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WEATHER. Tartly cioudy. probably showers tonight or Wednesday; not much change in temperature The circulation of The Star, both daily and Sunday, it greater bv many thousands than that of any other Washington newspaper. COXTAlttl*Q OH PACK II rUKUffl XKW YO*K STOCK QIOTATIO**. No. 18,227. WASHINGTON, D. C., . TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 1910.-FOURTEEN PAGES. " " I II II. ! I ? | ? | | ???? | I ?it????I " ' ONE CENT. HUNDREDS PERISH IN EOREST FIRES 300 Men Who Battled Flames in White Pine Reservation Given Up for Dead. ELK CITY IS SAVED BY WOMAN'S BRAVERY 0u Roofs of Home All Night Sweep ing Off Burning Brandt. UTT.TJi OF SEETHING FLAKES Tacoma Escapes?Coeur d'Alenes Counting the Cost?Forest Re serves in California Now Seriously Menaced. SIMKANE. Wash., August 21.-Three hundred Are fighters of a totsl force of HOW which has been battling the flames In the burning white pine foreat of northern Idaho are unaccounted for today. Government Forest Supervisor W. R. Welfile. at Wallace, today declared his ke'.lef that nearly all the entire number had perished. "Out of my total force of six hundred men I have received word of t?ie safety of only three hundred.'1 said the super visor. "The others, when last heard from, were working In the districta where the flank s have been fiercest, along the headwaters of the Coeur d Alene and the 8t. Joe. "I sm forced to the appalling conclu a'on that nearly all of these men have k-st their lives." Women Save Elk City. That Elk Ctty is still on the msp and out of reach of the foreat Area ravaging the surrounding country, which is ablaxe for miles. Is due solely to the heroism of the women of the town. While the male population was fighting the advance of the conflagration, they guarded their homes and the businesa houses, extinguishing a number of Incip ient blasss started by brands carried from the burning forests. Many of them atayed on roofs of the buildings all Saturday night. But for their bravery the town would have been a mass of smoldering embers. OUty Out 91 Danger. The town Is out of danger, but the con- ( ditlona In the surrounding regions are growing worse. The wind has again risen to a gale. Adjaoent mountains are a , seething mass of flames. The entire Iron mountain Is again abiaas. The flre on Squaw ceek is burn ing with renewed furjr. The American river district is a gigan tic furnace for miles. A number of out lying aettlements. from which the in habitants have fled, are certain of de struction. It Is repotted that the plant of the American Eagle mine, one of the largest in the district. Is burning. Scores of aquare miles of territory are Involved. Hundreds of men are wanted to assist In getting the conflagration under control. "Situation Desperate/' Conditions are epitomised In a brief mesaaire from Forest Ranger Porter to Assistant Ranger Brown at Grangeville. It says: "Situation desperate. Whole country ablase. Must have help to nave prop erty." The flre In the Clearwater reserve, ac cording to #dvices received late last night by Maj. Fenn, Is absolutely beyond con trol. All hopes of subduing the flames until U rains have been abandoned. The pack train reported surrounded Sunday night reached a place of aafety on Rocky ridxe yesterday, but are un able to reach the rangers' camp for which they were headed. Fires on Old Man creek and on Selway. near camp ?? have united. No further efforts will be made to control them. List of Dead Grows. The flres have swept past Wallace. The towns of the Coeur d'Alene district hsve passed the first stare of wild, unreason ing panic and have settled down, with more or less composure, to wait for the list of dead. The Hat Is constantly growing. as*the foreat rangers, with red eyes and black ened faces, penetrate the trails, now choked with fallen logs, and brlnK word of flre-flghttng. crews cut off. camp* wiped out. rancher* and homesteaders caught In the path of the flames and mountain towns left In ashes. Since the report of the Bullion mine trag*dv no new deaths have been re corded. Foreat Supervisor Weigl hax heard from practically all bis foresters. He i expresses no alarm except for the iso lated gangs ot tire-fighters cut off from communication. He ia also worried about Ranger Net vllle. fighting with a large crew on In dependence creek, from whom he has not heard for several days. Wallace Recovers Sanity. In Wallace the people have largely re covered from the shock of their narrow escspe cf Saturday. Notices have been posted that mines at > Burke and along the canyon will start tomorrow. Miners are being called