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VOLUME LXXXITI.— NO. 44. TORNADO DEALING DEATH A Great Storm Almost Destroys Fort Smith. Nearly Two Score Human Lives Lost, and Property Dam= aged to the Extent of a Million Dollars. THE STORM'S DEAD. Silas Mincer, a prominent young merchant. Harvey Ruttledge, a negro. Mary Tlmmerman. Two unknown men from Bur gess Hotel. Joe Griswold, a tailor. John Martin of Madison County. J. B. Riley of Madison County. George Carter, fireman at Grand Opera House. Mrs. Milt Burpess, proprietor of the Burgess Hotel. Two unknown men, died John's hospital. J. M. Foutz, a farmer. Joe Kyle, a farmer. Milt Knapton, Jr. Mrs. Milt Knapton. Joe Lucas, a negro. THE SERIOUSLY INJURED. Mrs. Braden, arm broken. D. L. Grimes, collar bone broken. Martin, chin fractured and side bruised. Hosea, Jaw broken. William Lawson, back Injured. Martin, ,-hest smashed. Tony Eberhart, hips bruised. F. E. Hubbell, back hurt. R. H. Crenholder, back injured. Ab Stafford, back injured. Ashworth, chest crushed. Dr. Gate, both arms broken. Mrs. Gate, badly mashed. Mrs. Gate's mother, seriously crushed. Minnie Burgess, spine injured. Mrs. E. Grell, injured about chest. Mrs. Hugh Rogers, badly bruised about the body. Mr. and Mrs. Ritter, caught under falling walls. Mrs. F. H. Brown, body crushed. Mrs. Luther Hunley, chest crushed. Lane, hip dislocated. FORT SMITH, Ark., Jan. 12.— Nearly two score of human lives and upward of one million dollar?' worth of prop erty were destroyed by a terrible tor nado which burst upon this city a few minutes past 11 o'clock last night. The Btorm struck near the National Cem etery and tore its way through the en tire city, leaving its path marked by death and desolation. Men, women and children, peacefully asleep in their homes, were, without a moment's warn ing, awakened to meet a horrible death In the fearful storm, while oth<-rs, mo mentarily more fortunate, and who es caped thf furies of the wind, met a far worse fate a few moments later in the flames which soon engulfed many of the wrecked buildings. The scene following the first terrible crash of the storm was one of awful grandeur. Business blocks, handsome mansions, hotels and humble cottages were razed to the ground and scattered in shape less masses. Several of the wrecks caught fire and the Inflammable timbers burned furiously. The city was crowded with rural vis itors, many of whom were sleeping at boarding houses unregistered. For this reason the number of victims who per ished may never be definitely known. The storm struck the city near the National Cemetery and swept its way through the heart of the town. Leav ing Fort Smith, It bounded by Van Buren and continued down the river, demolishing everything in Its path. News from outside points Is not yet at hand, but rumors of murh^damage as far south as Alma have reached here. It being reported that a number of per sons were killed near that place. In Fort Smith the tornado struck Garrison avenue at the corner of Ninth street and made a clean sweep from there to the Texas corner. Nine store buildings were demolished and the stocks of goods ruined. Sixteen other business houses on the street were badly wrecked. The upper floor of the block on the corner of Garrison and Towsou ave nues is used as a flat. The ruins caught fire from the night lamp. Seven bodies were taken from these ruins, two of them being so badly burned that they could scarcely be Identified. Burgess Hotel, a three-story brick on Towsou avenue, was demolished. There have been eight bodies already taken from the ruins. Rescue parties are still at work at both places and ex pect to find several more bodies. The Federal court is In session and that brought a great many farmers here, who crowded the cheaper board lus houses and wagon yards. -The Ma The San Francisco Call Ed Ferrill, a butcher, and his two little children, Irene and Roy. Frank Richardson, restaurant keeper. John Adams, a carpenter. Mrs. Charles Mauver. Ritter, a gardener. Mrs. Will Lamson. Louis Sencel. James Smith, Jr. Mr. Gray, son and wife. Attas Jones. Frank Lefevre. Etta Kies. Miss Holden. John Badt, a farmer. Mrs. Maggie Sheehan's infant. D. Woehle. a butcher. James Smith, a clerk. Mrs. Jones. Ed Vaden. badly bruised. "Wolsey. seriously hurt. R. L. Hirschberger, shoulder dislocated, injured about head. Miss Lily Stahl. seriously in jured. Frank Magruder. chest crushed. Unknown tramp, body mashed; will die. Mrs. Emma Austin, leg broken. Irving