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The Herald, 1904-01-15, Page 6PANIC PREYENTEO 8Y FIRE aBILL: !Children March Like Troops From Burning School Building Destroyed, but one of the Children Hurt, Fire Drill Saved the Lives of 600 .Children, I Toronto report—With all the con- ditions present for the creation of a fire panic which might easily have rivaled in horror the Chicago catas- trophe, nearly 600 bare -headed child ren, ranging in age from the flee- , year-old tots of the kindergarten to the Lads and misses of the• higher grades, marched quietly out of the ,Hamilton Street ,School yesterday morning and -formed in line in the yard, where they discovered that the mimic performance which they bad so often rehearsed had at 'last become a reality, and that the el- : fioiency of their fire drill had brought them safely forth from a (building winch was rapidly lalling to prey to the ravenous tongues at the flames.. The occurrence was a complete vindication of the value ' of the fire drift, which for tat years had been an -mpol-cant feature of faire Toronto Public e.chools., •The burned school was a three- storey, 12 -roomed building, situated north of (Queen street, on the west Aside of Hamilton street, which is . the third thoroughfare east of, and 'running parallel with, the Don. The :building had been altered several times, the last occasion being about • four years ago, when four r. oo ms, ;were added by putting on an extra storey. The school registers eon- s tained 612 names, but ow;iu•g to the severity of the weather and the fact that the school had reopened only on Monday, after the mid - !winter vacation, the attendance Vies not quite up to the average. The fire was discovered about 9.30 jue-t after the various classes had become nicetg nettled into: the morning work. Arcoo:unts differ as to who first discovered the blaze, but it seems to have manifested its exis- tence to several people in• the school at practically the e.'ame time. Miss ,Finch, a teacher in one of the 4ec- omd-floor rooms, located over the furnace, noticed ,smoke coming out of the wa;inaeort•tin;;, near the hot- air register. Sae immediately; utilized , tb,e small private telephone in!stall- ed in the school to apprise Principal Wallis of what she had seen. Tire principal, •on coining into tlxe'hat,l1 to thverstigateU was mat by Harvey Hicks, a -plumber, who hard been• em- ployed tbawing out frozen pipes in the cellar. Michas stated that the building, was on fire, a quantity, plaster having dropped off the eeil- 5.ng Of the cellar, revealing the pres- elect() of fire underneatlei Principal Wallis immediately) gave the ordinary; gong eignaLs for fire drill. The majorityi of the teachers and some of the pupae suspected that ;,the occasion was not one for, ordin- ary drill, for it was unlikely, that 'the children would bre emit out in- to zero atmosphere unless for as ur- gent reason. There was not the least particle of excitement or undue haste. Tholse previously assigned to positions as door openers immediate- ly„ sprang to their placers. The chil- dren in each room formed in line and snood patiently, until the word was givefn to march omit. Though by this time the ,smoke in several rooms was quite thick, children and teac1ier s preserved their co,oLness. Each class peeved out in its appointed turn, and so thoroughly! and 'uljstem;atically hail the drill been acquired that in lees than two minutes frown the time the etgnal was eounded, every hada eideal bad left the 'school. Principal ;Waffle was tiro last to melee an exit, be haying taleen up hie position in the Lower hall tend directed the classes as they filed out. As soon as all were safely out, boys were despatched to send in the alarm to the tore brigade, . Tele boxes at queen street and L'road'view avenue and Matilda and Sterner streets wore both pulled, and the Bolton ave- nue and Wilton avenue sections wore soon on the sl:ot, followed by the men of more distant stations. Meanwhile a corps of b:gger boys, endertne dieeo,tion of Assistant Prin- oipal Ilittz, .liacl entered the burning -,wilding to save svli t wraps and e a.dgear they could reach, as teach- ers and children hail all left their rooms without waiting to obtain their outer clothing.. Several trips were made to the cloak -rooms, tied zl cons:derable quantity of clothing cli,rried out before the progress of the flames made I'rinc,pa1 'Wallis fear that further visits to the burning building wnuld be fraught with clan- ger to the boys and the citizens who were assisting them. Assoon as tee firemen arrived they laid seven or eight lines of hose, and quickly had streams playing on the fire, wiaeli be this time was burning briskly on the second floor of the school. The Water pressure was so in- stefifclerit, however, that it was Im- possible to throw the wafter to any eonsieerable height, with the result that thea"flames