The Washington times. [volume], July 31, 1916, HOME EDITION, Page 2, Image 2

About The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939

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THE WASHINGTON TIMES? MONDAY; JULY 31? 1916.
-
Mystery Still Shrouds
partinexplosion .Cause of Giant Blast
It will bo admittedly difficult for the
commission to dctormlno that they wcro
Improperly packed.
TWO ARE HELD FOR
Railroad and Storage Men Accused
. of Criminal Negligence.
JBR8EY CITY, July SI. On charsos
of "criminal and cross negligence" two
men will be arraigned hero today for
their alleged part In tho $19,000,000 ex
plosion on Black Tom peninsula.
They are Albert M. DIckman, a Le
high Valley railroad agent, whose sta
tion was Black Tom Island, and Alex
ander Davidson, superintendent of the
National Htorage Company's warehouse)
on tho piers.
Warrant for the arrest of Theodore B.
Johnson, president of tho Johnson Ilght
rge Coirfpmiy, was Issued, but service
on Johnson had not been obtained early
today.
Johnson and Davidson are charged
, with negligence In permitting a tug to
tie a barge loaded with dangerous ex
plosives to the pier. DIckman Is charged
with permitting box cars loaded with
high explosives to be placed on a rail
road siding In a position where dancer
from fire or explosion was great. Tho
three men are specifically charged with
causing the death of Cnpt. Cornelius
Iyevden, of the Lehigh Valley's rnllwny
. police, one of tho victims of tho explosion.
STATUE OF LIBERTY
WEATHERS BLAST
Gown Torn a Bit, But No Real In
jury Was Done.
XBTW TOItlC July SI. Miss Liberty's
gown was torn a llttlo and Borne of her
skin punctured by shrapnel bullets
but the famous stntuo on Bedloe's Is
land today was found to be surprisingly
free from Injury, considering Its loca
tlon, less than a mile from Black Tom
peninsula. Many freakish Incidents
were reported hero and clsowhcro.
Tho main door giving entrance to the
Statue of Liberty was wrenched off Its
hinges as by a giant; tho Iron cover to
a powder magazine was torn away, all
doors wcro crushed In, and probably a
hundred bolts Joining tho plates whlcn
compose the gigantic figure woro broken
or sheared on. A number of nnglcbar.i
were twisted. It woa some caprice of
the exploding forces that left the giant
figure almost untouched.
There were lots of other freakish
stunts which the explosive forces did In
nnd around New York and lots of freak
ish things which people did under stress
of the excitement. Here aro n few:
John K. uocKereiler, jr., up at focantico
Hills, was awakened by the explosion,
got up and tried to find out where the
"earthquake" was located.
Policeman Henry Dohcrty. patrolling
the water front In Jersey City, found
himself In the water, with every stitch
of his clothes stripped from him.
Charles Cutler, bargeman, was hurled
high Into tho air. and landed safely
and softly in a cor of borax.
Immigrants at Kills Island were thank
ful far what was apparently a rain of
heavy, sheepskin-lined overcoats. No
body knows where they came from.
Not ft solitary window In the twelve
story building occupied bv the New
York Plato Glass Insurance Company,
which will havo to pav millions In Insur
ance for smashed windows In and aruund
Ncw York, was broken, although those
NEW YORK, July Si. Mystery still
beclouds tho real cnuie of the explosion
and flro early yesterday on "Black Tom
Island."
Whether a fire, starting on a barge
loaded with nltro-ccllulose, or Ignition
of four freight oars loaded with high
explosives, was the cause no one could
tell today. Perhaps the exact cause
never will be known. I
The condition of the area of devasta
tion mado it Impossible still today to ex-
amino the acono of. the first terrific im
pacts. This mornlng.flatnei were still flaring
high from wreckage of railroad caM and
warehouses on Blach ' Tom, which is
really a peninsula.
Shrapnel and three-Inch high explo
sive shells buried deep In the ruins were
being Ignite! occasionally by the heat.
