Casper Daily Tribune Newspaper, March 19, 1925, Page 10

hold that wert Ups) new poin [ron 0 p 70 sta wea 2% nt abl in PAGE TEN Che Casnew Daily Tribune * ‘THURSDAY, MARCH 19, 1925 DEATH TOLL IN TORNADO DISASTER MAY REACH 1,000 KNOWN DEAD HSE RY AND DESOLATION STALK IN AKE OF WEDNESDAY STORMS Page One) 15 miles ‘rom Duquoin, ntinued ‘ound in t loss of life, according reports, occurred in where more than d killed as the tor- through De stward Frankfort, : three of the g without in- bodies had been it night. of the tornado was Iles in length, but r hopped off eral directio arting from the storm moved north: 88 ca 1 striking two other towns ¢ Missouri elde of the Into Illinols, divided near and spent its ‘ a and north- line apparent moved tward from Annapolis, Cape Girardeau, central ruck isolated portions f “ nnessee, Kentucky and southe With its various offshoots, the tornado apparently traversed nearly 700 miles of territory, although only in the direct path from Annapolis, Mo., to Princeton, Ind., about 165 fles, age and loss of life heavy pparer m While details of the desolation left th rm came in on cripple ines of communication; relief wa being rushed into t ricken area many nearby towns. Rellet en, doctors, nurses, medicine patched imme- Chicago and rushed upples were d . Lou ‘Troops were sther into the storm district in Illinois on orders of Governor Len Small, who points. also {ssued an appeal for ald. In several towns in the path of the storm, especially ‘in Indiana, local companies of militia were mobillized for guard duty and relief. lt was announced that a bill au- thorizing $500,000 for relief would be introduced in the Illinols legisla- ro today. s of life was reported from twenty x towns, most of them in southern Illinois, but tt was believed ith and destruction visited in the storm area from ts were still to be re inteer work under the ap of darkne yecause of the ition of lighting facilities in , worked throughout the recovering the d aiding the injured, and keeping guard over tho stricken territory. According to ayailable reports, the storm struck virtually without warn- ing and inhabitants of the territor traversed had no time to flee from its fury f the storm's erratic be- havior came from many points. With an irresistible energy. that crushed entire ble of buildings, destroyed mine tipples, uprooted trees and snapped telephone poles like matches, the twister whirled through the air, dipping to earth time and again. Bulldings were carried hundreds of feet, while at De Soto a grain elevator was moved intact to the middle of the road forty feet away. In only one instance was damage to a train reported, and it was not clear whether this resulted from the storm. St. Louls and San Francisco passenger train number 105, south- bound, went into a ditch near South Greenfield, Mo, and .two coaches overturned but no One was reported injured. At Annapolis, Mo., where the first blow fell, every building “was re* ported wrecked or damaged with the loss. in’ that town of 1,200, alone placed at half a million dollars. Small loss of life, but considerable property damage, occurred tn three other Missourl towns, Biehle, Alten- bu and Cape Girardeau, all on or near the Mississippi river. But it was not until the storm jumped across into Milinois and moved on into Indiana, that its most ere felt. Illinois hard- devastating effec The three towns in Jest hit were Murphysboro, with an estimated death list of 200, West Frankfort, with 100 ualties and De Soto where 150 were believed to have perished. At least 200 were believed dead in southern Indiana, with th principal damage to Prince- ton, Griffin and Poseyville, al! re- ported with death lists of five to 100. Thousands were homeless and ar- rival of shelter and supplies was looked forward to eagerly. The total dead in Missour! stood at slightly more than a score early today while, twenty-threa. deaths were reported in ‘Tennessee, most of them in Sumnery county in the north central portion of the state, There were elght reported in Ken- storm entered northern Ken- from Indiana and apparently t its force there. No loss of life 8 reported in Ohio, although some age was reported from high winds at Portsmouth, in the south- ern part of the state. It was not clear whether this was an fsolated disturbance, but there was a possi- bility that it was the last breath from Kentucky and Tennessee. The storm elemental in its in- tensity was meteroric in its flight. Striking Annapolis at 1:30 o'clock spe w dar in the