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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 15, 1944)
Americans Storm Ashore on Palau nd Halmahera In Great Twin Offensive to Opri Philippine Door i MEDFORD United Press Thirty-ninth Year WEST Head-On Rail Wreck Kills 25, Injures 64 Ill tmumi iriil'limiMii, Mi.liiiir iTiftimi-tii, . tiiWiilfiltnr' lW"m ... - ' .iMi . (Acme TeUnhatot At least 25 persons were killed, 64 Injured, In this wreck of the crack Dixie Flyer near Terre Haute. Ind, alter It crashed head-on into a mall train while running at nigh speed through a neaw tog. Most ot the casualties were soldiers, riding In the last train bound Ixom Chicago to Miami. E AFTER TAKING 18 LIVES ON COAST Boston, Sept. IS (U.R) The tropical hurricane which batter ed 900 miles of the Atlantic coast, littered a half dozen big cities and 11 states with debris, took 18 lives, and caused dam age estimated at $30,000,000, was expiring today somewhere off the coast of Nova Scotia. The famous resort, Atlantic City, N. J., was worst hit but the east's three principal coastal cities. New York, Philadelphia, and Boston were lashed by high winds. New York had the great est loss of life 12. Norfolk, Va., New London, Conn., Providence and Nantucket, R. I., and Brock ton, Mass., were other cities in the storm's path. A United Press compilation showed that approximately 150 persons had been injured ser iously enough for hospitalization. The long series of weather bureau advisories which had charted the hurricane's eratic course from the Caribbean end ed at 7 a.m. when the Boston bureau announced that it was then centered off Bar Harbor, Me., would soon pass out of its jurisdiction, and there would be no further advisories. At that time its force had diminished considerably." New Brunswick and Nova Scotia the Canadian , provinces jutting northeastward from Maine, reported only strong winds. TO BERLIN By United Press The nearest distances to Ber lin from advanced allied lines today: Western front 305 miles (from point east of Aachen. Gain of 50 miles in week.) Russia 320 miles (from Praga. Gain of eight miles in week.) Southern France 423 miles (from point near Belfort. Gain of 40 miles in week.) Italy 553 miles (from point north of Florence. Gain of two miles In week.) SIDE GLANCES BT TRIBUNE REPORTERS Marlon McCabe afraid that her son would be going to school "Okie" fashion if the footwear situation didn't im prove. W. P. (Tuck) Tucker explain ing the new filing system which he worked out for justice court records to an interested tax payer. Art Cannon getting set for another annual appeal to com munity Cjheij donors, . Full Leased Wlie WALL Twisted Wreckage, Army Ribbons Mark Scene of Head-On Smashup Terre Haute, Ind.; Sept. 15 (U.R) A twisted mass of wreck age,' still' sprinkled with 'cam paign ribbons and the pcrsonnal effects of army air force person nel, . today, marked the spot where 32 persons died In the head-on collision between the Chicago and Eastern Illinois rail road's luxurious Chicago-Miami Express and a northbound mail train north of Terre Haute early yesterday. Rome, Sept. 15 (U.R) Brit ish 8th army troops driving through the Gothic line towards the southern approaches ot the Po valley captured the town of Coriano and an adjoining 7,000- yard long ridge today and drove to within a mile of the Rimini airfield on the Adriatic coast. British and Indian troops cleared and occupied the town of Corano, four miles inland and five and one-half miles south of Rimini, and took the long contested ridge extending from Coriano to San Savino. The United States 5th army continued its advance north of Lucca and Pistoia on the west ern end of the front, capturing Mount Catino and Ponte Di Moriano, both four miles north of Lucca, and the Pietrabuona feature on a strategic road lead ing through the mountain mass midway between Lucca and Pistoia. Infected Guineas Soon Rounded Up Berkeley, Calif., Sept. 15 (U.R) Four of the eight tetanus toxin infected guinea pigs stolen from the test barn of the Cutter laboratories Wednesday night were back In their cage today and police were rounding up the remainder from the seven-to-nine year old boys who raided the laboratory. A. K. Bcckley, Cutter's pro duction manager, told police a person might become infocted with tetanus merely by touch ing one of the pigs, which was being used for experimentation. THREE FLIERS KILLED Tucson, Ariz.. Sept. 15. OI.R) Three army fliers were killed last night when their B24 Lib erator bomber crashed six miles south of nearby Davis-Monthan field, their home base. They were 2nd Lt. Chester L. Welenc, 20, the pilot, of Greenfield. Mass.: Flight Officer Stephen P. Pcdone, 21, co-pllot. West Ches ter. N. Y., and S Sgt. Nick H. Outten, 30, aerial engineer, of Akron, 0. - - MEDFORD, OREGON, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 1944 Twenty-nine of the dead were army airmen, many of them vet erans of the Italian campaign, and the remainder were train crewmen, the chief dispatcher of the railroad at Danville, 111., re ported. Railroad officials . said the wreck occurred when the en gineer of the Dixie Flyer, Frank Blair, 52, Farmersburg, Ind., ap parently failed to see block sig nals