Norwich Bulletin Newspaper, December 7, 1917, Page 1

VOL. LIX.—NO. 392 NORWICH. CONN., FRIDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1917 TWO CENTS MORE THAN 2,000 PERSO LLED IN HALIFAX EXPLOSION When the French Munitions Ship Mont Blanc Blew Up in Halifax Harbor After a Collision With Belgian Relief Ship loma THOUSANDS WERE INJURED, MANY WILL DIE Belgian Relief Ship loma’s Collision With French Muni Vessel, Mont Blanc, the ions Result of a Confusion of Whistles, Caused the Explosion—Crews of Both Ships ‘Were Saved, as the Explosion Occurred 17 Minutes After the Collision as the Result of Fire.—Virtually All the North End of the City Was Laid Waste—The Dam- age Will Run Into Millions—A Part of the Town of| Dartmouth, Across the Harbor From Halifax, Also Was Wrecked—Many of the Men of Crews of Ships in the Harbor Were Killed or Injured—All Business Has Been Suspended—Armed Guards of Soldiers and Sailors Are Patrolling the City. Halifax, Dec. 6—More than 2,000 persons were killed. according to careful estimates tonight, when the French munitions ehip Mont Blanc biew up in Halifax harbor after a col- lision with the Belgian relief steam- ship Joma at 9 o'clock this morning. Thoaranas were injured and it is ex- pecteq many of them will dle. Virtually all the north end of the city was laid waste and the property @amage will run far into the millions. A part of the town of Dartmouth, mcross the harbor from Halifax, also was wrecked. Nearly all the bhildings n_the dockvard there are in ruins. The zonme of destruction in Halifax ftself extends from the North Street Failway ae far north es Africville to Bedford Basin and covers an area of SBout two square miles in the section Anowe as Richmond. The buildings which wers not demolished by _the force of the terrific explosion were destroyed by the fire which followed. Scores o persons were injured by the collapse of tbe railway station, Arena rink, military gymaasium. sugaf Tefinery and elevator. All Business Suspended. AD Dbusiness has been suspended. Armed guards of soldiers and sailors are patrolling the city. Not a street car is moving and part of Halifax is Jn_darkness tonight. All \ospitals aid many private houses are filled with injured. Temporary hospitals and morgues have been opened in school- houses in the western section of the city. Damage Along Waterfront. The damage along the waterfront cannot vet be estimated. Many of the men composing the crews of the ships in the harbor were killed or injured. On one steamer, the Pictow, it is re- rted than 33 of the crew of 42 were Biilea. ‘Todies of many seamen have been piciied up in the harbor. Rescue ties working among the ruins of uildings are removing the bodies of the dead. The Collision. The collision which resulted in probably the worst disaster in the his- tory of the Dominion occurred near Pier § in the narrows leading from the harbor to Bedford Basin. The mu- nitions ship was bound from New York for Bedford Basin, when the relief ship Ioma, bound for sea, crashed into her. | The Mont Hianc was pierced on the port side almo:t to the engime room. The other ship, which was only slight- ly damaged, backed away when the flames burst out on the munitions ! ship, and was abandoned by the crew. | The captain of the Mont Blanc also ordered his crew to the beats as he realized an explosion was inevitable. The men reached shore safely before the tremendous blast seventeen min- utes later which blew their ship to pieces and wrecked a large part of the city. = Persons Hurled to the Ground. The business iife of the city had Just begun fo- ‘"e day when the town was shaker s foundations by the explosion. ’ersons in the streets were picked up bodily and hurled to the ground. Cccurants of office bulldings ‘were coverad der a shower of fall- Ing glass and piaster. Houses in the Richmond section crumpled up and collapsed, buryving their temants. In the main part of the city where the buildings are chiefly of stone or contrete the damasze was confined to the shatterinz of windows and most of the casuaities In this section were eaused by flying ‘hss_: Walls Blown to Atoms. In west and northwest ends the @amage was more extensive and there the walls of many houses were blown to atoms. It was in Richmond, how- ever, opposite the scene of the explo- sion, that the havoc was greatest Whole blocks of dwelllngs, mostly of frame construction, were leveled. Street after street is in ruins and the structures which wers left by the explosion were destroved by fires which broke out simultaneously in a score of places and which it was impossible t ocheck until they had burned