Mi
Ul
mm
Medford
44th Year 10 Pages
Maragon Described
As 'Brazen Fixer'
By Senate Probers
Truman's Aide Rapped
For Helping Maragon
Washington. Jan. 18. (U.R)
Senate investigators today des
cribed John Maragon as a "braz
en outright fixer" whose friend-
shirj with Mai. Gen. Harry H
Vaughan made possible his "ne
farious activities in dealing with
government officials.
In a 36-page report to the sen'
ate on its five per center investi-
gation, the senate investigating
subcommttee said that it is in
credible" that the Greek-born
Maragon, now under indictment
for perjury, could have operated
as long as he did.
Vaughan Criticized
But the fact that Vaughan,
President Truman's military
aide, "personally interceded with
government agencies on behalf
of Maragon" it said, were among
factors that "made it possible for
Maragon to use the great pres
tige of the White House for his
own personal advantage."
The report sharply criticized
Vaughan for calling government
agencies and giving them the
impression he was acting on be
half of the president.
"The subcommittee recom
mends that the practice be dis
continued," it said.
Perjury Trial Pending
The group said it could not
discuss Vaughan's relations with
Maragon in detail because of the
impending perjury trial "gainst
the one-time bootblack and White
House intimate.
The report was signed by all
seven members of the subcom
mittee four democrats and
three republicans. It was the
subcommittee's first official con
clusion on last summer's hectic
inquiry into Washington's in
fluence industry.
RussiansaiFOuf
Of Allied Council
Tokyo, Japan, Jan. 18 (U.R)
The Russian delegation walked
from a meeting of the allied
council for Japan for the third
consecutive time today to avoid
questions about 370,000 Japanese
prisoners or war still held in
Soviet territory.
American (Jnairman wiiuam
Sebald said after the walkout
that the U. S. state department
had received no reply from Mos
cow to a note protesting tne de
tention of Japanese prisoners and
requesting an impartial investi
cation. The Russians left before the
U. S. and Britain could air their
charges that Russia had allowed
the prisoners to die or become
permanently enslaved.
Soviet Delegate Lt. Gen. Kuz
ma Derevyanko told Sebald that
"for reasons I have stated earl
ier we do not deem it possible
to take Dart in the discussion sub
ject which is on the agenda of
today s meeting.
Road Conditions
State police said this morn
ing that two-way traffic on
highway 99 between Weed and
Redding, Cal had been resum
ed but that pilot cars were
leading traffic both ways.
Siskiyou pass on highway 99
south was bare and highway
99 north over Sexton mount
ain and Canyon creek pass had
some spots of ice. Highway 66
was clear to Tub Springs from
where the mow pack extended
to Keno vicinity and chains
were advised.
The Redwood highway was
bare except for some pack on
Oregon mountain and Hayes
hill and chains should be car
ried, police said.
United Press said snow was
falling on Willamette pass
which was blocked between
Goshen and Oakridge by fall
en trees. Chains were required
on Santiam pass.
Body of Miner
After Five Days In Pit
Mahanov City, Pa., Jan. 18
(U.R) The body of Edward Bur
da, 25-year-old independent min
er, was recovered today from
the bottom of a collapsed anthra
cite mine where he was buried
in a cave-in five days ago.
Found 115 Feet Down
Burda's body was found 115
feet underground by weary res
cuers at 11:30 a.m. an hour
after they came across the new
canvas gloves he was wearing
when the mine gave way last
Friday.
The body was not immediate
ly brought to the surface.
When the discovery was made
the news was relayed by word
of -mouth up the shaft by the 17
man rescue crew.
A Catholic priest was sum
MEDFORD, OREGON,
'Acme Telepholo)
FATAL CRASH T0 persons were killed and 36 others Injured
when this bus ran out of control in New York City and crashed into
two autos and a trailer truck. Brake failure caused the bus to side
swipe a car (not shown) and ram a second car (hidden by bus) into a
lamp .lost.
Nationalist Bombers
Hit Canton, Shipping
Hong Kong. Jan. 18 (U.R)
Waves of Chinese nationalist
bombers roared over the south
China mainland and bombed can
ton for five hours, reports from
Heavy Rains Here
Raise Rivers, No
Floods Seen Yet
Drenching downpours of rain
falling generally throughout
southern Oregon and northern
California are increasing the
flood potential in this area, but
there is no danger of Rogue val
ley rivers and streams going out
of their banks for at least 24
hours, the Medford weather bu
reau said today.
