The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, August 6, 1901, Page 1

o VOLUME XC-—NO, 67, SAN FRANCISCO, TUESDAY, AUGUST 6, 1901. PRICE FIVE CENTS. RAILROAD COMMISSION LISTENS TO SOME INTERESTING TESTIMONY IN OIL RATE INVESTIGATION General Manager Kruttschnitt Enlightens the Board on Cost of Building a Spur Track and the Amount of Monay Expended for Operating Freight Trains Between This City and Bakersfield 3 3 from Bakersfleld to San Francisco, and in making the rate from Bakersfield for less than half of the service the railroad made the rate of 42 cents, which would allow 9 cents for the other half of the same serv- ice. It is a fact, however, that to the Bakersfield rate there is an average of 4 cents per barrel added for spur charges, which would leave a difference of only 5 cents more for doing double service. The amount of oil shipped from Bakersfield in June was 35,000 tons. In May it was 37,500 tons., Assuming an average of 35,000 tons, the business from Bakersfield alone would amount to 420,000 tons. At 6 barrels to the ton and 42 cents per barrel, this would amount to $1,058,40. This same quantity with a spur charge of 4 cents per barrel would amount to $100,000 in round figures, while the spur cost less than $110,000 to build. Why Rates Were Lowered. The witness said that the rate from Los Angeles to this city was put in force to | meet the competition of the water car- riers ané to give the people of Southern California an outlet for their oil; that the )RT of Fresno and tt, general man rn P. wor the inv manager parried 1l of an expert w s persistent in Kruttschnitt, came to avor of the Short and ormed as railroad of th informat to the se company, b was elicited to be of advants he Fresno v and of interest to oil men gen- erail : Mr. Sproule Testifies. Witiiam Sproule, freight traffic manager of the Southern Pacific, and Mr. Krutt- were the © witnesses examined. 4 Commissioner I eister had m his indisposition and was able to take his seat with the other:mem- ers of the board. In his effort to show the Railroad Com- missioners that the XKern County oil men were being overcharged by the rallroad for sk o this city and en- pping their ofl t t wrt examined bot of operating trains, other points and asked g s Attorr other ¥ ns. Attorney Short opened the examination ile the rate on oll be- . and three other n Antonio and El spatched a clerk for the necessary informzation, and during the rim the witnes= enlightened the Com- n ers cn the lumber traffic here and When clerk returned T the following state- the question; from New Orleans to 8 miles, is $2 40 per per mile. Between aont, a distance of 293 a ton, or 8% mills per le. From Paso to Beaumont, is §3 80, or 4 15-100 mills per oleum he rate Mr. Sproule szid the rate on sand from - 5 ; RAL MANAGER KRUTT- | SCHNITT, WHO TESTIFIED ] IN THE OIL RATE CASE. Kern County to San Francisco was $220 a ton for a distance of 285 miles, making 1 cent 18-100 mills per ton per mile. He then gave the rate on furnitur?, tin cans and other articles. The witness said the dis- tarce in railroad miles between Los An- geles and San Francisco was 482, from Bakersfield to San Francisco 314 and from Los Angeles to Bakersfield 168. He said the oil rate from Los Angeles to San Francisco was 12-10 cents per gallon, or 514-10 cents per barrel, which is equal to 68-10 mills per mile per ton. Freight Rates Discussed. Mr. Sproule testified on Thursday last that in fixing the rate for transporting crushed stone for road purposes the rall- road company figured as carefully as it could and made a rate of 75-10 mills per ton, with the privilege of holding it at its own convenience. The testimony yester- day showed the company was shipping lumber from Portland at $3 per ton for more than 750 miles over two mountain ranges at approximately 4 mills per ton per mile and wheat from Ogden over $00 miles at $410 per tcn, or approximately 5 mills per ton per mile; that it was ship- ping oil from Los Angeles to this city, a (¥stance of 452 miles, at 52 cents per bar- rel, approximately 62-10 mills per ton per miile, and while the rate of 514-10 cents per barrel was enforced it put a rate of 42 cents per barrel from Bakersfieid, which was stated to be a nominal rate to encourage the industry. Sproule also testified that it was more expensive and “difficult to ship freight from Los Angeles to Bakersfield than < oil transportation was at that time in the hands of parties who were in the oil busi- ness, operating frcm San Pedro; that when oil was discovered in Southern Cali- | fornia the people called upon the railroad to assist them. Their only avenue of ex porting their oil was by water. They were | compelled to put their oil in barrels or iron drums or sell it to companies. “Thereby,” sald Mr. Sproule, “the In- dustry was troubled, and the prcducers calied upon us for help. Prior to that time we had a rate of 12-10 mills per gailon from Newhall to San Francisco to try to capture the oil from the water carrlers via Ventura. We, however, made a condi- tion, that the exporter furnish the cars. | When the people of Los Angeles called upon us for the same rate they had no cars, and it was considerable expense to get them. We saw an opportunity of de- veloping a new industry. But for our ac- tion in the mattcr people would have been compelled to sell to private ofl companies or charter craft for the purpose of trans- porting oil. They would have created new lines of transportation. It was inter- est in the development of a new industry and country that led us to make a raté of 12-10. 