themselves out. It is belieses scores of persons who had been in- Jured by the collapse of their homes perished in the flames from which they ‘were heipless to flee. The fires in this @istrict_still are smouldering tonight. Panic-Stricken Throngs. Five minutes after the explosion the streets in all parts of Halifax were filled with frenzied. panic-stricken throngs siriving to reach the outskirts in an effort to escape what they be- lieved was a raid by a German fleet. Hundreds of them had been cut by the shower of glass which followed the the wreckage of their homes and lay in the streets until they were removed in ambulances and automobiles to hos- pitals, -Those less seriously hurt aided those more gravely injured. In _the streets piled high with debris were found the shattered bodies of smany women and children. Several children were crushed to death when they were burled against telegraph poles by the force of the explosion. In scores of cases occupants of houses who had escaped without in- Jury or who were ‘only slightly hurt were baffled by the flames in their search for members of their families and were forced to stand by impotent while what once had been their homes became funeral pyres for, loved ones. Harrowing Scenes. A government employe named Mac- Donald, who made all speed to reach his home aftér the explosion, found that His wife end four children had perished. His two year old daughter had_been killed whilé playing in the yard of her home. Among those killed were the chief of the fire department and his deputy, Who were hurled to death when a fire sngine exploded. Scores of those who lost their lives were ‘children in the pubw schools in the north end. Many others suffered broken limbs and were rescued with difficulty from the ruined buildings. The teachers who eséaped injury worked heroically to save the lives of the children under their charge. Lebaron _Coleman, manager of the Canadian Express company, was kill- ed when the roof of the North station collapsed. Hundreds Reported Missing. In less than half an hour after the disaster 5,000 persons had gatered on the Common and thousands of others had sought refuge in fields outside the city. Hundreds were reported missing by their relatives and it was not known whether they were alive or dead, Felt 75 Miles Away. The force of the explosion was felt at Truro, 75 miles away, where win- dows were shattered. All telegraph and telephone wires were torn down and for several hours Halifax was completely isolated from the outside world. The concussion shattered the big %as tanks of the city. All power plants are out of commission and the newspaper offices have been so badly wrecked that publication is impossi- ble. Confusion of Whistles. Pilot Frank Mackie of the Mont Blanc declared tonight that the col- lision resulted from a confusion of whistles sounded by the loma. He believes the fire which caused the ex- plosion was due to the fact that the munitions ship carried a deck load of benzine. ‘harles gasoline engineer on the steamer Wasper B, which had been in drydock, had a4 narrow es- “We had eighty gallons of gasoline in our tanks when a shell from the munitions ship struck us” he said. “We had just left the drydock to go to Bedford Basin to get some plates and were oppesite the Lorne Club when we saw the Toma coming down from the basin and the Mont Blanc SO et ' Belglan _steamer’s whistle blowing and then I saw the munitions _ship _was on fire on the Wasper up. S hionel” Machens s olonel Mackenzie Bell, wh w0 years on the firing line in Fian. ders, said tonight he had never seen gnything on the battle front to equal o the sosen,of destruction he witness- . Hotel Guests Safe. t was reported tonight th: sucsts In the hotels o€ the ety trg safe. Some of them were cut by fly- ing glass, but none was seriously in- Jured, Work of Rescue Begun. The work of rescue and rellef was of build- ings were thrown open t homeless. Five hflnflrmadn tl::\“t:ehs: Sl B s who have suriendered their b to the women and children. Every nook and in all avail- abie buildings was an ‘hour to resieve the weundeq. 4 steady stream of ambulances and au- at ‘which. soon_were filled to '—“Eabled —i’;e-x;r_a—p-h-s Sugar Coming from Porto Rico. San Juan, Porto Rico, Dec. 6.—One thousand tons of sugar, the first of the new crop, is on its way to the United States, with regular shipments to fol- low. CONFERENCE OF FOOD CONSERVATION OFFICERS. Hearty Approval for Home Gardens of Connecticut. - Hartford, Conp., Dec. 6.