in the heavy fog. Calendars Differ On Proper Date For Thanksgiving Washington, Sept. 1 5 (U.R) Rep. Harold Knutson, R., Minn., took a second startled look at a November calendar today and started drafting a resolution whereby congress would declare the last rather than the fourth Thursday in November as Thanksgiving. Under congressional resolu tion signed by President Roose velt on Dec. 26, 1941, the fourth Thursday in November is des ignated as a legal holiday in ob servance of Thanksgiving. But this year there are five Thursdays in November as oc curs twice In every seven years so while Thanksgiving offi cially falls on the fourth one, it doesn't come on the last Thursday, which by tradition is the day to observe. Many calendars, following custom, but not the congressional resolution, this year erroneously designate the last Thursday as Thanksgiv ing Day. RETURN T0 1942 IS HOPE Washington, Sept. 15. (U.R) Price Administrator Chester Bowles said today that the office or price administration "hoped" 1042 prices could be applied to civilian goods returning to pro duction under present reconver sion plans. He told a news conference he had "reason to be optimistic," following his recent tour of the country, that when goods which have been out of production be cause of the war return to civil ian markets, they will be avail able at the price level of two years ago when their manufac ture was stopped. "In some places this will be impossible because of wage and material increases," he said, ad ding that le was "hopeful that Industry will, of its own free will, announce their prices will be the '42 prices." Trummelbach falls In Swit-JW-lanjJ axe 85 (eej la height. YANKEES DRIVE SIEGFRIED LINE Rampant Forces Capture Maastricht, Race to Finish Encircling of Aachen Base Supreme Headquarters, AEF, Sept. 15 U.R) Lt. Gen. Court ney H. Hodges' American 1st army surrounded Aachen today and to the east drove the tip of a wedge more than 10 miles deep into the Siegfried line. A dispatch from 1st army headquarters tonight said the vaunted westwall was crumbling under trip-hammer blows, was "proving obsolete " and was a much less formidable barrier than the Atlantic wall. ' Maastricht Taken Rampant American mobile forces captured the great Dutch fortress city of Maastrich and raced eastward into Germany to complete the encirclement of Aachen, the fall of which was ex pected soon. Far to the south the American 3rd army captured Nancy, big gest transport and military hub in northeastern France, and opened the battle for the com panion fortress of MStii. marked for early liberation from the Nazis. The right wing of the 3rd army overran Mnricourt and Eplnol Epinal Is 40 miles south of Nancy, on. the west Dank of the Moselle. Its occupation rep resented the farthest push up the river so far, carrying within a little more than 50 miles of the upper Rhine in the Freiburg area. Thlonvlll. Falls The Allied controlled Paris radio reported that the Ameri cans captured Thionville on the Moselle 12 miles from the Ger man-French-Luxembourg border junction. The 10-mlle penetration of the Siegfried line was made east of Aachen. An American spearhead was driven beyond the big indus trial town of Stolberg, due east of Aachen Stolberg was by passed or captured. The front dispatch did not say which. "American elements are across the frontier all along the Bel gium and Luxembourg oordcr," the dispatch reported, "and from the southern tip of Luxem bourg to the appendix of Hol land are encountering slightly stiffening resistance." 1st irmy headquarters sources reposed that the German troops facing the Americans are of poor quality. In the Aachen sector some prisoners had been In the army only two weeks. Some still had open wounds. Hodgepodge Detent "It Is a heterogeneous hodge podge of men mannir.g the Siegfried line, particularly at the center of the 1st army front," the headquarters dispatch said, quoting a high officer as saying: We have seen everything but Hitler's maidens." Additionally, the Siegfried line was caught In a state of dis repair and undermanned. EXPLOSION HEARD 125 MILES AWAY Hastings, Neb., Sept. 15 AIR) An explosion heard 125 miles away blasted a loading dock of the Hastings naval ordnance de pot today. Four Negro soldiers were known killed and at least 21 other persons were Injured. The blast occurred at the south transfer depot at a loading build ing for box cars five miles cast and south of the scene of an ex plosion in April which killed i eight persons. The blast was heard at Mc Cook, 125 miles from Hastings,! An1 Nmn.l Vn 1 fifl ' gylej away, Tribune United Prest Full Leased Wire Siegfried 5 BELGIUM iM" J I luximXX VW k BOURG Jpfy y Lxembourg . C fetonao f:-At, Soo'bma rtiionWIle- i y Hoyong V fa H Mots .1 fAcmt Tetenhotol O. 8. Armies crushed outer segments of Siegfried Line od 85-mlie front, from north ot Aachen to well south ot Trier aa Headquarters sources in dicated Nazis may oe pulling out of thcU West Wall to new lortltled belt on the Rhine. Below Trier Gen. Patton s Third Army poured uinKS, guns and men across Moselle River to join In assault on Nazi homeland. Germans and Finns Battle; 9 Nazi Invasion Ships Sunk Stockholm, Sept. 15. (U.R) troops, actual