Earthquake Survivors Work Night and Day Removing Bodies From Rv/ns
HARRISBURG TELEGRAPH
LXXXIV— No. 11
OPPORTUNITIES IN
EUROPEAN TRADE
American Commerce Secretary
Tells Chamber of Commerce of
Conditions in Germany
GREAT BUSINESS CHANCES
Financial, Industrial and Economic
Status of the Kaiser's
Realm Good
z__"
GKOIIGE S. ATWOOD
Secretary of the American Association
of Commerce ami Trade at Berlin.
Economic conditions in Germany af
fecting business in America were ex
plained in an interesting and forceful
manner at the Harrisbnrg Chamber of
' 'onimerce luncheon at noon to-day at
the Harrisburg Club. The speaker
WM George S. Atwood. secretary of
the American Association of Com
merce and Trade in Berlin, who is in
America on a brief business trpi. Mr.
Atwood brought out much that was
new and told of the opportunities for
41 American trade abroad.
Mr. Atwood's address was well re
ceived by the large audience and not
a few remained after the luncheon to
engage him in private conversation re
warding conditions abroad and to ques- j
tion hiru concerning opportunities for
the sale of American-made products
In Germany.
Following Mr. Atwood's address
Henderson Gilbert, president of the
chamber, outlined the work of the or
ganisation for the next few months,
[Continued on Page "]
Continuous Heavy Rains
Cause of Disturbance
By .Associated rr?ss
Paris, Jar 15. 3 A. M. The Petit
Parisian's Home correspondent says
that the number of earthquake victims
exi eeds 30,000, and that this list would
have been greater, since the earth
quake was more violent than that of
Messina, had it not been for the fact
that no large cities yerc affected. The
center of the disturbance, according to
this correspondent, was situated in the
dry and ancient Lake Pucciso, which
was drained in 1875 by Prince Alexan
der Torlonia at a cost of about SB,-
'.O'vOOD.
As to the cause of the disaster, the
Petit Parisien correspondent quotes an
eminent metcorologits as saying:
"The most likely hypothesis is that
• ontinuous heavy rains resulted in ni
trations which formed srreat bodies of
steam by contact with incandescent
matter. This hypothesis seems con
firmed by the fa> t that the spring at
Sas C.uiulinno has almost doubled the
volume of its flow since yestM-day."
Historical Society of
Dauphin Co. Elects
Theodore T5. Kline was re-elected
president of the Historical Society of
Dauphin County last night at the an
nual meeting. Dther officers elected
■svere: Abraham Fortenbaugh. William
Pearson and G. Forster, vice-presi
dents: Mrs. Keats Peay, secertary and
librarian; James M. corre
sponding secretary; .lames Brady,
treasurer. Dr Harvey B. Bnsliore read
a paper on "An Indian Kaid Into Dau
phin Count} and What Became of It."
Tt'BKS ARK ADVANCING
Sy Associated Press
London, Jan. 15, 11.05 A. M.—The
Turkish troops who recently invaded
Persia are now advancing to the in
terior of the country, according *o a
news dispatch from Teheran to Reu
ters Telegram Company.
THE WEATHER
For llarrlahtira and drlalty: Fair
to-nlicht and Saturday: xliirhtly
•■older 10-nlnbt. with lonrat
temperature about 31) rieitreen.
For Fantern Pennsylvania: Fair
_ to-nlnht and Saturday, xIIkMIv
■B voider to-nlitbt; north noil nn|
" portions; Kentlr nhlftlnK wind*.
Illver
'l'h«- *»u*<|iiebntinn rl< er and Iti
prlnel|Hil trtlnrtarlea vrlll continue
to fall to-nlKht and Saturday. V
•eraee of about tI.S feet la Indicat
ed for Harrlahurg on Saturday
morning.
General t Ondltlona
The depreaalon that wa* central
north of l.nke Superior, Thurs
day mornlnic. hna moved alonW
eaatw ard. with diminishing
MtrenKth, and la now erntral In
the vicinity of fieorKlnn ban It
ban ••mixed light local rain* In the
Middle Atlantic States nnd In the
Ohio Valley and Kaxt Tennessee
In the laxt twenty-four hour*.
