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PLANE CRASH KILLS MEDFORD MAN John C. Bieghler, 29, Medford, was killed when
the light plane he was piloting stalled, went into a tail-spin and crashed on the Sams Valley sec
ondary highway two miles west of Sams Valley at 12:25 p.m. yesterday. The plane is shown in the
above picture as it appeared right after the crash. Spectators from Medford and surrounding areas
were kept from getting too close to the wreckage by a state police officer. The nose of the plane
was completely smashed in by the impact, and the pilot had to be cut from the wreckage.
Master Criminals
Hunted By Police
In New York Area
New York, Jan. 30 (U.R)
Two master criminals, one a real
life "Raffles" and the other a
"Jimmy Valentine," hid out with
their gangs today from police
and FBI agent-! after three thefts
netted $575,500 In 48 hours.
The "Raffles" thief master
minded the Saturday night bur
glary of $428,000 in jewels and
$500 in cash from Maxine Moore
Sanson, 32, former model and
wife of millionaire hosiery com
pany President Stanton D. San
son. This was the biggest jewel
robbery in New York's criminal
history.
Rose Home Looted
"Raffles" also may have been
the leader of the three-man gang
which looted half-pint showman
Billy Rose's home of $100,000 in
jewels and furs Thursday night,
police said.
But it was a "Jimmy Valen
tine" police and FBI agents
sought for the burglary in sub
urban Babylon on Long Island of
$47,000 in cash and traveler's
checks from the Suffolk County
Federal Savings & Loan asso
ciation Saturday night..-.
That all three of the recent
robberies here had been planned
by master criminals was appar
ent in the fact that law officers
had virtually no clues to work
with.
Mystery Fiction
"Raffles," a suave jewel thief
of English mystery ficlion, al
ways left his pursuers empty
handed of clues.
"Jimmy Valentine." an Amer
ican fictional criminal, was able
to crack any safe, and often op
ened them merely by listening to
the lock's tumblers, disdaining
the crudities of introglycerine or
dynamite.
Labor Party Favored
In British Elections
London, Jan. 30 (U.R) Two
British public opinion polls in
dicated today a favorable trend
for the ruling labor party in the
British general elections on
February 23.
The Daily Express, Lord Bea
verbrook's mass circulation con
servative morning newspaper,
said its weekly poll showed new
losses in conservative support.
The poll also showed that 62
per cent of all persons polled
thought labor would win the
election. Only 26 per cent of
those polled thought Winston
Churchill's conservative party
would win.
The liberal News Chronicle
prominently displayed the latest
Gallup poll, giving the labor
partv a slight margin of the
straw votes cast for the first
time since last April.
New School Building
Destroyed By Blaze
Tacoma, Wash., Jan. 30 (U.R)
A two-alarm fire today destroy
ed a new 12-room semi-perma
nent school building in the Sa
lishan housing project area
here.
The building was not yet oc
cupied by students. School Su
perintendent Howard Goold
said damage would be "at least
S100.000."
No injuries were reported.
Ingrid Bergman's Husband
Agrees to Speedy Divorce
Hollywood. Jan. 30 (U.R)
Ingrid Bergman's husband has
received "third hand" informa
tion which "seemed to clarify"
whether or not she is pregnant,
his spokesman said today.
Representatives of the actress
husband. Dr. Peter Lindstrom.
wouldn't say exactly what the
WEATHER
FORECAST: Partly cloudy with
snow flurries mostly In moun
tains tonight. Increasing and
thickening, cloudiness Tues
day. Near 20 tonight.
Temp.
Highest Yesterdav 32
Lowest this Morning
Prec. to 4:3S A.M. Today II
' Of : m
"ft -
Two-Nation
Spurs Plane Search
Whitehorse. Y.T.. Jan. 30-
U.R) A two-nation air armada
spurred on by a determined
RCAF officer's "we will find
them today" fanned out over
frozen sub-Arctic terrain in
search of a missing C-54 trans
port today despite plunging
temperatures and darkening
skies.
