Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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THE SOFTER WATCHMAN, Esta CONSOLIDATED AUG. 2,1 ?3ALT PLE?SEDWITH CONFERENCE Secretary Wallace Says Meeting o f Farmer Delegates Was a Great Success Washington, Jan. 27.?The na tional agricultural conference, which concluded a five-day session here tonght, was characterized by Secretary Wallace of the-depart ment of agriculture, in his closing address as "the most representa-( ?ive.gathering of agriculture** ever held. It has been a good thing for the farmers and the allied, inter ests, he declared, adding that the farmers and the related* interests - "must cooperate to put agriculture on a sound and enduring basis." ?"This conference." the secretary continued, "has gained ground and I think we can hold that ground. ' We- hayq presented constructive suggestion not; only for the pres ent but for the working out of a sound agricultural policy for years to come." >--? Before adjourning reSolutions; were adopted thanking' President Harding and Secretary Wallace for calling *he conference ?ai ^?Si-ross ing appreciation to Chairman An derson for'his fairness in presiding over the sessions. The conference went--on record in adopting its transportation com mittee's reporr. as favoring par ticipation by railroad tabor, and railroad corporations in tbe^general price ''deflation**' after it* had stricken from . another committee's report a ^ecommendatioa. Sor re peal of the Adamson eight-hour law and the "bring down" of wages of railroad labor and other industrial labor to a parity wiih the return received by the farmer. - The debate on the question pf wage "deflation" today, was Iot>t and>af times vehement. Tjtoe pro posal was strenuously, fofcght by Samuel Gompers, president of the A^merican Federation of Labor.' who was a delegate to the conference. Several farmers who opposed, re ditcjfon in wages and"-helped to defeat the* first recommendation supported the proposal . finally *- adopted that -both-*-ra*J?wds- and their* employes share in the read justment. The conference also endorsed a * proposal that the St. Lawrence * Great Lakes waterway project be ?completed after one committee's recommendation to this effect had been lost. Action for repeal of the ft per cent guarantee clause of the Transportation Act. defeated dur ing the labor debate, received fav orable* action on a later report. The conference .recommended . completion or the projects at Mus * eie Shoals, Ala., and urged that the government accept the offer of Henry Ford to tease them. Re ; duction of freight -rates on farm products, livestock, and products of - allied industries to the basis prior to the Increase of August. "i>20*. also' was urged as well as the restoration of certain rate . making powers to state railroad commissions. Readjustment of rates affecting other commodities should follow as rmickly as-possible, it r was ^dded. Legislation to prevent the railroads from including the "land multiple" in making up their revaluations was further recom l, mended. .Development ot the Mississippi, river as an artery of commerce1 was advocated with the adoption of a report which declared that "during and since the _war there ? has 1'ceh a, great increase in navi gation in* the Lower ^Mississippi river and on the Ohio river."* "Barges are operating from S*. f-Lois is to Ne*v Orleans." it was added, "in connection with railroad lines and have demonstrated not only their efficiency but also their economy as carriers of freight." The conference went on .record as opposing repeal of the. Panama k Canal tolls, saying,"the people of the United States have invested a Irage sum of money in thr Panama Canal." S? Other recommendations included: * Development of hydro-electric power projects to make current available to the smalt consumer on the farm and in the village. Closer coordination of railway, waterway, and highway transpor Ration. Appointment of a commission to ^ work put a national land policy., * including reclamation. Irrigation. " grazing, and colonization problem*. in cooperation with similar bodies in the various states. Opposition to the opening Of any more land for farming purposes * pending readjustment of conditions in agriculture. Stoppage of forest