North Carolina Newspapers

THE JACOB JONES SUNK. United States Destroyer Sent to Bottom by German Subma rine. Torpedoed Thursday Night and 41 Men Out of 110 Reported Saved. Commander David Worth Barley Among the Saved. Sunday morning's papers car ried the bad news that the United States Destroyer Jacob Jones had been torpedoed and sunk by a German submarine in the war zone. The Jacob Jones wes commanded by David Worth Bagley, brother-in-law of Jose ph us Daniels, Secretary of the Navy. It was first reported that Commander Bagley was lost, but later news reported him among those saved. * x The news in yesterday's Washshington Post in regard to the disaster is as follows: "Further reports from Vice Admiral Sims yesterday began to unfold the story of the torpe doing of the destroyer Jacob Jones, but did not lessen the toll of lives lost with the ship. Only forty-four of 110 or more offi cers and men aboard are known to have survived, including one unidentified man picked up and carried off by the submarine that struck the blow. The report yesterday added to the list of dead Lieut. Stanton F. Kalk, a young officer whose name did not appear on the first roster of the ship's company. He died of explosure. The dis patches gave no further details of the escape of Lieut Comdr. B^gley and biie other survivors, but they contained the names of seventeen of the rescued in ad dition to those announced last night. Gunner Harry R. Hood was killed by the explosion. There was no time to make provision against the cold and the sea as the crew leaped to the life rafts. Many probably had died with Gunner Hood in the explosion of the steam bursts that undoubt edly followed it. The U-boat commander made sure before he exposed his craft that the destroyer had gone down. He took no chances of a last shot from her guns which might send him and his vessel also to their reckoning. WAR WITH AUSTRIA-HUNGARY. Only One Vote Is Cast Against War Resolution. Passes the Senate Unanimously, While Representative London Opposed It in House. Washington, Dec. 7. ? War between the United States and Austria-Hun gary was formally declared today. Congress with one dissenting vote in the House, adopted and President Wilson approved a resolution declar ing existence of a state of war be tween "the imperial and royal Austro Hungarian government and the gov ernment and people of the United States " authorizing the President to employ the armed forces and pledging its resources to victory. The resolution, the response of con gress to the President's request in his address Tuesday, is similar to that passed April 6, declaring war with Germany. Ie became effective at 5:03 p. m. today when it was signed by the executive without formality. An ex ecutive proclamation will follow short ly After but one hour's debate the res olution was unamiously adopted by the senate with an affirmative vote of 74. It was approved by the house, 363 to 1, Representative London, the New York socialist, casting the only dis senting vote. A few minutes later Vice-Pre <ident Marshall and Speaker Clark had signed the document and sent it to the White House where President Wilson attached his signi ture with Secretary Tumulty and As sistant Secretary Forster as the only witnesses. TWO THOUSAND ARE KILLED. Disaster at Halifax May Rank as Most Fearful in History of Ameri can Continent. French Munitions Vessel Rammed by Belgium Relief Ship ? Fire Followed Explosion. Halifax, N. S.( Dec. 6. ? With the toll of dead steadily mounting it was believed early this morning that more than 2,000 persons perished in the ex plosion and fire which followed the collision yesterday morning in Hali fax harbor between a munitions-laden French ship and another vessel, the Imo, loaded with supplies for the Bel gian! relief commission. The disaster, which has plunged the Dominion into mourning, probably will rank as the most fearful that ever occurred on the American continent. Residents of Halifax and thousands of volunteer relief workers who have come into the city have been almost dazed at the extent of the horror. Virtually every building in the city which could be converted into a hos pital is filled with wounded, ^many of them so desperately injured that there is no hope of their recovery. Scores already have died in these temporary hospitals. An ever increasing num-' ber is being taken from the completely devastated Richmond district to the relief station. The city was in darkness tonight ex cept for the flames from the fires still burning in the wrecked buildings in the north end. Kerosene lamps fur nished the illumination by means of