The San Francisco call. [volume], April 09, 1911, Image 17

About The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913

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VOLUME CIX.-NO. 130.
—^r^rr^________
73 KILLED IN
PENNSYLVANIA
MINE DISASTER
45 Widows and 137 Orphans
Created by Worst Colliery
Fire Since 1869 ;
Police Forced to Interfere as
, Undertakers Battle to Ob
tain the Bodies
More Than 100 Miners Are
Killed in Explosion in
Alabama
SIANTON. Pa., April B.—A re
vised list of dead tonight shows
that 73 men and boys met their
death in the fire in the Pancoast
■colliery at Throop near here, yesterday.
A canvass of the victims' families shows
45 widows nd 137 orphans.
It is said that every corner of the
■workings, which a fleeing victim might
have reached in his search for pure
air, has been entered and that every
body has been removed. The last
group of dead, comprising seven men,
•were brought up shortly before noon
today.
As fast as the bodies were Identified,
and if relatives did not come to claim
fhem, they were, to undertakers, ac
cording to nationality, to be prepared
for burial. The • undertakers fairly
fought for the bodies, believing the
company would stand for a good round
'. charge and disgraceful scenes resulted.
Police authorities had to interfere.
Crepe on Half the Houses
About every other house.in Throp.
fi typical mining settlement, had crepe
en its door, and in some houses there
Is more than one corpse. John
(Btoyak and his two sons and cousin
•lie In a room in his humble home.
In one foreigner's house seven ehil
*3ren are made orphans. The eldest is
10 years old. Another foreigner's
body was taken to a home where one
child is ill of scarlet fever and an
other of typhoid. The funerals prob
ably wijl he held Mnrr-ray.
In the number of victims this is the
worst mine horror that has ever oc
curred in the Lackawanna valley re
gion, and the worst in the whole an
thracite coal fields since the Avondale
disaster of September 6. 1569. when 110
men lost their lives by -suffocation con
sequent to the burning of the breaker.
Inside Bosses Negligent
Many explanations are offered as to
how the Pancoast victims came to their
deaths, but none is satisfactory. .One
contributing cause, it is said, was the
failure of inside mine bosses to real
ize the imminence of danger in the
tunnel until It was too late for them
to be got out.
The fire started a little after 9
o'clock. Mining operations continued
until 11 o'clock. It is believed it was
near 11 o'clock when the danger to the
men in the tunnel was realized.
Some attempted to tone back in the
direction of the fire. Some got a con
siderable distance in the other direc- |
tion.
None got anywhere near safety. They
fell in their tracks or lay down ex
t hausted, burying their faces In the
wet culm to avoid the choking smoke
and deadly gas.
Struggle Told in Faces
Some stuffed wet handkerchiefs In
their mouths. Many were found hud
dled up under sheets of canvas, used
In the mines in constructing air
courses. All died In a struggle that
told of itself in the dead features.
• Dr. J. A. Holmes of Washington,
b D. C., chief of the United States bureau
cf mines, has undertaken an investi
gation on behalf of the federal gov
-_trnment.
It Is supposed that the fire had its
-rrigln in some oil soaked cotton waste
In the engine room.
About 12 of the victims were men of
English speech, and the boys, whose
ages range from 14 to 16 years, were
of about equal number.
Officials Deny Defect
Officials of the federal mine rescue
service refuse to believe that there was
any defect in the "armor" worn by
Joseph Evans, who went to his death,
the first sacrifice of the service. Evans
overtaxed the capacity of the, appara
tus and collapsed. His companions
cay he tugged madly at his helmet,
probably feeling asphyxiation ■' coming
on, and tore it from his head, thus
exposing himself to the smoke and gas
that killed the men he was seeking to
rescue. _Hfiß_______
The work of, relieving the distress
of the victims' families is well under
way. The miners* "keg fund" will take j
' care of the burial expenses, and the
company for the present will supply
food to the victims' families. "
Could Have Been Averted
PHILADELPHIA. April 8. — John
Mitchell,' former national president of
the united, mine workers, tonight had ,
this to say regarding the Pennsylvania
-_nd Alabama mine disasters: "Based
upon newspaper reports, it seems to
me both disasters could have been
everted. The unfortunate thing is the
laws for the protection of the work -
Continued on Page 20 Column I
THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL
Frank E. Carroll.
