Democrats Continue Fight to Have Ship Bill Recommiiec "'iih Amendmei HARRISBURG TELEGRAPH LXXXIV— No. 27 FIRE SWEEPS FORD GARAGE; WALLS FALL IN; FIGHTERS NARROWLY ESCAPE DEATH 'NEATH RUINS Valiant Effort of Volunteer! Saves Neighboring Ware house and Business Dis trict; One Fireman Hurt by Falling Glass 30 NEW CARS BURNED; TOTAL LOSS $45,000 Thousands Endanger Lives Leaning Against Rail oi Mulberry Street Bridge; Origin of Blaze Not Estab lished Flames early this afternoon to tall) destroyed the Wr storage building and garage of the ford Sales Com pany, damaging plant, thirty cars awl other contents and adjoining buildings to the extent of approximately $45,00 C in one of the most spectacular lire; iliat has ever occurred in that sectlor of the city's warehouse district. 1 idling nails endangered the lives ol a dozen or more liremen, most Oi whom narrowly escaped death I>> leap ing to a place of safety In the nick oi lime when the masses of brick anil limlier crashed to the ground. Gasoline and oil stored in the build ing ami In the cars also menaced the tire lighters who feared to get to close to the blazing building because of pos sible explosions. Thousands of people watched the blaze from the Mulberry street bridge only a short distance away and while the'lire was at its height the pressure of the crowds on tlie railing so serious ly threatened the stability of the post* that police had to bo stationed on the viaduct to force Imck the people. The bridge crosses to the Hill some eighty-odd i'eet above Cameron street al that polnl and had the railings given way when the people were on i lie* structure hundreds would have been dashed to their death on the pavements below. Because e>f the oil and gasoline In the building the smoke made a thrill ing picture' for the thousands on the *■ idge and on the window sills ami oofs of other buildings in various "parts of the city which gave an advan tageous view. Clouds of black smoke made an ever-changing canopy streaked here and there with the pale blue streaks of burning oil. Walls Crash In About 1 o'clock the first explosion presumably from gasoline, occurred and the- root and walls crashed in Showers of sparks and clouds ol smoke swept e>ver the Hill section ol the city. The damaged buildings and the probable losses entailed follow: Ford plant, P. Drlscoll. local man ager. building, valued at $14,000, opened April 1, 131-1: contents, includ ing supplies worth $5,000, thirty cars, eighteen of which were new; two saved. Average value of new cars, SBOO. Insurance small. Ulrieh & Frederichson, blacksmith! and wagonmakers, principal damage due to crashing of Ford building walls; damage, $4,000 to $6,000; par tial insurance. Xuss Manufacturing Company, band Instruments, adjoining burned plant on south, damaged by falling walls; loss about $300; partially covered by insurance. The origin of the blaze is now the subject of investigation by Fire Chief Kindler and Mr. Driscoll. The latter said he believed the fire originated on the first floor and was due to a defect in a pipe of a new steam heat plant that had just been installed and which became overheated and had ignited oil. Other I'lauls Kndangcred Adjoining the blacksmith shop were 1 lie New York Fish Market and the 11. X. Stees livery stables. Because these were directly ir. the path of the tiames the firemen devoted their ef forts to preventing the sweep ol' the fire over these structures. On the lower side of the Ford building and immediately next to the Mulberry street bridge is the Xuss manufactur ing plant, makers of band instru ments. This was menaced within a short time after the lire got under way and the firemen had to fight valiantly to prevent the onrusb of the flames. Thousands Gather On Itrldge Because of the- location of the Ford plant the burning buildings could be readily seen from the Mulberry street v iaduct, and this was a vantage point for thousands of people. The spread [Continued on Page 11] THE WEATHER Kor Ilnrriaburg anil vicinity: Pnrt ly cloudy nmi ■umrnliK narmrr to-night, with low out tempera ture about 25 degree*; Friday rnlit ami warmer. Kor Kaniern Pennsylvania: Partly to-nlicMi Friday rain nml warmer: cloudy nn<l Momewhat wiirmrr to night: Friday rain and warmer: moderate variable wind*. River The Sunqnehanna river and all It* branches* will fall to-night and Friday, except the .liinlala. and the We«l II ranch may begin to rise Friday afternoon or night under the Influence of the storm now approaching from the Went. A atage of abont 7.0 feet IN indi cated for llarrlaburK Friday morning. lieneral Condition* The Atlantic roaat Klorm ha* pann ed off seaward. it canned snow In the last tuenly-fonr honr* along and near the Atlnntle roast from Mrglnla to Northern VlaJnc and llicht locnl innni in the Ohio Valley and the l.ake Keglon. Temperature: S a. m., 32. Sun: Rtaea, 7:17 a. M.i aria, 3:28 p. m. Moom Hlaea, 10:45 p. m. Hirer Stage: 8.8 feet above low water mark. Veaterday'a Weather Htglieat temperature, 30. |.oweat temperature. 