The Smith river in northern
California is out of its banks in
spots, after four and a half inch
es of rain pelted the section dur
ing the last 24-hour period, the
bureau said.
Rains Inch And Half
Medford had more than an
Inch and a half of rain since
Tuesday morning. At 4:30 a.m.
today, Grants Pass had 1.20 inch
es and Gold Beach two inches
during the preceding 24-hour
period.
The weather bureau gave this
picture of the situation:
The Rogue river rose 5.32 feet
between 8 p.m. yesterday and
10 a.m. today at Grants Pass, and
was continuing to rise slowly.
Flood stage there is 15 feet, and
the measurement today was 6.95
feet.
At Gold Ray dam, four feet of
water was going over tne spill
way. Six feet is considered flood
stage. 1
The Applegate river is rising,
but is not over its DanKs.
Reservoir Controls
Bear creek is largely control
led by Emigrant reservoir,
which now has 2.978 acre feet in
storage. Total capacity is 8,000
acre feet.
The Rogue was still rising
slowly at Gold Ray and Prospect,
but there is still "plenty of
slack" before flood stage is
reached. Snow is still containing
falling rain, which has not start
ed a serious runoff.
The rains, falling in above
freezing temperatures, were con
tinuing to melt snow at lower
elevations, and many Medford
streets were gutter high with
water. Dirtv snow remained in
piles where scraping operations
had left it yesterday morning.
The weather forecast was for
continued rain tonight" and to
morrow, with temperatures re
maining in the 30s.
Recovered
moned immcdiatclv and went
down the slope to administer the
last rites of the church before
the body was disturbed. He was
accompanied by a deputy cor
oner. Beneath Debris
Burda was buried beneath an
avalanche of loose coal and de
bris which hurtled down the
slope when the cave-in occurred
last Friday. Morgan estimated
that it would take two to two
and a half hours before rescue
workers would be able to re
move the body.
The coal-blackened rescuers
who had been hacking through
solid anthracite a foot-an-hour
for five days, reached the spot
where Burda was buried just
after 10:30 a.m. Morgan said.
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 18, 1950 NO. 252
the mainland said today
The raid on Canton yesterday
was the heaviest aerial attack
since the communists occupied
the city in October, the reports
said. The raiders also attacked
communist installations and ship
ping in the sea approaches to
south China.
Other planes strafed a Kow-loon-Canton
freight train and
Pearl river shipping.
On Strafing Mission
The first air raid alarm in Can
ton was reported to have been
sounded at 1 p.m., when several
planes appeared over the eastern
outskirts on a low-level strafing
mission.
Communist guns threw up a
heavy ack-ack barrage, reported
ly wtihout any visible results.
The planes later were reported
to have swung out toward sea,
scoring several bomb hits on
ships and smaller vessels anchor
ed at the waterfront.
Second Wave Appears
A second wave of raiders ap-
Deared at 3 D.m. and a third
about 5:30 p.m., the reports said,
with each raid lasting more than
40 minutes.
The leftist newspaper Takung
Pao reported that 23 persons naa
been killed and 10 injured in
Canton.
The Dlanes. which also hit com
munist concentrations on the
Lieuchow Peninsula, apparently
were based on Hainan because a
Hainan dispatch reported that
their toll included a 600-ton ship
and two smaller vessels anchor
ed 10 milps below canton
Reports from Formosa said
that a nationalist military
spokesman had admitted for the
first time that armed commun
ists were operating on Hainan.
Commissioner Lytle
To Seek Reelection
County Commissioner Robert
R. Lytle, Ashland republican,
yesterday declared himself a can
didate for the nomination to that
post again in the May 19 pri
maries. He was the first candi
date to file for a county office
this year.
Lytle, whose term expires in
December of 1950, stated that if
re-elected to his job, he would
"continue to serve the best in
terests of all the people of the
county."
The deadline for filing declara
tions of candidacy for the May
primaries is March 10.
Polish Counselor Asks
Asylum In United States
Lake Success, N. V., Jan. 18
(U.R) The counselor of the Polish
delegation to the United Nations
has resigned and asked Secretary
of State Dean Acheson for asy
lum in tne united states because
"freedom has disanneared in
Poland," it was revealed today.
Aleksander Rudzmski. a kev
figure in the Polish UN delega
tion since 1946, broke with the
Polish government over its sup
port of Russia's walkout from
the security council and other
UN organs in the last few days.
He resigned from the Polish UN
staff and from the Polish con
sulate in New York.