back j to work. Before the week Is over work 1 will have been started on the reconstruct j t ion of many buildings wiped out Satur day night. As fast as they can be asaemb'ed bridge-building crews will be rushed to work. Hardly a bridge in the whole* country around Wallace la left. The Ore gon Railroad and Navigation. Northern Peclflc and Chicago. Milwaukee and Pucei Sound lines are crippled to some ! extent. The burned district, generally speaking, exter.ds east to Missoula, north to the headwater*, of the 8t. Joe. and In other directions. nobody knows how far. From ? the top." of the hills everything, as far , as the eye can sweep, la swept bare. Until the rangers report at headquar- i ters here there will be no accurate eaU mate? of the ravages. Wallace's Loss Sl.OOO.OOO. Fear of contamination in the Wallace supp v has csused the water com pany to send men up Placer creek and all Its feeders, clearing streams of dead flsh ( and charred logs. It :s said that insurance on the buildings Seatrored here will total t?.VMW> losses are still estimsted st abou tUOftOOO The Wsllace city council has appointed a committee to consider the relief of the ; fcomsisM- Often si assistance have been j received from many sources, but none has tx^n accepted. Fires are reported all around Murray. The town is still untouched. Tacoma Out of Danger* TACOMA, Wash., August JS.?Although threatened last night by a wall of flame 1,00ft feet wide, the suburbs of Tacoma were out of danger early today. The high wind has died down. The breeze Is carrying the Are away from the residence district. Troopa Sent to Tahoe Forest. BOISE. Idaho. August 23? As the re sult of advices from the stricken dis tr'cts. received at a late hour last night. Gov. J. P. Brady has ordered the state troops of Idaho, at present in camp at American Lake, to proceed at once to Coeur a'Alenes. Idaho, to render assist ance In fighting flies and aid in alleviat ing distress resulting from forest fires. California Reserves on Fire. AVBl'RN, Cal., August 21.-Forest fires are ragtag about the upper end of Placer county on the National forest reserve. H. T. Power, who notified the govern ment authorities of the outbreak, has re ceived word that .jOM soldiers will be sent here. Several hundred men from Auburn and Colfax will leave for the fire zone tomorrow. Jfilitia Sent to Coeur d'Alenes. Three companies of troops to fight the tires which have broken out in the Tahoe national forest, in California, have been asked for in a message to the forestry service. The message, which comes from Dis trict Forester Olmsted, at San Fran cisco. gives the first Information that the fires in that vicinity are proving serious. The War Department issued orders dispatching three companies of troops from the Presidio barracks, San Francisco, to the Tahoe forest for fire fighting duty. Pack trains, as far distant from the burning forests as Fort Meade, N. D.. and Fcrt Robinson, Neb., are being Kept in readiness, under orders of the War Department, fc be dispatched to the de vastated country should the demand for them arise. Expense Is Enormous. ^ The expense to the War Department In rendering aid in fighting the fires is foot ing up into the thousands of dollars. An accurate estimate of what the expense will be is not attempted at this time on account of the Inability to judge of the time the troops will be required to stay >11 the fields. It is probable that Congress will be asked to make a deficiency appropria tion to ccver the expense Incurred by the department through the assistance ren dered to the forest service and the Inte rior Department. Reports and Conditions. Forest service officials here issued a statement today summing up reports from agents in the field concerning the fire sit uation. The situation in Missoula district has improved. Winds are less violent today, says Associate District Forester Sllcox, In a dispatch received here. Thirty-three fire fighters are known to be dead in the l?lo and Coeur d'Alene regions. Two more are reported to be fa tally hurt. These figunes cover only the list of fire fighters. No attempt Is made to estimate the total loss of life. A complete summary of the situation Is contained In the telegram received at the bureau this morning from Associate Forester Sllcox at Missoula. Following |s the text of the message: "The known dead of fire fighters In the Lolo and Coeur d'Alene regions no>w thirty-three, with two more reported fa tally hurt. Several large crews not yet heard from and in danger. "All towns between St. Regis and Saltese burned. Wind less violent today and hope to get rescue and fire fighting parties