Keep Your Friends In
formed by Sending Them
The Chitina Leader
THE CHITINA LEADER
Opening of Bering Coal
Means Smelters for
Cordova
1
Ore Shipments From Copper River Valley Are Over $2,000,000 Each Month
FITH YEAR.
CHITINA, ALASKA, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 1915.
NUMBER 52.
NIZINA OUTPUT
IS GREATLY
George Max Esterley, one of the
biggest placer mining operators in
the interior, arrived in Cordova yes
terday afternoon, accompanied by bis
wife, having completed his season’s
work, which was one of the best dur
ing fourteen year’s operations.
Mr. Esterley and H. F. Andrus
have considerable ground in the Nizina
district, but their principal work was
done this year on claims Nos. 6 and 7
Chittitu creek, and No. 5 Rex creek,
The weather was ideal for mining and
there being plenty of water a big clean
up resulted.
The conditions in the Nizina are
exceptional and required new mining
methods. Although generally known
as a placer geld diggings three dif
ferent kinds of metal were handled in
large quantities in the clean-ups.
Besides the gold, there is placer silver
and native copper dust and nuggets.
Several well-knawn mining experts
and geologists visited the property
this summer and marvelled at the
yield of the ground. There was three
tons of placer copper in one clean
up, ranging from the size of buck
shot up to the large nuggets. Some
of the native copper weighed as much
as 150 pounds, and Mr. Esterly
brought some fine specimens out with
him. There were also many copper
arrow heads found and these had un
doubtedly been used by the Indians
many many years ago, and are val
uable curios. All of this metal assays
runs .903 fine, the same as the placer
silver, of which there is considerable,
runs .903 fine, the same at the placer
gold, the latter being worth $19 per
ounce. All of the metals are high
grade.
While a large quantity of gold dust
was extracted from the claims operat
ed, considerable work was also done
on other ground, which will be worked
extensively next season, and should
result in a record clean-up.
DRUGGIST HELD
Oil SERIOUS
M’CARTHY, Oct. 10—Gustav Priess
ner, the local druggist, has been placed
under arrest by the United States Mar
shal, charged with selling liquor with
out a license. Mr. Priessner gave
bond and is cited to appear before the
district court at Seward.
W. R. Faddis has received the ap
pointment to the office of Commission
er vice F. R. Barnes, resigned. Mr.
Faddis will take office as soon as his
bond is accepted.
Sam Sanderson and Jas. Hyland are
in town after a busy season in which
they were occupied in working the
Bfooks ground on Rex Creek. Hyland
has lost 53 pounds in weight but he
still retains his glad Hibernian smile.
George Goshaw, who for the past
past two years has been in charge of
the Breedman interests in the Chisana,
arrived in town last night. He will
leave for the coast on the next train.
Building operations around McCar
thy continue. George Rust is having
an addition put on his pool hall. Tim
Eckstrom's new cottage is completed.
C. F. M. Cole has finished a two room
addition to his house and half dozen
more buildings are to be erected.
J. H. Murray, attorney and placer
miner, arrived from Valdez yesterday.
He will return to his Young Creek
property for the winter.
The fourteen hundred dollars appro
priated for use on the McCarthy
Nlzina trail is being spent under the
direction of Gust Johnson, of the Road
Commissicn.
McCarthy is the livest town in
Alaska.
-:o:
Mr. and Mrs. Geo. Max Esterly re
turned to Seattle for the winter on the
Northwestern.
ROUTE SURVEYED FROM
FAIRBANKS TO BROAD PASS
Engineers F. H. Bailey, R. J. Wier,
iG. B. Richardson, S. Thurman. J.
Frank Waller, I. W. Potter, S. F.
Gill and Geo. W. Colwell, of the Alas
ka Engineering Commission, arrived in
town on Sunday’s train and registered
at the Alaskan hotel. They left this
afternoon for Seward.
The party spent the past four
months in locating the proposed rail
road route from Fairbanks t owithin 20
miles of Broad Pass, covering about
170 miles in all. Chief Bailey states
that there is not more than a one per
cent grade on this route, and he and
his men are now on their way to Sew
ward to do the office work of their
survey.
VS PLAN
TO END WAR
IN EUROPE
George Max Esterly has an ingen
ious plan for routing the enemy from
the trenches in the European war. He
says that water is more effective than
powder and having had considerable
experience in mining knows whereof
he speaks. According to his idea the
expense would be comparatively
small in comparison with the vast
sums of money that are being shot
away by the artillery and the results
would be more effective.
