r
All Roads From
Storm Expected
To Strike Valley
Some Time Today
'Nasty Weather' Here
Foreseen By Bureau
State police reported at 2:30
this afternoon that all high
way! leading from the Rogue
valley were closed or were in
the proceit of being cloied.
Cloture iigni were being
posted,
A severe "bliizard" wu
raging in the Siskiyou and
Greenspringt mountain areas.
The closure was being placed
In effect on the California side
of the Siskiyous and highway
99 between Weed and Redding
was closed.
Redwood highway was "out"
and the Sexton mountain
route was to be closed shortly,
it was said. Closures were
many throughout the state.
Traffic at Klamath Falls was
at a standstill.
The Rogue valley was ring
ed by severe snows and the
first of the storm was begin
ning to strike here as The
Mail Tribune went to press at
3 p.m.. delayed for an hour
because of lack of power due
to a power line at 13th street
and Riverside avenue blowing
down. A number of trees were
blown over in the downtown
area.
Gusts of wind ranging up to
68 miles an hour were rec
orded at the weather bureau,
and heavy rain, expected to
turn into snow, was flailing
the valley.
A bone-chilling Canadian cold
wave and an Alaskan blizzard
pinched Oregon and Washington
from the north and west today,
and the Medford weather bureau
said that the storm was due to
strike southern Oregon some
time this afternoon.
Snow flurries and rain show
ers in the Rogue valley during
the morning were the first indi
cations of what the bureau said
will probably be "nasty" weath
er late today and tonight. High
winds were expected, coupled
with wet snow and rain, and
colder temperatures tonight will
make driving throughout this
area hazardous, the bureau
warned.
By United Press
Temperatures in the Pacific
northwest plunged below zero in
many areas today, as near-hurricane
winds beached or swept out
to sea a score of small craft.
The north Pacific seaboard
was blanketed with up to eight
inches' of dry; shifting snow
within a few hours.
Several coastal cities reported
the blizzard was the worst in his
tory. The frigid front edged slug
gishly out of the interior of Brit
ish Columbia toward the Colum
bia river. At the same time, 85-mile-an-hour
winds slammed the
region from the west.
'Severest of Winter'
Weather officials said "from
a standpoint of cold, this will
be some of the severest weather
of the winter. As far as snowfall
is concerned, it may well be the
worst of the season."
Aberdeen. Wash., and Asto
ria, Ore., were lashed by a sting
ing wind that dumped up to
seven inches of fresh snow in a
matter of a few hours.
The dry snow piled up into
deep drifts, clogging highways
in several coastal sections.
All schools were closed in
Lewis county west of the Cas
cades and in Spokane county in
eastern Washington. The storm
also closed schools in Astoria.
Portland. Ore., Jan. 13 U.R)
A light but persistent snow
storm blew over western Oregon
today and the weather bureau
said more snow and lower tern
. peratures were sweeping inland
on the winds of a Pacific blow.
Two inches and more of new
snow fell on Portland's east side
as motorists were going to work
this morning while the white
blanket extended steadily into
the downtown area.
The weather bureau said the
snow depth in the Portland area
was expected to reach about one
foot by tonight with the tem
perature early Saturday morn
ing around 15 degrees.
Girls Placed In Tub During
House Fire Found Drowned
Murray, Utah, Jan. 13 (U.R)
Two little sisters drowned in tne
bath tub where their panic
stricken mother put them when
a small fire damaged their home.
Coroner Douglas A. Miller said
tnriav.
Mrs. Kathryn Wratal told Mil
ler that the fire broke out in the
rug directly under the crib
where her daughters, Diane. 10
months, and Linda Ann, three,
were asleep. Police Chief Lloyde
Deland said the fire apparently
was caused by a mislaid cigaret.
Placed In Tub
In her excitement. Mrs.
Wrathal grabbed the children
and placed them in the tub
which had been filled with water
to soak the family wash.
Then she dashed to the kit
chen and filled a pot with
water.
