Grand Rapids Herald-Review Newspaper, February 13, 1904, Page 6

—_}— By C. E. KILEY. GRAND RAPIDS, + MINNESOTA. In order to bring out all his really geod points an eccentric man has to die. “Do Angora goats pay?” asks the Boston Advertiser. Don’t know. Never sold them anything. Dr. Roux of the Pasteur institute at Paris says radium kills mice. Away with the traps at once! Wheeling put out 103,000,000 stogies in 1903, and strangely enough, doesn’t seem to be ashamed of it. It is perhaps worthy of note that M. Santos Dumont came over from France by the old-fashioned route. Considering what he has done, it is hard to realize that Rudyard Kipling was only 38 on his birthday, Dec. 30. Government clerks ask for shorter hours. But at last accounts they had not gone on strike and tied up the ser- vice, This is a poor time to buy maps of the world. The accurate map of to- day may be all wrong before the year is ended. The only wonder is that living in New York does not result oftener in making men old and decrepit at the age of 23. Three real battles have been fought in Uruguay recently. Has the gentle art of bluffing failed to get a foothold in Uruguay? On one or two previous occasions the Japanese have shown that they can do something else besides raise chrysanthemums. Human nature is not so bad, after all. Ninety-nine people out of every hundred that you know would rather do you a favor than an injury. ov. Dockery of Missouri says that he can’t tell the color of one poker chip from another. After that, we refuse to play with Gov. Dockery. Wu-Ting-Fang has been promoted. But one trouble about being promoted in China is that it brings a man just that much nearer to the empress dow- ager. A minister has made a fortune by inventing a non-refillable bottle. But how did a minister come to recognize the importance of this means of grace? What Russia is saying of that Thibet expedition by the British, done be hind her back while she is facing the Japs, would not look well in a diplo- matic note. A man of the name of Chighizola was defeated for public office at Mem- phis, Tenn, a few days ago. It must have required a good deal of courage to scratch him. A Missouri scientist declares radium gives the hot springs of Arkansas their curative powers. Then the poker table and the roulette wheel are not absolute necessities. A forty-story sky-scraper is to be erected in New York. At this rate, light and air will soon be as thorough- ly monopolized as are some other things in the big town. A San Francisco man has invented an automobile which runs perfectly by radium power. All the lucky public has to do now is to get its automobile first and then its radium. English women are rapidly breaking away from the habit of kissing one an- other. This being leap year, there is no reason why such a foolish habit should be popular anywhere. Mr. Schwab admits that he is now out of a job and unemployed, but as he still has several million dollars’ worth of securities he may be able to get through the winter comfortably. It helps one to realize that his is not the only business that is over- crowded when he reads that there are inore than 1,000 applicants for a va- cant Brooklyn pastorate, salary $10, 000. A gentleman who resides in Switzer. land announces that he has invented an electrical contrivance which will kill off an army at a single shock. It won't do. Where would the heroes come in? One of the judges of election arrest- ed in Denver on charges of violating the election laws is a woman. This slightly jars the confident @ssertion that when women get into politics corruption will cease. The California girl who went to Den- ver to meet her Kansas lover and to wed him did nothing so very far out of the way. She will probably have to meet him more than half way many times in order to keep peace in the family. A number of young girls in Hobo- ken, N. J., have been praying in church for husbands. Their prayers have not yet been answered, but some of their neighbors who have been out hustling in the meantime have been Herald-Review. [BUS A BLACKENED WAST | faming ruins and prevent another outbreak. ees gpnonay y and business men of the t side are not yet fully assured of oi safety, and through every win- dow may be seen Anxious, Affrighted Faces. Moving vans, push-carts and vehi- cles of all kinds fill the streets, cart- ing household effects and valuables Baltimore Staggering Under a Fire Loss Which no One Has the | ‘° Safer positions. Temerity to Put Into Figures—City Is Overcast With Gloom—Famine Is Feared Flames Rage for Twenty-Eight Hours in Spite of Almost Superhuman Efforts Put Forth by Best Fighting Forces Half a Dozen Citics Could Muster. Seventy-Five Sqtiares. Including the Finest Commercial and Office Buildings in the City, Turncd Info Waste of Smoldering Ruins. STATISTICS OF THE FIRE. Loss variously estimated at from $150,000,000 to $300,000,000. Seventy-six blocks in heart of busi- ness section completely devastated. 