tr ...
Sot 0ot Ksre)IM RiraM
flu
Weather
Max.
JT .
- S7
- S3
Mtn.
J
4 .
J si
17
Prcip.
: m ;
iJ4 .
trace
.23
aloaa ..
Portland ;
San rrancUico
Chiraco ...
17
New York ... i 43
,. Wntamtt river .4 feat.
- FORECAST (from U.S. wwthtr bu
, rbu. McNary field, Salem): Fog. lift
ing early thla morning, becoming part
, ly cioviar ioay ana clearing conaia
erably tonic ht. Warmer
voaa
wftb
with
Mc a ar 40. Cooler tonight
low
near
83tH YEAH
2
"Ml'
'UK(D ijjOffl
- The furore that ha been raised
over the contemplated erection ot
an apartment house within the
area designated for state capitol
expansion by the capitol planning
commission proveg the i necessity
for early decision on state capitol
plan and of city zoning in rela
tion thereto., -So long af these
matters are left "up in the air
there will be confusion and un
certainty and perhaps unwise in
vestment .
Salem is pleased to have out
side capital come in seeking in
vestment and there seems to be
a need for additional apartment
houses. But certainly we do not
want a large , apartment house
set down right in the path of
K" robable progress of the state
ouse group. I should think too
that the investor would prefer a
site less likely to face possible
condemnation within compara
tively short span of years. The
city authorities are moving pro
perly and promptly to see if this
"roadblock" cannot be removed
by agreement with the owners
of the land.
It was to avoid such conflicts
and difficulties that the last legis
lature crested ' the . state capitol
planning ' commission. This com
mission has worked hard to lay
out a plan for the capitol group
which would make it one of the
most irrposinsj and beautiful
groupin ? ' ! jiiding to be
found anywhere. As'the new of
fice building has 'taken form and
the ground hai been cleared for
the new highway building people
are beginning to get a glimpse in
reality of what the planners en
' vision. This double line of stately
marble building flanking Summer
street which leads to the capitol
itself, with a green mall between
will become. . if the plan is xoi
lowed out. a most Impressive
architectural grouping, that will
become- the envy of all other
American capitals, ox eluding
Washington.
Salem must cooperate to the
fullest extent possible in this
. planning. This city is the "chosen
v Instrument" of the state
(Continued on editorial page, 4.)
m c,n,.msvu m tm..
committee for economic develop -
ment (CED) said today that taxi
cuts totaling $2,250,000,000 are
feasible this year. . ,
The planning organization of
businessmen, in a policy statement,
took a stand squarely opposite tnat
of. President Truman.
Mr. Truman has asked a "mod
crate tax boost On Monday he
will present a budget messsge for
Businessmen's
.. -' ' . ' .r
'- ' - -t"
Group Suggests
Tax Reduction
the fiscal year starting juiy L ions were injured, none apparent
which. on thebasis .--ol forecast, hy geriously, In s helon "ollii-
ww snow i ueuui uu. iujui uiiiv -
ly less than this year's $5,500,000,-
000 gap. -
Cat In Taxes x- '
CED proposed a billion-dollar
cut in excise taxes; a billion-dollar
reduction in the double tax on
corporation earnines. and'nossible
ther adjustments not itemized.
Tt of trA a .imTiltannus ro-
awMW ye faWavnl aa mut-sf 4
. " . r .
cludin veterans' outlays. Joreien
aid, housing aid and national de-
- - '
tense. 11 uaimea xnis prospecuve
result:-
If business climbs back .to ItsI, .1 Tar
1948 level, with unemployment l.en tra I a iNamft nf
down to aDoux z,ouu,uuu, uie gov-
TUSSi'M?
would balance and there would
be $3,000,000,000 in cash left over
for payment on the national debt
Try for Balance
If business activity Is slower
and unemployment much higher,
causing smaller revenues, CED's
spokesman said the government!
should not try to strike a balance.
To do so, it was argued, would
merely add to deflation.
Under the assumption of im-
proved Business, wty wunwwa
tne economies wpuia
income 01 more inan vuuwv-
000 and outlays of $40,000,000,000
inus maiung tvviu w '
000.000.000 tax cuts and $3,000.-
000,000 debt retirement.
