e Omaha Sunday
Bee
PART ONE
NEWS SECTION
PAGES 1 TO 14.
THE WEATHER
Snow; Colder
VOL. XLVII NO. 26.
OMAHA, SUNDAY MORNING, DECEMBER 9, 1917- FOUR SECTIONS FORTY PAGES.
SINGLE COPY FIVE CENTS.
MCAN TORPEDO EO AT
WITH
EN A
H
AME
OAEO
mm Lira i ."mo; I u j?
FIERCE BLIZZARD SWEEPS
OVER HALIFAX CITY AND
.DEATH LIST GROWS RAPIDLY
injured Dying From Exposure to Pitiless Storm; Food
Growing Scarce; Fuel and Building Material Lack
ing; Relief Tranis Stalled in Deep Snow;
Telegraph Wires Down.
BULLETINS.
Amherst, N. S., Dec 8. An estimate of 4,000 persons
dead in the Halifax disaster is contained in a private telegram
received from the stricken city today by an undertaking firm
here. The message asks that 4,000 coffins be sent to Halifax
lat once.
Halifax, Dec. 8. Men of the naval forces dragged the
Water front today and recovered the bodies of 200 sailors,' sol
diers and workmen.
BLINDING SNOWSTORM
Halifax, N. S., Dec. 8. A blinding
north country" snowstorm, accom
panying a gale that at times attained
a velocity of more than 40 miles an
hour, had held this city of desolation
:in its grasp for the last twenty-four
flours, adding new terrors to the awe
stricken survivors of Thursday's dis
aster. Meanwhile many relief trains,
.hurrying here from the United States
and Dominion cities with their urgent
ly needed supplies, are reported snow
bound, with the time of their arrival
.problematical.
With every building in Halifax and
-Dartmouth more or less damaged by
' .the explosion and fire, men, women
'and children huddled together as best
jthey could and passed a night of suf
fering. The chilling wind whistled
jthrough smashed windows; there were
'scarcely blankets enough to cover
grounded bodies, and many were tin
.able to obtain food. Fires were al
mo9t out of the question and the only
Slights' obtainable were from oil lamps
or candles.
Out of the chaotic conditions rich
and poor have rallied gallantly to their
tduty of caring for the injured-and
homeless and accounting for the dead.
jTh'e citizens' finance committee esti
mates that there arc 20,000 destitute
people in the devastated area, the ma
jority of them from the poorer classes,
pearly 4,000 dwelling houses were de-
Stroyed, the committee declares, and
the actual losses and the estimated
Host of temporary maintenance will
it proximate $30,000,000.
The sufferings of those who escap
ed injury have "been increased by the
fact that every available blanket,
(quilt and comfort has been requisi
tioned for the hundreds of injured in
the temporary hospitals. Many of
.these are ho gravely wounded their
only hope lies in the best of care.
Serious fears are felt that cold, shock
and exposure will result in an out
break of pneumonia.
Communication Threatened.
. A single telegraph wire, bending
'flangerously in the storm, offered
HIalifax ciily a precarious means of
Communication with the outside
avorld and it was feared momentarily
that thir line would snap. Telegraph
Bnd telephone ompanies are making
l('prate ef" rs to provide make
Kfiit se-vice and the work is beset
frith great difficulties.
While many generous offers of ma
terial relief have been received and
jtrain loads of supplies are on the
,way, the spectre of famine was
abroad tonight, for if the storm con
tinues, it may seriously interfereiwith
railroad traffic. There is enough
food on hand foe immediate needs,
but it will last only a short time,
unless additional supplies are re
ceived. -
As the day wore oij the immensity
ei the disaster increased rather than
diminished. Hundreds of bodies
were taket. to the morgues and
rescue squads were constantly find
ing new victims buried under tons
of debris until the blizzard forced
them to cease work. There is every
reason to Relieve that many more will
- te recovered. "
Perhaps the most serious of the
(Continued on Face Twelye Column Six)
The Weather
For Nebraska Snow; colder.
Temperatures at Omaha Yesterday.
