Early Morning Fire Threatens Entire Business District of Pottsville HARRISBURG ifiSlgiS. TELEGRAPH Xo. 205 $2,000,000 FIRE IN POTTSVILLE WIPES 1 QUT BUSINESS BLOCK: Blaze Started in Rear of Wool worth Store and Spread Rapidly WATER SUPPLY WAS POOR Twenty Stores, Theater, Banks and Post Office Fuel For Flames By Associated Press Pottsville. Pa.. Deo. 17.—A $-',000,000 | fir® wiped out one entire business block in the heart of the business district of Pottsville early this morning: and at 8 o'clock it was burning fiercely after communicating to a second block, but at 9.30 o'clock it was under control. From Centre to Second and from Norwegian to Mahantongo is a mass of red embers and smoking ruins or j with the flames shooting skyward from i the buildings yet unconsumed. Twenty | store buildings, including the Pennsyl- j vania National Hank and the Academy of Music, one of Pottsville's leading playhouses, are among the buildings destroyed. The post office was afire, but was not badly damaged. The (Ire started in the rear of the Woolworth live and ten cent store, communicated on both sides to the Britton Hoffman furniture store and ! the City Department Store, owned by j a New Tork-Cleveland syndicate, part ' of the second floor of which was occu- i pied by law offices. The other build- j ings destroyed were: W. S. Cowen, I druggist: C. \Y. .Mortimer, men's fur nisher: E. A. Fisher, jewelry: Harry Schablein, pool and billiards; H. I.arer & Co., millinery: R. .1. Mills, automo bile supplies; T. F. Brenn&n, resi dence: Mrs. E. E. Rabenau, residence: P. Reif. tailor and residence; Guy W. Mortimer, residence; .E. A. Goodall, medical institute: G. T. Burd. fire in surance; George Wiederhold, shoe store, and five brick store buildings Just completed but not yet occupied. Valuables in Safe The Pennsylvania Bank building was occupied by lawyers and other offices | ">n the second floor and on the third floor by the Masonic lodge. The bank's ' ■ valuables were all locked up In a fire-! proof vault and are believed to Vie safe, i The Union Safe Deposit Bank's new fireproof building on the corner was little damaged and opened for business while the fire raged around it. This hank building and a grocery store at another corner and a brick restaurant next to the bank were the only build ings left standing in the entire block. Inability to secure a sufficient water supply in the early stages of the fire is given as a cause for the rapid spread of the conflagration. The electric nower was shut off and the trolley lines, electric lights and electric power are all dead. All but one of the buildings were of brick, the frame one being a small residence in Second street . The fire is located in one of Pottsville's prin cipal business blocks and the mer chants all had big stocks of holiday goods, which adds greatly to their loss, as this extra stock was not covered by insurance. It was the worst, fire in Pottsville's history. The fire burned itself out about 9.30 o'clock. Bundle Water Meter in Carpet or Burlap, Bowman Advises Public Property owners throughout the city are cautioned by Commissioner H. F. Bowman, superintendent of public safety, against the danger of freezing water meters during the extreme cold weather and he suggests a safeguard In the shape of burlap or carnet wrap pings. Especial attention should be given to the mechanisms that are located close to an open window or coal hole, he says. Nearly 400 meters were practlcallv put out of service last year because of "freeze-ups." The cost of repairing, varying from $2.2,'. to $4.73 per meter, must be borne by the property owner, although the water department make* no charge for replacing damaged oarts other than the labor Involv •!. The necessary sections o? the meters a m renlneed Iv the department exact lv at cost. I THE WEATHER For HarrlMburK anil vlelnltri Fair, continued colli «i>-nl K hl and Krl- I dayi lonrat temperature to-night iibout 12 degree*. For F.awtern I'ennurl vnnln i Fair to night snd Krlda*. not murk change In temperature; moderate fo freah Hindu. Illver The SONquehaunn river and all Itn tributaries villi remain generally leehound and will continue to fr.il ■lowly except lo<-nl rlaeii are like ly to oeeur where the lee ehokea the channel. tieaeral Condition* 1 nder the Influence of an area of high barometric preamure -that covera nearly all the eaxtern half of the country, with Ita center over the l,»«er Ohio Valley, fair weather han prevailed eaat of the Mlaslaalppl river daring the ln»t twenty-four hours, except on the wetrt eonat of Florida, where more rain lina fallen, and along the northern and eastern bordera of the (irrni l.nkea, where light to moderately heavy anowa have oc curred. Temperature: N a. m.. 10. *«in: Rlaea. 