HOT SPRINGS POST
HOT SPRINGS, ALASKA, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 1908.
One Dollar Per Month.
Two Bits Per Copy.
THRILLING RAILWAY RIDE FOR LIFE
Great Bravery Displayed by Train Crew in Heroic Endeavor to Rescue Inhabitants
of Burning Michigan Towns
Grand Rapids, Mich., Oct. 22.- Forest fires in
this state caused the loss of forty-one lives yester
day, and the destruction of the towns of Metz, Pu
iad:i, Posen and Forest City. These are all small
tow ns, and in every case the efforts of the inhabi
tants to check the fire with their limited apparatus
were unavailing. The timber stands close to the
outlying houses, and it was only a few moments
after the fire appeared that the villages were aflame.
One of the most thrilling chapters of the great
tragedy was the desperate attempt to escape made
by the inhabitants of Metz. At this city a train
consisting of cars enough to carry all the inhabi
tants of the town was held in readiness for instant
use at the depot. When all chance of saving the
town was gone everybody climbed aboard the train
and one of the most perilous races in the history of
railroading was begun. On both sides of the track
the fire raged with fearful fury, and the paint on
the cars was soon blistered by the intense heat, and
the coaches began to blaze in many places. A force
of men with buckets of water wsa necessary to keep
the cars from burning as they passed between the
fire on both sides. Faster and faster went the train*
and hotter and hotter became the fire. The engi
neer had opened the throttle wide and then
crouched down beside his seat, being unable to
withstand the terrible heat from the fires that beat
in through the broken cab windows. The scenes in
the cars were distressing. The women and chil
dren had been forwarded to safety by an earlier
train and only men were aboard, but many of tehse
who U]> to this time had fought the fire with the ut
most bravery and coolness, now began to lose their
nerve, and prayers mingled with curses were heard
on all sides. But for the cooler heads, many would
have jumped from the train in their paroxysms of
fear.
In a few minutes the train would have been in
safety, but the heat being so intense, the railway
ties were soon ablaze. Still the train sped on at a
terrific rate, when there was a sudden crash, and
the locomotive left the track, followed by the entire
train. The ties, weakened by the fire, were unable
to longer support the train. The scenes that now
ensued were frightful. Many were caught in the
wreckage, which immediately began to blaze, and
those who were uninjured were unable to rescue or
render assistance to the less fortunate on account of
the fierce heat from the forest. However, when the
train was derailed it was near the edge of the fire,
and those who were not caught in the wreckage
were able to escape, although fully a score were
burned in the wreck.
Come to The Post shop for job printing.
DOME CREEK HAS SHOOTING SCRAPE
Fairbanks, Oct. 22.—Bob l)unn fatally shot
Carl Elbing last Monday in a row over the Shake
speare group on Dome creek. Dunn had just sold
an interest in the group to Elbing, who is a broth
er-in-law to Morgan, Dunn’s former partner. After
the deal had been made parties went to Dunn and
told him that he had been jobbed by Morgan and
Elbing, that the property he had sold was worth
far more than the price he had received. Dunn ac
cused his former partner and Elbing with sharp
practice, and a row resulted which has caused bad
feeling since. On Monday Dunn went to the mess
to get some tools which he claims as his own per
sonal property, and he says that Elbing refused to
allow him to get them. Both men became angry
and both, pulled guns and fired. Elbing fell, but
Dunn was uninjured. Dunn was immediately ar
rested and brought to Fairbanks where he was
placed under $25,000 bail, which he secured with
out trouble. Dunn claims he fired in self-defense.
BRYAN WOULD HAVE LABOR MAN IN HIS CABINET
Mansfield, O., Oet. 22.—Candidate William J.
Bryan said yesterday that if he were elected he will
have a representative of labor in his cabinet. This
statement has been seized upon by the labor unions
as an act of consideration by the Democratic candi
date, and they are loud in their praise of him for
this declaration. It will prove to be a great vote
catcher, and has been held back by him until this
time. The ^Republican managers are much sur
prised and worried over this statement. Already
speculation is rife among politicians as to who will
be the cabinet officer in case of Bryan’s election. By
many the choice is said to be between Samuel Gom
pers, president of the American Federation of
Labor, and John Mitchell, the retired president of
the coal miners’ union.
BOBBY MILLER NOW CUTTING MAMMOTH CHEESE
Fairbanks, Oct. 22.—Bobby Miller, who was
convicted of stealing about $80,000 in gold bricks
from the steamer Tanana over two years ago, and
of which amount $19,000 was never recovered, is
now in Seattle where he is spending money like a
prince. Miller was given two years for his crime,
and immediately upon his release last spring he
came to this city, where he remained for about a
month, before leaving for the outside. Ever since
his release he has been under the surveillance of de
tectives who hoped to learn where he had cached
the missing gold. Apparently Miller has proved
too smooth for his trailers, and is now enjoying the
fmits of his rascality, as at no time could the de
tectives catch him with the gold. It is thought
that while here this summer Miller disposed of the
gold through a confederate. - Jimmy Beggs, a
former bartender in the Horseshoe saloon, was ai*
rested on the supposition that he carried the loot,
but was dismissed recently for want of evidence.