Hour. Vtg.
6 a. m J... 12
S a. m......... 13
7 a. m 12
5 a. m 13
a. m 11
10 a. m. V
11 a. m. t
13 m.
1 p. m 2
3 p. m. ........ 1
3 p. m 'i
4 p. m 4
6 p. m 3
p. m......... 3
7 p. m 1
Comparative Local Becord.
Highest yesterday .. S 31 4 83
JjOffest yesterday ... 14 19 3 28
Mean temperature .. 4 25 42 30
Frecipitation 00 .00 .00 24
Temperature and precipitation departure
from the normal.
Normal temperature 30
Deficiency for the day 34
Totn deficiency since March 1, U17 204
S'ormSi precipitation . . , . . . . . 0.03 IncU
Peftciency for the day. . 0.03 Inch
Total railfall since March 1... 21.52 tnchhea
Pefitiency since March 1( 7.06 inches
Deficiency for cor. period, 1S1G. 12.50 Inches
Deficient lor cor. period, 1615. J.SS Inches
Uneaten belotr zero,
il -v I A. WALSH, Meteorologist.
WAR ON AUSTRIA
BY U.S. COMES IN
TIMEFOR ITALY
When Congress Voted Declara
tion and Wilson Signed it
Italians Received Moral
Support.
BULLETIN.
Washington, Dec. 8. The central
powers are. developing on the Italian
front the maximum military effort of
the war, according to a cable dispatch
received here today from Rome. Ital
ian aviators report continual concen
tration of Austro-JGermans., who are
streaming over all roads leading; to
the Asiago plateau, where desperate
fighting still is waging.
After three days of terrible fight
ing, in which entire detachments of
Italian troops sacrificed themselves,
the Austro-Germans, the dispatch
said, . succeeding in eliminating the
arch which constituted the Italian
foremost line of defense in the east
ern side of the plateau.
ASIAGO HARD PRESSED.
(By Associated Press.)
America's declaration of war on
Austria-Hungary comes at a moment
when the Italian northern front be
tween Asiago and the Brenta is being
hard pressed by an Austro-German
army under Field Marshal Conrad von
Hoetbendorf.
TAKE MORE PRISONERS.
In four days the invading Austro
Germans have forced the Italians
back an average of three miles on a
10-mile front'. In addition to losing
Monte Sisemol, three miles cast of
Asiago, the Italians, according to
Berlin, have given up 4,000 additional
prisoners.
Although superiority in numbers
and artillery has forced the Italians
to retreat, the defense line has not
been brokeh and there is yet 10 miles
of mountain country to fight through
before the foothills around Bassano
are reached.
Lull at Cambrai.
- There is a lull in the fightirlg
around Cambrai and the Germans
have made no attacks in force against
the new British positions.
Hebron, southwest of Jerusalem,
has been captured by British forces.
It is reported that all American citi
zens in Jerusalem, probably all Jews,
have been removed from the city.
Guns are silent and soldiers are
idle along the entire length of the
eastern front from the Baltic to the
Black sea, the Roumanians, under the
force of circumstances, having joined
the Russians in their armistic. nego
tiations with the central powers.
Take Vladivostok.
Meanwhile it is reported that 1,500
Bolsheviki troops have arrived at
Vladivostok. Whether these came
from Petrograd or are units from Si
berian towns is not disclosed. , Vla
divostok hqlds much war material
and other supplies shipped from the
United States, Japan and other allied
countries.
Keep Seats During National
Anthem; Are Taken From Theater
Because they didn't rise while the
"Stan-Spangled Banner" was being
played at the Orpheum theater two
young men were takn in charge by
federal authorities Friday afternoon.
J. A. Robinson, 209 South Twenty
fifth street, and N. Ansell, 215 South
Twenty-fifth street, were seated in the
orchestra section" of the theater. When
the strains of the national anthem
rang out everybody rose except these
two.
"Slackers!" hissed some women be
hind them.
This epithet "got their British up"
and they resolved to "see jt
through."