7a. m.; acta, 4t41 p. m. Moon: ,\ew moon. December 16. Oi3K a. m. Illver Stage! 2.1 feet above low water mark; frozen. leaterday'a Weather Higheat temperiWure, *-0. I.oweat temperature, 7. Mean temperature. 14. .Normal temperature, 82 POUND FOR THE POOR, i TABERNACLE SLOGANj Food and Gothing For Needy Will Be Collected at Stough Meeting Tonight MUCH DIRE DISTRESS HERE Evangelist Gets Scores of Appeals From Suffering; 80 More Hit the Trail "A Pound For the Poor," i- the slo-1 gan for the special night of Be.ioiclng this evening at the tabernacle, when ! every one who attends the service is expected to bring a donation of a pound of some dry grocery, or article that can be distributed among the poor of the city and neighboring towns. Clothing will also be acceptable, and orders for more bulky supplies such as i a ton of coal, a sack of (lour, a bushel of potatoes or a barrel of apples will be welcomed, and the material will ba! called for during the week as necessity! demands. The aim of the occasion is to secure i a large donation of supplies that are; easily distributed and are not perish- ; able, and the idea of each person ] bringing a pound of some common | necessity was determined on as being) the most practicable and easily man-1 aged plan of arranging ■ public char ity. The goods will be placed at the disposal of the Associated Charities of ! [Continued on Page 7] FINAL PRUNING OF ! BUDGET ORDINANCE | City Commissioners Meet in Ex ecutive Session For Purpose This Afternoon I j City Council met this afternoon in j executive session to consider the final j i necessary pruning and paring of the j 11915 budget ordinance no that the iskeleton measure may be in shape j j for consideration at Tuesday's regular j i meeting. Whether or not any more j special sessions will be necessary will be determined after to-day's meeting. 1 The budget, as it now stands, calls' for something less than $060,000, it is' said, and by figuring on this basis of j I expenditure, the Commissioners be-j I lieve that hulf a mill can be lopped | 'from the present tax rate of nine and 1 | a half mills. I From the original budget City Com missioner 11. F. Bowman, superinten jdent of public safety, cut $3,600 ap jpropriated for the department of food inspection. This item, he pointed out. was unnecessary in the general bud j get in view of the fact that the bu |reau is self-sustaining. To date there | is a balance of between S7OO and SBOO j in the department and the income has ! been so big that Mr. Bowman has been jable to announce a cut of from $1 to j $5 in the license fees, j "No reason exists so far as I could sec for letting that $3,600 or more in the general budget for the food in spection department," said Commis sioner Bowman. "It only makes the total look so much larger and the , money really isn't needed. The in ;come we derive from licenses can be ] used for no other purpose than main tenance of the department and we've ' more than enough. In addition to this $2,200 was pared I out of the original sum asked. A i thousand wanted by Mayor Royal for | an automobile runabout for the city ; sealer of weights and measures was 1 refused, and $1,200 was lopped from I Mr. Bowman's estimate for an assist ant plumbing inspector.. Mayor Royal said to-day that the I Commissioners "might be able to skin | through on a nine mill basis." but he • added that he believed if this is done I now, it will be necessary to put it back again next year. There is $lB,- ' 000, the Mayor said, set aside for the sinking fund ol' the third improve nt ioati. Tn's had been provided for. according to the long established precedent a • ear ago, so enough is now being held in the sinking fund for that purpose 'or next year, he said. The 1916 budget, however, will have to in j elude this sum again, he concluded. ,'TI KKS PEMOKA lA'AVAt AFTER battle with buss forces By Associated Press i Petrograd. via Dec. 17, 6.23 ja. in.-—A communication issued by the i Russian staff in the Caucasus says: ] "The Turks considerably reinforced from Bagdad and by a new formation, 'assumed the offensive in the Eu • phrates valley and the Van region, ' which resulted In a number of en gagements of secomlad> importance. In i these battles the Russians were in- I variably victorious, with the result I that the Turkish forces are demoral j ized and in some cases have lost their I effectiveness." GREEK CON'I»EMXEI> TO DIK By Associated Press London. Dec. 17, 11.23 a. m.