FOURTH YEAR.
CHITINA, ALASKA, TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 1914
NUMBER 13
Late Telegraph News
MEXICO CITY, Jan. 8.—“Hell will hold both President
Wilson and myself before I resign,” was the answer of Presi
dent Huerta to an American who called upon him at his palace
recently. The American remarked that he had been informed
that Huerta was soon to resign and had selected his successor.
He wanted to know when the change was going to take place.
The answer left no room for doubt as. to the feeling of the
Mexican president for President Wilson or his intention of
keeping control of the destinies of the country until driven out
by the constitutionalists.
PRESIDIO, Texas, Jan. 8.—The constitutionalist army
under General Ortega, has been reinforced by General Herrara
with 2,000 men and the attack against the garrison at Ojinaga
has been renewed. The garrison is being attacked from every
quarter and it is believed that it must soon capitulate. It is
believed that the remnant of the federal army will seek safety
in flight to this state.
PRESIDIO, Texas, Jan. 8.—General Jose Mancliilla, one
of the prominent commanders of the federal forces at Ojinaga
has deserted with his son, who was a captain in the garrison
army. They crossed the border last night and surrendered
themselves to the United States soldiers. They believe the
garrison must fall and that the rebels will massacre the
defenders to a man if the officers do not withdraw their men
from the garrison and seek safety in Texas.
WASHINGTON, D. C., Jan. 8.—Secretary Daniels has
announced that the battleships Florida, Utah and Delaware
will sail for Mexican stations shortly to relieve the Rhode
Island, Nebraska and New Jersey. He states there is no
special significance attached to the movement of the battleships
except that they will be kept on their present duty until the
Mexican situation is settled.
JUAREZ, Jan. 8.—General Villa, tlie leader of the consti
tutionalists, appears to be making headway in the establish
ment of his state banks. Currency has been printed and the
soldiers are being paid their wages with the constitutionalist
money. Other banks which have continued in business are
being forced to accept the money and should the Huerta
government succeed in maintaining supremacy every bank in
the northern states will be bankrupt.
PRESIDIO, Texas, Jan. 9.—General Villa, commander
in chief of the constitutionalist army, arrived at Ojinaga this
afternoon to take personal command of the siege. He brought
reinforcements numbering more than 2,000 men.
PRESIDIO, Texas., Jan. 9.—Deserters from the federal
troops are arriving in greater numbers as the battle continues
to wage at Ojinaga. Several hundred refugees crossed the
river into Texas last night and surrendei’ed their arms to the
i United States soldiers at the border. The refugees report that
the garrison is running short of provisions and that famine
will add to the horrors of the continuous battle.
WASHINGTON, D. C., Jan. 9.—It is announced that the
American marines and guards along the Mexican coasts are
to be doubled. Reports have reached the state department
which indicate that serious engagements will take place in the
ilear future between the federals and constitutionalists. It is
recognized that the results of the coming battles will settle
the control of the northern Mexican states.
The constitutionalists at Tampico have been reinforced
and daily engagements are reported between skirmishing
parties. The rebels command the situation and are preventing
intercourse between the garrisoned town and the outside
world. It is believed that with the fall of Ojinaga the rebel
army will receive sufficient reinforcements to capture Tampico.
VERA CRUZ. Jan. 9.—John Lind, representative of
President Wilson, in Mexico has returned from his conference
jwith the president at Pass Christian. He will go to Mexico
'City.
PRESIDIO, Texas, Jan. 12.—The garrison at O.jinaga has
been evacuated by the Mexican federal forces and is now
occupied by the constitutionalist army under General Villa.
After almost continuous fighting for two weeks, during
which hundreds of men were killed and wounded, the federal
. generals decided they could not withstand the attack of the
rebels under General Villa, and evacuated the fort after a few
hours engagement with Villa’s forces. Nine federal genrals,
headed by General Mercado and General Castro, together with
'‘ the remnants of their armies, crossed the river yesterday and
' surrendered themselves to Major McNamee of the American
y§my.
if The federals were forced to abandon all their heavy artil
lery, ammunition and supplies. As they marched out of the
town, General Villa at the head of his triumphant army entered
the garrison. Many wounded federal soldiers were left behind
jwhen the garrison was evacuated and it is believed they will be
/Weated as prisoners of war and shot if they are not sacrificed
to the hatred of the rebel soldiers.
