British Armored Cruiser Sunk by Explosion in Harbor With Big Loss of Life _ HARRISBURG ifllgllll TELEGRAPH LXXXIV — No. 306 MANY LOSE LIVES WHEN BIG BRITISH CRUISER IS SUNK BY AN EXPLOSION Natal Goes to Bottom of Har bor as Result of Internal Accident; Of Crew of More Than 700 Only 400 Have Been Saved; Biggest Naval Loss Since Sinking of Triumph and Majestic SERBS ANNIHILATED IN THREE-DAY BATTLE Suffer Crushing Defeat at Hands of Bulgars; Teu tonic Forces Are With drawing From Macedonia to Oppose Russian Offen sive ; Believed English Cabinet Will Adopt Final; Draft of Compulsion Meas ure By Associated Press London, Dec. 31, 12:23 P. M. The British armored cruiser Natal has sunk after an explosion. OH".- cial announcement to this effect was made here to-day. The Natal was sunk yesterday aft ernoon while in harbor as the result of an internal explosion. There are about 400 survivors. The Natal's sinking is the severest loss which the British navy has sus tained in several months. No British i naval vessels of importance have been , sunk since last May, when the | Triumph and Majestic were torpedoed at the Dardanelles. The Natal, al-1 though a powerful man of war, was laid down 11 years ago and her dis placement was only about one half of the largest British sea fighters. The Natal's normal complement was 704 men. Her displacement was! 13.560 tons. Sh was 480 feet long. Her largest guns were 9.2 inch. The' Natal brought from Portsmouth the l body of Whitelaw Reid, American 1 ambassador at London after his death I in 1912. Brit ish I-a nd Troops Further reports of the landing of allied troops on the Greek coast east of Salonlki apparently to checkmate any advance on the right iiank of the Anglo-French positions there, were received to-day, Kavala. being named as the point at which British troops had debarked. Advices last night were that the British had put troops ashore at Orfano. 30 miles to the west of Kavala. Frdm German sources comes a report of the defeat of a Ser bian army, apparently reinforced by Italians, in Central Albania, the Bul garians almost annihilating the Ser bians in a three days' battle, it s de clared. British casulties on all fronts dur ing December totalled 1,001 officers and 17,548 men. Russia Is Silent While Vienna reports that the buttles in Galicia are increasing in [Continued on Page 7.] EMPEROR HAS 8011, London. Dec. 31, 12.35 P. M.—A wireless dispatch from Berlin says the Norddeutsche Allgemeiife Zeitung gives confirmation of the report that Emperor William is suffering from a boil. He is not confined to bed. LORIMKR OX TRIAL Chicago, Dec. 31.—William Lorimer, ex-United States senator, and presi dent of the defunct La Salle Street Trust and Savings Bank, was placed on trial to-day on a charge of looting the institution of $2,000,000 in money and securities and the case was then continued to January 17. FUNERAL OP VALE COACH Minneapolis, Dec. 31.—Funeral ser vices for Thomas L. Shevlin, former Yale football star and millionaire lum berman, were held at the family resi lient here to-day. George Harmly Day, treasurer of Yale University, rep resented that institution. THE WEATHER For IlHrrlMhtirit mill vlrlnltyi Fair, I'lHitlnueil rolil tn-ulglit Willi lOM •■•it temiirrnturr nlioiil 211 Il<'Kl° fallen decidedly In the INortliweat and a disturbance of conHlderable mag nitude la now central over Al berta, Canada, miivliiK Noutbeaxt ward- The eenter of the Noutli extern ntorm ban moved from Southern California to Arizona durlna the lant twenty-four bourn. It la warmer over moat of the ter ritory between the Hocky Moun tain* anil the Mlaalaalppl river. In the Bast fialf State*. Upper Ohio Valley and a portion of the lake region. Temperature: 8 n. m., 24. Auni nine*. 7i27 a. M.i Net*, -ttfia 9• Moon i Kew moon, January 4. 11:45 a. »u. niTer Stage I <1.7 feet above low water nark. Yeatevdnv'a Weather Hlubext temperature, 31. I.owent temperature, 2X. Veu temperatnre, 30. Normal temperature, 31, TEXT OF LATEST AUSTRIAN REPLY BEING DECODED Meets American Demands in Connection With the I)e- ; struetion of Ancona COMMANDER IS PUNISHED 1 vo/v AuA? tAfJ Austrian foreign secretary, who is conducting the Ancona correspondence with Secretary of State Lansing. Is considered one of the ablest of Euro pean diplomats. He conducted the diplomatic correspondence with Italy up to the time of the break between the two powers and the entrance of Italy Into the war. Washington, D. C., Dec. 31. —The. official text of Austria's Ancona note 11 was received early to-day at the State I | Department. The work of translating , ( from the diplomatic code will take j several hours and arrangements for i publication will be made later. Complete Concessions j Count Bernstorff, the Gc—nan Am- ! bassador called at the State Depart-i. ment and conferred with Secretary j| Lansing for nearly half an hour. The ambassador said he believed the news summary of the note saying Austria; had punished the commander of the submarine which sank the Ancona! and that the Vienna government had; 1 offered indemnity for the loss of liffij! i and injury of American citizens was ; ! correct. He declined to comment I upon his visit. 