New Britain Herald Newspaper, December 7, 1917, Page 1

W BRITAIN HERAL PRICE THREE CLNTS. NEW BRITAIN CONNECTICUT, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1917. —EIGHTEEN PAGES. HERALD “ADS" MEA BETTER Busmss — ESTABLISHED 181 ‘MORGUES FILLED WITH DEAD, STREETS WITH THE DYIN( nght for Lack of Medical Attendance, and Others Explrmg Every Hour * SENATE VOTES TO DECLARE WAR ON AUSTRIA-HUNGARY . Vote Is 74 to 0 with La|[{USBAND TESTIFIES Follette Leaving Chamber Before Decision Reached After Debate. DECLARE WAR TONIGHT. ‘Washington, Dec. 7.—Toward thc close house leaders decid- cd to accept the senate’s war - resulntion for that passed by the house comunittec thus mak- the declaration of war {nst Austria-Hungary a fact |fin|"bl with the signature of the president. Washington, Dec. 7.—With less thzn an hour's debate the senate to- day passed the resolution declaring war on Austria-Hungary. The resolution was adopted by the senate unanimously, 70 to 0. Sen- ators Gronna, of North Dakota. Nor- ris of Nebraska, and Vardaman of Mississippl, who voted against the German war declaration supported the resolution. Senator LaFollette of ‘Wisconsin left during the speech- making and did not cast his vote. Senator Lodge of Massachusetts, ranking republican on the Foreign Relations committee followed Senator Stone. He favored ‘declaratioss of war against Turkey and Bulgaria but declared unanimity of action was es- sential. For that reason he opposed amending the resolution to imludu the two lesser powers. In the senate the foreign relahons committee’s report of its own war lution came up with a request for unanimous consent for immediate consideration. . The resalutions must be consoli- dated or one must displace the other in the final action of congress. Stone Presented It. Chairman Stone, of the senate for- eign relations committee, presented the war resolution and moved its im- mediate adoption. Besides the reasan that Austria is Germany’s active ally and, as such, has committed warlike acts against the United States, Senator Stone de- clared there was the further reason : that inasmuch as Italy, France and Felgium comprised one battlefront, American troops might at any time be facing Austrians. Senator Stone made no reference to Turkish or Bulgarian relations. “In this great world struggle,” sald Senator Stone, “all men know of the intimate and apparently indissoluble relation between the governments of Germany and Austria-Hungary. In the progress of events it has become manifest that the United States is in- evitably as much at war with Austria- Hungary as, with Germany. In the circumstances, it is impossible that amicable relations between the two countries should be continued.” Debate in House. Debate in the house on the resalu- | tion to declare war on Austria was| opened by Chairman Flood, of the for- eign relations committee. He asked the house to pass the Tesolution un- animously. The declaration, he said, was essential to the welfare of the Allies, and, further, that Austria in an unrestricted and ruthless submarine warfare had sunk American ships and murdered American citizens. “This is war, war by Austria upon this country,” said Mr. Flood. ‘“The assault upon these ships and the mur- der. of these American citizens was as much an act of war against this country as if Austria had landed an army upon our shores and marched it to this city, burning our homes and murdering our citizens as it came. Our flag has been insulted, our ter- ritorial integrity invaded, the lives of our citizens taken and to submit would bring irreparable injury, loss and suffering to our people. “We should accept the gauge of battle from Austria, just as we did from Cermany,” he declared, and dwelt upon the moral effect, particu- larly on Italy, saying it would strengthen the front and the whole Allied cause. “Let us pass the reso- . jution speedily” he declared, ‘“link- 7 togcther for overwhelming defeat _ne two medieval governments which plunged the world into war and still stands as the worst obstacle to a Auugt speace among the nations.” Neo time for a vote on the resolu- “tien was set by the house but it was believed it might be expected beforeI 5 o'clock this evening. s| AGAINST FORMER ‘PAL’ He Deserted Her and Mar- ried His Stenographer, Later Murdered. Dedham, Mass,, Dec. 7.