CHECKS ARRIVING
Today's early mails brought
the first trickle of GI insurance
dividend checks to Medford vet
erans of World War II, Postmas
ter Moore Hamilton said this
morning. Though the brown
enveloped checks look the same
as all checks from the treasury's
disbursing officer. Hamilton said
mail handlers had spotted a few
of the dividend payments in the
mans today.
Tribune
2 Dead, 29 Injured
In Fire-Ravaged
Colorado Region
Volunteers Battling
Numerous Small Fires
Colorado Springs, Colo., Jan.
18 (U.R) Casualties from a
wind-blown brush and timber
fire that ravaged a 20-square-mile
area, including portions of
an army camp and the exclusive
Broadmoor hotel region, climbed
to two dead, 29 injured and three
missing today.
The second victim died from
burns. He was a soldier, as was
the first. No identification has
been made of either man, pend
ing notification of kin. The an
nouncement was made by Lt. R.
A. Geiger, public information of
ficer at Camp Carson.
Of the 29 injured, 10 were re
ported in serious condition and
the other 19 were bed patients.
They are all being treated at the
Camp Carson hospital.
Meanwhile, an e x t e n sive
search is underway this morning
for three persons believed miss
ing possibly in the fire area. The
names were not released. It was
not known if they were men or
women.
Winds, which made fire fight
ing impossible yesterday, died
down during the night allowing
about 6,000 soldiers and volun
teers to quell the blaze in the
army camp and spread over the
20-square-mile area to put out
numerous small fires. A total of
33 army structures were con
sumed by the flames.
fcarly today three fires were
still burning on Cheyenne moun
tain, closeby the point where the
blaze started early Tuesday. Vol
unteers were called to relieve
the weary fire fighters who had
been on the mountain all night.
60 People Stranded
At Logging Camp
Vernonia, Ore., Jan. 18 (U.R)
A forestry department bulldozer
and grader were bucking six-
foot snowdrifts today in an at
tempt to reach 60 stranded men,
women and children at Mc
Gregor logging camp, 15 miles
west of here.
A camp employee, Steven
Waite, got out on foot Monday
and said there was enough food
but his baby daughter was run
ning a temperature of 104 and
he feared for her health.
District Fire Warden Edward
Schroeder said a second bull
dozer would be pressed into
service. in an effort to reach the
Oregon - American corporation's
camp some time this morning.
Communications with Mc
Gregor camp are by telephone
relay.
Rancher Seeing Double,
Two Cows, Four Calves..
Table Rock, Jan. 18. E. R.
Hull, operator of the Red Skin
orchard, feels a little as though
he is seeing double these days.
Two cows on the ranch re
cently each gave birth to twin
calves on the same day.
Twin births In cattle are
rare, and two such events oc
curing the same day put the
story in the one-in-a-million
category.
Portland, Ore., Jan. 18-U.R)
An early morning fire caused
$10,000 damage to fuel handling
facilities of the Pacific Power
and Light company s steam gen
erating plant here today.
rm jmnn"-1 at nnimay mii.ii .,i jm .m.u.uwi'iyyl
' (Acme Telepholo
GIVES UP GLAMOR Movie actress Colleen Townnend (above) an
nounced plans tc give up the movies to enter a theological school.
The 20-year-old actress, who was studying to be a teacher when she
was discovered for the movies, said she hopes tc ent?r a Pasadena,
Calif, religious school In September to learn to teach or become a
missionary.
Lewis Orders End
To Holdout Strike
Effective Monday
Reinforced Patrols
Sent To Coal Fields
Washington, Jan. 18 (U.R)
Labor Board General Counsel
Robert H. Denham, announced
today he is asking the federal
court her to prohibit the
United Mine Workers from
calling any strikes until they
drop several allegedly illegal
contract demands,
Denham said he considers
the current three-day week in
the coal fields a strike. He
wants the court to issue a tem
porary injunction to put all
coal miners on a five-day
week.
Pittsburgh. Jan. 18 (U.R)
John L. Lewis has ordered the
violence-marked holdout strike
of 89,000 United Mine Workers
ended bv Monday.
UMW District 5 President
John P. Busarello today disclos
ed the new version of the UMW
chief's "suggestion" that the
miners eo back to work. Lewis'
Pittsburgh d i s t r i ct lieutenant
said UMW officials will go into
the fields with the message:
"The order is to go back to
work Monday that's John L.
Lewis' order.
Picket Killed
The new order came as one
mine picket was killed in Ohio
when a coal truck crashed into
a roadblock and new violence
t h r e a t e ned in Pennsylvania,
where mine equipment has been
dynamited and buildings and
trucks stoned.