ate their way through; to the roof and burst forth. alba firemen were practically power- less to check their: advance upward, and were compelled to let tbe eon- flagratfon work its will on the upper storeys. They turned their attention to the lower floors, and prevented the fire from spreading downward; but In doing so the rooms were dam- aged considerably by water and smoke. It was not till noon that the fire was thoroughly under ,control, and by that time so much water had been poured 'into the building that there were three feet of it in the eel - ler. MONTREAL CLUB BURNED. • One_Fireznan Was Killed and Others Injured. Montreal. Jan. 11, es a result of a fire which broke out ,shortly after seven ocloek this morning, all that now; remains of the Mount 'Royal Club, the finest private club In Ment - real., is a mass of blackened walls. Ono fireman was killed and several othners were easily injured. Col. Liardet, the secretary of the club, was so badly injured by jump- ing from a top storey window that he died ;shortly before midnight at the Royal victors Hospital. Miss Oman, the club bookkeeper, was also badly injured by jumping from a top window. The Loss is estimated at $120,- 000, insurance $82,000. The build- ing, which was occupied by the club, was situated on Sherbrooke street, and was a historic structure. It was built by Sir John Abbott, at one time Premier of Canada, as a private reeidonee for Lord and Lady, Aberdeen. It was subsequently pur- chased by the Mount Royal. Club, the most exclusive social organization in iilentreal., and was transformed into a palatial club -house. T.he build- ing has been very unlucky as re- gards fires, having been badly scorched on two previous occasions, and now. it has been practically deems ed CASHEL'S BROTHER JOHN. lie Made Overtures te the Police Matron at Calgary. Calgary, N. W. T., Jan. 11.—Flora Brazeau, one time matron at the mounted pollee guard -room, young and prepossessing, was a sensation- al witness in `the John Cashel case last evening. She said she had met Ernerst Cashel in the guard -room and became quite intimate with him, and also met John Cashel, who bad call- ed on her frequently at her home. Some weeks before the escape John Cashel told her that if Ernest did not secure a nee trial he would get him out. Ile would get a couple of revolvers and smuggle them in, en- abling him to hold up the guards, and would have a horse waiting for him to get away Theo be would dress himself in woman's clothes, go to Buffalo, Wyoming, end there the police would never get him'. He himself would not be near the barracks at the time of the escape, and would not be suspected. $e ask- ed her if ,she would aceompa.ny him at the time of the eecn;pe and be a witness for him in proving an alibi. He would get Erman out even if he went down himself. Ile a,sieed her to buy, one revolver for him,, but she refluxed, and the prisoner said he could get them himself. She went to 1iie.dioine Hat, and John wrote her • a couple of letter's outlining hie plans, but ordering her to burn th-e lettere-, which she did. The mo=unted police, who arrested her after the escape :said they'wouid keep her arrested until ;she told what she knew. She said nothing for five hours, then confessed. Witness was not threatened and told the truth. HAD A HARD FIGHT. Steamer Lamantine Reaches Halifax After a Perilous Passage. Halifax, N. S., Jan. 11.—The Amer- ican Line steamer Laurentian ar- rived this morning from Liverpool, showing every appearance of a great battle with wind, waves and frost. The steamers decks and sides were thickly covered with ice. From the time of starting Oho encounter- ed very heavy weather, but it be- gan in earnest on the 27th. It was bitter cold, and sea after sea leap- ed over the steamer. On tbe 28th the storm continued with head- winds, but the 300 was a terrific day, when the steamer made but 90 miles. The seas ware mountains high, the weather was bitterly cold, and the great waves threatened to engulf her. On the &1st the storm abated ,somewhat, but on the next day it commenced again, and very little headway was evade. Heavy weather was experienced around the Drinks. The Laurentian brought 177 pas- sengers altogether. The voyage lasted eleven days from Moville. HER LIFE THREATENED. Concert Tour Nordica Had Planned May be Abandoned: New York, Jan. 11:.—As a result of throats ngains2 her life Mme. Lil- lian Nordica, fide for some time been under the constant protection of a pollee guard in her apartments in Madieon avenue. It is sail by her most intimate friends that she has received many litters of such a character that she dare not ignore them, and called the 'police to her aid. It tva,s stated 'by one of her frienns Iast night that site had Intended to go on another concert tour, but the peculiar c:runt noes surround - leg, the threats upon her life aro deterring her from making final ar- ra.ngementta for the tour. isir. Demme, her husband, against whom the recently began a suit for abeolwte divorce, Is stilt a patient to Dr.; Bull's sn.ni•tarinni, NEWS IN BRIEF 2e�� ,Sauht Ste. Nltarie, Ont.