Flames and smoke drove her
back from the bedroom, how
ever, and the water spilled over
her thin dress as she ran to a
shed off the kitchen and tried to
batter her way through com
position walls into the bath
room. When that failed, she jumped
out the shed window, carrying
the entire glass with her and
17 Injured
Crashes Snow Plow
On Mount Hood Road
Government CamD. Ore.. Jan
13 (U.R) Seventeen persons
were injured today when a Trail
ways bus, bound from Portland
to Salt Lake City, crashed into
the rear end of a snow plow on
the Mount Hood highway four
miles south of government camp.
oiaie ponce said the bus, mov-
Co-Defendant Of
Bridges Mentioned
As Communist
San Francisco, Jan. 13 (U.R)
J. R. Robertson, co-defendant
with CIO longshore leader Harry
Bridges, today was mentioned as
a communist lor the first time
by the 13th government witness
at a Friday-the-13th session of
the Bridges perjury-conspiracy
trial.
Robertson has been seated at
the defense table with the other
two defendants during the first
two months of the trial while
each prosecution witness failed
to identify him with the case.
Present at Meetings
But today, George H. Wilson,
Los Angeles newspaperman and
professed ex-communist, told the
federal court that he was pres
ent at several communist meet
ings which were attended by
Robertson. He also said he at
tended meetings at which
Bridges and the third defendant,
Henry Schmidt, also were
present.
Wilson, an employe of the Los
Angeles Daily News, was vague
about dates in answering the
questions of Prosecutor F. Jo
seph Donohue, but positive in his
statement that he knew the de
fendants as communists.
Saw Bridges
The 48-year-old newspaperman
mentioned several communist
meetings in 1944 or 1945 at a
North Beach (San Francisco)
apartment at which he had seen
Robertson. He said he joined the
party in 1940 or 1941 and stayed
in until the spring of 1945. He
also recalled a communist meet
ing in the Governor hotel some
time in 1942 or 1944 at which he
saw Bridges.
Federal Judge George B. Har
ris yesterday denied the defense's
fourth motion for a mistrial and
cited Defense Attorney Vincent
Hallman for misconduct tor tne
40th time.
Taff Seen As Easy
Victor In Elections
Washington, Jan. 13 (U.R)
Sen. Robert A. Taft's 1950 poli
tical vstock is booming today on
the latest news from Ohio.
The two democrats generally
given the best chance to defeat
him in next November's sena
torial election are out of the
contest.
Gov. Frank J. Lausche long
since said he would run for gov
ernor again this year. Mayor
Thomas A. Burke of Cleveland
announced yesterday that he was
not a candidate for the senate.
With those two democratic
threats out of the way. many
nolitical observers here and in
Ohio believe Taft will win easily.
Chairman William M. Boyle
Jr., of the democratic national
committee, however, was report
ed to President Truman that
Ohio democrats will elect a sena
tor this year. Mr. Truman told
his news conference yesterday
he was glad to hear that. But
neither Boyle nor the president
has indicated who the democra
tic candidate may be.
FIREMEN CALLED
Firemen were called out three
times in the midst of stormy
weather early this afternoon.
The first call was to Lincoln and
West Main streets where a flue
fire was reported. A second flue
fire at 225 Cottage street was
reported about 30 minutes later,
at 1:45 p.m., and a third crew
was sent to check on a power
line blown down at the rear of
the Central motel.
tearing off her bedroom slippers.
Running barefoot through six
inches of snow and with her
dress freezing to her body, Mrs.
Wrathal ran to a neighbor's
home and screamed:
"The house is on fire. My
babies are trapped."
As the neighbor, C. K. Wise
man, called firemen, Mrs. Wrath
al returned to the burning
house.
Using a claw hammer, she
broke a foot-square hole in the
composition wall but fainted be
fore she could get through to
the girls.
Firemen from this Salt Lake
City suburb arrived in a few
minutes, extinguished the flames
burning the rug and floor, then
nulled the two girls from the
tub.
Ambulance crews tried unsuc
cessfully for two hours to revive
them.
Their father. Sterling Wrathal.
arrived home shortly afterwards.
It was the first time he had
worked overtime at his job as a
trucking company office worker
since the family moved here
from California five weeks ago.
They had lived at Arcadia and
Sacramento, Cal.
Rogue Valley Closed; Aiask
As Bus
ing through a blizzard near the
Waupinitia cut-off, collided with
neavy impact Into tne rotary
snow plow which also was trav
eling eastward.
Extent of the injuries was not
disclosed immediately but frag
mentary information from the
scene of the accident said some
of the casualties were "in pretty
bad shape."
Although the bus was not trav
eling fast, the collision impact
was "nard, according to wit
neses. A Trailways company doctor
was taken to government camp
in a relief bus, escorted by Port
land and state police. The Injur
ed were taken to Mountain View
and Darr's resort for emergency
treatment. All the 17 injured
were bus passengers.