2,500 buildings destroyed. Fire raged for twenty-eight hours. Not a single life lost and not a hu- man being even dangerously injured. Baltimore, Mr., Feb. 10.—Baltimore is staggering under fire loss which no one has the temerity to put in figures. The important commercial district is blackened ruins, laid bare by a con- flagration which raged without a mo- mentary check from 10:45 a. m. Sun- day until late in the afternoon yester- day. At 3 o'clock the city officials again breathed. It was agreed the flames were under control. They had raged twenty-eight hours in spite of almost superhuman efforts put forth by the best fighting forces which more than half a dozen cities were able to muster. The city is overcast with gloom. The only lights in the burned district are those from The Smouldering Ruins. The stores are closed in nearly every street. The darkened avenues are | full of jostling people talking of one subject. Apparently there is but one cause for gladness, and that is that there are no homeless. The resi- dence section of the city escaped. This phase of the situation relieved the officials from any thought other than the saving of property. At 2 p.m. the Associated Press sent out a bulletin saying the flames would be held in check at the Union docks and prevented leaping Jones falls and placing the entire city east of there in jeopardy. At 3 o'clock that bulletin was confirmed. A score of times flames of fire were found lapping the sides of lumber piles on the east bank of the falls. In some instances the lumber was tossed into the falls, and this, with similar heroic measures Stayed the Onsweep of Fire. Throughout the terrible contest in which firemen and’ fire waged for su- premacy, humanity was handicapped by a gale which carried burning brands over the heads of the workers and beyond the reach of the hundreds of streams of water poured into the raging furnaces. But for the work of volunteers in seeking out and ex- tinguishing these embers it is almost certain the burned area would have been twice larger than it is. About seventy-five squares, or 140 acres, are ; in ashes, extending from Lexington street on the north to Pratt street on the south, from Liberty street on the west to Jones falls on the east. Insurance companies have opened temporary offices in the Jexington hotel, but their representatives de- cline to estimate the loss. The an- swer of one is typical of all: “It’s too big. We have not figures to describe it. Make it Above One Hundred Million. That’s the best we can do.” The same indecision was true in re- gard to estimates concerning insur- ance. The city was early placed under martial law and thus all danger of looting in the doomed district was eliminated.. Word was received last night that Gen. Corbin of New York would be here to-day to take com- mand of the federal troops. The pres- ence of two regiments of militia as an adjunct to the police, which was aug- mentea by details from Philadelphia and Washington, resulted in the main- tenance of the best of order. No one dares to guess what would have happened had the flames jumped the falls. The struggle yesterday was with the one end of confining the fire to the west side of the muddy stream. That this effort was successful is merely the result of the fire Burning Itself Out and concentrated labors of nearly a hundred fire companies, aided by the powerful fire tug, The Cataract. Again and again the terrible heat, driven from the burning district across Jones falls, ignited buildings and lumber piles. Furious hand-to- hand fights occurred, which, fortu- nately for the residents of East Bal- timore, were won by the firemen. Several hours in the lumber district of the East side, volunteers watched every ember. Bucket brigades were formed to prevent the destructive leap of the flames across the narrow stream. Had the fire gained a foot- nold in the East side lumber yards it is conceded nothing could have stopped the onslaught and the depart- ments