When some men tried to jerk them
to their feet they resisted. Attendants
interfered, But the crowd wouldn't
UM ' ( -SV lecttic light I I WAa 't ever put J Jggl c-
N
GERMAN AIRMEN
FIGHT WITH ALLIES :
OVER SWISS CITY
Fleeing, Enter Switzerland,
Drop Bombs, Are Fired on
and Continue Toward
Alsace.
Geneva, Switzerland, Friday, Dec.
7. The first aerial battle between al
lied and German airmen over Swiss
territory occurred around Basle to
day. It appears that the Germans,
hard pressed by their opponents, in
tentionally entered Switzerland. The
fight took place at a great height and
the number cf the airplanes is not
known. The encounter lasted twenty
minutes. Seven bombs were dropped
on SwiSs territory, but only material
damage resulted.
Eventually the airmen sped toward
Alsace, still fighting, while Swiss sol
diers bombarded . both parties with
shells , from anti-aircraft guns. The
residents of Basle and the neighbor
ing territory are indignant over the
violation of Switzerland's neutrality.
PORTUGAL TORN
BY REVOLUTION
IN ITS CAPITAL
Madrid, Dec. 8. A revolution has
broken out in Lisbon, the capital of
Portugal, according to a dispatch re
ceived here by way of Oporto and
Tuy. Outbreaks also are said to have
occurred at Oporto.
Commission Will Not Open
Alaska Transportation Matter
Washington, Dec 8.The Inter
state Commerce commission today
declined to reopen the Alaska trans
portation investigation, as had been
requested by James Wickersham, for
mer Alaskan representative in con
gress, acting on beiffelf of a number
of independent coal operators.
Mr. Wickershaai alleged that cer
tain Alaskan railroads maintained dis
criminatory rates against independent
coal interests and interfered with
proper development of the country.
He asked that the investigation be
resumed and that the commission
modify its former decision that Alas
kan rates were justified.
let the .show proceed and United
States Marshal Flynn was called by
telephone. He notified Chief Eber
stein of the bureau of information,
who sent Agents Hansen and Mc
Cauley to the theater. They took the
two to Eberstein's office, where they
were questioned.
They tated that they are both Eng
lishmen. Robinson has tried twice to
enlist at the British recruiting mis
sion here, but was rejected for physi
cal disabilities. Ansell has registered
and is waiting to be called in the se
lective draft.
"Some folks Ike-ourselves are will
ing to fight for this country. Others
think they are doing their bit be
cause they rise when the 'Star-Spangled
Banner is played," said the
men. -
I iiiiniiaii'V'''tilJ'-iMito
leiow aero
NEARLY 4 THOUSAND
DOLLARS TAG DAY
FOR DENTAL FUND
Between $3,000 and $4,000 ii the es
timated return on dental dispensary
day campaign lor tunas yesterday.
The work continued until Jate last
night. . -' '
BOLSHEVIKI NOW
REPUDIATE ALL
FOREIGN LOANS
i
Prepare Decree Affecting Bor
rowings by Land Banks and
Railways on Government
Guarantees.
London, Dec. 8. The Bolsheviki
government, according to a Reuter
dispatch from Petrograd, is prepar
ing a decree repudiating all Russian
foreign loans and loans concluded by
land bariks and railways ,n govern
ment guarantees. Shares of internal
loans held abroad also will be repu
diated. A. D. Mclvin, Famous Expert
Veterinarian, Dies at Capital
Washington, Dec. 8. Dr. A. D.
Melvin, chief of the bureau of ani
mal industry and well known toHhe
country as the government's foremost
figure in combatting foot and mouth
disease and other diseases of cattle,
died at his home here last night of
pulmonary hemorrhage. He was 55
years old.
Dr. Melvin had been ill three years,
but had worked at his desk until
Thursday. A widow, a son and a
daughter survive him.
Dr. Melvin's services were marked
by the stamping out of the pleuor
pneumonia plague in cattle and the
eradication, of the fever tick in 51 per
cent of the southern country quaran
tined against the scourge in 1906.