devastation I development of effective methods f* of. fire prevention, increase in re serves and extension of research'. Enactment by congress of laws providing intermediate credits for farmers through commodity {inane. Ing. continuation of the War Fi nance Corporation pending such action, amendment of the federal reserve and farm loan acts. Con I'gr ess ion a 1 investigation of the sub I ject of crop insurance, a cojkstitu tional amendment prohibiting is j stxance of tax free securities exeepl vbonds and other obligations of fed r eral farm loan banks, recnactment of an excess profits tax and equal consideration for agriculture with j other industries in any tariff poi blisbcd April. 1850. 881._. LE?T?RE " GETTING DOWN TO WORK Beginning of Fourth; Week Marks Real: Legislative Battles j ?? ! Columbia. Jan. 3?.? The two braache* Of the legislature will convene Monday night, beginning | the fourth week of the session, with prospects of hard fighting in the midst of the tax reform pro gram which is now on it? \%ay to completion. xTwo of the seven revenue pro ducing measures already introduc ed will bo debated Tuesday, and hffill probably bring forth heated i debate, the gasoline tax biU in the j senate ?and the luxury tax bill in ! W( the house, both set for special order Tuesday morning. ? The inheritance tax bill has pass ed the house and senate and is now on its way back to *he house for concurrence in some senate amend ments. The corporation license j tax bill has been passed by the : house and sent to the senate. The I income tax bill and the moving pic \ ture film tax bill are with the tinance committee of the senate. 0 m c t Famous Explorer Passes Away I Sir Ernest Shackleton Dies on I? Trip in Antarctic ! ? Montevideo, Uruguay. Jan. 29 (By the Associated Press).?Sir Kmest Shackleton. the British ex plorer, died January 5 on board the Ij-jteamship Quest, on which he was Lmaking another expedition into the Antarctic regions. Weath was due to angina pectoris and occurred when the Quest was off the Grit vieken station. The hody was brought to Mon tevideo on board a Norwegian steamer and will be taken by an other steamer to Europe. Capt. L. Hussey of the Quest will -accompany the body home. " Preparing To Elect Pope I Cardinals of Catholic Church fathering in Rome ' Rome. Jan. 30 ? Preparations I have begun for the convening I Thursday of the solemn conclave I at which the cardinals of the Ro ! man Catholic church will ohoost* a pope ^to succeed Benedict. ! icy. were recommended by the con ference tonight with adoption of the report of it$jL. committee on agricultural credit, j The report also protested against enactment of any consumption, sales or manufacturers' tax and urged representation by the United Staffs "in a conference for eco nomic and financial reconstruction in Europe" to ascertain what this country can do toward reestablish ment of international credit. With respect'to establishment of an intermediate Agricultural cred it system; vthe com mittet? proposed -that congress set up an agency to discount loans on live stock paper and on other agricultural commod ities secured by the warehouse re ceipts for terms of six months to three years. This agency would be giver, the right to issue deben tures, salable in the open market, against paper on which loans had been 'advanced, and to have its paper rediscour.tod by the federal reserve banks. ? Amendment of the federal re serve act to give the reserve banks power to buy and sell, with or without endorsement, by mem ber banks, notes secured by ware house receipts for readily market able non-perishable agricultural stapjes and Kve stock was recom mended. Tin* amendments urged foi\the farm la ml bank act would increase ?the amount one individ ual is permitted to borrow from $10,000 to $25.0?