The Creat ^reat
ALASKAN I ALA^AN
| DAILY - --
-—_ pitrt KHPH DAII Y I'XrFPT SUNDAY LARGEST ALASKAN ( IR( I LA I ION
ADVERTISEMENTS BRING RESULTS _PUBLISHED DAILY LXCLI 1 SUNDAY_______
Yol. 10 No, 334 SEWARD, ALASKA, FRIDAY, JANUARY 26, 1917.____Ten Cents the Copy
Will TAKE SIX YEARS
TO BUILD AND WEAVER
WANTS QUICK ACTIUN
Fortifications so extensive that it will require six
■.cars to complete them, are planned by the army tor the
defence of Resurrection bay and l ook inlet. This system
of big gun redoubts, supporting batteries, and mine fields,
is necessary for the safe guarding of the future naval luel
supply at Matanuska and the railroad by which this fuel
will be transferred here and the coaling station and naval
base which is planned to he located within this bay.
First intimation that plans were complete for these
military works came late yesterday in the following mes
sage from Washington:
NEED OF APPROPRIATION SHOWN
WASHINGTON, Thursday.—General Weaver, chief
of the artillery forces of the United States, today called
the attention of the appropriations committee to the fact
that no provisions have been made in the military appro
priation bill for the fortification of important harbors in:
Alaska.
He indicated that this should be done as a promise
to include this was made last year.
General Weaver stated to the appropriation commit
tee that plans for fortifying Resurrection bay and Cook
inlet, the two navigable approaches to the new railway i
svstem had been submitted to the board of review, but
that no action had been taken upon them.
“My personal opinion,” said Weaver, “is that this
matter ought to be taken up immediately as one of the
live projects in construction for defence.
“It will take at least six years to complete this system ^
of fortifications from the time work is commenced and1
work on the railroad with the development resulting from
it together with the opening of the coal fields warrant I
immediate action.”
FAVORABLE ACTION TAKEN HERE
This telegram was presented at once to members of
the citv council, Seward Commercial Club and Seward
*7
Chamber of Commerce.
Immediate approval of General Weaver’s recom
mendation was authorized and the following message
was sent to him last night, by the above mentioned bodies:
Gen. Weaver,
Coast Artillery Chief, Washington, D. C.
Your recommendation appropriations com
mittee for fortification Resurrection bay and
Cook inlet heartily endorsed. Please accept most
___i——frl
sincere thanks for your interest in this most im
portant military project necessary to safeguard
Alaska coal supply for navy.
To further the good work messages were also sent
to Senator Chamberlain of Oregon, who is chairman of
the committee on military affairs and to Delegate Wick
ersham urging their attention to this matter.
Requests that preliminary work be commenced on;
the fortifications necessary to protect this base were sent,
to Washington last year by local organizations. It was
pointed out that the defence of Resurrection bay was not
only imperative on account ol its Doing the piospective
principal source of luel for the navy, but because it com
pleted Puget Sound and Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, the tri
angle of defences necessary for the defence of the Pacific
<ast» __ ^ -x _ | -f i.*- »- i«ik J U&Mfe
Correspondents from eastern papers, who visited
here dwelt at length upon the necessity of fortifying the,
terminal of Uncle Sam’s government railroad.
Army men who have visited this bay declare it to be
one of the natural strongholds of the world, easily defend
ed by a few troops and against which an enemy would be
forced to bring an army of great strength. Direct attack
oy landing in bays on either side is prevented by glaciers.
Hie only opportunity is an attack by flank up Kenai river
or from the rear along the line of the railroad. To pre
vent such a campaign comprehensive plans for the de
fence of Cook inlet are included in the general plan of;
defence.
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■■ 1 ■ ,M"—^ 1
BOYS STEAL
CAB AND DIE
IN ACCIDENT
•
SEATTLE. Friday. —An auto
plunged through the railing ot a
bridge on the Bothel road at an early
hour this morning, and two well
dressed young men, who were oc
cupants of the car. \%ere instantly
killed.
* No calls concerning missing men
have been received at police head
quarters ami so far they have not
been identified.
• BILLETIN'
SEATTLE. Friday. —The two
young men killed in an auto accident
near Bothel have been identified as
Andrew Pehtel and Lee Erland. They
had stolen the auto from X. W. Weig
er. who left it in front of the Hotel
Lincoln. The two boys had ju*t been
released from the reform school.
TAKER OF CHECKS
MUST PROTECT
HIMSELF NOW
Complaints have been lodged with
Marshal Evans concerning people who
have issued checks without funds or
with insufficient funds in the bank,
and he states that people accepting
• checks should realize that there is no
statute on the books by which such
offenders in the territory can be
brought to account.
Offenses of this nature by work
men, who deposit a wage check and
then draw against it for more than
the amount cannot be prevented un
' less those accepting the checks make
sure the money is in the bank and
go at once and cash them.