which surgeons and doctors toiled he roically throughout the night caring for the injured. Soldiers, sailors and police patroled the streets tonight and upon them fell the major portion of the burden of searching among the ruins for the dead and wounded. The Canadians were assisted in the work by sailors from an American warship in the har bor. * ? The flame-swept area covers approx imately two and a half square miles. It begins at what is known as the North Street bridge extending north tp pier 8 on the Richmond waterfront and back to a point running parallel with Gottingen street. Nothing has been left standing in this section of the city. Only a pile of smouldering ruins marks the spot whe^e the great building o^the American Sugar Refin ing Company stood. The drydock and all the buildings which surrounded it were destroyed. The Richmond school that housed hundreds of children was demolished and it is reported only three escaped. Canadian officers who have seen long service in France characterize the catastrophe as "the most fearful which has befallen any city in the world." Chief of Police Hanrahan late last night estimated the number of killed at 2,000 and other city officials ex pressed the belief that it would ex ceed that number. DO SOME FALL PLOWING. One important piece of the spring work which can often be gotten out of the way in the fall and early winter to good advantage is a part at least of the plowing. Officials of the Agricul tural Extension Service of the North Carolina Agricultural College gives the following arguments in its favor: 1. There is more time in fall than spring and every day saved can be used for preparing and planting when the spring rush comes. 2. Hired help can be kept employed at this and other winter work instead /?f being turned off and lost. 3. Teams are harder and in better working condition in fall, and the weathdr is cooler for the heavy work. 4. Land is generally in good con dition to turn in fall, which may be too wet early or too dry late if left until spring. 5. Stiff, "bakey" soils may be crum bled and improved in condition and some plant-food freed by exposure to freezing and thawing. 6. Tough sods will rot more quickly if falWplowed, and can be dished up into a better seed-bed with less labor. 7. Fall-plowed land, left rough, will absorb more water and melting snow. 8. Wire worms, white grubs, and other insect pests, as well as shallow rooted weeds such as garlic and weedy grasses, are injured and often killed by turning up and freezing. Light soiK subject to washing should not be plowed in the fall. There is little danger of difficulty in working fall-plowed land up loose and mellow, if a disk harrow is used when moisture conditions are, right. ? Farm Bulletin. DEAD OVER FOLK THOUSAND. Estimate Made After Survey of De vastetl District at Halifax. It is Probable that a Month Will Elapse lief ore the Debris Is Cleared. Giv ing Aid to Living. After Night of Storm and Snow the Weather Cleared Saturday ? More than Foot of Snow Covers the Stricken City. #? Halifax, N. C-, Dec. 8. ? Four thous and persons wore killed in the burning and destruction of buildings resulting from the explosion of a munitions ship in the harbor Thursday, according to estimates tonight by officials. This estimate, higher than any heretofore, was made after a survey of the de vastated district of Richmond, where acres of debris probably will not be cleared for a month. Men of the naval forces dragged the water front today and recovered the bodies of 200 sailors, soldiers and workmen. Halifax has ceased to number its dead and is directing its energies to the aid of the living. Twenty thousand persons are desti tute and of the number perhaps one out of seven is suffering from injuries which in many cases are bound to prove fatal. Federal, provincial and Red Cross aid, supplemented by volunteer units from other cities and the United States, were being utilized to the best advantage. The Massachusetts relief train arrived today, bringing the first contingent of physisians, nuNi^ and supplies. It was the first of several trains enroute from the American side. More than a ?oot of snow fell last night. Today the storm passed and 1 the weather was clear and cold. Street car service was partly restored and the lighting system renewed in part. The water supply is causing the > most concern. Emergency repairs are being made as fast as possible, but the system was still seriously de- 1 ranged this evening. Tlie property loss, variously esti- < mated at from $20,000,000 to $50,000,- : 000, probably will prove to be nearer 1 the minimum. The