TOKIO, Japan, Jan; 13.—The government is making all
possible effort to afford relief to the stricken city of Kog
shima, located on Kogshima Bay, the southermost bay of
Japan. The city is reported to have been covered with ashes
and rock thrown up by a volcano which has again become
active after more than a century. Vessels are hurrying from
every port in an effort to take off the residents.
Ashes are reported to have fallen to a depth of several
feet and buildings which were not crushed by falling stones
are in danger of collapsing from the weight of ashes. The
water supply of the city has been poisoned by the ashes and
it is feared that the loss of life will be appalling. Even- vessel
along the coast is hurrying to the rescue despite the fact that
the rain of ashes and stone still continues.
SHANGHAI, China, Jan. 13.—Every vessel along the
coast which could be reached by wireless has been sent to the
rescue of the stricken city of Kogshima. The fall of ashes is
being reported from a wide area. The news of the disaster
was received here bv a vessel which was passing the island
when the earthquake occurred.
MIYASAKI, Japan, Jan. 14.—Refugees ai*e beginning to
arrive here from Sakura and report that hundreds are dead
there from the fall of ashes and stone from the volcano
eruption. Three hundred houses in Seto were destroyed by the
earthquake and the ruins covered to a depth of several feet
by ashes.
TOKIO, Jan. 14.—[fundreds of people were drowned when
they attempted to swim across the gulf of Kogshima to escape
from the falling rocks. They feared that the city would be
totally destroyed and took to the water in every conceivable
kind of craft. Hundreds plunged into the gulf but perished
before reaching shore. The gulf is several miles wide.
TOKIO, Jan. 14.—Battleships have arrived at Kogshima
and have landed troops to help care for the stricken residents
of that city. Thousands of persons have been killed by the
falling stones and ashes thrown up by the volcano. The city
has a population of 60,000 and in many sections the buildings
are almost completely covered with ashes.
The weight of ashes has caused many buildings to collapse
and hundreds are buried in the ruins. Troops are in command
of affairs and are compelling the citizens to dig passages to
the buildings where persons are known to be confined. The
water supply of the city is confined to condensors on the
battleships. The residents are being sent to other places as
fast as possible as the danger of another eruption of stones is
feared.
The volcano appears to have found a new crater as ashes
are falling heavily on the cities of Miyazaki and Kumamoto
3 he fall of ashes is so dense that even at noon it is scarcely
light enough to distinguish objects. The citizens are terrified
and are fleeing from their homes to the beach in the hopes of
being taken off the island. Vessels with supplies are being
sent to all the threatened cities.
SHANGHAI, China, Jan. 14.—British battleships have
been offered to the Japanese government to assist in rescuing
the citizens of the cities of Kogshima, Miyazaki and Kuma
moto who are threatened with death on account of the falling
ashes and stones from the volcanos.
TACOMA, Jan. 8—A pitched battle took place last night
between the striking employes of the smelter and the deputies.
More than 200 shots were fired and when the strikers withdrew
Andrew Arouke was left dead on the scene. Pie had been
instantly killed by one of the bullets from the deputies rifles.
It is believed that several of the strikers were wounded but
were helped from the scene of the battle by their companions.
Great excitement prevailed in the city wdiile the battle
was in progress and many doctors were rushed to the scene to
care for the wounded. The deputies suffered little from the
effect ot the fire of the strikers but two are in the hospital
suffering from slight wounds. Governor Lister has been
requested to send the state troops to patrol the roads leading
to the smelter as further trouble is feared.
The trouble started when the deputies attempted to dis
arm strikers who were picketing the smelter The men refused
to give up their arms and defied the deputies to take them. The
sheriff ordered his deputies to shoot to kill and they opened
fire on the strikers, who scattered in every direction when they
heard the officer’s orders.
The strikers who are mostly foreigners, are sullen and
declare that the deputies wantonly fired on them. A meeting
of the strike leaders has been called for this afternoon when
some action will be taken to secure an investigation of the
shooting. The officials of the company state that they have
secured all the men required to fill the places of the strikers
and that operations will be resumed. Trouble is feared as the
strikers are prepared for any action to prevent the smelter
resuming with non-union workers.
JAGERSFONTAINE, So. Africa, Jan. 10.—Seven native
laborers who have been employed in the diamond mines were
killed and 36 others wounded in the course of an attack made
on the city today. The strikers, numbering thousands charged
the police and militia but were beaten back. The mayor has
wired the governor for reinforcements as the strikers are well
armed and are preparing to capture the city. The buildings
at the mines have.been destroyed and the prisoners released.