—Fire this morning destroyed three double houses, the property of the Steele Company, Yrs p gonna. W'innlpeg.� x,. I3fead, of Rapid City,. lids been nominated .lay the Liberalrr of Marquette for the com- ing Dominion elootions. Gioodwood.—Tine stables and other outbuildings in connection with the Forsythe .Rotel, were burned early this morning, together with a Large ,supply of hay and wpod. Hartford, Conn. -Mrs. Edward J. ,Starr, who was terlbiy burned yes- terday, while trying to extinguish the blazing clothing of her sister, Miss Mamie; Quenney, died to -day, in ?Sande Hospital. St. Joseph, fele.—J. E. Marcell, cashier of the Bank of Highlands, Kansas, was arrested on a Grand Island train last night at Troy, Kan- sas, charged with forging notes ag- gregating $30,000. Windsor.—Fire was discovered in the 'basement of the Polisseir Street School yesterday forenoon and sev- eral hundred children vacated the building in record time in response to an alarm.% The damage done by the fire was slight.. Rome—The Congregation of Rites (charged with the process of the canonization of saints) at its ses- sion to -day performed the first of the series of ceremonies previous to the canonization of Joan of Arc, namely, the official proe•lamation of the virtues and heroic deeds of the maid of Orleans. Windsor, Ont.—The WalkerviIlo po- lice yesterday arrested, a man who was soliciting alms. Ile was brought before Magistrate Bartlett later in the day and gate) his name as John McConnell, •and his home as Bay City, Mich. Hi) was sentenced to five months in the Central Prison, , R'indsolr.—Tho Sangane Electrical Co., of Springfield, 0., will open a factory for the manufacture of elec- tric motors 10 the White block about the middle of this month. Thefac- tory will .employ about 15 men at first, but this number will be an - creased as soon as the factory is thoroughly equipped.! , ' • New York.--Two--- degrees above zero waSthe coldest temperature re- corded early to -day in this city, and by 10 o'clock the mercury had risen to 5 above. The local fore- caster believes the crest of the cold wave has pawed. There is still much delay in railroad service, and the increasing amount of ice in both rivers makes fery service irregular and stow,. 1. cw York—A Kishineff cable to the World says: Advocate Kalnovici has been forbidden to practice law for two years. He was eloquent on be - b o. the Jaws la:fore the ecurt that pretended to investigate the mas- sacre. Secretary of the Council, Ka- rabezewski has been exiled to Si- beria for five years. Both were charged with having supported tbe Jews in agitations against the Gov- ernment. Puri: .i despatch received by the French Foreign Office from Seoul says: "The Corean army is serious- ly disaffected, chiefly because of pay arrears, and is threatening to en- gage in an outbreak. Two British, two Russian and one American war- ships are in the barber of Chemulpo and will remain until the crisis is over. The Lorean authorities admit they cannot answer for the loyalty and discipline of the troops, but the Americans only, have landed ma- rines." RUSSIA TO BUILD THEATRE. Will Burn it, With Sheep and I•tabbits for Human Beings. Peter,burg, Jan. 11.—The Chi- cago theatre lire has stirred up the Russian Commission, appointed some time ago to investigate and report on the protection of audi- ences from fire, and et a meeting held yesterday they determined on the most sensational series of ex- periments ever taken in order to gain the knowledge they seek. They aro going to build an experi- mentlil theatre, in which they will place an audience of animals—alieep and rabbits, probablye-and they wi.i in this theatre instatuto a series of tests, culminating in its destruc- tion by fire and the sacrifice of the animals in order to get the facts they deem necessary for an ade- quate study of the protection of audiences, The Government is bearing the ex- pense of the experiments, and they tare to be carried out without con- sidering the cost, The theatre is to have its due proportion of in- flammable furniture, galleries, seats, scenery, drop curtains, etc.,, and is to bo provided With en asbestos fire curtain, !Aires will be started on the stage, in the wings, and in the files, and an effort will be made to .imitate the great theatre fires of tits World, A large fire department will be in attendance to insure the co=iflagra- tion goes no further than is neces- sary for 'the 'purpose ,02 each exper- 1 iment until the last, when the structure will be allowed to burn, with all the animals that do not escape by the regular exits. The proportion of such escapes /will be computed and filed 'teeth the rest of the