afternoon, it had completed its course in a little over three hours. Red Cross relief is being handled through the central division at St. Lovis and the headquarters at Washington sent instructions to Harry M Baker, director of disagter relief, at Sullivan, Ind., to proceed to the tornado zone. The first Chicago train, organized by the Chicago Herald and Examiner, left Chicago at 10 o'clock last night with 200 doctors, nurses and assist- ants aboard. The special carried two cars of medical supplies and a ar of tents. Most of the personnel assembled through radio ap- peals. At the request of Mayor Dever, the Chicago Tribune started a financial relief fund with a sub- scription of $1,000. Yesterday's tornado was the nine teenth such disaster since a zveat storm which swept the southern states in 1884. Three great storms with heavy loss of life and rirge property damage occurred last year, with two in 1923. Last June, 67 were killed by a tornado at Lorain, Ohio, while 109 perished iast April in Alabama, South Carolina end Georgia. Forty deaths were report- ed in a storm In Mississippi and Alabama in May. West Frankfort Debris Probed for More Bedies Ww T FRANKFORT, Ill, March 19. (By the Associated Press).—One hundred and two bodjes have been ext ated from the ruins of the buildings wrecked in yesterday's tor- nado. More than 200 seriously in- jured were taken to hospitals. wo hundred and fifty buildings in the north and west sections were elled. An early estimate by eriff Dorris placed the property at than $2,000.000, Dawr sented a picture of r alied the war 5 France. As far the e, the landscape mass of twist It wa extren difficult at first to determine accurately details of the picture. Here a whole house tad been moved its foundation; at another plac Jde had been ripped off, while in other cases, what bad once been homes was nothing but little piles of twisted wreckage. From the field north of the Orient mine, one of the town's chief sources of livelihood, the dark outlines of workers probing the debris rescue | there coud! be heard the pitiful cries of the injured still pinned Beneath the wreckage. Some of these were extricated just before breathing their last while others died while they were hastened to emergency hospitals or other homes. One of the most pitiful sights wae that of a mother lying terribly man- gled while an infant crying lustily, crawled about her inert form. At another byme the body of a woman Was found on the porch, a deep gash {n the head. She appar- ently met her fate while endeavor to flee from the storm. A miner still in his’ pit clothes and carrying the imp form of a five-year old child walked dejectedly in the path of rescue workers to a pile of wreckage that until yester- day constituted his home. In the debris were found his wife and an- other son, both terribly | injured, The morgue was filled to overflow: ing with bodies. On one side of the structure were the bodies of 18 babies, Two national guard companies are in charge of the stuation. The town, however, has not been placed for bodies were visible. Here and under martial law. Tableau air Death At Murphysboro Frightful MURPHYSBORO, Ills., March 19 —(By Associated Press)}—South: ern nols today presented a vast tableau of death and destruction and s horror-stricken Inhabitants await @ anxiously more definite reports on the toll of lives taken by yester- s tornado which swept clear across the southern part of the state With the stricken towns almost completely tsolated, definite reports to loss of Ufe were lacking. but estimates placed the number well t 1,000 mark, with many injured, some of whom were The amount of the property damage also lacked definite figures, but was belleved to have mounted over several million dollars, Sweeping across the Mississippl from the lower section of Missouri, the hurricane invaded [lMnolse at Gorham, on the Mississipp! and wended Its way In an almost straight easterly direction, into Indiana, lay- ing waste towns and farms in an area over several hundred square miles, Murphysboro, West Frankfort, Parrish, De Soto. all uated in [tt nois, rich cecal fields appeared to haye suffered the heaview loss of lives and the biggest property dam- ages. Smoke stiliipoured from the debris of Murpbysboro’s smoulder- ing ruins, while its citizens stil! searched the ruins for other dead. Nescue work was greatly hampered by the fire and it was said that many of the injured were cremated In the blazing debris. The west end of the city was com- pletely