started tomorrow. Fire Worst at Colville. The fires on the CoI\1lle Indian reser vation are growing worse and cannot be extinguished without the aid of rain, according to a telegram from Supt. Web ster of the reservation, received at the Indian bureau today. The fires, he says, are proving expensive snd are threaten ing the Indian ranches. While thus far they have been confined mostly to dead and down trees, under brush and grass, it Is feared that under prevailing high winds the flames may spread rapidly. The guards, he says, report that not more than 1,000 feet per acre of standing timber is being destroy ed. He reports the situation at Re public to be growing worse. Gov. Brady of Idaho Tells President of Peril BEVERLY, Mass., August 23.?Presi dent Taft's suggestion that the fire stricken states of the west rhould call out their state mititla to assist the fed eral troops in handling the situation hrfs already borne fruit In Idaho. Gov. Brady has called out the National Quard. The President today received the fol lowing additional telegram from Qov. Grady telling of the situation in that state: "BOISE. Idaho. August 23, 1910. "Hon. William H. Taft, President, Bev erly, Mass. "Since wiring you I have received the following telegram from Spokane: " 'Unconquerable fires, one a mile wide, are eating up the forests between Avery and 8t- Joe. The settlers are all driven out. seventy-flve at St. Joe. " 'Seven dead bodies of rangers found near there. More than fifty are missing who are believed to be dead, but no help available. Women snd children helped to town by volunteer rescue parties. Burke and Kullan Threatened. " 'Great fires around Burke and Mul lan threaten If they have not already de stroyed those towns. Fires between Ralph Drum and Spirit I.ake are In enormous bodies of timber, with many settlers and summer campers in danger. Forests around Newport. Wash., near the Idaho line, well nigh uncontrollable because of the high winds that are prevailing in this region. " 'Five are known to be dead and many missing In that region. Settlers are all driven away, their fine possessions burn ing. " 'On the Coeur d'Alene shores two fires are burning, big brands falling In Coeur d'Alene city. Wallace property loss totals half million dollars: loss of Hfe in town probably ten and in the vicinity nearby fifty. Wind may veer any moment and endanger rest of city, which is one-third depopulated. "'Fires seem to be beyond human control in the most Instances. I-arge force of men. directed by experienced foresters, could save timber worth many millions. Militia Is Called Out. "I am convinced that conditions war rant me In calling out the state militia In encsmpment at American Lake. Wash. 1 have ordered Gen. F. H. Rowe to pro ceed with all dispatch and all troops under his command to Coeur d'Alene to assist In the alleviation of suffering of stricken people as a result of forest fires, and perform such duty as may be In his judirment necessary for the further pro tection of llf# and property. ?*I will co-operate In every possible way with national troops. I will keep you fully advised as to conditions in our state. "JAMES H. BRADY, Governor." SIBLEY ARRESTED AS A VOTE BUYER Pennsylvania Ex - Congress man Accused of Violating Primary Laws. *m FOLLOWS QUICK UPON RETIREMENT FROM RACE Announced Last Night He Was Too Old to Again Serve People. OTHERS CHARGED WITH HIM Conspiracy to Debauch Electors in Securing Republican Nomination la Alleged in Warrant. JOSEPH C. SIBLEY, Farmer Representative fr*m Peaasyl mla. FRANKlyIN, Pa., August 23.?Joseph C. Sibley, who withdrew as a candidate for Congress on the republican ticket in the twenty-eighth Pennsylvania district, was arrested late last night on a war rant charging "conspiracy to debauch voters." Mr. Sibley was released on his own recognisance to appear before Justice of the Peacq Perry at Warren, Pa.. Au gust 38. ^Tbe arrest of Mr. lUey cam* a few hours after he had announced his with drawal from the congressional race.' Ac cording to his own figures filed in obedience to the legislative act requiring a public statement of a candidate's ex pense account, Mr. Sibley spent 117,000 in Warren county to secure his nomina tion, and in the entire district $32,500, which, according to population, averaged $4 per vote. In the warrant under which Mr. Sibley was arrested three other prominent politicians in the twenty-eighth district are also charged with conspiracy to de bauch voters. They are Charles Cran dall, D. M. Howard and Oeorge M. Dunn. Inspired by Democratic Opponent. The investigation of the Sibley primary expense account was inspired by Wil liam