would have been, powerless to prevent damage as great, if not great- er, than the Chicago fire. Buildings Blown Up. Dynamite explosions were con- stant all day. The program adopted Sunday night of blowing up buildings in an attempt to stay the progress of the flames was continued until the fire was under control. Then the dynamiters turned their attention to razing tottering walls which threat- ened to collapse. The result was al- most constant cannonading and the detonating was heard in all parts of the city. With the fire under control the blackened waste which lies in the wake of the sea of flames presents a view, terrible in its pyrotechnic gran- deur. Where the fire has died out nothing remains but waste, from which rises hundreds of towering in- secure shafts. These are all that is left of what were once handsome of- fice buildings, storage, wholesale and business houses of all kinds. Cannot Be Estimated for Weeks. The loss will not be accurately esti- mated for weeks. Few persons ex- plored fully, even such portions of the burned district as the cooling ruins would permit. The high winds made it nearly impossible for any one to pass through the streets bordered by crumbling walls without grave danger to personal safety. Tangled masses of wires cross and _ recross the streets, and these were lashed so furiously by the wind that they could have proved no more dangerous had they been alive. When the advance of the flames had been checked the fire companies started back over the course of the disaster, attempting to extinguish the Col. J. Frank Supplee, a competent authority on factory statistics, esti- mates that the number of persons thrown out of work will reach 50,000. Others have estimated the enforced idleness at greatly more. Inspector of Buildings Preston, af- ter making a careful study of the burned district, placed the building loss alone at $150,000,000. It is feared that aid must come from adjacent cities and a parual famine will be an added phase of the situation. Restaurants are entirely without food, and the destruction ot the commission houses along the wharves has shut off the means of supply. Hotels are but little better off, and though they say they will be able to feed their guests, it is ad- mitted the variety will be lessened at once. Preparations are being made to rush supplies from New York in order to avert suffering in homes. Where the Fire Was Stopped. Late in the afternoon it became possible to locate the spot where the march of the flames was stopped. After the burning of the Maryland and American Ice companies’ plants near the Union docks a few buildings were destroyed. The ice houses held the flames for three hours, though in the meantime the Norfolk wharf was consumed. The fire boat Cataract and several New York engine compa- nies held this dangerous neighbor- hood, and when the fire entered the American Ice company’s coal yards it was kept under control. The next building in line was the Damast Pack- ing company’s plant, and this was put little damaged. Wilson’s lumber yards, Denmead Malting company's buildings and a number of others vir- tually were snatched from the burn- ing. Praise for New York Firemen. Local fire officials extend unstinted praise to the fire companies from New York for the brave stand they made at the eastern end of the fire belt. Time and again they were driven from their position, but at the coal yard they made a last stand and won. The water supply of Baltimore is causing some concern among city of- ficials. The fire proved a serious drain on the several reservoirs of the city. Had it not been for the waterway. which was not only of assistance in checking the progress of the fiames, but also afforded a source for the | water supply with which to fight the flames, it is difficult to imagine where | the fire would have ended. Not ‘a Single Life Lost. The fire was most remarkable in many ways, but maifly so in the lack of casualties. It can safely be said that no great fire in this country can show a better record. Not a single life was lost and not a human being was even dangerously injured. The number treated in the hospitals will be not more than fifty. In the city hospital thirty-five per- sons were treated during the progress of the fire and only one was com- pelled to remain in the institution, and he was suffering from exposure. The Maryland General hospital treat- ed about a dozen firemen and police- men. Declares Ten Legal Holidays. | Annapolis, Md., Feb. 10.