}0. and would per mit joint stock land banks to is sue bonds in an amount up to 20 times their capital. Restoration of representation by cooperative as sociations on the directorates of federal farm land banks, was also rega rdod. The states were asked by the conference tonight to pass uni form laws regulating dairy pro ducts and by-products and inspec tion of meat animals and meal products, and federal and strut- co operation in tick eradication work ruid control of plant disease and crop pests was recommended with adoption of a committee report dealing with this subject. The report also requested the states to pass legislation permit ting agricultural cooperation and organization of farmers' coopera tive associations and to cooperate with tin- federal government in gathering and distributing crop and market information. The conference, in adopting this report, expressed disapproval of appropriation .of money by con gress foi distribution of free seed, and went on record as opposed t?? removal from the department of agriculture of tin bureaus of for estry, roads, states relations, weather, soils or markets and crop estimates. "Be Just and Fear > Don't Want Equal Rights! _ i League of Women Voters Dis-j I cover That Men Have Re sponsibilities That They | ! Do Not Seek ! Columbia, .Inn. SO.?The Soul Ii j I Carolina League of Woiik'H Voters'! i is opposed to :s bill, to l?.- intro j duced in the general assembly. | [?-probablyJrhis week, to give women j i equal rights ln-fore the law a-s meh; j I in every particular. The women i voters of the state hold thai tills. law is not necessary, that they'j 'have all the rights they need now. ! The proposed hill is being urged l-by the National Woman's Party. ? An opinion rendered by Attorney ! General Wolf<?~for the League of I Women Voters holds that the pro ; posed law is not necessary; "Kel : ative to the proposed legislation, suggested through the National Woman's Party." says the attorney general's opinion. "I advise that in f my opinion the law pertaining to , women in this state affords all I possible or desired remedies,' im-i j munities'and rights consistent with ! citizenship, and I personally feel ! that if would he? inexpedient to at I tempt w^hat in effect would be ? merely cumulative legislation." The proposed Woman's party i bill would not only make women equal to men at law. but would (make disabilities or inequalities on i account of marriage apply to wo | men as well as men :;ntl would {abrogate the common law disabili j ties of women. The women are also interested I in many hills before the legisla ture. They want the three mill [school tax taken froiii the consti- j j tution and properly classified for J taxation: they are interested in the I tax reforms being put through. hThey are speciaTly interested in j the Simonhoff bill, to require men I to stand examinations before mar ! ringe. y j Stride Ordered In New York I Dressmakers' Union Protest Against-Propos eel Wage Cut - j New York, Jan. 30.?Six tho? ? sand women and girls have been ! ordered on strike by the Ladies' Waist and Dressmakers' Union as a protest against the proposed I twenty-five per eent wage reduc j tion. . ? i? ? ? Hughes To Run Against Stoll ! Member of General Assembly Seeks Higher Honors i - . - J Columbia. Jan. 20.? E. T. j Hughes of Marion, n member of i the South Carolina house of rep resentatives, will enter the cam paign for congress next year, op posing Philip H. Stoll of Kings tree according to an announcement made by Mr. Hughes before leav ing for Marion, where,he will spend his we,ek-end rest from his legis lative duties. ? ? ?? * I Costly Fire at Clio iE. D. Quick Killed by Truck During the Fire j Clio, Jan. 2(?.?1'ire near noon to j day destroyed business establish ; ments in Clio and entailed a loss of ' approximately $ L2iT.O0O. A tra'gedy in connection with the fire was the death of R". I>. Quick, who eollided with a truck as he dashed to safety from a falling wall and was killed almost instantly. I The truck was driven by P. H. j Lipscomb. The body was placed in a nearby building and the cor oner notified. The official Ym ! paneled a jury and will conduct an inquest at 10 CyClock Monday mroning. The tragedy is greatly j deplored but could not be avoided ? by. Mr. Lipscomb. who is deeply af ! fected by it. j Just- how ;lie fire originated is j not known. The first evidences of 'it were in the Blackmail & Mclnnis DniLT store about N :.'!'? o'clock and for more than two hours it raged (with the result.mi loss as follows: ? lSlackman & Melnnis Drug store. $8.500, with $3.000 .insurance: Cov rington company. $7fi.00(i, stock in I surancc about fin per cent.: Coving ton company's buildings. $2~>.ooo.j partially insured: Wright & fow lers, stock $6.000. wit'is $2.r.00 in-i jsurancc; I'. K. Wright's building. $f?.000. partially insured; .!. \ GOvington's building. $;>.000. parti--J ally insured; Southern Dell Tele- j j phone company's offn e equipment. ; unknown. - J. I'. Harrison, t?