—George H. Keyes, husband of Mrs. Pauline Keyes, was called as a witness for the prosecution when the trial of Miss Harriet A. Varney, charged with the murder of Mrs. Keyes, was resumed teday. Keves testified aof his Intimate com- panionship with Miss Varney and sald they lived together as man and wife in New York, Providence and Boston for more than a year prior' to his marriage to his stenographer, in August, 1916. He took his bride west and from Chicago sent Miss.Varney, who was in Providence, a postal card by which he hoped to end their relations. The postal said: *“Good-bye, old pal; bless you. Jack.” Keyes testified he planned to remain in the west, but about Thanksgiving time, 1916, his wife became homesick, sa they returned east. He declared he had several meetings with Miss Varney after his return. FIREMEN ASK INCREASE Petition Commissioncrs for Increase of 20 Per Cent. in Wages to Cope ‘With Oost of Living. Members of the permanent fire de- partment today presented to the board of fire commissioners a petition for an increase of 20 per cent. in wages. ‘The petition may be acted upon at the next meeting of the commission. In explaining their request, the fire- men state that they have been forced to ask for higher wages because of the increased cost of living, their hazardous occupation and the mono- tony of their duty and long hours. good luck. God ‘WATCHMAN HAS DUEL. Danielson, Dec. 7.—Willlam Ma- thieu, outside night watchman at the Quinebaugh -mills here, had a re- | volver duel with three men during last night. The latter had Intended to crack the safe in the .mill office. In spite of a lively few minutes no one was hurt. Many safes have b2en broken open with explosives in this part of the state recently. INDIANS ATTACK, Nogales, Ariz., Dec. 7.—Yaqui In- dians yesterday attacked Esperonza, seventy miles south of Guaymas, Sonora, according to a message re- ceived here today and burned the of- fice and store house of the Richard- son Construction company, an Amer- ican firm. Nothing has been heard from the city. Many Americans Iiva In the vicinity. COFFIN IS NAMED. ‘Weshington, Dec. 7.—Howard E. Coffin of Michigan was nominated to- day by President Wilson to be chair- man, and Richard Howe, of New York to be a member of the govern- ment zircraft board. HOFFMAN ARRESTED. Derby, Dec. 7.—Louis Hoffman, who registered as Thomas Brown on June 6 was arrested today for federal offi- | cers. The Boston police charge him with abandonment of family. Hoff- man had a store in the Back Bay, j and left home in April. SHORT CALENDAR COURT. At the short calendar session of the | city court this afternoon at 2:30 o’clock, the case of Abe Shimelman vs. The Real Estate Investment Corp. | was assigned for Thursday afternoon at 2 o’clock. Klett and Alling appear | for the plaintiff and Judge B. F. Gaff- | ney for the defendant. A meeting of all the lawvers in the city following court when the work of was held | ¢ AUSTRO-GERMANS | GET 4,000 M!]RE‘E ! New Oilenswe Brmgs Ina New Total to 15,000 Italians | | | SOME AUSTRIANS CAUGHT They Claim That the Russian Pris- oners of War Have Been Released from Ansu-,.n and Given Safe Pas- sage to Their Country. Berlin, Dec. 7, Via London.—Four thousand more Italians have been cap- | tured in the new Austro-German of- fensive on the Northern front, bring- ing up the total to 15,000, according| to today’s official cammunication. Vienna, Dec. 6, via London, Dec. 7. (British Admiralty, per Wireless Press)—The Austro-Hungarian gen- eral headquarters today issued the follgwing official statement: “Phe enemy has suffered a heavy defeat. Early Tuesday after power- ful artillery preparation in which Ger- man batteries co-operated with the troops under Field Marshal Conrad, | we launched an attack against th mountain positions in the Meletta re- | gion and having reached a high eleva- tio installed with defensive works, the |-, stubbornly conducted defense was| broken. The deep snow and severe ! cold rendered progress difficult but the careful preparation for the atta“k and the bravery of the attackers—na- tives from all parts of Austria-Hun- | gary—were able to overcome every | counter measure. i “Early Wednesday Monte Bade- necche and Monte Tondarecar fell. and at mid-day Kaiserjaeger regi- ment No. 3 stood on Monte Gifta. Toward evening the Italian resistance on the Meletta ridge broke down' be- fore our encircling and storming at- tacks. Enemy reinforcements com- ing up from Valstagna were taken on the flank by the fire' of our batteries situated east of the Brenta. “During ‘the morning hours vester- | day the enemy, after a Dbitter strus-| gle. lost Monte Demo and the rear positions near Foza. At two in the afternoon the brave Italian defenders who had been completely cut off »oc twenty-four hours on Monte Castel- gomberto laid down their arms. All the terrain north of Frenzela ravime is in our hands. “In addition to their sanguinary losses the Ttalians in these two days have lost more than 11,000 prisoners and over sixty guns. Our losses, due to the| clever conduct of the fighting opera- ‘tions, were small. “Near Zenson where we have oc- cupied the western bank of the Piave for weeks past Egerland In- fantry regiments successfully with- stood storming attacks of several hours’ duration made by superior forces."” Ttalian Headquarters Northern Ttaly, Dec. 6—(By the Associated Press.)