THIRD YEAR. CHITINA. ALASKA, TUESDAY, MARCH 25, 1913. NUMBER 23.
OF GENERAL INFORMATION
...
CHICAGO, March 24—Another sensation was sprung late
Saturday afternoon in the trial of the defendants in the Mat
anuska coal cases. This time the name of former Secretary of
the Interior R. A. Ballinger was involved. W. A. Wandtke,
a bookkeeper, testified that since the books of Albert C. Frost,
former President of the Alaska Central railroad, were turned
over to the Receiver of the road, certain prominent names, in
cluding that of Mr. Ballinger were in evidence as having had
some dealings in connection with the coal cases. .Judge Landis
immediately ordered the baliffs to bring into court every book
of writing to be found in the office of Mr. Frost.
SEATTLE, March 24—When shown the testimony of
Mr. Wandtke with reference to Mr. Ballinger, that gentleman
made this emphatic statement: “Neither I, personally, nor
the firm of which I was then a member, had anything to do
whatsoever with the Frost claims.”
VICTORIA, March 24—The 320-ton steam whaler Karluck
arrived here yesterday from San Francisoo and will likely go on
to Vancouver. This boat was purchased by Villijalmar Stef
ansson, discoverer of the blond Eskimos, for a second expedi
tion to the far north, to start in the course of three or four
weeks. In the meantime Stefansson is expected to arrive at
Vancouver from the east and to get his supplies and everything
■ready.
The definite objective of the expedition will be the unex
plored portion of the Arctic circle, north of Banks land.
Nearly a score of scientists will accompany Stefansson, and the1
vessel will be equipped for a three years’ voyage. The data
which will be compiled will be given to the museum of natural
history of New York and the American Geographical Society.
The Karluk will proceed first to the Bay of Mercy, North
west Banks laud, and will steam thence to the boundary of
Prince Patrick island. No white man ever has gone beyond
latitude 75 north in this region. The McClure expedition
reached Mercy bay in 1851 while looking for the Northwest
passage, but the vessel was abandoned and the party returned
overland. Stefansson hopes to discover a large quantity of
liquor left by the McClure ship, Investigator.
The discoverer was told of the land which he hopes to dis
cover by the blonde Eskimos, at Comation gulf. Prince Albert
Land. He will search for several islands said to have been
inhabited by a strange race of natives.
The Karluk is a staunch little ship, provided with ample
sheathing, and is said to be fully as seaworthy in the icefields
as Capt. Roald Amundsen’s Fram.
CHICAGO, March 21—More damaging testimony has been
received against the defendants in the Matanuska coal cases.
Yesterday afternoon H. H. Hildreth, of Seward, and formerly
United States Commissioner at that place, gave testimony that
put defendants Albert C. Frost and Frank Watson in bad light.
He was administrator for an estate and sold several claims to
Mr. Frost, who was then President of the Alaska Central rail
road. It was understood that Frost was purchasing for others
and that he was backed by immense wealth. He states that
Frank W atson told him to ask $25,000 for the claims, with the
understanding that when he received the money he was to di
vide with WTatson, Frost and O. G.Labaree, who was Receiver
for the railroad. He alleges that lie kept one-fourth of the
money and gave the balance to Watson. To an inquiry as to
why he had resigned from the office of Commissioner the
“Judge” stated that after receiving a telegraphic request to do
so from Delegate Wickersham he at once complied.
WASHINGTON, March 19—For two hours yesterday even
ing the Cabinet was closeted with President Wilson, in the
effort to determine the attitude of this government toward the
Chineses six power loan. Afterwards President Wilson issued
a statement that had the approval of the cabinet. He an
nounced that the administration declined to request a group of
American bankers to continue their negotiations for participa
tion in the Chinese loan. He declares that the effect of the
proposition touches too closely the question of the independance
of that republic with bankers Morgan, Kuhn and Loeb, and the
National City and First National banks.
WASHINGTON, March 21—It is officially announced that
the various conferences had between Democratic leaders and
President Wilson has decided upon the appointment of officials
to two important foreign posts. Prof Charles W. Eliot, presi
dent of Harvard University, has been selected as Ambassador
to Great Britian.even though he was 79 years of age yesterday.
George W. Guthrie, of Pittsburg, has been tendered the Ambas
sadorship to Mexico. He is a leading lawyer of western Penn
sylvania and was associate counsel for the Tilden electors be
fore the Florida returning board in 1876. He was mayor of
Pittsburg from 1906-9, and at present is the Democratic State
Chairman of Pennsylvania. He was born in Sept. 1848. From
From various conferences had between Democratic leaders and
the President it is almost certain that in addition to the tariff
the question of currency reform will be taken up at the special
session of Congress. There is still more or less uncertainty as
to whether the Alaska railroad problem will be considered.