22. lean temperature. 26. toruial temperature, 28. 1 FIGHTING THE BIG FIRE IN THE FORD GARAGE \ I|L .... _ . " "" . . . - '■' ' - ' mUKBMLMHUBm . . i - «§! .■ IS BP^fß i.- •* . ■ : ,^,.„ WHERE FIREMEN XARROWLY ESCAPED DEATH Tlip etching shows liow the firemen fought the big tire in the Ford gar age this afternoon, where damage to the amount of close on to J45.000 was done. Gasoline explosions 011 the second floor helped wreck the building On the left of the picture is seen tlie wreckage following the fall of walls adjoining the blacksmith and wagon repair shop of Ulrich & Frederickson. Just a minute before the fall of the wall six Paxton Company firemen were standing on the roof of the smithy lighting the flames with a big hose. Thcv had just stepped back from the intense heat when the wall fell. 50 MORE CENTRAL PA. MA DE ELLIO T T-FIS Big Typewriter Firm Finds Possibilities of Domestic Trade So Great They Want That Many in New School So great are the demands for the machines of the Elliott-Fisher Type writer company, that the management has decided to place 50 new salesmen throughout the country within the next six months. As a means toward this end, the company will begin a second course in salesmanship at its big South Cameron street plant beginning March 1. The fifty young men that the THIEF STEMS 51 WORTH OF JEWELS* WITH MUD 111 HOUSE Second Story Man Makes Rich Haul From Two Hill Residences While the maid was busy in the j kitchen cleaning up the breakfast j dishes yesterikiy morning-, a sneak 'thief entered the home of Wilson R. j Houser, 1 724 State street, superinten | dent of the local branch of the inter national Correspondence Schools, and : stoic jewelry valued at S2OO from a j bureau on the second floor. The robbery occurred between 9 ami 111 o'clock. Mr. and Mrs. Jlouser had [Continued on Page 11 ] SHIP BILL'S FATE IN MARSHALL'S HANDS Vice-President May Be Called Upon to Cast Deciding Vote By Associated Press Washington, D. C.. Feb. 4.—Vice- I Pr< sident Marshall probably will cast the vote which decides whether the i administration ship bill lives or dies at this session of ('(ingress. If the expectations of the leaders are ful- j filled it will be one of the few in- • stances in which the Vice-President of ; the United States has swung the bal- I ance. The last was when the late ] Vice-President Sherman cast the de- I ciding vote for the Hristow resolution which put a constitutional amendment for direct election of senators before the people. Administration Democrats reformed [Continued on Page 11] YAQCI INDIAN'S MUTINY ON WAY TO SUPPORT VILLA By Associated Press San Diego. Cal., Feb. 4.—Four per sons were killed and twenty were I wounded including two officers, when ' 1,000 Yaqul Indians mutinied at Guay mas yesterday according to wireless advices received to-day by Roar Admi ral Howard on board the flagship San Diego now In the harbor. The mutiny occurred while the In dians were being sent to support a re treating column of Villa soldiers which had evacuated Navajoa, Sonora. No foreigners were Injured. HARRISBURG, PA., THURSDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 4, 1915. company wants, will be drawn from Harrisburg and Central Pennsylvania, as It is the policy of the firm to draw on the home boys when they wish to train new salesmen. The typewriter company has just graduated fifteen salesmen from courses begun about January 1. These men have been stationed in various cities throughout the United States. The course beginning March 1 will continue four weeks. JAPANESE MISER. WITH 500 ON BOARD. BREAKING UP AT SEA War Vessel Wrecked 350 Miles South of Port Bastolome, Rear Admiral Howard Reports By Associated Press Washington. I>. C., I'eb. I.—Roar Admiral Howard, from Jiis flagship San Diego, off Etiseinula. I/owcr Cali fornia. informed the Navy Department to-ila> liv wireless that the Japanese cruiser Wima. with 500 men. lias been wrecked about 330 miles south of Port itastolnmc and is breaking up. Th«' admiral added be was -ending as. «i st a nice at once from the nearest American vessel. The Asama is a [Continued on Page 11] PHYSICIM LYNCHED BY MOB 111 SOUTH Dr. Culberson Attacked Young Married Woman on Lonely Farm Near Augusta, Ga. fly Associated Press Augusta, Ga., Feb. 4.