Dr. John R. Mohlcr, his assistant,
is now acting chief of the bureau.
Ex-Czar's Guards Disarmed
By Bolsheviki's Leaders
London, Dec. 8. The guards sur
rounding Nicholas Romanoff, the for
mer Russian emperor, near Tobolsk,
Siberia, have been disarmed by Bol
sheviki soldiers and sailors, according
to advices received in Petrograd and
forwarded to the Exchange Telegraph
company. The Bolsheviki leaders in
tend to remove Nicholas to some
other place, fearing he might be
lynched.
The temporary independent gov
ernment in Siberia has chosen former
Premier Kerensky as minister of jus
tice. General Korniloff is reported
to Ijave joined General Kaledines, the
C ssack leader, around whom most
of the leaders of the old provisional
government hive gathered.
Three Killed in Explosion
s At Big Buffalo Plant
Buffalo, N. Y., Dec. 8. An explo
sion occurred this' afternoon at the
plant of Atlas Steel Casting company
in Elmwood avenue. Telephone mes
sages from nearby factories said
three workmen in the plant were dead
and that several probably were fatally
injured. " -
'Steen I
OMAHA HALF-WAY
STATION ON AIR
ROUTE OVER U.S.
Two Adjacent Army Posts ire
Logical Sites for Proposed
Postal Aeroplane Stations;
Commercial Club Acts.
Postal airplanes, carrying mail
from coast to coast after the war,
will probably alight enroute at Forts
Omaha and Crook to get supplies of
gasoline and have machines over
hauled. While the government has
not yet taken official action on this,
it has been mentioned in official and
semi-official dispatches that Omaha is
seriously considered the half-way sta
tion in this contemplated transconti
nental air route.
The Commercial club of Omaha has
been alive to the situation and has
lost fro opportunity to aid the gov
ernment for months past in( acquiring
by lease or purchase much ground ad
jacent to the government reserva
tions at the two forts. Already over
100 acres has been added, principally
by lease, tj the old Fort Omaha res
ervation. All this has been done since
the balloon school has been estab
lished there. A big observation tower
has been established on part of this
leased ground at Fort Omaha. The
ground is to be used for the balloon
school during the period of the war.
Fort Crook already has large areas
of beautifull. lying ground, which, it
has been pointed out, would make ex
cellent aviation fields, especially for
the alighting and starting of trans
continental flyers. Here, too, the
Commercial club has been lending
every assistance in an effori'to bring
about the improvements to make this
a great and important military post
during the war.
Omai.a is centrally located with
reference to the east and west coast
on a line tlw great postal flyers will
follow when they begin carrying the
United States mail with terrific speed
across the continent, after the" actual
war activities have ceased, and re
leased thousands of mac! ines, and
thousands of- highly specialized avia
tors. With Omaha already consid
ered as a half-way station for this
great fleet of aerial couriers, Fort
Omaha and Fort Crook immediately
leap into the limelight as the logical
fields for the stations.
Work With Government.
"We have not been unmindful of
these possibilities in the future in our
work with the government to help
acquire additional ground for these
posts during the period of the war,"
said Commissioner Robert 11'. Manley
of the Commercial club.
For some timi the Commercial club
ha worked diligently with the Met
ropolitan Water District of Omaha,
to get a larger main laid to Fort
Crook so'as to insure abundant water
supply to make Fort Crook a per
manent government post. The prom
ise has now been obtained from the
water board that a main capable of
carrying 100,000 gallons daily will be
laid if the post is selected as the lo
cation for one of the reconstruction
hpspjtals now being considered.
California Bank Robbed.
Culver City, Cal., Dec. 8. Two men,
pretending " to be making,-a motion
picture, held up and robbed the Cul
ver City Commercial and Savings
bank today and escaped with $10,000.
Culver City is sear. Los Angeles,
FIRST U.S.W ARSH1P
FALLS VICTIM TO,
ENEMY SUBMARINE
' t
Thirty-Seven Survivors Taken Off One Life Raft; At
tacked While on Patrol Duty Between 400 and
500 Miles Out; Greatest Loss to Navy
In the War.