Kohler, shoulder broken. Mrs. John Beal, ribs broken; may die. Baby Beal. badly bruised; may die. Mrs. Kohler, leg broken. Joseph Jones, leg cut and arms fractured. Miss Wilson, arm broken. Pearl Knapton, arm broken. D. D. Foreman, arm and leg broken. H. H. Fisher, arm broken. W. A. Dumford. hip dislocated. J. J. Short, spine and head In jured. William Blake, injured Inter nally. tional House, a two-story frame, went down in wreckage with fifteen In mates, but al! escaped without seriou3 injury. George Carter's house was one of the first struck and It turned completely over and is now supported on the roof. A half pane of glass was driven through Carter's body, almost severing his head from the trunk. The beautiful National Cemetery is a wreck. The huge tree's are uprooted, the lodge demolished and the walls torn down. Fort Smiths $50,000 high school build ing, the finest one of its kind in the Southwest, was badly wrecked, but was one of the few buildings on which there was any tornado insurance. The tornado destroyed two historic buildings. Judge Parker's residence is badly wrecked and the old rector's mansion, where Allen Pike passed his days, is a pile of ashes, the ruins hav ing caught fire from a lamp. The First Baptist Church and the Central Methodist Church were razed to the ground and are now only a scat tered pile of kindling wood. The Church of the Immaculate Conception and Brownscombe Memorial Church lost their spires and sustained other dam age. lt is now thought that all the per sons in the storm wrecked buildings have been accounted for. The citizens' relief committee has $10,000 in hand for assisting sufferers. President Kohlnson of the Frisco rail road, unsolicited, sent his check f<>r $1000. Thp Missouri Pacific also contri buted $1000. Business is practically abandoned all over the city rind men of all classes are assisting In clearing the debris. VAN BUREN'S DEAD. Houses Are Blown Down and Their Inmates Are Literally Crushed to Death. VAN BURSN, Ark., Jan. 12— The tOT 1 nado that descended upon Fort Smith | last night crossed the Arkansas river j a half mile south of here and tore a ! path two hundred yards through this. Crawford County, and dealt death and i devastation to everything in Us path. i A score or more of houses were blown > down and many persona u<iv hurt. Charles Wright wma instantly killed : by his house blowing down on him. Tin house of Mrs. Bash was demolished and she was crushed Into a shapeless mass of flesh and bone, and two of her children, aged 8 and IC, were fatally hurt. It Is estimated one hundred head ! of cattle and hors*s were in the path i of the tornado- and were killed or In i jured so badly that they had to be kill- I cd. It is Jive miles in a direct lino • from Van Buren to Fort Smith, and debris from there was strewn over the ground three miles beyond here. A mass meeting is being held to-night to rellera the destitute. SAN FRANCISCO, THVKSDAY, JANUARY 13, 1898. McKINLEY TALKS FOR ANNEXATION Making of the Treaty an Administration Measure. Urges Both Senators Gear and Thurston to Change Sides. Against Their Constituents Who Grow Sugar Beets. DAVIS 1 SPEECH CONCLUDED The Senate Will Make Up Its Mind Slowly on the Great Question. Special Dispatch to Th« Call. NEW YORK, Jan. 12.— A Washington special to the Com mercial Advertiser says: Lines are being drawn tightly In the struggle over the Hawaiian treaty. The opponents of ratifi cation have made a canvass which shows thirty-two votes against 'the treaty, and a can vass of the friends of annexation shows fifty-seven votes for it. From this it appears that the treaty is beaten unless further accessions can be made from the Democratic side. Senators Gear of lowa and Thurston of Nebras ka have broken away from their Republican associates and have announced their intention to vote against ratification. Sen ator Spooner of Wisconsin is wavering and is not unlikely to join Thurston and Gear. The influence of the beet sugar guard, which has been felt ever since the question of Hawaiian annexation came to the front in 1892. is being 1 exerted strongly to bring other Western Senators to vote against ratification, and Mr. Oxnard, representative of the Nebraska sugar industry, is at the Capitol daily. With this exception little out side Influence is apparently be ing exerted on either side. Ac cording to the present pro gramme It will be some time be fore a vote can be reached. The policy of both sides for the pres ent will be one of d>!ay, and