FEARFUL CLOUDBURST AND FLOOD IN OKLAHOMA
Shawnee, Okla., Oct. 22.—One hundred dead
and scores injured is the result thus far of a cloud
burst and the floods that followed and are sweeping
toward the west tonight. The rivers are rising at
the alarming rate of ten feet an hour, and all over
the country the farmers and their families have
been forced to take to the treetops, and many re
mained there all last night. All the stock in the
surrounding country has been drowned, and many
farm buildings floated away. Rescue parties are
scouring the country in boats and every hour news
of more deaths is received. No definite idea of the
loss can as yet be gathered, but it is known that *
will be many hundreds of thousand dollars.
Try The Post for that much-needed job printing.
ATAL HOLOCAUST
IN TENAMEHT HOUSE
New York, Oct. 22.—An east side tenament house was burned
last night and four are dead and many fatally injured as a result.
The inmates of the building were all asleep at the time of the
fire, and the utmost confusion reigned immediately upon the
sounding of the alarm. The fire soon rendered the halls and stair
ways impassable and all took to the fire escapes, which were soon
so crowded with escaping tenants that many were pushed off and
fell to the pavement below.
The fire was of incendiary origin and is supposed to be the
work of some evicted tenant, many of whom having been forced to
leave for non-payment of rent.
This fire has caused a lot of comment in the newspapers as to
the inadequate number of fire escapes on tenement houses, and an
investigation will be instituted.
Letterheads at Post Shop
Helps Himself
to Marshal’s Wood
For the past several weeks tleputy
Marshal Drake has been very busy
sawing and splitting his winter’s sup
ply of wood. He has a nice lot. of stove
wood, all piled up by the back door,
which is the best of all, and is for use
in the cookatove. Monday he made a
business trip to Kemperville, and some
provident person could not overlook
this opportunity of securing some good
wood. This man, who evidently be
lieves that opportunity knocks only
once at a man’s door, took his sled and
going boldly up to the pile of wood
which is Mr. Drake’s especial pride,
loaded his sled to the utmost and pro
ceeded to take it home. He came back
for a second load, but it is presumed be
felt some pangs of compassion for the
deputy marshal, as he reconsidered and
took home an empty sled.
Several people saw the man taking
the wood but supposed it was some
person who had a right to do so, and
said nothing. The loss of this wood has
hurt Mr. Drake a good deal, and when
a person talks of getting wood ahead
he says, “What’s the us-e, anyhow.”
See us for Cloth Posters.
Alaska Day fisitf^et
Proves a Success
Fairbanks, Oct. 82.—The big
annual .Alaska Day banquet
was held here last Sunday.
While it was not so largely at
tended as the on© last year, the
affair proved a distinct success.
Nearly everything that was on
the menu was grown in Alaska.
The speeches delivered, of which
there were many, were nearly
all along the line of Alaska’s
progress and future greatness.
Will Move to
Hot Springs
R. W. Calderhead and family, who
have been located at Kemperville for
the past two years, will move to Hot
Springs in a short time where Mr. Cal
derhead will make his headquarters.
Up until last week be conducted the
Kemperville roadhouse, but has dis
posed of that and turned his entire at
tention to freighting.
Japanese Dance
on Thanksgiving
The ladies of Hot Springs are al
ready making preparations for a Japan
ese costume dance which they propose
to gire on Thanksgiving night. The
hall will be elaborately decorated with
lanterns and bunting, everything being,
arranged with true oriental effect.
The dresses of the ladies will also be
along the same line, and the Japanese
kimono will be the favorite gown for
the evening, and even the lunch to be
given will be served by subjects of the
Mikado.
There will be no dance until that
time, and it is expected there will be a
large attendance.
Walter Buckley, an old-timer of this
district who has been spending the past
summer in Dawson, arrived at Rampart
on the last down-river boat, and came
to Hot Springs yesterday.
The interior of Chas. A. Traeger’s
store was given a coat of kalsomine
this week and now presents a bright,
new appearance._
Eastern Oysters are among the treats
in store for patrons of the Model.
Job Printing at the Post office,
FOUR BURNED IN
STEAMBOAT FIRE
Albanv N Y.,—The Hudson river steamer New Ydrk, the
largest boat .of its kind in the state, was burned today in mid
stream, and four people were killed and fifty injured.
At the time of the fire there were about two hundred aboard,
and the small number of fatalities is owing to the coolness and
prompt action of the officers.
Immediately upon the fire being discovered the water was
turned on, but the blaze had secured too big a start and the boat
was headed for the shore. Even though it was only a few minutes
from the time the fire started until the passengers were walking
ashore, yet in that time the flames had enveloped nearly the en
tire boat, and caused the loss of life enumerated, which is consid
ered remarkably small owing to the rapidity with which the fire
spread. _