—Home gar- dens and increased acreage of wheat and rye for Connecticut received hearty approval at a conference held here today by state and federal food conservation officers. Reports of the state committeemen showed that dur- ing the past summer backyard farms had done much to relieve the food sit- uation and recommendation of many more similar gardens for next year was passed. It was also urged that professional growers be advised to raise much more grain the coming season to supply the mills recently put into operation in many sections of the state for the purpose of grinding flour. 3 Federal Food Administrator Robert Scovill placed before the conference the great advisability of grangers unit- ing in buying supplies collectively that they might get the benefit of lower prices and more efficient service. He particularly urged the pooling of pur- chases of grains, lovestock and poultry through farm bureaus. The questions of farm labor, more systematic marketing and the securing of agricultural credits in city banks were also discussed. SOUTH WINDSOR TAX COLLECTOR $15,547 SHORT Town Meeting Votes to “Let the Law Take Its Course. South Windsor, Conn., Dec. 6—It was voted to “let the law take its course” in town meeting this after- noon when the taxpayers met to dis- cuss what they should do with Harry S. Powers, formerly tax _collector, whose accounts had been found to be $15547 short. Powers himself made known the confused state of his fi- nances at the October town meeting but in spite of this he was re-elected, as it was thought the shortage might have been a matter of bookkeeping. Auaitors_went_to work on the town books. They found in brief that the amount of cash collected by Powers. and not turned over to the treasurer was about $5,754; the amount mark- ed unpaid but which_had been paid according to receipts held by citizens, $8,409; additional amount classed as a 'shortage, about $500, ana taxes due the town by Powers $8§3, making the total jabout $15,547. PoWers made an offer of settlement through friends, but the meeting deemed this to be conditional only and rejected it. voting to let the courts settle the case. | . injured. TRoctors, nurses and volun- teers tolled ceaselessly in the work of succor. Their ranks soon <were swelled by others who arrived in con- stantly Increasing numbers. Outside the toll of life claimed on land and sea by the great war, the catastrophe at Halifax today, if re- ports of 2,000 dead are borne out, is by far the greatest disaster in many years. Numerous explosions have oc- curred in munitions plants in _this country and Europe, the most disas- trous of which on this side was at the Eddystone plant of the Dupont Powder company at Chester, Pa., in April last, in which 112 persons lost their lives. The Halifax disaster is the most tragic explosion, in the number of lives wiped out, in the last quarter cen- tury. Indéed, few catastrophes of any nature exceed it in the number of dead —chiefly, the Messina earthquake in 1908, when approximately 200,000 lives were lost, the Mont Pelee volcanic eruption on the Island of Martinique in 1902, when 4,000 persons lost their lives, and an earthquake in the inte- rior of Italy in 1915, when 35,000 dead was the toll The Iroquols theatre fire in Chicago in 1903 claimed 575 lives, while the smking of the excursion steamship General Slocum in the east river, New Yorik, in 1904, left a death list of about 1400, In 1906 the earthquake and fire in San Francisco took the lives of approximately 1000 persons, while the loss of the steamship Titanic, in col- lision with an iceberg in 1912, resulted in a toll of 1,508 dead. In 1914 the steamship Empress of Ireland went down in the St. Lawrence river, near Father’s Point, Que. with the loss of 1,027 lives. Then followed the sinking 'of the Lusitania, by a German torpedo, and the steamship ‘Eastland in the Chicago river in 1915, with death_ lists, respectively, of 1,198 and 812. In October of this year it was reported that 4,000 persons had lost their lives in a munitions_ explo- sion in Austria, but this report never has been confirmel. TELEGRAPHERS WIFE DANGEROUSLY INJURED. Communication Was Cut Off When He Left His Key When News Reached Him. + New York, Dec. 6.—At 10 o'clock| tonight there was a sudden break in Ing hto the oifioas of e Ascociated ng into the offices Associated Press over the wires of the Canadian Press, the only one in operation into that city since the explosion. Efforts to raise Halifax were ineffectual. An hour later it was learned that the operator who had been sending from the stricken city had left his key when a messenger brought him news that his wife had been dangerously injured. While sending the story he had expressed the fear that something mbst have happened to her because she bad sent him no message since he went on duty. " The regular To Debate War on Austria Today PASSAGE OF RESOLUTION EX- PECTED WITHIN 24 HOURS LEADERS FEEL SURE! | Senators Lodge and Borah Led Fight ! 