J. Breene. his democratic opponenft. Information Made Yesterday. The Information against Mr. Sibley was made yesterday before Justice Perry of Warren by Constable Walter Paige of the same city. Paige secured the war rant and served it on Mr. Sibley late last night at Mr. 81bley's home here. In the Information Frank H. Taylor, secre tary to Mr. Sibley, is also named as co defendant. Mr. Taylor was arrested, but neither of the two men was required j to go to Warren nor to give ball, the constable releasing them on their own J recognisance.1 - Mr. Sibley denied himself to interviewers- today. In the statement issued last night, when Mr. Sibley an nounced his sudden withdrawal from the congressional race, he said that ill-health solely was responsible for his giving up the contest. It Is also said today by close friends of the family, that Mr. Sibley Is sulterlng from acute heart trouble and has not left his home for some time. Mr. Sibley's announcement, published this morning, of his reasons for retiring from the congressional race, Is as follows: Seasons for Quitting Race. "Owing to the continuance of the seri ous condition of my heart. I am con vinced that the days of my physical ac tivities are numbered. At the best, I can only hope that a long period of ab solute rest will alleviate my present con dition. When 1 became a candidate for Congress I had no premonition of the serious difficulty with my vision or the subsequent attack of heart failure. While my vision has greatly improved, the graver difficulty of my heart has not responded to treatment so fully as I had hoped and believed. I am now con vinced that if elected to Congress I shall be unable to give to the discharge of my duties the close and earnest atten-. tton which the position demands, and which the constituency Is entitled to re ceive. It Is, therefore, incumbent on me to decline the nomination you have given me. and to express the hope that some one of high character and eminently qualified for the duties of the position may be selected In my stead. "I recognise the embarrassments this will cause the party which has honored me and the d'sappolntment which this decision will bring to my fr'ends. I had hoped that a few weeks of rest would be effective In working a restoration of my strength, but an acute recurrence of my heart trouble convinces me that the duty I owe alike to you and myself de mands that another must be the candi date and the congressman. Recognizes His Inability. ??j ghall let my whole life stand as an answer to my political detractors and to any undeserved criticism on their part. In the days of my strength no political storm has worried me, nor does the thought of it do so now, for I am aware of the undiminished confidence of those who have always been my friends and po litical supporters. k "It Is simply a recognition Uy me of the fact that I am unable to perform the task that prompts the decision I have made. "In the days yet coming to m* It will be my pleasure to demonstrate to my friends how much I have appreciated their love and loyalty. Fortunately for my peace of mind, I have no revenges to gratity or enemies to punish. (Signed) "JOSEPH C. SIBLEY." Both Democrat and Republican. Former Representative Sibley baa beld aeata In the House both on the demo cratic and the republican - sidps. and he ha* been a violent partisan at different time* at both political parties. He ftfBt gained prominence in politics aa a demo crat; but in recent years he has asso ciated himself with republican leaders, and especially with those far away ffom the Insurgent wing. In the local politics of his home town of Franklin, Pa., he has been both re publican and democrat. He won a may oralty contest while wearing the emblem of the donkey on his breast. Although he was a resident of the twenty-seventh Pennsylvania congres sional district at the time, he was elected to represent the adjoining twenty-sixth district In the House for the Fifty-third Congress on a democratic ticket. Two years later he was offered the demo cratic nomination of both the twenty sixth and twenty-seventh districts; he accepted that of the twenty-seventh and was elected. He became a republican bv the time of the next congressional election jind -was chosen to succeed himself* for the .Fifty-seventh Congress. He was contin ued in the House as a republican until ;the Sixty-first Congress. Attack on Cleveland. While serving as a democratic repre sentative Mr. Sibley made an attack on the floor of the House on the then Presi dent, Grover Cleveland, declaring: "It has come to a time when the government of the people requires some thing more than a