SALEM ntxcrprtATioN
TbtaTaaV
1I.U
Kormal
SECTIONS-C8 PAG!
2,
uns
-... i ,
Cancelled as
Hushing water from two days of
heavy rrain undermined the (Ore
gon Electric railway-trestle Just
south of the Oregon Pulp! and
Paper company mill Saturday and
forced cancellation of two freight
runs: ' h
Piling tinder the trestle gave
way Saturday afternoon, dropping
one section of a spur at the paper
plant about a foot The mainline
supports were also undermined
forcing a halt to train traffic
through the city on the line.
John Henshaw, Salem agent for
the railroad, said he hoped to have
the trestle reinforced sufficiently
to permit trains to run by 8 or 9
o'clock this morning. Scheduled
freight runs northbound at 1 a. m.
and southbound at 4 a. m. were
canceled because of the weakened
bridge. - I
A work train and pile driver,
dispatched from Portland, began
reinforcing the trestle shortly
after 7 p. m. Saturday and a sec
ond crew picked up the project at
10:30 p. m. and was to continue
until it was completed. I
Breach Feared j
For a time It was feared the
trestle might give way entirely,
carrying with it the main! water
line from the filter plant to the
paper plant A break in . the line
would have forced closure- at the
plant.'1-.-
. The rain-making weatherman
gave Salem householders a break
Saturday and the surface flooding
of a large area In the -northeast
section of the city was at least
temporarily over by early i Sun
day. .-;:.
Fampe Stop Operating
City crews, who manned pumps
for over 24 hours to alleviate the
flooding, reported the situation
improved, to the point where
pumping was no longer necessary.
uniy.44 incnes ox rain feu in
the city Saturday and no rain was
in prospect for today or tonight
Deep snow was piled on most of
tne higher elevations of the Wil
lamette valley Friday and Satur
day, making highway travel
through Cascade mountain passes
extremely hazardous. Sixteen
inches of new snow was reported
at Santiam Junction in the state
highway departments dally report
baiuraay. warm springs had 10
Inches of new snow and It was
snowing on Willamette pan.
Delay in Search ; . .
A damaaln: snow storm In th
sweet Home area forced delay un
til spring the search for airplane
wrecxage reported on Soap Grass
mountain east of there. Ground
search will be delayed until snows
clear enough to permit the wreck
age to oe spotted from the air.
Washington state was catehin
Its share of the big. storm too.
Spokane reported IS in. of snow
petween 4 a. m. Friday and noon
oawroay. me fail clipped a rec
ora or 14.1 feet which had
held good since 1811. Demit
I nCavy SHOW thTOUEhout murh nf
j "f&f to
""""
reck
Injures Four
ALBANY, Jan. 7 Four per
i ion at 737 p.m. today at the wett
end of PexrWiLdn il-
jbany ... - .1 -
Injured were Albert Huebsch,
Jenerson, driver of one of the
cars; Mr. and Mrs. Walter Hoskins,
and the Hoskins daughter, aU of
Albany. Huebsch was kept at Al-
bany General hospital. The other
Vree - were released after treat
mml iT Minns 1n4tif wt
I vs mmjvi avaaj mu. Ja
if .H.M wr neayuy aam-
ctoi nw vne. avMkaM
" 'TZ
-r 11 o T . tk 1
Polk S tudents Back
New High School
INDEPENDENCE, Jan. 7 The
Independence and Monmouth un
ion high school now under con
struction will be, named Central
it the students of the two schools
wve their way, -
Preliminary v approval for the
name was given Saturday night
1 by a naming committee after stu
dents had voted heavily in favor,
The committee will refer the name
to-the school board for final ap-
proval.
D , central received 240 votes
a total of 329 cast at the two
Uhools. Talmadge received 63
r and Butler 28.