1 the Senate to Include Turkey and Bulgaria in the Resolution. ‘Washington, Dec. 6.—A declaration of war wiith Austria-Hungary promis- edtonight N be voted by congress with- in the next 24 hours. Consideration of the war resolutions will begin tomorrow in both senate and house and developments today virtual- ly made it certain that sentiment in favor of including Turkey and Bul- garia in spite of Prosident Wilson's advice had been checked. .Leaders Are Confident. Administration leaders of both bodies tonight expressed confidence that de- bate would be comparatively brief and that the declaration would be appro ed by overwhelming votes before ad- journment tomorrow. The only ob- Stacles lie in the difficulties of sen- ate procedure and technical differences over the form of the final draft. The house, after Chairman Fiood had sub- mitted a report stating that a state of war with Austria actually had existed for some months and that American troops probably soon would be fighting on the Italian front, formally agreed to proceed tomorrow with considera- tion of the resolution as unanimonsly reported by its committee. After sev eral houds’ deliberation the senate for- eign_relations committee unanimou: 1y approvad a resolution in somewhat similar form and directed Chairman Stone to place it before the senate when it reconvnes tomorrow. Unanimous Consent Required. Unanimous consent reauired under senate rules for immediate discussion | of the resolution will be sought by | Chairman Stone, who believed tonizht: that no senator would ohject and that the matter would he disposed of be- fore adjournment, differences between the senate and house resolntions quick- ly adjused and the final draft sent to the president tomorrow night. Ob- jection by a single senator, however, would force over the resolution until Saturday. The house committec’s report derdt in detail with the causes for the declaration, reciting, Austria’s subma- | rine depredations, her approval of the German submarige policy and the intrigues and plots of her official rep- resentatives in this country. _Debate in Both gr-n’ehu Today. Debate in both branches tomorrow is gxpected to bear principally on the question of inserting the names of Germany's other allies. Lodge Leads Fight For Al Allies. Senators Lodge of Massachusetts, and Borah of Indiana, republicans, led a strenuous fight in the senate com. mittee today to extend the resolution to Turkey and Bulgaria. They had strong suppirt, but information sub- mitted by the state department final- 1y resulted in the unanimous approval of the declaration against Austria alone. PORTMASTER-GENERAL BURLESON AUTOCRATIC? Accusation by Secretary of National Federation of Postal Employes. Washington, Dec. 6. — Thomas F. Flaherty, secretary-treasurer of the National Federation of Postal Employ- es, in a statement tonight, takes is- sues with Postmaster-General Burle- son’s statements in hls annual report regarding postal organizations. He at- tacks Mr. Burleson’s administration as autocratic, denies that postal employ- es have threatened to strike and states that by referring to the organized em- ployes as “potential revolutionists,” the postmaster-general “is seeking to discredit them and cast odium upon their present agitation for a badly needed wage increase. MEANS TESTIFIES IN HIS OWN DEFENSE Accused Was Cool and Told His Story in a Confident Manner. Concern, N. C., Dec. 6—For _six hours today Gaston B. Means testified in his own behalf before the jury which is trying him for murder in Caarrus County cfurt, but at adjournment: to- night he had not brought his recital down fo the time when Mrs. Maude A. King was shot and killed after she had gone with him t» Blackwelder Springs, near here, the night of last August 29. ‘He, will resume the stand tomorrow and atornevs for the state were pre- paring to put him through a_vigorous cross-examination when his direct ev- testimony today dealt with German plots- he discovered while working for a private detective| Lester Advance Payment on Munitions ASKED BY OFFICIALS OF BETH- LEHEM STEEL CO. FROM U. S. GOVERNMENT Assert Work on Government Contracts Cannot be Expedited Without Finan- cial Aid. ‘Washington, Dec. 6. — An advance payment or_munitions and other con- tracts for the government was gsked today by Charles M. _Schwab ~and Eugene Grace of the Bethlehem Steel Company, who conferred with