—The gen | eral assembiy met at the state house last night to consider plans for the relief of the fire conditions in Balti- more. Senator Gill of Baltimore intro- duced a bill authorizing Gov. Warfield to declare ten successive legal holi- days in the stricken city so.as to aid property owners and other losers by the fire to get their business affairs in as good shape as possible. The Dill was passed at once and signed by the governor. A bill to make a _ relief appropria- tion, which was to have been present- ed in the house, was laid over until the conditions and amounts needed can be ascertained. © The legislature adjourned and the legislators left here at 10 o’clock on a special train for Baltimore. ——_—OOOOoOoOorns>s=2>(j>“ OCOOOOD O*—“”—Owr re—e=peEOrrermarmanarem=e=E>PommreaEeaE=e=E=ma>SsaEomarmaQarOmamrmaeamamamaEamaE=m=E>E>PerEraamaaaErOremrmaemeereerererereermermeeseeaeaeess«ss TORNADO IN ARKANSAS. Three Persons Killed and Much Prop- erty Destroyed, Mammoth Hot Springs, Ark., Feb. 10.—News has been received here of a tornado in the southern part of this (Fulton) county. At Union, thirty miles southwest of here, three per- sons were killed. The dwellings of Samuel Cochran, William Gibtrap and |+ a number of smaller residents, also the store of S. W. Cochran & Son, with their contents, two churches, the Masonic hall and Carne’s blacksmith shop were swept away. The only building left in the little town was Dr. Barnes’ store, and it was blown from its foundation. The path of the | tornado was about 300 yards wide. WANT AD FOR WIFE PAYS. Farmer Takes Choice of Many Would- Be Brides. Crookston, Minn., Feb. 9.—As a re- | sult of a $1.50 want ad Elijah Gibson of this city was married to Miss Zil- | man Anderson of Warren. Gibson has made this city his home for some time. He owns a valuable farm near Thief River Falls. To his ad he re- ceived hundreds of answers, and final- ly selected Miss Anderson as iis bride. . /frightfully burned, SEWS ON FLESH TORN OFF. Surgical Operation Marvelous If Truly Described. Snoux Falls, S. D., Feb. 10—A freak in surgery has been performed by Dr. Cooke, a prominent physician of Park- er. Leonard ‘Howard, the fourteen- year-old son of a Parker man, while playing with a puppy which was gnowing a bone, was suddenly at- tacked by the animal, which jumped at the boy’s face, tearing his nose and biting a piece of flesh from one of his nostrils. Dr. Cooke was summoned and after a search found the piece of torn flesh. It was frozen when dis- covered lying on the ground, but after being thawed out it was sewed back into place and is again in a healthy condition. The dog was killed. FIFTY WORKMEN KILLED. Buried by Caving-in of an Embank- ment on Warsaw-Vienna Railroad. St. Petersburg, Feb. 10. — Fifty workmen were killed yesterday by the caving in of an embankment on the Warsaw-Vienna railway. In the course of their work the men, dug into an old smeiting works which had been buried beneath the line for thirty years. An explosion followed. Besides the men killed many were “GOOD OLD DAYS” PASSING. Only One Timber Claim Is Left Open to Filing. Aberdeen, S. D., Feb. 9. — The gor- | ernment records show that there is | only one timber claim left in the Ab- | erdeen land district that has not been “proved up” or abandoned. The good old days when Uncle Sam had several quarter sections of good land to give away to any one who wanted them has gone by, and now the man who can get a filing on a single quarter section Blydenburg Up for Life. Eldora, Iowa, Feb. 10. — Eben S. Blydenburgh was sentenced to life im- prisonment yesterday for the murder of his third wife. His efforts to se cure a new trial has not been success- ful. Dead From Injuries. Black River Falls, Wis., Feb. 10. — Art Liscomb died last night from the effects of injuries received while working in the woods. His skull was crushed. He was forty-three years of age and leaves a family. Killed by an Auto. New York, Feb. 10. —While a dense fog hung over the city Mrs. Katharine way, sixty years old, was run over and killed by an automobile driven by George Gordon. Gordon BALTIMORE’S RESURRECTION PEOPLE AROUSE THEMSELVES TO MEET APPALLING CON- DITIONS. NO OUTSIDE HELP IS NEEDED WILL TRY WITH ITS OWN AND STATE’S RESOURCES TO MEET EMERGENCY. LOSS NOW PLACED AT $125,000,000 ALL VAULTS AND SAFES OF FINANCIAL CONCERNS WERE UNHURT. Baltimore, Feb. 10. — Amid ruins still hot and smoking, Baltimore has begun its resurrection. With