there will be no pressure for speedy action unless one side or the other shall become convinced that a roll call will disclose a sure supremacy. Call Office. Riggs House, Washington. Jan. 12. There la no doubt that the annexa tionlsts are greatly concerned about the treaty. As matters stand to-night it is defeated. The annexatlonlsts lack four or five, probably six, votes. George Hazelton, who is here in the interest of annexation, appoars to be discouraged. President McKinley Is warming up to the situation in the Senate regarding the treaty. He never tries to use what is known as "In fluence" in working on a Congressman, but has the honest habit of talking straight and arguing with ■ man as ;i man. the person presenting the must satisfactory reasons to be the winner. The statement that Senators Thurs ton and Gear had broken away from the list of Republicans supporting the treaty was of Interest to the President, and when these two Senators called at the White House to-day to talk patron age the President found opportunity to talk over the Hawaiian situation with them. Probably little was saJd to Senator Gear, because he was ac companied by General Henderson, whose illness has prevented his calling at the White House for months. The President and Senator Thurston, however, had a long chat on the sub ject. It can be stated with posltlve ness that Senator Thurston is unde cided what he will do. The President thinks a great deal of Senator Thurs ton and would be pleased to see the Nebraskan added to the list of Repub licans supporting annexation. What has brought Senators Gear and Thurston to the point of opposing an nexation Is that the sugar industry of the islands Is crippling, or threatens to cripple, the same industry in Nebraska and lowa. This Industry has become a lusty one In Nebraska, and the con cern of Senator Thurston is local. It Is understood that Senator E'klns, a hearty supporter of annexation, was with the President when Senator Thurston walked in. The West Vir ginia Senator has been working hard with his Nebraska friend to bring about a change In his views, and when they met in the presence of the Presi dent to-day the arguments were re newed. The President took part with the energy known to him 'when he Is deeply interested in a subject, and he and Senator Thurston discussed the subject some time after Senator El kins left. The administration is be ginning to view the growing power of Japan with keen interest, and the President thinks the acquisition of Hawaii ought not to be delayed. He is confident that with the islands becom ing a part of this country, a cable to Hawaii and one to Japan would be one of the certain results. This cable line would give this country Instant com munication with. Its fleet In Asiatic, wa ters, and would put the United States on a stronger basis than It now en- Joys. It would also, he thinks, do won ders In increasing the trade of the United States with the East. The Pres ident must have had some strong ar gument "up his sleeve" when he en countered the Nebraska Senator, be cause It left the Senator in an unde cided frame of mind, when shortly be fore he was npninst annexation. The President is familiar enough with the subject to argue fluently with anybody, and he knows Senator Thurston is one of the men who must be convinced by argument before changing his position. Senator Davis continued and com pleted his speech in the executive session of the Senate to-day on the Hawaiian question, and was followed by Senator Allen of Nebraska, who spoke in opposition. Mr. Davis requested in the begin ning that no questions should be asked during the presentation of his argu ment, as he preferred, he Paid, not to have the continuity of his thoughts broken. The speech to-day was devot ed largely to a presentation of the stra tegic features of annexation. He dis played a chart in front of the presid ing officer's platform, showing the lo cation of Hawaii relative to this coun try and to Asm. One of the points brought out with considerable elabor ation was the probable effect on the Nicaragua Canal of the occupation of the islands by BOine foreign power. He illustrated by a reference to the map showing that Hawaii was In a straight j line between the western terminus of the canal and Japan and China. The nation, he said, which controls Hawaii will control that great gateway of com merce, as the guns planted on Hawaii ! would be pointed directly at the mouth | of the canal. He devoted careful