Who Will Testify
Against Policeman
BRITISHERS BUY
RICH OIL FIELD
Control of Watauga Holdings
Purchased From San Fran
ciscan and Associates
[Special Dispatch to The Call]
LOS ANGELES, April B.—One of the
largest transactions ever negotiated in
the history of the oil industry in the
United States was consummated last
night, when Charles McCully of Lon
don, chairman of the United mining and
finance corporation, acquired from
Charles D.. Dickensheets of. Beaumont
and San Francisco, George Newman of
Louisiana and others, control of the,
Watauga oil field in Utah and a large
tract. of valuable land in California.;'
The consideration Is not mentioned.
It, however, will be written in large
figures. * Negotiations for, the transfer
of the Watauga lands had progressed
with the greatest secrecy for more than
a year, during which time a thorough
examination of the properties.had been
made. The purchase was concluded, at
the Angelas hotel: at a conference lii
which M.-Cully. ' Dickensheets and
Charles Blenman of Tucson' and Judge
M. G. Adams of Beaumont, respectively,
attorneys for the former two, partici
pated.
Associated with McCully in the Wa
tauga and other enterprises, which he
has acquired in various parts of the
world, are Sir Nevill Guntcr of Wether
by grange, Wetherby, " Yorkshire;
Colonel P. G. Sharman-Crawford of
Crawfordsburn, County Down, Ireland,
chairman of the board of superintend
ence; Belfast banking company, limited;
Chief Councilor of Court Leon Dandre
of St. Petersburg; Maxwell Ilyslop
Maxwell of Liverpool, a director of the
O.nard steamship company; Alfred H.
Bonnard of London and a score of
other foreign financiers and capitalists.
WOMAN GETS RIDE ON
TICKET 29 YEARS OLD
Bought It From the Central
Pacific in 1882
[Special Dispatch to' The Call]
STOCKTON. April I.— A ticket pur
chased from the Central Pacific railway
company In 1882 was presented to Con
ductor Martin O'Nell today by an old
woman passenger, who boarded '■' the
Southern Pacific. train at Oakdale. Al
though the ticket was 29 years old, the
conductor -honored.it and the woman
j rode! to Stockton.
THIEVES STEAL PIANO
AS NEIGHBORS LOOK ON
BERKELEY, April Backing an
express wagon to the door of the home
of William M. Bell, 2331 Jefferson
street. West Berkeley, thieves entered
the place and stole a piano and stool.
Neighbors who -watched the. proceed
ings' thought that Bell had disposed
of the instrument.
The thieves took their time 'about
moving it and spent two hours about
the premises. Nothing else was stolen,
as the work of hauling the piano took
up most of their time.
The theft was reported to the police
by Kay & . C 0.,. who are agents
for the sale of the house, which
had been temporarily left unoccupied
by the absence of Bell in Los Angeles.
CURTISS RISES FROM THE
WATERS OF SALT LAKE
SALT LAKE " CITY, April B._C}lenn
Curtiss, the aviator, gave a successful
exhibition of his new hydroplane on
the surface of Salt Lake this afternoon;
ascending from and descending upon
the .water. v
The hydroplane was driven by its
own power from the beach into the
water. • After skimming over the sur
face for several minutes here and: there
Curtiss arose in the air to • a height
of" 200 feet and flew over the \ lake for
ten minutes, ' before lighting on the
water.
He rose again and made another short
flight, finally landing on the shore.
FIFTY-SIX -PAGES-SAN FRANCISCO, ■ SUNDAY, - APRIL 9, 1911.— PAGES-■; 17 TO 28.
CHIEF WITNESS
IN CEINAR CASE
IS THREATENED
Anonymous Letter Warns Man
Who Exposed Patrolman
Not to Appear
Alleged Plot by 700 Members
of Force to "Get" Motor
ist Is Outlined
Frank E. Carroll, agent for the New
York lubricating oil company of 435
Turk street, chief witness in the brib
ery case against Policeman William L.
Ceinar, has received a letter threaten
ing him with death if he should.dare
: to testify against the accused patrol
man. The epistle purports to come
from a member of the.police force, who
declares that 700 men of the department
I have united in a determination to "get"
i Carroll for his activity in exposing
1 Ceinar.. . . ,
Carroll has shown the letter to some
of his friends, who in turn have com
municated with Chief Seymour. A
secret inquiry has been begun to lo
cate the writer. Every effort was made
to conceal the Identity of the -author.
The document is typewritten on com
mon paper and bears * the . signature
"One of the Bunch."
Ceinar Trial Thursday
Ceinar's case will come up before
the police commission next Thursday.