If undeclared, was reported today to have broken out in northern Finland and on an island off the south coast. TO LOAD PAPER ON A plea for a large number of volunteers to load the salvage paper now on hand at the old Chamber of Commerce building, was made today by the county civilian defense committee. The men are asked to assemble 8 a. m. Sunday, Sept. 17, and if the work Is not completed by noon, lunch will be provided for the workers. Men's civic organizations are being contacted to list volunteers from their membership rolls nnd other workers are also urged to aid with the loading. Those will Ing to help are asked to call the Chamber of Commerce, 2294. Trucks are being donated to transport the paper from the building to the railroad tracks. It is stated that funds derived from the sale of the paper will be used for some charitable project in the Mcdford district 1 KILLED, 5 MISSING IN HOTEL FLASH FIRE Annlston, Ala., Sept. 15. (U.R) At least one person was killed and five others were missing as result of a "flash" fire which raced through the 100-room pro Civil War Alabama hotel today. Police said there was a possi bility some of the missing may have escaped the flaming four- story building. Roosevelt and May Continue Quebec, Sept. 15 (U.R) Offic ial spokesmen of the Roosevelt Churchill war talks announced today that the conference here has moved Into Its closing stages, but Indicated that the president and the prime mini'ter might continue their discussions else where. White House Press Secretory Stephen T. Early said that the president and the prime minister will finish their work by noon tomorrow, and as an afterthought he added that that would "con clude their conferences in Que bec. NO. 149. Line Totters Wolilbint ,' . . Koblenz, 1 1 0 ldar-ObeiUin . GERMANY ' H..L,. FRANCE' 1 War between German and Finnish A Finnish communique said a German amphibious force at tacked the island of Suursaarl (Hogland) in the Gulf of Finland last night. Fighting was in pro gress on the island today, it said, after the nazis established a small bridgehead despite the sinking of nine of their invasion ships Reliable sources later report ed that fighting had broken out between the Germans and Finns In northern Finland. Three Ger man divisions In the Salla area were reported partly enveloped by Russian troops. The incident occurred on the eve of the expiration of the per iod Finland gave Germany to remove nazl troops from Fin nish territory. Under terms of the armistice Finland got from Russia, the Germans were to be out of Finland by today, Nazi Bigwigs and Gestapo Leaders Flee Aachen Area Kornelymunster, Germany (Southeast of Aachen), Sept. 15 (U.R) The Nazi bigwigs, In cluding gcstnpo leaders, fled this section of the Rhincland some days ago. Thej knew the worth of the Siegfried line, and they realized the Third Reich was on its last legs. They left In a hurry, abandon ing their luxurious homes as soon as the fire of the U. S. long toms became audible. In most cases they did not even bother to salvage their ward robes or silver and gold plate. HONEYCROP SHORT Sacramento, Sept. 15. (U.R) California's honey crop this year will be "exceedingly short," the state department of agriculture reported today. Churchill Powwow Reporters leaped at this In dication of another meeting as contained in Early's emphasis of the words "in Quebec," but he declined to give any explana tion of why he had used this phraseology. "Does this mean," one report er asked, "that the prime minis ter will go to Washington for further conferences?" "I can't answer that," Early replied. Robin Cruikshank, British spokesman, was similarly re ticent about discussing Church ill's plans beyond noon tomorrow. Shattering Bombardments Prepare Way For Landings On Japanese-Held Islands Pearl Harbor, Sept. 15. (U.R) A big American Invasion armada poured fighting men ashore on the Japanese island base of Palau. 560 miles ?st of the Philippines, today as Gen. Douglas Mae Arthur's troops stormed up into the Halmahera Islands from tha south in a twin offensive to clear the road back to Bataan and Corregldor. Exploding their greatest combined offensive of the Pacific war, MacArthur and Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, commander-in-chief of the U. S. Pacific fleet, breached the coastal defenses of the two island bastions under cover of shattering bombardments from sea and sky. 250 MILES FROM PHILIPPINES MacArthur led his troops ashore early Friday on Morotnl island, northernmost of the Halmnheras and only 250 miles south of the Philippines, at almost the same moment Nimitz' marines and army assault units were battling across the beaches of Palau. (Because of time differentials, Nimitz' announcement said tha Palau landing occurred Thursday morning, Honolulu time, which would be Friday morning Halmahera time.) The twin invasion blow threatened to break the chain of sprawl ing island bases established by the Japanese around the Philippine and the western and southern approaches to the Chinese mainland, and first reports from Palau said the enemy was fighting back fur iously from long-prepared defenses. American battleships, cruisers and supporting warships of tha Pacific fleet stood offshore