Road Conditions
A "regular blissard" on Sis
kiyou mountain pass was re
ported lata this morning by
state police and driving con
ditions there and on the
Greensprings route were re-
Sorted bad. Snow was failing
ard and continuous.
Roads were said to be get
ting worse at Grants Pass, on
Sexton mountain pass and on
the Redwood highway. Chains
were necessary on the moun
tain routes.
One-way traffic was still
following pilot cars in the
Redding and Dunsmuir area
and chains were mandatory.
Chains were needed also at
Salem and Corvallis and on
Willamette and Santiam passes
and were advised at Klamath
Falls, according to United
Press.
Water Commission To
Get Surplus Hydrants
Superintendent Robert A.
Duff of the Medford Water com
mission said today that the com
mission has received war assets
administration approval to re
move 232 fire hydrants and 379
water gate valves from two areas
of the former Camp While reser
vation. The city of Medford was suc
cessful bidder for the equipment
with an offer of $3,400. Duff said
the hydrants and gate valves
were in good condition and that
similar material new might cost
between $60,000 and $75,000.
Some Other Towns
An undetermined number of
the hydrants and valves will go
to Grants Pass and Ashland, ac
cording to agreement among the
three cities. Duff reported. At
Medford the material will be
stockpiled until needed.
Pipe in the areas eoes in Med
ford although the citv made no
offer for it. Duff indicated that
the water department has no use
for the pipe and that it may be
salvaged by Medford and Talent
Irrigation districts.
The hydrants are five-inch de
vices and valves vary from six
to ju incnes.
Television Shares
Spurt Stock Market
' New York. Jan. 13 (U.R)
Television shares spurted to new
highs to lead a last-hour rally
on the stock market today.
TV issues lured the novice and
professional traders alike. Their
strength soon imparted a better
tone to the main list and all sec-
tions joined the recovery after
several periods of decline had
brought the market to new lows
since December 21.
Dow Jones closing stock aver
ages: 30 industrials 194.81, off
1.12: 20 railroads 54.01, up 0.20;
15 utilities 40.90, off 0.04, and
65 stocks 71.34, off 0.18.
Sales amounted to 3,330,000
shares compared with 2,970,000
yesterday. Today's volume was
the best since May 14, 1948 when
3,840,000 shares changed hands.
UN Vote To Decide
Nationalist China Fate
Lake Success, N. Y Jan. 13
(U.R) The fate of nationalist
China in the United Nations was
to be decided today in the UN
security council.
Russia has threatened to walk
out of the council indefinitely
unless the nationalists are ex
pelled and the Chinese commu
nists admitted. .
Ernest A. Gross, deputy Unit
ed States representative, said
yesterday during council debate
on the issue that the U. S. will
not veto the nationalists' expul
sion if the majority of council
members support the resolution.
Russian Delegate Jacob A. Ma
lik ended a two-day walkout to
join in the debate yesterday.
Patrol Pumpers Said
Ineffective In Winter
The state forest patrol office
today advised rural residents of
the county that its pumper
trucks are ineffective during
cold weather for. fire fighting.
Water tanks of the trucks are
kept drained during the freez
ing period, it was said. During
warm seasons the patrol has been
of considerable assistance in aid
ing individuals who live outside
the 'ire protective areas of:
towns. I
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Medford
44th Year 16 Pages
Son Of Pioneer
Photographer In
Jacksonville Dies
Emil Britt Passes At
Old Family Mansion
Jacksonville, Jan. 13 Emil
Britt, one of southern Oregon's
best-known personalities and
son of the area's first photog
rapher, died in the house in
which he was born here early
today. He would have celebrated
his 88th birthday on March 22,
1950.
Mr. Britt and his sister. Mollie
who survives, were children of
the late Peter Britt. Swiss immi
grant painter and photographer,
who moved to Jacksonville in
1851, bringing with him the first
camera ever used in southern
Oregon. He died in 1905. Emil
and Mollie have lived in the fa
mous old Britt mansion here ever
since.
50-Year Mason
The deceased has been a mem
ber of the Warren Masonic lodge
in Jacksonville for more than 50
years. He was a past high priest
of the Royal Arch Masons, a past
potentate of the Shrine, and a
member of the Scottish Rite.