Into n desultory pop-pop that kopt tho
wotkmen and crouds of spectators at
respectful distances.
Only Estimates Possible
Dead, missing and injured lists admit
tedly are mere estimates.
The very nature and extent of the
blast and fire makes impossible, this
early, anything like definite compilation
bf llfe-losi.
Only a visit to the scene. can make one
reallte how difficult it will be even
after several days of search of ruins
bj records to toll the exact loss.
Ho far, there are only three Known dead.
Twenty-five others are missing, and Ho
aro known to have been Inlured. This
list of Inlured does not Include those
hurt, mtloi away from tho scene, by
falling glass.
Four separate Investigations were
started today by the railroad compa
nies, Jersey City authorities, the State,
and the Federal Uovornmont. Agents
of each are on the scene, and will re
main until they have gone into every
phsso of the case. . , .. .
Tho chief objective of all investiga
tions was the tying up of a barge be
longing to un Independent company to a
Lehigh Valley dock. It waa aboard this
barge that ono ot the two major explo
sions cccurred, whether tho llrst or sec
ond still Is undecided. It was chaiged
today the barge was tied up against
ppccitlc orders.
Eetlmatos of the property damage run
nil tho way from t20.000.ono to $fAO.000.
Tho consensus of opinion ampng Jersey
Cltv officials is that the latter figure
will be nearer correct, after complete
tabulation has been made of thousands
Incidents of the Big Explosion
wholo water front likewise be so de
veloped. Senator Newlands spoke at length in
support of nts proposition.
COMMITTEE FAVORS
SCHOOL FORUM PLAN
Bill Sponsored by Miss Wilson In
dorsed by District Committee.
Formal report of the bill authorizing
tho use of school buildings as public
forums was mado today by the House
District Committee. Mr. Oakey wroto
the opinion.
Conccrnlnc the forum bill, which was
Miss Aiargoroi
upon thousands of shattered windows
and other similar damage done In Jorsey
City, Brooklyn. Mnnhaltnr., and a dozen
smaller surrounding cities, towns, and
hamlets. ,
Millions Lost In Glass.
This ono Item of smashed glass atone,
Incidentally, has been estimated at
more than It.XO.OOO.
Only tho fact that tho two mnor ex
plosions occurred at tho hour they did
at 208 and 2:35 a. m. and .whero they
did. undoubtedly proventcd far gi cater
loss of life.
"UJack Tom" is situated at tho bulg
ing crd of a long peninsula that Is Just
about thrco miles off Communlpaw,
of Ellis Island and the small plot of
lapd In Now York harbor-on wnich we
Btatuo of Liberty stands.
Had the explosions ocruired on the
mainland of either tho New York or
Jersey coasts the shock, officials say,
would have been much moro violent.
As it was, the giant concussion of the
explosions pushed In windows five and
six miles away, and the shock that
was carried to Manhattan rocked giant
akyscttipers and monster apartment
buildings as far uptown as Hth street
as though a great hand clutched the
rock foundaUons of the city and snook
them.
Bomb Theory Scouted.
It had been clearly established today
that a fire that was not touched off by
any explosion started the disaster.
As Indication of the Impossibility of
determining the start of this tire is tnu
almost humorous range of theories
which run the gamut rrom a llgiuuu
clgarete to a bomb from a mysterious
airship.
Bomb theories were set aside today as
not worthy, at least as this time .of con.
sidcrailon. No evidence nas upponreu.
Investigators said, that the explosions
and Are were a result of any 'bomb plot
ting activities.
tomc Idea or this woll-nlgh Inconceiv
able lot-go of tons of dunlto. dynamite.
lyddite, nltro-ccllulose, an moro gun
powder was seen toaay on me iar cnu
of the peninsula, whero the major ex
plosions occurred. Most of the terrain
at that point is made land. It narrows
to about forty or fifty feet at the plor
where stood the bargcload of nltro-col-lulose.
