RICHMOND PALLADIUM
VI M ( 1 Af Palladium and Sun-Telegrram
JL. VL,., HU Consolidated. 1907
RICHMOND, INDn WEDNESDAY EVENING, MAY 26, 1915.
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Germans Torpedo American Ship Nebraskan
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ADMIRALTY SAYS WASP
TEARS BIG HOLE IN SIDE
OF BOAT WITH 0. S. FLAG
Caught Off Irish Coast, Steamer Hit by Explosive Crew
Stands by, Says Lloyd Vessel Limps Toward Queens
town, Says Wireless U. S. State Department Perplexed
Over Latest Underwater Boat Rail Await Official Report
NEW COMPLICATION FEARED WITH GERMANY
LONDON, May 26 President Harold Sanderson of the Inter
national Mercantile Marine late this afternoon officially confirmed
the torpedoing of the American steamer Nebraskan by a German
submarine. The ship was under charter to the concern of which
Mr. Sanderson is the head.
"The Nebraskan was flying the American flag when she was
torpedoed, said Mr. Sanderson. "She was chartered by us to bring
Dver a cargo, but was returning in ballast.
"The ship had not a single thing aboard which could possibly
?ome under the German ban. The German action is astounding
because the Nebraskan was flying the American flag and was
bound for an American port."
The Nebraskan incident caused a-
profound sensation here. The general Innilll T 11II1IO
impression is that it will affect the fAMHl I WIN
German-American situation acutely. link I IIIIlW
Blames Torpedo.
Lloyd's Maritime agency announced j
this afternoon that the American j
steamer Nebraskan, bound from Liver- j
pool to the United States, was torpe- '
doed off the Irish coast at 9:05 o'clock j
last night. The Lloyd's statement ;
added that the Crookshaven wireless
station has received the following:
"The Nebratkan is calling for help.
The crew are in the boats and are
standing by. The weather is fine and
calm.'-
It was stated at the embassy later I
that the British admiralty had sent it
a notification that an armed trawler
hnd reported the Nebraskan making
for Liverpool with her forehold flood-'
i
Steamer Still Afloat.
The first Lloyd dispatch was issued i
at 1:30 o'clock this afternoon. About'
half an hour later the following was
given out: j
"Kins-dale reports the American
steamer Nebraskan passing eastward j
at 11 a. m. She is uncontrollable, but
is under her own steam, and is appar- j
r ntly bound for Queenstown." i
The Nebraskan, although owned by j
i he American-Hawaiian line, is under j
charter to the United Transport line j
and bears the American flag. She car-1
ries a crew of forty. The ship did not i
carry any cargo when she left Liver-,
pool on her westward voyage but wasj
making the trip in ballast.
Captain John Greene and the other
officers of the Nebraskan are Ameri
cans. The Nebraskan sailed for Liverpool
from New York on May 7, and started
her return journey on Monday. She
is a steel built twin-screw driven i
steamship of 4,409 tons gross and 2.S24 ;
tons net. and is owned by the Ameri-;
can-Hawaiian Steamship company, j
She is .",60 feet long and 4S feet in the
beam and is in the freight trade. The
in 1902 and hailed from New York.
WASHINGTON INFORMED.
State Department Officials Worry i
Over Latest Attack.
WASHINGTON. May 2fi. An offi-!
:ial report that the American steamer '
Nebraskan was torpedoed was cabled '
to thp state department today by Con-,
sul General Skinner at London as fol- ;
lows: i
"Admiralty reports American steam-'
er Nebraskan torpedoed forty miles '
south by west of Fastnet. Crew in 1
boats standing by. Weather fine. No'
direct report yet." !
The state department officials are
waiting for a direct report from Con-,
sul Frost at Queenstown. the nearest ;
port to Fastnet. before making any
comment on the affair. The Lusitania.1
was torpedoed about t0 miles east of
Fastnet I
While Counsellor Lansing and other,
state department officials observed the'
role of silence imposed by Secretary i
Bryan on cases involving serious inter
national complications, it was recog-
nized at once that the o-ase presented
grave possibilities. It was indicated
at the department that if the Nebras-',
kan be found to have been actually
torpedoed and the responsibility be
placed on Germany, it would present
the most serious violation of neutral
ity yet committed by, the German gov-i
ernment. j
ITALIAN KING GOES
TO LEAD HIS ARMIES
FOME. May 26. King Victor Em
manuel left for the front, today to
lead the Italian army against the Aus
trlans. Austrian troops have blown up or
set on fire sixteen towns in their own
territory to prevent their being used
fcy he Italian troops.