— The big operation which the enemy is attempting in the north is virtually a repetition of the turning movement he executed six weeks ago in the great offensive above Gorizia. The Austro-German attack on Me- letta not only affects the lines in that region but if the enemy could pierce through and drive his way south- | ward onto the plains it might place him on the left flank of the Piave lines, much as the Duke of Aosta had | his Third army at Gorizia with the | enemy on his left flank. The line cast of Asiago'probably is stronger to- day than before the retirement y terday as it s now a straight line. Formerly it was like a long inverted letter U with the Italian on the inside | of the U and the enemy on the out- side It has been established that while ! Field Marshal Conrad von Hoetzen- | dorff is directing the movement, Gen. von Krobatin's forces also are co- operating. In addition to the superiority in numbers the Austro-Germans are | taking advantage of the backward | season and are siriking before the | mountain snows impede operations. ! tmportant ew days say soners held in s ago. Aust in this without L began ten ! o took the initiative waiting for Russia to { house and ran out in her PATHETIC SGENE WHEN BABY DIES Crowd Watches Tot Burn to Death in Halifax Fire UNABLE T0 GIVE HER HELP Posta] Clerk Tells Story of Big Dis- aster, and Says People Died in Car Like Flies—Women and Children Dead in Street, St. John, N. B, Dec. 7.—Eye wit- nesses of the Halifax exploston reach- ing here today told detalls of the hor- rors through which they passed. In the party were fourteen young wom- en students from Mt St. Vincent's academy. Esmond P, Barry, St. John postal clerk, was at Richmond during the worst of the catastrophe. “It was terrible,” he said, ‘“‘people dying in our car like flles. Some of them came to the place with noses shot off, eyes put out, faces slashed with flying glass, limbs torn and dis- torted. On one occasion while we were working around wrecked building we could see a little baby fifty feet or more underneath a burn. ing mass crying for aid. We conjd ‘not getwithli '‘thirty .faet of ‘F}Jm child and had to watch while it burned to death. Men, womcn and children were iving in the strcets and hundreds must be buried beneath tne wreckage.” J. C. Gillespie, a train conductoz, said that at Richmond fully fifty per cent. of the buildings collapsed. Ba- a | bies were lying in the streets dead. ! Ernest Cameron, a Canadian Pacific telegraph operator and all his family were killed. Today soldiers worked for an hour and a half with almost superhuman strength in an effart to rescue a girl pinned beneath some wreckage. The moans from the girl forced the sol- diers to further strength, and just as they had removed the last layer of debris from her she breathed her last. Snow Helps Some. Halifax, N. S, Dec. 7.—Stunned by the magnitude of the disaster which has overwhelmed the “‘garrison city by the sea” the people of Halifax today bent all their energies to relleving the injured, feeding the hungry, shelter- ing the homeless, and gathering their dead. A heavy snowstorm set in early to- day and iwhile in a measure impeded the work of relief and rescue it served to aid the firemen in fighting the flames which still burned flercely in many places among the ruins in the | devastated district. It was established today that it was twenty-five minutes after the col- lision before the explosion occurred. At the first shock houses rocked, ves- sels broke from moorings, bits of shells whistled through the air, build- ings fell upon their occupants, shrieks and moans rose for a second above the din, and in all parts of the city, men women and children ran into the streets, many of them - insufficiently clad. Then fire broke out in a hun- dred places. In a short time Bar- rington street resembled a road of Belgium or Serbia when- the sinhabi- tants fled before the Germans. Every variety of vehicle was pressed into service for the sick and infirm. Men, | women and children, some carrying hastily snatched belongings hurried along the pavements and overflowed the streets. Stores were deserted, houses forsaken, and the entrance to Point Pleasant park was soon black with human beings, | Bristol Woman in Night Clothes, | Teaves Touso and Drowns. Bristol, Conn., Dec. 7.—Mrs. An- gela Cassineri, 42, was found drowned in a pool of water near her today. She had been ill and after | last mid-night cluded those in tho nightcloth- homs | ing. e WEATHER ey - Hartford, Dec. 7.—TForecast for New Britain Fair, continued and vicinity: cold tonight getting out the questionnaires was ully disenssed. (Continued On Fifteenth Page). and Saturda) B e s A Greatest Disaster in World’s History Halifax, Dec. 7.