relief committees have asked for $.30,000,000, which they estimate will be necessary to care for the 20,000 destitute ones. The search for bodies goes on meth- t odically and hundreds are exposed in temporary morgues but there have i been few identified. Those engaged ' in thi3 work are having many depress- ] ing and some heartrending experi ences. When the blow fell Lola Burns, eight years old, was on her knees by her cot "saying her morning prayer. The house collapsed. Hours later Lola 1 was found in the midst of the wreck age, hemmed in by fallen timbers and surrounded by broken glass, but quite unharmed, still on her knees and pray ing fervently. Ir. a collar at Richmond a soldier in uniform was seen digging frantically. It was Private Henneberry, who had been overseas with the 63rd battalion and reoently returned home wounded. "Hero was my home," explained the soldier briefly, while he continued to dig, "and I am sure I heard a moan a moment ago." Others assisted and presently from under a kitchen stove the protruding ashpan of which had protected her, was revealed Henneberry's 18-months old baby. Her wounds were super ficial. But the private's joy was short lived. A little more digging exposed the bodies of his wife and five other children. At one hospital several children were listed as negroes from their gen eral apperance. Later it was dis covered that they had been white be fore the flames reached them. Word has come from St. John tha^ more injured can be accommodated there. Among the injured already in the city the cases of 20 are critical. The casualties in the Wellington street barracks annuonced tonight were: Killed 6: missing and presum ed dead 27; badly wounded 141; slight ly wounded 96; unaccounted for 44; total 314. In the married men's quarters 160 women and children were reported killed, missing and badly wounded. Thirteen sailors and petty officers were killed on the Canadi;u) crusier Niobe. Fifteen other men are minting nnd cannot be traced. Sheep raisers should get together and decide what breed of sheep is best suited to their locality and then stick to that breed. BUY WAR SAVINGS STAMPS. The Big Campaign to Raise Nearly A .Million I)ollar8 in Johnston Coun ty Now Being Launched. T. S. Ragsdale, of Smithfield, Chairman cf County Committee. The Johnston County Committee for the National War Savings cam paign has been appointed as follows: T. S. Ragsdale, Chairman, Smith fleld. H. B. Marrow, Vice Chairman, Smithfield. Supt. L. T. Royall, Smithfield. A. M. Johnson, Farm Demonstrator, Smithfield. TL - _ * V. iU. 1 IlUlllUIS, \.;K1)IUIU M. C. Winston, Selma. George M. Hinton, Smithfield, R.l. W. C. Lassitcr, Four Oaks, R. 4. V. R. Turley, Clayton, R. 2. Q. B. Il^utft Zebulon, R. 1. J. J. Rose, Bentonville, R. 2. Preston Woodall, Benson. M. B. Andrews, Kenly. R. N. Aycock, Smithfield. Mrs. F. H. Brooks, Smithfield. Mrs. J. II. Kifby, Kenly. Miss Mae Belle Coob, Benson. Mrs. B. A. Hocutt, Clayton. Mr. Ragsdale wants to get tW County throoughly organized at an early date. To raise the money in this county that the people are ex pected to raise in one year means a great deal of work. The State Committee, with Col. F. H. Fries, of Winston-Salem, as Chair man has apportioned to Johnston County the sum of $910,822 as this county's part of the Stale's $48,538, 314. The plan to get the matter before the people is to work through < the schools. This is to be done at once and it is hoped that the teachers will pre sent it to their pupils on North Car olina Day. It is the plan of the Com mittee to get the matter before every school possible on December 21st. Speakers will be secured to go to as many schools as can be arranged for and present the matter. Those schools which have North Carolina Day next Friday, the 14th, will be ex pected to have the matter presented to them then. The list of the amounts expected bo be raised in each township in the county will be published in Friday's paper. Superior Court in Session. Johnston County Superior Court convened this morning with Judge Oliver H. Allen presiding. Solicitor Walter I). Siler is hece to represent the State in the criminal cases. There are no civil cases of importance to be tried at this term. On account of next week being the week before Christmas, it is thought that the court may get through with the business this week. "Rural Dairy Schools Next Week." Dairy farming is very profitable to those who knqw how and make best use of natural advantages. Are you making satisfactory profits, could you manage to make them larger? Do you make the best butter on your route? Why do cream tests