Preliminary Estimates Set Property Damage At Approximately $10 Million
Some Guess
12 Millions
In Damages
Tola! property damage resulting
from Ku.sebui'K s fire and explosion
of Aug. 7, lyjt. was esuinated by
the General Adjustment Bureau
at S9,;iU0,iMRi. There was an esti
mated total of M."0 claims. These
estimates at e appioximale, as a
complete tabulation is not yet avail
able. However, many losses will never
come lo light, as they were not cov
ered by insurance, and in some
cases the insurance coverage did
not represent the true value. Esti
MARK OF A GIANT THUMB In a second, 6i tons of explosives gouged this mark into
SE Pine St. It measured 52 feet across and 20 feet deep. It was an awesome indication of
the blast, but nothing compared to the havoc wreaked above ground. (Photo Labi
CT MH .81 It '-'-"f.l"U- 3 At E ';!rfj
O 1. . trt... o .t s
TcTiJ' ',0F? " '! SPRUCE ST.
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ST. o
AREA DESTROYED BY BLAST The orea completely destroyed by the blast is shown
with dark lines in this map prepared by the Roseburg City Engineering Department. In
addition to the area completely wiped out, several buildings in surrounding blocks received
extensive damage as the truck load of nitro-carbo-nitrate exploded early last Aug. 7.
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f Adotr'i or Scrv-Ur-Sctf Lot.
mates have run as high as 12 mil
lion dollars on losses of all types,
lhere were many other problems
involved in estimating properly
losses. In many cases fire codes
did not permit reconstructing the
building as it was before. Addi
tional costs were involved in Ihe
new types of building materials,
electrical wiring and plumbing re
quired.
New Specs Needtd
hlectrical wiring and plumbing
in hotels, for example, had to meet
new specuications. Only fire-re
sistent materials, such as sheet
rock or plaster, could be used for
interior finish for downtown stores
in the Fire Zone 1. These increas
ed costs.
Because of the extent of the dis
aster, and Ihe anticipated large
number uf insurance claims,
emergency office was set up on a
castaslrophe basis by the General
Adjustment Bureau, representing
stock lire insurance companies.
Kxpenenced insurance adjusters
were tlown into Hoseburg trom
many parts of the West, and they
worked on a seven-day-a-week ba
sis from offices set up in the Klks
Temple. Their work permitted
prompt adjustment of claims and
enabled property owners to expe
dite repair and reconstruction work.
As many as 40 workers were on the
job making inspections and doing
clerical work for adjustments.
Others Adjust
They were not the only ones in
the adjustment field. Mutual insur
a nee companies had adjusters here.
Charles A. lhomas, local insur
a nee adjuster and C. L. Bowers
Co., another local adjuster hand
ling mostly automobile and small
er claims, were full time on the job.
Several other companies which
have their own adjusters had repre
sentatives here, some on a lull
time and some on a limited-time
basis.
A TOWN SMASHED This is the way part of southeast
Roseburg looked a few hours after the town's greatest
tragedy. The ruined Central Junior High School is seen
at top right. SE Stephens St. cuts diagonally in front of it.
A bend of the South Umpqua can be seen at upper left.
Diagonally cutting across the picture from bottom to top
are SE Oak, Washington and Douglas Aves. The propane
gasoline tanks which caused some uneasy moments during
the height of the fire are at bottom center.
llany of Ihe claims wore easily
processed. Others, especially those
which involved more extensive or
multiple Josses, took much longer.
Some will eventually show up in
the courts for settlements.
These losses pertain to properly
damage and do not relate lo per
sonal injuries and deaths, for
which more than St million dollars
in law suits are now pending
against the Pacific Powder Co. and
principals in the Gcrretsen Build
ing Supply Co.
Blast Changed The Lives
Of Many Roseburg People
By BARBARA LIESINGER
The 12 months just ending have
seen many changes in the lives of
some of Iioseburg's residents, par
ticularly those who lived within
Ihe perimeter of the blast or
were thereby directly involved.
Personal interviews with some
of these persons revealed Ihe cour
age and resolute spirit with which
they have faced the past year, and
will jet require in years to come.
To some of the more fortunate,
the blast meant merely a loss of
personal properly, and these have
taken up residence elsewhere,
thankful to have emerged with
comparatively few scars. Of these,
Mrs. Anna H. Wofford, whose two
story apartment building at 424
SE Oak Ave. was destroyed by
fire, is most thankful for the sale
evacuation of her nine tenants. She
feels especially fortunate also in
lhat a second apartment building
she owns at 820 SE Douglas was
not demolished since being reno
vated it has become her home.
Insurance from the destroyed
premise was delivered the day alt
er the disaster, and recent invest
ment of this in other income prop
erty has U some extent equalized
her losses.
Courage Imment
Mrs. William Unrath's story is
one of immense courage and faith,
for the past year for her has been
a difficult period of reconciliation
and adjustment. Her husband was
killed in Ihe blast.