Two railroad tracks Jutted
against the pier. On these tracks were
lour cars or nign explosives.
Only a Gaping Hole Left.
Today this spot Is a gaping, Jagged
hole twenty to thirty feet deep and over
100 feet long. Tho far end or rather
where tho far end was Is again a part
of New York harbor.
There is not a trace of the hugo
freight cars, except for some powueiiu
wood pulp and a few tiny bits of steel
that once wcro parts of great wheels
and steel platforms.
Just west of this "point that was
an indescribable Jumble ot cars are scat
tered about. Firemen concentrated nrty
or moro streams on these hillocks ot
devastation, wnortly after 8 o'clocK.
however, they were ordered from the
scene because of frequent volleys or
exploding shells. They left tho hose
nozzles fastened to automatic supports
still playing on the ruin.
Antlvplv annnsored bv
in nearly every building around wero I "Wilson, daughter of the President, the
shattered.
VOTE NOW IS CERTAIN
ON NEW 0. C. GOVT.
A motion picture camera man de
cided he Tvould llko to get some close
rango views ot the floating munition
barges.
He came across a daredevil who vol
unteered to take him out to the
barges In a flat-bottomed rowboat.
About half way out a shell casing
which had been shot Into the air
from a barge enme ricocheting nlong
tho surface of tho wntor. Its strength
had been spent and ft was on Its Inst
skip when It struck the prow of tho
boat a glancing blow.
The bont stood up on Its stern. It
righted Itself, howover, and tho worst
that befell tho ocupants was a Hllght
drenching. They abandoned their
project
M. T. Henley, ynrdmaster of the
Lehigh Valley railroad, was the
victim of another freakish experi
ence. Ho was Btandlng on top of a
freight car superintending- the re
moval of that nnd nthijr freight
cars to n position of safqty whon
the first explosion hurled him to
the ground. ........
Ho was not dven bruised, but ho
found that in some mysterious
manner his gold watch had been
Jerked from his pocket. An exam
ination showed him that his vest
had been torn opon nnd that the
watch, nttachod to a chain passing
through ono of tho buttonholes of
his vest had been flung far out
into the night. The chain had also
slipped Its moorings and followed
the timepiece llko the tall of a
comet.
Another weird tale. Is told of
Patrolman Henry Doherty. of the
Fifth precinct In Jersey City. Do
herty, who Is known among his
follow-offlcers as "Handsomo Har
ry," was stationed at the foot of
Claremont avenuo.
He wns standing near the edge
of tho pier when tho first big bang
occurred. Ho was thrown Into tho
water ,nnd whon ho managed to
pull himself out found that tho
forco of "he explosion had torn
all hls apparel from him with the
exception of a 'strip of cloth that
hung from his wnlstllno like a
breechcloth. More thun his dignity
wns Injured, however, for he was
later taken to a hospital.
building and tho other on the west
sldo, but most of tho engines were
out answering falso alarms.
It Is believed that some of the
Fnnlc-strlcken ones may have
urned In alarms, believing that
there woro fires In tho neighbor
hood, but most of the trouble was
caused by automatic alarms. The
concussion set a number of these
off nnd sent tho apparatus scurry
ing aimlessly looking for confla
grations that did not exist.
Kvcry day of this summer on
Which thcro Is a double-header base
ball gamo the phantom grandmother
of "Bill," an office boy employed
by the Walter Ilynms clipping Bu
reau, at Dey and West streets, can
brcatho with Impunity her last big
league sigh.
And this Is because "Bill," whose
last name Is unknown to his employ
ers, emulated "lied" Mcrkle on Sat
urday night and forgot to touch the
office windows.
When tho big explosion occurred
every pano of glass within a mllo of
the Hyams offlco spattered and fell.
Owing to tho fact that "Bill" was
obviously In a great hurry to get
somewhere principally out on Sat
urday night tho windows of his su
periors wero left as wide open as tho
sashes would permit. None ot them
broke.