The name committee comprised
Melf ord Nelson, Mrs. Lynn Hunt
ley and Ralph Kletzlng, all of In
dependence and R. B. Swenson,
Mrs. Ellis Stebbens and W. A.
freight K
Piling Slips
Allmny
1 Wiest all of Monmouth, ;
Th Or9on Statosmasu Sakau Orogon Sbt-'-tv
Magazine Editor Claims A torn Blast
Occu rred' in Siberia 6On Schedule:
Albany Parents Vote
New School Boycott
Demand Inside Toilets for Children
By Anne Lake
Stateamaa Newt Service
ALBANY, Ore., "Jan. 7 This
city's newesf school building win
remain unoccupied until ade
quate sewer facilities are provid
ed by the city council.
Parents of Lincoln grade
school, recently completed in
' southwestern Albany, have vot
ed S3 to 27 against sending their
children to the school unless in
door toilets are provided.
The ultra-modern plant last of
three new schools built in 1949
is intended to house an overflow
of pupils at Maple school. But
untU the sewer problem is solv
ed. Maple school will continue to
operate on an overcrowded basis.
At this weed's meeting, pre
ceding the election. Dr. John W.
Guepe, Linn county health of
ficer, told parents construction of
Sen. Carson Refuses to
Oppose Justice Page in
Supreme Court Election
State Sen. Allan O. Carson. Salem attorney who has beea
tioned as potential candidate for the
day he would not oppose Justice
open the question of what action
Grabenliorst
Named Junior
First Citizen
, (Picture on page .
Coburn L Grabenhorst real es
tate man, was announced Saturday
as the Junior First Citizen of Sa
lens for 1949.
Grabenhorst will be honored at
a banquet at the Senator hotel on
Tuesday. January 17. by Salem
kJunior Chamber of Commerce,
which sponsors the award.
The selection was made known
by a committee consisting of John
Adlon, Frank Bennett Dr. M. K.
Crothers, Roy Harland. Dorathea
Steusloff and Mrs. James T. Brand.
Grabenhorst was cited partial
larly for his activities in behalf of
the Red Cross, Community chest
the Hospital Development program
fund and the war memorial audi
torium campaign, the committee
said. He is also vice president of
Salem Rotary club, commanding
officer of the organized naval re
serve unit treasurer of Salem
Board of Realtors, advisers to the
civics and industry committee; of
Salem Chamber of Commerce and
chairman of the club service com
mittee for Rotary.
The junior chamber began Its
selection of Junior First Citizens
in 1939 when Don Douris won the
initial honors. In subsequent years.
those chosen have included Donald
Black, George M. McLeod, Roy
Harland, Ralph W. Johnson, Doug
las Yeater, Carlton B. Greider,
Clay Pomeroy, Steve Anderson and
Howard Higby.
)
Search Party to
BEND, Jan. 7-(JP-A mechanized
rescue party will leave. here to
morrow morning to search for
trapper seven days overdue in the
snow-buried foothills of the east
ern Cascades, southwest of Bend.
. Wayne Negus, Crescent trapper,
entered the area December 26. ex
pecting to return January 1. Snowi
are believed to have trapped him
there, but a month's provisions are
Deueved at hand.
The four-man rescue party will
take a Sno-Cat from the Fall river
fish hatchery, carrying along
portable radio. A state police. U. S,
forest and game commission man
will be In. the party.
FEXtT DOWN AGAIN
High water on the Willamette
river has again put the Wheatland
ferry out of commission, Marion
county court said Saturday. The
ferry crosses the river ' 10 ' miles
Seek Trapper
north of Salem,
iiSiliiiiiiiii
outdoor toilets would be condon
ed by .the state board of health
under certain conditions and on
a temporary bosis.
Ralph Banton, chairman of
district S school board, said the
state sanitary authority had ap
proved installation of a septic
tank Which would drain into Ta
kena street sewer. But it was
pointed out that the sewer was
too shallow to accommodate the
school's outlet
Banton said the council, had
promised to install a sewer line
near the school in a meeting sev
eral months ago, but had failed
to take action on the proposal.
He asked parents to appeal to the
council.
In the election. Only second
grade parents - favored opening
the school with a make-shift
sewer facility.
state -supreme court, said Satur
E. M: Page for the office, but left
he might take in event Page did
not run.