GREAT FAVOR
OHJJTREET
Rival Contractors Turn At
tention to Comparative
Value of Two Brands of
Paving Material.
CITY FAVORS BRICK
Other Cities Note Asphalt's
Tendency to Rut and
Speak of Noise and Gritty
Dust.
Property owners on North A street,
are seriously considering the select
Ion of asphalt as the paving material
for that street, and the sentiment in
favor of that kind of paving appears
to be so strong among the property
owners on that street that rival bid
ders for Mexican and Trinidad asphalt
are now quarreling over the contract.
The board of public works following
the receipt of the bids for the perma
nent improvement of North A street
Continued On Page Two.
Avuuiifiniii s-iahi
MQC QTIIYVPQANT IQH
If 1 21 0 1 U I U I I LOHIl I NOll
SUMMONED BY DEATH
GARRISON, N. Y., May 26 Mrs.
Stuyvesant Fish, the well-known social
leader, died at her country home here
today of hemorrhage of the brain.
Before her marriage to Stuyvesant
Fish in ISIS, she was Mary Graves
Anthons. Mrs. Fish's death came un
expectedly. She had not been in good
health recently, but until this morn
ing her condition was not regarded as
grave.
. Mrs. Fish was perhaps the most
noted society leader in New York and
Newport since the death of Mrs. Wil
liam Astor, whom she succeeded as
the recognized social leader. She was
also for many years a liberal giver to
charity and was particularly interest
ed in the welfare of working girls.
Mrs. Fish was the daughter of a
lawyer and was beautiful and accom
plished, of good family, but by no
means wealthy.
NEW CABINET STIRS
BRITISH CRITICISMS
. LONDON, May 26 Hostile criti
cism is already being directed against
the new national cabinet whose per
sonnel was announced last night. Gen
eral regret was expressed over the
loss of Baron Fisher.
He was known as the "Father of the
Modern English Navy."
The portfolios of the war office
have been divided and a new depart
ment known as the ministry of muni
tions has been formed. The new
portfolio is held by David Lord
George while Lord Kitchener remains
secretary of state for war. Winston
Churchill, former first Lord of the
Admiralty becomes Chancellor of the
Dutchy of Lancaster, a position of no
responsibility.
AUSTRIANS DESTROY
ITALIAN AEROPLANE
VIENNA, via Berlin and Amsterdam
May 26. A dispatch from headquar
ters of the Austrian army operating
against Italy states that an Italian
aeroplane which dropped bombs upon
Goerz, a town near the frontier, was
brought down yesterday by Austrian
artillery and that two Italian staff of
ficers in the machine were killed.
SHIP RAMMED
IN DENSE FOG
ONJTLANTIC
U. S. Squadron of Battleships
Hear S. O. S. Call and
Stand By Ryndam Return
ing to Port.
PASSENGERS SAVED
Transferred to Tramp Fruit
Steamer Which Rammed
Liner and Are Brought
Back to Land.
NEW YORK. May 26. The Holland
America liner Ryndam, bound from
New York to Rotterdam, with 77 pas
sengers on board was rammed and
badly damaged by the tramp fruit
steamer Joseph J. Cuneo, in a thick
fog off the Massachusetts coast early
today.
Wireless call3 for help were picked
up by the United States battleships en
gaged in war maneuvers on the At
lantic coast and the battleships South
Carolina, Louisiana and Texas sped
to her assistance.
All the Ryndam's passengers and
160 of her crew were taken aboard the
Cuneo.
The following radiogram was receiv
ed by the Holland-America officials in
this city shortly before 9 o'clock:
"8 a. m. 150 miles from Ambrose
Channel. Hold No. 5 full of water;
hold No. 6, water gaining. Engine
loom flooded. Proceeding 13 knots.
