Occupation of Petrograd by Germans Only a Matter of Hours, Indicated by Reports From Russ Capital
■!% HARRISBURG iflpsfe TELEGRAPH
Star-Jntiepcnknt -- '
LXXXVII— No. t>7 16 PAGES
PERSHING
THREE TO RECEIVE
MILITARY CROSSES
AMERICANS GAS
HUN POSITIONS
IN FOUR ATTACKS
Success Indicated by Com
plete Silence of Enemy
Following Actions
7j y Assi:ialci Press
With the American Army in
France, Tuesday, March 19.—Amer
ican artillery on tlie Toul front has
heavily attacked the Germans with
gas shells during the past day or so,
it is now permitted to announce.
Four different attacks were launched
and from the manner in which the
enemy was silenced it is evident they
had the desired effect.
During one period when the gas
shells were Hying over the enemy
lines last night, a German airplane
with a red tail light appeared over
the American lines and dropped a
red rocket, for what purpose it is
not known. However, shrapnel from
AmerieAn anti-aircraft batteries
burst so near the German Immedi
ately afterward that he was forced
to tly for his own lines in a hurry.
Last night the enemy observation
tower and positions on Montsec were
shelled heavily and a heavy lire was
directed against the enemy lines this
morning.
Germans Desert Positions
At noon to-day the enemy opened
a lively tire on one of the American
positions H'ith ."*7 millimeter guns
from the cemetery at Richecourt.
The American guns of the same cal
iber came into action and after they
had tired fifty shells the Germans ran
from the positions and took their
guns with them. The American guns
then shelled the village of Lahay
ville, where two heavy explosions,
apparently of munition stores, were
caused.
• The German artillery directed
most of its attention to dropping a
few gas shells into one or two towns
within the American lines and shell
ing a cross road known as Death's
Corner during the day and night.
Last night American patrols en
tered the German front lines at two
points but did not see a single enemy
soldier. Another patrol remained in
the enemy wire entanglements all
night hoping to ambush an expected
enemy party. A third patrol party
was discovered by the Germans who
burled hand grenades and forced the
Americans to withdraw. Still another
established contact with an enemy
patrol and a few shots were ex
changed. The Americans came
through unscathed.
Drove off Boclie Machines
Many airplanes were up until it
began to rain at noon. One airplane
from the rear of the American lines
drove off two Koche machines after
a thrilling battle in and out of the
clouds. Another airplane was engag
ed against a German when a second
German joined in the tight. A sec
ond friendly airman came up to as
sist, but it was too late, for the air
plane the Americans hoped would be
victorious fell to the ground within
the enemy lines.
On the sector east of Luneville the
artillery continues active and a few
American patrols have reached the
enemy lines. One party encountered
an enemy patrol and forced the Ger
mans to withdraw after a sharp
skirmish.
A certain Irish regiment was
bombarded heavily to-day with big
shells. Reports from both the Lune
ville and Toul sectors say more Ger
man gas projectile batteries have
been discovered and shattered by the
American gunners.
J. E. B. Cunningham
says thrift made
Pennsylvania rich.
&2T Start with a
Quarter Stamp
THE WEATHER
I'or IlurriNlHirg nml vicinity!
l.cnoriilly cloudy (o-niKht find
Thurxday. probably ruin; nut
much i- limine In temperature,
Inivcwt tu-iiiKht ii limit tic
urccn.
I'"or Kuxtcrn I'ennnylvnnln: Cloudy
to-night nnd Thuradtiy, proli
iilily mini moderate north
winds.
General Conditions
Ituln lull continued in the South
Atlantic and Gulf Staten nnd
the rain nren liim advanced
northenatwnril Into TennenNec
nnd North Carolina; clhcm here
fair weather ban prevailed
throughout the United Stntea.
Temperature! 8 n. in., 40.
Sum ItlneM H n. m.j *ct*. (iitO p. m.
Moon i Full moon, March U7, 111i32
a. ni.
Hlver* Stuart 7.4 feet nbove low
• Milter #nark.
Yesterday's Weather
lllßheat temperature, 711.
I.otreat temperature, 4a.
Mean tempernture, no.
Normal temperature, 30.
Baker's Life in Danger
When Shell Bursts
With the American Army in
France, Tuesday, March 19.
j While Secretary of War Baker
and his party were returning to
i day from the American front line
1 trenches, a German .105 milli
meter shell burst along the road
side within forty yards of the
automobile. The occupants of the
car were not injured, nor was the
car damaged.
Secretary Baker remained for
1 an hour and a half in a front
line trench on certain sector un
! der a brisk enemy shell tire. He
j also visited an advanced listening
post and talked with the officers
[ and men.