Washington, Dec. 8. Th American destroyer, " Jacob
Jones, -was torpedoed and sunk iiy the war zone on Thursday,
with the loss of a large part of its crew.
The destroyer is supposed to have been sunk by a German
U-boat
OMAHA SHIVERS
AS MERCURY DIPS
WAY BELOW ZERO
Coldest Weather of Winter to
Date Extends Over Wide
Territory; 13 Below at
8 A.M.
NOME COM STOW.
rierr, 8. I 14'flmrlei flt.T, U..1H
V. rinttfi. 3Sb... SlDim Moinra, 1
M, Paul. Minn... IK
Monx City, !... 14
Valentine. Neb... t
Diilntb. Minn 10
Mile City, Mont.1
Kiinta. City, Mo..
Wllll.ton. N. n.. SK Amnrillo, Tex
0
lilnmsnik, P. J).. s;unun
Omha shivered yesterday morning
irT the coldest weather of 'the winter,
so far. The official thermometer ,at
the weather bureau touched 13 de-
grtes below lero at 8 a. m. It rose
slowly Wgn the day, bU the cold
snap Is not" over yet. At 7 o'clock
last night the thermometer registered
t'8cgree above ero, with Sndicationi
of a fall during the night. The'
weather prediction was for colder
weather, today, ,
The cold wave extends over a large
spread of territory. Zero weather
prevails even as far south as Okla
homa and northern Texas and freez
ing temperatures as far as northern'
Alabama and Oeorgia. Xo tne nortn
the weather Is colder than here, North
Dakota reporting as low as 28 degrees
below zero.
Fall of 26 Degrees. - v
Temperatures in the central west
fell as much as 40 degrees in the 24
hours ending at 7 a. m. today. The
fall at Omaha was 26 degrees in that
period, from 13 above to 13 below.
While the present temperature is
about 30 degrees below normal for
this time of the year, Omaha has had
some similar cold snaps in the last
few winters. On December 21, 1916,
a minimum of 14 below zero was
reached. In January, 1917,' tempera
tures of zero or below were regis
tered for five days.
According to the report to the fail
roads,, Ericson was the coldest spot
in the state. There thei temperature
went to 20 degrees below! zero. It was
17 below at O'Neill and: Burwell, IS
below at Fremont, Lyons, Schuyler,
Ashland, Plattsmoiith and Central
City. -Cold
In Dakotas.
In the southern part of the state
and well up toward the central sec
tions temperatures ranged from 5 to
10 below, with slightly colder in the
northern part. Over the north line
and at Winner, S. D., the mercury
dropped to 20 below.
In the extreme western portions
temperatures ranged from 10 above
to 10 degrees . below, with anuch
warmer in Wyoming. Sheridan and
Lander reported 20 and Casper IS
degrees above.
The railroads reported light snow
flurries during the night and clear and
calm weather. No sjock losses are
reported.
On account of the cold generally
trains were running late, the engines
being unable to make steam. Pas
senger trains were 30 minutes late to
an hour behind schedules, with
freights off one to two hours and in
some instances much more.
Trains were sent out as usual and
those carrying perishable stuff taking
every precaution to prevent the con
tents of the cars from freezing.
Cold at Norfolk.
Norfolk, Neb., Dec. 8. The lowest
temperatures on record for this time
of the year are being reported today
in Norfolk and vicinity and in south
ern South Dakota.' Two inches of
snow fell over this region yesterday
and was followed last night by a sud
den drop in temperature, which
reached a mark of 30 degrees below
zero at Phillip, S. D. according to
reports froi.: that place today. Win
ner, Dallas and Gregory, S. D., re
ported 20 degrees below zero, with
like reports from Long Tine and
Stuart, Neb. In Norfolk and vicinity
the temperature was recorded at 14
degrees below zero and at Lincoln 12
degrees below. x
The extreme cold handicapped train
service severely and most trains were
running from one to two hours be
hind schedule.