Pennsylvania state police sent
re-inforced patrols into the coal
fields this morning when picket
ing was reported in virtually all
districts.
Heavy police forces also cruis
ed the fields of Ohio and West
Virginia.
Shortages Spread
Coal shortages spread. One
steel company already has ord
ered a 25 per cent production
cut and other companies said
they would have to curtail un
less the coal situation improved.
Duqucsne Light company,
serving the Greater Pittsburgh
area, notified 2,000 industrial
customers that unless the coal
situation changes, their power
will be cut off Friday midnight,
Busarello said no attempt to
end the walkout this week would
be made, because the UMW-im
posed three-day week ends to
day. However, he said local
meetings will be called through
out his district during the re
mainder of the week to spread
the back-to-work order.
Active Duty Available
For Air Force Yets
Portland, Jan. 18 Veterans
may now apply for extended ac
tive duty with the air force in
the same grade in which they
were discharged under a new
plan announced today bv Lt. Col.
J. W. Lewis, commanding offi
cer of the 2343rd air force re
serve training center, stationed
at the Portland airport. The new
program, known as Category, as
sures those accepted the oppor
tunity to spend the full three
year period at the Portland air
port. Ihe offer applies to enlisted
personnel only.
Men accepted will train with
regular air force personnel, and
receive the same pay and bene-
tits.
Complete details are now
available at headquarters of the
zaiard Ar ktu, Portland air
port, Portland, Oregon.
SNOW AT LAKE
There are 28 inches of snow
in the resort area at the Lake
O' Woods, the soil conservation
service station there reported to
Medford this morning. It was
raining steadily there at the
time the service crews at the
lake made the radio report.
Council OKs Garbage
Rates, Regulations
New residential garbage col
lection rates with charges by the
can rather than by the house
hold were authorized for City
Sanitary service last night by
city councilmen. They are effec
tive on February 1.
New rates will be $1.25 per
month for a 30-gallon can and
$1 for each additional can if the
pick-up is made at one location.
A charge of 50 cents per can
additional will be made if col
lectors must climb stairs or go
into basements.
Legislation regarding new
rules and regulations for gar
bage collection passed first read
ing. The streets and roads com
mittee was delegated to study
the matter of whether or not pa
trons will be permitted to place
cans in alleys.
Asks Lease
It was reported that City Sani
tary service has asked lease of
all or part of the old garbage dis
posal area south of Medford
NLRB Bargaining
Election Slated
For January 26
A bargaining agent election
under the supervision of the na
tional labor relations board has
been set here for January 26 to
determine the status of the team
ster, cannery and fruit packing
workers local 9 6 2-A at the plants
of Bear Creek orchards and
Southern Oregon Sales company.
Field Examiner Arthur Hedges
said yesterday afternoon that the
elections would be held in the
auditorium of the county court
house Thursday, January 26,
from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from
4:30 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. Em
ployees from both plants will
vote during those hours. Ob
servers from both companies
and from the union will be per
mitted to watch the election
operations.
The union, an affiliate of the
AFL. seeks to be recognized as
sole bargaining agent for all year-
around employees at tne two
plants, excepting supervisory
workers and office personnel.
North Oregon Cold
Wave To Continue
Portland. Ore.. Jan. 18 (U.k
The stubborn cold which has
plagued northern Oregon and
Washington for the last week
and a half today held on while
an ocean storm blowing inland
brought heavy rains and warm
er temperatures to southern Ore
gon and northern California.
The weather forecaster in
Portland said the cold would
probably continue in northern
Oregon for the next 24 hours at
least. He predicted a few snow
flurries mixed with rain bv
Thursday afternoon with possi
bility of warmer weather after
that.
The cold grip continued
through the Willamette valley
Eugene reported 15 degree tem
perature this morning with some
treezing ram. At Salem the ther
mometer dropped to 16.
Pendleton had the lowest
reading in the state with a minus
3. Bend reported 2 below zero
and ine Dalies 4 above.
30 Tygh Families
Threatened By Flood
The Dalles, Ore., Jan. 18. (U.R)
An ice jam which forced the
White river over its banks to
day threatened 30 families at the
lygh Valley lumber company s
mill. 30 miles south of The
Dalles.
In response to a call from the
mill, the army engineers were
preparing to send an explosive
expert into the Tygh valley to
try to blow up the Ice jam and
free the water backing up Into
the camp where 30 families of
mill workers live.
