Big Business Block Swept by Early Morning Fire With Loss of $150,000
-. mi m "'I i a i 1 IP" * •
HARRISBURG WamiM TELEGRAPH
LXXXIV— Xo. 217
'FIRE SWEEPS CENTRAL BUSINESS
BLOCK WITH LOSS OF $150,000
Twelve Business Places Gut
ted or Destroyed; Nine
Apartments Burned Out;
54 Automobiles Lost in
Central Garage
THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE
CROWD THE FIRE UNES
Firemen Do Splendid Work
and Save Brewery; Thrill
ing Rescues; Several Fire-
Fighters Hurt; Gasoline
Explosions Add Fuel to Big
Blaze; No Loss of Life
Fire early this morning swept;
the business block on the north
west corner of Fourth and Chest
nut streets, entailing a loss esti
mated at $150,000. Twelve busi
ness places were wiped out nine
residences and apartments were
destroyed and thirty-one people
were made homeless.
The blaze started shortly after 2
o'clock in the kitchen of the Philadel
phia Cafe, 26-28 South Fourth street, 1
_ owned by Ahmad Hamcwei.
* Fire Chief John C. Kindler believes j
an explosion of gas in the cafe kitchen
fet fire to lard and grease. The build
ing is a frame structure and the flames
spread rapidly.
The fire spread north on Fourth
street to Blackberry street; south on
Fourth street to Chestnut; along Chest
nut street to the residence of Dr. M. L.
Wolford, and out Blackberry street to
the Doehne brewery.
The destruction by the flames was
so rapid that occupants of the homes
and apartments merely had time to
escape in their night clothes. It was
impossible to save the contents of any
of the buildings, except a few tables
from the Palace Restaurant at Fourth
and Blackberry streets.
THRILLING RESCCES
There were several thrilling rescues.
Miss .Ynnie Ashton, who occupied one
of the apartments at 22 South Fourth
street, fell over unconscious as she
reached the foot of the stairway. She
was carried by two firemen to the
Victor Hotel, across the street.
Mrs. Harris Cohen, aged 65 years,
residing at 20 South Fourth street
was awakened by the smoke. She was
helped to the streets by two railroad
ers and a newspaperman, and takan
to the home of Mrs. Gertrude Jame
son, 21 South Fourth street. A colored
maid. Helen Ragsdale, who was over
come by smoke in the Cohen home,
was also helped to a nearby house.
Save One Auto
E. C. Jones, who occupied a room
in the front of the Central Garage 1n
Chestnut street, xas awakened by an
employe and he narrowly escaped
with his clothes. His personal belong
ings were lost. When Jones came
THE WEATHER
Hnrrisbnxg and viclnityt Partly
cloudy to-night and Friday, prob
ably thunder ikonerii. Slightly
cooler.
Eastern Pennsylvania: Partly
cloudy to-nlglit nnd Friday ivith
probably local thunder showers.
Somewhat lower temperature.
Moderate variable winds.
River-
No material changes are likely t«
occur In river conditions. A stage
of about 3.3 feet Is Indicated for
Harrlshurg Friday morning.
Pressure la high and has Increas
l "I somewhnt since laat report over
nearly all the eastern half of the
country and in the Rocky Moun
tain and plateau regions. An area
of low pressure Is central over
western Canada, Its front extending
southeastward Into the npper Mis
sissippi valley, . Showers have
fallen along the South Atlantic and
«ulf coasts and over most of the
territory between the Rocky Moun
tains and the Mississippi river.
It Is 2 to 12 degrees cooler over
the greater part of the lake region
and thence eaatward to the Atlan
tic coast except In New England.
It Is 4 fo 1(1 degree*; -warmer In the
Missouri and upper Mississippi val
leys.
s _Teraperat„r*i g B- m.. T4i 2 p. m.,
Sum Rises, 5.40 a. m.j Seta, A.15
p. m.
Moon i Seta. 10.50 p. m.
River Stage i 8.3 feet above low
water mark.
YESTERDAY'S WEATHER
Highest temperature, 01.
Lnwnt temperntore. 73.
Mean temperature, SJ.
Siormnl trrapcrature, 05.
■BEL A. ! V * il^i^^Ml
LOSERS IN THE FIRE
The loss from the fire was
$125,000, distributed as follows:
Fourth street—
No. 18 Palace restaurant, loss on
building by Doehne's Sl.OOO; con
tents, $1,500. Total $2,500.
Xo. 20 Mrs. Annie Cohen, resi
dence and contents, SB,OOO.