—Outside the toll of life claimed on land and sea by the great war the catastrophe at Halifax, if re- ports of the number of dead are borne out, is by far the greatest disaster in many years. Numerous explosions have oc- curred in munition plants ‘in this country and FEurope, the most disastrous of which on this side was the Eddystone plant of the DuPont Powder company at Chester, Pa. in April last; in which 112 per- sons lost their lives. The Halifax disaster most tragic explosion, number of lives wiped out, ir the last quarter century. In- deed, few catastrophes of any nature exceed it in the number of dead—chiefly, the Messina earthquake in 1908, when ap- proximately 200,000 lives were lost, the Mont Pelee volcanic eruption on the Island of Mar- tinique in 1902, when 40,000 persons lost their lives, and an earthquake in the interior of Italy in 1915, when 35,000 dead was the toll. The Iroquois theater fire Chicago in 1903 claimed lives, while the sinking of the excursion steamship General Slocum in the East river, New York, in 1914, left a death list of about 1,400. In 1906, the earthquake and fire in San Franeisco took the lives of is the in the in Chiidren Die in Schools, Whole Familie Buried Alive in Wrecked Houses, .Hom less Suffer from Intense Cold and Hundr of Medical Men Needed to Treat Wound Washington, Dec. 7.—Five thousand are believed to have be I killed in the explosion in Halifax harhor and the fire which swep i north Halifax and Dartmouth, N. S., according to advices from naval commander reaching the \nvv Department early today. Th navy dispatch said these figures had not been verified, however.: | The report, which came from a naval commander who witnessed] the explosion from a point 52 miles off Halifax, and later proceeded ‘to the harbor to render aid, said that all of north Halifax was d ! stroyed, three ships sunk and many others damaged. ““The run . of buildings are now burning fiercely in north Halifax”, the deés patch concludes. 5 The report as given out by the Navy Department is as follow “The following report was received from a naval commang at Halifax: “While fifty-two miles at sea the explosion of a munition sh was seen and heard. Upon arrival, assistance was offered to # authorities and the following lcarned concerning the c1rcumsfin leading up to the explosion: * ‘A Belgian relief ship collided with a French munitions ves sel loaded with three thousand tons of T. N. T. and a large quantii of benzine. Due to the collision the benzine caught fire and soon as the fire started the crew abandoned the ship, reachi ~hmc before the explosion took place. *Practically all of north Halifax was destroyed aud all of tl windows and doors in Halifax and ‘Dartmouth wete demolishe ‘It is believed there are 5,000 dead, but these figures canno i be confirmed. The exploslou sunk three slfips «and badly damag "many others. The ruins of the hmldmgs are now ()u!'nmg fier o approximately 1,000 persons, while the loss of the steamship T . in collision with a n 1912, resulted in 1,503 dead. 1914 the steamship Em- press of Ireland went down in the St. Lawrence river, near Father's Foint, Que., with the loss of 1,027 lives. Then fol- lowing the sinking of the Lusi- tania, by a German torpedo, and the steamship Eastland in the C'hicago river in 1915, with death lists respectively of 1,198 ana 81 In October of this year it was revorted that 4,000 persons had lost their lives in a muni- tions explosion in Austria, hut this report never has been con- firmed, GOVERNMENT NOT TO “TAKE NORTH & JUDD Factory Cfficial Denies Plant Has Been Commandeered for War Work. Contrary to a report published in the financial columns of a morning newspaper, the North & Judd Mfg. Co. has not been asked by the United States government to reserve all its capacity for government orders, This positive statement was issued this afternoon by Frederick M. Holmes, stant treasurer of the concern which has financial circles, the asked North & Juda to reserve all its capacity for government orders, but also to take no furtiher outside business for the pr This rumor is emphatically denied hy the assistant treasurer. Norta & Judd, however, is doing enormous business and is said to Acording to the rumor been afloat in government ha not only ent. an i be specializing to a considerable ex- tent on government orders for 2quli- ment for arms and men. So good ig the business at the factory that those who claim to be well informed on i‘s i financia] status report that the capl- tal, which is at present $1,500,000, s being turned over thrce times a year. Business at other concerns is alsv g00d. The New Britain Machine cony- . pany is rushed and work at Landers, Frary & Clark, where an extra divi- dend of 2 per cent to stockholders of record yesterday has been declared, 1s also brisk, Iy in north Halifax." ” I'he report received by the Navy I)epartment that perhaj Wi had been killed by the explosion was received by the Cross irom its representative in Beoston who had received it the military commandant there. E Dead Piled High, St. John and Halifax were down . | day. A heavy slect storm add Aboard Massachusetts Relief Train, ' the qelay in restoring them. via St. John, N. B, Dec. 7.