*le j phone operator, lived ov.ei the drug j [store and his personal effects were i lost as he and .Mis. Harrison were away when the fire was discovered. | Bennett Hedgepeth Hardware! ronfp?ny had a loss by moving out | their $X,000 stock which was cov- j ered. ! ?amage to t he Milinda I building in which Beimel I Hedge peth were located was considerable from t he falling Wall of i in- Cov- j inuion company building. A ',..[ of rot ton Ignited from fal l ing sparks at tin- .Atlantic Const ? Line depot which is :i loss to t In- j railroad, as ii was covered b> i>ilis of lading, ten bales being damaged. Tin* fire department from Ben nettSVille cane to tie- rescue and rendered much assistant.e lot?Txrt all the ends Thou Aims*! at Sumtei, S. C, Wednt APPEAL OF BIGHAM DISMISSED _ _ 1 Resentence Will Be Passed at Next Term of Court inj Florence Columbia* Jan. 2 7.?The stab-; supreme rot?rt in ?n opinion hand-' od down Thursday afternoon dis-j missed the appeal of Edmund D. i Bigham, of [Florence county; now J in the deaih house of the state pen- ! itcntiary, under sentence of death.; This mentis that Bigham will be! rcsentenced ai the next term of, court for Florence. Bigham was convicted of the j murder- of his brother. He wast. also charged with the murder of! his mother, his sister and his sis ter's "two adopted children. Bandits Terrify New York City | Detectives Placed on Guard! in Theatrical District Xew York. Jan. 2$.?Detectives have been detailed to all theatres! and resorts in the theatrical sec- < tions where bandits have been op- \ crating successfully and others | have beer, orderde to round all j men recently released from pris on. COOPERATIVE i MARKETING CAMPAIGN Cotton Farmers o f. Different Counties Signing Contracts! and Express Hearty ' Approval of Move-; ment . - i Columbia. Jan. 27.?-With 1?605 j bales already reported from Marl boro county: 021 from Darling- ? ton county: 52 from Williamshurg J and 114 from Chester and the week only haft gone, this promises to be the bannt r week in the cot- j ton cooperative marketing cam-; paign according to Harry O. Ka- ; miner, president of the South j Carolina Cotton Growers' Cooper-j ative Association, who said last j night that enthusiastic reports as j to the progress of the campaign: were coming in Trom every conn- ' ty. v . I Jt. D. Dargan; county director,' for Darlington county, reported : that his county would meet its j quota by . not later than February 2 2. He declared there was great enthusiasm all over that county And that large and small farmers j were signing the contract. ; lb-ports received at headquar ters <>f the association in this city' last night from the meetings held i in many counties of the state yes- i teroay, Mr. Kaminer said, were to, the effect that the farmers had I braved the snow and the coldest weather of the winter to come out j and hear the gospel of cooperative marketing. j "We received today," said Mr. i Kaminer "a letter from a farmer in the Piedmont section express-! ing great regret that the cooper-1 ative marketing movement had i not been launched many years ago. Mi it had." he wrote, "I prob-j ably would not have been forced j to give up my farm and move to I a cotton mill to support my fans-: ?y. I am leaving next week for' the cuy to go to work. This con structive measure has come too late! to save me." Great Storm Passes Out To the Sea - j Washington is Digging Out From Under Two Feet of I Snow i Washington. Jan. 30.? Washing-' ton is digging out from under more than two feel of snow which fell during Fr' :ay and Saturday. Fair weather followed the storm, which, the weather bureau otlicial said was j mvoing safely seaward, with cen ter near < 'a p.? Cod. The street I ear sei vi< .? is !>eing restored and traisn s;ijil t-i be running practical ly normal again; Demonstration at Bethel. The making ?.t the $1.00 dress form u ill be demonst rated ;ii I let hoi i'hib next Wednesday after-1 noon. Several ladies oi Sumter have asked me to notify them of the next-denyonstra.t ion of fhis. Ij take this opportunity in say that fi sIkiII bf glad to havi- any woman from town go out with me on that] l.i \ I'lease phone m<- ai ?"