IU
WASHINGTON, D. C., Jan. 13.—Congress resumed busi
ness yesterday with many members missing from both houses.
The first order of business was a resumption of the debate on
the Alaska railroad bill. Senator Chamberlain, of Oregon,
is in charge of the bill. In his opening debate he presented a
mass of statistics concerning the resources of Alaska. He
declared it was necessary for the government to build the
railroads. The railroads now in operation in Alaska were of
little benefit to the people of the territory as they had been
constructed to serve private interests and that these interests
sometimes conflicted with the best interests of the citizens
who were trying to develop the territory.
Senator Chamberlain has carefully prepared his statistics,
having secured the figures from the different departments. He
showed that it would be good business for the government to
construct the railroads as the development of the territory
would soon return the money expended in revenues.
WASHINGTON, D. C., Jan. 13.—Alaska is the only topic
under discussion here since congress has again taken up busi
ness. The railroad bill was taken up in the house yesterday
afternoon but was not extensively discussed owing to the
absence of many of the members from the western states who
have the bill in charge. It is before the house today and
tomorrow will be given over entirely to debating its merits.
Friends of the measure are trying to have the bill come to a
vote Wednesday. The senate has been almost constantly
employed on Alaskan matters, since yesterday morning.
Senator Smoot, of Utah, has introduced a bill providing for
the opening of the coal fields of the territory on a leasing
system.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 13.—Senator Smoot has introduced
a bill having as its object the opening of the coal fields of
Alaska, by a leasing system. The bill limits leases to Alaska
coal lands to any person or corporation to not more than
3,200 acres with a minimum royalty of 5 per cent of the coal
mined.
WASHINGTON, I). C., Jan. 12.—Seth Mann, who accom
panied the Seattle Chamber of Commerce through Alaska as
the personal representative of President Wilson, has proven
that he is a friend of the territory. His report urges the imme
diate opening of the country by providing cheaper transporta
tion. He believes the-government should construct and operate
the railroads. Wagon roads and trails should also be con
structed to the more distant camps in order that they might
become feeders of the trunk lines.
The opening of the coal fields is second only in importance
to the construction of the railroads and wagon roads. The
opening of the coal fields will furnish tonnage for the railroads
and afford cheaper operation of the trunk lines to the interior.
Mining and other private enterprises would also be greatly
stimulated by securing cheaper fuel.
Mr. Mann’s report says: “I believe two railroads should
be built from the coast to interior Alaska. One should go from
the coast to the Yukon river via Tanana valley and the other
from the coast in a northwesterly direction to tap the
Kuskokwim country. Both of the trunk lines would pass
through and tap large sections of mineralized territory and
would open the valleys to agriculture and stockraising.”
WASHINGTON, D. C., Jan. 14.—Senator Pittman has
introduced a bill providing for surveying and opening the ooal
fields of Alaska under direction of the department of interior
The bill provides for surveying the coal lands into quarter
section tracts which could be leased to individuals for a term
of 20 years. Corporations may secure an area up to 2,560 acres
tor the same term. The royalty to the government to be based
on the gross value of the coal after the expenses of mining and
transportation to the market at tidewater has been deducted.
WASHINGTON, D. C., Jan. 14.—Senator Chamberlain
asserted this morning in the senate that if the American fleet
should be gathered in the North Pacific it would require a vast
amount of coal which could only be supplied from Alaska. He
believed the government would be justified in building the rail
roads for the purpose of supplying the navy with coal. “If
America became involved in a war in the North Pacific she
would be far from her base of fuel supply and would have to
convoy foreign steamers carrying coal for our battleships,” he
declared.
“What would the American fleet be doing in the North
Pacific ocean,” queried Senator Weeks, of Massachusetts.
“Why, senator, I thought everybody knew that that was the
shortest way to the Philippines or Japan, by the great northern
circle,” replied the Oregon senator. “And while I am not a
pessimist on the subject, I believe the senators will agree with
me that the situation on the Pacific is rather delicate right
now.”
WASHINGTON, I). 0., Jan. 14.—Senator Chamberlain
resuming his speech on the Alaska railroad bill expressed the
belief tliat the bill would soon pass the senate. The opposition
to the government ownership feature of the measure have not
as yet been heard from but there is known to be a strong senti
ment in opposition to government ownership and operation of
the roads.