Secre- taries Baker and Daniels and told them the calls could not be expeited without financial aid as they were un- able to obtain adequate funds from the banks. The request was taken under consideration. Enormous increases in the size of its . plants have been undertaken by the company to handle war contracts. Destroyer’s Program Not Involved. The navy’s destroyer program is not involved. These and all other con- tracts made at a cost plus ten per cent. profit basis already have been taken care of by the government un- der its authority to advance up to thirty per cent. of the amount of an order for the purpose of aiding the contractor In preparing his plants for quick deliveries. Contracts Causing Trouble. The contracts with which the Beth lehem people are having troubl those awarded on a fixed price. of them antedate the outbreak of the war. They include a vast amount of ordnance for both the army and navy and the request of the company for ad- vance payments has been referred to the Ordnance Bureau of the navy de- partment and an odrnance board in the war department for consideration, Prompt Answer Probable. It was jndicated that some of the condracts might be In such form that they could not bo considered as com- ing within the act providing for the thirty per cent. advancc to contrac- tors. Government ofclals expect to make thelr answer without delay, how- ever, and if thelr powers are inade- quafe and the sitvation disclosed by the company threatens to delay ord- nance production seriously, congress may be asked to amend the act. New estroyer piants of tho Betllehem and other concerns are being erected with government _aid, and tho attitude of the admiuistration has heen that sim- flar ald must be vrovided whenever necessary to hasten tie ontput of war material, ‘AMERICAN ARMY ENGINEERS WOUNDED Second Lieutenant Cone and Twelve Enlisted Men. 13 Dre. 6.—Sacond Lieu- Cone and twelve e listed men of the Aiaecricin army en- glneers have been wounded in ac- tiom. General Pershing today reported to the war department. Generx] Pershing gave no details except that the men wers wounded on November 30 the day on which American engineers working with the British_army assisted General Byng's forces in stemming a German assaum near Cambrai. Cable despatches said some of the engineers were killed but General Pershing’s report contained no names of dead. ‘Washin=ton tenant Allie ENLISTMENTS IN REGULAR ARMY ARE INCREASING 276,884 War Volunteers Havi En- tered the Service Since April 1st. ‘Washington, Dec. 6.—Regular army recruiting has_taken another sweep upward. On Wednesday 2,769 men ‘were accepted, making 276,884 war volunteers to have entered the regu- lar service since April lst. It was the third successive day up- on which recruiting approached the 3,000 mark after weeks of a daily ave- rage of 1,000 or less. Only twelve states have failed so far to supply thejr full quota of re- cruits for the regular army. ROGUES TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THE WAR CHARITIES “Dead Sure Men” Flocked to New York From All Parts of the Country. New York, Dee. 6.—"Dead sure men” came to New York from all parts of the country to prey upon persons ready to contribute to war charities, Michael J. Delahunty told the district attorney today after pleading guilty to an in- dictment charging him with forgery and grand larcency in connection with the raising of funds to aid soldiers’ dependents. _The defendant an- nounced he would help in the war charities inquiry here and went be- fore the grand jury. ‘Winkleman, indicted with agency’s German clients and_with- his | Delahunty, also pleaded not guflty and financial transactions during Years he adted as business agent for Mrs. King. Throughout his long oc- cupancy of the witness chair, Means was cool and told his story in a con- fident manner., : MASTER BAKERS FAIL TO REACH AGREEMENT To Establish a Uniform Price for|campaign Bread the State. New Haven. Conn, Dec. 6. — No the | will testify before the grand jury. $115330 WAS RAISED IN FIRST 24 HOURS For New England’s Quota For War Work of Y. M. C. A. Boston, Dec. 6.—The sum of $115,330 was raised in the first 24 hours of the for New England’s quota of $200,000 for the $4,000,000 war work fund of the Young Woman's Christian according to the report to- Assoctatfon, agreement Was reached here today at|day by Thomas Motley, the treasurer. a meeting of the Connecticut Master ‘Bakers’ association looking to the es- tablishment of a wr¥wrm prihe for bread in the state. The question was discussed at length and the prevailing sentiment was that the governmental recommendation of seven - cents & pound was not possible at this time. New Haven bakers, however, agreed to make the price temporarily’seven and a half cents a pound. i SEVEN KILLED IN AIR RAID ON ENGLAND. | will be' Three Persons Were Killed and Ten « Injured in London: London, Dec. 6.