She feels strongly Ihe need for
others individuals and communit
ies alike to benefit from Hose
burg's experience in being more
thoughtful and considerate of the
safety of others. If those drawn by
the "tour the blast" signs are made
aware of the results of such care
lessness and lack of consideration,
then something of worth will have
been realized from the disaster,
she savs.
Mrs. I'nrath. who now lives wiin
her two daughters in a recently
purchased home at 705 Terrace, re
marked on the strange way one is
concerned with lesser details at
such a time. The replenishing of
wardrobes for three adults, for in
stance, even lo hankerchiefs. seem
ed an enormous undertaking.
Mrs. Lnrath is especially appre
ciative of the efforts of Ihose who
made possible the placement of
the stained glass window in the
First Christian Church as a mem
orial to her husband.
Church Work Pltwd
Funds for the memorial, which
faces Douglas Street, were donat
ed by friends and the family. To
her, it seems entirely fitting that
she should resume active life in
service to the church, for which
she will begin work in September
as secretary.
Mr and Mrs. froy Hull, who
for 20 years had resided at. M4
SE Douglas Ave., were saddened
by the damage sustained by Ihe
lovelv old house, which was severe
ly shaken but remained stanmng
SECOND SECTION Roseburg, Ore
THURSDAY, AUGUST 4, 1960 179-60
Health Department Warns Of 7Q' Fever
OI.YMP1A (AP) The State In humans, the illness resembles
Health Department disclosed Mon- mtluenza. some tonus of pneu-
day it is undertaking an cduca
brucellosis and other dis-
mouia
li !1 ifV
tional campaign to warn those who I Coiiseuucntlv. doctors fivnuont-
come in close contact with cattle iv ,0 nol recognize it, Dr. Ernest
carcasses or others ot llie oangers Ager of tile Slate Health Depart
ment saiu
of "Q
"Q
fever.
fever was
fairly common'
described as
Washington
ed serious iniurv. A dkliwutrirl
shoulder suffered by Mrs. Hialt dairy herds. No human cases have
as she was thrown bv the concus- heen reported in Washington in
sion has since mended salisfaclor- 'he last live years.
lly. Jliatl, an owner of radio sta
tion KYES in Hoseburg, recalled '
lhat radio advertising was extreme-1
ly brisk in the days immediately !
following the blast as businesses
made efforts to inform the public !
of their new locations.
i
Treasures Lost
A substantial loss in uninsured
household furnishings and personal
effects can never be fully recover
ed by Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Moe,
presently of 69.1 W. Madronc. Ir
replaceable treasured articles and
pictures, of which only one photo
graph was saved is regarded as
their greatest loss, an opinion per
haps shared by many who fled
burning homes that night.
Re injury of a previous spinal
ailment for which she had only
two months before gained the doc
tor's release meant additional
months of treatment for Mrs. Moe,
who was alone in the family apart
ment at Ihe time of Ihe blast.
Aim 'i' said studies in other stales
show that from 5 to per cent
of Ihe cattle herds tested may be
infected. Epidemics have been re
ported in Texas and California.
Belgrano Leaves
Estate To Widow
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) Frank
M. Belgrano Jr., the former pres
ident of the First National Bank
of Oregon, left an estate of S298.-
5,)2 according to an inventory filed
in superior court.
At. the time of his death here
on Nov. tl, Belgrano was presi
dent and board chairman ot Trans
amcrica. i ,
Government Orders
Sale Of Papers
COLOMBO, Ceylon (AP) An
official source today said Ceylon's
new government will order sale
to Ihe public of a majority of Ihe
stock in 14 family-owned newspa
pers accused of slandering Airs.
Sirimavo Bandaranaike, the new
woman Prime Minister, and oilier
political leaders.
The order reportedly will ex
lend to three groups of newspa
perseight dailies and six Sun
day papers that the government
says are owned by about four
families.
The source said the government
will not have a controlling inter
est in Ihe papers hut may put a
representative on boards of direc
tors. The papers are accused of reg
ularly distorting news, misrepre
senting Ihe political leaders'
statements and carrying personal
slander.
The publishers have denied the
charges.
Mrs. Bandaranaike'l Cabinet
impounded the Aug. 1 Issue of
Time magazine, charging that a
story in it disparaged her.
State Senator Says
Conventions Abused
PORTLAND (AP)-State Sen.
Monroe Sweelland (D-Milwaukic)
told the Portland Rotary Club
Tuesday that political conventions
don't nominate candidates.
Sweetland, who is the Demo
cratic nominee for secretary of
Owned by Mrs. Kathryn Bain ot stale, said candidates are select
Chicago, the house was recently j e, months in advance, and con
deeded to the Douglas County His-i venlions only ratify the nomina-
toncal Society as a monumeni luiuons
(Jen. Joseph l.ane, wnose lamuy
originally owned it.
Although standing t scant block
and a half from the center of the
evplosinn. the Hiatts conider them
Sweelland, a delegate lo the
Democratic National Convention,
said "conventions are much
abused. ..but they work. Through
out Imlory, Ihey almost alwavs
sehes lucky indeed to have etcap- named the choices of the people.1
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