To overdraw an account or draw
w.'hout funds in the bank is male an
offtnse in the states outside and a Sill
will be presented at the next session
of the territorial legislature making it
punishable in the territory. The draft
of this bill is now* in the hands of
^ Senator John Ronan from this dis
trict.
I ---
CONVICT STRIKER
OF ARSON; SET FIRE
TO SEATTLE PIER
S7ATTI.E, Thursday. — James
Murphy, longshoreman and striker
was convicted yesterday of arson for
his attempt to burn Pier 2.
MAY BE THREE
MONTHS BEFORE
VOTE COUNTED
1 JL'NKAL’, Friday. — (Special)—
Figures tabulated including tin* offi
cial returns passed upon by the can
vassing board and the count of pre
cincts in which the returns are know n,
although the official ballots have not
been received, indicate that W ieker
shani will have a plurality of 2d
votes.
The returns as far as officially can
vassed show Wickersham now leading
by Id votes.
It may be three months before the
official canvass can he tini.-hed.
The only legislative place in doubt
was in the Second division where Reed
for representative will be defeated by
Carrigan by a close vote when L tica
precinct is canvassed. L tica will be
canvassed as soon as the oath of
election judges, which was left incom
plete is received, and which is now on
the way to the canvassing board.
GUS “MELTING AWAY
BY DEGREES,” SAYS
WIFE IN LETTER
Mrs. Felix Brown, of Anchorage,
received a lengthy communication
from Mrs. Augustave Sieffert, .written
from El Paso, Texas, and dated De
j cember 17th, saying that the Seiffert
family stooped off at El Paso, en
route to St. I.o iis f\>m Sa:\ T ;i t
cis-o, to \*it Mr. and Mrs. \\ m.
Watt-i. formorly of Vonie, for a few
days. Mrs. Seiffert writes that El
Paso is particularly busy at this time
i as the city is full of soldiers anxious
ly waiting for the opportunity to in
vade Mexico. She mentions that El
: Paso reminded her of Nome in the
* golden days in many ways except the
I weather and said that Clus “was
i simply melting away by degree.”
Mr. and Mrs. Seiffert visited in the
coast cities and met Mr. and Mrs.
John Troy on their honeymoon in
Frisco. The Seifferts left the border
city for St. Louis, where they will
i spend several weeks visiting friends
and attending to business connected
with the St. Louis Mining & Trading
* company, of which Mr. Seiffert is
* manager and one of the principal
owners.
They expect to visit Chicago and
spend some time in New York befon
jeturning to Anchorage.
LONE WARSHIP RAIDS
COAST OF SUFFOLK,
! GERMANS GAIN GROUND
LONDON, Friday—Towns along the coast of Suf
folk were shelled during the night by a lone German war
ship, which fired a salvo or two at places where lights
were showing and skipped away in the darkness.
A screen of destroyers and light cruisers were sent
after the marauder but so far no report has been issued
by the admiralty as to the result. No statement was is
sued as to damage inflicted by the raider. Observers dif
fer as to the type of vessel, some stating that it was a
cruiser and others a supersubmarine, but the darkness
was so intense that its outlines could not be seen except
by the flash of its guns and then it was so wreathed in
smoke that it size could not l>e determined through night
glasses.
TEUTONS GAIN ON EAST FRONT
BERLIN, Friday.—Russian positions along a front
of six miles on the Northern end of the Russo-German
line in Galicia have been captured by Teutonic forces.
The capture of 1,500 Russian prisoners and consider
able ground near the river Aat on the Northern end oi the
Russo-German front is reported by the war offiec. The
offensive was launched Wednesday and continued through
the night.
PASTOR SAYS HE'S AFTER LANDLORDS
SAN FRANCISCO, Friday. —Five hundred women
from the tenderloin attended a meeting at the Central
Methodist church in a body last night and asked the Re.
Paul Smith, pastor, who is leading a vice crusade what he
intended to do with them. Smith told them he was fight
ing their landlords who were charging them outrageous
rents and not them.
S. S. ALASKA DELAYED FOR ONE DAY
SEATTLE, Friday. — When the steamship Alaska,
bound for Southwestern Alaska'pulled away from the
dock at 9 o’clock last night she had proceeded only 5 miles
on her way when the steering gear broke.
The S. S. Jefferson answered her call and towed her
back to the dock. Another start will be made tonight.
She has a passenger list of 80.
HAVE ENGHGH
MEN TO FIGHT
LONGER WAR
DKKLIX, Friday.—Estimating the
<<tal German losses for the war at
J,OGO,000 killed and disabled the Na
tional Zeitung, says that suiTicicnt
troops are available to cany on the
war for several years at its present
rate of severity.