Temperature: S a. m- 3S.
Sun: Itlaea. 7:«M> n. in.: aetn,
p. m.
Moon: »w moon, to-day, ft: la
a. m.
KlTer Mane- M feet above low
water mark.
YeaterdayVa Meather
Highest tenipernture, 12.
I.owest tempera'turi', :tfl.
Mean temperature. 341.
Nor«.;I kdUiieiu(u re, 29
RESCUERS AT WORK REMOVING
DEAD FROM RUIN TOWNS
IN ITALY'S EART
f "BACKBONE" OF ITALY BROKEN BY QVAKE j'
j " \-S/
:rW*" b V
i- . /
\ a *">
435 MILES '
MAP oITALY NORTH of NAPLES SHADED
PORTION SHOWS AREA AFFECTED by EARTH-
*
READ CONFESSION OF i
'CON' MEN IN COURT
Stenographer It State's Principal
Witness in Case Against Al
leged Check Crooks
How H. R. Mercer and Fred Le-
Brun, alleged ''con' 1 men, tried to op
erate what the police declare was the
boldest check swindle ever tried in
Harrisburg, was calmly told to a
Dauphin county criminal jury this
morning by Miss Clara Miller, stenog
apher to District Attornev Michael E.
Stroup. who, on the witness stand
read her stenographic report of Mer
cer's so-called "confession" in the
Dauphin county jail.
The statement made to the district
attorney in the jail a few days ago
was offered by Mercer who sought
at that time to plead guilty.
Mercer and Leßrun however since
decided to change their plea to not
guilty and their trial began late yes
terday afternooa before President
Judge Kunkel. Besides the reading
of the reported confession by Miss
Miller, the principal evidence offered
by the State to-day included the state
ments by Col. Joseph B. Hutchison,
chief of police, of the arrests and
what led to them, by County Detec
tive James T. Walters, and by James
E. Madigan, a Jacksonville banker.
Mercer's "Story" „
The statement Mercer made in .tail
explained in detail how the pair who
claim to have come to tihs city to
launch a new motor wheel industry
offered the bogus checks at various
baxiks for the purpose of establishing
a credit
Upon being examined at riolice
headquarters bv Col. Hutchison Mer
cer gave his own name as "I. P. rat
tle" and Leßrur.'s as "A! White." The
bogus checks were drawn in those
names.
Wanted by New York Police
New York police authorities, it was
! said, are anxious to have Mercer and
i Leßrun taken over to that city for
I trial on detainers and it is probable
that should they be convicted and
serve time from the Dauphin court,
that the New York authorities will be
given a chance at them. In a several
typewritten page statement which he
| calls his "own story" Mercer men
jtions that he served three years in the
! Missouri pententiary but did so to
j help out a guilty brother.
Jury Decides Papa Only
Spanked Pretty Miss
Schell of Derry Street
! Not only did twelve of Dauphin's
good men and true officially decide
'that pretty Miss Anna M. Schell, 2116
Derry street had been spanked by her
papa, but the same twelve also de
creed that the daughter pay the court
expenses incident to proving that she
had only been spanked.
Most of yesterday's session of Janu
ary criminal court was taken up be
fore President Judge Kunkel with the
; trial of John H. Schell on the charge
}of having criminally attacked his
i daughter Anna. Anna was the prose
! t utrix. Mr. Schell, a gray-headed
Thirteenth warder, de/ended himself
lon the ground that he never laid hands
lon his 21-year-old daughter cx«-npt to
I spank her. And he only did this, lie
; declared, when she liftd cussed him.
(refused to come home early o'nights
(and otherwise disobeyed the parental
icstnmands relative to her conduct. This
jibe jury, after less thin an hour's de
liberation late yesterday afternoon, be
lieve* '
HARRISBURG, PA., FRIDAY EVENING, JANUARY 15, 1915
CBilE
TO MARSHAL DIVISION
Decorate City For Inaugural; To
Announce Aids For Parade
Tomorrow
* Congressman William S. Tare, of
Philadelphia, will be marshal of the
second division of the inaugural pa
rade on Tuesday. It will be made up
of political clubs. Colonel J. B. Hutchi
son will marshal the military division
and M. Harvey Taylor the third, com
posed of firemen from this city, Steel
ton and York.