vary and who gets the profits out of the cream ery business ? ? Can you answer these questions, and arc you making money out of the dairy business? Dairy Schools answer these questions. They show you where the leaks are and where the profits go. There will be dairy schools, Pomona School, December 18; Wilson's Mills School, December 17th. Be there at ten o'clock; bring your family (and don't forget the lunch). There will be interesting demonstrations, magic lan ern views and two extra good lectures. These men are thoroughly trained and experienced and know your problems. A. M. JOHNSON, Farm Demonstrator. TOBACCO MARKET TO CLOSE. Smithfield Will Close for the Season on December 20th. We are informed by the Smithfield tobacco men that the market here wil close on December 20th. The bulk of th<* tobacco is already sold in this section, but there is still some in the hands of the farmers. Those who have tobacco are advised to sell T.t once. ? WHY HAVE WHOOPING COUGH? ? It Killed 437 Children in North Caro lina Last Year. Keep the Disease From Spreading. Here are the facts in the case: Whooping cough is not a highly con tagious disease; it is probably spread only by close contact, such as kissing or inhaling the spray which is thrown from the mouth of a sufferer during coughing. It could be controlled with noVrat difficulty ? and yet it kills ten thousand children and more every year in America. It killed 437 in North Carolina last year. This is most unbelieveable, but, nevertheless, it is true, Of all the children under one year of age who have whooping cough, 27 in the hun dred die. Of all who have it between one and five years of age, fourteen in the hundred die; of those between two and five years cf age, 3 per cent die; above five years of age, happily, the mortality is very low. Yet mothers do not take the pains to protect their children from a disease which kills one in four of every infant under one year that is attacked! The most sericus complication of the disease, is' pneumonia, which fre quently results from this inflamation, especially in small children, and death, when it takes pace, is usually the result of pneumonia rather than of the.disease itself. In most ca?es, how ever, the coughing spells becom? more frequent and more severe up to a certain point and then gradually the condition of the child begins t im prove. To prevent whooping cough from spreading requires but few things. The first thing is to report it to the county quarantine officer. The all important item is to keep the victim from contact with other children. A child who has whooping cough should not be allowed to go to Sunday school, to day school or to the homes of other families, and shduld not play with other children. Strict quarantine should be enforced in whooping cough as in diphtheria and scarlet fever. In caring for a child who has whoop ing cough, there is but one safe rule for the thoughtful mother to follow, and that is to call in a good physician and obey his directons. As far as possible, the child should remain in the open air during the sickness, or in a room where there is always an abun dance of fresh air. There is no medi cine so good. Fresh air, in fact, is the largest single factor in the cure of whooping cough, and with it may be ranked abundant, nourishing food. WAR-SAVINGS CERTIFICATES. A United States War-Savngs Cer tificate, Serie3 of 1918, will be an obligation of the United States when, and only when, one or more United States War-Savings Stamps, Series of 1918, shall be affixed thereto. Each of such certificate wll have spaces for 20 such stamps, and each of such stamps thereto affifed will have a ma turity value of $5 on January 1, 1923, which will accordingly give each such certificate, when bearing its full com plement of such stamps, a maturity value of $100 on said date. No certifi cate will be issued unless at the same time one or more War-Savings Stamps shall be purchased and affixed thereto, but no additional charge will be made for the certificate itself. The name of the ov/ner of each certificate must be written upon each such certificate at the time of the issue thereof. Owners of War-Savings Certificates will be entitled to receive, on January 1, 1923, at the Treasury Department in Washington, "or at a money-order post office, upon surrender of such certificates and upon compliance?with all other provisions thereof, $5 is re spect of each War-Savings Stamp, Series of 1918, then affixed thereto, but no post office shall be required to make any such payment until 10 days after receiving written demand there for. Any owner of a