MILITARY TRAINING
FOR WOMEN OFFERED
AT CHEVY CHASE
WASHINGTON. Jan. 25.—The see
ond annual encampment of the Na
iona! Service school, similar to that I
iold ‘here last summer, to give wom-f
en military training, will open at(
Chevy Chase, a suburb, on April 16, |
and continue about six weeks under
the direction of the woman’s section
of the navy league, it was announced
today. Two courses of twenty days;
each, and possibly a third especially!
for school girls and teachers will be j
arranged, with military drill. Red
Cross. Fifteen hundred applications j
for enrollment are said to have been
received already.
__
BECKINGHAM
SPILLS BOOZE
IN GUTTERS
_•
SEATTLE, Friday.—Chief ot
Police Ueekingham poured several
thousand quarts of whiskey which
had been seized in recent raids ln:o
the gutters today and quite a section
of the town was covered by an odor
of corn juice.
U. S. STEEL HAS
ORDERS FOR OVER
11 MILLION TONS
NEW YORK, Jan. 25.—Unfilled
orders on the books of the United
States Steel corporation reached an
other new high record Dec. 31, an in
crease of 488,744 tons over the record
set in November.
The company’s unfilled tonnage re
ported today showed 11,547,286 on the
books Dec. 31 against 11,058,542 on
November 30.
FORMER SOLDIER
ENDS HIS LIFE
SEATTLE. Thursday.—G. K. Bel
kung, former private in the regular
army committed suicide yesterday.
ENGLISH LABOR LEADERS
ENDORSEWORLD PEACE
MANCHESTER, England, Friday. — Resolutions
favoring President Wilson's plan for “world peace were
unanimously indorsed here today by the Manchester La
00r Conference.
The resolutions urge that British representatives at
cse coming peace conference shall work for the forma
tion of an international league to enforce the maintain
ance of peace under the plan advocated by the President
of the United States.
This action together with comment by the London
News and Manchester Guardian indicate, that while there
is no doubt about the desire to fight this war to a victor
ious conclusion, the British are just as interested in an
ultimate movement to prevent another such war as are
the people of any other country.
PLEASED WITH IDEALISM
WASHINGTON, Friday.—Elihu Root addressing a
meeting of the National security league last night declar
ed that he was in full sympathy with the purposes of the
President’s senate address, which contained “such noble
idealism.” _ .*
TUG ROSCOE
FAILS TO REACH
ANCHORAGE
After bucking head winds in Cook
inlet until her water and fuel supply
was depleted the Tug L. Iloscoe,
which attempted to reach Anchorage
with a cargo of coal oil, gasoline and
powder, returned here last night. The
cargo was left at Seldovia.
Capt. Peterson in discussing the
trip this morning said that he made
no attempt to go north from Seldovia
as it had taken so long to get that
far that he lacked water to complete
the trip, had it been possible.
Northwest and southeast gales a!
lernated with such force that it took
the Iloscoe three days to get to Sel
dovia, and then slie only reached pm *
with great dilliculty. After entering
the inlet .-he iced un forward and wa.
in danger of swamping several times.
C'apt. Peterson made no refer."
to any particular hardship on the trip
other tha nto .-ay it was impossible
to go on.
“We were here during the thaw on
inlet and by the time we reached the
lower waters the thaw was over and
it was blowing a zero gale,” said he.
.Members of the crew tell weird
tales of nights and days of thawin'
dynamic bci.ev decks and the nitro
glycerine running out of the powdc*'
that was stacked nearest the engine
V
room. When the water run short or
the return trip an attempt v. us made
to back u[> alongside a sheltered cliff
in an inlet on the south coast of the
peninsula to renew the supply from a
stream which was pouring down the
rock.
“At Seldovia the residents stated
that the winter mail carriers from
Homer to Kenai reported ice off the
beach north of Anchor point, and the
anes were opening and closing with
the shift of the wind but navigation
of the inlet was out of the question.
“Recent papers from Anchorage in
dicate that the coal oil supply is so
-mall now that merchants who have
any are selling it only a bottle full at
a time, and only one bottle to the
customer.
Concerning the light plant which is
now in operation the Anchorage
Times says:
“Superintendent McFarland is do
ing efficient work on the electric light
lines and each day sees additional
buildings supplied with electricity
from the governemnt plant.”
CUT 400 TRAINS
FROM ROUTES IN
GREAT BRITAIN
LONDON, Juu. 25.—Before the
eml of the month more than 400 pas
senger trains will disappear from the
British railway time tables. Many of
die remaining trains will run more
slowly and with a larger number of
stops. Long distance non-stop ex
presses will be as rare* as they were
thirty years ago.
The Daily News says, so far as
comfort and speed are concerned, the
clock will be put back a quarter of
a century.
BOATS AND TRAINS
The Alaska sailed from Seattle to
day for Seward and way ports.
The Mariposa is due tomorrow
morning at 9 o’clock.
The Admiral Watson will sail from
Seattle Feb. 3rd instead of the Far
ragut.
The train will leave tomorrow
morning for Mile 40 at 8:30 o’clock.