RUSS CAPITAL
NOT DISTURBED
BY HUN ADVANCE
Occupation of Petrograd by
Germans Only Matter of
Hours, Is Report
I.ondon, March 20.—Occupation of
Petrograd by the Germans is only a
matter of hours, according to dis
patches from Petrograd to several
morning papers. The Russian capi
tal is said to be assuming a waiting
attitude and is not displaying the
slightest sign' o£ organized resist
ance. ■
The Germans arc reported in a
Reuter dispatch from I J ctrograd to
have reached the vicinity of I>no sta
tion. about 150 miles south of Petro
grad. The Austro-German advance
in southern Russia continues. The
enemf has occupied Soumy, live
hours' march from Kharkov, the dis
patch says.
The various reports from Russia
also indicate the greatest anxiety
over what appears to be an envelop
ing movement the Austro-German
forces are carrying out against Mos
cow. There is talk of moving the
government, according to these ad
vices, to Sarjoff (probably Saratoft),
450 miles southeast of Moscow) or to
Niznhi Novgorod (265 miles northeast
of Moscow).
WaNhineton, March 20.—The fall
of Petrograd is imminent.
German troops, probably advancing
[Continued on Page 12.]
French in a Raid . • ...
Find Germans Ready
For Counterattack
t)n the l'renh Front in France,
Monday, March IS.—ln a raid into
the German lines at Malancourt
wood, northwest of Verdun, Sunday.
French troops found the German
shelters full of troops waiting to
launch a counterattack. The shel
ters, with all their occupants, were
destroyed by bombs. A large number
of German trench mortars were de
molished and many machine guns
were brought back by the French.
While the prisoners taken in the
road were going to the rear, the
German artillery fired a large num
ber of shells which claimed twelve
victims among the captives.
Snyder Will Hold Up
Pay of State Employes
Away on Political Work
Auditor General Charles A. Snyder
to-day addressed a letter to all heads
cf State Departments warning them
that ho means to hold up warrants
for" the salaries of all state officers
and employes who have left their
work to take part in political cam
paigns. He asks them t6 scan their
payrolls for any such irregularities.
Tlif letter in full is .as follows:
"I have been informed that certain
state oflicers and employes have
temporarily abandoned the perform
ance of their official duties in order
to devotti their time and attention to
political and other matters.
"I believe that requisitions for the
salaries and expenses of public ser
vants who neglect their duties in this
manner should be subjected to close
scrutiny, and that payment should
bo withheld in case abuses of this
kind are shown to exist.
"I have no reason to believe that
your department has offended in this
particular, but I think it only fair
to advise you of my attitude in the
matter so that no difficulty may
arise in the settlement of public ac
counts."
Ship Workers Return
to Work at Baltimore
Baltimore, March 20.—The six
hundred riveters, caulkers and
reamers employed by the Baltimore
Drydock and Shipbuilding Company,
who struck yesterday for higher
wages, returned to work to-day and
work was proceeding as usual, an
official of the company stated. Wil
son A. Kosman, secretary of the
Boilermakers' Iron Shipbuilders and
Helpers' Union of America, said that
the walkout was the result of a mis
understanding among a few men
over conditions which they thought
were a violation of the government
contract.
HARRISBURG, FA., WEDNESDAY EVENING, MARCH 20, 1918
FIRST AWARDS
ARE GIVEN FOR
HEROIC EXPLOITS
| Lieutenant Green, Sergeants
Norton and Walsh Re
ceive Signal Honors
With the American Army in
| France, Tuesday, March 19.—Gen
i oral Pershing, the American com
| niander-in-chief. has approved tli*
| awarding of the first new American
military crosses for extraordinary
heroism. The recipients are Lieute
nant John O. Green, Sergeant Wil
liam Norton and Sergeant Patrick
Walsh.
The crosses were awarded for "ex
traordinary heroism in connection
with military operations aga!nst an
I armed enemy." •
Lieut. Green probably will stand
I on the Records as the first to re
lif ixe the honor, for his trims is first
on the list of three approved by the
commander-in-chief. The exploits
of these men aro described by the
general commanding their division
as follows:
"I recommend that the Distin
guished Serviec Cross be awarded
! to the officer and men named here
after, who distinguished themselves
by acts of extraordinary hetoism.
Refused to Surrender
"Lieut. Green, while 5n a dug
out, having been wounded by an
enemy hand grenade, was "sum
moned to surrender, lie refused to
do so. Returning the fire of the
enemy, he wounded one ana pursued
the hostile party.