Passengers and 160 of the crew aboard
Cuneo. American squadron standing
by.
(Signed) "Heuvel."
The Cuneo's bow was smashed by
the collision.
The Ryndam carried 20 first cabin
passengers; 34 second cabin passeng
ers and 23 passengers in the steerage,
according to figures at the Halland
America offices in this city.
The collision occurred at about 4
o'clock and at once the wireless opera
tor on the Ryndam began bombarding
the Atlantic coast with "S-O-S" calls.
At 10 a. m. the captain reported that
he was 124 miles off Ambrose light
ship, "much strained but holding out,"
he reported.
At the office of W. V. and C. W.
Noyes, owners of the fruit steamer
Cuneo, it was stated that the Cuneo
carried no passengers and that her
crew numbered twenty men. She was
in command of Captain A. A. Modt.
The Ryndam flies the Dutch flag.
She was built in 1901 and is one of
the slowest boats plyinc between New
York and Amsterdam. She is 550 feet
long. 62 feet wide and her tonnage is
7,976. She has four water-tight bulk
head compartments and is fitted with
ample life boats and rafts.
The Joseph Cuneo is one tenth the
size of the Dutch liner. A small tramp
steamer carrying fruit between the
West Indies and Boston, she is 210
feet long. 30 feet wide and her tonnage
is S00. She flies the Norwegian flag
and belongs to W. W. and C. W.
Noyes, Boston.
BOLT WRECKS STABLE
HAGERSTOWN. Ind., May 26.
i Lightning struck the new barn of Jeff
' Yoke, four miles east of Hagerstown,
! about 2 o'clock this morning and the
! structure and contents were destroy
I ed. The loss of $2,000 is partially
j covered with insurance.
Weather Forecast
FOR INDIANA Unsettled with thun
der showers tonight or Thursday.
Cooler tonight in east and south por
tion. Temperature.
Noon 63
Yesterday.
Maximum 77
Minimum 4S
For Richmond Occasional rains.
Probably thunder showers tonight and
Thursday.
General Conditions The storm now
over the Mississippi valley continues
to move slowly eastward. It will cause
unsettled weather tonight and Thurs
day. A cool wave covers the Great
Likes today.
W. E. Moore, Weather Forecaster.
CHEER RUSSELL
AT LAST TALK
BEFORE GHAPEL
Earlham Students Show Loy
alty for Head of Biblical
Department as Board
Hears Testimony.
TRUSTEES ADJOURN
Close Hearing Without De
ciding Whether Dr. Kelly
Is to Be Retained Head of
College.
As the students cheered Prof. El
bert Russell to the echo in college
chapel this morning, after he had con
cluded what will have been his fare
well chapel address unless he is re
instated to the faculty, the Earlham
trustees were hearing the testimony of
the last witness summoned before the
board.
The trustees completed their inves
tigation of President Robert L. Kelly's
administration of college affairs at
noon today and adjourned without
having formulated any decision as to
whether Dr. Kelly will be retained as
president or whether he will be asked
to tender his resignation.
Courses Open to Board.
It is understood that the trustees
may meet some time in the near fu
ture to make final disposition of the
case. There is also a possibility that
the trustees will decide to refer the
question to the Indiana and Western
j yearly meetings, which control and
nuance me insmuiiuu.
Several of the trustees have indi
cated that they are dissatisfied with
the methods President Kelly has em
ployed in administering the affairs of
the college, and are in favor of dis
pensing with his services.
There are other trustees who are
very loyal to Dr. Kelly and are, ap
parently, perfectly satisfied with his
regime at the college. Consequently
i a disagreement among the trustees on
' the question of removing Dr. Kelly
j from the presidency would occasion
1 no surprise. In fact this is anticipated
! Continued On Page Two.
TEUTONS FEEL STING
OF ITALIAN WASPS
j GENEVA, May 26. Two Italian
! submarines attacked Austrian ships
i near Pola yesterday, fired eight tor
pedoes at merchant ships and dam
; aged an auxiliary cruiser, according to
a dispatch from Laibach.
