sides reasons already stated why wai
should bo declared, Sen.' Stone said
that as Italy, France and Belgium
were now particularly involved with
the Austrians, Americans might at
any time face the Austrian on the
battlefronts.
Will Pass the House
WASHINGTON, Dec. 7. — Repre
sentative Henry I). Flood began speak
ing on the war resolution this fore
noon. He told the House of Austiia’s
ruthless submarine attacks on Ameri
can ships; murder of American peo
ple and these demanded the war act.
Rep. Stone declared that the declara
tion would have a gTeat effect upon
Italy. Members of the House deserted
their seats to escape the speech mean
ing to return later to vote.
It was stated early this afternoon
that the House would pass the resolu
tion with only Representative London*
Socialist member, dissenting.
-4
In spite of the fact that travel
broadens people, it is also apt to make
them short.
READ PAT O’COTTER’S NEW POEM “THE NEW MASTER”
WHICH WILL APPEAR IN SUNDAY MORNING’S PAPER