—Dr. A. B. I Culberson, a physician, of Evans. Ga., was shot dead to-day by a posse of citizens which liad boen searching for ] him since last night, according to re ports received here. Culberson was j charged with assaulting a young mar j rled woman, the daughter of a promi nent citizen of Martinez. Dr. Culberson WHS killed at a farm house near Evans, In Columbia coun ty, 12 miles from Augusta. The as sault with which he was charged was committed early yesterday. Sheriff Plunkett, of Richmond coun ty, with three deputies, started for Martinez at midnight to arrest the physician who was reported to be in hiding there. After several hours' futile search. Plunkett and his depu ties returned to Augusta. A posse of citizens, however, con tinued the hunt and found Culberson early tto-day in the farm house. The early to-day in the farm house. The Then, it is reported, Culberson drew a revolver and tried to escape, but the posse fired and he fell with his bodv riddled with bullets. VIE El NOW CONTROLS MEXICAN PRESIDENCY » Appoints Three Ministers to Take Charge of Civil Government in Country SENDS NOTICE TO AGENTS Declares That Under Circum stances He Was Forced to lake Over Reins By Associated Press El l'nso. Tex., Feb. 4. Francisco Villa has proclaimed himself in charge of the presidency of Mexico. This was announced in a telegram from Gen eral Villa received last night by his agents here. Villa appointed three ministers to take charge of the civil government. Villa gave as his reason for assum ing the office that liis forces had been separated from the convention govern ment headed by Roque Gonzalez Garza as provisional president who left with the Zapata forces when they departed •south from Mexico City at its occupa tion recently by Obregon's Carranza troops. Villa telegraphed from Aguas Calientes under date of yesterday the following: "On account of communications having been cut off between the con vention government and the division under my command and as public ser vice cannot bo interrupted on the ex tensive zone whicn I control 1 find my self compelled to assume the political authority creating three political ad ministrate departments: The foreign affairs and justice department, in charge of Attorney M. Diaz Lombardo; state and communications. General Luis De La Garza Cardenas; treasury <:nd industry, Attorney Francisco Es cudero." , UKE BOUT LOST; CREW |N OMKEH [ Take to Ice When Steamer Is Crushed; Lifesavers Put Out to the Rescue By Associated I'ress Chicajro, 111., Feb. 4.—The steamer lowa, of the Goodrich Transit Com pany, was caught in the ice about three miles off the Chicago harbor anil sank to-day. The crew and passen gers.- numbering about fifty, took to the ice. City tugs and the life crew started to their rescue. Wireless messages for help from the steamer were received shortly be fore it sank. Captain Garland of the life saving station, manned a tug and started at once. Two hours before people on the north shore had seen what they thought were two men struggling to ward the shore over the ico hum mocks. Whether they were members of the lowa's crew was not known. The life savers saw the ship sink. Persons watching from the roof of a lake front skyscraper, reported that the lowa's men reached the govern ment breakwater at the mouth of the river after a perilous walk across the ice. The tugs were slowly making their way to the pier. BISHOP urns GROWS WEAKER At a late hour this afternoon the condition of Bishop Dubs was re ported as slightly weaker. CITY ASSESSMENT SYSTEM VICIOUSLY WRONG'—BOYER School Board President Tells Directors Middle Class Is Unfairly Taxed VALUATION FAR TOO LOW Quotes "Criminally Unfair" Spe cific Instances; Small Property Owner "Soaked" Characterizing the present system of city assessment valuation as "crim inally unfair and viciously wrong," Harry A. Boyer. president of the School Board, before more than 300 delegates to the twentieth annual con vention of fhe Directors' Department of the Pennsylvania State Educational Association, this afternoon, presented solutions for the school taxation prob tem which he deems logical. He claimed the small property hold era are unfairly taxed 'and as a result, the middle class is forced to shoulder jtlie burden of taxation. This causes I considerable dissension and is respon jßible for the enmity of many taxpayers to a more progressive school system, he said, A full value assessment, on .land and improvements is suggested as a solution. The present valuation of $49,000,000 is regarded by Mr. Boyer as about half of what it should be. The present system of auditing the books of the school district was also severely criticised by Mr. Boyer. Two-Day Session Opens The two-day convention opened in j Tech Auditorium this morning