1 Later, it was learned the German view is that Austria-Hungary had granted complete concessions to the 1 American demands. 1 Secretary Lansing let it be known 1 that he and the German Ambassador had discussed the Lusitania contro versy but it was not indicated what had been the result. There have been assurances lately that the am bassador would Vie authorized by his j government to present, at the bigin ! ning of the new year, proposals of j settlement which would be acceptable j to the United States. [Departure of Americans Is Barred by Germany ■ Special to the Telegraph Washington, D. C., t)ec. 31. —Amer- icans in Vienna not possessing certl-i ficates of birth or naturalization are! being detained through the refusal of i German consuls to vise their pass- ] ports for travel in the German em-j pire. Ambassador Penfield reported the situation to the State Department yesterday by cable. ! STRIKE PLOTTERS j ASK PRELIMINARY HEARING AT ONCE Demand Surprises Federal Officers Who Understood They Would Give Bonds j | | By Associated Press Washington, Dec. 31.—Former I Rep resentative H< Robert Fowler, l|,.nry B. Martin and Herman Hchulteis, identified with Labor's National I'.jace Council and indicted in New York un der the Sherman anti-trust law for conspiracy to restrain trade in muni tions, demanded a prelimlnai ,■ l>, trlng when they appeared to-day before United States Commissioner Taylor to make a formal return to the indict ment. Hearing was set for January Representative Prank Buchanan, ofi Illinois, indicted 011 the samo charge, sent word to the Department of Jus tice to-day that he would wai\e all question of immunity, go to New York as quickly as possible, probably with in a -week, furnish bail and adopt no dilatory tactics. The demand for a hearing came as a surprise to the government. \ssist ant United States District Attorney Ar cher announced that he had under-! stood the defendants intended to give! bond for their appearance in New York to answer to the indictments Henry E. Davis, for the defendants, explained he did not believe that such an indictment would lie nuder the Sherman law, or any other law and that he intended to, ask the commis sioner to determine whether there had been a bona tide intent on the part of the government to charge a crime against the United States. Mr. Fowler,'in person and through his attorney, former Representative Robert P. Hill, of Illinois, asked that the hearing be postponed at hast 25 days. Bonds of $3,000 for appearance here on January 20 was required of each [fjt the defendants. HARRISBURG, FA., FRIDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 31, 1915. KING BOOZE WILL ( BI KNOCKED OUT IV SEVEN STATESi 'ProMhition Becomes Effective j >itMidnight; 3,000 Saloons to Be Closed graAD BABGAIN DAY RUSH | | I $.'},000,000 Spent For Bum in Colorado During Last Week ; Laws Are Drastic i! ' By Associated Press <"hicago! 111., Dec. 3J.-—State-wide prohibition of the sale and manufac ture of Intoxicating liquors will be eonru!leffective in seven states at mid night to-night, putting out of business more than 3,000 saloons, a large num ber lof breweries, wholesale liquor hotisis and distilleries. The states whlcji are to enter the dry column are Idwai Colorado, Oregon, Washington, Tilalip, Arkansas and South Carolina. Many counties in all of the seven jstafep have prohibited the sale of li'iuor for a number of years under local option laws. "According to figures offered by thej [Anti-Saloon League of America, the addition of the seven States that go I 'dry - to-morrow will bring the total: ct" prohibition States In the union to nineteen." According to one authority, between i 52.0d0,000 and $3,000,000 has been j expended for liquor in Colorado within the lust week. Arkansas will have its first experi ence with prohibition when the state wide law goes into effect with the com ing of the new year. Antiprohtbition leaders have announced that no fight will lie made for the repeal of the law at least until prohibition has been given a thorough test. Bargain Day Rush 1 In lowa "bargain day sales" in the 102 saloons of the state are in prog tj'ss to-day preparatory to the final [Continued on Page ".] Ex-President Taft Here; On His Way; but Knows Not Where He's Going William Howard Taft spent a half hour in union