combination of brains, belly and brass." While a democrat lie was a strong fighter for the bimetallism and for Wil liam Jennings Bryan. Later, he threw himself into the support of Matthew S. Quay, the old republican boss of the Keystone state. During the last national campaign Mr. Sibley again came much into the public eye in connection with the Archbold Standard Oil letters, read during stump speeches by Witliam Randolph Hearst. It was in connection with these letters that he declared he had been a friend of Archbold and the Standard Oil Com pany for thirty years. He has been extensively engaged in the production and refinement of petroleum. FEUDIST ABNER SLAIN. Unknown Assassins Shoot Down Hargis' Lieutenant. JACKSON, Ky? August 23.?John Abner, noted feudist, who took part in the Hargis. Callahan, Deaton and Smith factional quarrels, was shot and killed by unknown parties here last night. An effort will be made to trace the assassins with bloodhounds. Abfer had been accused of being one of the men employed by Judge Hargis and others to assassinate Dr. B. D Cox, James Cockrell and James B. Marcum during the feud fights eight years ago. On each trial the jury disagreed, and the charges were never pressed. STU YVES ANT FISH DENIES. Rumor of Restoration to Head of Railway Without Foundation. - NEW YORK, August 23.?Stuyvesant Fish, deposed as president of the Illinois Central Railroad by the late E. H. Har riman. today denied with emphasis the report whU h had become current that he was soon to be restored to the presidency of that company. ??There is not the slightest foundation for the report," said Mr. Fish, "and 1 would like to have it promptly denied." FUNERAL OF MIDSHIPMAN. Services Held at Annapolis for Richard R. Landy. ANNAPOLIS, Md.. August 23.-Funeral services were held in the Naval Academy chapel to^hiy over the body of Midshlo man Richard R. Landy of Tennessee, who died of peritonitis last Saturday on board the battleship Iowa of the midship men's practice cruise squadron, as the vessels were nearlng home after their summer voyage to European ports. Ful military honors were accorded to the body, which was seht to'Lewlaburff, Tenn., for burial. BANDITS START IN TO ijlilM Hold Up Two Trolley Cars in Succession, But Get Small Booty. WILKESBARRE. Pi, August 23?In true wild west fashion two masked hl?h waymen held up two cars of the Wllkes barre Traction Company shortly before midnight and robbed and terrorised pas sengers and employes. State police and the company's detectives are searching for the daring men and expect to ax rest them during the day. The car leaving this city for the town of Parsons was the first held up. The spot was an Isolated one near the cross ing of the Delaware and Hudson railroad. The conductor of the car, John Elliot, ran ahead to look for approaching trains. The two masked men then boarded the ?ar and covered the motorman, Thomas WiHIams, with their revolvers. They relieved him of his silver watch. When the conductor returned to the 1 car he found two revolvers staring him in the face. He gave up his gold watch and 1 $19. The only passenger In the car. | Thomas Trethaway, was compelled to hand over his $.V> gold watch. After firing several shots from their revolvers, one of the bullets striking and breaking a window in the car, the men disappeared In the darkness. Twenty minutes later the car on the Miners' Mills line was held up by the same two men. The scene was three quarters of a mile away from the tlrst hold-up. There were many women aboard I the car and the highwaymen fired several shots, causing a panic among the women. The robbers did not fare so well on this car. Conductor Hebner showed fight. He struck at one with a brake Iron. The highwayman openqtf fire and bullets graxed the conductor's cap. The masked I men then became alarmed and fled In the darkness. DIVORCED WOMAN A WIDOW. Court'i Decision Affects Many Es tates Held in: Trust. SAN FRANCI8CO. Cil., August 23 ? That a divorced woman is the widow of her former husband, although he may | have married subsequent to the divorce, was a decision handed down yesterday by Judge Graham. This Is the first time | such a decision has been made In this* state, and It affects many estates held In trust. The decision was the result of a suit for the restoration of records In an es tate involving SSOO.OUO by Charles E. James on behalf of Mrs. Eugenia Jones. JUMPED FROM HIGH BRIDGE. One Man of Three May Die of His Injuries. PHILADELPHIA, August 2S.?Wil liam Collins, aged twenty-four years - James Johnson, twenty-two years, and William Manner, twenty-five years, jumped from the Spring Garden Street bridge Into the Schuylkill river last night. The distance from the bridge to the water is eighty feet. Johnson and Manner struck the water safely and swam ashore, but Collins was partly disemboweled. He was rescued by two policemen after considerable difficulty He is not expected to recover. The three men took the daring leap on a wager. HEARSE HORSE RUHS AWAY. Jttmps Into Hndson River With Body, Which Is Fished Out NEW YORK, August 21.