bombarding the Japanese shore in stallations while carrier based aircraft dive-bombed and strafed the enemy in close support of the advancing ground troops. "Enemy defenses are being heavily bombed and shelled at closa range," the communique said. FEEBLE RESISTANCE ON MOROTAI MacArthur's men on Morotai also went in under a powerful warship and aircraft screen, but their landing met only feeble Japanese opposition and casualties in the initial assault were de scribed officially as "very light." The bulk of the Japanese garrison in the Halmaheras were re vealed to have been concentrated in the southern part of the island group in the belief that MacArthur would strike there. Instead, they were by-passed, cut off from their only direct sources of sup ply, and loft to surrender or die. On Palau, however, one of the toughest battles of the Paclfle campaign was believed in progress, possibly exceeding in savagery the epic fight for Saipan or the marine landing on Tarawa. The troops who swarmed ashore had to overcome obstacles of barbed wire on the beaches, backed up by entrenched machine gun positions. Further inland were larger guns, probably ranging up to six inches, and the deadly mortars which caused heavy casualties on the Marianas beachheads. TRANSPORTS LANDING REINFORCEMENTS A brief navy communique said reinforcements were being put ashore from a host of transports guarded by the guns and planes ot Admiral William F. Halscy'a third fleet, and that the landings were "continuing against stiff ground opposition." The reference to "ground" opposition Indicated that the bulk of Palau'i aerial defenses had been smashed by Halsey'i task force in a series of softening up bombardments that began on Sept. S, and continued almost without interruption until the zero hour. (The exact point of the landing was not disclosed, but radio Tokyo said the attack centered on Pclcliu Island, southernmost of the chain of atolls comprising the Palau group. Tokyo said the landing was made at 6 a. m. (Palau time) and that the Japanese garrison drove the Americans back into the sea after a two-hour battle. ("About 2,500" American dead were left on the beach, tha broadcast said.) The language of the Pearl Harbor communique left little doubt that the Japanese would make a desperate attempt to hold Palau, probably their most Important bastion in the central Pacific, out ranking even Truk, 1150 miles to the west. NO AERIAL OPPOSITION MENTIONED There was no mention of Japanese opposition In the air, al though there was a possibility that the enemy might risk units of their grand fleet in an attempt to run carrier aircraft to the aid of their island garrisons. Any such move, however, would almost certainly bring on a major battle of surface ships, for which Halscy undoubtedly is well prepared. The size of the supporting battle fleet covering the Palau landing was not divulged, but it was known, to Include some of the navy's heaviest units. The landing followed more and air assaults by Halsey's battlcwagons and carriers against Jap anese positions on Palau and in the central Philippines that cost the enemy 501 planes and scores ot merchant vessels. American occupation of the Palaus would close a watery trap around 75,000 to 100,000 Japanese troops now by-passed in the western Carolines, including the once-formidable naval base at Truk. In addition, It would remove central Pacific route to the Philippines and enable Nimitz to throw the full weight of his land, sea and air forces against the Japanese- occupied Islands. Democratic Women To Organize Club At Monday Meeting A Woman's Jackson County Democratic club will be organiz ed at a meeting to be held Mon day, Sept. 18 at the Mcdford Hotel, Mrs. John Peter, vice- chairman of the Democratic cen tral committee for the county announced today. The meeting has been called for 7:30 p. m. Mrs. Peter stated that all wo men, regardless of their party affiliation, who are Interested In the reelection of President Roose velt are Invited to attend the meeting. "This is a rally call," she stated, "and a full attend ance Is urged. Lola Lane Granted Divorce From Third Hollywood, Sept. 15 (U.R) Lola Lane, of the five film sis ters, today received an Inter locutory divorce decree from her third husband, Henry Dunham, Douglas Aircraft emplove whom she said suggested it would be good if we look a vacation from each other." They were married Jan. 0, 1841. than a week of widespread naval the last island barrier astride the GOLD IIS GIVEN GET-READY SIGNAL Washington, Sept. 15. (U.R) The war production board today authorized gold mining firms to obtain materials and equipment which will enablo them to re sume war-halted operations im mediately after the defeat of Germany. WPB emphasized that its ac tion does not allow reopening of gold mines for the production of milling of ore but merely al lows putting the mines and equipment in shape preparatory to reopening. STOLEN BAKERY TRUCK ABANDONED NEAR CAMP A large Fluhrer's bakery truck was recovered last nlghi about 10.28 o'clock on Hilton road Just off Crater Lake hlRhway where lt had been abandoned. The truck was taken from he front of Fluhrer's bakery on Holly street about 9:50 p. m, state police stated.