destroyed, although citizens quickly formed fire fighting squads, according to Missourl Pacific rail- road dispatches, At Parrish and West Frankfort the number of dead was estimated at 700, while the toll of human life in this city was believed to be around 150. From <50 to 400 are sald to have been killed in De Soto, where most of the victims ‘were children elther buried under the ruins of their schoo! house or trapped in the flames that burst out after the struc- ture. had tumbled into a mass of twisted steel and crumbled brick. Fatalities were increased by stead- ily incoming reports, In addition each town reported many of its inhabitants being hurt, many probably fatally. About one third of West Frank- fort, a town. of about 12,000 was nearly wiped out by the wind. Quick- ly as it came, the hurricane swept over the town leaving in its wake death and destruction. Wherf Frankfort had recovered from its panic, rescue work was started at once. The local hospital was quickly. filled with the injured and the dying, and wherever possible first ald stations were erected. Phy- siclans and nurses from nearby towns were called to the rescue and spent hours In caring for the in- jured. Late in the evening reinforce- ments came from St. Louis, East St. Louis and Belleville together with medical supplies. Five buildings were left standing at De Soto, it was reported by those who returned’ from that city, It was {n the school house of the ham- let of 600 where death demanded its greatest toll. Eighty eight bodies were reported to have been taken from the ruins of the school late last night. But the rescue work was greatly retarded by the lack of prop er lighting. Old fashioned lanterns and flashlights furnished the only means of illumination for the work- ers, and it is believed that many of the injured little ones died before they could be reached by the relief parties. Pathetic stories were told by the surylvors of what happened around the school house. Dynamite was used here late last night to stop the ravage of the blaz- ing school house. Bodies were piled up, in the school, where, only a few hours before, the little ones had en- joyed themselves at play. Few were claimed, as their parents were among the injured and helpless to render aid to the suffering tots. A stirring story was told of the principal, who Was seen searching thé ruins for his own two children, while at the same time secking to rescue others that had been entrust- ed to his care. With the break of dawn and the arrival of additional physicians, nurses and medical supplies, rescue work was renewed with double vigor. The city early today was burning in many places. The main businevs section was virtually: wrecked and streets were filled with poles end debris and wrecked automobiles. Many doctors and nurses who ar- rived from al points were taken to the basement of the Presbyterian church which was not destroyed. Bert Scoby, an undertaker* from Morion, Tlinols, who came through West Frankfort enroute here, estl- mated that one undertaker there had sixty or seventy bodies and another undertaker probab!y had the at number, “The whole northwert corzer of Frankfort is razed and conditions there ave as bad as they are here,’ Scoby sald. ‘Three school build- ings were virtually destroyed. ‘The tornado scooped out the centar of the high school, turned houses end over end and’ devastated block after block." “The wind carried automobiles great distances,” he sald. at turned one house almost at a right angle to’ its foundation.” The number of persons burned in their homes after being crushed is undetermined, according to Major Robert Davis. An Associated Press dent made a tour of the cit a.m. and counted 85 wrecked s mobiles. Fires everywhere glawed and fared with Incres fury and the streets were filled w €orrespon- at 3 still hon Food tn s Restaurants that were not wrecked are trying to ob tain food from Carbondale De Soto was razed with the excep- tion of a-dozen houses, according to B. W. Krysher, member of the na- tional guard troops of Carbondale. Krysher reported that the schoo! house at De Soto was demolished and he,estimated tho dead children numbered from 80 to 100. He said that many children taken from the ruins were badly hurt Other reports here and In Carbon- dale strengthened early reports that casualties in the stricken area were great. At Murphysboro the storm was not more than five minutes in pass- ing. The tornado smashed business bylldings and dwelling {n a twinkling and-in the wake of the