Wheeler Rucker, resident army
engineer at The Dalles-Celilo
canal, and a powderman expect
ed to leave for the mill site as
soon as national guard transpor
tation was available.
The engineers and national
guardsmen were scheduled to
leave for Tygh valley last night,
but the local national guard
trucks were stalled by freezing
weather and huge snow drifts.
SCHOOLS REOPEN
Nearly every school In the
county has reopened, with the
exception of Prospect which will
remain closed until January 23,
the county school superintend
ent's office said this morning.
School bus drivers in the Evans
valley area in the Rogue River
school district reported bad road
conditions due to melting snow
but said they negotiated their
routes without trouble. Ashland
schools reopened today
WEATHER
FORECAST: Continued cloudy
with rain tonight and Thurs
day. Little change in tempera
ture. Temp.
Hlghett Veilerday 37
Loweit thli Morning ... 33
Prec. to 4:30 A.M. Today .... 1.32
where the company has a house
and contemplates construction of
additional facilities.
R. A. Gliebe, general manager
of Heath's Drug store and Mc
Lain's Drug centre, asked the
council to consider establishing
a taxi-stand at the Medical Cen
ter building in order that a cab
can be available immediately at
all times for patients of doctors
in the building.
He Indicated that such service
is desired by medics and dentists
for their patienls. The proposal
was referred to the council safe
ty committee.
Gliebe said this morning that
the two drug stores will be open
on a 24-hour basis starting Mon
day. Petitions Presented
Petitions opposing the Sunday
closure of auto agencies as asked
by a number of dealers were pre
sented. Because of this remon
strance there was no discussion
last night. The special commit
tee of the council is reviewing
the proposal.
Since plans are being revised
for a park storage structure un
der the Main street Bear creek
bridge, previous bids on the
work were rejected and the park
committee was empowered to
call for new offers.
Planning commission's recom
mendation that council institute
proceedings to vacate an alley
in block 72, original town, was
reported. There was no action
last night.
A civil aeronautics administra
tion request for a report on
usage of property acquired by
the city from the government at
the municipal airport was sub
mitted to Airport Manager John
Applegate through City Superin
tendent Vernon Thorpe.
(See story on page 3)
ild Ducks Stranded
In Willamette Slough
Independence, Ore., Jan. 18
(U.R) Cold weather that froze
their feet in an ice sheet strand
ed more than 100 wild ducks in
a Willamette river slough two
miles south of here Tuesday.
Independence Police Chief
Ray Howard said the weather
tragedy was reported by Arthur
Waldron. whose farm is near the
slough three miles south of here.
Waldron told Howard that he
noticed the ducks futilely flap
ping their wings in an attempt
to tree inemseives.
He said thousands of other
wild fowl In the area were swim-
m i n g unconcernedly in Icy
ponus. streams and feeding area
where the water was not frozen
over. Howard said he notified
state police of the plight of the
ducks.
Administration Fights
To Retain Control
Washington. Jan. 18 (U.R)
Administration leaders sought
to cracK tne wnip over faltering
democrats today in their fight
to retain control of the house.
Speaker Sam Rayburn said he
would try to bind all members
at a party caucus to oppose the
scheme of an- anti-Truman coali
tion to grab life-and-death power
over most of President Truman's
legislative program.
Mr. Truman got into the fight
himself. He told a civil rights
delegation that his leaders in
congress are ready to battle "all
summer" if necessary to get a
vote on his civil rights program.
At stake in the house was not
only the civil rights program
especially tne controversial fair
employment practices bill but
much of the rest of the presi
dent's program of social legis
lation. Reds Give Reason For
Closing U S. Consulate
Tokyo. Jan. 18 U.R) Rad n
Peking said today the Chinese
communists closed the Amer
ican consulate in Pekins because
the Americans were building
military barracks in it.
The broadcast, mon tored In
Tokyo, also accused Holland and
ranee of operating military
establishments on consular com
pounds. The closme order was issued
January 6, effective seven days
later.
2,000 Volunteers Battle
Rampaging Wabash River
Vincennes, Ind.. Jan. 18. (U.R)
More than 2,000 volunteers and
soldiers worked without rest to
day, striving desperately to save
the city from the relentless flood
waters of the Wabash river.
Woman, Children Work
Women and children worked
beside their menfolk, attempting
to build an auxiliary wall of
sandbags l'4 miles long to re
tain the water if lt came over
the city's big concrete seawall
or crash through it.
About two-thirds of the city
would be flooded if the river
broke through and 10,000 per
sons would be forced out of their
homes.