Mr. Esterly says that, on his min
ing claims in the Nizina district that
under an eighty pound working press
ure he can throw a six inch stream of
water two hunderd feet. He believes
that if giants were placed in the tren
ches, say 500 feet apart, or ten to the
mile, that with ten inch nozzles, under
200 pound pressure, enough water
could be sent into the camp of the ene
my with sufficient force to not. only
flood and bury the troops, but also to
clear the ground and put it back into
condition for agricultural purposes.
If lakes are available a hydro- electric
plant could be installed, but if not the
power could be transmitted from any |
distance necessary. These plants,
Mr. Esterly argues, would be useful
even after the war ends, whereas all
the powder and shells now used are a
total monetary loss.
Of course it remained for an Alas
kan to devise some new, effective ane
inexpensive kind of warfare for the
Europeans to adopt in case they want
to end the present war in a hurry.
NEW DISTRICT
CREATED IT
TOLOVANA
FAIRBANKS, Oct. 15—When the
district court opened at ten this morn
ing, Judge Charles E. Bunnell read an
order creating a new Commissioner’s
precinct and recording district at Tol
ovanana, the scene of the latest placer
strike in the Fairbanks country. The
precinct was called the Tolovana
Precinct, although there was some de
sire to have it named Brooks, the same
as the postoffice newly established
there, in honor of Dr. Alfred Brooks
of the Geological Survey. Howard
Johnson Atwell was appointed the
first commissioner for the new pre
cinct.
CABLE INSTRUMENTS FOR
WHITSHED WIRELESS STATION
There was shipped on the wrecked
steamer Mariposa a set of cable instru
ments for installation at the Whitshed
wireless station, and the probabilities
are that they have been lost. It is
the intention to place a cable set at
the radio station, so that when a break
occurs in the cable Seward and Val
dez can send their messages direct to
the wireless station, and save the time
of a relay at the Cordova office.
RADIO MEN BADLY BURNED
An explosion at the Navy wireless station at Whitshed,
at 7 o’clock last night, resulted in five men being burned and
$8,000 loss to the building and instruments. Those injured
were:
Dave Barry, a civilian member of the working party from
the collier Prometheus, was so badly burned about the face,
hands and legs that his condition is critical.
A. J. Holton, gunner of the U. S. Navy, severely burned
about the face and anus.
M. S. Scliajkowski, machinist of the radio force, burned
about the hands and face.
George O’Hara, of the local station, burned about the face.
John Gillis, in charge of the station, hands burned.
Messrs. Gillis, Barry and O’Hara were adjusting and test
ing the new instruments recently installed in the arc room, in
cluding a 30 kilowat set, when the alcohol supply was ignited,
by a back-fire, and a terriffic explosion occurred, blowing out
the end of the tank, which contained twenty-five gallons of
alocliol, and' penetrating the operating rooms.
The arc room was a mass of flames and its occupants es
caped with their lives by jumping through a window to the uot
sirle of the building. Mr. Barry, however, got the full force
of the explosion in the face and when he made his exit he re
sembled a ball of fire. Mr. O’Hara escaped’ with slight burns
on the face and hands. Mr. Gillis had his back turned at the
time and was fortunate enough not to sustain any serious
burns, but the flames singed the back of his head.
Messrs. Holton and Scliajkowski were in an adjoining
room, at a switch board when the explosion occurred, and i s
force blew out the glass partition and these men were envelop* 1
in the flames.
The interior of the entire building, which is 40x60 feet, was
soon afire and for a time it looked as though nothing eouhl
prevent the destruction of the entire plant. The fire appara
tus was quickly brought into play aud the flames confined to
the new addition of the plant, and preventing its spread to the
main building and power house. Considerable credit is due
Messrs. I pchurch, O’Hara, Fielder and Esposito for saving
the main building who did heroic work in preventing the Hames
from spreading.
The burns of the injured men were immediately dressed
by Mrs. Gillis with olive oil and telephone call sent to Cordova
for a physician and nurse. In the meantime the crew at the
station used about fifty gallons of engine oil.in the attempt to
relive the sufferings of those who were burned. There was
no available boat in the local harbor, last night, to make the
trip to the wireless station and word was dispatched to the
power plant and the launch “Bill Bailey” brought to the ocean
dock. Dr. \V. W . Council and Mrs. Keating, a nurse, were
taken aboard and Geo. Dooley piloted them into the wireless
station. The tide was ext remedy low and slow headway was
made, but the party finally reached Whitshed and everything
possible was done to make* tin* unfortunate men comfortable.