with Mr. Boyer presiding. S. ,T. M. McCar- I rell. associate law judge, made the ad i dress of welcome. A prophetic vision lof the future of schools of the. State j was presented by C. S. Foos, superin tendent of Reading schools in an ad • dress on "What is the Matter With th« Public Schools." lie predicted that eventually schools would be opened at all hours of the day and evening and that more consideration would be given physical culture, so cial poise, vocational training and moral education. "The home, church and newspa jpers." said Professor Foos. "are the greatest workers for a higher plane of education." This afternoon J. George Becht. sec retary of the State Board of Educa tion. presented an illustrated lecture on "School Architecture." .Just be fore adjourning th-j legislative com r.ittee presented a number of resolu tions. To-night's Session A session will be held this evening at which "The School Directors and the School Work" will be presented b;. - Dr: J. P. McCaskey, of Lancaster, and an address, made by Congressman S. D. Fess, of Ohio. Dr. Sai.iuei Hamilton, of Allegheny county will deliver his annual address to the students at Central High school, during the session in the auditorium, to-morrow morning. Later Mr. Becht will conduct a question box. The con vention will close early to-morrow afternoon after reports of all the com mittees have been made. Mr. Boyer said in part: Harrisbtirsr's Stern Realities "Are all directors confronted with the stern realities that exist in the city of Harrisburg? Have you found it [Continued on Page 2] Chalk Lodges in Girl's Ear; Removed With Difficulty Surgeons at the Harrisburg Hospital yesterday afternoon probed for nearly an hour for a piece of chalk that had lodged In the ear of •Emma Powley, aged 14 years, 310 Boyd street. Miss Powley, a student at the Reily building, was working on the black board. She used the end of the chalk to scratch hrr car. The chalk broke off and lodged in the ear. j SAYS BRITISH DECISION HAS NOT BEEN* PUBLISHED By Associated Press j London, Feb. 4, 4.4 7 A. M.—Re j ferring to the statement in American papers that the British government | has decided that foodstuffs consigned j to Germany shall be considered eon- J traband, the Times says: "We understand no British decision on the general principle of treating | foodstuffs as contraband has been | communicated as yet to the United States government. The decision pub lished in the American press appears to refer to the specific case of the Willielmina." TREASURER REFUSED PAROLE By Associated Press Hartford, Conn., Feb. 4. —William F. Walker, defaulting treasurer of the Savings Bank of New Britain, who is serving a sentence of one to twenty years in State prison has been refused a parole by the Board of Parole. WAR MATERIALS ORDERED By Associated Press Rome, Feb. 4, 9.20 A. M. —The Ru manian government has placed orders in Italy for a large quantity of ammu nition, delivery to lie made during the month of April. This war material is ordered with the consent of the Italian government. Lehigh Valley Head Urges Less Legislation Special to The Telegraph Washington, D. C.. Feb. 4.—Presi dent E. B. Thomas, of the Lehigh Val ley Rairoad, told President Wilson yesterday business conditions showed improvement and that railroads were gaining In traffic. They needed less regulation, he told the President, to better their condition. GOVERNOR PRINCIPAL GCKST I Reading. Pa„ Feb. 4. Governor Martin G. Brumbaugh will be the prin cipal guest of honor and the speaker at the annual banquet of the Rending Chamber of Commerce, to be held In the Berkshire Hotel on Friday evening. February '-6. The attendance will lie limited to 400. 14 PAGES BELGIANSARE A GAIN FA CING GERMAN ARMS Remnant of Little Army Meets Enemy Along Yser, Where Terrific Drive Is Being Made in New Effort to Reach Coast; Russians Report Victories, bat Battles Still Rage; No Change in Carpathians; No Change in Po land The remnants of the Belgian troops which are still defending the little strip of their fatherland not in pos session of the Germans, once more are bearing the brunt of the fighting in the west. Unofficial reports from Amster dam state that the Germans are again making an attack along the Yser, which was the scene of the heaviest fighting and greatest loss of life of the war thus far, during the earlier Ger man attempts to break the allied line and reach the English channel. For the last two days Belgians and Ger mans have been engaged in combat, j in which the possession of trenches | has been decided with the bayonet. I The Amsterdam report says the Ger- | man attacks have been repulsed. The struggle in the East is Increas- j ing