the dawn of a clear winter day, whose brightness was in itself an inspiration, the apathy of Monday gave way to en- ergy, and from the governor of the state to the least private citizen the people of this distressed city aroused themselves to meet the appalling con- ditions that confront them. It was a day of conferences. The governor, the mayor and _ various municipal officials, met and threshed out the problems that are theirs by virtue of public office. From this conference came a decision that Balti- more for the present needs no out- side help, but will endeavor with her own resources and those of the state To Meet the Emergency. The military officials had unusual problems to decide and solved them in a military manner, for last night every pass that had been issued giv- ing entrance to the fire lines was re- voked. No civilian may pass the cor- don of citizen soldiers which after forty-eight hours of continuous duty stretches around the fire-swept desert where lay safes and vaults containing untold treasure. With equal promptness the chamber of commerce held a general meeting and issued a formal announcement that reflected the prevailing hopeful- ness, declaring “there are already such evidences of recuperation that all are encouraged in the hope of the early restoration of every branch of trade.” Will Rebuild at Once. The stock exchange members met and decided te rebuild as soon as pos- sible. The same story can be told of practically every commercial body. Labor is in demand and the newspa- pers already contain display advertise- ments for men to begin the work of clearing the ruins. A great cloud was lifted yesterday afternoon when it was discovered that practically all of the vaults and strong rooms and safes of the financial con- cerns whose buildings were destroyed were unhurt. A tremendous loss in securities had been anticipated and vault after vault yielded up its treas- ure unharmed the joy of the guardians was boundless. Safes and Vaults Make Good. From one trust company’s safes alone papers to the amount of more than $200,000,000 was recovered. The news cheered the whole city and -en- couraged immediate and thorough in- vestigation. Merchants and their as- sistants, smoke-soiled and begrimed and hollow-eyed from anxiety and loss of sleep, worked like laborers in the smoking ruins to uncover their safes, and in nearly every instance they were rewarded by intact contents. Another surprise was the discovery that two financial concerns whose homes were directly in the path of the flames were practically unharmed. Those were the Mercantile Trust com- pany and Brown Bros.’ bank. The Escape of These Buildings is their luck of height. They do not exceed four stories, and as they were surrounded by lofty structures, the flames swept over them. As yet no figures on loss and in- surance that can be regarded as offi- cial are obtainable. A careful can- vass of insurance experts, builders and business men placed the loss in round figures at $125,000,000 and the insurance at $80,000,000 or $90,000,000. It is probable that these estimates will stand with slight change when the final figures are written. In declining aid proffered the city officials have taken pains to define their position. The blow that has he- fallen Baltimore has aroused an in- tense civic pride in an effort to fight out its salvation, but, as Mayor Mc- Lane expressed it, “the city will not hesitate three minutes to ask assis- tance if it becomes necessary.” Cause of Original Fire, Yesterday gave opportunity for a careful investigation. as to the cause of the original fire in the Hurst build- ing. It was first reported that the blaze started from the explosion of a gasoline engine in the cellar, but this is now given an emphatic denial. Henry S. Hurst, of the firm of John E. Hurst & Co., says that there no gasoline in the building. This state- ment was substantially corroborated by a signed statement issued by S. W. T. Hopper & Sons, insurance agents and brokers. _ It is not denied that the fire orig- ‘inated in the Hurst building, but bow pr See WARDEN WOLFER MAY RESIGN. Admits That Such a Course Is Pos- sible. St. Paul, Feb. 10. — Henry Wolfer, warden of the Minnesota state prison at Stillwater, may soon resign his po- sition. Vague rumors have been cur- rent for more than a year that he would hand in his resignation to the state board of control, but within the last two or three days they have be- come more _ persistent. The three members of the board of control, J. F. Jacobson, Judge O. B. Gould and S. W. Leavett, together with Warden Wolf- er, held a secret meeting at the Mer- chants hotel last evening to discuss the question of the warden’s resigna- tion. After the meeting Warden Wolf- er said: “I have not resigned.” When asked if it was his intention to resign, he hesitated, then said: “Well, I won’t say that I am going to resign now, for we can’t always tell what we might do.” He admitted upon further question- ing that such a course is possible. UPRISING IN LUZON. Revolt Is Inaugurated Against Ameri- cans. Manila, Feb. 10.