Until about a year agg, Mr
Britt was an enthusiastic volun
teer weather observer. In 1947,
he was cited by the weather bu
reau for 56 years of continuous
service in this field. He was at
that time one of nine men who
had served the bureau for 55
years or more, and was rated
among the top four of 5,000 peo
ple in the weather reporting
service. He was forced to give
up this work due to failing
health, although he was vigorous
up until about 10 days ago when
he was confined to bed.
In his younger years, the old
gentleman was an avid gardener
and horticulturalist. ine garden
surrounding the Britt home was
in itself a show place, and has
been written up in a number of
northwest periodicals.
Tree Planted
A feature of the garden is a
giant sequoia redwood, which
Peter Britt planted on the day
Emil was born. It is now more
than 120 feet tall.
The best known feature of the
Britt home is the old photo
graphic studio, which Emil and
his sister had maintained as a
museum since the death of their
father. Collected there is an ex
tensive and priceless exhibit of
early-day photographs of south
ern Oregon, among them the first
picture ever taken of Crater
lake. In addition, many old cam
eras have been on display.
The museum was kept open
for many years, and even re
n,, ihp hrnther and sister
welcomed parties of visitors who
wished to see tne collections.
Settled Here
Dolor Rritt a native of Swit
zerland, came to this country in
1844, and it was in me spring '
1851 that be bought a Colts re-
colver, and a doubiffDarreiieu
half rifle-half-shotgun, and with
three other men came
p,,,r,taii snttlinB in Jackson
ville. he cut logs for a cabin,
and put up a sign Uaiiery
the first photographic shop west
of the Rockies.
In 1860, he sent for his former
sweetheart in the old country,
and they were married. Emil was
born two years later The cabin
and studio were enlarged into
the frame house, topped by a
tower, which stands today. The
same year Emil was born, addi
tions to the house brought it to
a total of 14 rooms.
It was in thus home. that fcmii
and his sister have spent their
lives.
Funeral arrangements for Mr.
Britt are under charge of the
Perl Funeral home, and details
will be announced later.
Pilots Lose Lives
In Crash Landings
Long Beach, Cal., Jan. 13
(U.R) Two air force reservists
gave their lives piloting their
crippled training plane to a
crash landing to avoid smashing
into north Long Beach homes.
Three other crew memb- ri on
the twin-engined AT-11 Beech
craft suffered shock and minor
injuries as the plane grazed a
house top before ramming Into a
street and exploding into flame.
MMm
MEDFORD, OREGON, FRIDAY, JANUARY
- "T f H U it i n ; ' ? . J 1 ": !
' ' , , -s
BOUND FOR FAR EAST
steams under San Francisco's Golden Gale bridge to rendezvous at sea with two destroyers and pro
ceed toChina waters. The Boxer will reinforce Ihe 7th task fleet in the Far East.
N at i o jn a l ist
Attack Red Fleets
Hong Kong, Jan. 13 !U.R)
Nationalist long-range bombers
today smashed communist inva
sion fleets and supply depots be
ing massed on the Chinese main
land for expected assaults on the
Islands of Hainan and Formosa.
Blockade Tightened
At the same time nationalist
gunboats tightened their naval
blockade of the south China
coast to halt communist trade
and communication in the re
gion. The bombers, with fighter cov
er, hit coastal shipping all the
way from Shanghai south to the
Liuchow peninsula, southeast,
China stcpping-lstone to Hainan.
In Shanghai, which was hit for
the second day in succession, a
number of small craft were sunk
or disabled.
Other nlanes hit Foochow
Amoy and Swatow, where the
Egyptian To Quit
United Nations Job
Shannon Airport, Ireland, Jan.
13 (U.R) Zaki Hachem, 27-year-old
Egyptian economist who re
portedly lost his fiancee to his
king, sped for New York by
plane today to resign his United
Nations job and become Egyp
tian minister to Moscow.
Behind him he left his beau
tiful 16-year-old Egyptian sweet
heart. Narrimah Sadck, whom
King Farouk of Egypt was said
to have seen in a jewelry store
and claimed for his own.
Hachem, wearing dark glasses
and chain-smoking cigarettes,
left Cairo yesterday In a Trans-
world airline plane. Although all
news of the reported court ro
mance was suppressed in Egypt
by censorship, Hachem willing
ly discussed it as soon as he
cleared the borders of his own
country.
In his first stop at Athens.