The evidence against him is regarded
as strong, and such testimony. as Car
roll can give will be substantiated by
other witnesses. '"•}■
The extraordinary methods designed
to Intimidate Carroll have aroused every
man In .the; detective ' bureau. It is
practically established that the _ letter
emanates from a single individual and
not from a group,. as the writer in
tended to make it appear. y' - -
Most of "the communication As de
voted to unprintable abuse. -It bela
bors,Carroll for assisting.'to make the
trap*, for Ceinar -and concludes with
.Continued on I'ltge IS, Column. 4
I'M NOT OUT FOR
ANYTHING, SAYST.R.
Colonel Makes First . Public
Declaration Regarding Can
didacy for Presidency
SPOKANE, April B.—Theodore Roose
velt made his first public declaration
regarding his possible candidacy for" the
presidency today at a luncheon given In
his honor by the Commercial club.
f "lam not an aspirant for anything,
because I have had everything," he
declared. "No, man alive has had—l
don't know whether'l ought to use
these similes in the presence of the
chaplain, but I am going to take
chances — no man alive has had such .a
good run for his money."
Roosevelt declared that he was mak
ing j his present tour for no other pur
pose than that he has already assigned,
to thank the people who had elected
him to the presidency. Had he never
come to the west, he said, he never
would have' raised his regiment and
never have become president. In con
clusion he said:
"It is the. service done, not'the title
of the place held, that counts. And you
won't," any of you, have to puzzle as to
my motives if you will accept my state
ments at their face value. You haven't
got 'anything . I want ■ except^ your re
spect and good will,, in so far as you
choose ;to give;;me your respect and
your. good will; and all I desire is, so
far as the chance arises where "I. am
able to do so, to help you in any move
ment for.the good of our common coun
try. That is all I want."
EASTERN HARNESS MEETS
OFFER BIG PURSES
-.. DETROIT. April 8.--Stakes. for. De
troit's twenty-seventh annual blue rib
bon trotting: and pacing 'meeting, July
31 to August 4, j break* all: previous rec
ords. "ThirtyThorsess are named in ,the
M. "and M.. ;and, 28 each, in the chamber
of commerce pace and 2:11 trot, and the
California; entries are - yet* to come. All
of the big stables are represented. i
GRAND RAPIDS,'Mich., April B.—En
tries for two of the early closing events
of the grand circuit race? meeting here
in -July.* were announced \ today.'.-, J' The
furniture manufacturers',**; purse *of
$10,000 for 2:12 class trotters will be
the : feature ;event' of the meeting. The
time', fc-r." closing '■ entries * for the .Com
stock ,-,, purse.', of f ( $5,000« for 2:12 class
nacers has been extended to Aurli „o.
GERMAN AIRSHIP
TO MAKE TRIP
OVER ATLANTIC
Company With $10,000,000
Capital to Build Monster
Passenger Balloon
Trip From London to New York
to Take Three Days and
Cost $200
[Special Cable to The Call]
BERLIN, April B.—Germany Intends
to lead the world in- the construction In
huge dirigibles and to exploit the navi
gation of the air on an unprecedented
scale.
Two companies have been formed for
this purpose. One, with a capital of
$10,000,000. has decided to adopt '- tho
plans of Engineer Boerner for a mon
ster airship, with a capacity of 120,000
cubic meters. The largest existing
Zeppelin has a capacity of 15,000 cubic
meters, so the new vessel will be eight
times larger than Count Zeppelin's
latest creation. ,
The extreme length will be 77." feet
Continued on rape 18, Column 5
LIME IN MAIL SACK IS
CLEW TO P.O. CRACKSMEN
Postal Authorities Trace Movements of Pouch - Which
. Contained Telltale * Handful of - Dust
[Special Dispatch to The Call]
HEALDSBURG, April B.—Upon the
success of the postal authorities in
tracing the recent movements of a
mail sack "received here Thursday
morning with a handful of lime in the
bottom may hinge the identification
and arrest of* the' men responsible for
the theft of $3,000 worth of postage
stamps from 1 the local postofflce last
Monday.