Judge Page was appointed last
year pending the next election.
sen carson said Saturday:
"Ever deeply grateful for the
many tenders of campaign assist
ance and In full awareness of the
high honor of the office of Justice
oz the supreme court which ele
vation I aspire some day to
achieve, I have decided not to be
come a candidate therefor against
my lifelong friend. Justice E..M.
Page. Auld Lang Syne!"
Sen. Carson previously Indicated
he would not seek .reelection to
the state senate.
10 Men Saw
Way Out of Jail
CINCINNATI, Jan. 7 -iJPh Ten
prisoners sawed their way through
a steel ceiling at the Hamilton
county Jail tonight and escaped,
Sheriff Dan Tehan reported.
The Jail is atop the seven-story
downtown courthouse.'
Tehan said that theescapees, af
ter making their way through the
hole in the ceiling, fashioned 'an
18-foot rope out of clothing and
dropped down to a window of the
county law library on the sixth
floor.
The men punched out the law
library window and then went
freely through the courthouse to
exits, the sheriff said.
A - headon collision ' between a
snowplow and an auto near San
tiam Junction Saturday night sent
Robert B. Armpriest, 85, and his
wife, Violet 30, both of Salem
to to Salem General hospital.
Mrs. Armpriest suffered facial
lacerations and possible chest in
juries in an accident which occur
red about 6:45 p.m. Armpriest in
curred possible fractured ribs and
leg bruises. j'TP-'i
Armpriest driver of the car, laid
he was driving east on the high
way between Marlon Forks and
the Junction when the accident oc
curred. ,. v
Crash Involves
Snowplow,'Car
Speeder Hangs Himself
In Jail at Forest Grove
FOREST GROVE, Jan. 7 -WV
A pick-up truck crashed into a
house at 70 miles an hour early
today. No one was Injured, but the
driver hanged himself In Jail soon
after. '. -
He was William 7. Grummons,
60, Beaverton, who started it all
by making U-turn at Cornelius.
Police started to chase him to
warn him about this, and Grum
mons sped away at 70 miles an
hour.
January
8, 1S50 ,--;"--r vv'-v
LONDON, Jan. 7 Kenneth
De Courcy, magazine editor, said
late tonight an ntomic explosion
occurred in Soviet Siberia at mid
night (Siberian time), just as he
had predicted last Thursday.
' De Courcy ' telephoned to the
Associated - Press a statement
which he said was copyrighted by
Intelligence Digest a monthly
magazine which he publishes. '
. - He said the explosion was -veri
fled by "an advanced method of
detection of which the Russians
are believed to have no knowl
edge.' -::.--.:
De Courcy predicted last Janu
ary that the Russians would at
tempt an atomic explosion in 1949
President Truman announced in
September there had been such an
explosion last summer.
Blast Confirmed
The 40-year-old editor said to
night he had received a message
confirming the new explosion
"from an area outside the Soviet
Union." He said he had no other
details immediately and declined
to amplify his reference to the
area from which the information
was relayed.
Thursday he said the informa
tion on which he based his pre-
-a 1 a. f -a a . .
oicuon came irom oenina tne iron
Curtain. At that time he said the
blast was scheduled by the Rus
sian general staff to take place at
midnight In the Soviet Asiatic re
public of Kazak, north of India
and west of Mongolia.
Reaslana Ahead
He said tonieht he is not vet
able to tell what kind of atomic
explosion it was or what were the
results. Thursday's statement said
me explosion will be connected
with a blasting operation in con
nection with an Irrigation nroiect.1
He added then: .
""Tbi. t a rather disquieting
statement. because It suggests that
the -Russians are in some respects
ahead of the United States of
America" In the peacetime appli
cation oi atomic energy."
De Courcy did not say at any
time wnat method of detonation
the Russians are using nor wheth
er they have discovered a method
for decontaminating an area where
an atomic explosion has occurred.
Moscow newspapers and Soviet
spokesmen have declared Russia
was planning to use the atom for
such purposes as moving moun
tains, building dams, and carrying
out irrigauon projects.