0il Cars Were Leased. “We lead®d cars in ofder to put them into the service. The rate in itself was not compensatory. We were forced to put in both rates by controlling conditions with which we were confronted. The low | rate was given Bakersfield and Coalinga for the purpose of developing the country and the oil industry. The rate by water from Los Angeles to San Francisco was a secret one and made by people in Los Angeles. The rate on oil from Coalinga to Hanford is 15 cents per mile. A rate was made on cement between Colton and San Francisco to meet the competition by water. Cement is freighted to this ity at $4 per ton for 528 miles, which is at the rate of 7 6-10 mills per ton per mile. The rate on pomace is 1 cent per mile.” “In shipping livestock,” Mr. Short sug- gested, “you permit shippers to mix their animals?” “Yes,” answered the witness, “but they don’t desire it. In shipping horses with hogs I fear th2 hogs would come out at the worse end of the arrangement.” “But they would benefit by thelr higher association,” replied Attorney Short. After this bit of pleasantry Mr. Sproule Continued on Page Two. | grocery, occupied by | while y | tshed. A EXPLOSION CAUSES BIG DEATH LIaT Buildings Are Laid Low and Twenty Persons Killed. Five Structures Collapse, Burying Scores of Unfortu- nates in Ruins. Disaster Supposed to Be Due to a Barrel of Gasoline and Flames Add Horror to the Victims. —_— PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 5.—A terrific exploston in a block of six buildings on Locust street, near Tenth, wrecked flve of the struetures and caused the death of from ten to twenty or more persons. Over two score of others were more or less seriously injured. taken to the hospital will die. Some of those It is esti- | mated that at least thirty-five persons were in the five buiidings when the ex- plosion oceurred and.the exact numbar of dead will probably not be known for twenty-four hours. The buildings were occupied as follows: No, 1008, Houseman's pool and billlard No. 1010, Morris Rosenthal's sec- ond-hard clothing store, occupied hy Rosenthal, his wife and five children: No. 1012, William Jones, colored restaurant, occupied by Jones and about fifteen board- ers; No. 1014, George McClemmy's grocery store, occupied by McClemmy's clerk and rooms: servant girl; No. 1016, Patrick Quigley's | Quigley. his wife, three children and his uncle; No. 1018, Al- bert Mountain's grocery and meat store, occupied by Mountain, mother, sister and clerk. Caused by Gasoline. The explosion occurred ahout 9:30 o'clock. “What exploded and how it hap- pened is not known at this time, but it is belleved to have heen a barrel of gascline in one of the three grocery stores. With the explosion at No. 1008 the front walis of the bulldings were blown. outward, ABoors and the roofs were demol- Almost every bullding in a radius of two blocks about the scene of the ex- plosion had window panes shattered. very building on the opposite side of Locust street was more or less wrecked, | names not obtainable. but none of them fell. A terrible cry went up from the ruins the moment the explosion occurred. Women, children and men, occupying the wrecked houses, were seen crawling out of the ruins, while the agonizing cries of others were heard in the wreckage. From all the surrounding buildings injured peo- ple came running and fell into *ie streets unconscious. To add to the horror, fire broke out in the debris the moment it settled to the ground, and in less than | five minutes the great pile was burning | fiercely from end to end. Victims in the Ruins. A general alarm was turned in for apparatus and ambulances, and in the meantime the work of rescue was volun- tarily begun by those in the neighborhood that were not injured. Here and there 4 person was dragged from the ruins be- fore the fire could reach the vietim, sev- eral lives being saved by the prompt work. When the firemen reached the scene the flames had reached great head- way and were lgniting the bulldings across the street. The fire, however, was soon under control and with the exception of a small blaze here and there the fire | was extinguished .in a few minutes, - The work of digging away the ruins was then begun in earnest. Near the edge of the debris severl colored men were taken out and sent to the hospitals. The Jefferson and the Pennsylvania hospitals, which are located nearest to the seene of the explosion, were soon crowdad with the Injured. None of those taken to the hospitals Two hundred men are now at work clear- ing away the wreckage. The bulldings containing the poolrooms, clothing store and the restaurant were three-story brick structures, while the other buildings were two and one-half storfes. At 1:30 a. m. the only known deaths are | those at the hospitals, that of an un- known colored woman and a 2-year-old colored child. 