—Reu- Iter's Telegraph Company has received j a dispatch from its Athens corre spondent saying that a Greek naval offier attached to the Greek legation 'at ('onstantlnople has been court-mar jtialed and condemned to death on the charge of spying, particularly in con nection with the departure of steam ,ers from Constantinople. TENNESSEE AT XI,EX ANURIA By Associated Press Alexandria, Kgypt, Dec. 17. via Lon don. 11.48 a. m.—The American I ' ruiser Tennessee, which has been In the eastern Mediterranean for some i weeks past, charged with the surveil lance of Americans interests, arrived i here to-day. HARRISBURG, PA., THURSDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 17, 1914. MASONIC TEMPLE IS j AGAIN NEARLY BURNED Early Morning Blaze Gnts Lodge Rooms and Destroys Records j and Paraphernalia ' ORIGIN COMPLETE MYSTERY Three Floors Are Damaged; Loss $8,000; the Second Fire Within Six Weeks Fire in the .Masonic Temple early 'this morning again threatened the de struction of the building. Starting in a kitchen on the sixth floor, the flames spread to cloak and restrooins on the seventh floor and | burned through to the fifth floor. The) kitchen was gutted, the blue lodge | j room was burned out; a portion of the' 'red room was damaged: books and pa-1 pers in the secretary's room were de- j ;stroyed, and the lodge paraphernalia,! including fifty to seventy-five Knights i Templar uniforms, was burned. The total loss is estimated at be- ; tween SB,OOO and SIO,OOO. it is par-! 1 tlfelly covered by insurance. This was the second fire within six j weeks at the Masonic Temple. On | ; November 21 fire started in a wall pa- i j per store on the first floor, spreau to (the second floor, and caused damage | amounting to $4,000. j The flames to-day were discovered by a pedestrian about 6.50 this morn j ing. An alarm was sent in from Box 231. Third and State streets. William E. Machlin. the custodian i [Continued on Page "1 IBANK ROBBER 1Y BE FRIK J, HOHL Two Cincinnati Banks Relieved of Cash by Man Who Es caped in Auto i By Associated Press j Cincinnati. Ohio, Dec. 17.—An un ; identified automobile bandit entered ! the West End branch of the Provl j dent Savings Bank and Thust Com pany at Eighth and Freeman avenues. 1 in the heart ol' the West End business I district, here to-day, fired two shots at ! the cashier, gathered together about j i SB,OOO, jumped into a waiting auto i mobile and has thus far escaped. The i police in anofher car pursued him. Two hours later a man. believed to | ; be the same bandit, entered the Lib- I jerty Banking and Savings Bank, ten] I blocks away, and after shooting the | I cashier escaped with a bundle of j I money the value of which Is not j J known. Put* .Money in Pockets I The robber, entering the Provident '■ | Bank within an hour after it opened. ! I climbed an eight-foot screen into the i , ] office and without warning fired two j ■ j shots at Cashier Edward Hughes. He ; . | then seized $2,000 in currency lying ■ on the cashier's desk, rushed to a i table near by where $6,000 nlore was , stacked, stuffed this into his pockets i and slowly backed to the door. He i then jumped into a machine that had j been placed in front of the bank and, I j driving the car himself, sped away, i j Hughes in the meantime had obtained . I his own revolver and tired at the flee . i ing man. None of the shots, either of , j the bandit or Hughes, apparently, took . effect. The police responded to the I call in an automobile and soon picked [Continued on Page 12] Major Edward C. Shannon, Battalion Commander of Fourth Regiment, N. G. P. ■ " —— MAJOR EDWARD C. SHANNON Special to The Telegraph Columbia, Pa., Dec. 17.—Major Ed ward C. Shannon has Just been re elected to that office in the Fourth - j Regiment of the National Guard of I Pennsylvania. Major Shannon is a popular officer and a man of fine mill- I I tary bearing. He is also custodian 1 i of the State armory at this place and - is one of Columbia's most highly «s- B teemed citizens. Major Shonnon enlisted In the Guard - in 1889 as a private In Company p. Fourth Begiment, and was soon pro moted to corporal and then to ser geant. He was elected lieutenant and then later captain. During the Span ish-American War he was captain of - the company. He was in Porto Rico I with the regiment and after the war I I he was elected a major when a reor- ' ganlzatlon was effected. He has sev -1 eral times represented the State Guard 1 at the National Guard Association 1 meetings. FOUR VESSELS SUN BRITISH FEAR ANOTHER RAID MASONIC TEMPLE AGAIN NEAR DESTRUCTION !Sj w UPW W. S~ 5: if f B 11 si I ll'i' IMEIi ID CHILDREN < KILLED By SHELLS; First Warning of Attack on Scar borough Was Made at 5:30 Yesterday Morning By Associated Press j Scarborough, via London. Dec. 17. j 8.15 a. m.