devasating wind came a fire which. completed the destruction. It ts estimated that at least one- fourth—possibly more—of the resi- dential section {s in ruins and the business district pyesents a similar scene of wreckage ‘ The Mobile and Ohlo ratiroad shops were destroyed. Approximate ly 35 persons were killed and 200 in jured when the bullding collapsed, The Logan and Longfellow school wer blown to pleces. Eighty-five pu- pils of the Logan schoo! were report- ed killed, six were removed dead at the Longfellow school and six at a township schoo! Martial law {s In effect The storm came without warning. An hour before the tornada hit a bright sun was shining. Ertimates today placed the num ber of dead at about 100 and the in jureé upward of one thousand. } INCYCLONES (Continued From Page One) At Annapolis, Mo. G. Stewart, teamster, Pp. ‘Stewart. Orso Kelly, farmer. Merele Kelly, 21. 2 At McLeansboro, Il. Wesley Cluck, farmer. His son, name undetermined, Emily Lloyd. tandall Ballard. Mrs. Randall Ballard, Mrs, Harriet Tyler. Mrs. Charles Webb. Mrs. John Ray. Lonnie Smith and three of his family. Mrs. Trobough. Sam Flannegan. Hugh Dolan. Cape Girardeau, Mo. Mrs. Mary Kempfe. M4 Gallatin, Tenn. Charles Durham. Mrs. Charles Durham, Mrs. Ida Durham, wife of Joe Dur- } ham. Miss Opal Durham, 15, daughter of Mrs, Ida Durham. James Joseph old, Pauling Beasley, adopted daughter of Kallie Trout. Lorena Durham, 3, daughter les Durham. Helen Hughes. Durham, one-year Mrs. Mrs Matilda Key. James Mrs. James json and five chil- dren. ‘Two children, believed also to be of the Ellison family. Henry Hughes Hughes. and = Clayton At Lexington, Ky. Richard Brow At Elizabeth, Ind. George Johns. Mrs, Johns. Mrs. Johns’ mother. At De Soto, Ul. Mrs. Norton Bash. Fred Woods. Mrs. Brothard, Bulalie Morrison, 12, Mrs. Henry Bullard. Joseph Hart! Electra Bearly Richard Beas; L. Hude. Mrs. Hub rinceton, Ind. Viola Nuthman; 10. Mrs. Frank Metzger, 42. Marietha Brokaw, 10. Robert Brammer, 70. Ora Perry, 40. Riley Reeves, 35. Audrey Rankin, Louis, Il. Mrs, Ciyde Osborne, 32. Mrs, Thomas Nash, 50. Miss Nellio Cooper, 17 Miss Hazel McGarrah, 16. Edna Wilkinson, 12. George Wilkinson, brother of Hdna Mrs. Archie McClurkin. James Whitten, 4. Raymond Hubbard. Mrs. Mary Miller, mother of Mrs. lurkin. Sam Key and his two children, Griffin, Ind. Challies Majors. Mrs, Charles Elsterman, Wade Stratton, 14. Clarissa Young 14. Vera Young,, sister of Clar’ Owensville, Ind. William King, Walter King. Mrs. Walter King. Lucy King. Harvey Jourdan. Mrs. Harvey Jourdan daughter. Lemuel Watters and small son. Tchard Watters. Three Jones sisters. Mr. and Mrs. Elvis Williams. 35 of East St. and simail DISASTER TURNED INTO HOLOCAUST, CHICAGO, Mareh 19.—Pires were burning in Murphysboro and De Soto today according to advices to the Ilinols Central railroad, I trains were run by the rying doctors and nurses teer relief workers into sked places. the limit,” Char! w H. Mark- ham, president of the raliroad or- dered last night in response to ap- for aid. ine towns and cities on the Illl- noils Central lines struck by the storm ‘were Murphysboro, West nkfort, DeSoto, Gorham, Par- Fr rish, Benton and Royalton, all in le linois, and Stewartsville and Griffin, Indiana. The special train sent out of ‘here t night under the auspices of the Chicago Herald and Examiner be sides physicians from the Illinois Central hospital staff and nurses and volunteers, carried 100 cots and several hundred blankets,. POPLAR BLUFYF, Missourt, Mar. 19.—4E the Associated Press).— Three persons were known today to have been killed in the southeast Missouri! region that was swept by yesterday's tornado centering around Annapolis. Other.reports of the storm came from the vicinity of Cape Girardeau. Two men were killed at Annapolis and many injured, three probably fatally,. Among the latter 1s a seven year old girl. Annapolis was levelled, the debris being thrown over upon the hillside. The inhabitants of the lttle Ozark hamlet immediately began to res- cue what they could of their belong- ings, in order to protect themselves against the cold that followed the storm. Six school children were report: ed injured when a rural school house near Cape Girardesu was car: ried by the wind, A report that 10 had been killed at Biehle, 16 miles nortu of Cupe Gir- ardeau, remained unconfirmed to- day. Another report was that one had been killed and ten injured in Aiten- berg. CARBONDALE, Ills., March 19.