-A sleepy o}d Dobbin, which had drawn a West S'd. undertaker's wagon for years in most approved funeral pace, imagined a vain thing today and ran rway ?rW . iuTSS i 4 several blocks the horse and vt|on plunged into the Hudson rfver. The doors of the wagon flew open and a cas ket containing a body floated down stream. The driver managed to save him The night watchman of a pier swam out ashore. MAN AHD HOESE GORED. Two Steer* Go on Rampage With Fatal Results. ^ CHICAGO. 111., August 23.?Two steers from the western range went on a ram page yesterday, and before they were shot down they had gored to death one man and a horse. Michael Burns, employed at the Chi cago Union stockyards, was engaged in assorting a drove of steers when one of the animals broke from the drove and charged wildly through the alleys divid ing the separate pens Burns, who had one blind eye. did not see the onrushing animal until it was within a few feet of him. He tried to frighten It away, but the steer charged with full force, striking Burns in the stomach with its horn and carrying him several feet. Burns died shortly after reaching-the hospital. Another steer, after escaping' from -a north side amusement park, plunged through several fenoes. chased pedestri ans, terrified inmates of the Martha Wash ington Home, and klled a hoise before It was shot to death. NOT TO VISIT AMERICA. ? 4 Report Regarding Crown Prinoe of Germany Is Denied. BERLIN, August 23.?Crown Prince Frederick William will not visit the United States after a trip to India and the far east, on .which he is to start In November. When the first announcement Was made of the far eastern Journey of the.German heir It was surmised that he would return by way of the Pacific ocean, rounding out his trip into a tour around the world, but Count von Bismarck-Boh len, lord chamberlain of the household of the'crown prtnee, replying today to an in quiry, stated definitely that he would not return by way of the United States. The trip will bear an official character, and arrangements have been made with the British government for his reception In India. PAULDING ON HER METTLE. Acceptance Trials of Torpedo De stroyer Begin. ROCKLAND, Me., August 23.?The of ficial acceptance trials of the torpedo de stroyer Paulding began today, with stan dardization teets, on the government mile course. The Paulding, whose contract speed is fixed at twenty-nine and one-half knots, was required to make twenty-six runs over the course. This number is considerably in excess of that made previously by any Amegcan warship on her builders' acceptance trials and was required for the purpose of ac cumulating data for the use of the Navy Department relative to standardization work. The Paulding, bulit at Bath, is a sister I ship of the Drayton, launched in the Maine city yestetday, and also of the Flusser and the Reid and is the second of the oil-burning type of destroyers to reach the trial stage. HOTEL MEN ASSEMBLE. International Stewards' Association Meets in Pittsburg. PITT8BURG. August 2X?Prominent hotel men from all parts of the United States and some from foreign countries are here tcday to attend the annual con- | vention of the International Stewards Association. The sesslcns will ccntlnue three days. Among the more important business matters which will be brought up for discussion w|ll be plans for a training achooi for hotel employes, also the draft ing of a law standardizing weights and measures in all parts of the country. This bill will be presented to the next 1 session of Gongrees. ? ? . i Over 200 delegates are la attendance. I Sixty-Mile Gale, Rain and Lightning Play Havoc. WATER CRAFT SET ADRIFT Buildings Damaged; Trains Belayed; Wires Down. 200 BULBS LOST THEIK LIVES Several Shocked by Electric Bolts. Many Hurt by Falling Timber. CHICAGO. August 23-?"Widespread damage was done by a rain and wind storm In Chicago and vicinity early to day. The wind reached a velocity of fifty eight mile* an hour. Rain fell to a depth of 1.80 inches, the heaviest since last' May. Yachts and dredges were torn from their moorings, but none sank. Many buildings were strvuk by lightning; windows were broaen; signs were blown down, and basements and sewers were Hooded. Telephone circuits were demoralised, and boats and trains were delayed. Several persons were shocked by lightning. Many received minor inju ries from fallen timbers. ? 