Station this morning on his way froui Washington to Troy. Pa., where he is scheduled to make an address this evening. The former President will talk on "The Presiden cy." Mr. Taft has been in Washington on Red Cross matters, having spent yes terday there enacting business as the chief executive of the Ked Cross As sociation. His train left at 11.45 for Troy. The nation's most genial man declared with a smile that he had much yet to learn about geography be cause he was considerably in doubt as to just what part of Pennsylvania he was going to to-night. Mr. Taft has a disagreeable cold, which he picked up in his journeys from place to place in the last few weeks, making: addresses, but it has I not been sufficient to dampen his good j spirits. He declined to discuss the I political situation, but expressed a I. onfldent hope for a Republican vie- I ' tory at the next Presidential election. "That is all I will say," said Mr. Taft, ! "my opinion is not worth much." It was suggested to him that a great | many people would be overjoyed to see ; him back in office, but "they will have ito be disappointed, then," replied; Professor Taft, "because I am plod-1 I ding along as a teacher now." ' His scheduled address in this city | on the subject of peace has been post 'poned until next month. LET CONTRACT FOR MODERN : CIGAR FACTORY! ] Dauphin Cigar Company to | Build Big Fireproof Structure at State and Cameron Contract has been let by the Dau- j phin Cigar company to Herman Volgt, j ■ of Philadelphia, for the erection of a I new all-daylight, fireproof, concrete, , brick and steel five-story factory buiid , ing at State and Cameron street. ' Work will be started on the structure ; as soon as weather permits. The plans for the new factory were made by C. Harry Kain, architect, of 1 Harrisburg, and the number of bid [ ders was unusually large, Mr.Voigt be ing lowest. The building will have a frontage of 100 feet on State street. 141 on Camer on, and 61 on Christiana street. It will j have five finished stories and a base ment. The general offices will be on the first floor and each floor from top to bottom wil eb equipped with a su perintendent's office and rest and wash rooms for the girls and women em -1 ployed there. In this way all of the employes will be able to go to and from the rest rooms without, the ne cessity of climbing stairs The building will be a mass of win dows, so as to admit as much light and air as possible and will be of full fireproof construction, no materials going into its construction save con ! crate, brick and steel. It will be, when finished, the finest cigar factory struc ture in the State. PRESIDENT IN TOUCH WITH PRESENT SITUATION By Associated Press Mot Springs, Dec. 31. President . Wilson to-day received from Secretary Lansing the fourth letter in as many days bearing on foreign relations. The ! nature of its contents was not revealed. With Mrs. Wilson, the President spent the afternoon at golf. X |jl k J I V * ' '\.jt : i 4 ■ ■ ' ,1* \ ■' ■ 'V : - Jfßr n SP I - '* M * S 1 J ■ ■ Jv mii MISS MURIEL WHEELER Edward Ellfroth, a young Frenchman, who is a bank clerk in New York, saw Miss Muriel Wheeler at her home and begged her to wed him. He was a reservist In the French army, and he had told her a day or two before he had received a call to report again for duty in the French army. He did not! want to go back; he wanted to get married. "I will marry no man who fails to answer the call of his country," said she. j Thereupon he took out a bottle of poison and swallowed it. Doctors worked ' hard to save bis life. NOISY WELCOME TO 'l6; MUMMER PARADE AT 1:15 Watch Night Services and Car nival Scenes in Street Mark Old Year's Passing Harrisburg has turned the last page in the 1915 date book, the work that! will be done in the old year is done and everything is in readiness for greeting the new year. AVhile no formal celebration will be held, thousands are expected to gather in Market Square, Market street and other carnival robes and to-night the ito give a noisy welcome to 1916. I Youthful Harrisburg got out its yama |yama costume, its clown suit and Its I other sarnival robes and to-niglit the spirit of King Momus will be abroad throughout the city. And when the hour of midnight rings out, then the real noise will be gin—whistles blowing, bells ringing, guns cracking. In dozens of the city churches watchnight services will be held and I some will pray the new year in, while I others shout the old year out. ! And to-morrow will be a general holiday; the stores and offices will close, many of the mills and factories will shut down; nearly everyone will [Continued on Page 5.] Cutter Unable to Locate Disabled Greek Steamer By Associated Press New York, Dec. 31. Search was continued to-day by tlje coast guard cutter Seneca for the overdue Greek liner Thessaloniki last reported in radio messages yesterday «s being in distress, due to storms about 200 miles east of Sandy Hook. A wireless message from the Seneca received early to-day gave the cut ter's position at noon yesterday as approximately 250 miles east of Sandy Hook. Absence of further word from the cutter led coast guard offi cials here to believe the steamship lias not been located. TWENTY REPORTED DEAD IN BIG PLANT EXPLOSION By Associated Press Chicago, Dec. 31.