— Upward of one thousand persons are dead and probably three thous- and injured with hundreds of others homeless within a radivs of 25 miles of this city in yesterday's tornado, according to reports today. A tabulation based on estimates of persons reaching here from the stricken and devastated towns fol- lows: . (Continued From Page One) tives McClintock and Mondell were dragged into the limelight. There was no military reason why the Mammoth lease should have Murphysboro, wich of 13,000 300 dead, upward of 1,000 to burned and 4,/00 homeless. At 9 a.m, fire which with the storm burned or wrecked twenty square blovks, was still raging but was reported under control. ace nige eee a population reports between 250 and 700 injured, 1,200 homes wrecked or to 5,000 made Beaver Boss Thomas L, Turner, former Beaver and ior scout, has supplanted William Klepper as president of the Portland Beavers, Tyrner and Dufty Lewis purchased outright the hold- ines of William the Bat. yamned the Portlande: r to ceiling and’ everything iooks bright. ———— eo MAS, J. HARNED IS VICTIM 0 FATAL ILLNESS Operation Fails to Save Life of Young Cas- per Woman. The body of Mr wife of Jchn C.1 Edna Harned, rned of the Harn- ed: Furniture company who died at 8 o'clock last night at a local hospital, will be taken tonight from the Shaf- fer-Gay undertaking parlors here to Sheridan for burial. Sheridan is the home of Mr. and Mrs. Jack Carey, parents of Mrs, Harned. Mrs. Harned was well known in se 1 circles in C:@per and was pop- ula® among a wide circle of friends. She had lived in Casper for more than eight years and was a graduate of the Iccal high school. As a must- clan of great talent she had appeared in numerous recitals here. She made her home ut the Ideal apartments. Mrs. Harned, who was about years old, underwent an emergenc: operation for ruptured appendix at a local hospital after being taken sud- denly il st Thursday. It was thought at first that she was im- préving after the operation but she suffered a irelapse resulting in her death, Among the surviving relatives in addition to Mr, Harned and M Mre. Carey, are two sisters Katherine Carey and Mrs Mills, both of Deny KASSIS OPENS BARGAIN SALE To. give the ladies of Casper an opportunity to buy their spring and Guster apparel at a great saving the Kassis Dry ods company opened a smashing sale of pr tieally all articles in the store to continue in full swing until Satur- day night, Outstanding among the bargains that are being offered is a special price on the new ensemble sults that haye Hterally taken the east by storm this spring. Dresses, coats, both of the spring and summer varieties have been placed in the sale racks and are going fast. Ladies are urged to come down early for this event an the most desirable of the articles are going fast although tho choice ts still very wide. TASS le The fate of Floyd Collins, the Caye City victim, so wrought up 4 woman living on a farm near Golds- boro, N. C., that when her paper missed one morning she had her husband journey all the way to the eity in order to obtain the latest news “concerning the unfortunate young man ————>—_—__ Hats on hire for the use men Visitors are proving a sideline with liner. of wo. profitable New York mil one been kept from the public records in Washington,the navy officer ad- mitted, DEFENSE PLAN IS STRESSED. CHEYENNE, Wyo., Mareh 19.— Wyoming, a thousand miles “from one American oceanic coast, almost two thousand from the other, was accorded a superlatively important position in plans for the defense of these coasts, in a deposition by Rear Admiral J. K, Robinson, chief of the Navy bureau of engineering, which was read into the ~ecord of the Teapot Dome lease annulment sult trial Wednesday and Thursday. Availability of Wyoming ofl at coast points in a war emergency might be the factor enabiing América to win a conflict that otherwise would be lost, Admiral Robinson testified. Admiral Robinson's deposition was presented by the defendant Mammoth Oil company, holder of the Teapot lease, for the purpose of counteracting government. evidence designed to give the impression that the terms of the'lease on the naval oil reserve were framed by Albert B. Fall, then secretary of the interior, in the {nterests of Harry F. Sinclair, who negotiated the lease, and con- trary to the interests of the United Ctates. The deposition also bears upon the legality of the lease, which was assailed in government ev!