The missing airforce trans
port carrying 44 persons, in
cluding a woman and baby son,
disappeared Thursday.
Royal Canadian Air force
Commodore M. Costello's opti
mistic forecast was based on the
increasing number of planes in
the air, and the narrowing of
the search to two "priority
areas."
RCAF search sauadrons be
gan taking off at 7 a.m. (PST).
More U.S. planes joined the
RCAF ships every hour as the
search was intensified.
The priority areas were set
up after residents sent persist-
Telephone Strike
Strategy Awaited
Washington, J a n. 30 (u.rt
Government mediators dug in to
day for a threatened strike at
any time" by 100,000 telephone
workers.
President Joseph A. Bierne of
the Communications Workers of
America (CIO) readied an "im
portant" afternoon statement on
strike strategy.
William N. Margolis and Peter
Seitz, top aides of Federal Media
tion Direct Cyrus S. Ching.
planned a meeting with Bierne
before his news conference.
Negotiations with five Bell
System units employing the 100.
000 workers have been stalled
for weeks in some cases, for
months.
Union divisions representing
another 150,000 telephone work
ers are scheduled to open nego
tiations with 16 other Bell com
panies on Wednesday. They
speeded up strike authorization
votes to back up their demands.
The union is asking for more
pay, a shorter work week, short
er apprentice periods and im
proved pension benefits.
Permit Lack Delays
Opening Of KRCO
Prineville, Ore., Jan 30 (U.R)
Radio Station KRCO failed to
start broadcasting as planned
yesterday because noffication
from the federal communica
tions commission didn't arrive,
a spokesman said.
But distinguished visitors who
came to help launch the new.
1.000 watt station made recorded
speeches which will be broadcast
when KRCO docs open with of
ficial sanction.
Gov. Douglas McKay, Sen.
Wayne Morse and Portland May
or Dorothy McCullough Lee
were among the 300 visitors at
the studio.
Mauuu was i-unmii-m ufjun im
ports of equipment tests, the sta
tion said. The reports were air
mailed Fridav to Washington,
D. C.
Permission was expected to
permit an opening by noon to
day or Tuesday morning.
information told them nor how
it was received.
But as result of it, Lindstrom
agreed today to let her get a
speedy Valentine's day divorce
to marry her Italian sweetheart.
Film Director Roberto Rossel
linl. Lindstrom added, however,
that he will file his own suit to
divorce the star in California,
as soon as they can settle cus
tody of their 11-year-old daugh
ter. Pia, "to the child's best in
terest." The doctor, who said he just
received "clarification" of re
ports his wife is soon having a
baby, decided not to fight her
hurrv-up divorce in Juarez.
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Armada
ent reports of explosions, flares
and lights.
One very dangerous area in
the immediate vicinity of White
horse remained unchecked be
cause of dangerous weather
conditions. Lt. Col. E. R. Strause
directing search operations for
the U.S. air force, said this
area would be checked later
today.
The area from Northway,
Alaska, to Edmonton, Alta., was
being blocked off in 30 square
mile grids with planes assigned
to each grid.
Commodore Costelio admit
ted his prediction was "very op
timistic" but said "if the excel
lent visibility ' holds out, I feel
we will find the plane today."
Costelio took charge of the
search yesterday.
The search was the biggest
and costliest in the history of
the northwest. More than 7,000
men were engaged in the opera
tion which .already has cost
more than $1,000,000.
Washington. Jan. 30 (U P.) The
air force maue punnc lonay mis pa
senner list of the C-54 transport miss.