—Seven persons Killod' and twenty-one injured in tnis DIMMING OF LIGHTS £ IN SHOW WINDOWS Becommended by War Committes of Drygoods Association. New York, Dec. 6.—If a recommend. sent out today by the war ad- committes of the Natiomal Re- tail ‘Drygoods on is followed, 1ights in the show windows of drygoods throu the 'United States off each night when the stores close. - Premier George Indisposed. London, Dec. $—Premier David indisposed, for Friday. it was an- ’s air raid. Chancellor arranged mu-mdtmuymmammo: nounced, he would reply to the Lans- ‘commons. Of kifled and ten the _indured in ‘were | downe letter, has ' pomed for a weei, The dinner | Cond;lééd Telégrams The Boston Grand Opera Co., aban- doned its opera tour. A contingent of 525 drafted men from Brooklyn went to Yaphank. The sale of sugar direct to buyers may be ordered by the Government. According to Federal estimates there are 2,000 Austrians in Massachusetts. military purchasing commission arrived at an Atlantic port. Eduardo Mascagni, son of the Italian composer, is a prisoner in Austria- Hungary The Carnegie Corporation contribut- ed $50.000 to the War Camp Communi- ty Service. A Jersey cow of F. at Westbury, L. L, was strangled. valued at $2.5 The Department of Justice is pre- paring a bill to have women included as enemy aliens. Drafted men not physically fit will be accepted for the ordnance depart- ment of the army. h trocps have captured 180,951 prisoners, it was announced in the House of Commons. One division of enlisted men abroad subscribed half _their pay for ten months to the Liberty Loan. Three million pounds of Cuban sugar arrived at an Atlantic port aboard an American passenger steamer. Railroad stocks advanced when wora was spread that the Government was likely to take over the railroads. The stockmen’s Trust Co. in the stock vards district of Chicago. was robbed of $10,000 by auto bandits. Solomon Carvalho, for 20 years as- sociated with Hearst publications as supreme business director resigned. Arrangements were completed - for Britain to handle the loan of $5 000 600 to Rumania from the United States. The mest important question In the inter-allicd conference was the man power of the allles and the enemles. Three of the most prominent of the 34 defendants on trial for trying to fo- ment a plot in India pleaded guiity. Twenty blast furnaces of the United States Steel Corporation have been banked because of the fuel shortage. Trading in cottonseéd meal was dis- continued on the Memphis Merchants’ Exchange for the duration of the war. Col. House, after watching the Amer- fcan troops in France execute some new drill movements, declared that it was fine. The merger of the . United States Shoe Machinery Co. and the United Shoe Machinery Corporation has been completed. Passengers arriving at an Atlantic port told of an American destroyer capturing a German U-boat off the Irish coast. A bronze medal commemorating the United States entry into the be presented by the French people to President Wilson. A lighted bomb was thréwn into the fraternity house of -Phi Kappa Signa at the University of Wisconsin. No damage was done. Chicago banks offered the Chicago city treasury 3 per cent. for the de- posits of money. The city is now get- ting 2 1-2 per cent. Because of alleged pro-German ut- terances two pro-Germans of Hugo, Col.. were seized and tarred and feathered by a mob. An increase in the salaries of Federal employes receiving less than $1,800 was introduced in a bill by Representative Osborn of California. The Thames Rowing Club of Eng- land offered an invitation after the war to the Harvard and Yale oarsmen to race upon the Thames. A package cont: g $1,000 in cash was stolen from a truck of the Amer- ican Express company at the Union station at Pittsfield, Mass. Government control of coal mines and railroads during the war was pro- posed in_a bill introduced by Repre- senttive Sabath of Illinois. Clemens A. Haas, whom Federal au- thorities charge gave a dinner in hon- or of the sinking of the Lusitania, was arrested as an alien enemy. A unit of 150 telephone girls able to speak English and French are wanted in France for immediate service under teh airection of the Signal Corps. Two London banks, the London & Southwestern Bank and the London & Provincial Bank. will be consolidated and known as the South-Western Bank. Before