De Courcy said any amollflca
tion of his sources might endanger
his Informants. He had said earlier
tonight his Informants were using
every resource possible to get the
conxirmauon to rum.
Nursery Slated
For Children of
Blood, Donors
A nursery for children of don
ors will enable giving of blood by
many young mothers who have
shown interest when the Red
Cross bloodmobue visits Salem
Tuesday afternoon. Donor are
still needed In order to reach the
loo-pint goal. i
i nose wno wisn to give may
make appointments at the Red
Cross office or may report at First
Methodist .church between 2 and
0 p. m. Tuesday, :
The nursery will be In charge
oi xars. a; c jserger.;
This Smith
Is a Fraction
PEARSON, Ga4 Jan. 7-av Is
Just another guy named Smith. His
family gave that name 38 years
ago to keep him from being con
fused with any other Smith. It has
worked so far. 1
In any case, is well known
in his home town. He is city coun
cilman, jeweler and manufacturer.
, S's name got in the news today
when a reporter wondered what
his wife called him. She calls him
"Willy."
v The truck jumped a curb and
crashed into the residence of Dr.
Robert .P. Nixon. Half the truck
broke through the front wall. The
force snapped windows in the rear
of the house. ;
Jailed, Grummons hanged him
self with a cut-up blanket before
he could be questioned. He had no
police record, and was to have
moved today Into new home In
Hillsboro.
PRICE 10c
SweetHome
Snowstorm -
, ItitMiui New B err lea
SWEET HOME, Jan, 7 X vic
ious snowstorm bore down on this
mountain town - last night and
snapped telephone wires, 'Jialted
power output and flooded streets
today in one of the worst weather
blows of its history. - -
The town was a "city of hip
boots' today nad telephone crew
men worked to re-establish broken
communication lines.-Power had
been restored to Sweet Home, but
outlying communities were ' still
without telephone service, lights
or power.
Snow began falling at 10 pjn.
Friday and had piled to a depth of
8 inches by 9 ajn. today. The rag
ing wind knocked down all tele
phone lines leading oat of Sweet
Home with the exception or t
single toll line to Albany. Tele
phone service in town was not
broken. .
Tree Limbs FaU "v f
Oren Hewett manager of the
Mountain States Power company
here,, said the power went out at
12:30 ajn. and was not restored
until 2 am today: Snow-covered
tree limbs had fallen on lines,
snapping them, he said.
Robert Bauman, assistant man
ager of Linn county Telephone
company, said that, witn tne ex
ception of the 1941 silver thaw
here, last night's storm caused the
most wreckage In the company s
history. , v
Very Dangerous'
' Hewett said his men were work
ing in "very dangerous conditions''
today. Wading in water and slush
to bring the lines together. -
City Patrolman Jess comber re
ported no serious accidents duringi
the night or today. He said uut
the heavy snowfall halted traffic
and a lot of-xars had gone on ine
road in the Sweet Home area.
Autos were rolling along in axle-
deep slush : and water today
through city streets. It had been
raining all morning and began
snowing again about 2:30 p. m.
Crews from the Lebanon office of
Mountain States Power company
were assisting local lineman.
Also hard hit by the storm were
the communities of Holler, Cas-
cadia, Quartzvuie and others in
the Calapooya area. , .
Bus Schedule
nrreii
es win
Be Protested
A protest against recent changes
In bus schedules, particularly as
affect operations at night will be
filed with the city council Mon
day, It was declared yesterday by
Claude A. HalL 1190 Oak st
Hall said he.would present a pe
tition to Councilman Howard
Maple, asking a complete survey
of the city's needs, and declared
"Salem should be given the type
of service warranted by a city of
more than 50,000 or there should
be municipal "ownership."
Hall also complained there had
been inadequate notification of
schedule changes and said he
would challenge the bus company's
recent actions as possible viola
tions of franchise.
Rains Raise
FOUR CORNERS, Jan. 7 David
Dough ton. operator of a service
station at Mahrt and Lancaster
dr., was faced with the problem of
how to get his 5,080 gallon gaso
line storage tank back . under
ground Saturday.