Ing In Canada since Thursday: Eldon
V. IJolansKy. sunnysme. wosn: mrs.
Jovce M. Esne. Anchorane. Alaska;
Victor E. Espe, Elmendorf air force
hase: IVSRt. Jack 1. l-zrls, nousion,
Tex.; SSnt. Rotwtrt E.- Atiearn; Charl
ton Cltv. Mass.; S SrI. Bnrnls T. Lively,
LonR Branch. W. Va.; S'Sgt. Haymonci
G. Mimitold. Rodney. Ark.; S'Sgl. John
J. McDonald, Lowell, Mass.; S Sgl.
Clinton D. Tomkins, Langeley, Wash.;
Sgt. Ray L. Asel, Los Angeles; Sgt.
Donald W. Dagle. Hawarden. la.; Sgt.
Noel B. Jones. Harllngton, Tex.; SgL
Roy F. Jones, Marietta, Ga.
Sgt. Junior Lee Moore. Montgomery.
Pa.; Sgt. Harold R. Noell. Nebraska,
Citv, Nru.; Sgt. Tommy E. Rhoads,
Flint. Mich.; Sgt. Julian C. Thomas.
Lake City. S. C; Cpl. Albie P. Baugh
man, Tioga, Tex.; Cpl, Henry S. Kercn
ner. Thomasville. Pa.; Cpl. Jeff D.
Johnson. Allentown. N.J.; Cpl. Ray
mond H. Malheny. McKenr.ic, Tenn.;
Cpl. Bernard Portrey. Preston, Neb.;
Cpl.. Richard L. Suggs. Crossville.
Tonn.; Cpl. Thomas J. Voting. Sulphur
Rock. Ark.; Pfc. John A. Chalpka
Richmond, Mo ; Pfc. Charles W. Cook.
Van Dyke. Mich.; Pfc. Billle C. Cym
mins. Corbln, Ky.
Pfc. Francis B. Hofer. Seattle; Pic.
Herman L. Lawson, Pauline, S.C.;
Pfc. Loyd E. Lowry, Mustoe. Va.; Pfc.
William W. Cranor. Dallas. Tex.; Pvt.
Robert M. Hlatt. Toppenish,. Wash ;
Pvt. Blake F. Maxwell. Lynn, Wasst;
Pvt. Robert J. Reltmeyer. St. Louis.
Mo.; Capt. Frank E. Gregory. Eielson
AFB, Alaska: SSgt. Jack E. Dicker
son, Dunsmuir, Cal.
Names and addresses of the eight
crew members previously were releas
ed from Biggs air fore base, San An
tonio, Tex.
1st Lt. Kyle E. McMichael. plane
commander, San Antonio, Tex.; Maj.
Gerald F. Brittaln, pilot. Akron, O.;
1st Lt. Joseph W. Metzler, navigator,
St. Louis. Mo.; Sgt. Clarence A. Gib
son, radioman. Grady. Ala.; M.'Sgt.
Clvde A. Ktroitmann, engineer. Ren
frew. Pa.; TSgt. Harry W. McCoegly,
engineer, Albion, Pa.; SSgt. Raymond
A. Snow, engineer, Fort Worth, Tex.:
1st Lt. Mike Tlslk, co-pilot, Welisburg.
W. Va.
Red Border Guards
Relax Restrictions
Berlin, Jan. 30 U.R) the
backlog of Berlin-bound trucks
P'led up at Helmstcdt by the
Russian baby blockade disap
peared today when Soviet bor
der guards relaxed traffic re
strictions. Trucks were passed through
Ihe Soviet checkpoint at the
rate of eight to 10 an hour com
pared to a low of two an hour
last week. West German police
said a backlog of 60 trucks piled
up at Helmstedt last night was
gone by 6 a.m. today.
End of the baby blockade was
signalled during the week-end
when east German police an
nounced the ending of what
they called "document orienta
tion week."
Parents' Education
Theme Of- Talks Here
According to one of the more
modern theories regarding pres
ent education patterns, adults
cannot be considered fully edu
cated unless as children, they
have been taught how to be
"social beings." Academic learn
ing and the basic "three R's" are
not enough. That is the thesis ot
talks being given here by Drs.