N'o. 22 Hetrick and Cieistwhite,
tailor shop and apartment house,
$15,000.
No. 24 Charles Anderson, barber
shop, loss $1,000; Doehne's loss
on building, i«, 000. Total lobs
$7,000.
No. 2ft Fred Bender, barber sup
plies, loss SI,OOO.
No. 28 Philadelphia care, A limed
Haraawci, $1,000; building, SI,OOO.
Total loss $2,000.
No. 30 Mrs. Annie Keener, build
ing and contents, SB,OOO.
N'o. 32-34 J. C. Kelley, plumber,
$2,000; on building, $5,000. Mc-
Caskey Cash Register company,
SI,OOO. Total loss, SB,OOO.
No. 36 August 1.. Rumford,
building, $3,000; M. Rarhush,
fruits. 81,000. Total loss SI,OOO.
Chestnut street—
No. 331-4811 Central Auto garage,
5-1 machines belonging to thirty
individuals, loss SOO,OOO. Build
ing, $6,000. Total. Sftft.OOO.
No. 332, 330 and 328 residences
of Robert Boyer, Thomas Brown
and Dr. M. IJ. Wtdford, smoke and
water damage to furniture, $2,500.
down the stairway to the first floor |
of the garage he found the place filled
with smoke and flames. With Norman
Deibler, night foreman at the garage
Jones pushed an automobile which
was in the front of the building
through a large plate glass window to
Chestnut street. The car, which Is
owned by J. C. Peters of Middletown,
was the only one that was saved.
General Alarm Goes In
When the firemen arrived in re
sponse to an alarm 'from Box No. 221
Fourth and Market streets, the flames
had gained considerable headway. A
general alarm was turned in Im
mediately. but it required three hours'
hard work before the fire was under
control. Firemen were kept on duty
at the ruins all day, as the flames
broke out at frequent intervals.
No Serious Injuries
There were no serious accidents. A.
L. Patton of the Reily Company was
overcome with smoke and he was sent
to the Harrisburg Hospital. A. S.
Ferguson was badly burned about the
l>ital for treatment. The Chestnut
street front of the garage fell on both
men.
James R. Hughes, a traveling sales
man, was hit on the shoulder by a
heavy flying object which came
through the air after an explosion, re
ceiving a hard blow. He is carrying
his arm in a sling to-day. Edward
Moore, employed at the Capitol was
also slightly cut and bruised by flying
missiles. A number or firemen had
narrow escapes when roofs of the
frame structures fell In. and when part
of a brick wall in the rear of the Pal
ace restaurant toppled over.
Firemen Do Great Work
The firemen lost little time in get
ting to work, in the opinion of Fire
Chief Kindler, they did remarkable
service. At the start four streams
were directed to the Philadelphia Cafo
building.
On the arrival of the firemen from
the general alarm call Fire Chief
Kindler and Assistant Fire Chief Ed
ward Halbert placed the firemen at
every point of vantage. They worked
on Chestnut street, along Fourth
street, on Blackberry street and from
the rear of Doehne's brewery.
At intervals flames spread to build
ings across Blackberry street, but they
were quickly extinguished. Two
streams were kept busy on Chestnut
street property adjoining the blaze.
The flames were helped some by a
breeze from the southeast which came
up about 2.30 this morning.
names Spread to Garuge
From tha cafe the flames spread to
the garage. This building, an old
structure, was soon a seething furnace
and it was only a short time until the
roof fell in. In the meantime the
business places on Fourth street
caught fire and with the exception of
the lower floor they are a wreck.
The stable of Dr. J. H. Oyler, the
veterinarian, adjacent to the garage,
was also food for the licking fiamei.
It Is a complete wreck. The Doehne
brewery building joins the Oyler
stable. Here the work of the flames
stopped on Blackberry street.
Buildings Burned to Ground
The cafe in which the fire started
la In ruins. Adjoinins on the south
side is the residence of Mrs. Anne
Keener, which was totally destroyed.
[Continued on Page 91
HARRISBURG, PA., THURSDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER 16, 1915
WHAT HAPPENED AT FOURTH AND CHESTNUT STREETS THIS MORNING
The pictures of the Are were taken early this morning while the flwmen
were still on the Job. The picture on the left shows what s left of the Phila
delphia Cafe in which the Are Is believed to have started.
On the right is a view of the rear of the apartment buildings which were
gutted by the flames. The brick walls are still standing, hut will have to be
pulled down.
The picture at the bottom shows the sweep made by the flames, and the
ruins of the garage and other bullglngs.