The tank, only partially full,
was pushed to the surface of the
ground when water from Friday's
rain filled underneath it Daugh-
ton reported he was quite surpris
ed about 7:13 pjn. Friday to see
the big tank rise up out of the
ground.
Six feet of dirt and rock and
2 by 12 planks over the top failed
to keep the tank In its accustomed
place.
6 Victims of
Dog Poisoner
, A wave of recent dog poisonings
In the Keizer area now has six
victims, (and Ervin Ward, Marion
county dog control officer, is in
vestigating the matter, he said
Saturday.
Ward said he has received num
erous phone calls from Keizer resi
dents who are up in arms" about
the poisonings. Dogs have been
poisoned said Ward by someone
who Is putting out wieners con
taining strychnine for dogs to eat
Crippled by
Liiaiig
Gasoline Tank
No. 304
Seeks Cabinet
ATHENS, Jan. 7 John Thee-
Ukis (above), speaker of the
Greek parliament was called
n by King Paul U farm s new
cabinet with authority to dis
solve parliament and proclaim
general election. (AP Wlre-
phote te The Statesman)
Nearly Double
PreviousYear
; Benefits - paid to Marlon-Polk
county ..unemployed during . 1949
showed an increase of 91 per cent
over 1948 and doubled those of
1948.
A total of 87,080 checks (aver
age 1290 per week) went out last
year from the Salem office of the
state employment service amount
to $1493,404. This was 6.2 . per
cent of the entire state total, said
the unemployment compensation
commission. The 1948 figure was
percent, v
December of 1949 saw $202,808
paid out up 71 per cent from
December of 1948. This area is
third highest In the state in pay
ments made, bested only by Port
land and Eugene offices.
Unemployed veterans during
1949 in this area received $372,921,
an Increase of 42 per cent over
1948 and 'just above the $532,163
of 1948. The 1949 totals include
only -the first eight months for
most veteran claimants while rec
ords for 1948 and 1946 are for, the
entire year. The local 1949 total
was 8.2 per cent of payments to
veterans in Oregon.
Claimants at the Salem offlceTn
the last week of 1949 came to
4,177, an Increase of 27 per cent
over the last week of 1948.
Allotments on
Hop Growers'
Crops Mailed
Final allotments of 76.9 per cent
on each hop grower's 1949 hop
production have been mailed out
to an hop growers in Oregon, Cali
fornia, Washington and Idaho, ac
cording to Paul T. Rowell, secre
tary of the growers' allocation
committee and managing agent of
the state hop control board, with
headquarters at Salem.
Rowell said Saturday the allot
ments were mailed following re
ceipts Friday from Secretary of
Agriculture Brannan of final ap
proval of the I committee's deter
mination of the 1949 hop produc
tion in those states. It tataled SO,
735,253 pounds. . ,
This, said Rowell, Indicates a
23.1 per cent "cut" or unsalable
portion of eaclt grower's 1949 crop.
Many growers; left their cut un
harvested for field determination,
thus saving harvest expense on
surplus hops for which there was
no market demand.
As a result of the withholding
of surplus hops from market chan
nels, he indicated, there is a good
demand at fair prices for the sal
able quantity of all growers' prod
uction. . -
UO President's Daughter
To Wed Grid Coach Son
EUGENE, Jan. 7-(ff-Jacquelyn
Newburn, 20, daughter of the pres
ident of the University of Oregon,
today announced her engagement
to James W. Aiken, Jr., son of Ore
gon's football coach. Young Aiken
was a halfback on tho 1948 Oregon
team. '
49 Jobless Pay
Bars on
Windows
BlockAid!
Death List at 38
As Mental Ward
Building Razed
By William EberUne
DAVENPORT. Iowa. Jan. 7 -OP)
Fire which struck at 3 o'clock 4hls
morning in the psychiatric ward
of one of Iowa's major hospitals ,
snuffed out the lives of at least
38 .women.-'.-. - -w.,r :-.