Meanwhile, intense cold swept
the flood areas of Illinois, In
diana, Kentucky, Missouri and
Arkansas after a day of compara
tive mildness.
About 6,000 persons took re
Reward 01 $150,000
Spurs Search For
Nine Masked Men
Armored Car Service
Victims Of Robbery
Boston, Jan. 18 (U.R) A
stolen Cadillac sedan, which
may have been one of the eat.
away cars used in last night's
$1,500,000 holdup, was found
today in the garage of an unoc
cupied house in suburban New
ton. Thn itlcrnuan, nam bam.. - '
wins evuii aiicri
the search for the nine Halloween
masked bandits was spurred by
a promise of a reward of $150,-
uuu py urinK s, Inc., the armor
ed car service which was robbed,
and the Commercial Union As
surance company, Ltd., which
insures Brinks against loss.
Detectives sped to Newton,
examined the car and dusted it
for f ineernrints TVia 1Qda eatar.
stolen yesterday from Israei
i.uiii-11 oi rvewton, Dore Massa
chusetts registration plates 158-
533. TVi pso hnri hMn
stolen previously from Mrs.
Eunice L. Burns, also of New
ton.
Reports Discounted
Findino- nf the, a,,fnmnun. i-
- n nu,viliui,uc 111
Newton caused police to discount
reports irom wew York that a
Cadillac resembling the getaway
car had been sighted in the
oronx.
Other developments In the in-
VeKtlentlnn nf TMaii, 1TnHlnji.
. 0 . - " uiiaiaiiu
biggest robbery were:
a up received by police that
the bandit gang had a hideout
near Lawrence.
A salesgirl at a "Bromfield
street joke shop reported that
a miHHIl-nO-faH Uinman hnnakl
seven rubber masks, of the type
used Dy tne bandits, from her
Saturday.
Shortly before noon, Boston
nnlirp snivpn n 9 a: -nl I
Charleslown man described as a
good suspect. He is free on
$18,000 bail in connection with
A recent Snmarullia lannpu ink
bery. Police said the bail was
pusiea oy a man who ngured in
a big jewel robbery at Hot
Springs, Ark., about three years
ago. The suspect, known to be
"broke" recently, had $693 In
citsn on mm wnen arrested.
Busier Sounds
Brink's officials said that dur
ing the 20-minute holdup a buz
zer sounded, causing the robbers
to speed their work. But for this,
officials indicated, the bandits
misht have snpnr mnrA tlma a4
cleaned out an additional
$1,000,000 that was there. The
uzzer apparently was sounded
hv a Rrinlr'e AmnlnuaA aAb.
admission.
Three anrlitnrfi uara h,,ir
checking Brink's accounts today
and officials said that tonight or
tomorrow thpv ovnarto In ha
able to fix the exact amount of
the loot.
Brinks offered a $100,000 re
ward for the bandits, "dead or
alive." The lnsiiranpa, nnmnanv
offered a reward of five per cent
or. tne casn loot recovered. If all
the stolen cash is recovered, that
would be $50,000.
(See story on page 3)
Northern California
Rivers Over Banks
San Francisco. Jan. 18. (U.R)--
Three northern California river,
topped or neared flood stage to
day after a series of snow and
rain storms which drenched the
area during the past 10 days.
Skies generally began to clear
today, although the U.S. weather
bureau said occasional rain
would fall north of San Jose-
Stockton line today and Thurs
day. The rivers, all reported at or
near flood stage, were the Eel in
Humboldt county; the Van
Duzen, a tributary of the Eel and
the Snake river in Del Norte
county. In addition, Redwood
creek burst out of its banks 42
miles north of Eureka and flood
ed the town of Orick.
Water covered U.S. Highway
101 at two sections near Eureka,
although traffic still was getting
through. Fortuna, a small com
munity on the highway, report
ed "some water" over the high
way but there was no danger of
a serious flood.
fuge from the midwest floods
and authorities warned that
22,000 more might be forced to
evacuate their homes within a
few days.
Almost 800 families took to
high ground in western Ken
tucky. Hardest hit were -the
towns of Sturgis, Calhoun, Eddy
ville, Smithland, Rumsey and
Caseyville.
Families Flee Area
More than 900 families fled
from the "swamp east" area of
Missouri across the Mississippi
from Cairo, 111., where engineers
were consdering blowing up the
Madrid-Birds Point levee to re
duce pressures along more vital
bulwarks of the "father of
waters."
The flood danger extended
along almost 500 miles of river
line including the Wabash, Ohio
and Mississippi rivers.