Ray Hawk and Jack McAuley of
the Southern Oregon college
faculty.
At a Washington school PTA
Dad's night program last week
Dr. Hawk spoke on the history
of education and the background
for the modern trends. Dr. Mc
Auley spoke on the efforts, ex
periments, and results in obtain-j
nig those objectives.
Medford
44th .Year 8 Pages MEDFORD, OREGON, MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 1950 No. 262
PILOT DIES IH CRASH OF PLANE
John C. Bieghler
Victim As Craft
Strikes Highway
Stall At Low Altitude
Said Accident Cause
Crash of a light aircraft on
state highway No. 234 two miles
west of Sams Valley at about
12:25 p.m. yesterday, fatally in
jured the pilot, John C. Bieghler.
20, 704 McAndrews road, Med
ford. Bieghler was brought to the
Sacred Heart hospital where he
died at 2:10 p.m.
eyewitnesses to the crash, in
cluding Bieghler's brother-in-law,
Burle Burreson, told state
police that Biegler was flying
low around the area, circling
and "putting on a show" for
friends and relatives. The plane
stalled at an altitude of about
500 feet, and went into a
straight-down tail-spin, crashing
on the highway, they said. Biegh
ler was literally cut out of the
wreckage by State Police Officer
James O. Joy, and ambulance
attendants.
See Crash
In addition to Biegler's broth
er-in-law, other eyewitnesses to
the crash included Albert
Straus, who lives about' one
block from where the crash took
place, and his son Dalton and
daughter Doreen. Paul Schulz,
another neighbor, also saw the
crash. The group was sitting in
Vars watching the activities of
the plane overhead before the
accident occurred.
Ernest Picrcy, proprietor of
the airfield from which Biegh
ler was flying, said yesterday
he believed the crash to have re
sulted from the plane's stalling
at insufficient altitude. This is
the first accident in flying front
the Piercy field, lie said, in more
than 1,700,000 miles of flying.
The plane was a 1946 Taylor-
craft. Bieghler had been flying
for about two years, Piercy said,
and was nearly ready tq take an
examination for his commercial
pilot's license.
Was Veteran
Biegler was building supplies
manager of the Montgomery
Ward store here, for about three
years. He was a technical ser
geant in the field artillery dur
ing the war, serving with the
fifth armv in Italy, and was sta
tioned at Camp White for a time.
In 1943 he was married to the
former Helen Burreson, of Sams
Valley. They were the parents
of two boys, Douglas, three, and
Donald, five.
Besides his widow and chil
dren, he leaves his parents, Mr.
and Mrs. Dewey fs. juiegnier,
Denver. Colo., a brother and a
sister in San Francisco, and
another sister in Denver. His
parents are en route here.
Conger-Morris Funeral home
is in charge of funeral arrange
ments, with details to be an
nounced later.
Heavy Toll Feared
In Southern Iran
Telman. Iran. Jan. 30 (U.R)
A heavy death toll was feared
today in two remote sections of
southern Iran hit by lloods ana
earthquakes in the past five days.
An official report from ani
dan, 750 miles southeast near
the Pakistan border, said 500
persons perished in floods
which washed away two thirds of
the city. No other details were
available.
Another report said 1,000 per
sons were killed in an earth
quake which rocked the Port
Kangan area on me souinwcsi
Persian gulf 180 miles south of
Bushire five days ago.
Three truckloads of army
troops, doctors and nurses were
dispatched to Kangan irom
Bushire. Reports from Bushire
said that the Iranian warship
Pcland arrived there this morn
ing en route to Kangan.
Major Coal Fields
Closed By Strikers
Pittsburgh, Jan. 30 U.R)
Rebelling united mine workers
closed the nation's major coal
fields today convinced they
were winning their "no contract;
no work" strike.