5 At Pennsylvania hospital five of the pa- tients. it is thought, will die before morn- ing. These are two colored women, one colored man and two colored children, Others at various hospitals will also die. Among these are Samuel Gale, aged 40 (white), and his daughter Florence, aged 20. Both are badly burned in addition to other injuries. Of the Rosenthal family Minnte, aged 12, was taken from the ruins serlously in- jured and will die. The father is also badly injured. Firemen and Policemen at Work. Up to 1:30 a. m. the police or fire offi- cials cannot add to the list of the dead, but are positive that a number of bodies are still burfed under the ruins. Large forces of firemen and policemen are at work removing the wreckage, but at this writing have found no bodies. From forty to forty-five persons are to. night lying in the several hospitals suf- fering more or less severe injuries. At 2 a. m. the rescuers came across the apparently inanimate body of a colored woman, but,- remarkable to relate, the woman was alive and asked for water. She was quickly placed in an ambulance and sent to a hospital. She is Lizzie Wat- kins, aged 18. She had been in the ruins for four and a half hours. Five minutes later the body of a negro ‘man was found. He was not identified. had died up to midnight. | | | spreaa slowly in London. DOWAGER EMPRESS FREDERICK PASSES AWAY QUIETLY AT CRONBERG IN THE PRESENCE OF HER CHILDREN Death Comes Somewhat Suddenly After the Attending Physicians Had Reported No Change in Condition of Their Royal Patient. Crowned Heads Are Now on Their g RONBERG, Aug. 5 — Empress Frederick died at 6:15 p. m. The death of the Dowager Empress was somewhat sudden. At 4 o’clock her physicians reported no change jn her condition. Emperor Wil- liam and her Majesty’s other children and the BEmpress Augusta Victoria were in the sick room most of the day. They were all around the bedside when the Dowager Empress passed away quietly. Professors Renvers and Spielhagen were also in her room. The flag on the castle was immediately half-masted. At 8 o’clock this evening Emperor Wil- liam conducted the members of the Dow- ager Empress’ household into the death chamber and led them one by one past the bedside to take a last farewell of their mistress. King Edward Receives News. COWES, Aug. 5.—King Edward received the official news of the death of Dowager Empress Frederick on board the royal yacht Osborne simultaneously with the receipt of the Associated Press dispatch in London. The yacht's flag was imme- = +* diately halfmasted. King Bdward and Queen Alexandra will leave here for Marl- borough House to-morrow. It js not likely they will start for Berlin until Wednesday. The usual gayeties of Cowes regatta week, which began to-day, are almost en- tirely absent. By royal order, no dancing of any kind will take place during the week. The entertaining will consist of im- promptu invitations to small concerts and dinners issued an hour or two before- hand. The Americans here are seldom ashore, except during the shopping hours or on a brief visit to friends. Mrs. An- thony J. Drexel's vacht Margarita is moored close to the royal vacht Osborne. Mrs. Arthur Page is a guest on the Mar- garita. . K. Vanderbilt's Valiant is also moored near the roval yacht. The Aphrodite, an American vessel belonging to Captain Oliver Payne, and the Amerl can yacht Calanthe, belonging to J. Ar- thur Hinckley, are also here. London Bells to Be Tolled. LONDON, Aug. 5—The news of the death of the Dowager Empress Frederick The Associated Press gave Buckingham Palace, Marlbor- ough House and the Mansion House the first information that her Majesty had passed away. As all the members of the royal family and many of the officials are out of town on holidays, it is not expected that official recognition of her Majesty’s death will be issued before morning. The bells of St. Paul's Cathedral will be tolled when the Home Secretary, Mr. Ritchie, officially informs the Lord Mayor of the death of the Dowager Empress. The offi- clals of the German Embassy had not officially heard the news at 7:30 p. m. Their colleagues at The Hague, on the other hand, received the news of the de- mise of the Dowager Empress before it had occurred, and halfmasted the lega- tion flag at about 3 p. m. The Foreign Minister and the members of the legation here cabled the legation at The Hague when the mistake was discovered and the halfmasted flag was hastily removed. WASHINGTON, Aug. 5.—A dispatch was received at the State Department to- day from Embassador White announcing the death of the Dowager Empress of Ger- many. The dispatch was sent to the President at Canto WOULD NOT BE PITIED. Why She Ordered Public Excluded From Her Grounds. BERLIN, Aug. 5.