—Reports that 15 or 20 men had been killed In an ex plosion which set fire to the plant of the American Unseed Company in South Chicago, were received by the police to-day. After the explosion the flames spread rapidly and firemen were unable to enter the building. More than one hundred men were working in the plant when the explo sion occurred according to officials of the company. At the first alarm 15 fire companies were sent to the plant. Workmen who escaped Injury in the explosion hurried froni the plant and the officials were unable to uscertaln how many were in the building. WILL URGE CITY WIDE FIRE LINE DECLARES GROVE | Building Inspector Collecting Data to Submit to Council Codification of -"ie building regula tions and the adoption of a city-wide "fire" district will be recommended to City Council early in the new year by j Building Inspector James H. Grove. ! The inspector whose reappointment! by Commissioner Harry F. Bowman is generally conceded in municipal cir- J cles, says ho expects to have the nec essary data ready for tbe commis sioners' consideration in the very near future. T\Vo years ago Mr. Grove declared that the building laws should be codi fied and revamped to most modern | conditions—particularly with respect to "fire" lines. The present regula tions are very old and the construction in the last few years of so many gar rContinued on Page 5.] Mule Dies Waiting For Bryan to Be President Special to the Telegraph Petersburg, Jnd., Dec. 31. —Maud, aged forty-two, the famous mule owned by W. R. Berridge, who figured prominently in Bryan's first campaign for President was chloroformed last night by its owner. At the time Bryan made his first race for Presi dent, Mr. Berridge was so confident j Bryan would win that he prepared Maud for a long trip to Washington, where, after congratulating Bryan on his success, Berridge intended to pre sent the animal to him. He has never lost faith In his idol and tried to keep Maud alive for the great event. EDDIE PLANK'S SISTER HAS APPENDttCITIS Mrs. Howard Spangler, of Blglers viile, Adams county, sister of Eddie Plank, the famous pitcher, to-day was operated upon at the Harrisburg hos pital for appendicitis. The patient is resting comfortably. The first word that came to the po lice department was from a policeman detailed at the plant who telephoned that 15 or 20 men were trapped In the burning building. This announce ment wan quickly followed by a report that several firemen had been caught beneath a falling wall and that many were Injured. An hour after the fire started the firemen were informed that tanks con taining 80,000 gallons of naphtha were under the burning building. The plant covers five acres and an official of the company estimated the stock on hand as worth a million dol lars. Fire tugs steamed up the Calu met river and poured tons of water on the flumes. BIG RAILROAD 1 IMPROVEMENTS COMING IN 'l6! Rutherford Yards to Be En- larged Announces Superin tendent Stackliouse PENNSY TO PUSH WORK ' South Harrisburg Freight Sta- 1 lion to Be Pushed to Completion Railroads were a big factor in Har risburg's prosperity this year, and | promise of greater things for the New t I Year is given. The Philadelphia and t j Reading Railway Company will start ' | work early on the enlargement of the J j Rutherford yards. Other big im-! | provements will be made along the! l Harrisburg division of this road. j 1 I*he Pennsylvania Railroad prom- I ■ ; ises for a certainty the new freight. ' j station in Sout h Harrisburg; addi-P I tional yard facilities; changes at,!' iSteelton. and improvements at Enola.l l | Work, it is said will start during'' I April. 11 The Cumberland Valley Railroad j 1 Company, which is a part of the | Pennsylvania, system, in addition to [Continued on Page 4.] Knights of Pythias Meet and Elect New Officers Special to the Telegraph j Mechanicsburg, Pa., Dec. 31.—Last 1 evening the Melita Lodge, No. 83. j ! Knights of Pythias held a meeting and | | these officers were chosen for tlie en jsuing six months: Chancellor com- I mander, Mervin L. Beck; vice-chancel ; lor, S. S. Brenner; prelate, E. S. Cock lin; master of work, Frank Rowe; master of arms, L.