The Ketchikan miner., 1908-06-13


 prestolite gas station has exploded, with terrible results. The explosion occurred without warning, shattering the building and hurlipg the gas tanks fully three city blocks The con- cussion was terrible, and St. Vim cents hospital short distance away has been completely wrecked. The hospital held hundred patients, ten of whom are already known to be dead. A fire is now raging in the ruins of the hospital and it is impossi- ble to make any estimate of the num- Der of helpless patients who are being burned, unable to stir under the wreckage. It is impossible to reach them with any chance of rescue. Five buildings have been utterly demoisn- ed, and the entire block surrounding the scene of the explo ion is scene of desolatou. Vast crowSs have gath cred but are being held back by the police who have tried in vain to help the perishing inmates of the hospital.
 Washington, June s.-The Republi- can platform to be submitted to the Chicago Convention, and which in all probability will be adopted by that body, has been fully completed, and the following which is an authorlta- tive outline, covers the chief points of the document; In the first place, the platform wiil endorse the official con- duct and the policles of President Roosevelt unequvocally, giving him such a testimonial as has seldom. if ever. been received by chief exeou- tive. It will state that the so-called Roosevelt standard of public life and the Roosevelt policy of the great national problems are the very em- bodiment of the tue principles of the Republican party, and that on those principles the party will make its battle at the polls in November, con- fident that, the American people will confirm their allegiance to the presi- dent by insuring continuance Of his present legislative policy and the con- pletion of his openly declared govern mental program. The platform will point to the great benefits derived by the country as a whole as a result of the protective tariff, and will reatfirm most earnestly the correctness of the protective principle but will state tbat the party fully realizes that the present schedule ot dUtes is obsolete and will declare in unmistakable terms that the party is in favor of an immediate revision of the entire tar if, leaving the working out of the new schedules to the first following ssion of Congress. It will further declare that no tariff schedule can re- main indefinitely in force, but that from the very nature O. the whole protective scheme, the schedules must bs revised from time to time, to keep pace with the changing needs of the uation The ''stand-pat' element in the party has been utterly disregarded in framing these blanks. In this con recton attention will be called to the unalterable stand of the party against permitting cheap foreign lahor tO compete with American workmeu, and that therefore import duties must be consistently made and maintained which will adequately balance Il C d fee ce in th co tt proj ion home and abroad. Mention will fe made of the fultllment of the promise of the martyert President Mckinley that freedom would be granted Cuba and the wonderful advances in Porto Rico and the Philippines since the yoke of Spain has been thrown of will be held up as justification foi every act ol the administration in its policy relating to these new posses sions. Any abandonment of the Pliil- ippines at the present time will be dt- clared not only unwise but inbunan, wrecking the work of years and rem dering futile the shedding of Ameri- can blood in the Islands that lley m gnt he brought from tbe dal knesS Jf the Spanish reign into the light of twentieth century civilization. A plank " i'll be given to the negro ques- tioE, demanding protection of their civil liberties, aud an emphatic decla- ration will be made against Oriental coolie labor as well as q statement favOring the enc1utag@m by all legitimate means Of Oriental com merce. A subsidy will Ee recommend ed for steamship lines carrying mails to the Australian and South Ameri- can ports The present civil service system wil be commended. The cur rency question will be taken up and Congress will be congratulated on the Aldrich- Vreeland bill, which will be commended as of sound financial value. It will be stated that the party vii favor certain amendments to the Sherman antitrust law which will permit railroads 10 enter into. traffic agreements of such nature as past experinece has demonstrated are necessary to the best conduct of their
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