"Sergeant Norton, finding himself
in a dugout surrounded by the enemy
into which a grenade had just been
thrown, refused to surrender and
made a bold dash outside, killing
one of his assailants. By so doing
he saved the company's log book.
Attacked Superior Force
"Sergeant Walsh followed his com - 1
pany commander to the first lines
in spite of a severe barrage. The
captain being killed, he assumed
command of the group and attacked
a superior force of the enemy, in
flicting severe loss upon them.
Though of advanced age, he refused
to leave the front.''
To these recommendations Gen
eral Pershing appended the follow
ing:
"The commander-in-chief approves
the recommendation for awards of
Distinguished Service Crosses. They
J are ikic on hand at present, but will
Ibe forwarded when received and
! will be presented to you in the
name of the commander-in-chief,
i with suitable ceremony."
Lieut. Green and Sergeants Nor
ton and Walsh all have received the
French War Cross, Norton and
Walsh being decorated personally
by Premier Clemenceau on March 3.
Lieut. Green, an artillery officer,
was wounded by shell fire early in
March. Sergeant Norton, a vet
eran in service, formerly resided in
Arkansas. He was decorated by
Premier Clemenceau for his act in
killing a German lieutenant and
two German soldiers. He was chal
lenged by the lieutenant to leave his
dugout and led out his men fighting.
Sergeant Walsh, formerly of Chi
cago, also is a Regular Army vet
eran. His French decoration was
received for heroism on the Toul
sector. He took command of a de
tachment in front of the American
I wire entanglements when his cap
( tain was killed and continued the
j tight. Sergeant Walsh was selected
| by General Pershing to act as order
ily to Secretary of War Baker dur
ing his present visit to the Ameri
can Army in France.
Get Up Early in the Morning
If You Want to Give Miss
Springtime a Polite Welcome
Good-by, "Winter! Hoop-la, Spring!
Be up early to-morrow morning if
you have a grain of pepper in your
system and see Spring arrive. Uncle
Sam's Government sharps wired to
day the exact moment when the fair
maid will step in-—5.58 o'clock—and
she will be on time. Even the Hun
Kaiser cannot balk the schedule.
Spring will trip in with bells on and
In gay raiment, if the weather pre
diction is accurate. She will insure
balmy days, garden opportunities
and, not forgetting, spring fever.
Wake up for the big show and give
the charming dame a glad hand.
Zcwie! Wasn't that a winter!
Germans Drop Gas
From Airplane; "Dirty
Warfare/' Say Yankees
By Associated Press
With the American Army In
France. Tuesday. March 19.—A Ger
man airplane, both last night and
this morning, flew over the American
sector northwest of Toul and drop
ped rubber balls eighteen inches in
j diameter, filled with liquified mustard
J gas. This is the first time, so far as I
j is known, that an airplane has been
| thus employed.
I The effect of the gas was not se
rious, but the American troops were
irfuriated by what they termed the
"dirty warfarp."
A sample of one of the rubber
containers has been obtained.
WELL AND HAPPY WOMAN
REACHES 100 th MILESTONE
OF HER GREEN OLD A GE
Mrs. Sarah Miller Passes Century Mark in Good Health; Has
Son Still Active in Mechanicsburg Life in His 81st Year
In all the Cumberland Valley, El
Dorado of the farming world, flow
ing with milk and honey, there is
no more interesting family than that
headed by Mrs. Sarah Miller, who
to-day celebrated her one hundredth
birthday at the Brethren Home at
Xeffville. The oldest woman in the
county saw the century out in prime
health and with keen enjoyment.
She is claimed both by Mechanics
burg because she lived most of lier
life on a farm near there and by
New Cumberland, where she also
made her home.
Mrs. Miller was born in March,
1818, in Hampden township, and her
maiden name was Sarah Snavely.
By her first husband, Solomon Moh
ler, four children are living—Squire
Henry S. Moliler. the oldest and best
known citizen of Mechanicsburg:
Mrs. Elizabeth Hupp, Shiremns
town; Mrs. Mary A. Miller. Ann
Arbor, and Mrs. Annetta Enck, of
Clementon, X. J. All of ap
pear to have inherited the blessing
of ijood health and longevity.
Squire Moliler celebrated his
eightieth birthday recently, still a
robust man, active In daily business.
MILLERSBURG BOY
GASSED BY HUNS
ON FRONT LINE
Seasoned Veteran of Three
Years' Campaigning Vie
tiin of Shellfire
The official Canadian casualty list
to-day carried the name of Norvin
D. Wenner, of Millersburg, Pa., as
being among the injured on the west
ern front in France. Wenner, a vet
eran of three years' campaigning and
bearer of wounds, was gassed by the
Huns.