ATHENS, March 19—This afternoon the elevation to the
throne of Prince Constantine was declared by the Council and
Ministry.
TORNADO K1LS HUNDREDS AT OMAHA
Denver, March 24—A long distance telephone from a town near Oma a indicates that a
fatal catastrophe swept over that city on Sunday afternoon, i Two fierce tt aadoes struck the
city, and disastrous results followed. Between one and two hundred people were killed, while
the injured will run into the hundreds. Fire broke out and over forty blocks have either been
burned or wrecked, causing a loss of many millions of dollars. Troops have been ordered out
and martial law declared. Telegraph and telepnone wires are down, and it is difficult to get
detailed information, but enough is known to indicate that Omaha has had a serious blow.
I
OflAHA, flarch 25—The reports published yesterday of the disastrous tornado were
not overdrawn. A large part of this city is a total wreck. Over 200 persons were killed
here and ii\the near-by towns. It is known that at ledst 140 are dead in Omaha, with
several hundred injured. 2,000 people are homeless. All the hospitals were out of the
zone and escaped. They are now filled with unfortunates, and so are the hospitals across
the river at Council Bluffs. The damage is estimated dt $10,000,000. The cyclone cut
through six blocks wide, and destroyed almost everying in its wake. Federal troops and
three outside companies of malitia have arrived and are assisting the local malitia in main
taining order. Telegrams are being received from cities all over the country, tendering
aid. A wire was received from President Wilson by M* yor Dahlman inquiring, “Can we
help in any way?’’ Several Governors have sent simi ar messages.
CHICAGO, March 25—A dispatch received from C< ffeyville, on the Burlington road,
states that fifteen hundred buildings were destroyed in Otnaha by Sunday’s tornado.
Cordova, March t
Lieut. Prosser is over from Valdez
making his regular inspection of the
cable and wirless lines in this neigh
borhood. The chain of Alaskan
cable and wireless lines in this neigh
junction wth the island Army sta
tions, of great importance commer
cially, as an alternative means of
communication in case of breakdown
of the cable or land telegraph lines.
A. U. S. naval radio expedition was
in this part of Alaska last Fall mod
ernizing and improving the older
stations and erecting a new station
or. the Island of Unalga. At White
shed station, Cordova the following
conditions exist:
Equipment and Wave Lengths—
10-k. w. quenched-spark, high-fre
quency set. Wave lengths. 300, 600,
1 000, and 1,500 to 3,300 meters.
Uses 1,500 meters and above for long
distance communication; 1,800 for
long distance with ships, and will
listen in on that tune for 15 minutes
following 11 p. m. and midnight;
300, 600, and 1,000 for local work
with ships and nearby stations.
Auxiliary Equipment—Storage-bat
tery set, at times, for communication
within radius of 50 miles.
Schedules — Handles commercial
business. Constant watch. Long
distance work usually from midnight
to 1 a. m., station time.
Communications — Communicates
at night with San Francisco, San Die
go, Mare Island, Eureka, North Head,
Tatoosh. Alaska cannery stations, Un
alga, Dutch Harbor, Pribilof, and
Honolulu.
Day and night with Sitka and Ko
diak and probably later on with
North Head and Unalga.
Also communicates with local ship
ping, with steamers on Seattle-Cor
dova-Valdez-Seward route on Nome
*
Seattle route, and those crossing the
North Pacific.
Schringer's Restaurant will £e
open for business tomorrow, Wednes
day morning.
SEATTLE, March 20—It is expect
ed that this year the tourist travel to
Alaska will exceed that of last year
hv fully 80 per cent. Transportation
companies operating between Seattle
and Alaskan points are making prep
arations to handle an immense vol
ume of passenger business.
“We have sold a large number of
tickets to tourists, who expect to visit
Alaska this summer, and reservations
for accommodations are coming in
every day,” said Robert W. Baxter,
vice president of the Alaska Steam
ship Company and president of the
Copper River & Northwestern Rail
road.
‘ The advance is the heaviest ever
experienced by our company. I un
derstand that one party of more than
200 tourists from eastern points Is
arranging to visit Alaska this year
and will leave for the North from
Seattle. The business last year was
exceptionally good, but this season
promises to be a record one from the
standpoint of tourist travel.
: "People of the East are just begin
ning to appreciate the beauties of the
northern territory. With the large
crowd from the Middle West and
western parts of the country added to
the easterners who will make the
trip, a record number of tourists
shoud visit Seattle and on to Alaska.
I
WASHINGTON, March 24—For
several weeks past the vice commis
sion of the Illinois state Senate has
been holding hearings in the city of
Chicago, with a view to learning
whether wages to females have any
tearing upon social evil conditions.