Greece, he said the events which
led up to the breaking of his
engagement had been a "nerve-
shattering experience.
Independence Woman
Files For State Post '
Salem, Ore., Jan. 13 (U.R)
Mrs. Joe Rogers of Independence
filed with the state elections
bureau Thursday as a candidate
for republican nomination for
slate representative from the
10th district, comprising Polk
county. She will seek the repub
lican nomination in the May
primary election.
WEATHER
FORECAST: Know ihoweri to
night ind Saturday. Colder
Saturday.
Temp
Hlghett Yeiterday 3S
Lowest Mill Morntntf 29
Pree. to 4:30 A.M. Today, Trace
Blizzard Creeps Inland
Ml fa
'.Armt Telepholo)
The aircraft carrier Boxer, mrrvlnff fin nl anon nnrl n rrAui nf 3 nnn
Bombers
communists are massing supplies
for their anticipated spring land
ings on rormosn.
Landings Reported
The nationalist Overseas Dai
ly News reported under a Hoi
how, Hainan, dateline, that com
munist regulars had landed on
southwestern Hainan after cross
ing the Gulf of Tonkin from the
vicinity of Pakhoi, a distance of
150 miles.
Reports from Taipei, national
ist regufee capital, officially de
nied reports of the Hainan land
ings. Rossellini Requests
Marriage Annulment
Turin, Italy, Jan. 13 (U.R)
Italian Motion Picture Director
Roberto Rossellini asked the
Turin court of appeals today to
annul his marriage lo his wire
Marcclla on grounds he was
under the influence of drugs
when he married her.
The request was made so that
Rossellini could obtnin Italian
annroval of his Austrian divorce.
which would. clear the way for
him to marry Actress Ingrid
Bergman in Italy.
Gino Solis, attorney for the di
rector, told the court during a
two-hour hearing that Rossellini
was "under the influence of a
drug and incapable of will and
understanding when the mar
ringn was celebrated."
The divorce which Rossellini
seeks to have recognized in Italy
is the one dissolving his marriage
lo the former Marcclla oe
Marchis, November 3, at Civi
tavecchia, near Rome, in 1938.
It was obtained on the same
grounds that he was under the
influence of drugs.
NLRB Officer To Set
Labor Election Date
A field examiner from the
Portland office of the national
labor relations board will hold a
conference here Monday, Janu
ary 16, with officials of South
ern Oregon Sales corporation,
Bear Creek orchards and Team
sters, Cannery and Fruit Pack
ing Workers, Local 962A, to set
a date and work out details of
the .bargaining election that has
been ordered tor the two trull
packing firms. The conference
will be held In the offices of the
Industry Council of Southern
Oregon In the Holland hotel
building at 10 a. m. Monday.
Los Angeles, Jan. 13 !U.R)Pre
mcdical Student Raymond Down
ing Hair, 24, was held today for
Raleigh, N. C. authorities on
suspicion of fala"y nhooting a
fellow student at Wuke Forest
university.
Tribune
13, 1950 NO. 248
viiiu miiu fiavuju
Rivers Rising In
Illinois, Indiana
Chicago, Jan. 13 (U.R) ine
rain-swollen Ohio and Wabash
rivers today pushed higher in
southern Illinois and Indiana,
driving bottomland dwellers to
higher ground and threatening
to send the Mississippi river on
a rampage.
The danger zone on the Wa
bash shifted southward from the
Torre Haute - Vlncennes. Ind.,
area to the river's lower reaches
near Us Junction with the Ohio.
Alerted For Refugees
Mount Vernon. Ind.. in the
notch where the two rivers meet,
was alerted to receive up to 100
refugee families today. U. S. ar
my troops and "ducks' stood
ready to evacuate families In
rural areas today, and the na
tional guard unit was on an alert
ordered by Gov. Henry Schlcker.
The town Itself was "high end
dry," but thousands of acres of
surrounding farmland in Ihe Wa
bash and Ohio bottoms vere
flooded as the two streams
rolled into one.
Police, national guardsmen
and Red Cross prepared to care
for evacuees in the city coliseum.
Upstream, the Wabash at
Mount Carmel, III., had reached
its predicted crest of 27 feet
early today and was still rising.
Authorities said that, in view
of continuing rains, they could
not say how high the river might
go before it crests.
Twenty-six families were shel
tered in boxcars at Mount Car
mel, and many others were
housed with relatives or friends.