the present session of Con- gress is far advanced it is thought that a plan for loans by the Government to farmers to save their stocks will be made. Judge. Malone, in the Court of Gen- eral Sessions. sentenced to prison for not less than one year Bugene Jess for soliciting funds for a fake benefit for soldiers. A resolution designed to permit Ruth Law, the aviator. to be commissioned in the army aviation corps was intro- duced by Representative Hulbert of New York. The jury in the case of ten persons on trial in federal court at Kansas City, charged with conspiring to ob- struct the selective draft law returned a verdict of guilty. Polsen's Iron Works, devoted almost exclusively to the construction . of trawlers-and cargo boats for the Brit- ish government is on fire and threaten- ed with destruction. The steamer Norwalk, owned by the Norwalk Steamship Company of Wil- mington Del., was wrecked during a storm in the Yucatan Chanmel while en route from Belize. Honduras, to the Unitea States on November 27. Nine Thoroughbred Stallions Burned. Mamaroneck, N. Y. Dec.. 6—Nine thoroughbreds and one stallion, the latter valued at $10,000, were killed in a fire today on the, estate of George W Wateqn, nowc haza.. Ambrose Clark, | TEN PAGES—74 COLUMNS BRITISH RETREAT TO STRENGTHEN LINE | The Falling Back Was Made Necessary by Wedges Driven Into Their Line by the Germans WITHDRAWAL WAS MADE IN PERFECT ORDER The Germans Have Reoccupied Graincourt, Anneux, Noy- elles and the Woods and Heights North of Marcoing— On the Italian Front the Austro-Germans Are Making Frantic Efforts to Break Through the Italian Position: Which Are Defending the Venetian Plain—Berlin nounces That an Armistice of Ten Days, to Begin Fri day at Noon, Has Been Arranged for the Entire Russian Front. The earefully laid plans of General Byng to withdraw his troops at vari- ous points on the Cambrai salient to | more tenable positions have been car- ried out in perfect order and appar. ently without the Germans even hav- ing knbwledge of the movement. The falling back was made nec sary, by wedges, driven into the salient last week by the Germans, which on everal sectors threatened dlsaster to the British should they continue to hof thelr positions. From an arc ex- tending from Cambral a distance of about eighteen miles the new British front has been lessened to a length of about ten miles with the bases resting in the north in the region of Moeuvres and in th esouth near Gonnelieu. As a result of the backward move- ment, the Germans clalm the reoccu- pation of Graincourt, Anneux, Noyelles and the woods and heights north of Marcoing, and that thelr uncontestcd gain has' been to a depth of about two and a half miles over a front of six and a quarter miles, The Berlin was office asserts that since the Ger- man offensive in the Cambral reglon began British prisoners in excess of 9,000 and 148 guns have been taken, On the Itallan front the Austro- Germans are making frantic attempts to break through the Itallan positions and debouch upon the plain of Vene- In the Asiago plat of almost unprece taking place, the using a sreat array of less thousands of men to_overcome the Itali the Meletta secto some slight advances b the sacrifice of large the Italians resisting foot by foot. To the attempt to carry the defense in the upper Bre with repulse and hoavy casua The Berlin war office ir ntunication announcing the the Meletta positions says t new offensive of the Te 2 11000 Italians have been made pris oner and that more than sixty ef ¢ guns have been captured. From Berlin ccmes the ment that an armistice of t begin Friday at noon, has bee ranged for the entire Russiar In verification of previot the Rumanians were not armistice with the enemy manian official communication that attempts made by the er de east Ttalia fraternize with the Rumanian tr were put dowa with shot an Denial also is made that the ne Ukrainian government had opened ne gotiations for a separate peace the central powers. MEMBERS SIXTH CAVALRY CHARGED WITH MUTINY. Fifteen Are Charged With Refusing to Obey Orders to Drill. San Antonio, Tex., Dec. 6.—Fifteen members of the Sixth cavalry went to trial before a courtmartial here today at Fort.Sam Houston on charges of mutiny growing out of an alleged re- fusal to obey an order to drill Sept. 25, when they were stationed in thy Big Bend districts. The personnel of the court is the same as that which tried the sixty- three negroes of the Twenty-fourth in- fantry for mutiny in connection with the Houston riots, and Colonel J. A. Hull is acting as judge advocate. tl is alleged the men refused to cbey the orders to drill, saying that they were worn out after a long sigae of guard duty. FURTHER MOVE AGAINST BLACKLISTED FIRMS To Prevent Them from Receiving' American Merchandi ‘Washington, Dec. 6.