> l if i ynii are interested. i \\ ItO TRITLU? K. j < ? < 11; r 11 > Home Dembnstration I Agent. I r be thy Country's, Thy Goers and ' esday, February 1, 1922 PROM ' WORK FOR : UNEMPLOYED ????? President Asks De-; partment Heads To! Start Repair and Construction Work ? to Relieve Situation - Washington. Jan. 27.?Aid of do- j parthient heads in providing1 work j for* miempldyed is requested by \ President Harding. He suggested that repair and construction work could be undertaken now when the most difficult period of the winter is still before us. ? ? - Woman Burns to Death Mrs. It. E. Tollison Loses Life When Clothing Catches on Fire Greenwood. Jan. 27?Mrs. lt. E. Tollison, wife of a travclng sales man, was burned to death early tonight at her homo here. Details as to how the tragedy took place are meager, but it is said that Mrs. Tollison was attempting ,o build a lire with kerosene when a Hash set her clothing on lire. She rush ed into the yard, but was burned to death before assistance could be given. 1921 STATE TAXES TO BE POSTPONED Senate Sends Resolu tion to House Ask ing For Time Limit to June 1 st for Pay ment Columbia. Jan. 2 7.?The .state senate today passed and sent to the house the resolution i'or the post ponement of the time for paying ] ??21 taxes to June 1 with penalty scheduled. The penalties would I e 1 per cent for January payments. 2 per cent for ebruary, .'! per cent for March, four per cent for April, per cent for May and 7 per. cent of payments after June 1. The penalties not to be cumulative, the resolution provides that executions be written up by the sheriff but not carried into execution until Sep tember 1. There si a proviso pro tecting the voter. The bill by rep resentative Cary of Charleston to ronurie the labeling of carfned. crated and boxed sreods. ?'South Carolina Products" was passed by the house and sent to the senate. The bill by Representative West to extend the time for redemption of property offered for sale by the sheriff under execution was passed by the house and sent to the sen ate. The bill would extend the time from six months to twelve. The house set Tuesday night as time for debating the luxury tax bill introduced Thursday. Representative Barnwell of Charleston introduced a bill to provide .a i en?lty of from $."> to SiTi line or imprisonment from 5 days to 25 days for the owner of a dog failing to pay the $1.25 dog tax. The house adopted the' senate resolution approving Henry* Ford's proposal to develop Muscle Shoals. Representative llambliri's bill to limit the working time of textile' employes lo forty-eight hours a week was reported buck by the I house judiciary committee so j amended as to make the textile | workers week fifty-five hours and i the working day limit ten hours. Foreign Trade Falls Off 1 Europe Bought \ Two Billion1 Less From United States i Last Year Washington. Jan. SO.?Exports] to Kurope last year fell off by more than two billion dollars as compared with 1020. and to South America by more than three bun-: dred million dollars, according to foreign trade reports issued by the commerce department. Lost in Mid-ocean Twelve Members of Norweg ian Steamer Unaccounted For St. .lohn. \*. It., Jan. 30. The L,o/iitiiaiuL,i. iiv?- officers, the stew- j anl and five firemen of the Nor wegian steamer Mod. which sank in midocean a week ago, are unac counted tor. according to :i wire-I less message received from the steamer M elm ore Head. The oth er members of the crew were saved Truth's.** TERRIBLE * DISASTER IN ! WASHINGTON Snow Crushes Roof of; Theatre Killing One! ? Hundred Seven and; Injuring Hundred I and Three %? i Washington, Jan. 30.?With a total of one hundred and seven dead and o le hundred and three* injured removed from ruins of the Knickerbocker theatre early today, hundreds of resellers are still 'struggling with the heavy wreck age left when snow-laden roof of the structue collapsed Saturday night during the showing of a fea ture comedy. Brigadier General Bandholtz. who is in charge, said it might he another twenty-four hours before the work can be com pleted. It is believed, however. , thai ihe section remaining to be ? explored would yield few additions t?