f
F
MOST SPECTACULAR FIGHTING VERDUN
TRENCH ABANDON TRENCHES TO ESCAPE GASES
AND THEN RETAKE THE LOST POSITIONS
PARIS, April 11!. — Yesterday saw |
a continuance of the severe fighting |
of the day before along the Verdun
front, every portion of the line being
subjected to attack. The fighting was
spectacular in the extreme. As a pre
liminary to a general assault*the Ger
mans deluged the whole front with
clouds of poisonous gases, emitted
from projectiles landing close to the
first line trenches. On the explosion
of these shells great yellowish clouds
of chlorine vapor settled down on the
field, and when the clouds had lifted
the Germans charged. The charge
came forward seemingly indifferent
to the losses they were suffering from j
the curtain of shell fire which thej
French artillery threw in front of
their trenches. Not many of the Ger
mans lived to reach the French po
sitions, but those who did fight their
way through found the first line of
French trenches abandoned. The
French commanders had evolved a
plan of action to meet just such an
attack as was made, and had removed
their troops from the first line
trenches in order to allow the clouds
of poisonous gases to dissipate and
clear the air. When the Germans
who got through the curtain of artil
lery fire learned that the advance
trenches had been abandoned, their
officers signalled for reinforcements
with which to fortify and consolidate
'the captured positions. Before the
reinforcements could arrive the
French delivered a counter charge,
which irresistibly regained all the
first line trenches, and then played
havoc with the German reinforcements
who were rapidly advancing. All of
the Germans were driven out of the
French trenches, and the attack
gained no ground for the enemy.
BARIS, April 12, — It was officially
announced this morning that the Ger
mans had renewed the assault against
the Verdun trenches and fortifications
last night. They advanced in large
numbers on the French positions in the
Caurettes wood, first harrying the
French with flaming projectiles, liquid
fire and poison gasses. The charge
of the Teutons was repulsed, and the
fighting yesterday, while not as san
guinary as the day before, when the
German's charged in entire divisions
nevertheless resulted In the Germane
suffering heavy losses. The heaviest
fighting was a little south of Cum
ieres, and west of the Meuse,
BERLIN, April 12. — The official
bulletin issued by the war depart
tnent today devotes little attention to
the fighting before Verdun, the only
mention made being a report that
the Germans gained some ground in
the Cailette woods.
EL FASO, April 12. — 11 can be
stated on the best of authority that
the ♦lexican authorities do not credit
the reports of Villa’s death, but that
they feel certain that he is hidden
in the recesses of the Sierra Madre
mountains, having taken a different
course than generally supposed. The
Mexicans believe that the Americans
are chasing a rear guard detachment
of Villaistas, which Villa arranged for
the purpose of beguiling his pursuers
in the wrong direction. They are con
fident that the chief is hidden, and
that the Americans are on the wrong
track. Regarding the report of Villa’s
death, they say that this is an old
Irick of Villa’s, and a favorite one
when he is hard pressed, and that he
I has resorted to It successfully before.
_
TORREON, April 12. — A clash be
tween the Carranza forces and the
Villa bandits resulted in a victory fo
the former yesterday at Sierra Mo
jada. The Carranzaistas capture*
many of the bandits, including thei
leader, Labarra. Labarsa was itnmt
dlately executed and his body hunt
exposed to public view.
KL PASO, April 12. — Code dis
patches received today by privat
concerns here who have Interests ii
the Parral district of Mexico, say tha
ihe American expeditionary fore*
chasing the Villa bandits has pene
i
'rated far beyond Parral, and Is nov
close to the border between the state:
>f Chihuahua and Durango. The Am
cricans have a temporary base at Par
ral, using motor trucks to deliver thei
supplies from Casas Grandes. the chie
’leld base of the army.
EL PASO, April 12. — Local busl
• i ness houses in this city today deliv
ered a trainload of supplies to tbr
I .Mexican Central railroad for delivery
• to the Pershing expedition in Mexi
• co. The train of supplies is a gift tc
; the soldiers from the people here
and will be delivered by rail to Chi
huahua city, south of which Pershing
and his advance columns are now
■ operating.
i -
WASHINGTON. April 12. — (Jen
eral Obregon, Carranza's minister ol
• i war, with headquarters at Querelaro,
i notified the Mexican ambassador here
. today that Villa had lost most ol
. his followers, many of them having
■ been killed, captured and executed
■ others having deserted hint, and still
others having surrendered. He also
said that Villa was wounded in the
battle he^yeenjhIs force and the Car
ranzistas at Cienpuilla. but had es
caped into the mountains.