statistics and data that will be obtaineds To the objection that the animals will not give •a true parallel to a human audience, the scientists on the commission reply that they will approach the desired condition more closely than laymen think, as an audience in a panic ifs oblivious to printed signs, clallous to injuries or the rights of each other, and in- tent only on rushing out of the theatre—in other words, a human audience untrained for emergen- cies, under the influence of fear and in the presence of deadly danger, does not apt with human intelli- gence.; The most ;grisly of the experiments involves the dearth of the animals and a post mortem examination. Everybody mho has read such hor- rors as the Chicago disaster is fam- iliar with the expression of the hope that the victims died of suffo- cation rather than that they had been burned alive. Science knows nothing of shrinking from horrors, and this Russian commission pro- poses to ascertain what the fact is — not what. it is desirable it should be.; The results of the investigation iare to bo embodied in a Noitxnne and made public and a code for the government of theatres and other buildings in which many persons are gathered, is to be instituted, the provisions of which are to be based on the findings of the commission. A YEAR OF HORRORS. Astrologers Predict Terrible Things for This Year of Grace. Paris, Jan. 11.—Papers here are commenting gra-veer on the unanim- ity of the astrologers, magicians, cbairvoy ante, and trance mediums in predicting' ayear of horrors for 1904. A leading astrologer named Jacob sizes up the situation as follows, and the others agree more or less as to detail: "Here is the horoscope for 1904, made at the moment the sun enter- ed -tie sign of Capricorn. It indi- cates a year of great immorality in London. The Viceroy of India abdicates. The United States have grave quarrels with, Russia and Ger- many. Roosevelt falls sick and a oo 1,epiracy is hatched against him. Serious financial disasters in Am- erica. "The Emperor of Japan' has grave accident. "An attempt on the life of the Emperor of China. "Volcanic shocks 'in Constantin - aisle, Chili, and Philippines. "A fear of unhealthy literature and unlimited materialist. "The, French Cabinet falls' be- tween April 7 and 10. "A panic in a music hall, grave accidents and popular disturbances, in Russia. An attempt to poison the Czar. Serious dissensions be- tween Russia end Austria. "England lases prestige. The cam- paign in Thibet falle through. "Tremendous failures in Calcutta and the Transvaal.. "Anarchist troubles in Spain ; the Government threatened. "In China women massacred. "Everywhere crimes of passion, mysterious deaths, and strange phenomena. "Nineteen hundred and four Is an anagram of 1409, the date of the birth of Joan of are. This year a wiernderful child will bo born with a. high destiny, showing its power in 1924, an anagram of 1429, the date of the apogee of Joan of Arc." ACCUSED OF MURDER. Woman Charged With Poisoning Bier Husband. Hedrick, Iowa, Jae. 11.—IIrs. Belle Lewis ie in jail in Sigourney, c,ha.rged wet•n the murder of her husband by poison. 'The indictment, charging murder in the first degree, was re- turned a few days ago by the Keo- kuk county gravid jury, but was kept a secret until Sheriff John Baty place/tette accused w. mars in cus:oey. she vias not admitted to bail. lti illiam 11. Lewis died Oot, 10 at his home, just west of Hedrick, being found dead in his bed at 10 b'olock that night by hie whet when she went to ,retire. Ile .had been i11 all day and had been left alone by the family. The co'roner's jury was suspicious, but re- turned a verdict of death from nat- ural causes as far as the jury could ascertain, having the stomach taken out and sealed up, however, should the grand jury take the matter up. An anaiyele by the State chemist showed laudanum in the stomach, and this, with many suspicious cir- cumstances, caused Mrs. Lewis to be charged with the murder, Mrs. Lewes had f.uruji.ated laudanum at two ctiffcireut stores, i,i Hedrick and Fremont, a few days previously, Rand neither of the bottles wa,s found in the nouse. She had given her hus- band medicine several tunes during the day, and his symptoms were so suspicious that the attending physi- cian, Dr. Morgan, of Fremont, who wee/called after tile death, refused to sign the burial certificate. Lewis car- ried $2,000 life insurance in the A. 0. U. 1•;-,, and theorder refused to pay on the ground of murder. 