The nitroglycerin used by the rob
bers to blow open the; postofflce safe
last Monday morning wrecked the in
side of the safe door and caused lime,
which composed the filling for the door,
to'be scattered all about the 1 offlce and
all over the stamps within. The rob
bers took a mall sack in which to carry
away their booty-, and are supposed to
have thrown the stamps In hastily
HUSBAND BEGS WIFE OF 33
YEARS TO GIVE UP DIVORCE
[Special Dispatch to The Call]
St. Louis, April ».—Alter pleading
in. vain with his wife of 33 years not
to go on with her divorce suit, Charles
K. Pickles. 60, abandoned his defense
to save his wife the humiliation of his
appearing. against her. In a letter to
Judge Muench, Pickles said that he
would leave for San Francisco - and
begged the judge to deal kindly 'with
his wife. The letter to Judge Muench
was in part as follows:.
"Rather than have her subjected, to
humiliation T will not appear, but will
leave the city this morning. "I hope
WOMEN MAY SWING BILLIES
ON SEATTLE POLICE BEATS
y SEATTLE, Wash.. April B.—Two bills
from-the- public safety, committee will
be presented fto the ; city f council next
Monday, each providing for, the appoint
ment * of " women" on ' the 'police", force.
The niaiorltv . report will, favor ap
Coast Awaits Warships
Pacific Fleet Assured
Four ofjhebig battleships' that probably will be seen in the Pacific before
the close of the year. '
without dusting the lime from them.
Thursday morning one of the sacks
received here containing San Francisco
newspapers* gave a strong odor of lime
upon being opened. When emptied, a
handful of lime was found in the bot
tom. The sack tallies in every par
ticular with the missing one, and the
authorities are attempting to trace! its
movements back to Monday In the be
lief that it may be the same one that
was used by the robbers and that it
may give a definite clew to work upon.
Sheriff Smith and the postofflce in
spectors detailed on the case have been
continuing their investigations all
week, f- One -suspect, - believed to have
been a member of the gang which com
mitted the robbery, is being closely
watched, and an arrest;is likely to be
made at any time. •
you will deal v kindly with her. She
has been misinformed and badly ad
vised. I think after living together
for more than 30 years it is too late
to part only, by .death. Hope you will
use your kind endeavors to have her
change her mind."
She alleges in her , petition that
Pickles deserted her in July, 1909)
Pickles . told '-.a .■ reporter that; he did
leave St. Louis then to take a position
in San Francisco, and he urged his
wife to accompany him, but she re
fused.'. "" . .
pointment of police .women under civil
service regulation.' The minority bill
provides ,that the duties of* police
women shall be as nearly as practicable
the same as those of male members* of
the department, at a 'salary.; of not to
exceed $85 a month.
THE WEATHER
YESTERDAY—Highest temperature, 54;
lowest Friday night, 48.
FORECAST FOR TODAY — Showers}
light southwest wind. ,
DIVISION OF NAVY
AROUSES INTEREST
Meyer Continues Reticent, but
Official Circles Credit
the Report
...... .... . _____ ..
;'■•' V . * ■
[Special Dispatch f to The Call]
• WASHINGTON,* April B.—The United
States battleships Louisiana, Delaware,
North Dakota and' Georgia will prob
ably comprise one squadron of the
battleship fleet which, the navy depart
ment will order "to the Pacific coast
during the coming summer or fall. 'Ac
cording to the understanding in naval
circles in' this city, 16 battleships are
t$ be sent to the Pacific coast as soon
M the American navy numbers 32 ves
sels of that class. At present there are
31 battleships in the navy, but the Ar
kansas arid the 1! Wyoming will soon be
put in commission, which will bring
the strength of the navy to a point
sufficient for a division of the forces.
The plan is to keep the Pacific battle
ship fleet in western waters until after
the Panama canal is opened in 1915, and
is in accord with the policy which has
been * continuously urged- by *■• western
senators and representatives since ' be
fore V the famous world cruise of L the
Atlantic fleet of 16 battleships. '
As yet the secretary "of the navy will
not admit that it: is the intention of
the;department 1 to divide the fleet; but
the report which* started - \ yesterday,
gained credence today about the bu
reaus. - '
■J Senator Perkins of California is chair
man of the senate naval committee and
has-used the leverage of that position
to bring about an increased naval force
on the Pacific. The commercial inter
ests of , the United States are increasing
in the Pacific, and with the completion
of the Panama canal drawing near the
United States must assume st more Im
portant position in the western hemi
sphere. A " battleship fleet in Pacific
waters would insure that pre-eminence
more, safely than any other . meant
could. ■' , "
HIGHWAYMEN MISS
MONEY AND WATCH
Dairyman Held Up by Two
Bandits Near Home
- OAKLAND, April 8.—A.»,0v Martin,
president ■of the Jersey creamery, was
held up near his home, 3995 West street,
tonight. , Two young men halted him,
one keeping him covered -with a re
volver while the other went through
his pockets, securing $30. A watch
which Martin carried and $30 which he
had in an inside pocket were not taken.