> the awful list of dead and in j jured. A party of rescuers is still struggling to release unrescued victims from the wreckage which is now being overturned. *?T>ne man is believed to be still alive. al though imprisoned for thirty-six . hours. The burial of two of the victims of the disaster, John and Elizabeth Jeffries, children of L. E. Jeffries, general counsel of Southern Kail way, will take place Wednesday a: their old home in Selma, Ala., it is said. While district officials started the investigation. Senator Capper introduced a resolution calling for an inquiry by the sen ate. Civilians relieved soldiers and j marines who had been on guard at the scene since the disaster oc curred. Only odds and ends of j debris remains to be removed and i no more bodies are expected to be. recovered. Knickerbocker Death List Grows Washington, Jan. 30.?The death of .Miss Mary Forsythc, of Wash ington, brought the death list from, the Knickerbocker theatre j disaster to one hundred* and eight. All the dead and injured are he | iug removed from the Christian Science church which served as a ? clearing house for the victims. . There is little hope for the recov ! cry of Edward H. Shaughnessy. as sistant postmaster general, who , with his wife and children were . injured in the crash. ; .Washington. Jan. 20 (By the As sociated Kress).?The toll of dead ; in I he Knickerbocker reached 107 tonight when a final canvass was ! made of, the city hospitals and all j of the several emergency medical j stations which had been establish ed to care for the victims. This ! was said to include everybody thus far recovered from Ihe ruins. Tin* list of injured totalled 1ZA tonight I and of these 14 were recorded as j having sustained serious hurts. ! Of those in hospitals some sus j tained injuries in many cases of i such character ihat the victims, if I they recover, will be maimed for j life. ? Ninety-two of the victijrns had j been identified when the force of I volunt? er workers, L'4 hours alter ? the disaster, approached the end of their long search of the debris. Nine additional bodies of those ' who had succumbed to injuries af j ter rescue lay in city hospitals. The large majority of the vic | rims, both killed and injured, were j residents of the city, although I many came recently from other places. Exploration of the ruins ? went on unchecked after dark but Sthose in charge believe few addl i rional bodies would be found. With . out regard to their own risk sol j diets, marines, sailors, police, fire [ men and citizen volunteers had [fought their way beneath the ! wreckage over practically the whole i floor space of the auditorium. I The exact number in the the ater when the steel and concrete! span of the roof buckled and fell| under its three foot load of snow! probably will never be known. The stories of perhaps, a hundred who \ got out uninjured have been re ported. The more*than 300 in the | audience was roaring in laughter at a filmed comedy when the roof fell on them like a blanket, car rying down the front of th<- wide balcony In its path. Normally the theater has every) si at tilled ut that hour and nearly" 2.?IM) persons was its capacity! The . same unprecedented snowfall; which brought death ti> the ven turesome few kept the many :ii home. Street ear traffic had been abandoned and streets and side walks were all bin impassable with drifts. There h:;^ been . .> time as yet for official inquiry as to the cause of the disaster. The ruins themselves disclose, however, thai the entire mass of steel held concrete that formed the roof had come down. The or.'ish swejt the supports out from under the balcony apparently! and this hinged down at an angle I of r> degrees, adding to the tang led mass of wreckage on Ihe floor below. The building stands in an acute; angled corner at Eighteenth street and Columbia road, northwest, the bean of . most favored resi-1 deuce section of the city. The jiar-j row niche of the stage on w hich ? THE TRUE SOm WASHINGTON ! IN GRIP OF WINTERSTORM Heaviest Snow Storm j in History of Capital | ?Stops All Trains j Washington, Jan. 2 $.?Washing ton in, <-mi off from tho outside i world insofar as transportation is [concerned by the heaviest snow 'storm in tho capital's