War-Savings Cer tificate, at his option, will be entitled to receive at any time after January" 2, 1918, and prior to January 1, 1923, at a money-order post office, upon sur render of his certificate and upon com pliance with all other provisions there of, in respect of each War-Savings Stamp, Series of 1918, then affixed to such certificates, the amount of the face of the stamp or stamps affixed, plusM cent per month for each stamp, but no post office shall make any such payment until 10 days after receiving written demand therefor. PRIORITY ORDER IS ISSUED. Perfercntial Shipment is Given to Food, Fuel and Government Sup plies. Is Effective Wednesday. Steamship Coal for Immediate Con sumption Comes First in the Five Different Groups Named in Lovett'a Order. Washington, Dec. 7 ? A general pri ority order, giving preferential ship ment to food, fuel and government supplies, was issued today by Robert S. Lovett, government director of pri ority transportation. The order legalizes action already taken by the eastern operating com modities preference in movement. Officials believe it will go far toward relieving the eastern freight conges tion which has threatened to close down war industries and public utili ties. The order says: 9 "On and after the twelfth day of December, 1917, and until further orders all common carriers by rail road in the United States shall give preference and priority in car supply and in movement to the following commodities and in the order number ed: , 1. ? Steamship coal for immediate consumption. 2. ? Livestock, perishable freight, food and fuel. 3. ? (r.) Shipments of military sup plies when consigned direct to the United States government or the au thorized officers of the United States army, navy%or shipping board or to the ullies or the proper representa tives thereof, destined to any canton ment, post or encampment, to any point of export for movement thence to Europe, to any arsenal or navy yard, or material to any ship building plant under contract to the United States shipping board for the sole pur pose of constructing vessels for that board. (b) Other shipments for the United States government as the same may be authorized from time to time by the , undersigned as necessary in particu lar cases, but only upon request of the United States army, United States navy or United States shipping board through a designated officer or repre sentative of the respective depart ments located in Washington. 4. ? Coal to and for by-product cok ing plants and not subject to recon signment, and 5. ? Preference and priority in move ment only to coal for current use but not for storage, consigned direct (and not subject to reconsignment) to hos pitals, schools and other public insti tutions, retailers of coal for use in supplying domestic consumers only; and to coal, coke and raw materials for current use but not for storage, consigned direct (and not subject to reconsignment to blast furnaces, foun dries, iron and steel mills, smelters, manufacturers engaged in work for the United States or its allies; public utilities (including street and interur ban railways), electric power and lighting plants, gas plants, water and sewer works, flour mills, sugar facto ries, fertilizer factories and ship builders; also shipments of paper, pe toleum and petroleum products." x THE WAVE OE EDUCATION. The war is doing one Rood thins for this country. It is educating the people. Evidence of this fact is crop ping out in all sections and it is sur prising how mr\ny practical ways for securing results are being discovered. In Chicago the board of education has placed a corps of teachers at the ser vice of every industrial establishment that will accept this aid. It is simply a plan for taking the public school to the mill and the factory. Coming near er home we have an inspiring exam ple in the proposition of the cotton mill superintendents of Gaston Coun ty who are inviting co-operation of the educational authorities of Gaston County for the establishment of a perfected system of night schools which would give an education to every one of the thousands of people on the payrolls of the industrial plants in the county ? a completely rounded public school education. This is getting down to the obliterftion of illiteracy in a quick and effective manner, and the mill men of Gr^ton have pointed the way to the rescuing of every industrial communily in North Carolina from a reproach which, happily, had begun to fade away, but whose fading out can be greatly accelerated through" thi3 ad mirable plan of co-operative educa tional work.?? Charlotte Observer.