This morning Barry, Holton and Sehajkowski were brought to
town and taken to the railroad company hospital, where they
are receiving the best of care. M hen the injured men reached
the local dock the section hands had mattresses in readiness for
them and they were tenderly lifted into an auto truck and con
veyed to the railroad station. Hero a hand-car was used to
take them directly to the hospital.
While it is impossible to tell the exact damage to the in
| struments and machinery it is estimated that the loss will
amount to $8,000. The force started’ in this morning to get the
naval station in commission again and wireless messages are
being received this afternoon.
VALDEZ FIGHTING STEAMSHIPS
VALDEZ, Oct. 15—The various transportation companies
and dock companies operating at this place have been served
with notice to the effect that on and after the twenty-fifth of
October the famous Valdez Dock Ordinance will be enforced
by the town officials. The notice is signed by Willard Scott,
who subscribes himself as “Harbor Master,” and bears date the
eight of October.
Under the “Dock Ordinance,” the town of Valdez extends
its harbor limits a distance of one thousand feet beyond navi
gable water for ocean going steamers. The ordinance pro
vides for a harbor master, who is given wholesale powers to
regulate and restrain the manner in which steamers and docks
shall be operated in the new harbor limits. Under section 3
of the ordinance, all steamships or other vessels are forbidden
under criminal penalities to dock at any other wharf than the
one owned by tin* City of Valdez, and under section 4, no private
corporation or person can collect any wharfage charges foi
handling freight. A monopoly in this respect is attempted t<
be created in the City, and' rates are fixed for wharfage at the
City Dock.
The transportation companies will undoubtedly take steps
to prevent the attempted enforcement of the ordinance. A
great deal of comment has been stirred up by this remarkabh
piece of municipal legislation, and tin- attempted ordinance has
brought the Town Council of Valdez into derision and ridicule
not only throughout Alaska, but up and down the Pacific Coast
There have not been wanting rumors to the effect that, if en
forcemeat of the ordinance were attempted, the steamship lines
would withdraw from Valdez altogether, but whether this
rumor has any substantial basis is not known.
LAUNCH & PASSENGERS MISSING
FAIRBANKS, Oct. 15—Grave fears are felt here and at
Iditarod over the safety of a party which left Iditarod on the
launch Tramp hound for St. Michael. The launch carried a
score of passengers, who were on their way outside, including
several women, and one invalid, who was being taken to the
States for expert medical treatment.
The launch left Iditarod on October 6, and has never been
reported since. From what news can be received here it is
believOd that the mouth of the Yukon is frozen, and the launch
did not carry sufficient supplies to provide a delay. The im
pression is growing that the entire party perished, and' the
i military authorities at Fort Gibbon have been appealed to for
I aid, and requested to send out a searching party with relief
supplies.
The members of the Signal Corps stationed at Nulato have
received orders to look out for the party, and to make whatever
search it was possible. The stations at the mouth of the river
have been closed and the men withdrawn owing to the close of
navigation. The government has no means of sending out a
searching party, and the possibilities are that the entire party
has frozen to death.
$1,000,000 WORTH ORE PILED UP
Copper ore from the Bonanza and Jumbo mines at Kenne
cott is piling up in Cordova so rapidly that the care of it is
becoming a serious problem, on account of the lack of carrying
freighters to transport it to the Tacoma smelter.
There is at the present time thirty-four cars of this high
grade ore on the ocean dock and twenty-nine cars of high ore
and fourteen cars of slime stacked in the railroad yard. On
tomorrow’s train thre will be- sixteen more care of glance
brought here.
Today’s market quotations show that copper has advanced
to 18V-> cents per pound, with a steadily increasing demand for
this metal, and Cordova enjoys the distinction of being the
leading copper export port of the world'. The average person
cannot fully appreciate the value of the ore shipped from here,
unless they make a careful examination into the facts.
The seventy-nine cars of copper glance, awaiting ship
ment, represents 3,500 tons, which runs seventy per cent cop
per. This makes 2,4881/L> tons of pure copper and at a selling
price of 18% cents per pound is worth $940,745. The fourteen
cars of slime are worth $40 a ton and the supply stored here has
a value of $28,000. This makes $908,745 worth of copper ore
sacked and piled in Cordova ready for shipment to the smelter.
TO PLACE EMBARGO
MEXICAN ARMS
WASHINGTON, Oct. 16—Negotiations for the recogni
tion of the Carranza government in Mexico are proceeding fav
orably, and the note addressed to all the North and South
American nations on the matter, by the State Department, is
being replied to, and so far all the replies received, have agreed
with the Washington government.
All the nations which participated in the original Pan
American conference on the matter have agreed to adopt the
attitude recommended by the president and his advisers, name
ly that of recognition of Carranza. Secretary of State Lans
ing has called a meeting of the Latin-American diplomats for
ngx^Mottda^^oroplet^h^etaU^mjygatte^^^raft
the form of the official decree of recognition.
Argentina, Bolivia, Uruguay, Guatemala, Brazil and Chile,
who attended the first Pan-American conference are in accord
with the United States. The recognition of Carranza will prob
abll bf accomplished by the delivery of a note to Carranza
through bis representative in Washington. When this is done,
the United States will place an embargo on the exportation of
arms to the opposing factions in Mexico, which will go in effect
imm .-diately. An ambassador will be sent from the United
Sta ,es to Mexico City soon.
-;n :
Germans Repulsed French East Auberive.
BERLIN, Oct. 16—The war office issued an official bulletin
today stating that the attempt of the French to capture the
German position east of Auberive had been repulsed' and heavy
lossess inflicted upon the enemy. Over five hundred prisoners
were taken and three machine guns. The only other activity
on the western front was a French attack near Souain, Lemes
ni^n^Leint]w^^wtf^^^^U^^jts_
i purpose.
__
2,000100 FEET
LUMBER LOST
AT SEA
The tug Pioneer, towing the barge
Washington, from Port Blakely,
Wash., to Cordova, ran into a south
east gale thirteen miles north east by
east of Cape St. Elias yesterday morn
ing. The storm became so severe
that at 10 o’clock the men were taken
off the barge and at 3:30 in the after
noon the tug cut loose from the barge,
and the latter was cast adrift.
The Pioneer was in command of
('apt. Deaton, who felt that in order
to save the lives of the crew It was
necessary to nbadnon the barge, which
was loaded with a million feet of lum
ber for the Copper River & North
western railway. This lumber was
to be used for snow-sheds, bridges and
houses, and its non-arrival will delay
some of the work planned by the com
pany. The loss is estimated at from
$120,000 to $130,000.
VERDICT GIVEN
RICO.
Judge Brown has rendered a decis
ion reversing and dismissing the case
of W. W. Harvey & Company vs.
Copper River & Northwestern Railway
Company, appealed by the Railway
Co. from the Justice Court at Mc
Carthy. The plaintiff sued the de
fendant for damages in the sum of
$846, claiming that the Railway Com
pany erroneously quoted a rate from
Seattle to McCarthy at a much lower
figure than the tariff rate. Relying
on the question, Harvey & Company
bought a much larger supply of perish
able commodities than was required,
and in consequence lost a considera
ble quantity of the goods by freezing
and rotting. A jury at McCarthy
gave the plaintiff $400 damages, from
which the company appealed.
The case arises under the Inter
state Commerce Act of Congress, un
der which Act, so Judge Brown holds,
the railway company was bound in
law to collect the full tariff rate, irre
spective of any quoted rate. In short,
the law itself fixes the rate, and both
Harvey & Company and the railway
company were charged with notice of
the tariff rate. This is the -law as
repeatedly laid down by the Suprme
Court, so Judge Brown points out in
his decision.
:o:
KATALLA, Oc. 16—A very pretty
wedding was soleminized here on Mon
day afternoon at 3 o'clock, when Miss
Lizzie Cahl became the wife of Hugh
llosick. The ceremony was perform
ed at Peterson’s hall, in the presence
of a large number of friends. Imme
diately after the nuptial knot had been
tied a wedding supper was Berved, fol
lowed by a dance, the hall being artis
tically decorated for the occasion.
-:o:
I BURNED WIRELESS MEN
ARE ALL DOING WELL
Dr. Council reports that the three
men who were seriously burned in the
explosion at the Whitshed wireless
station, Friday night, are all doing
nicely at the hospital. David Barry,
whose condition was 4t first thought
to be critical is resting easy and hopes
are now entertained for his recovery.
A. J. Holton and M. Schajkowski are
i rapidly improving from their burns.
-:o:—
Nifty lob printing at the Times,
.