- dence. It was in. explaining .why certain provisions were incerporat- ed in the least, including the, pro- visions for the construction of a pipe line- connecting the Wyoming reserve with other pipe lnes lead- ing to the Atlantic and Gulf coasts and for the drilling of the whole re- serve, that Admiral Robinson made some rather amazing revelations concerning the exigencies of the na- tional defense situation at the time the lease was mado April 7, 1922. Some of the testimony in the deposi- tion was of a character suggesting embarrassment to the United States in international affairs were it to be made public and portions of the evi- dence of this character were not read. Admiral Robinson’s evidence asserted that provisions in the Tea- pot lease agreement which the gov- ernment’s evidence had tended to show were not to the advantage of the United States, but to the advan- tage of the lessee, were neither sug- gested nor dictated by Fall but were inserted upon the express insistence of the navy department, which de- clined to consider a lease agreement not embodying these provisi-ns. Admiral Robinson, who acted as the Navy department's representa- tive in the formulation of the con- tract of lease, testified that he {n+ sisted upon the development of the whole Teapot reserve, upon agre>- ment by the lessee to construct 2 pipe line connecting the reserve with the mid-continent lines and up- on provision by the lessee of sea- board ofl storage tankage that even- tually should become the property of the government, Describing the tremendous war- time problem resulting from inade- quate transportation facilities, Ad- miral Robinson testified that the construction of an oll pipe Ine from Wyoming to the east wag equivalent to the “adding of a ralroad to the nobility of the country to win a war. He then testified that the availabil- ity of Wyoming oll, or of fuel ofl secured in exchange for Wyoming crude, might. be the factor upon which would. hinge the outcome of a war involving America. “The pipe line I insisted upon,” he said, adding that upon provision of a pipe line depended “our ability to exchange ‘crude oil at the wells In Wyoming for fuel oll along the At- lantic coast.” Outlining the national defense situation, and the vital factor there- in of adequate fuel oll supplies for the navy at points where this oi) would be available in war emer- sencie&, Admiral Robinson said that unless the United States held Hono- lulu and there maintained a suffi- cient garrison and sufficient sup- plies, the United States, in the event of a naval war in the Pacific, prob- ably could be invaded from the west. He stressed the possibly disastrous consequences of a Japanese-British iulliance which were considered at the time of the making of the leases on the federal naval oll reserves, which possibility, he added, since had been removed. America, he uid, held the key to the Pacific sit- uation so long as it held the. three points of a triangle represented by Unalaska, Honolulu and San Diego, and that the strategic potentiality of this key was dependent upon hold- ing Honolulu and the naval supplies at Pearl Harbor. The development of the Teapot reserve, he stated, was counted upon to supply the At- lantic coast with: oil necessary for the navy, this leaving the ofl from the California naval reserves avail. able to supply the Pacific, Admiral Robinson's testimony re- vealed that the advisability of break- ing the Midwest's monopoly in Wy- oming had been considered in con- nection with the Fenpot lease and that tt had been Navy department opinion that because of the Mid- west’s monopoly in Wyoming had been considered in connection with oming oll through an independent pipe line would increase Wyoming crude prices. Admiral Robinson testified that he first met Sinclair, who was accom- panied by J. W. Zevely, In Secretary Fall's office in January, 1922, the appointment YWiving been arranged by Fall, and that he outlined to Sin- clair the Navy's views concerning conditions which must be attached to the leasing of the Teapot reserve. On February 3, the witness testified Sinclair addressed to Fall a proposal to lease the reserve which contained an offer to meet the provisions upon which Robinson, as representative of the navy, had insisted. Secretary Denby of the navy was informed of all matters bearing up- on the advisability of drilling Tea- pot, and of all in the consideration of lease terms and the formulation ofthe lease agreement, Admiral Robinson testified. Returning to the advisability of extracting Teapot’s oll content in view of exigencies of the national defense situation, Admiral