history. Xo i trains have left since midnight and ! officials said the prospects for rail J road service today are not good. The snow here and in surrounding ; middle Atlantic states began late j yesterday and is still continuing. A j foot to a foot and o half of snow 1 is oti the streets. Both Virginia ? and North Carolina reported heavy ! falls. Forty-nine senators fought their : way through snow to the capitol. i but the senate later adjourned to allow senators to reach their homes before the snow storm grew worse. Senator Simmons of North Carolina, is snowbound in his suburban residence. Richmond. Jan. 2S?Followed by a blizzard the snow in Virginia which has not yet spent its force, traffic is at a standstill in many sec tions. Lynchburg reported twenty inches of snow. A gale of fifty six miles an hour at Norfolk flood . od the down town streets and prac tically suspended movement of ship j ping in Hampton Roads. Many j dwelling at Willough by. Beach were ! threatened by high tides and small boats which had been tied at their Roads. The heavy snow caved in the coast at Cape Henry and many craft are anchored in Lynn Haven Roads. The heavy snow caved in [three warehouse roofs at Danville. i and caused others to close. Arctic Weather in North Carolina Seven Inches Sleet at Raleigh i. and Still Falling j Raleigh, Jan. 28.?With seven i inches of tightly packed sleet cov ! ered with snow-on ground," fall be . gan anew in North Carolina today. I Wire communication disrupted in i some sections. PRESIDENT HARDING POSTPONES RECEPTION Washington. Jan. 30.?Declaring j "There is so much of grief in , Washington today" President j Harding has postponed the recep tion to have been given at the J White House tonight for Ohio res i tdents In honor of the birthday of President McKinley. 1 > o ? j Some husbands seem to think I man Is doomed to earn his bread ? by the sweat of his frau: ] the - screen was hung was backed I into the corner angle, while to the j left from the stage the line of the \ auditorium wall runs in a straight j line for some 200 feet down 18th ; street. To tho right, the wall fol ] lows the slow curve of Columbia I road for about the same^ distance j and at the far end, paralling the : stage front, the back wall completes {the auditorium proper, also about ; 200 feet in length. This whole space stood roofless ! to the sky a moment after the first I hissing sound of breaking roof! ! gave way above music of the or i chestra. There is only one survivor I : thus far who has told of having j { heard that warning and seen the j : first powdery handful of snow sift j down over the head of the orchestra j j leader in time to make his escape, j I From his seat well forward on the] ! main floor he raced for the doors I ? at the back. A great blast of air. j j expelled as the roof came down, j ; hurled him out through the door j way to safety. ! Most of the bodies were recover- | j ed from the floor of the pit beneath j 'the wreckage of the balcony or j l from the front of the balcony it [self. Following the rule of motion j picture audiences and with an al most empty house to pick from, those on the main floor had group ed themselves m the rows of seats just below the front of the bah> eony. They were back far enough to se,- well and the front and back I rows were almost empty. At the point they had chosen, the; "danger proved to be just double, j Few of those seated there could ?' have escaped. Even the falling! concrete slabs of the balcony front came down, on the first wreckage with crushing weight. The gleam ing brass rail that adorned the bal cony front lay spread over the | wreckage of the root' 1 ."