—"The Queen of English! ' watering places" has recovered to-day jfrom the unexpected bombardment | land the feeling is one of bitter anger | j at the town's helplessness under un-1 j der the guns of the German squadron, j j The first warning sound of distant! I firing, which attracted little attention ! except from the military authorities. | came at 5.30 in the morning. At 0 o'clock three German warcraft, which the majority of witnesses agree were one battle cruiser and two lighter cruisers, loomed out of a heavy fog so close underneath the cliffs that they [Continued on I'age In] National Guard Is Now Being Organized to Protect Metropolis By Associated Press l.ondon, Dec. 17, 3.25 a. m. la view of the possibilities of an invasion I London is now to have a defense i corps under a title hitherto not used in this country, "the nationnl guard." The morning papers contain the fol , lowing notice displayed in large type I in the advertising columns: "It is felt by a large section of the , community that some steps should be ; taken in the city of London to meet | the possibility of an invasion. ■ "With this idea in view a force un ! d?r the name of the National Guard is i being raised under the presidency of , the Lord Mayor. The object is to pro vide a force of actively engaged pro j fesslonal men, businessmen, artisans , and others of the age of 40 and up | wards." AUSTRIANS REPORT CAPTURE OF 31.00(1 RUSSIAN SOLDIERS By Associated Press Berlin, Dee. 17, by wireless to Say viiic.—A statement given out to-day by the German ofllela! press bureau , says: j "The Austrian general staff reports that 31,000 Russians have been taken prisoners in West Galiela." FUTEEN SCHOOL BOYS KILLED By Associated Press London. Dec. 17, 1.35 P. M.—A ma jority of the victims at Hartlepool were women and ehildren. Fifteen school boys were killed by a single shell, only one boy in a group escaping. Ten per sons were killed by the collapse of a building in which Ihe.v had taken shelter. One shell damaged a building f. j miles from shore. OCCUPY GERMAN TRENCHES By Associated Press Paris, Dec. 17. 2.58 P. M. The Wrench war office gave out an official statement this afternoon as follows: "Between the sea and the Lys we have occupied several German trenches at the point of the bayonet; consolidated our positions at Lombeartzyde and St. Georges, and organized the territory taken from the enemy to tlie west of Gheluvelt. ONE SHELL KILLED niHTLEPODL Another Is Reported to Have Ended Lives of Three and Wounded Eleven By Associated Press Middlcshorough. Ens.. Dee. 17. via London. 3.2(1 A. M.— latest returns of the killed and wounded as the result I of the German naval raid show that at ! Hartlepool the majority of the victims were civiiians. About eight of the killed and thirty-seven of the wound• ; ed were men engaged in coast defense 'work but of the remainder the bulk j were civilians who were shot while at. I work in the streets or while in their ( own homes. •Scores of houses in the two Hartle i pools have been wrecked and scarcely I one of the large factories in the two | towns escaped damage. The tele ' phone service is completely disorgani- I /.ed. j The gas works were shelled with exceptional severity and every gas ' holder was put out of commission. ] Several churches and schools also suf j I'ered from the enemy's fire. .Many Ships ftamaged • East Hartlepool suffered the most ! in the bombardment but there was also j much damage done in West Hartle- J pool. Many ships in the harbor were j damaged, including the steamer Die [Continued on Page 12] Unable to Enter Rooms { of Austrian Hospitals Because of the Stench i By Associated Press London. Dec. 17, 5.05 A. M.