—Seventeén mem- bers of the constabulary stationed at Vigan, one of the leading business centers of Luzon, have deserted, tak- ing with them fifty rifles, 5,000 rounds of ammunition and $700 obtained by Jooting the commissary department. The number of fugitives has since been augmented by a party of eighty escaping from the same quarter. Gov. Wright promptly requested military assistance, and Col. Thomas immedi- ately dispatched a squadron of cavalry scoutes in pursuit. Col. Scott left yesterday with a body of constabulary. Later advices indicate that the revolt has developed into a small uprising against the Americans and loyal Fil- ipinos. Two American priests, Frs. McClosky and Kirk, have been fired upon, but no casualties are reported. The telegraph wires leading to the disturbed district have been cut. Ricarte, one of the former Filipino leaders, is believed to be at the head of this movement. YOUNGER NOT SUITED. Cole Younger Makes Application for an Absolute Pardon. St. Paul, Feb. 10. — J. Adam Bede was delegated by Cole Younger to place his request for an absolute par- don before the board of pardons. Congressman Bede was in the city yesterday on the way home for a short visit with his family, and while at the capitol presented the matter of Cole Younger’s pardon to Gov. Van Sant and Attorney General Douglas. Cole Younger was in Washington re- cently and while there made the re- quest of Congressman Bede. Younger wants to have a show at the St. Louis exposition, one that will be education- al, he says. He asserts that the con- ditions of his parole constantly ham- per him in making business connec- tions. FOURTEEN PERSONS KILLED. Collision Between Two Passenger Trains on the Canadian Pacific. Ottawa, Ont., Feb. 10. — Fourteen persons were killed and more than a score injured in a collision between two passenger trains on the Canadian Pacific near Sand Point yesterday. The trains in collision were the east- bound and west-bound “Soo” specials. Both trains were under orders to stop at Sand Point-and pass_ there. Conductor Nidd of the west-bound in last evening admitted that his engineer had orders to stop at Sand Point, but failed to obey them, Ten of the killed were passengers. WINS AGAINST DEATH. Pastor Races 2,000 Miles and Presence Helps Sick Qne. Muscatine, Iowa, Feb. 10.—The Rev. Judson Kempton of this city has just won a race with death. He started on a journey of 2,000 miles to Nova Scotia on receipt of information that his sister was ill. A telegram says he has arrived there, and his arrival has greatly benefited the patient. Evidence of Murder. Luverne, Minn., Feb. 10.—The cor- oner’s inquest over the remains of Martin Enger, the Rose Dell township farmer whose frozen and _ partly burned body was found in the ashes of a burned straw pile last week, devel- oped the fact that the man had been murdered, and the coroner’s jury re- turned a verdict that “Enger’s death resulted from a blow over the left temple by a blunt instrument in the hands of parties unknown to them.” Mining Man to Act on Martin Bill. Lead, S. D., Feb. 10.—The bill re- cently introduced in congress by Rep- resentative Martin for the relief of homestead settlers within the boun- daries of the Black Hills forest re- — serve will be acted upon at the com- ing meeting of the Black Hills Mining Men’s association. Complaint has been made to the association that the pill is adverse to the mining interests- Bankers Under Arrest. Ada, Minn., Feb. 10. — The. Clay County bank at Felton, Minn., is in the hands of receivers and the presi- dent and cashier have been placed under arrest. They are charged with receiving deposits after they knew of the bank’s insolvency, Will Become a Missionary. Winona, Minn., Feb. 10.—Rev. J. W. Anderson has resigned the pastorate’ of Olive Branch Methodist church in Winona, and will go to Minneapolis to $P