Robinson said that since the world war Great Britain had expended 7,000,000 pounds sterling for naval oil stor- age facilities and had 14,000,000 bar- rels of fuel oil in reserve, that Ja- pan had spent 30,000,000 yen for storage facilities and that France, realizing the vital importance of adequate oil supply In a war emer- gency, had commandeered a_ six- months supply in the hands ot French dealers. America's expendi- tures, he said, were relatively small. Admiral Robinson testified on cross-examination that his original conference with Fall concerning the leasing of Teapot had taken place in October, 1921, and that the drill- ing of the whole reserve, under lease, first had been discussed sa tetween him and Fall in January, 1922. Cross examination brought from the admiral expression of opinion concerning the geological survey which caused counsel and onlook- ers to smile. Examination had turn- cl to the question of the probability of drainage of Teapot by wells in the adjoining Salt Creek fied and government counsel were inquiring concerning advice which prompted the Navy department's decision that the drilling of Teapot was advisable. “Did not the idea occur to you that it would be advisable to get the opinion of Dr. George Otis Smith of the geological survey?" asked Owen D. Roberts. ““It occurred to me that !t would be an undesirable idea,” retorted the witness, “That may seem a’ peculiar thing to say about such an eminent weologist as Dr. Smith, but | think the trouble lies in the survey itself and not the geologists.” ind Admiral Robffison related that the royalty scale provided for in the Mammoth lease was the most ad- vantageous with respect to royalties ever made by the government. In the reading of Admira: Robin- son's deposition, a bulky ducument of 300 pages, a practice new !n court here was introduced. Counsel who had conducted the examination and cross examination at the time the deposition was taken, these being George P. Hoover for the defense and Roberts for the government, read the questions, and other coun- sel read the answers. Martin W. Littleton, seated in the witness’ chair, read the replies to the direct questions, and Atlee Pomerene read the replies elicited by .ross examina- tion, When court adjourned at 4:40 o'clock Pomerene was still in the witness’ chair and about half of the deposition had been rea: PALM BEACH I SWEPT BYFIRE (Continued From Page One) where former guests watched the building burn. The Palm Beach hotel, several blocks from the Breakers, was ignit- ed almost without warning. A sud- den shift of the wind sent flaming brands flying over the village busi- hess section to the roof of the Palm Beach hotel, located on the Lake Trail among many stores and near the Beaux Arts building. The golf course near the Break- ers was thronged and in the confu- sion no social lines were drawn and villagers rubbed elbows with hotel visitors. STAY ISSUED FOR SLAYER DENVER, Colo., March 19.—The life of Arthur Mitchell, convicted s°.yer of two fellow beings—a man and a woman—hung in the balance today but Governor C. J. Morley swung the scales to temporary life for the murderer who. was to hang tomorrow or Saturday at the state penitentiary at Canon City, Color. ado. Although Mitchell was wrested from the gallows today in two weeks on the week beginning April 6, he the Teapot lease and that {t had been Navy department opinion that because ofthe Midwest's connection with the Standard of Indiana, it would not be advisable to lease Tea- pot to the Midwest, The govern- ment, he sald, if the Standard or a Standard subsidiary were not to get the lease, had to deal with some other oil interest big enough to han- die the drilling the whole Teapot reserve and to build the pipe line to the mid-continent lines connection. The deposition mentioned, also, that the provision of am outlet for Wy- ‘ seein faces the same peril, as his ‘eprieve exiends to that time. Gov- ernor Morley granted the stay of the death sentence so that he may investigate the pleas for the com- mutation of the murderer's sen- tence to life imprisonment more thoroughly. Mitchell in October, 1923, killed Mrs. Georgia Byrams and Andrew J. Sherfe on a ranch, 12 miles out- side of this city. Me was sentenced to death in December of that year but the administering of the sen- tence was postposied while he fought the penalty in the supreme court, FLASHES ON STORM TOLL (Continued From Page One) creased silghtly as repcrts are re- celved from the countryside. BUSH, Il, March 19.