—The announcement of the death of the Dowager Empress Fred- erick was published here too late for comment in the evening papers, with the exception of the Freissinnige Zeitung, which recalls her hercic bearing during her husband’s last days, “when she silent- ly endured the heartless allusions of the Chauvinistic German press.” This jour- nal also praises her “dignified self-efface- ment” since the death of Frederick the Noble. Soon after the announcement was made Way to the Bier IEDRICHUVHOF TALACE oF THE IATE TPOWASER =MEREJJS OF THE LATE EMPRESS DOWAGER FREDERICK OF GERMANY, MOTHER {PEROR WILLIAM, WHO DIED YESTERDAY AFTERNOON AT CRONBERG AFTER AN ILLNESS LASTING SEVERAL MONTHS. the flags on all public buildings were half- masted. It is taken for granted that the interment will be at Freidenskirche, Pots- dam, by the side of Emperor Frederick, but the date of the function is not vet known publicly. The papers,assert that the Dowager Em- press long ago adopted her husband’s motto, ‘“Learn to .suffer without com- plaining.” She recently ordered that the public should be excluded from - the grounds of Friedrichshof, saying: “The world shall not learn what I am suffering. I will not be pitied in my mis- fortune.” CRONBERG, Aug. 5.—Closely following the announcement of the death from the castle the church bells were tolled and the flags half-masted. Visitors to the castle began inscribing their names in a book placed for the purpose in the hall. It is said the cause of death was dropsy, accompanying cancer. The remarkable vitality of the Dowager Empress aston- ished her physicians. She retained con- sclousness to the end. The castle grounds are now surrounded by soldiers and pa- trolled by hussars and mounted police. VICTORIA'S OLDEST DAUGHTER. Tncidents in the Varied Life of the Empress Frederick. Few royal careers in modern times have been marked with sharper contrasts than that of the Empress Frederick. Born Princess Royal and heir apparent to the British throne, she became successively the Crown Princess of Prussia, the con- sort of the ruler of Germany, then in a few months wholly bereft of power, re- taining but the empty title of the widow of an Emperor. Following the period of movurning for her imperial husband came the harsh, unfilial conduct of her son, who did his utmost to make her feel that in Germany there was no abiding place for her. During the ensuing years she had beer: practically lost to the public eye, un- til last spring, when it was reported that she had secretly married Count Saecktorf. This report, however, proved to hg un- true. Within a few hours of her birth, No- Vember 21, 1840, the little lady, wrapped in flannels, was placed upon a table in Buckingham Palace and gave ‘audience to certain lords of the Privy Council and other notabilities. According to their ac- counts, the wee specimen of royalty testi- Sl fied in by no means low tones that she resented this intrusion on her privacy. ‘When, less than a year after this scene, the Prince of Wales was born, his preco- cious sister retired from the front row as heiress to the crown of England. When the Princess was three years old her mother writes that she “was quite a lt- tle personage, who speaks French and English with great fluency and choice of phrases. Pussette learns a verse by heart. which - ends with, ‘le tableau se deroule a mes pieds’ (the tableau unzplls itself at my feet). To show how well she understands this difficult line I must tell you the following bon mot. When she ‘was riding on her pony and looking at the cows and sheep she turned to her govern- ess and said, ‘Voila le tableau que se de- roule a mes pleds’ (there is the tableau that is unrolling at my feet). Is not this extraordinary for a child of three years ola?” The Queen was reading to her one day from the Bible, when she came to the words, “And God created man in his own image.” The Princess exclaimed. “But, mamma, surely not also Dr. — Need- less to say, the doctor was not a hand- some man. Companion cf the Prince. The teaching of the Prince Consort pro- duced great effect on the mind of his eldest daughter, who had from her earliest years been his constant compan- ion. He delighted in her quick intelli- gence and lively mind. While she was but a child he had encouraged her to under- stand something of the pursuits which most interested him and into which she was able to enter with the keenest pleas- ure. She often accompanied him in his walks, when he taught her to know every herb and plant by its English, German and Latin name. It was his custom when she was only 13 to impart to her the con- tents of letters embracing a political cor« respondence with almost every civilized country and to show her coples of his re- plies. Political economy was added to the usual course of studies. The marriage of Victoria and the Prus- sian Crown Prince appears to have been a genuine love match. Frederick was one of the most genial and gracious of men, possessing few of the harsh characteris- tics of the Hohenzollerns, while his bride Continued on Page Two.