With the miners' revolt against
John L. Lewis' three-day work
week spreading, President Tru
man weighed the problem of in
tervening to protect the nation's
scant coal supplies.
Jubilant rank-and-file leaders
of the strikers declared their
drive for a showdown was "in
the home stretch." Reports from
the coal fields indicated produc
tion was at the lowest poinl
since the wildcat walkouts start
ed three weeks ago.
Facilities Inspected
For Feasibility of
Constructing H-Bomb
Washington. Jan. 30 (U.R)
Congressional atomic officials al
ready have inspected atomic fa
cilities to determine the feasibil
ity of building the super-hydrogen
bomb, it was announced to
day. Chairman Brion McMahon of
the joint congressional atomic
energy committee disclosed that
committee members have in
spected the plants and conferred
with the military chiefs and the
nation's top-ranking scientists on
the H-bomb problem.
May Take Vote
McMahon indicated that a vote
(Arma Tclrphnlo)
MISS PAPER CUP Actress Pat
Williams, dubbed "Miss Paper
Cup of WO" by the Paper Cup
Institute of America, steps Into a
king-size cup in Hollywood to
prove she fills the bill or the cup.
School Name Contest
Deadline Hearing
Central Point, Jan. 30 The
contest to name the new high
school, which will be
erected here, ends at 4 p.m. on
Wednesday, February 1, seventh
and eighth grade and high school
students in school district No. 6
were being reminded today.
Superintendent H. P. Jewett
reported that students at Central
Point so far have turned in
about 75 entries. Principal Al
bert Straus said that about 10
had been received at the Gold
Hill school office.
Selection of Judges is now be
ing completed. There will be one
judge from each of the five for
mer districts now making up
district No. 6.
Entries are to write their sug
gestions in ink on 8V4 by 11-inch
notebook paper and give a reas
on for the choice in 50 words or
less. The winner will receive $25.
Train, Car Collide,
No One Said Injured
Citv police said that Harold
W. Smith, route 3. box 130,
escaped apparently unhurt
about 10:45 a.m. today when the
sedan he was driving struck a
freight train at the Fourth street
railway crossing.
One side of Smith's car was
reported badly damaged. Police
slated that Smith told them that
the did not see the train in time
to avoid he mishap. Engineer of
the train was said td be John
Young, Roscburg.
Road Conditions
Chains were an absolute
necessity for travel oyer the
Siskiyou and Greensprings
mountain passes and were re
quired on the Redwood high
way and on highway 99 north
orer Sexton mountain, state
police said this noon.
There were 10 inches of
new snow on the Sisklyous
and Greensprings this morn
ing, temperature fell to 19 de
grees and snow was falling
again this noon, according to
police. The two highway
routes were "slick." Snow was
on highway 99 north to Port
land, United Press said constant
plowing kept Oregon high
ways open today despite the
snow. All major routes except
McKenzie pass and east and
west Diamond lake roads,
closed earlier, were open.
hli 1M
U.'vj-Lr Tss m I; .Ti: . -,
might be taken soon on the is
sue. He said that he. himself, has
informed President Truman of
his "personal views." Mr. Tru
man will make the decision
whether or not to build the
H-bomb.
McMahon's disclosures were
marie shortly after David E.
Lilienthal, retiring chairman of
the atomic energy commission,
said that he is not opposed to
making the hydrogen bomb "as
such,"
Lilienthal said, however, thnt
the "question of whether or not
to build (the H-bomb) is not the
issue."
McMahon's statement was
made after a closed meeting with
Robert Oppenheimer. chairman
of the advisory committee for
the atomic energy commission.
To Meet Tomorrow
He said the committee took no
votes or action, but will meet
tomorrow afternoon "for fur
ther deliberations." He declined
to say whether "votes or action"
would be forthcoming at future
meetings.
Many congressmen already
stated their beliefs and appear
willing to pit any money needed
for building the hydrogen bomb.