> feet be-! low when rescuers reached the! scene. Those farther back on the main < floor probably all escaped. The j beams that supported the hack of the balcony did no:, let go their1 clutch on the wall. The wide scope i of seats tin y support* d tilted down } until 'lie wreckage below took the weight of the front end and then' stood covering the back rows of i tin- main floor like a tent. The from rows of the balcony were ground to a twisted mass of j ruins in the fall. There was no wood in the tincture. It was all; steel and concrete but the enor-j mous weight of (he balcony in itself j was sufficient to wind the tortured j beams into fantastic shape. ? ITRON, Established June l. TS6tl. VOL.LIL NO. 49 HENRY FORD DELIVERS CONTRACT ? - Proposal For Purchase of Muscle Shoals Water Power and -Nitrate Plant ' Washington. Jan. 27?Four de velopments of outstanding im portance 'marked progress today in the Muscle Shoals negotiations and i brought to a close the negotiations between war department officials and representatives of Henry Ford which have extended over a period of more than six months. W. B. Mayo, anting for Mr. Ford delivered the signed contract pro posal for purchase and lease of the nitrate and water power projects made by the Detroit manufactur er to the war secretary in the af ternoon, thus terminating the ne gotiations between the d ^.artment and Mr. Ford. Senator Underwood of Alabama, after a conference with Secretary Weeks, during which he asked ap proval o._the contract, announced that he was "quite sure" the secre tary would;submit a report to con gress expressing a "friendly in dorsement" of the document and proposal it embodied. Secretary Weeks continued work of drafting the report for congress ?md informed callers at the depart ment that he would submit the doc ument and report at the same time, probably Monday of next week. Although the negotiations be tween the war department and Mr, Ford were concluded today, the department still faces work on the Muscle Shoals question from two other angles. These include the offers of Fred erick Engstrum of Wilmington, N. C, and C. C. Tinkler of San Fran Cisco, both of which are in the progress of modification by their I makers and have been made sub ject of an announcement by Sec retary Weeks to the effect that they would be submitted to con gress after they were given final form and had been, carefully stud . ied, by him and war department en gineers. " Washington, Jan. 27. ? Henry Ford's contract for the lease of the Muscle Shoals properties con tains a provision that he shall utilize the properties for the man ufacture of fertilizers for tfao farmers. Senator Harris of Geor gia said he was informed to<iay in a telegram from the Detroit man ufacturer's office. The telegram was in response to one Mr. Harris sent Mr. Ford inquiring if it was true that, as Secretary Weeks had been reported as saying, the con tract did not include su. h & pro vision. Senator Harris was inform ed from Detroit that a cpy of the contract had been mailed hi in/for his personal perusal. Many members of con..res. del j egates to the national agricultural conference, and millions i i the South, Senator Harris said in his telegram, were looking to Mr. Ford for relief through the manufac ture of fertilizer ft Muscle Shoals, from the present deplorable condi tion of the farmers in the south. Congress, he added, would," in his opinion, ratify the Ford contract if it contained such 'a provision. The fertilizer and power inter ests. Senator Harris declared to night, were conducting an active lobby in congress against the Ford proposal. Washington, Jan. 27.?The nat ional agricultural conference late j today adopted a resolution asking ! congress to accept Henry Ford's offer for the Muscle Shoals, Ala-., properties. ? Piggly Wiggly . Chain of Stores Greenwood to Bo Headquar ters For Group in Three States Greenwood, Jan. 2$.? flreen wood will be headquarters for a i hain of stores to be operated in IS different cities of South Caro lina. Xcrth Carolina and Georgia !>y the Piggly Wiggly system of grocery stores according to an an nouncement made today by A. W. Allison, president of this particu lar chain of the stores. Some of the cities where stores will be located are (Ireenwood, Ab beville. Ltuirens, Alken, Camden, Bennettsvllle, Newberry. Sumter. Union and Kock Hill in South Car olina; Gainesville and Elberton in Georgia: Henderson and Ashevillc in North Carolina. Headquarters will be opened here in about two w. eks. Mr. Alli son said. He declared that he had selected (Ireenwood as the coordi nating point for the is stores on account of its extraordinary rail road facilities. RAILROADS RECOVER- ^ ING FROM STORM Baltimore. Jan. 0.? Baltimore and suburbs are clearing away the snow and transportation facilities are returning to normal conditions slowly. When a .girl sees a new dance step she will second the motion.