—Seven per- sons were kijled at Bush and sixty injured in the tornado. More than 150 persons were homeless and 23 houses levelled. NASHVILLE, Tenn., March 19.— Reports from Gallatin in Sumner county, the northern section of which was struck by a tornado yes- terday, estimated that the death list might exceed thirty, with about twenty-five injured. CAIRO, Ill, March 19.—A mes- sage relayed through here today from Chief Dispatcher Wallace of the Mobile and Ohio railroad @f Murphysboro. to Vice Presid Irving estimated the dead at from 500 to 1,200 and, placed the loss to the railroad there at $1,500,000 in- cluding the shops,’ round house, five coaches and eleven engines. CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo., March 19,—Five persons were killed and 25 or more injured in yesterday's storm in the farming region about 25 miles north of Cape Giradeau, according to reports here today, Doctors returning here today from Gorham, Ill, said 15 persons were known to be dead there. EVANSVILLE, Ind., March 19. — Griffin, Ind., a town of 750 people was almost completely obliterated in last night's tornado only four badly damaged houses remaining standing. Forty dead bodies were found in the streets. The exact number of dead is not known since no search of the ruins has been made. WEST FRANKFORT, Ill, March 19.—(By The Arsociatde Press)—The known dead as a result of yester- day's tornado reached 116 here today 13 at Benton, 14 at Logan, 25 at Parrish and at least 35 at De Soto, 4 according to tabulations. oo LOUISVILLE, Ky., Mareh 19. — (By The Associated Press)—At least 16 persons were killed and scores in- jured, several probably fatally, In a series of storms in Kentucky yester- day afternoon, according to reports to the Associated Press here today, INDIANAPOLIS, Ind., March 19 —The dead in Indiana from the tor- nado probably will exceed 150, ac cording to figures obtained over dam- aged telephone and telegraph wires. Griffin probably was the hardest hit, tho death toll there being report- €d upwards of 100 with forty bodies lying in the streets and only four houses remaining standing. It had a population of 750. McLEANSBORO, Ill., March 19,— At least forty persons were killed in yesterday's storm in Hamilton coun- ty rural sections, it was learned to- day. A repert from Mount Vernon, Til, sald 14 persons had been killed between Enfield and Carmi. “ GALLATIN, Tenn., March 19.— Thirty dead and thirty or forty in- jured was the estimated toll today of the tornado which sideswiped the northern section of this, Sumner county, late yesterday. ; COUNTESS ON STAND LONDON, March 19,—The Dowager Countess Carnarvon today took the stand fa the sensational Dennistoun trial, Once during tho evidence she nearly fainted but re- covered with the help of smelling salts, The increasing bitterness wjth which the Denistoun case js belng fought was. noticeable during the continuation of cross examination of the defendant today and there were a number of heated exchanges be- tween Lieutenant Colonel Dennise teun and Sir Ellis Hume Williams. Once Justice McArdle stopped thes questioning to reprove the counse” for the frequent use of the word “nonse as characterizing the witnesses’ answers. He also remind- ed Sir Ellis that Dennistoun was ill. Dennistoun asserted that the in- troduction of money matters Into the case was “pure'’ invention on the part of his former wife, not only to show up me but to show up my wife, the Dowager Countess Car- narvon.”* Sir Ellis persisted in attempts to get the witness to admit that he had borrowed various sums of money from his former wife after the divorce, but Col. Dennistoun while admitting he had received sums of money from her, declared she sent them “out of generosity on her part,” and not as loans. When Str Ellis asked if the Coun- tess of Carnarvon had given Col. 4 Dennistoun 100,000 pounds upon their marriageyto “preserve your dignity” and the» witness replied es Sir,” Sir Ellis flashed back ‘do you think that after you had accepted 20,000 pounds anda fiat from another man‘s wife you had much dignity to preserve?”’ Church Votes Storm Relief BOSTON, March 19.—The Christ fan Science board of directors to- day announced that it had placed $40,000 at the disposal of the com: mittees of the church for the relief of tornado suffertrs in the middle west and that contributions for re Nef might be sent by the public through the Mother Church relief fund, SECRECY IN OIL LEASE PROGRAM LATEST WIRE | DEFENDED IN FEDERAL REARING ~\