RECORD CROPS FOR
VERB ffi PROMISED
Estimates Published by Department
of Agriculture Show Increase
Over Last Month
By Associated Press
Washington, D. C., Sept. 16.—Ma
terial gains in the prospects for |
bumper cereal crops are disclosed in
the Department of Agriculture's
monthly crop estimates published to
day. The department says:
"General crop prospects on Septem
ber 1 in the United States were favor
able. being somewhat r bove average.
The corn crop improved slightly dur
ing August, especially in Nebraska,
Kansas and Missouri. It went back In
condition in the northernmost states
nnd in the important states of Illinois
and lowa. The forecast of total pro
duction, ,2.985,000,000 bushels, is
67.000,000 more than forecast a
month ago and 312,000,000 bushels
more than the linal estimate of last
year. The quantity forecast at pres
ent has been exceeded in but one year,
namely, 1$• 12. when the estimate was
3,125,000,000 bushels.
"The spring wheat prospects im
proved materially during August, the
forecast for September 1 being 3 22,-
000,000 bushels, which is 15,000,000
more than the August 1 forecast and
116,000,000 bushels more than the
final estimate of last year.
"Applying the present forecast of
spring wheat to the estimate made last
month in winter wheat production
makes a total production of wheat
indicated of 981 000,000 bushels, by
far the largest amount ever produced
in the United States, comparing with
891,000,000 bushels last year—ltself a
record of 686,000,000, the average of
the past five years.
"The oats forecast September 1,
namely, 1,408.000,000, was slightly
higher than the August forecast and
if close to the record crop of 1,481.-
COO,OOO bushels estimated in 1912.
Prospects are most favorable In the
most northern states of Wisconsin,
Minnesota and North Dakota, where
conditions are above normal. A year
ago the crop was estimated at
1,141,000,000 bushels."
Fire Destroys Summer
Home of Former Resident
Special to The Tchzia*h
Real Harbor. Maine, Sept. 16.—The
beautiful $50,000 summer home of
Mrs. L. R. Boggs, of Harrisburg, on
h«r summer place, Meenagha Ledge,
Dodges Point, was burned to the
ground with all the contents shortly
before 8 o'clock last night.
Mrs. Boggs and an aged relative,
ex-Congressman Samuel F. Barr, who
have been occupying the cottage this
season, closed the place Monday and
were, at a hotel here.
Mrs. Boggs who is a former Harris
burg resident, has not lived in this
city for thirty odd years. She lived in
Front street Just below Walnut. For
a great many years Mrs. Boggs has
spent her winters in California and her
summers in Maine.
GOVERNOR IS HOME:
MO. Hlin TIKER ILL
Secretary to the Governor Is in a
Hospital in Minnesota For
Observation Today
Governor Brumbaugh and the Penn
sylvania official party to the San Fran
cisco exposition spent five minutes in
Harrisburg to-day on the return from
the Golden Gate. The Governor went
on to Philadelphia to register as a
for the primary and the general
election.
James S. Hiatt, secretary to the
Governor, did not accompany the
party as he left the train at St. Paul,
Minn., to go to a hospital. "Mr. Hiatt
had not been well on the return trip
and we arranged for him to ko to a
hospital for observation," said the
Governor. "J have not heard since
from him, I thought it best for him
to be studied by doctors. Mrs. Hiatt
is with htm."
When asked about his trip the
Governor said: "We were treated
splendidly in every State and had a
tine time in California. Pennsylvania
is_ much respected t-iroughout the
West. There is no State like Penn
sylvania."
"How did they like the Liberty
Bell?" was asked of the Governor.
"It was the great attraction. To
my mind it was the salvation of the
fair," replied Governor Brumbaugh.
"Many people came especially to see it
and they came long distances."
With the Governor were a number
of members of the State commission.
Secretary of the Commonwealth
Woods joined the party at Greensburg
and Attorney General Brown and
others boarded the train here to go
to Philadelphia with the Governor.
I The Governor will be back in Har-
I rlsburg to-morrow after he registers.
Government Institutions
in Constantinople Are
Moving to Interior
By Associated Press
London. Sept. 16. Advices from
Constantinople, according to the Ath
ens correspondent of the Exchange
Telegraph Company, are to the effect
that aU government financial insti
tutions such as the Ottoman hank are
making preparations to move to the
interior of Asia Minor. It has been
learned from the same sources that
l>ecause of the fear of an insurrection
in the Turkish nvmy all Turkish ar
tillery soon will be placed in charge of
Germans.