—A cor responded of the Times who journey ed over the path of the great Austrian retreat from Servia telegraphs from Valjevo as follows: "There are a myriad of evidences of the completeness of the great debacle, which far surpasses similar incidents in the Halkan war. "This retreat is a terrible tragedy. The roads along which the Austrians lied are littered with corpses. What j impresses one most is the appalling . tilth which the Austrians left behind them. The hospitals containing their I wounded are in a pestilential state. Tt lis impossible to enter many of the rooms owing to the stench. The Ser vians arc busily engaged in trying to restore order." WILDWOOI) SKATING POPULAR 500 Visit l.akc First Night of the Sea son: Cold to Continue Nearly live hundred took advan tage of the season's lirst skating on Wildwood yesterday after announce ment was made by the I'ark Commis sion that more than Ave inches of Ice covered the lake. The weather will continue cold dur ing the remainder of the Week and there is a possibility of low tempera lures prevailing in this section part of next week. FIRE IN DHt'G STORE Fire in the cellar at Kitzmillef's. drug store, 1325 A Derry street, this i morning, was stopped just in time ' The flames were discovered in a rub- 1 bisb pile. The Allison company was called by telephone and did good work. The damage was slight. 16 PAGES * POSTSCRIPT 74 DEAD AND INJURED AS RESULT OF COAST ATTACK Mines Strewn in Wake of Fleeing German Cruisers Cause Destruction of Steamers; Germany's Plan For Opera tion Against Russians Is Gradually Unfolding; Petro grad Claims Defeat of Turks I SOUTH SHIELDS. ENGLAND, DEC. ■ 17. VIA I/0M)0\, 2.15 P. M—FOUR ( STEAMERS, ONE BELIEVKD TO BE , A PASSENGER SHIP, WKRK SUNK IIY MINKS IN THK NORTH SKA OFF FLAMBOHOI'G II HKAD LAST i NIGHT. | ONLY ONE OF THESE VES i SELS HAS SO FAR BEEN IDEN TIFIED. THIS IS THE STEAMER > ELTKRWATEU. TWELVE OF II ICR | j CREW WERE SAVED BCT SEVEN LOST THEIR LIVES. THE CASUAL TIES ON THE OTHER SHIPS HAVE NOT VET BEEN DETERMINED. I i'.i'T IT IS REPORTED THAT Till-:! CREW AND PASSENGERS OF THE ! PASSENGER VESSEL WERE SEEN TAKING TO THEIR BOATS. THE ADMIRALTY HAS AN NOUNCED THAT ALL TRAFFIC BE- T\\ EEN FLAMBt >ROUGH HEAD AND NEW CASTLE HAS BEEN j STOPPE D I N D E F I NITE LY. Flamborough Head is about twenty] miles down the coast from Scarbor- j ough. one of the points bombarded j yesterday by the German cruisers. ; These hostile ships were reported to i have left mines in their wake as they i steamed away from the British coast. i The area from Flamborough Head | ; to New Castle, In which all traffic lias i | been stopped, embraces the entire field In which the German raiders operated. One of tlio sreutest victories of the r" i ■ > ■ - l 1 " ■ I . I r" i Washington, Dec. 17.—Re<7r Adrnrial Fiske expressed him i« ' ; n,, in favor •>? n-ore s-bmsr \t t--day's •• J J ;se N-''. !C i" tb. n ' of v r. • tcr,'.->y. : . • ■ • •■) '• ■ f • BCth *7l h-.v; ' ""i v ' ' r. bespit-'. The bandit'- identity ha net yet !~ecn established. London, Dec. 17, 4.45 P. TvT.—A dispatch from Rome, •i say:-: ."A Trie : ;t< official has announced the blowing up by a mine nnd the sinking of the Austrian training ship Bee iho en v ith the loss of the crew and ail the cadets on board." Washington, Dec. 17.—Colonel Gcethals informed the Wa Department to-day that excepting reports of misuse of wi dess he knew of no violation of neutrality at the Pana ma Canal zone. CITY OF PUEBLA EVACUATED Washington, Dec. 17. —The city of Puebla, in the State of that name, has evacuated by Carranza forces and now Is held by Zapatistas. A report to the State Department to day savs Ctrranza troops burned the railroad station before departing. GERMANS UNDER ARREST London, Dec. 17, 3.25 P. M.—All naturalized Germans in the saport of Sunderland, a short distance north of the English coast towns which were bombarded by the Germans yesterday, were arrested over night, according to a dispatch published by the Exchange Telegraph Company. J M ARM AM LICENSES 4 llnrry Lincoln Injter Hnd Hue In h Fillmore, York. Clyde Cheater Woo tin, llolllnu; SprlngM, and Florence Bear Black, Car ! I Hale. I < harlen T. Sehlllot, I'hlladelphla, nn«l Anna H. Stall* l.enlitown. C. Sellers tind Martha Sldera, city. Holla K, Lehman, York M»ringa, and Daisy E. Moody, Dllliibtrf. war is claimed to-day by Germany. The Iterlin ollicial statement contains tlicw words: "The llussian offensive against Si lesia and l'oseu lias < German war oiliee announces that Ihe I allies have made new attacks, but that | they have l>een beaten back with 1 heavy losses. The French statement j says that several German trenelies in 1 Itelgium have lx'en captured by iufan try assaults and tliat at other points to | the south and east the artillery of the I allies has done effective work. Four steamers were sunk by mines I off the east coast of Fngland in tint I territory covered yesterday h.v the rnid -1 ing (German warships. These vessels j were said In Fngland to have scattered , mines to cover their retreat. Seventy-four Killed Seventy-four persons were killed and [Continued on Page 12]