SET TRIAL DATE FOR
SEIZED MEAT CARGOES
i WASHINGTON, May 26. Ambassa
! dor Page at London today notified
I the state department that he had been
informed by Sir Edward Grey, British
j foreign minister, that the request ot
1 the Chicago packers to have their de
: tained cargoes brought to trial in a
! British prize court on June 7 had been
; granted. Four cargoes of meat, seized
! by the British last December, are in
volved. COURT SETS DATE
FOR BECKER'S DEATH
j ALBANY, N. Y., May 26. Unless
; former Police Lieutenant Charles
! Becker secures a stay pending his
j contemplated appeal to the United
States supereme court, he will die in
i the electric chair for the murder of
i Herman Rosenthal the week beginning
i Monday, July 12. The court of ap
peals today fixed that time for his ex
ecution. GERMANS TURN ON
CZAR'S CENTER LINE
PETROGRAD, May 26 In an at
tempt to cut through the Russian cen
ter and force the abandonment of the
attacks on their own right and left
wings the Austro German armies
along the San are fiercely attacking
the Czar's troops. News of this coun
ter offensive by the Teutons caused
surprise here today as recent reports
had indicated that their campaign had
collapsed. The Russians on the de
fensive are resisting obstinately the
new thrust. The Austro-Germans are
losing heavily.
KING CONSTANTI NE
NEAR DEATH'S DOOR
' ' ' '
4 V
V's'i!i
KIN6t COHSTAKTIHE Of GREECE
ATHENS, May 26. King Constan
tine is believed to be dying. The roy
al family has been summoned.
HOW TO REDUCE
TAX RATE FROM
$3.25 TO $1.25
County Auditor Bowman
Tells Tax Commission Low
Rate Possible on Cash
Value of Property.
PROPOSES CHANGES
Suggests Reasonable Exemp
tion of Household Goods,
Longer Tenure for Treas
urers; Better Classification
How would a tax rate of $1.25 in
stead of $3.25 sound?
This is the suggestion of Auditor L.
S. Bowman "who testified yesterday be
fore the state tax commission recent
ly appointed by Governor Ralston to
obtain testimony and draft new taxing
and assessment laws for the state.
Mr. Bowman declared $1.25 would
bring sufficient revenue for this county
if the assessment of property were
. Continued On Page Two.
ITALIANS IN RICHMOND
DIVIDED ON WAR ISSUE
An Italian reservist said today the
Italians in Richmond are as greatly
divided on the Italian war question
as the Americans were on what action
the government should take on the
Lusitania incident.
The reservists have not received no
tice officially that war has been de
clared and will not return to their
country until such notice is given. If
they fail to respond to this call, they
will never be able to return to Italy
again because of the close registration
system, not only of army men and re
servists, but also of private citizens.
Some of the more conservative Ital
ians believe Italy plunged into war
unnecessarily and favor a policy simi
lar to the "watchful waiting" of Pres
ident Wilson, the Italian said, who ex
plained the situation.
How Police Work.
"The police are in charge of every
thing in Italy all the time." he said.
"In time of peace, if you wanted to go
from one district to another as you go
from Indiana to Ohio, we would have
to have a customs house paper which
is similar to a passport. If you don't
have this, the police will arrest you.
There is a. complete registration sys
tem for everybody. Every district is
districted into smaller sections and a
person from one section of a city is
not permitted to shop in a neighbor
ing section without a permit.
"This shows the strictness of Italy.
I was not compelled to join the army.
If there is only one son in a family
he is expected to stay at home and
help his mother and father. If there
are two or more the others must go.
It is sometimes necessary to remain at
home because the wages there are
UNOFFICIAL EXPRESSION
BY TWO COMMISSIONERS
CONTRADICT BOND S VIEW
Chairman Duncan and Commissioner McClure Make State
ment on Dilemma of City Officials to Secretary Haas of
Commercial Club After Careful Study of Provisions of
Statute Involved by Richmond's Condemnation Proceed
ings Against Rival Electric Company and Request that
the Public Service Commission Establish a Valuation
for the Purchase Price.
WITHDRAWAL REQUIRES SANCTION OF L. H. & P.
City Attorney Bond Informed Council that Municipality Could
Withdraw Condemnation Proceedings Before Purchase
Valuation Had Been Fixed on Within 120 Days After
Estimate Was Made Following Interview with State
Officials Haas Declares Rescinding Resolutions by Coun
cil Would Be Without Effect City Must Complete Deal
or Take Appeal, Attorneys Say.