Although Lilienthal said the
question to build or not to
build the H-bomb is not the
"issue," he declined to say what
he considers the issue to be. But
he recalled that during the war
the question frequently arose as
to where the country's resources,
brains and money best could be
used.
Show Being Presented
At Camp While ! Today
Patients and personnel of the
Camp White domiciliary center
were to be entertained this aft
cmoon and evening by a con
tinental review sponsored by
Veteran Hospital Camp shows.
The review is described as "col
orfully costumed and gay," fea
turing dancing, singing and
music.
Sergei Malovsky. conductor
and pianist, will conduct the re
view in which international per
formers will appeal- including
Eugene Sablin, Marilvn Stevens
Tannga Tavas, Claire Markoff,
Alexandria Yablonowsky, Vladi
mir Fedchenko, Ann Coolidge
and Andrew Hamshay.
The review was presented this
afternoon in the center's theater
and will be tonight in the Infirm
ary and the theater. Veteran Hos
pital Camp shows appear in 100
veterans' hospitals in 43 states.
Man Jailed After
Alleged Altercation
Duff Pirtle, Jacksonville, is
held in the county jail in connec
tion with an altercation Involv
ing Mr. a'nd Mrs. George Dart
ing, also of Jacksonville, at Jack
sonville Saturday night, accord
ing to Btate and Medford city
ponce reports.
City police said they learned
at Community hospital that Dart
ing suiicrea a cut ioreneaa ana
lip nnd other head injuries and
Mis. Darting a severely lacer
ated nose. 1
Streamliner Gets Away
As Enginemen Battle Fire
Kittitas. Wash.. Jan. 30 (U.R)
The engineer and fireman of the
Milwaukee streamliner "Hiawa
tha" stopped their nine-car train
and climbed out of the cab to
investigate a small fire in one of
the electric motors last night.
The train, carrying nearly 200
passengers, had just covered
the six-mile uphill run from
Kittitas to Rcnslow, Wash.
As Engineer Edward Maxwell
and Fireman A. R. Liberty
fought the blaze underneath the
engine, they forgot that one of
them should be checking the air
brakes.
Train Starts To Move
Suddenly the train started to
move.
Maxwell and Liberty jumped
clear but treacherous undcr
fnollng prevented them from get
ting back aboard. As the pair
watched, horror-stricken, the
train picked up momentum and
sped backwards down the hill
toward Kittitas.
Conductor W. B. Hollcnbeck
alerted the rest of the train crew.
As Hollcnbeck stood on the rear
platform of the observation car.
frantically waving a red signal
light. Brakeman T. Barton, aid
ed by porters and the baggage
man, raced from car to car set
ting hand brakes.
Most of the passengers, used
to delays caused by slides, were
unaware of what was happening
Later, train officials said, "I
Tribune
January Continues
Winter Antics As
More Snow Falls
Low Pressure Trough
Brings Renewed Storm
January, 1950, continued its
presentation of winter weather
here over the week-end, when
the tail-end of a low pressure
area which came inland from
the Washington state coastline
swung over the Rogue valley,
again blanketing the area with
a covering of snow.
Three inches were recorded
here, with seven inches at
Grants Pass, 10 inches in Ash
land, and four in Jacksonville.
The snow began at about 2
p.m. Sunday, continuing in flur
ries until about 10 p.m. It began
again at 1:20 a.m. today, and one
inch tell between then and at
4 a.m. From 4 to 6:30 a.m., when
the fall let up, an additional two
inches fell. The three inches of
snow contained only .22 of an
inch of water.
More Snow
Maximum temperature yester
day was freezing 32 degrees,
and the minimum last night was
27. Possibility of more snow in
Medford, with colder tempera
tures to prevent that still on the
m-ound from melting, was fore
cast by the weather bureau. The
temperature will go aown ciose
to 20 degrees tonight, the bureau
said.