One peculiar circumstance of tho
explosion wai that every one wno
heard It Imagined It had occurred
somewhero In his own Immediate vi
cinity. The late Saturday night workers
nlong Park How. and the stragglers
crossing Brooklyn bridge on their
homeward way thought it camo from
tho corner of Center and uuane
streets, and hundreds of them rush
ed to the northeast corner ot the,
municipal building, crying that some.
ono had dynamited the structure.
On Hedloe's island, barely half a
mllo from Black lorn, thf otneers
and men took the nrst popping or tho
shells In Jersey for their own sen
tries, and believed that laborers at
work unloading coal ror Kort wood
had attacked tho guard.
In the midst of the excitement
the fire apparatus began to rattlo
out. adding to the din nnd confu
sion. There were two two-alarm
blazes, one far uptown In a loft
The clock on the office of the
Jersey City Journal stopped whon
tho explosion occurred, with Its
hands pointing to 2:12.
While hunting for James Dohtrty
two patrolmen heard groans coming
from a, pile of wreckaga. Search re
vealed a human foot sticking out of
a twisted moss of timbers. Quickly
the policemen uncovered a boy of
nineteen. He was only able to tell
them that his name was Harry
Stelnberger before the second ex
plosion occurred.
The patrolmen sought shelter, and
when they returned they could find
no trace of the boy, and for some
tlmo.lt was believed he had been
killed. Lator he was found, suffering
from sorlous bruises, but otherwise
unhurt.
While bursting shrapnel shells
hurled a rain of destruction on Bed
loe's Island for two nours, dropping
a hall of bullets and Jagged bits or
metal about a llttlo group of terri
fied women and chlldron, crouching
at the base of the Bartholdl Statue
of Liberty, nnd bombarding nearby
buildings with a deafening and in
cessant roar, the light in Liberty's
torch, far above the scene ot de
struction, shone on through the night
undimmcd.
This terrltlc bombardment came
from a burning lighter, loaded with
shells, which had drifted to the
shore of the Island.
The explosion did more damage to
the Lehigh Valley piers two miles
away, than thnt suffered In the Com
munlpaw explosion several years ago,
which occurred at a distance or
about twenty-five yards.
RUSSIANS CONTINUE .
ADVANCE FROM BRODY
PETBOOnAD; July 31,-Aflcr fierce
flgtlng around Brody, tho Buirlans
havo thrust their way forward .again,
this tlmo taking ground from tho Teu
tons up to tho nlvers Qraberki and
Beret
The war office statement today made
this announcement
The war office asserted that In the
region of tho Stockhod river tho Rus
sian forces wero fighting their way
forward. At ono point, among the
prisoners captured In this thrust, was
tho whole Thirty-first Honved Aus
trian regiment Including the com
mander and his Bluff. At other places
along the Stockhod river 30 Teutons
wero captured, with four machine
guns.
Northeast and southenst of Barano
vltchi tho statement said fierce artil
lery operations wcro In progress.
From the Caucasus, the Grand Duke
Nicholas reported furiher advance from
Brzlngan, and repulse of. a Turkish
attack directed toward Mossut In the
region of Dlayglaver.
Switch of a Cow's Tail
Costs Farmer an Eye
irNUAL.iv, 8. c, July 31. As tho re
sult of a cow switching her tall Gottlieb
Ituch, a farmer living near Uie city,
will lose one of his eyes.
The tall of the cow struck him square
ly on the eyeball, Injuring it to such
an extent that ho now has cone to a
hospital to hove the eye removed. Thli
was the only wav in which the uninjured
I eye could be saved, as It has been at-
04
(Continued from First Page.)
trict of Columbia tho same as tangible
personal property. Under this amend
ment they would bo taxed ono-half of 1
per cent.
Senator Newlands took the floor
when tho District bill came up at noon
nnd spoko on tho Improvement of the
river front, a subject In which he Is
deeply concerned.