The decoration of the city began to
day and to-morrow the flags will be
hung on the hotels and public build
ings. Klaborate plans for decorations
have been made.
The aids of the grand marshal and
the division marshals will be an
nounced to-morrow. They will include
many prominent men. The club will
include the Xorth and South Phila
delphia Republican marching clubs,
the Harrisburg clubs and those from
Soranton. Reading, Huntingdon and
Blair county.
Senator E. E. Beidleman. chairman
of the committee, who has been ill, is
improving and will be able to be about
on Sunday.
Marital Knot Tied in
Judge's Chambers While
Court Goes on Below
■\Vhilc Additional Law Judge McCar
reii yesterday afternoon dispensed law
and justice in No. 2 room Squire T. V.
Gardner, Steelton, tied a marital knot
in the judge's chambers upstairs.
Pretty Mercy Jane Williams, aged
IS, and Stepnen Katocs, 18 both, of
Willi&matown. were the bride and
groom. Stephen was a defendant in
a quarter sessions case and the ques
tion of his approaching wedding to his
youthful sweetheart was broached to
the court. Both expressed a desire to
marry and Stephen said he believed a
wife 'would help him to keep
straight." Sentence upon Stephen was
suspended and Justice Gardner, who
was spied in the audience, was asked
by Judge McCarrell to go upstairs and
help Cupid and the blind goddes3
straighten out a legal tangle.
International Rotary Head
Will Be Guest of Local
Organization on Monday
The Harrlsburg Rotary Club will
have a number of distinguished guests
at the dinner to be Riven at the Har
rlsburg Club next Monday evening at
7 o'clock in honor of the visit of
Frank L. Mulholland, the International
president.
President Essick. of the local club,
received notice to-day of the coming
of Chesley R. Perry, the international
secretary: Arch. C. Klumph, inter
national director, and Wtllinm Oet
tinger, president of the New York City
Rotary <""lub and also a national di
rector. This is the most distinguished
assemblage of Rotations that has ever
honored the eitv with their presence
at one time and prenarationn are be
ing made for a rousing reception. On
account of the large number of mem
bers who desire to attend and the lim
ited room at the disnosal of the club,
only member* will attend.
Mr. JlulhpHewl will accompanied
to the city by .Mrs. Mulholland.
RELIEF COMMITTEES
HUE OFFERING RID
Hundreds, Possibly Thousands, of
Victims Are Buried
Alive
10,000 DEAD IN AVEZZANO
At Least 10,000 Were Killed in
Other Towns in Quake
District
By Associated Press
Rome. Jan. 15.—Constantly shifting
estimates, based on reports that con
tinue to trickle in, place the dead of
Wednesday's earthquake at 20,000 and
the injured at a number in excess of
30,000. Hundreds, possibly thousands,
of victims are still buried alive, im
prisoned by the wreckage of their
homes while rescuers from every walk
of life struggle desperately to dig
them out.
King Victor Emmanuel, who re
turned to Rome from Avezzano last
night, personally superintended the
release of a number of such unfortu
nates. The king reached the capital in
his private car, to which were at
tached three coaches bearing forty
wounded. These, like the other hun
dreds who are slowly reaching Rome,
wer* distributed about the hospitals,
regular and extraordinary, in the city.
I'opc Otters Hospital
I'cpe Benedict this morning offered
to the mayor of Rome the use of the
hospital of Santa Marta. which he vis
ited yesterday. The offer was grate
fully accepted and Its .100 beds serve
as a material relief for the difficult
situation.
The principal loss of life and prob
ably the chief property damage ap
pears to have been in Avezzano and
the towu of Sora, fifteen miles away.
[Continued on Page 13]
21 GROCERIES TO BE '
RELIEF STATIONS
Each Will Sell Without Profit
Foodstuffs to Fill Boxes
For Belgians
Through the efforts of a special
committee of the foreign division of
the home and war relief committee,
composed of Miss Mary Jennings,
chairman. Miss Letitia Brady and Mrs.
William W. Galbraith, twenty-one gro
cers of this city have agreed to act
as substations for the relief work that
charitable citizens may aid in feeding
the starving Belgians.