'The insurance company will assist In the prosecution, as should a conviction be obtained its inability; would be an- nulled. • Lewis was 49 years old, and had four children. The accused woman is about 40 years old and is a , quiet - appearing woman. There are rumors of an accomplice in the affair, al- though no formal charge has been made. It Is known positively that .the. suspected person and the wonneb had been together frequently, and had been seen driving together. .COCAINE AND MORPHINE Use of Them Increasing andl New Laws Needed. co- caineand �dJmorphine habit, thk te State Board of Pharmacy yesterday de- aided to recommend to the Legisla,- tura the enactment of a laws Pro- hibiting the, reale of tbese drags on old prescriptions, or what are known as "repeaters." The reale Is to .be restricted te, prescriptions of physicians • and dentists, only one sale to be made on each ;prescription. The cocaine habit is growing so rapidly that, many pharmaceutical associations in the state have urged the importe once of_ a state law, to lessen, it not entirely check, the sale of the drag to habitual users. The committee on adulteration and eubseription of drugs reported that of 070 samples tested in the state. 415 were Tound to be ,below standard. The number of sam- ples taken from Newt York city drug stores was 871, of which 310 were found to be impure or substituted drugs. HOTEL GUEST ARRESTED. l Archibald Edward Stuart,ofEngland, Charged With Vagrancy. To onto, Jar. 7.1.—Areh''bald Ecava;d Stuart, a young, well -drowsed English- man, who is believed to be one of that class of hotel guests of whom the proprietors at a meeting last week spoke in strong terms, was arrested last night by Detective Chas. Slemin on the broad charge of vagrancy. Stuart reached Toronto about two months ago, and registered at the King Edward Hotel, where he made many friends. For a time he paid his way, and then stopped. Last Wednesday his bill amounted to $150, and when spoken to he departed suddenly. After he had gone the hotel officials found out that Stuart's bill with P. Maher for the hire of carriages and riding horses was, in round numbers, $70, and that he had ordered clothing worth $80 at a King street establish- ment. Stuart for some reason induced Ernest E. Laing, an employee of the King Edward Hotel, to resign and go to work for him as a valet. Laing was with Stuart ,when he ordered the cloth- ing. Stuart was located at the Walker House, where he took up his residence last Thursday, the day that he left the King Edward Hotel. When locked up he had but nine cents. He admitted that he had no money, but added that his wife had. She lives at Grey Lawn, Berkshire, England. ACTS AS PEACEMAKER. King Edward Tries to Stop War Between Russia and Japan. London, Jan. 11.—Tire Daily Ex- press says it learns that King Ed- ward le bringing, pressure to bear on the Czar in favor of ,peace. Af- ter Premier Balfour and Foreign' Sec - rotary Lord Lansdowne bad a con- ference Monday afternoon Mr. Bal- four joined the Duke of Devonshire't9 party at Chatswoth, where the Kla+g Is a guest. The Express believes that Japan has the most complete war find, and says that she will issue treasury notes, which American and, English banks have agreed to sup- port. Tho Tokio correspondent of the Daily Tlelegrap'h notes a great fall in tee prices of stocks, many of which show declines ten per cent. greater 'than occurred at the outbreak of thfe •Chinese -Japanese war. The expectation that Japan will take immediate steps to secure leer interests in Corea is confirmed bY, th'e Daily Mail's Tokio correspondent, who says that Russia's rejoinder Is el facially considered unfavorable. The newspaper, Asa'hi, declares that the reserves of the Second Army Division ie'avo been called out. The Admiralty, Is buying coal extensively 'at Sasebo„ Nagaasaki and Karateu. A QUID PRO QUO. • Chamberlain Will Ask Some kteturns from Colonies. '• London, Jan. 11.—Mr. Chamberlain writing to the Agent -General of New South Wales, points out that the de- tails of his Imperial preference scheme cannot be settled until all 'the parties to the proposed measure are ready to negotiate. Il'e de-' Glared himself confident that notice ing he, will ask by wa.y of surrender by the colonies will be more than a fair return for the Large concessions lie is prepared to give. Tho London Evening Globe, com- menting. on this statement of Mr. Chamberlain, says, "The colonies w,i1l. got a quid pro quo for all they may, be asked to surrender.' The Westminster Gazette, nom- 4mentin,g, says : "It is evident from NM'r. Chamberlain's remarks that it is his intention to ask the colonies for something. This is another proof of the absurdity of the statement that there Ilea been any offer what- ever already made by the oolen- ies.' Killed by Comrade. Ingeri all, Jan. 11. ---Word was receiv. ed in town that a young morn by the game of Smith died at Avon as a result of a gunshot would. 'Smithi was a, member of a party of hunters w,ho,were out rabbit shooting on NeW Year's' Day. One of the party, It is said, was carrying leis gun over his Shoulders, when it was accidentally; cliecbarged. Smiths wa,s a short dlse tance ahead, and the charge lodged in his back. I.1'is death occurred about 4 o'clock Saturday morning, ,