He presented an amendment to be
inserted In tho bill In connection with
the appropriation which It carries, for
J0.000 for the continuation and comple
tion of work on the now fish market
nnd market for other marlno products
on the water front.
This amendment provides that the
chief of engineers shall name a board
of engineer offlcora to collaborate with
the Commission of tine Arts for tho
artistic development of the commercial
water front of Washington, from tho
Buroau of Engraving to tho War Col
lege. Senator Newlands declared It of the
highest Importance) to have this water
front developed artistically nnd nt the
nomo tlmo to be dovclopcd satisfactorily
from an engineering standpoint.
Proposes $10,000.
He explained that his amendment car
ried 1U,000 to meet the expenses of tno
board of engineers which ho proposed.
He said the stretch of 'water front cov
ered about a mile and a quarter, or a
mile and a half.
Ho pointed out thnt tho Uovernmcnt
was providing for a steam heating nnd
power plant, and for tho new nsh mar
kot. it was of moment that they bo
developed along artistic lines, and tho
THE WEATHER REPORT.
Forecast for District of Columbia,
Maryland nnd Virginia Fair nnd warm
er today; fair and continued warm
er tomorrow; gentle southerly winds.
rfnnrt nnvs
The purpose of the bill is to afford a
practical neighborhood charter for the
proper and consistent use of the school
house as js, community center to
communities which desire to take ad
vantage of it Its primary object to
public education through the open rep
resentation and orderly free discussion
of public questions. It provides that
the men and women of each neighbor
hood shall decide for themselvos
whether their school house shall be
open as a neighborhood meeting place
for themselves and a center of whole
some recreation for their young people,
and gives the men and women of each
neighborhood tho right to determine
their own time of meeting.
POLICE OFFICERS TO
- BE BETTER PAID
District Committee Reports Favor
ably on Increases.
Increased salaries for police captains,
lieutenants, Inspectors, and sergeants in
the DlHtrlct of Columbia arc provided
in it bill formally reported to the Hnuso
by Congressman Vinson of Georgia, on
behalf of the District Committee. Tho
bill went on the House calondar odtfy.
The bill dees not Increase tho salaries
of privates, but provides MOO per annum
cxtia for nny private who may bo as
sured to special detective work.
lie Vinson report says, In part:
The lact thut officers ot the hlrher
grades In Washington are receiving less
salary than the Blze and Importance of
the city warrant, Is found from a com
parison of thi salaries paid officers ot
these grades In Washington and other
larger nnd smaller cities of importance
In tho United States.
The passage of this measure will, it Is
believed, do much to remedy these do
fecta In tho sjstem nnd to Increase the
oftlfiency of the Metropolitan police
by exciting a greater incentive to effort
on tho part of both officers and men.
The salaries of captains and lieuten
ants have not been Increased in the past
twenty-five yea'rs. The Census Bureau's
statistics above referred to indicate
that while Washington ranks as the
sixteenth city In population in tho
United States and has an area of more
than slxty-nlno square miles. It is
thirty-fifth In the rate of salaries paid
to higher officers of the Police Department
(X)OOOOCXXXXXXXXXXXX)OOOOOCXXXXXXXDOCXXXXX)CXXXDCXXXXDQ
Saturday Was a BIG DAY
Our Little Price Brought Big Business.
WHY NOT make your money do double duty by attending
Kaufman Clothing Co.'s
Price Suit Sale
H
It's seldom that you get the opportunity to buy such
makes as
Hart Schaf fner & Marx
and Schloss Bros. & Co.
Fine, High-grade Clothing at y3 the original price. Further
more we give you the UNRESTRAINED CHOICE OF ANY
SUIT IN THE HOUSE AT
Price
8 n. m...
9 a. m...
10 a. m..
11 a. i)i..
It noon..
1 p. in..
TEMPEItATUnE.
(U. S. Bureau.)
74
79
83
87
83
, 89
TIDB TAHLE.
(U. S. Coast and Geodetlo Survey.)
High tldcs-S:47 a.m., height 3.0.