STAGE COACH PLUNGES
OVER 200-FOOT LEDGE
St. George, Utah, Sept. 16.—A baby
three months old was the only one of
10 passengers to escape death, or in
jury when an automobile stage, leav
ing here for the railroad station at
Lund. Utah, yesterday ran off the
mountain road near Bellevue and roll
ed 200 feet to the bottom of a creek.
A woman was killed. Two of the
other passengers who were injured will
probably die-
TEUTONIC FORCES OH
RUMANIAN FRONTIER
j,
Persistent Refusal of Rumania to
Permit Passage of German Sup- j
plies Causes Difficulty
AGREEMENT TO BE RATIFIED
Emperor Nicholas Grants Amnesty!
to All Political Prisoners,
Numbering 100,000
Several millions of dollars worth
of American goods, mostly meat pro
ducts, carried by four steamships,
have been declared forfeited to the
crown by a British prize court. The
court held that the products were de
stined for the German government and
not for consumption in Denmark,
I whither the vessels detained were
bound.
German newspapers have published
by official permission dispatches inti
mating that Rumania's participation
in the war may be momentarily ex
pected, according to advices through
Copenhagen.
Following Rumania's persistent re
fusal to allow war supplies for Tur
key to pass through her territory,
Austro-German troops have recently
been massed on the Rumanian fron
tier," while Rumania has effected the
mobilization of large bodies of her
troops.
According to unofficial dispatches
from Petrograd the Russian Duma
I is to be prorogued immediately until
the middle of November, an imper
ial degree to this effect having been
issued. Measures to curtail popular
demonstrations are said to have been
taken in Petrograd and Moscow.
It is reported through Athens that
the Turco-Bulgarian agreement will
be formally ratified by imperial de
cree in Constantinople on September
26 and that the new frontier will be
traced by German officers.
Press advices from Petrograd re
ceived in Italy state that Emperor
Nicholas has granted amnesty to all
political prisoners, who number more
than 100,000.
Two Austrian torpedoboat destroy
ers are reported in dispatches from
Italy to have been sunk by an Italian
submarine in the Adriatic.
Big Cut in Harrisburg
Railways Dividend on
Account of Jitney
The Directors of the Harrisburg
Railways company at their meeting
this morning declared a dividend of
1 per cent- In place of 2V6 per cent,
as has lieen customary. The decrease
in earnings making necessary this
heavy reduction in the dividends 1s
largely attributed to the jitney.
Harrisburg G. U. 0. 0. F.
Make Good Showing
in Carlisle Parade
Twenty-five members of Harrisburg
Patrtarchie, No. 6, Grand United Or
der of Odd Fellows, left this city yes
terday morning at 9.30 o'clock on the
Philadelphia and Reading railway to
participate in the big parade of the
order in Carlisle yesterday afternoon.
The G. U. O. O. F. closed its State
convention in Carlisle yesterday. More
than 700 delegates from all parts of
the State were present at the sessions
which opened Tuesday morning.
lames P..Taylor represented Broth
erly Love Dodge, No. 896, from this
city, and James H. Oxley, the Armeted
Roman Lodge, No. 3468. These two
lodges in the city have a membership
of several hundred.
The Patrtarchie was accompanied
by a banu from this city yesterday and
took part in the parade which started
at 1.30 o'clock. After the convention
sessions closed late yesterday, the del-1
egates returned to this city.
14 PAGES * POSTSCRIPT
BRITISH PRIZE COURT
FORFEITS MRU
POOOUOTS TO COOWII
Shipments Valued at Several Mil
lion Dollars Condemned by
Court in England
ESSELS SEIZED IN NOVEMBER
Lengthy Judgment Delivered by i
Sir Samuel T. Evans; Chicago
Packers Lose
By Associated Press
London, Sept. 16, 3.33 P. M.—The
Rritish prize court to-day condemned '
the greater part of the American!
products forming the cargoes of four!
steamships. The products, valued at |
several million dollars, are declared
forfeited to the crown.
The judgment was delivered by Sirj
Samuel T. Evans, president of the |
court. It involves the cargoes of the J
Norwegian steamships Kim. Alfred)
Nobel, Bjornstjerne - Bjornson and j
Fridland. All the goods on these ves- j
sels, consisting principally of Amer- !
lean meat products, are confiscated |
with the exception of a small pro- j
rContinued on Paßr 10]
Dead Man Is Nominated
For Office in Maryland
By Associated Press
Salisbury, Jld., Sept. 16.—A curious
complication has arisen in Wiconico
county as a result of Tuesday's Demo
cratic primary.