It is said that the facts brought forth
have been quite alarming and indicate
that the shop girls are so poorly paid
that thousands of them who are re
quired to support themselves are in
duced to resort to immoral means to
sustain themselves. The members
of this commission arrived in Wash
ington Saturday and will endeavor to
induce the President and members of
Congress to authorize a nation.wide
investigation of the matter.
Everybody in this section of Alas
ka will remember Capt. Ferguson,
the first U. S. Commissioner at Chiti
na. In fact he is well known all over
Alaska and in the early days was
Commissioner at Council City. He
is now in Seattle, master of the brig
antine Geneva, which is being made
ready for a voyage to Sydney, Aus
trailia, with lumber cargo. She has
been purchased by the California
South Sea Navigation Cotnpany, and
after her return from Sydney, will go
in regular service as a lumber carrier
between Seattle and other North
»
Pacific ports Tahaiti.
Capt. Ferguson, however, as head
of a company financed by himself and
a number of San Francisco men, is
planning to start a cocoauut farm
and enter the copra indust. v, on an
uninhabited island in the South Seas,
where he was shipwrecked many
years ago.
“We are going to take over a small
island located near the equator,” said
Capt. Ferguson, in a recent inter
view. “The formality is much the
same as the staking of a mining
claim, and we expect to receive our
papers from the land office at Tahaiti
in a few weeks. We have staked our
claim, as it were, and if no one has
entered for the island we will come
into possession of it immediately.
The island is near the equator, and
the soil quite rich. We will plant it
in cocoanut trees asd market the co
pra in Europe. It will take the trees
about six years to bear.”
"As we have not received the pa
pers which will make us the owners
of the island, I am not at liberty to
make known the name or its exact
location. However, it is quite a
small island w'ith about ten miles of
shore line. As far as we can learn, it
has no inhabitants, and we will have
to provide all our own laborers, ship
ping them to the South Seas from
San Francisco,” said Capt. Ferguson.
YUTAN, N. B.. March 25—A dis
astrous tornado struck this town and
killed twelve people.
1 WASHINGTON, March 19—This afternoon the friends of
Alaska held a conference with Secretary of the Interior Lane.
He appeared very much interested in all they had to say, and
asked many questions. A number of Senators and Representa
tives were present. At the conclusion of the conference his
auditors were very much gratified to hear Secretary Lane thus
express himself: “I will favor the consideration of the con
struction of government railroads in Alaska at the special
session of Congress, provided it does not imperil the tariff or
currency legislation. ’ ’
WASHINGTON, March 1!)—Quite a number of Alaskans are
in the city and many of them are either office seekers or the sup
porters of men who aspire to positions. At present there is
more talk of the Governorship than of any other office, as it is
believed that an appointment will soon be made. Four names
have been prominently urged, but Charles Sulzer and Falcon
Joslin are not pushing their claims and have let it be known
that they are not seeking office. Two others, however, are pull
ing every string possible. Thomas Riggs, Jr., who has been in
charge of boundary survey parties for several years past, has
a number of influential friends who ire urging his appointment.
Among his supporters are seve. prominent Senators and
Representatives, and they have b iglit much pressure to bear
on Secretary Lane, who is said 1 ,<■ very favorably impressed
both with Mr. Riggs qualificatic nd endorsements. On the
other hand Major J. F. A. Strong s the National Committee
man from Alaska and many Njertlu . ners with him. It is gen
erally accepted here that either Mr. Riggs or Major Strong
will receive the appointment. Both are on the ground and are
pressing their claims with much vigor.
Other candidates from the North are also bringing pressure
to bear to secure preferment. Two actual vacancies now exist
in Alaska. One is the Marshalship in the fourth division and
the: other is the office of surveyor-general. Marshal Harry K.
Love was renominated by Taft and William L. Distin, surveyor
general, also had his name sent to the Senate, but both failed
of confirmation. There are prospective vacancies in judgeships
in the Juneau and Valdez judicial divisions of Alaska, as Judge
Lyons’ term expires in May and Judge Overfield’s in June.
SOLONIKI, March 19—When King George I was assassi
nated late yesterday afternoon he was walking on the street.
He was shot by Aleko Schinas, a Greek of low type. lie was
immediately placed under arrest, and stated that he was against
all governments. The King was taken to the hospital but died
on the way there. Crown Prince Constantine, who succeeds to
the throne, is the present Janina Greek Governor. He was born
1868, and married in 1889 the Princess Sophia, sister of the
present German Emperor. A proclamation has been issued an
nouncing that Constantine had taken the oath of fealty.
Trains on the railroad are again running with a regularity
that makes one forget that there ever was a tie-up.