SAN ANTONIO, April 12. — The
army officials along the border are
shipping additional supplies over the
.Mexican railroads as rapidly as it is
| possible to ship them. This, takeu
| together with the official announce
ment that Pershing has shifted his
headquarters to Satevo, forty miles
' south of Chihuahua city, leads the
• public to believe that Pershing p-.aees
no credit in the rumor’s of Villa's
death. In fact. It is stated on good
authority that the army officers at
the front utterly discredit the rumor
and believe it to be nothing but a
scheme to discourage the pursuit of
the rebel leaders, cleverly concocted
by Villa himself, anil disseminated by
his followers and sympathizers.
ILLINOIS FDR
CHICAGO, April 12. — The stats
primaries were held in Illinois yes
terday and resulted in no surprises
the returns having been anticipated
In the Republican contest Senatoi
Lawrence Y. Sherman won fifty-six
of the fifty-eight delegates to which
the state is entitled at the coming Re
publican convention. Ex-presiden
Roosevelt won tlie other two. It is
thought that Teddy would have made
a better showing were it not for hi
announced refusal to be a candidate.
On the Democratic -iide. the machine
organization carried the day. Roger
Sullivan and tils cohorts, not only
carrying the city of Chicago, but won
(the entire state delegation as well. All
of the Democratic delegates are
. pledged to support President Wilson
at St. Louis.
-:o.
NORTHWESTERN GOES TO UYAK
THIS TRIP.
The steamer Northwestern, on its
present trip north will go to the west
j ward as far as IJyak, on Kodiak is
| land, and will not sail south from Cor
| dova until April 24. As this is the
! boat the local delegates to the Re
, publican convention exiiect to take
I they will have ample time at Seward
tq make the round trip on her.
AMERICAN WOMAN;
9 ** ■
j - — t
VIENNA. April 10. — Following nu
merous other honors and decorations
conferred upon American women for;
their service in Austria-Hungary dur
ing the war, Emperor Francis Joseph
has conferred the silver medal of the
Red Cross on Mrs. Busser. wife of
Ralph C. Busser, American consul at
Trieste. The medal has been given
for Mrs. Busser’s valuable services in
organizing a convalescent home near
Lattai, in Krain, in the south of Aus
tria. the funds for which were con
tributed by another American woman.
Countess Gasquet James, of New York.
Ever since the outbreak of the war
botii Consul Busser and his wife have
been unwearying in helping unfortu
nate victims of all nationalities, and
especially the British residents of
Trieste, who were interned by the
Austrians, and their women and child
ren who remained in the port.
--:o:
The steamer Alaska arrived In Se
attic today at noon, and evidently en
countered rough weather, as it took
her over six days to make, the trip
south from Cordova.
-:o:
Another batch of 12S passengers
left Seattle yesterday for Cordova.
NOVELIST DAVIS
DIES WHILE
T *«♦ -»■ • - I
MOUNT KISCO, April 12. — Kiel)
urd Harding Davis, the American nov
elist and literateur. died at his home
here today. Death came to Mr. Davis
without warning, as he has been ap
parently in splendid health, and was
stricken with heart failure while tele
phoning. The works of the deceased
have been widely read through Am
erica, his first purely literary success
being the volume of short stories en
titled “Gallagher," based upon his
newspaper experiences, he having en
tered that field after graduating from
Lehigh College. Gallagher was pub
lished in 1891. and Davis has been
constantly writing stories and de-i
scrlptive narration of events, places
ind people ever since. He was a war,
correspondent in Cuba (1898), and in
South Africa (1900).
-:o:
Henry Gessner is in town from Chi
tina, on his way to the westward. He
has leased the Chitina bakery to
Prank Spangler.
Volney T. Richmond, general man
nger of the Northern Commercial
Company, is a passenger on the North
we-tern for this place, on his way to
Fairbanks. 1
LONDON, April 12. — One of the
most spectacular election campaigns
that England has ever witnessed was
made by Pemberton-Uelling. an aviat
or. who was the successful candidate
lor member of the House of Commons
for East Herts, a thriving English
community. Mr. Billing was dissatis
'ied with the government’s policy of
i
s tempting to fight off the Zeppelins,
md ran as the "airman candidate," so
hat he could get into parliament, and
is he himself said, "proceed to make
England wake up.”
Billing did his electioneering
lressed an an aviator, lie made a
wrsnnal tour of the constituency and
jrcceetied to "buttonhole" the voters
n much the same style that was popu
lar with old time politicians in the.
United States. Billing also used motor
cars and motorcycles to reach the
voters. He always carried a minia
ture of Zeppelin,around with him.
-:o:
FIREMEN TO ELECT OFFICERS.
A meeting of the Cordova fire de
partment will he held tomorrow even
ing and as the annual election of offi
cers takes place. Secretary J. B.
O'Neill requests that there he ; . !!
attendance sf the members.
\ HAD RIGHT TO
SINK BOATS
HEREIN. April 12. — It is stated
here that the German reply to the
American note concerning the recenl
sinking of British vessels, about wl.icb
Ambassador Gerard has requested of
ficial information for the Washington
government, admits that the steamers
Englishman, Manchester, Eagle Point
and Berwindale were destroyed by
German submarines. An American
engineer was killed on the Manches
ter. The note says that all of tut
shins were destroyed in strict accord
ance with the rules of war. Regard
ing the Sussex, the note does not a*1'
mit German responsibility, hut. duet
say that a German submarine for
pedoed some vessel in the vicinUj o.
where the Sussex was damaged for an
explosion and on the same day, al
though the evidence secured by the
Berlin foreign office seems to indicate
Ghat the ship which was torpedoed
1 .as not the Sussex.
▼ -— m
WASHINGTON, April 12. — The
government announced today that ihe
official reply of Germany concerning
the attacks on merchant vessels in
quired about by Ambassador Gerard,
had not as yet been received. The
press reports of what the reply con
have been read with much in
f&rest by the cabinet officials, but
they decline to discuss the matter
until the message has been received
from Gerard. It is believed that the
reply has been delivered to Gerard,
and should be now on the cable.
——■ft:
* IN DISTHEESTO
SEW'AHD, April 12. — It tvas re
ported here today that the Alaska
Steamship Company’s vessel Dora was
in distress. Another marine rumor
reaching here was that two tugs and
five barges bound for Anchorage with
supplies for the government railroad,
had been lost near Cordova, in the
recent storm. Nothing confirmatory
of these reported disasters has been
learnvsi.
ENGLISH' SUFFER
* DEFEAT FROM
CONSTANTINOPLE, April 12. —
The government officially announced
jrtoday that a sanguinary battle had oc
®iiVred between the British Mesopo
tamian force and the Turkish troops
* at Felahie on April 9. The reports
say, that the British troops were com
posed of regiments transferred from
the Dardanelles, and contained many
Australians and New Zealanders. The
Turks say that the British were
erushingly defeated, the battle last
ing six hours. Three thousand British
rdead were counted on the battle field
after the fight was over.
I w - - -
<
SEATTLE. April 12. — The steamer
Northwestern was delayed In her Hail
ing. and did not leave here until noon
today. Chairman Herron, of the Re
publican territorial committee, is a
passenger for the Seward contention,
as are also Geo. D. Schofield and W.
A. Gilmore, representing the Second
division, and C. D. Murane, of Seat
tle. who Is a candidate for national
committeeman.
There Is a big list of passengers
aboard the Northwestern. 122. of whom
are hooked for Cordova, as follows,
i D. Bandrnan, Mrs. C. Foster. Mrs. L.
Denman, G. Preston, Volley Rich
mond, .1. Nichols. Mrs. F M-'lheson.
Mrs. B. Cohen, Mrs. (J. Smith. Mrs.
F. G. Noyes, J. Moon. Bertha Brailey.
\V. Hyland. E. Beauchine, P. Cromwell,
Pete Olsen. L. Garfinkle, W. Casey. N.
Naubert, Mrs. B. Miller, Mrs. \V. Har
i vey. Mrs. J. Dolan. Gus Heibuch, A.
j Johnson. P. Johnson, J. Gilbert, A.
| Dorks, J. Whitehall. A. Booth A. Tuc
ker and wife, John Damalos, George
Ellacoms, 11. Cody. J. Wilson, W. Ful
ton, B. Setrig, and eighty six steerage.
-:o:
ALLIES TO TAKE
OFFENSIVE ON
| l
SALO.NMKI. April 12. — A violent
cannonading occurred yesterday be
tween the opposing forces along the
Greek border, between Gievgeli and
Doiran. Both sides engaged vigor
ously in the cross fire, and the French
claim that their artillery had the
advantage. The artillery firing ia
taken as evidence that the long period
of inactivity along this front is about
to be soon broken. The allied troops
are well entrenched, and have fully
completed ull arrangements for taking
the offensive.
BOXING CONTEST
DIO NOT TAKE
PLACE
There was a boxing bout scheduled
to be pulled off at McCarthy last
night which excited considerable local
interest. Frank Sharkey, of Cordova,
and the "Spanish Kid," who works at
one of the interior mines, were sup
posed to meet for a side bet of $500,
but according to telephonic advices re
ceived last night the friends of the
"Spanish Kid" did not come through,
and Sharkey refused to meet him.
There was considerable money
wagered here yesterday on the result,
most of the bets being offered on the
"Spanish Kid,” but as the go did not
fake place, all bets have been declared
off. i
-: o'
Th> Cor,Amn Orng Company ha*
erected a:t attractive awning in front
of its place of business.
*