attention to the importance of controlling Pearl Har bor, now owned by the United States, saying that the nation which maintain ed possession of this harbor would hold the key to the military situation in the North Pacific He read extracts from reports by engineers and others in con firmation of this statement and in sup port of a statement which he made as to the character of the harbor, which was that it was safe and commodious and could be easily defended. He also nted the necessity for controlling Hawaii as a base of supplies in case <>f hostilities, saying that it was almost necessary to control It for this reason on account of the impossibility of a warship crossing the Pacific \rithou* replenishing h"r coal supply. Mr. Davis ridiculed the objection made by Japan thnt the addition of Hawaii as United S:ates territory would he a violation of Japan's treaty rights in the island. I! said, in reply to this objection, that all rights would doubt less be protected, and instanced the m ;ttion of th>> German empire as showing the effect of annexation upon the treaties of various countries which erter tnto a urns-il. He referred to Jaf«n's protest as an indication of a natural tendency to ra pacity, and said that the Government of that country should have been satis fied with the territory wrested from ' China instead of wanting to gorge her self by the addition of Hawaii. Mr. Davis called attention to the ap parently cordial relations existing be tween China and Japan, as manifested by Japan's offer to lend her fleet to the English in their operations In Chinese waters, where he said the greatest naval demonstration of history was about to be made. He did not Indicate a belief that immediate war would be the result of European competition over Chinese territory. On th>- contrary, he called attention to the fact that the flaps of Great Britain, France. Ger many and Russln. were floating side by sld^ in the Orl.-ntal waters, neither power being apparently anxious to disturb the other so long as there was a prospect of each powt-r setting as much as the others were taking. The OBljf way in which the United States could protect itself against this division of territory would be to con trol the Hawaiian Islands. In case we should fail to do this there was danger of losing very important trade advan- Continued on Berond Pa»re NEWS OF THE DAY. Weather forecast for San Fran cisco: Fair on Thursday; northerly ■winds. Maximum temperature for the past twenty-four hours: San* Francisco 47 derrees Portland 46 decrees Los Angeles 48 degrees San Diego 48 degrees FIRST PAOTS. Dead In the Storm's Path. Annexatlonists Are Alarmed. Cuban Affairs Grow Critical. The Jute Pa* Scandal. SECOND PAGE. Admiral Walker Wants More Cash. Schooner Wahlberg Wrecked. Los Angeles School Scandal. THIRD PAGE. Hanna Wins Hle Battle. War Spirit Grows In Japan. Gypsies Burned to Death. Hot Words Cause a Murder. Durrani's Body Not Yet Burned. FOURTH PAGE. Ducking Stool for Statesmen. Hundreds Flee From Dawson. Dan Stuart and the Pugs. Baden Murderer on Trial. Alslp Has Vanished Utterly. A New Minister to China. SIXTH PAGE. Editorial. The School Pcandal. More Money Needed. The Victim of Circumstances. Open the Senate Doors. The Ohio Senatorshlp. Traveling Libraries; Music and Musicians. . SEVENTH PAGE. A Long Parade for the Jubilee. An Australian' 8 Heavy Loss. A Mad Bull on a Rampage. News Along the Water Front. BOHTB PAGE. Commercial. NINTH PAGE. News From Over the Bay. Food In Condensed Form. • TENTH PAGE. Racing at Oakland. x ELEVENTH PAGE. Births, Marriages and Deaths. TWELFTH PAGE. Meeting of the School Board. The San Francisco Club Open*. Millions for Beet Sugar Land. A Klondike Romance. Deserted on Her Anniversary. Identifying the Counterfeiter. • Police Promotion*. .:. ... . . .-"." . ORDERS TO HASTEN TO HAVANA Fleet Said to Be in Readiness to Sail. The Maine at Key West Awaiting Word From General Lee. Can Reach the Cuban Capital Four Hours After the Com mand Is Given. MAY SOON BE NEEDED. Her Mission to Insure Protection for Americans and Their Interests. Special Dispatch to The Call. NEW YORK, Jan. 13— - Journal's Washington corre- - ppondent at 2 a. m. telegraphs * that the American squadron at ■• Key West has received orders to " sail for Havana. At 2:15 a. m. * the Journal's Washington cor- - respondent telegraphed as fol- ■ lows: "The end is In sight. Within • forty-eight hours, on present In- - dications, intervention in Cuba - will have been forced on the ad- - ministration. It ■will be found ■ not unprepared. Rioting in Ha- • vana was much fiercer than the ■ censored press reports indicate. ■ "General Lee got at the cable - early and reported that the sit- • uation was serious and the mob ■ was getting even with Ameri- ■ cans and attacking the United ■ States as much as it was strik- • ing at the autonomist policy, and • thereconcentrados. American cit- • izens had to seek refuge In the • consulate. ?