The surgeon general's department
has been officiallv notified of this
lacon, w
O TJICTATLS MEAGER.
Vice Admiral Sims, up to s late
hour had been able to supply only
meager details in reply to urgent mes
sages from Secretary Daniels whose
brother-in-law, Lieutenant Comman
der David W. Bagley, commanded the
lost vessel and was reported among
the missing. Three officers and 34
men were picked up by other vessels
from life rafts to which they duns;,
but the namej of only 10 of these had
been-transmitted to Washington.
THIRTY-SEVEN RESCUED.
The names of the 10 survivors re
ported are:
Lieutenant John K. Kichards.
Ensign Nelson N. Gates.
Assistant Surgeon L. L. Adamkie
wicz. '
Charles E. Pierce, fireman
Timothy Edward Twomey, seaman.
John C. Johnson, seaman. "
Henry A. Stutzke, chief machinst's
mate. .
Edward F. Grady, fireman, second
class,
iohn J. Mulvaney, seaman. .
lyron Flood, seaman. ; .
ON PATROL DUTY. .
"The Jfacfb Jones, one 67 the largest
and newest American submarine
chasers of her type operating in the
Atlantic, was the first American .war
ship to fall a victim to a German
submarine, but was the second Ameri
can destroyer to be lost in foreign
waters. The Chauncey sank, with her
commander, Lieutenant-Commander
Walter E. Reno, two other officers
and 18 enlisted men after being cut
in two by the transport Rose, early
on the morning of November 20.
Admiral Sims' terse message re
porting the loss of the' Jacob Jones
did not state how the attack was
made. It is known, however, that the
Jones was on patrol duty between 400
and 500 miles off shore. What vessels
accompanied it was not revealed, but
Admiral Sims' report showed that one
vessel rescued 30 men and another
seven. They sent this information by
radio and it was immediately trans
mitted to Washington. . "
Hope For Other Rescues.
Secretary Daniels stoutly, held to
his hopes that other patrol craft,
fiossibly without wireless equipment,
lad rescued more of the destroyer's
company. Mr. Daniels showed plainly,
the strain of his personal anxiety
as well as that over this, the greatest
loss to the navy thus far in the war.
Commander Bagles mother has lived
for several years at the secretary's
home. With her daughter, Mrs. Dan
iels, she was stunned by the news of
the disaster. Another of her sons, En
sign Worth Bagley, was the orily
American naval officer killed in the
war with Spain. He, toodied on a
destroyer being killed by a, shell
aboard the Wmslow in the attack on
Cardenas, Cuba, in April, 1898.
The Jacob, Jones' peace-time com
plement was five officers, five petty
officers and ,87 men. It was one of,
the newest and largest of American
destroyers, with a displacement . of
(Continued on Tate -r, Column One,)
German Airman's Bomb
.. Injures Two Americans
With the American Army in France,
Dec. 8. A bomb dropped by a Ger
man aviator during a recent flight at
night struck in the street of a town
through which two American aviation
mechanicians, one from Detroit.
Mich., and the other from Buffalo,
Mo., were passing.
The Detroit man was wounded in
the shoulder and the Missourian's
nose was broken and he received
other injuries to the face. At the
same time an ambulance driver from
Hannibal, 'Mo was struck on 'the
back by a flying brick. The three
men ar; in a' base hospital and their
condition is ' reported as not serious
ECUADOR BREAKS WITH
GERMANY I ' . ;
Guayaquil, Ecuador, Dec. 8. Ecu
ador has severad diplomatic relations
with Germany, according to an ofli
cial announcement made by tbe gov
ernment today. s
Steamer Suiik in Collision.
Havre, Dec. 8. The Belgiau steam
ship Ambir.rix, 1,444 tons gross, has
been sunk in the English channel. Its
loss was caused by a collision with
the Norwegian steamship Prirjio.. The
crew cf the Ambiori:; was brought
in by.- patrol . boats. The PrimoV -bow
was damaged, . - c '
Y
-- d"