200 SETTLERS TO SEEK
HOMES ON THE COAST
[Special Dispatch to The Call]
OMAHA, April B.The first of four .
special-.trains,, one each day, left this
afternoon over, the Union Pacific^ with
1 200 -settlers for points on the Pacific
coast. ""HMBMP '•■
! The " train .was composed of-eight
coaches to be switched and left at Los
I Angeles, Oakland and other parts in
California and : several 'at Portland,
Ore. y ,f * *.
Nine cars coming with several hun
dred ) passengers from- Chicago ' will -be
among , those .making up the other . suc
cessive" specials to"the coast on Sun
day, Monday and Tuesday. *
• The passengers on these trains are
almost without 'exception. - home seek
ers bound for the west to settle on
farms. ""'"', '"..'■
"V : ; ■ . ■ . -
PRICE FIVE CENTS.
AMERICAN
INSURGENT
LEADER
SHOT
Stanley Williams' Band of 80
Decimated in Daring At
; tempt to Check Ad- *
.*. ...-.■-.
- "v\ vance of Federals
REMNANT OF TWENTY
SURVIVES FORLORN HOPE
Deserter From Ninth U. S. Cav
alry, Who Has Terrorized
Lower California, Seri
ously Wounded ,
* fr?
MADERO LEADS 3,000 T
INSURRECTOS INTO OPEN
Summary of Day's
Events In Mexico
Stanley Williams' band of guer
rillas are wiped out by federal
force ' near Mexicali, Lower
California.
General Madero breaks camp
with 3,000 well equipped fol
lowers and.starts towards fed
': eral stronghold at Casas
' Grandes. *
Mexican congress votes $4,000,
--000 as a War fund to carry
on campaign against rebels.
President Diaz makes promise to
complaining delegation to re
'" move the governor of the state
of Guanajuato.
Chihuahua authorities inclose city
■ in barbed wire entanglement in
preparation for attack.
MEXICALI, April B.—General
Stanley Williams hurled his
little battalion of rebels
against Colonel Miguel May
ott's 500 Mexican regulars on the
. **-
mesa five miles south of Mexicali to
day. Eighty insurrectos went into the
fight; 20 returned from the battlefield.
Williams himself was seriously
wounded, and is now in the custom
house here, with his head torn by a
fragment from an exploding shell.
With half a dozen fugitives of his
fleeing command he was overtaken by
a federal shell that lit in their midst
and sent up a geyser of flame and
smoke and fragments of human
bodies. His wagon trains were cap
tured, with nearly all of the stores
and' livestock ' captured in his raid
yesterday on American ranchers.
No Quarter Given „
Survivors straggling into Mexicali
tonight declare that the federals took
no prisoners. All those not killed by
the fire of the federal rifles, machine,
guns and artillery a were slaughtered
mercilessly by bayonets in the hands
of federal -soldiers. These latter also,
it is declared, fired on the hospital
tent and ambulance which accom
panied the rebels to the* battlefield.
Dr. W. B. Larkins,', the surgeon in
charge, and his assistants, who reached
Mexicali with the: "survivors, * appealed
to United States authorities to send
Red Cross aid to the scene of the battle
and , save those * they . could of the
wounded.
News of the .rebel, repulse was
brought by a mounted rebel, who, with
one arm shot nearly off, fell exhausted
from his- horse in front of the head
quarters ' of the insurrecto commander
in chief. General Salinas,, and » burst
into tears.- j
Rout Is Complete
"We v have been slaughtered." he
cried. "My pal was killed beside me."
Asked who his comrade was, he re
, - --- .. y ._- * --. - . ..
plied: "General Stanley." Williams
was still known as Stanley to his men
of' the "independent division of the
liberal army," despite the revelation of '
his real name and the fact that he was
a deserter from the Ninth Infantry of
the United States army.
When General Salinas heard of ; his
subordinate's fate, he maintained his
stolcial - calm. - "I told ; him;- he was a
fool when he said he was going out
to flght them," he remarked. philo- ■
j sophically. "If he had remained here
i the federals would have been forced to
! attack -us in a position 'of our own
i choosing. ,1 ordered him to go out, but
: only ,when he demanded It,"
Assault Foolhardy
| Every detail''of Willlama' sortie* from
the |jntrenched position of tin. ' rebel*