—Exuct| local telegraph wires, between | conditions in stricken Halifax arc Joh;; u‘rlul T_;\;llu we‘ré work\mxl | = 3 . modically e only communics more appalllag than was indicated | 0 alifax wag by.canls okt i by last night's reports. | the Canadian Pacific wire which oeg This 1s a message that was de-| pled entirely with government spatched to Governor McCall toda:| railway business. | by A. C. Ralshesky, manager of the A message from Truro brmu | Massachusetts special relief truin, | story of Eleanor Lapley, of St. Jo { after a night spent in gathering bits| a student at Mt. St. Vincent Acad i of information from trainmen and | at Halifax. i others met with as the train .ped| Miss Lapley saya the armory W castward. destroyed and. some soldiers Kilig The dead are evervwhere, said| The academy was converted these reports. There is immediate | hospital to which as many as need of a great staff of surgeons and | be found place for were brought scores of nurses, cared for by the sisters and girl 4f By 9 o'clock tonight the Masma- dents. The convent was badly @ chusetts unit should be in Halifax a% aged and some of the sisters the immediate disposal of the chief | seriously injured by broken glass. surgeon who is directing the relief work—the most stupendous task that has confronted the people of Nova Scotia. When the Bay State Special reached { St. John additional hospital supplies i were taken aboard to meet pressina demands pending the arrival at Hali- fax of a shipment due to leave Boston at noon today. During the brief stop Mr. Ratsnesky got into communication with the| the injured and recovering bodies. Halifax officials over the railroad tele-| The snowfall, however, comes graph and learned supplies and help) aid to the firemen in quencmn" of every kind would be most welcome. | flames in the ruins. 1t had not been humanely possible. Special trains, bringing do | the authorities said, to take care of | nurses and medical supplies the hundreds of tnjured, many of | here today from Moncton, Truro whom had perished during the night. | Windsor. Other special traing In improvised morgues the dead| been sent with injured persons are piled high and unidentified. | Windsor and other places where thej Scores of these bodies will never be | are large hospitals. claimed. ‘There is wreck and ruin on evel For hours today the relief train ran | side. Every building in the city through a country buried a foot deep | damaged—glass broken, plaster dow in snow. Railroad men said it was| windows and doors shattered. cold and raw at Halifax and that Business is supended and will ! the suffering was intense. The spe-| for days. All schools and colle; cial had the right of way and made | have been closed until after N a record run on its mission of mercy. | Year's, f “Arrangements were made last No new estimate of the dead a night with James Jackson, head of® injured was available here this mg the New England division of the ing. American Red Cross to forward a, Sailors from an American war} large equipment for thé needed to ;in port are on patrol duty. - Alj pi supplment what we have abroad,” | plants are idle. safd Mr. Ratshesky. The assign-; Reports from hospitals, ment of our staff and nurses will be ' and schools and private determined after arrival but the 'seem to bear out last night's esti whole force will be placed as a unit that at least 2,000 lives were lof under tine direction of the surgeon : When 4,000 tons of trinitrotuluol, on general. ‘of the most powersul explosi A simple statement that came ove: | manufactured, exploded. the telephone from Truro today ve- Help from outside began to reac veals more of the horror of the trag- | the stricken city today. Docto edy at Halifax, nurses and medical and food suppli It was that many women injured or | arrived on special trains from Trus destitute or both who had bees | Windsor and from Moncton. Othy brought from Halifax at Truro had | trains were reported on the way been so crazed by ¢he shock that upon | were expected to reach here & arriving at the rellef stations they |the day. The special train sent frs were unable to tell their own names. All direct telegraph wires between into] Snow Aids Firemen. Halifax, Dec. 7.—Fires ‘were s burning the section of Hali which were devastated by yesterda: disastrous munition ship explosio A heavy snowstorm set in early tod seriousy impeding work of resg in (Continuea On Fifteenth Page