800 Birds Are -Killed. "Sparrows' Haven." a grove at 75th street and Ingleside avenie. where birds congregate in great numbers, lost of Its feathery inhabitants by the I jtorm. A policeman found their bodies among the shattered trees today. A fisherman was thrown into the lake i by ? the capslsinx of his boat. Life savers found him nearly exhausted clinging to the supports of a pier. Quests of the Elite Hotel, on the West Side, lied into the rain when tae building was struck by llgntnlng. The plaster was shaken from the wall of the Hyde Park police station when llghialat^trjuau a Jamp-post in front qj ? There wit.ft BBlpTST"*welve degrees in temperature' in less than an hour At 1 a.m. the thermometer registered 80 degrees, and at 2 a.m. the mercury had dropped to 68. Storm Orer Wide Area. The storm was central over northern Wisconsin. From Janesville reports came of heavy damage by wind and rain. ?> ? Although no reports of marine dis asters have come to life-saving stations along Lake Michigan, It is feared that the suddenness ot the storm on the lake may have caused distress to shipping. MSftir telegraph end telephone wires were blown down or crossed, and com munication by that means Whs badly demoralised for several hours along Lake Michigan. Yesterday was one of the most un comfortable days experienced by Chl cagoans in years, owing to the excessive humidity In the air. It was announced at the weatner bureau that the humidity was from t? to 10 per cent higher during the day than the average relative humidity in August tor the last six years. Campers Save Tents From Wind. BATTLE CREEK, Mich., August 23 ? Shivering in their night clothes, nearly on'e thousand campers at the Seventh Day Adventist camp meeting here saved their tents from destruction In a terrific rain and windstorm early today by sit ting all through the storm on the guy ropes of their temporary abodes. Lightning Illuminated the strange scene, while the crowd sang hymns ana quoted scriptural passages. The storm blew down the auditorium tent, the Young People's tent and several private tents. TAX FOB EXPOSITION. Legislature to Submit Flan to Cali fomians. SACRAMENTO, Cal., August 21.? Gov. GUlett will probably issue a call for an extra session of the legislature some time today. This session will be called to adopt resolutions to be submitted to the voters of the state at the November election by which the state constitution may be amended so that a special tax of 4 cents on each $100 can be im posed for five years for exposition pur poses. THBEE KILLED IN WBECK. Head-On Collision of Freight Trains Near Bdgemont, Md. HAGERSTOWN. Md., August 23 Three men were killed and six Injured in a head-on freight train collision on the Western Maryland railroad near Edge mont last night. The dead are H. N. Gigons of Hagerstown, fireman; D. E. Fouke, Hagerstown, brakeman, and a man named Koonts, who was stealing a ride. Of the Injured H. E. Burgee, brakeman, and A. E. Fox, fireman, both of Hagers town, and Roy Messner of Fairmont, Md., were the most seriously hurt. The acci dent Is declared by the railroad officials to have been due to the disregard of or ders by the crew of the eastbound train. hangs upon ledges. British Cruiser Bedford in Danger of Total Destruction. TOKIO, August 23.?The hull of the British armored cruiser Bedford, which ran ashore upon the Samarang rocks southwest of Quelpart Islsnd Sundsy, while steaming at full speed through a dense fog, was still hanging upon the jagged ledges when dawn broke today, She was pounding heavily in the high seas left in the wake of the typlioon which last week ilw acrw the ?ast ern sea Just erasing the regioc of the wreck, which yesterday and the daj be fore prevented any attempt at salvage by the fleet of* English and Japanese war vessels standing by. The weather today, however, was mod erating, giving hope that th,e sea would soon go down. t * GAYN0B OUT OF BED. Satisfactory Progress Made Toward Complete Becovery. new YORK. August 23.?Mayor Gay nor expects to spend a couple of hours out of bed today, sitting In his armchair and walking about his room. His recov ery has now progressed to that stage ths t iraaa. ot his attending physicians remained with him last night. TAFT NOT IN PLOT ? AGAINST ROOSEVELT Denies Having Supported Plan to Make Sherman Tempo rary Chairman. URGVD CONFERENCE WITH THE FORMER PRESIDENT Didn't Think Shernum in Rape Until Selection Was Made. ROOSEVELT SAYS HE IS