Other Americans on the Canadian
overseas list were: A. Steel,' Eewis
ton. Me., died of wounds: W. 11.
Kirkey, Somerville, Mass.; E. Lond
[Continucd on Page o.]
WHEN'S A FIREHOUSE NOT A
FIRE HOUSE? THAT'S THE RUB
West Fairview'a firchouse to-day
is still a flrehouse, but It Is lirst a
city hall, an auditorium |or town
meetings and public entertainments,
a public school, the borough lockup,
council chamber, polling placo lor
primary and general plecticyis, meet
ing place for the board of health.
After these there Is some little space
for the firemen to move about.
To-day the (Ire department was
shoved back another seat when pu
pils of the borough high school
pushed the apparatus to ono side
"THE DESCENT OF MAN"
Hi " '
' * HI !
i m i . :
J™ I |
SAKAII IIM.EU
ARCHBISHOP OF
YORK TO BRING
MESSAGE HERE
Primate of English .Church
to Be Guest of City and
Stale Saturday
j The deep and earnest desire of
Grqat Britain to permanently cement
I'friendship with this nation was
| vividly manifested to-day when'
Governor Brumbaugh and Bishop
Darlington were notified ■ formally
that on Saturday would arrive in
[Harrlsburg The Most Reverend
Cosmo Gordon Dang, B. I).. P. C.,
Eord Archbishop of York and Prim
ate of England, who will made an
address in the rotunda of the Cap
[Continued on Page Hl.]
and cleared the floor for basketball
pract'ee. A basket was placed and
practb e begun in the newly-painted
'-vmnasium.
When iricubers of the fire corn
puny saw •tho latest activity for
which their headquarters now un>
virtus a roof tlo> began a campaign
to interest the borough In providing
proper rihletie facilities for tlio
beys In tho otner end of the towi.
"hat rivals in earnestness Mio ci.o
begun by tho young athletes.
Tho tiro comi,ui)y owns tho bul d
ing.
CHRISTLEY ASKS
COMMUTATION OF
DEATH SENTENCE
Pica Made He Was Mentally
Unbalanced When lie
Killed His Wife
Pleas for commutation of the
death sentence of-John O. Christley,
of this city, who killed his wife from
whom he had been separated, \vero
made to the State Hoard of Pardons
to-day on the ground.of mental irro
sponsibillty. District Attorney Stroup
o.pposed the application, the whole
proceeding being in the presence of
Christley's sister. The board will
[Continued on Page B.]
Total World's Shipping
Losses 6,000,000 Tons in
12 Months, Says Geddes
I.ondon, March 20.—Figures on the
shipping output and tonnage losses
of Great Britain will he published
regularly hereafter, ;It was an
nounced in tiie House of Commons
tr-day by Sir Kric Campbell Oeddes.
the First 1,..rd of the Admiralty, dur
ii.g the debate on the navy ship
building bill.
It would not be in the national in
terest, however, to give the tonnage
of losses up to date, the First ix>rd
added.
The world's tonnage, exclusive of
enemy ships, had fallen 2,500,0000
from the beginning of the war to the
end of 1917, Kir Kric stated.
The amount of tonnage sunk in the
lost twelve months was 6.000,000,
said Sir Eric, instead of 9,500,000. as
the Germans, claim.
West Fairview Girls Turn
Up After Their Escapade
The two West Fairview girls, Ella
Uordner and l]ess|e llotfman, each 14
years of age, who disappeared in
Market street last Sunday night,
turned up last evening at their
homes. Their story was that they
met two young men in "VVormleys
burg, who invited thein to visit a
cattage in' the mountains near Bella
vista, where they remained until last
night. MYs Uordner, in great fear
that her daughter and the Hoffman
girl had fallen ' into the hands of
white slavers, yesterday called upon
the Ilarrjsburg police for help.
Eat Fewer Eggs on
Easter, Urges Heinz
l'hllitilrl|>liin, Marcti 20.—Howard
Heinz, United States Food Adminis
trator For Pennsylvania, to-day made
an appeal to the householders of this
state to abandon, for this year at
least, the Tuistoiti of large consump
tion of eggs on Faster. Ii is not
urging an "eggless Faster." but h?
pointed out the need for conservation
of all food supplies. Anything in the
nature of a least of eggs at Easter
time would be distinctly unpatriotic
and out of plage, he said.