< "Lee's prompt military In- • | stinctß told him the consulate might be in even greater danger : than -any other .place in Ha vana, but Blanco at once threw out a heavy cordon of Spanish regulars, with artillery, and the whole square and adjoining streets were held. ♦ ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦■♦' NEW YORK, Jan. 12— A Key West (Fla.) special to the Herald says: The second-class battle-ship Maine has re ceived orders to hold herself in readi ness to proceed to Cuba at an instant's warning. The orders came by tele graph to-night. In complance with these orders. Captain C. D. Sigsbee, commanding the battle-ship, has made all arrangements to get under way without delay. He has been placed in Continued on Second Pag*. MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF PRISON DIRECTORS. FAVORING THE GRAIN SACK RING How San Quentin Prices Yield the Pool Bi£ Profit. Illegal High Price Inflation of the Jute Mill Revolving Fund. State Senator Ostrom's Caustic Comment. WHEATLAND, Jan. 12.— Your correspondent called on Hon. D. A. Ostrom at his residence near Colmena Colony to-day and directed his attention to The Call's exposure of jobbery in prison grain bags. After reading the article Ostrom expressed himself as well pleased that The Call had taken this matter up. Said he: "The suppression of the manipulation of the grain bags by the bag ring has been the fight of my life. The passage of the act which now bears my name was the result of months of labor, and at Its passage I felt assured that the grain bag ring had been forced out of their Illegitimate business, and the farmer would be able to purchase his sacks at reasonable prices. But my hopes have been shattered. "In some way the provisions of the law are evaded and the traffic In sacks is again manipulated. I am heartily glad The Call has taken up this matter, and I hope it probes it to the very bottom. In this ar ticle I recognize the fact that The Call understands well the subject, and so far as it deals with the history of the bill, the marketing of the prison sacks, and the market, it is apparently correct In detail. "How is the law avoided by the Prison Directors? Now, that ques tion I cannot answer for publication, as I have no proof that the di rectors engage In illegal transactions; but it is my private opinion that some of the directors have very capacious rear pockets. "No, I do not think Warden Hale is entirely to blame, though he shows very poor judgment in his indorsement of the sales of the prison bags. "No, I have no knowledge of the direct violation of the law by farmers or merchants, though I infer from the reports of the jute mill, and the reports published in the newspapers, that it is of frequent oc currence; and I believe The Call will have no difficulty in securing evidence to sustain its charges." Before entering upon an exposure In j detail of the manner in which San | Quentin Jute bags are hawked about j the State by middlemen, it will be ; demonstrated by The Call that the | Board of State Prison Directors are di- j rectly to blame, not only for the per ntctoua system of sales they have fos tered, but for a persistently aggressive policy against the thousands of small ; farmers they should have exercised every vigilance and stretch of author tty to protect. The single and conspicuous merit of the Ostrom law of 1893 lies in its plain ly pronounced intent to favor the j PRICE FIVE CESTTS. smaller and struggling wheat raisers with grain sacks approximately at cost. It assumes, as is the well under stood reason of existence of the San Quentin jute mill, that the State is not engaged in a profit making industry to which farmers shall contribute from their oft-times precarious earnings. It should have been clearly comprehend ed by the board that under the Ostrom and preceding jute mill acts thejr duty was not to scheme, as might the board of managers of a private industrial trust, to derive a profit from the legiti mate purchasers of the product. One fact is obvious, and the recital