GLAD Expresses Pleasure Upon Reading Mr. Taft's Letter to Lloyd Qria com?Sherman Is Blamsd. FOUR POINTS OF VIEW THE PRESIDENT: "The suggestion that I have ever expressed a wish to defeat Mr. Roosevelt for the temporary chairmanship of the convention or have ever taken the slightest step to do so is wholly untrue. "I never heard Mr. Sherman's name suggested as temporary chairman of the state convention until I saw In the newspapers of August 16 that he had been se lected at the meeting of th? com mittee. "On the afternoon of Monday, August 15, Mr. Sheqnan tele phoned me from New York, and for the first time apprised me of fact that there w?s a pro pose! to oppose Mr. Roosevelt for the temporary chairmanship, and that with Mr. Root's name." THEODORE ROOSEVELT: "I am very much pleased with Mr. Taft's statement. It makes the situation perfectly clear. If Nassau county wishes me to go to the state convention I shall go. I regard the Issue as clear cut, and so far as I am concerned there will be absolutely no com prom lee." LLOYD C. GRISCOM: "The methode used to accom* pllah the defeat of Mr. Rooeevolt when his name was before the state committee are now clear is the public, and may be Judged by the public " VICE PRESIDENT SHERMANl The Viee President declined tm read copies of the Taft letter sr the statementa of Col. RoooevwN and Mr. Orlsoom. "I have nothing whatever ts say," he declared. NEW TORK, August 23 ? President William H. Taft has broken his long si lence concerning the part he has taken in the present muddle of republican poli tics In this state. In a long letter to Lloyd C. Grtscom. president of the republican state com mittee, written last Saturday at Beverly and made public last night by Mr. Orls com. the President emphatically denies that he aided or abetted In any way to the turning down of Col. Theodore Roose velt as temporary chairman of the re publican state committee by the members of the New York state republican ma chine Tuesday, August IS. or that he eswn knew that Vice President James 8. Sher man was to be selected for the place. Advised Conference With Boossrelt. The President goes further and makes public a copy of the telegram which he eent to Mr. Sherman before the meeting of the committee, and In which he, the President, advised the Vice President be i fore taking any action first to see Wil liam L. Ward and Timothy Woodruff and then all three have a full conference with Mr. Roosevelt. This Is the tele gram which M. K. Hart, ex-assembly man from Oneida county, at L'tlca Sat urday charged Mr. Sherman with delib erately suppressing. k Mr. Sherman did not carry out the wishes of the President, according to Mr. Taft'a version of the affair. Neither he nor Mr. Ward nor Mr. Woodruff went near Col. Roosevelt until after the com mittee meeting, nor did they indicate to him in any way that Mr. 81ierman's name was to be considered by the committee and not his own. Heard Boot's Name Only. The President further states that on the day before the committee meeting Mr. Sherman telephoned him from New Tork that a movement was on foot to oppose Col. Roosevelt for temporary chairman, ' but that the only other name mentioned for the place was that of Elihu Root. Mr. Grlscom in a statement iasued last night charged that the President's ad vice had been ignored and his attitude misrepresented "In order that those mho misrepresented him might appear as the defenders of his administration." He prophesied that the action of the state committee would be reversed and that Col. Roosevelt, if his engagements will permit him to accept, will act as tem porary chairman of the convention. Letter Pleases Roosevelt. Col. Roosevelt at Oyster Bay last night, after# reading the letter from President Taft, expressed himself as being pleased with it. He said that before the meeting of the state committee he had expressed his des're to met the various state lead ers, but after the meeting he did not see any particular object in conferring with them. "I had never desired the chalrmanahip." said the colonel, "and consented to have my name considered on the conditkm only that. In platform and candidate alike, the party should endeavor to achieve success In the only way worth trying." President Taft'a Disavowal. Following la the text of Prealdent Taft'a letter: "BEVERLY, Mass , August 20, 1910. "My Dear Mr. Grlecom: Aa you know from your, telephone converaatlona with my office. I have ateadlly refused to admit the propriety or neoeaalty of the Prealdent'a replying to newspaper etate ments which are not based on any aet or authorised word of his and have as sponsor. I am entirely willing, bower, J*