Single Copv ? Cents HOME EDITION
SIXTEEN MEN HURT
IN GAS BLAST AT
CENTRALI.&S.PLANT
Great Metal Container Is Blown Through Roof Into Shop
Containing 150 Employes; Ambulance Makes Two
Trips to Hospital With Injured; Furnace Will Be Out
of Service Thirty Days For Repairs
Sixteen men were injured tbisi
morning when gas blew the top off '
blast furnace So. 2 at the Central
Iron and Steel Company, and hurlDdi
it through the structural steel roof
of the casting house.,in which l0
men were at work. Eleven of the I
men were removed to the Harris-j
burg Hospital for treatment for in
juries received. Two of them were
injured so seriously they had to re-j
main at the hospital.
The top or "bell," as it is known!'
is seventy-five feet from the ground,!
on llie top of the furnace. The cx-j
plosion of the expanding gases blew
it into the air, hurling it over the!
head of an employe who was wheel-1,
ing the ore, stone and coke into it,
onto the heavy roof of the casting!
room. The heavy top crashed through
the roof, tearing the structure down!
like kindling wood, and scatering'i
molten ore about the room. It wasp
• lie moldcn ore that caused some of],
the injuries.
Fire Breaks Out j i
The melted iron caused fire to'
break out in a portion of the build-1'
ing near the furnace, and the Friend-j 1
ship Fire Company was called to the' 1
scene. A cordon of company police! l
was thrown about the scene of the j J
accident to prevent further acci
dents. The explosion caused wild |
rumors to circulate, and drew rnanyi
to the scene.
1
5 THREE MYSTERIOUSLY MURDERED * §,
t' ri-- A message received to-day car |
x i
T* ,i .. it '. *
f T
?*
j FtoSS SHIPS AT SEBASTOPOL
<§ - —Russian worships Od
§ *s*
the Germans took Odessa, says a di s- •£>
T tch to the State Department to-day from Americai I
4* Summers at Moscow. Recent pre V
At
1 *£>
▼ n the city was occupied, .
2 NEW YORK LANCASTER TRUCK LINE *5
TJ New York—An initial experiment in the transportatior i
•• of parcel post matter by automobiles was announced here Y
4
X to-day by Post Office officials in the dispatch from Lan ifr
*l| cat er, Pa.', of a truck carrying batter, eggs and farm pro X
A ducts from ihat di&trict for New York. The truck left jjj
1 Laftcr.ster at Ba, m. and i due to arrive here at 6 o'clock •
I i
$ £
| ALLEGED SPIES TO BE DEPORTED £
partmcnt of Justice that tha two women "and the two |
"r
e i* ng French citizenship recently arrested in New
I[J ith the C |y
-$ :an only be classed as undesirable citizens, rathei |
sthan iib spies. On this conclusion they will be deported T
MEAT SUPPLY NOT CONSERVED ?
A Washington—Meatless days have not conserved th
X meat supply, Joseph P. Cotton, head of the food adminis *§•
*t m
•3* ition's meat division to-day told the Senate Committee
-'■s ,
&, investigating food supplies but on the other hand he be T.■
jl fieved there had been more meat consumed on those day
T ♦£
|j* than usual. X
I NO CONSISTORY UNTIL WAR'S END f
1! !
v Romt—"There will be no consistory until the war i.
<3* . er," Pope Benedict said to-day upon hearing that the JT
J, report had been published that he intended to call a cor
T • *i
*2* > story shortly. . X
t I
4* • f
X" ~ v
t MARRIAGE LICENSES ±
{ - .. A " dre " S. Contlon, Cherry Creek, S. D., und Jrlc A. McCoy, *L
J Carllalc. ~
Work on clearing up the wreckage
and repairing the damage will begin
at once, and it is declared by com
pany ofllcials that the blast furnace
will be in operation within thirty
days. It is likely that the men will
tie employed elsewhere or in repair
ing the damage caused by the acci
dent.
The Injured
Of the eleven taken to the hos
pital, two were injured so badly they
[Continued on Page ;*.]
Finds Plan to Turn His
Thirst to Good Account
For First Time in History
Me slapped his quarter down on
the counter's top.
"Gimme a whisky!"
The clerk in charge of the WarSuv
ings Department at the Harrisburg
Post Olflce ripped off one Thrift
Stamp from a sheet, handed it to him
and slipped a quarter into the money
drawer.
"Gimme another!" And down camo
another twenty-live-cent piece.
"You see it's this way," the man
explained as he pasted his stamps on
an almost tilled thrift card, "livery
then 1 feel like having a drink, and
that's mighty often, i hustle in here
and buy a stamp instead. And then
I .always buy a second one for hav
ing had the will power to buy the
first one instead of a drink. See? So
long! I'll be in again soon."