The situation appeared to be
easing farther upstream as the
wabash crested at Husscllville,
III., with a weakened levee still
holding, and approached its
crest at Vincennes, Ind.
Sewer Gas Seen Cause of
Blast Killing
Vlncennes, Ind., Jan. 13 (U.R)
Sewer gas compressed by back
waters from the flooding Wa
bash river may have caused a
housing project explosion that
killed two mothers and their
three children, officials said to
day. Indiana Slate Fire Marshal
Alex Hoagland came here lo di
rect personally an investigation
to determine the cause of the
blast.
The explosion wrecked a two
family unit In the project Just
two blocks from where 1,000 sol
diers were fighting to hold a
levee against raging flood wa
ters lapping 18 incnes from the
top.
The unit's concrete block walls
tumbled like dominoes as the
blast rocked the entire town.
Witnesses said the building
was knocked "flat as a table top. '
Interior Flooded
After Collision
With Tank Ship
Thames Estuary Scene
Of Night-Time Accident
London, Jan. 13 (U.R) Fifty
two men still missing from the
wrecked submarine Truculent
were given up for dead by the
admiralty tonight.
This raised the death toll to
HI, with nine bodies recovered.
Seventy-six were aboard the sub
when a tank ship smashed into
herein the Thames estuary last
night and there were 15 survi
vors. Compartments Flooded
The admiralty announced that
no hope can be entertained"
for the missing men after a
' frogman" swam Into. Ih o,,h-
marine 50 feet below the surface
and found all her compartments
flooded.
Shortly after A n m fin
PST) the admiralty announced:
'The board of admiralty re
grets to announce that no hope
can be entertained that there
will be any further survivor
from the HMS submarine Tru
culent. "The next of kin of those who
have lost their lives are being
informed.
"The board extend thnlr vo,
deep sympathy to the relatives
of the officers, ratings and dock
yard employees who in the per-
luiiumiue oi meir ouiy nave lost
their lives as a result of this
tragic occurrence."
No Response To Signals
rirsi indication that the 52
men believed trapped inside the
submarine perished within min
utes or its sinking, when deep
sea aivers reported no response
to signals they hammered onto
the hull.
Then Naval "Frmrmnn" .Tom..
Hodges, wearing a fin-fltted mh.
ber suit and an oxveen t.ink
swam down through the open
conning tower and found the in
terior flooded.
"It would have been impossi
ble for anything but fish to live
in the hulk of that submarine,"
he said.
His report, along with that of
diver who found a hnl Inr.
ward of the gun turret, meant
mat at least three of the sub
marine's four compartment
were flooded, submarine experts
said. They believed that the
fourth compartment was flood-,
ed too.
This was borne out by 10 of
the 15 survivors. They escaped
from the engine room through a
hatch with Davis breathing ap
paratus as the submarine sank
toward the bottom. They said
the rest of the submarine flood
ed almost Immediately.
The other five survivors were
washed off the bridge as the ves
sel sank.
The 1,090-ton patrol subma
rine was rammed and sunk by
the Swedish tanker Divina last
night about 17 miles northwest
of Margate.
Radio Highlights
Radio station KYJC (1230
kc) will broadcast the Paddy
Young-Tuio Portuguez boxing
match from Madison Square
Garden, New York, starting
at 7 o'clock tonight.
Al 8 p. m. KWIN (1400 ke)
will air the Oregon-Oregon
State basketball game from'
Corvallis and at 9:30 p. m by
delayed broadcast, will carry
the Medford Central Point
game.
Saturday at 8:15 p. m.
KWIN will broadcast the Med
ford. Grants Pass game from
Medford high school gymna
sium. Five Persons
A refrigerator was blown across
a street and crushed a parked
car. A mattress was thrown a
city block.
As fire broke out In the debris,
about 250 of the troops raced
to aid police and firemen in the
search for dead and injured.
The explosion ripped the unit
of the Bowman Terrace Housing
project shortly before 4 p. m.
yesterday.
Bodies Found
In the ruins, rescue worker)
found the bodies of Mrs. Wanda
Cooper, 23, and her two children,
Charles, 5. and Barbara, 3, and
Mrs. Rose Overclt and her daugh
ter, Vickie June, 18 months.
Authorities said the exact
cause of the explosion was not
known.
Mrs. Ovcrfelt's husband, Wil
liam, told police he had "smelled
gas" for weeks in his home.