—Further pre- cautions to prevent American mer- chandise from reaching _blacklisted firms abroad were taken by the war trade board today in an order re- quiring American merchants shipping to their branch houses in foreign countries to use a special form of agreement prepared by the board. The agreement is intended to keep American _merchandise shipped to branch houses from going indirectly to enemy firms in cases where licensés for direct shipment to the blacklisted concerns would be refused. MONEY RAISING CAMPAIGNS FOR GERMAN WAR ORPHANS Branded as “Blinds” to Help Fill the Kaiser's War Chest. Cleveland, O., Dec. 6.—Money raising campaigns “for German war orphans” were branded as “blinds” to help fill the kaiser’'s war chest, in a statement of 4>fense filed in court today by Emil Spang. Spang had allowed a New York book concern to obtain judgment by de- fault for $100, said to be the amount of a contract he entered into to buy twenty volumes of the “Great German Classics of the 15th and 20th Cen- turies.” proceeds of the sales of Which were suppesedly for the relief of Ger- man war orphans. IMPERSONATED AN ARMY ' OFFICER OF UNITED STATES. Francis Toomey of Chicage Gets Two Years’ Imprisonment. Chicago, Dec. 6.—J. Francis Toomey pleaded guilty today to impersonating an officer of the United States ormy and was sentenced to two years' im- prisonment at Leavenworth, Kas. Young Toomey led a gay -life’at leading clubs and hotels, using begus checks, before the fraud was discver- ed. His home is said to be at Elmira, N. Y. OBITUARY. Eldon B. Birdsey Middletown, Conn., Dec. 6.--Eldon B. Birdseye for forty years a practic- ing lawver here, died suddenly in his home this afternoon, agzea ®3. He was judge of probate for tén years and also had a term as prosecuting attorney. His birthplace was Ham- burg, in Oid Lyme, and he was grad- uated from Wesleyan University in 1871 and from Albany Law School the year after. His wife and daughter survive. RED, CROSS RUSHING AID TO HALIFAX. Governor of Massachusetts Specigl Train from Boston. Sends Washingten, Dec. stricken city of Halifax wa forward tonight by the America Cross. On the special train sen Boston by the governor of Massac setts were six experienced disaster re- itef workers with quantities of surgica supplies, bedding and special Red Cross train from York carried food, mattresses cts, sweaters, " oyercoats .and & quantity of clothing for women children. Immediately after news came of the disaster, the Red Cross began for sending relief without waitir a formal call for -assistance Canada. clothing i FOUNDED DEBT OF STATE IS REDUCED . $5,647,599.27 The Net Debt on September 30 Was $2,607,989.06. Hartford, ~Conn., Dec. 6.—Orders drawn on the -state treasurer b Comptroller Webster for the f year ending September 30, 1 amount to $9,739,628. This. is le: $472,547.50 than the amount of ditures given in the treasurer's port.* The funded debt of the s September 30, 1916, was $5,255,588 At the close of this fiscal year it w: 812,585,100 but Py deducting amount In the sinking fund and in the civil list funds the debt year is ‘reduced $9,927,120.94, lea 2 net debt of $2,607,989.06 or 35,6 599.27 less than it was in 1916 SETS AT REST SWITZERLAND'S ANXIET u. s. By Assurance That Swiss Neutrality Will Be Respected. ‘Washington, Dec. 6.—Formal assu ance by the United States of its tention scrupulously to respect Swiss neutrality has glven the keenest satis faction In Switzerland, according despatches reaching Veashington The declaration by the Americar government ‘was regarded there having completely neutralized the sidious efforts of German Drop: dists to lead the Swiss people lieve that the United States to send troops through their co! to_attack the German fla NINE WORKMEN INJURED IN AN EXPLOSICN OF GAS in the Double Hold of a Vessel Being Built at San Pedro. - San Pedro, Cal, Dec. 6.—Nine work men twere injured in an explosion £as in the double hold of a vessel u der construction at the Los Ange Shipbuflding and Drydock comps plant ‘here toda: The explosion was caused b: attachment of a gas supply hose alrpipe of a riveting machine. sent instead of air, was ignited hot rivet. HOSTILITIES SUSPENDED ON THE RUSSIAN FRONT For Ten Days, Beginning at Noon on Friday, Berlin Announces. Berlin, Dec. 6, via London.—Susy sion of hostilities over the whale sian 'front for ten days beginni noon on Friday has been arranged, the 'war_office gnnounced tedey.