in severity as the Austro-German j attack develops. Heavy fighting is now in progress along virtually the whole front except in Bukowina. An official statement from Petrograd to-day re ports a number of important victories for the Russians. In Northern Po land near the West Prussian border, the village of Skempe, for some time the scene of a hard struggle, has been captured by the Russians, the report says. Further south, to the west of Warsaw, the Germans brought up 1 masses of their first line troops and j repeated their tactics of hurling one; regiment after another at several po sitions. The Russian report describes the attack as furious and adds that j the Germans suffered immense loss but j were driven back. So far as the re port shows there has been no change ' in the Carpathians. Russian aviators bombarded three i German mobilization centers, another official report says. The raid is de scribed as successful although no de tails are given. The surrender of Lieutenant Colo nel Kemp, the South African rebel leader, is expected at Pretoria to bring to an end the uprising. Five hundred Burgners and their officers laid down their arms, and the surren der of Colonel Maritz, the only one of I o wreck ' the Reading Railway's fast cx- 1 burg, running via this cily, near Alburtis, last night. A huge rock was discovered on the track with iron bars driven into the ground near the 1 is ji st in time. The discovery was ' 1 mi le by the engineer of a freight train. The place where 1 !the obstruction was found is on a down grade. AMERICAN SHIPPING WARNED Washington S'eb. 4.-- Count BernstonT, the Gcimna ambassador notified the State Department to-day that j iA.' - n vessels should •id '.he North and West coast of France. 'i v ; J it is prepared to seize and pay for the carj ti.e V 'iihe.'mina, which it, v.u w nearing the shove-, of Eta up.-. | . he vessel would be allowed to depart. Amsterdam, Feb. 4, via London, 2.35 P. M.—A dispatch i received from Hamburg says that Emperor William at- | rived at Wilhelmshaven this morning. His Majesty in- j spected the German submarine U 21, going over the vessel ( personally. He bestowed the decoration of the iron cross I upon the members of the submarine crew. i Indianapolis, Feb. 4.—State wide prohibition was placed , < I 1 the House. The manufacture of homemade wines and cider I is le alized by the bill. I Variceboro, Me., Feb. 4.—Werner Horn was to-day j sentenced to thirty da ty jail on c I damaged property in this town by the explosion pf M dynamite under the international railroad bridge. * Washington, Feb. 4.—Two blankets marked "Idler" K washed ashore at the Cape Hatteras coast guard station are ■ regarded as silent proof that the vessel wrecked on Diamond I r Shoals last week was the.yacht of that name from New York € i on a cruise to the Pacific and that her captain and crew of C ; twelve undoubtedly were lost. C MARRIAGE I, I Edwin R. Ilfrr and \>rn« A. Hratnl, cttj. f I William f, \\ lar and Harah E. stroup, city. t r Claude E. Foulton and Mary E. I.auvcr, rfty. M • POSTSCRIPT the four original rebel leaders, who is still at large, is predicted. WANTS WOMAN WHO RECEIVED STORES TAKEN INTO CUSTODY By Associated Press Paris. Feb. 4, 10.10 A. M.—M. Dela haye, member of the chamber of depu ties. has made a written demand 01* Aristide Briand, the minister of jus tice, to be ittformed why Mme. Bechoff, to whom Francis Desclaux, general paymaster of the army, in j alleged to have sent stolen military j stores, has not been arrested. 1 When Desclaux was arrested late iri 1 January it was charged that he had | been sending army provisions to a 1 woman and that large Quantities of these stores were found by the inili | tary police in her mansion in the Ave nue Henri Martin. The woman was said to be the wife of a German. It was stated that she was suffering from appendicitis and for this reason had not been taken into custody. German Papers Declare Wilson Has Backed Down !<* in Great Britain's Favor j Berlin. Feb. 4, via London. 10.5S j A. M. —-A news dispatch has been re- I ceived here from Washington saying: 1 that President Wilson has consented to an amendment to the ship purchase : bill which provides that no vessel is ! to be bought by the United States if! such purchase would lead to conflict: with any one of the belligerent powers. Nearly all the German newspapers criticise this course sharply. They virtually unite in calling it a back down before Great Britain on the part of President Wilson. The Kreur Zei tung says: "This tender consideration of Great Britain is the more remarkable inso much as it injures America herself."
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers