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FIFTH YEAR CHITIXA, ALASKA, TUESDAY, MAY 4, 1915. NUMBER 29
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EUROPEAN WAR
LONDON, May 4.—Late advices from Mitelene state that
the allies are now occupying the town of Maidos, which is at
the upper end of the narrows on the Straits of Dardanelles. 11
is located 22 miles south of the city of Gallipoli, on the penin
sula of that name. The land forces that the allies have
succeeded in moving towards the straits have largely aided
in securing the present advanced positions.
PETROGRAD, May 4.—The Black Sea fleet is now
bombarding the forts on the Straits of Bosphours. It is also
reported that three Turkish vessels were sunk today.
BERLIN, May 4.—The Austrian forces have made a
desperate onslaught against the invading enemy. They have
succeeded in piercing the entire Russian front in western
Galicia. The losses have been heavy on both sides and the
Russians are said to be massing their forces and will endeavor
to retrieve the lost ground.
COPENHAGEN, May 4.—The Swedish steamer Ellida
laden with lumber, was proceeding through the North Sen
yesterday afternoon when she was fired on by German
submarines. Torpedoes took effect and proved disastrous to
the vessel.
LONDON, May 4.—It is reported that manv Zeppelins
have been seen on the north coast of the Netherlands, traveling
in the direction of England. It is expected that they are about
to make an invasion.
LONDON. May 4.—The Gemma airship Taube. which has.
been hovering in the neighborhood of Dover was driven away
yesterday afternoon.
PEKIN, May 4.—It is generally understood here that
China is being encouraged by the British to resist the demands
of Japan.
PARIS, May 4.—It is reported that the Germans have
taken the offensive at St. Julien and are pushing forward
against the resistance of the allies.
LONDON, May 3.—The French steamer Europe, a coal
carrier, and the British steamer Fulgent, were both reported
$ today as having been torpedoed by the Germans and lost.
LONDON, May 3.—Two unknown Gennan torpedo boats
were sunk by the British at sea today. In return the report
has been received that a new recruit in the British submarine
force was sunk by a German submarine.
LONDON, May 3.—The American tank steamer Gulflight
was torpedoed off Scilly, but was finally beached without the
loss or any lives.
PARIS, May 3.—The great German gnu which ha< been
bombarding Dunkirk for the past three days, was finally
silenced this afternoon.
TOKIO, May 3.—This afternoon an extraordinary cabinet
council meeting is being held. They are considering China’s
refusal to accede completely to the Japanese demands.
OTTAWA, May 3.—It is reported that the Canadian
casualties in the fighting at Ypres has aggregated nearly six
thousand.
LOXDOX, May 1.—Reports from the city of Gallipoli are
to the effect that thousands of Turks have been killed and
wounded, as a result of the British landing forces on the
Peninsula. The men are steadily pressing forward toward
the Bulair line fortifications, which must be passed before
forcing the gate to Constantinople.
COXSTAXTIXOPLE, May 1.—It is claimed here that
heavy damages have been inflicted upon vessels of the allied
squadron in their attempt to force the Dardanelles. In their
bombardment heavy and disastrous fire has been returned that
caused serious damage to many battleships. In addition to
the French cruisers Joanne d’Arc and Toretire the British
battleships Majectie, Triumph and Vengeance have been
damaged, while an English torpedo boat destroyer and other
smaller vessels have been sunk.
WASHIXGTOX, May 1.—The American minister at The
Hague reports to thq State department this afternoon that
an American steamship, cruising from Philadelphia for
Rotterdam, was damaged by bombs dropped from a German
aircraft in the Xorth Sea. Xo lives were lost, although some
of the persons on board had narrow escapes.
LOXDOX, May 1.—Today there has been an incessant
shelling of Dunkirk from the front, east and west. British
aviators have discovered and attacked the German batteries
which from a distance is variously estimated by English
observers as from lf> to even 28 miles. They hurled great
shells at the French port but the bombs dropped did not do
enough damage to put the guns out of action.
ROME, April 30.—Italy is continuing her negotiations
with Austria while the powers are arrayed to induce her to
take decisive action.
LOXDOX, April 30.—There is heavy fighting at the end
of Gallipoli peninsula, across which the British have strung
their forces. It is expected to annihilate the Turkish land
forces.
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BERLIX, April 30.—Many thousands in Poland now face
starvation. In many places there are only supplies enough to
last a couple of weeks longer.
% LOXDOX, April 30.—The government lias commandeered
the entire meat carrying capacity of the British steamships
between Europe and Argentine.
LOXDOX, April 30—The House of Commons today passed
a resolution doubling the duty on spirits sent into France, to be
■ effective immediately.
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WASHINGTON, May 4.—Announcement was made yes
terday afternoon that the coal lands cf Alaska would not be
made available until the summer of 1916. Secretary Lane is
authority for the statement and he further states that in tin
meantime much of the coal land in the Bering and Matanuska
fields will be surveyed by federal officials. In the meantime all
pending claims will be disposed of. -
The coal leasing bill that passed Congress and was
approved by the President on October l20, 1914. provides that
all claims of existing rights to any of the coal lands then
pending before the General Land Office, should be adjudicated
within one year from the passage of the act. Nearly all of the
I pending claims have already been canceled, but there are still
some yet to be disposed cf.
The coal leasing bill authorizes the Secretary of the
Interior to prescribe the necessary rules and regulation- to
carry out the purposes of the act. Various drafts have been
prepared by Director J. A. Holmes, of the Bureau of Mine-,
but when they were submitted to practical mining engineers
and men familiar with Alaskan conditions they were so
severely criticized that they were withdrawn. And in the
meantime prospective coal leaser- have been holding back and
decline to make application for leases.
For a time Secretary Lane sought to work out regulations
that might prove generally acceptable. He consulted with a
number of Alaskans and with men who might be inclined to
take a lease under favorable conditions. And when it was
thought that the necessary regulations had about been decided
on by the Secretary announcement is made that there will be
nothing further doing for this year.
When it was previously announced that the government
would put a party of surveyors in the field before the first of
June, to make a permanent survey of the route from Mile 38
on the Copper^River & Northwestern Railway to the Bering
River coal fields, there was a general belief that it was the
intention of the President to build this branch line before the
end of the present year, and have coal hauled into Cordova by
next spring. .
Now people here interested in Alaska are more anxious
than ever to have some positive announcement from the
President on the subject of building to the Bering River field.
The feeling has changed and it is feared that there will be no
'instruction before next year into the Bering fields. Certainly
there would be no incentive for a private company to under
take construction so long as the coal is locked up. And it
now looks as though the government intended to first survey
the lands before making any other move.
This afternoon there is copper ore lying on the wharf at
Cordova to the value of over half a million dollars. Twenty
five cars had been brought from Kennecott on Sunday and this
afternoon 14 more cars were received. With the exception cf
one car from the Mother Lode Copper Mines Company the ore
is from the Bonanza and Jumbo mines. It runs about 67 per
cent copper, making 1,360 pounds of copper in the 2,000 pounds
to the ton. The 39 cars average 50 tons to the car, or a total
of 1.950 tons. As each ton has a value of $270, at 19% cents
per pound, the total value of the entire shipment is $526,500.
As the insurance on the copper ore only allows ore shipped
on any vessel to reach the value of $250,000, it is not per
missible for any steamer to carry more than 1,000 tons. When
the steamer Alameda reaches Cordova tonight from the west
ward she will take aboard nearly 1.000 tons of the ore now here
and convey it to the Tacoma smelter.
Late reports from the C'hisana country indicate that there
is a strong possibility that this season ?s work will develop
some rich ground. One of the most promising prospects in on
Dry Gulch, running into Johnson creek, and near Alder Gulch.
It is a small stream but has given up some wonderfully rich
dirt, on the claim owned by A. McGuire. He made the
discovery aboitf two weeks ago and immediately bonded the
property to U. S. Deputy Marshal Frank Hoffman and U. S.
Commissioner .7. J. Finnigan. The terms of the deal were
liberal, Mr. McGuire receiving $800 cash, with a further
payment of $10,000 in six months and the balance of the
$100,000 at stated times, which will permit the new owners
to take the necessary gold from the ground to make payments,
providing it is as rich as reported.
„ Mr. McGuire was an arrival at Cordova yesterday after
noon and is making a trip outside. *He has a nugget with him
worth $2.15, which he took out from a shaft 142 feet deep. The
total of the gold which he took from the same hole and which
was weighed in Cordova this morning has a value of $50.80.
McGuire had sunk a shaft with pick and shovel to a depth of
130 feet, when the water broke through and he was compelled
to resort to a hand drill. With that he went down from the
bottom of the shaft 12 feet when he struck bed rock. He then
sunk a number of holes with this drill and the cores gave
values of from $1.15 to $1.82 to the core. About 12 cox*es went
to make a pan and it is estimated that the value of a pan was
$18, which is extremely rich dirt. McGuire believes that he
struck the bed of an old channel at this"depth of 142 feet.
When he was 35 feet down with his shaft he came into gold
and again at 70 feet, but these were evidently a false bedrock.
LONDON, April 30.—For the third time within as many
weeks Zeppelin’s visit to England did little damage. Five
houses were set afire by bombs dropped over Upswich, but
they were soon extinguished. Bombs ,dr pped at Felizstow*
and Whiikm in a dense fog did not do any particular damage.
PARIS, April 30.—The city of Gallipoli, on the peninsula
of that name on the Straits of Dardanelles, has been captured
by the allies. This information has just been received from
Athens.
ROME, April 30.—The bodies of 56 of the victims of the
Leon Gambetta, were buried this morning with full military
honors at Santa Manalenca.
PARIS, April 30.—German warships operating 300 miles
from their base shelled the fortified coast town of Dunkirk.
Twenty were killed and many injured. It is unknown whether
the fleet is steaming on its way to shell Calais and other point >
on the French coast.
BERNE, April 29.—It is reported that a fleet of the allies
aeroplanes are raiding the Zeppelin headquarters at Fried
erichshaven. No details have been given and the results are
unknown as yet.
PETROGRAD, April 29.—Several German and Austrian
aeroplanes were captured last evening, after having been
damaged along the front.
CALAIS, April 29.—The Germans have been repulsed in
their movement toward this city, but this morning a Zeppelin
succeeded in doiiur considerable damage. Bombs were dropped
that resulted in the death of thirty persons and destruction of
much property.
VANCOUVER, B. C., April 29.—A serious destruction
that is charged to the war feeling, occurred last night, when it
was sought to destroy what are known as the Two Cities
bridges. These were fine structures and each cost about
$1,000,000. Early this morning both were set afire, with the
result that the Connaught bridge is a total loss. The Granville
bridge was saved because of a wind unfavorable to the cause
of destruction. The setting afire of these structures is believed
to be the work of arsons who are credited with being German
sympathizers.
ROME, April 29.—Ten under officers and 125 of the crew
who survived the sinking of the French cruiser Leon Gambetta.
have reached Syracuse. They tell many tales of their pitiful
condition through exposure. The commander refused to leav»
the cruiser and went down to his grave.
MTTYLTEXE, April 29.—Three of the warships of the
allies succeeded in penetrating the German outposts and enter
ing close to the city of Smyrna. A terrific bombardment
followed, with much damage reported.
LONDON, April 29.—The vessels of the allies have been
established across the end of the Gallipoli peninsula and
command the entrance to the Straits of Dardanelles. It is
expected that soon n concentrated attack from both the land
and sea forces will commence.
LONDON, April 28.—The desperate fighting continues in
I the Province of Flanders, the western part of Belgium. A
new charge was made this morning by the Germans against
one of the sections of the allied lines held by the Belgians in
Flanders. The enemy was thrown back with enormous losses
and the defeat was reported with much satisfaction by
dispatches from King Albert’s army. An attack of Germans
was also made last night against the Belgian positions. It was
timed to follow the spreading of‘asphyxiating gases along the
Belgian front, but the strategy and bravery of the Belgians
upset the plans made by the Germans. Their losses were
heavy. At every point of the line guarding the way to Calais
the French and British are pressing forward, endeavoring to
regain the ground lost when the Germans hurled themselves
forward. •
BERLIN, April 28.—Late this afternoon word was
received that the attempt of the British to recapture lost
ground in Flanders had failed.
BERLIN, April 28.—The French armored cruiser Leon
Gambetta was torpedoed by an Austrian submarine. A part
of the crew was saved although a number were drowned. The
Gambetta had a complement of 710 men. The information was
reported by the Overseas News Agency.
PARIS, April 28.—Late this afternoon it was announced
that the Leon Gambetta was sunk in the Adriatic off Potranto,
and that practically the entire crew perished.
LONDON, April 28.—After a hard day’s fighting in a
difficult country the troops of the allied forces who were
recently landed on the Gallipoli peninsula are making good
their footing. In many localities they surprised the Turks
and captured many of them. The allies are seeking places as
close as possible to the Straits of Dardanelles.
PARIS, April 28.—The French troops now occupy the
town of Kum-Kalesi, on the Asiatic side of the entrance to the
Dardanelles.
LONDON, April 28.—German aircraft are bombarding
the town of Poperinghe, 12 miles west of Ypres, while the air
craft of the allies is successfully bombarding the towns to the
east that have been occupied by the Germans. They include
Staden and Thielt in Belgium and Tourcong, Roubaix and
Roulers in France.
LONDON, April 28.—Earl Kitchener tells Parliament that
Germany has systematically ill-treated, insulted and stuck
shot into the British prisoners. He bases his assertions on the
evidence given by escaped prisoners, also by French, Belgian
and American observers.
ROME, April 28.—Tomasso Tittoni, the Italian ambas
sador to France, held a long audience with the King this
morning. The latter is devoting all his time to the study of
the international situation.