The city of Richmond has actually purchased the electric
plant of the Richmond Light, Heat & Power company, and there
can be no withdrawal of condemnation proceedings either before
or after the purchase valuation of the plant has been established
by the Indiana Public Utilities commission, unless such action
meets with the approval of the Light, Heat & Power company.
Both Chairman Duncan of the state commission and Commis
sioner McClure gave this as their unofficial opinion of the situa
tion the city has placed itself in by filing condemnation proceed
ings with the commission for taking over the electric plant of the
local competing company. They were interviewed yesterday by
Secretary Haas of the Richmond Commercial club.
Haas Reports Opinion After Interview.
"In giving their opinions each of the commissioners I talked
to qualified their statements by saying that the question involved
had never been brought up for consideration before in this state
and that they might be mistaken in their interpretation of the
law," Mr. Haas said today. "They said, however, that their off
hand opinions were given after careful study of the provisions of
the statute involved."
The opinions given by these two commissioners are in direct
contradiction of the opinion recently given the public service com
mittee of the Commercial club by City Attorney Bond, who held
that the city could withdraw its condemnation proceedings before
the purchase valuation had been established or any time within
120 days after the fixing of this valuation. The opinions of Dun
can and McClure are, however, practically the same as the inter
pretation given the statute involved by the attorneys of the Light,
Heat & Power company.
Secretary Haas said today that under the hypothesis that the
opinions of the two commissioners interviewed by him are author
itative, any action by council rescinding its condemnation resolu
tion prior to the date set for the hearing of the case would have
no effect.
Council Act Taken on Bond's Advice.
What effect the unofficial rulings of two members of the state
utilities commission on the hitherto enthusiastic advocacy of the
purchase plan by the administration officials and couneilmen is
not known. It is known, however, that this advocacy was based
originally on the opinion of City Attorney Bond that if the pur
chase valuation established by the commission was too high to be
considered all the city had to do was withdraw its condemna
tion action.
The question raised by the City of Richmond in filing con
demnation proceedings for the purchase of a privately-owned com
peting plant has attracted the general interest of attorneys all over
the state. Practically all who have expressed an opinion state
their belief that the city must now take over the plant at the price
fixed by the commission or take advantage of the 'only recourse
provided by law. an appeal of the commission's order to the courts.
No authoritative opinion has yet been given as to whether the
purchase of the plant would be nullified in the event a bond issue
in excess of the city's bond indebtedness limit was required.
ITALIANS OCCUPY CITIES
ON AUSTRIAN FRONTIER
ROME, May 26 Striking rapidly at ,
the Austrian frontier positions, the .
Italian army is winning all along the j
front, according to an official report ,
from General Cadorna, the Italian com-1
mander-in-chief. issued at the war of-;
fice today.
All the frontier passes in the Cadore
district have been captured by the
Italians, who have also occupied sev
eral more towns in Austrian territory.
The official reports of operations
thus far received show that the Ital
ians are moving forward along a front
of about sixty miles. The Austrians
thus far have not offered battle, con
tinuing their retreat and destroying
bridges to hamper the Italian army.
Report of General.
The report from General Cadorna
was as follows:
"We have occupied all the frontier
AdUT C&&tf ft Tb9 Qgy bom
barded Conquemisurina without re
sults during the night.
"We took Valinferno pass with the
bayonet.
"The enemy is retiring everywhere,
destroying bridges.
"Our aviators threw bombs upon the
electric works and railway station at
Monfalcone. sixteen miles northwest
oi Trieste.
"Our troops on May 24 occupied
Forcella. Montozzo, Tonale. Ponte de
Caffaro, Guidicaria, the territory south
of Ferrara, Montebaldo. Monte Come.
Monte Foppiano. Pasubio. Monte Bof
feleni, at the extremities of the of the
Agno and Leogra valleys and the high
defiles of the Brenta valley. We have
taken several prisoners.
Along the Friuli frontier and the
middle Isonzo we continued success
fully on May 25. On the lower Isonzo
we continued our offensive In order
to reach the line of the river.