The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-10-17
BUSINESS BLOCKS
 DESTROYED BY FIRE
FIRE RACES FOR FIVE HOURS IN ABERDEEN, WASH, AND FOUR LIVES ARE LosT-DAMAcE A MILLION DOLLARS.

JuItu.
 The dead:
 Charles Ralfo.
 Daniel Webster.
 Calvin Mckenzie.
 Unknown man.
 The fire destroyed ten business blocks and residences. Not more than one-half the loss is covered by insurance, for the reason that the insurance companies have refused to carry any greater risk on ac- count of the infammable material the buildings in Aberdeen are constructed. Every business man in the city Is loser, either by fire, water, removal, breakage or loss by the fire Not an- ticipating that the flames could get be- yond control, many waited until the fire was close upon them before starting to get out. The streets were soon filtered with all kinds of material, and the rush and haste of teams and people in every direction caused great confusion. The fire started in a building occupied by numerous single men, who cooked their own meals, chiefly on oil stoves. All sorts of reports concerning the death or injury of well known business men were l current. While four and perhaps more deaths have resulted from the fire, the accidents were comparatively few.
 Aberdeen has a population of 1000 and the chief industry Is numbering.
 ~D~-~-~~~~~~~~~-~~ 1t, or that those scores of people who were strangers in real interest to the press association, had received them from the editors either by gift or purchase?
 Unreasonable Reflection.
 Confronted with such a condition of affairs, I could not have resolved my -aIf t.,ta -Ea1.f .r1,a | of sufficient size and strength to have stopped the excursion, elected the pas sengers or controlled the situation. If Colonel Faulkner himself had been pres ent strong as is his admitted administra- tive ability and superb as is his courage, he would have been utterly powerless es- pecially as there were about one hun dred of the fair women of our state aboard that excursion, who under his decision of June 27 were not eligible to the trip, but who had made arrangements with members of the press or Colonel Faulk- ned himself to pack their trunks and take this outing. The reflection on me in re- ference to that particular matter is most l unreasonable, and 1 am confident that neither the press association, Colonel FallSner nor the Louisville and Nashville railway officials would have wished me to do on that occasion what I am now criti-
 
 believing is based upon the facts that many members of the press association had disposed of their transportation and l Colonel Falkner himself had issued passes to persons residing In his own city whom he knew not in any wise connected with the press or the papers on whose account he issued them
 l. Trusting that the foregoing statements constitute a sufficient explanation of my conduct In the matter of railroad trans l portatlon and a complete refutation of tho charge that l practiced any fraud, used l any deceit made any unwarranted state ment, traded in passes, or in manner im- posed upon Colonel Faulkner the rail- roads, or the Press association in connec- l ton with the matter of transportation, shall proceed to discuss another line Of newspaper criticism heralded against me.
 Admits Making Money.
 Much has been written and charged that I made money out of the Canadian excursion, and now that I have the op- portunity to be heard on that proposition, so that, as far as the Press association and its members are concerned, the mat ter can be presented and finally considered | by the association and a determination reached as to whether or not I have been guilty of any wrong doing under the cir cumstances. I have the following to y:
 Tn the first place, I answer yes that ] did make money, and I believe that l did it without injury to the Press association. No one who made the trip has expressed any dissatisfaction as to the amount paid for the comforts he received in return for his money. No such trip has, in my opin- ion been enjoyed by excursionists on so 1 small expense, and 1t could not have been had without my personal guarantee con- corning the contracts that were made. 1 | |. ,f 4l,- Alabama Press association.
 Tt numbered 179 souls. Of this mum Der there were 114 ladies and 65 gentle men, Fifteen of these were editors, and only fifteen, and these were twelve ladies, who under the rules of the association were entitled to go. The remainder of the party, to-wit, 152 persons, may be | classified as follows:
 1 (Here is given the classified list of those composing the party)
 "All of whom had transportation either given to them or purchased by them. and none of whom were in the slightest way connected with the press associa- ton, hence, while it was, technically l speaking, press excursion, 1t was in truth composed overwhelmingly of men and women who were out for good time in sightseeing and enjoyment of travel and recreation. Ordinarily, leaving out of account the matter of railroad transpor- tation which I trust has been satisfac- toriy and effectually explained, the items of expense and cost other than railway fare incident to such a trip would aggre- | gate S6400 for each person. It would have been impossible for party of if teen editors and thirteen ladies to have < received the benefits of sleeping cars, and the side trips and hotel reductions for any such cheap rate as S32. 50, the amount which they and the 152 outsiders actually paid, and this cheap rate was procured by a guarantee which I personally made to the sleeping car people, boat people down the St. Lawrence river for passage and meals, Muskoka Lake trip and Niagara Falls trip which included livery and car fare. had no authority or instructions from the association or it's executive com mittee to make any guarantee or contract based upon a guarantee, and the press as- sociation had no funds for guarantees, nor
 Strayed-Small Bay Mare Pony, cropped mane and long black tail. For reward return to Louis V. Clark, 3rd Ave. and 18th st., north.