Not only will these grocers act as
subagents, but they will also make
contributions to the cause. Each one
has agreed to sell, without profit, all
food stuffs to fill the boxes. One box,
costing the contributor $3.50, will feed
a baby a month. Another, costing
$2.25 will feed four adults two weeks.
Boxes will be brought to 7 South
Front street by the grocers after fill
ing, from which point they will be
sent to seaboard for shipment to Eu
rope. No cost attaches to transporta
tion of the goods.
Grocery Substations
Grocers who will furnish the neces
sary foods for the boxes are: Clem
Studebaker, 421 North Second street;
A. H. Kreidler & Bro., 100 North Sec
ond street: S. S. Pomeroy, 8 South
Second street: C. E. Haine, 571 Race
street: Fountain Market Company,
Mulberry and Perry streets; John S.
Lutz & Sons, 1852 Perry street; W. T.
Hoy, 1701 Mari:et ssreet; "Weis Pure
Food Store, 1313 Market street; J. J.
Sullivan. Thirteenth and State streets;
H. W. Sallade. 1537 State street; G. E.
Runkle, 1924 State street; E. E. Zeid
ers, 31 North Thirteenth street: Bives,
Pomeroy & Stewart: B. B. Prumm,
1801 North Sixteenth street; Irwin E.
Peppen. 2259 North Sixteenth street;
|J. P. Smith. 1200 North Second street;
J. H. Sebourn. 827 Groen street; J'o
seph Frantz, 1701 North Third street;
R. M. Wolfe, Thirteenth and Berryhili
streets; C. W. Fisher, Fifteenth and
Berryhili streets: Charles W. Pressler,
I 723 North Sixth street.
Earthquake Shakes Alps;
Many Avalanches Fall
By Associated Press
i Genoa, via Paris, Jan. 15. 1.35 A. M.
I —News which has reached here from
Como and Chiasso indicate that the
[earthquake was felt in the Italian val-
I ley Clear to the Swiss frontier. Tele
j graph and telephone lines are down
[in that district but it lias been ascer
tained that no loss o>f life'ls report
ed there.
The little news that has come
through from the frontier reports that
Alps trembled during the shock and
detached numerous avalanches as the
snow on the summits was very deep.
From Courmayeur, Italy, through
telescopes, an avalanche was seen fall
ing from Mount Blano. A party of
Italian troops who returned to Aosta.
! report that they felt the shock and
say avalanches fall from Mount Ross
A message from innesbruck states
that in the Alps near the Italian fron
tier, 27 soldiers were overwhelmed by
an avalanche caused by the earth
quake and that three of the men were
seriously hurt.
ESTIMATE VICTIM* AT L!r..000
Rome, via Paris. Jan. 15.—Midnight
—The Olornale D'ltalla estimate the
number of earthquake victims In the
region of Avezzano and Sera at 26 000. |
EMU YARDS TEN j
TERRS OLD HAY
Anniversary of Biggest Classifica
tion Yards in World Will Be i
Celebrated
MANY R. R. MEN TO ATTEND
—s
Judge McCarrell and Superintend
ent William B. McCaleb
Among Speakers
_ vpppr
"WILLIAM B. M'CALEB
Superintendent of the Philadelphia Di
vision, Which Includes Enola Yards.
At 6 o'clock this morning the clas
sification yards of the Pennsylvania
railroad at Enola were officially ten
years old.
With officials of the Pennsylvania
railroad, citizens of Enola and friends
the employes in the big yards have
prepared an elaborate anniversary
celebration for to-night.
Plans for the big event, which will
take place at the Knola Pennsylvania
Railroad Young Men's Christian Asso
[ Continued on Page 14]
0 CI REPORTS
1 SHOW LARGE GRINS
All Departments, Especially the
Membership, Are Progressing;
Elect Officers
Keen interest was exhibited by offi
cers of the T. W. C. A. in the reports
of all standing and special committees
presented at the twenty-second an
nual meeting in the John Y. Boyd
Hail, last evening.
Reports showed big gains in the
various departments, especially the
membership. Following the election
of officers an entertainment was pre
sented by a cast consisting of local tal
ent. Later refreshments were served.