Coroner C H. Wildman said that '
hospital records were inaccurate
and that there was a possibility
that other persons were in the
building. He said the Intense heat'
of the fire probably destroyed : -completely
any other bodies that
might have- been in the building. I
Screams of women patients in
St Elizabeth's mental ward build- '
ing of the 300-bed Mercy hoffpital .
sounded the alarm as they awaken
ed to find themselves trapped in '
a naming heiiV . ' - --.- ' - '": . 'i:, ,
Within two hour s only the
charred shell of the building re
mained. ' .
Fire Chief Lester Schick said
I doubt if we ever find out what -
caused the fire." He said it start- '
ed In a room on the east side of
the building and spread into the
hall, up a dumb waiter shaft and v
then spread-eagled over, the top -
of the building.; -
Perish In Rooms
Barred windows prevented fire-
men from reaching many of the.
victims and they perished In their ,
rooms..v:
Sister Superior Mary Annun-
ciata. head of the hospital, said ..
30 other patients were treated, for
burns or injuries. With 38 pre- -
sumed dead, she said this account- - .
ed for the 63 women and three -men
known to have been In the .
destroyed , ward, i
All of the dead were women. Au
except a nurse's aide, were pa-
tients. . : ;
t Leap from Windows
The three men escaped, two by
leaping from windows.
The alarm was sounded at 3 a.m. - .
when flames broke , out en the
second floor of the three-story
brick structure. '- -
St Elizabeth's ward is one of
five hospital buildings operated by
the Catholic order. Sisters of Mer
cy, on. a two block tract in the.
northwest sector of this Mississippi '
river city of 70,000. .
Murray Francis, an orderly -n .
duty in the nearby main horpital
building, said. he could hear '
screams of terror as he ran toward
the burning ward shortly after J -
ajn. , ,
naddled at Window '
Terror-stricken women could be
seen huddling at the barred and -
wire-meshed windows of the psy-,
chiatric division.
While other hospital attaches
called firemen, Francis broke open -
the ward building's front door.
Two nurse' aides Joined him in
leading the first group of patients
to safety. V "
When firemen and police arrived
the interior was swelling mase
Of fire. '
It was a flaming helL" said Fire
Lt Al Korando. 7
Cat Lattieewerk
Firemen used axes and crow- .
bars In their attempts to get ,
through the' steel latticework
which held the patients imprison
ed. - - '
-It was pitiful the way the pa
tients waited tor firemen to free
them from the cell-like rooms,
said Fire Chief Lester Schick.
Merchant Policeman Bill Ste
gen, who was among tho first to
reach the fire, said lt was a scene
of "pure horror.
"It was pitlfuL" Etc gen said.
"Women were dashing at the iron
bars, crying for help, and I saw
several faint away and disappear
in the smoke and flame."
Dumb with Terror ,
Firemen said some patients were
stricken dumb with terror. Many
ot the victims were aged and in
firm of body and mind.
Some were found huddling
silently in a. group, their: face -lined
with bewilderment and nor- :
ror. . .
Policeman Richard Fee, who.
broke through a window, found
knot of aged women in a flame-
surrounded room and led them to
an escape -ladder. -
The rescued, clad only In their .
night clothes, were covered with .
blankets against the 19 - degree
cold as soon as they reached the
ground. ,
As the fire raged out of control -the
smoke and flames grew so
dens that' firemen had to turn
back to their rescue attempts.
Lt Koranda said the interior
"burned like paper.
Some patients mad no appar-,
ent attempt to escape. Two hours
after the blaze broke out an elder
ly woman was found seated on her
third-floor bed. A section of the
roof had caved in over her. She
was soaking wet and partly ice
sheated from the streams of water
played on the building by fire
hoses. But she was alive.
William Dalton New
Dallas C. of C. President
lUttwm Naws SarrlM .
DALLAS, Jan. 7 William
Dalton Is the new president of
the Dallas Chamber of Commerce.
He replaces Neal Povey, who
began work for a Salem building
concern the first of the year. -
Other 1950 officers are R. O.
McFarland, vie president and C
L. M inters, secretary. The new .
directors - are Andrew - Irvin,
Charles Thomas, Bill Blackleg
and McFarland.
'taatTaar
4' 1".
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