; For the first time, probably, in the
> history of the State, a dead man was
| nominated for office. Ernest A. Toad
l vine, who died suddenly Monday, was
| returned as nominated over J. Clay
ton Kelley for clerk of the circuit
court.
| As Mr. Toadvine died on the day
preceding the primary, his name could
not' be removed from the ticket. Al
though the fact of his death was
known generally throughout the
county, his name received 200 more
votes than his opponent in the party
I and the judges of election were com
pelled to declare him nominated.
It is said that Kelley will claim the
nomination and will fight out the
question in court.
MASONIC LODGE CONSTITUTED
Camp Hill. West Shore Lodge No. 681, Free and Ac
cepted Order of Masons was constituted at noon to-day in
its specially fitted out hall shove d. W. Holler's store, in
Camp Hill, by Right Worshipful Grand Master J. Henry
Williams, of Philadelphia and his staff of grand lodge offi
cers. Following the ceremonies at Camp Hill a luncheon
was served at the Harrisburg Club.
CHICAGO PACKERS LOSE HEAVILY
Chicago, Sept. 16. The meat cargoes confiscated by
Great Britian will be k complete loss to the peckers, accord
ing to Thomas E. Wilson, president of Horris & Company,
as there were no advance payments made on the shipments.
He will issue a statement later to-day.
Washington, Sept. 16. Secretary Garrison said to-day
he would refer all requests for additional citizen training
camps in the Middle West to a central division of the army
at Chicago. The requirements of the Chicago training
camp as to officers and equipment has exhausted the present
resources of the War Department.
' AGAINST PROPOSED WAR LOAN
Chicago, Sept. 16. Claiming that the war loan of a
billion dollars would invite a repetition of the panics of 1873
and 1893, Senator J. Hamilton Lewis, to-day made public a
letter protesting against it.
ALL IS QUIET ALONG BORDER
El Paso, Tex., Sept. 16. All was quiet on the Rio
Grande from Del Rio, Texas, four hundred miles east of
here on the border as far west as Columbus N. M., when the
celebration of Mexico's independence day began to-day.
Berlin, Sept. 16, via London 2.30 P. M. The capture
of the Russian city of Pinsk about 100 miles east of Brest-
Litovsk, was announced to-day at army headquarters.
London,
nounced to-day that in all probability the British submarine
E-7 had been sunk off the Dardanelles.
New York, Sept. 16.—Standard oil millionaires includ
ing John D. Rockefeller, Jr., it was reported to-day are con
sidering the terms of the proposed billion-dollar credit loan
■to Great Britain and France with a view to paptiripating.
MARRIAGE LICENSE^
Henry B. Smith, Dlllnhuric, and l.oulna Trego, city.
llobcrt William Marnn, city, and Alice J. Show, Penbrook.
Irwin A. Light and Katie Kltxabetk Hoke, Lebanoa.
REGISTRATION IS
BIG FACTOR OF WEEK
IN LOCAL POLITICS
Democratic Bosses Seeing No Hope
For "Mule Ticket" Are
Distressed
CANDIDATES ARE ACTIVE
Republicans, Sure of Election if
Nominated, Are Hustling
For Votes
The announcement of the reglstra
tion figures for Harrlsburg has hail
an effect on local politics entirely un
foreseen. Democrats who had been
hoping to slip across a "mule ticket,"
as they did in part four years ago,
woke up to the fact that the Re
publicans cannot be beaten even by a
combination of all the political forces
opposed io them. Add the Socialist,
the Prohibitionist and the Washing
ton party vote to that of the Demo
crats and the total would still be short
by some thousands. The Democratic
bosses at once saw visions of their
"fusion" scheme going up in smoke
unless they could create dissension in
the Republican ranks and their ob
ject distinctly has been to do this ever
since. Rut they are not meeting with
much success.
The re-organization that has been
effected in the Republican party within
the past four years ,or since Frank A.
i Smith was elected county chairman
jin 1912, is believed to have removed
[all danger of a repetition of the dis
' satisfaction such as existed over al-
I leged favoritism in party nominations
! previous to that time. The party man
fContinued on Pago 9]
ENJttNG OF IH'MA SESPHON
IS EXPECTED TUTS WEEK
By Associated Press
■, Petrograd, Sept. 16.—A member of
! the Duma is quoted to-day as saying
I that the session of the Duma will bo
I prorogued not later than September
18, probabl,- for a month.
ENGINEERS IN SESSION
San Francisco, Sept. 16.—Hundreds
of engineers from various parts of the
world attended the convention of the
four main societies of their profes
sions which opened here to-day. All
will remain to attend the International
Engineering Congress which will ba
held next week.