Mrs. John W. Reily was re-elected
president for the fourth consecutive
term. Other officers for the ensuing
year are: Vice-president, Mrs. J. K.
Smith, Mrs. E. Z. Wallower, Mrp.
George P. Mains, Miss M. Caroline
i White and Miss Mary Jennings; treas
urer, Mrs. J. Frank Palmer; recording
| secretary. Miss E. Blanche Clute; di
rectors, Mrs. William Jennings, Mrs.
ID. M. Gilbert, Mrs. Henry B. McCor
imlck, Mrs. D. S. Funk and Mrs. Ly
■ man D. Gilbert.
The general secretary's report by
Miss Ella M. Stitt, summarized the
work of the department. She compar
ed the present membership of 2,574
with last year's total of UOO.
Among the reports read were: Edu
cational committee, by Mrs. D. M. Gil
bert; home department, and cafeteria,
Mrs. E. Z. Wallower; physical depart
ment, Miss Fanny Eby: extension com
mittee. Miss Alice Graydon; building
committee, Miss M. Caroline Weiss;
membership campaign, Miss Mary-
Jennings.
| The social program contained three
features. Miss Catherine Heicher
, sang two solos. Miss Roberta Swartz
I recited "A Quiet Half-hour on the
Beach," an amusing monologue that
I delighted the audience. Miss Swartz
| will teach elocution in the Y. W. C. A.
Coroner's Inquest Into
Auto Tragedy Postponed
An inquest into the death of Miss
Grace Maugan. 310 Forster street, who
died from injuries received in an auto
mobile accident at Front and Walnut
streets New Year's night, will lie held
within the next week. Coroner Eck
inger will hold the investigation as
I soon as the three other persons who
were injured at the same time are able
to testify. Samuel Weebr, Sylvan Ter
race, and T. Elder Cleckner, 1112
Green street, the two men who were
hurt, aro able to testify, but Miss IJl
lian Swails. 1410 Green street, has
not sufficiently recovered.
Miss Swails said this morning that
just before the crash occurred she
exchanged seats with Miss Maugan.
To this action she attributes the sav
ing of her life.
POPE VISITS \VOtM)KI) |\
THE SANTA MARTA HOSPITAL
By Associated Press
Rome, Jan. 13. Some of the news
papers announce that Pope Benedict,
in vllxtinK the wounded at the Santa
Marta Hosonlfil. Ipft the Vatican, thus
interrupting the traditional imprison
ment of the Pone always adhered to
by Pope Pius IX, l.eo and Pin- x, as
after the fall of the temporal po\v«>r i
meaning thus to protest against the 1
occupation of Rome.
In reality the I'ontifT did not leave
the Vatican, but passing through the
Apostollr nalace Inside of St. Peter's he
reached the hosnltal without touching I
Italian soil. His predecessor <lld the I
same thing when h* visited the
wounded brought to Santn Marta Hos
pital after the earthquake in Messina
16 PAGES • POSTSCRIPT
KAISER'S FORCES MAKE
IMPORTANT GAINS NEAR
SOISSONS; TURKS ADVANCE:
British Victory Near La Bassee Reported Unofficially;
Germans Reported Driven Back With Heavy Losses,
Giving Allies New Position of Strategic Value; Pe
trograd Believes German Offensive Movement in the
West Has Spent Its Force
A British victory not recorded in
the official statement from Paris or!
Berlin and described as important is |
reported unofficially from St. Omer, i
France. It is saia that on January 10 I
the British stormed the German en- !
trenched positions near I,a Bassee, in ,
France, about ten miles south of the |
Belgian border, driving; back the Ger- ;
mans with heavy losses and advancing i
one mile. The positions involved are
of considerable strategic value, but
confirmation of their reported capture
is lacking.
Heavy fighting continues near Sois
sons, where tlie Germans have won
Important advantages over the allies.
Near Perthes, in the Argonne and
upper Alsace and elsewhere along the
western front where recently there
have been heavy engagements activity
has subsided. Other phases of the ]
military situation In the AVest appar- !
ently have been subordinated for the
present to that in the Soisson region,
where the outcome may exercise a
marked intluenoe on future operations
over a long stretch of the front.