9:li p.m., height 2.8.
Low tides 3:02 a.m., height 0.0.
3:30 p.m., height 0.1.
SUN AND MOON TABLE.
Sun rose 5:05 I Sun sets 7:21
Moon rises 6:32 a.m. Moon sets 8:04 p.m.
Light automobile lamps at 7:51 p. m.
SUMMRK WEAIUNESS
Ilorsford's Acid Phosphate
Quickly relieves hot weather languor, ex
haustion and nervousness. Advt.
Rashes, Pimples, Sunburn
undue redness, insect bites, ivy poison
ing, atings, burns, and all summer skin
affections demand ths prompt use or
POSLAWI
the ready and dependable skin remedy.
Takes away all soreness and quickly
heals the affected surface.
Unequalled for eczema, cne, ana sui
virulent skin diseases.
tor tpndf. MtuMm iMm
At All Druggists.
$10.00 and $12.50 Palm Beach Suits $5 & $6.25
$15.00 Men's and Young Men's Suits $7.50
$20.00 Men's and Young Men's Suits $10.00
$25.00 Men's and Young Men's Suits $12.50
$30.00 Men's and Young Men's Suits. . . .$15.00
$35.00 Men's ana Young Men's Suits. . . .$1 7.50
Straw Hats, values to $3.50, now S5c
Panamas, $7.50 and $10 grades, now. . . . $3.75
Niagara Falls
HOUND
$12.00
TIUP
Modern Chiropody
Affords Instant and satisfying
foot comfort. Once you know the
value of our service you will
never again tolerate painful feet.
Consult
GEORGES & SON, Inc.
CIIIHOrODISTS,
1214 F St. N. W.
August 4, 18,
September 1, IS, and 20
SPECIAL TIIAIN LEAVES
'Washington (Union Station), 7:40 a, m.
rarior tars, jtestaurani car. Day
Coarhe.
IVIa Picturesque Sasiiaehanna Valleyl
TtcksU good for FIFTKEN DATS.
Stop-over at Buffalo, IlarTlsburr, and
Baltimore returning, or may be used
to return via Philadelphia with atop
off In that city. Illustrated Book
let of Ticket Agents.
Our Furnishing Department Offers the Greatest
Values in Washington.
B. V. D. Shirts and Drawers, 50c grade 39c
Otis Balbriggan Underwear, 50c grade 39c
25c Paris Garters 15c
Wash lies, open ends, 50c grade 17c
$3.50 and $4.00 Silk Shirts $2.65
Kaufman Clothing Co.
f
jl JJw uiati Juxgal
G Street
A Small Deposit Suffices
In This August Sale of Furniture and Home Needs
10 to 50 & Savings
ft 4Mr- Suite, $63.75 2j
s
This Enameled Suite was made expressly for the Palais Royal,.sketched by Mr. Harris, an artist
of local fame. The bed is double size; the dresser has base 19x36 inches and mirror 22x28 inches;
the chiffonier has base 17x32 inches and mirror 20x24 inches; the dressing table has base 17x32
inches and mirror 20x24 inches. This suite cannot be duplicated at less than $85. Sale price, $63.75.
Now
NOTE
Quality Not Lowered
Cheaply made Rockers are
flooding the market just now
at a reduced price. These are
the Large, Natural Finish,
Solid Maple Rockers, with
double woven reed seat, guar
anteed to be lastingly safe.
Now only 79c.
$5 Chair,, $3 55
Willow Chairs, large and
every way better than those
made for "a sale." The bet
ter chairs here are guaranteed
$5.00 value, at only $3.55.
8
2
2
Palais Royal A-" G and Eleventh I
You Know
s-.Ntrfry'
yrsssssstTsssssss
The value of single section evening news
paper circulation, and realize no doubt that in
such value you find the answer to the success
as an advertising medium of
it
The Sunday Evening Times
i 'I
Pennsylvania R. R.
933 Pa. Ave. N. W.
"No Waste All in the City Circulation"