Petrograd is confident that the Ger
man offensive movement In Poland
has spent Its force and the war office
announces that Russian forces have
t made gains along the Vistula. General
i von Hindenburg's troops are now oc
cupying strongly entrenched positions.
| however, and there are no indications
that they are threatened seriously by
| the Russian attacks.
The Turkish forces which pene-
I trated Persia, occupying Tabriz, are
| now advancing into the interior. Rus
sia explains her exacuation of Tabriz
i as due to strategic reasons which ne
| cessitated a regrouping of her troops.
] The Porte Is said to have offered to
withdraw its forces from Persia if Rus
sia also would do so.
I British Claim Victory
in Advance on La Bassee
By Associated Prtts
Paris. Jan. 15, 5-45 A. M. The
|H*vas Agency ha* recßlred a dispatch
rk, Jan. 15.— r #
oint it has re M
w
c
of about twenty cents a barrel on all »
patents were quoted at $7.35 and r.o:r.e fan F
per barrel. C
NIGHT SESSIONS OF CABINET I
hington, Jan. 15. • £
f
I
o 1 ;n; tent business. C
I
L
• -Rice made urgent represent:"' C
Depai ment today against the £
>m Tampico from which the Bri L
> f its fuel. %
Dr. Martin G. Brumbaugh, the new governor, is the ■
f Governor Tener at the Executive Mansion. 9
use his own words he came to look over his home g
■ years and he declined to make an; »
iovernor Tener had luncheon together, after 3
they vent over the building. «
Dr. Brumbaugh was accompanied by James S. I- F
who was his campaign secretary, and this is taken w
that he will he his private secretary. Waiter H Gaither, m
Governor Tener's secretary, met them at the station arid W
they went to the Mansion. t
Dr. Brumbaugh said that his visit here was purely social g
and that he had no announcements to make. He declin ' Jr
to discuss cabinet appointments at all, contenting himself f
with saying that they would be made known in due season. W
Monday evening with his family. J
Dr. Brumbaugh said that he planned to come Here on f
kholm, Jan. 15, vja London, 2i40 TV M. #
SWedlsH loan amounting to $10,000,000 will be issued iri 2fe v M
days. "#
MARRIAGE LICENSES |
Hnrrl* Arthur Vargall and A«n» Clarlaa Hrlnhln, Tj runt 1 . /
Uarrrn Alrfr Kahrlrann and Anna Harriet Wllaou, SteeHon. i
Juat-pli E. Gona and Ida M. Beera. Knola. J)
from St. Omer dated January 10 whlrtM
relates to a British victory and an ad-J
vance near I.a Bassee of one mile.'
The message follows:
'•The British, by an impetuous attack
stormed the strongly entrenched Ger- ,
man position near La Bassee at 2
o'clock this afternoon after a vigorous
preliminary shelling. This is an im
portant stragetie point, and its occu
pation represents an advance of on»
mile. The British losses were slight
but the Germans lost heavily. Many
Germans were taken prisoners."
Von Kluck, Assisted by
Flood Stage in River,
Pushes French Army Back
By Associated Press
London, Jan. 13, 12.10 P. M. —The
violent German attack to the north of
Soissons under the direction of Gen
eral von Kluck, which, coupled with a
flood stage of the river, has forced tho
French back across the Aisne, is the:
most striking news of the last twenty
four hours from the seat of war. Th«
Germans have been gaining in this
locality for several (lays, but they haft
not recovered all of the ground lost
by them. This engagement north of
Soissons Is the first notable fighting in
the vicinity since last September, when
the British army, which subsequently
was transferred to Belgium, was suc
cessful in crossing the Alsne.
READY TO EVACUATE
By Associated Press
Teheran. Persia, Thursday, Jan. 14,
via London. Jan. 15, 4.40 P. M. —Th«
Turkish ambassador here has notified
the Persian government that the Port
is ready to evacuate the province of
Azerbaiffian as soon as the Russians
definitely move out of this territory
and after the heir to the throne
reaches Tabriz to assume control. The
heir to the throne is to leave Teheran
for TahrlH in a few day*.