The storm made travelling
hazardous on mountain routes,
but traffic was moving with
rhnins.
Only one minor accident In
Medford was attributed to the
weather, state police said, but
streets were "slippery as the
light, fluffy snow was pucKea
down by the first cars, ana Be
fore it became slushy.
City police today cautioned
at least one motorist for haul
ing children on a sled behind an
automobile, they said, and added
that this is an extromcly hazard
ous practice.
Safeway Manager,
Son Kidnap Victims
Portland, Ore., Jan. 30 !U.R)
Detectives had few clues today to
a pair of masked gunmen who
kidnapped a Safeway store man
ager and his son Saturday night
and forced the manager to open
the store safe at guhpoint.
The amount of money taken
from the safe was unknown, The
only written record, a bank de
posit slip, was still in the post
office's week-end mail pile.
Store Manager Wesley K.
Bailey said the gunmen entered
his home and as one of them
forced his wife to stand and face
a wall, the other took him and
his son, Bob, 14, to the store in
an automobile.
After looting the safe, the ban
dit drove Bailey and his son back
home. Then the pair cut tele
phone lines and told the Baileys
to face a living room wall for 10
minutes while they made their
escape.
The apparently well-planned
robbery lasted only 20 minutes.
guess they thought It was just a
bit of backtracking caused by
snow on the tracks.
Reaches Depot
As the train rattled down the
foothill of the Saddle mountains,
Engineer Maxwell stumbled
wiiuiiKii anus ana reacnea ine
Renslow depot. He telephoned
the Kittitas station agent.
"I've lost my train . . . It's
headed your way!" he shouted.
The station agent looked out the
window. Down the tracks at a
30-mile-an-hour clip came the
Hiawatha. But by then the hand
brakes were beginning to take
effect.
The runaway train finally
slopped just beyond the depot.
The unscheduled ride which be
gan at 8:09 p. m., had taken 14
minutes.
Later, after a helper engine
brought Mnxwcll and Liberty
here from Renslow, Superintend
ent A. L. Thor questioned the
embarrassed pair.
Not Blamed
"They didn't want to talk
about it," Thor said. "Fortunate
ly, there were no other trains In
the path of the Hiawatha."
Thor said: "While Maxwell
and Liberty were trying to put
out the fire they forgot that one
of them should have been peri
odically bringing up the air in
the brakes. However, they can't
be blamed, because they wore too
busy fighting the blaze."
IS-Fooi Drills
Outside Portland
Block Traffic
Inland Empire Swept
By Sub-Zero Weather
By United Press
An icy wind pummcled north
western Oregon and southwest
ern Washington early today while
record snows and huge drifts
piled, up in Oregon's ordinarily
temperate Willamette valley
and the thermometer dropped to
new record lows in the Inland
Empire.
Great puffs of snow blew into
buildings, and automobiles for
awhile during the night and
drifts that reached 15 feet in
many places outside of Portland
blocked traffic and forced clos
ing of nearly all the schools in
the' area.
Three Lose Lives
The latest blizzard to hit Ore
gon took at least three lives.
Charles Oilman Davis, 58 was
Injured fatally Sunday night
when a large tree crashed down
on him about 50 yards from his
home. He had gone out to inves
tigate a power failure and anoth
er fallen tree.
Two children were found dead
of carbon monoxide poisoning in
tilt- uuck seui ui tueir parents
automobile at La Grande Sat
urday. Mr. and Mrs. R. Edmiston, .
Lincoln, Neb., were driving from
Spokane, Wash., to Biloxi, Miss.,
when the tragedy occurred. The
children, Robert, 3, and James, 1,
were sleeping In the rear seat
and were overcome by the fumes,
apparently from a defective ex
haust pipe.
The weather continued lis rec
ord breaking pace' in the Inland
Empire. The weather bureau at
Coeur d'Alene. Ida., today, re
ported a record low tempera
ture of 30 below zero. Yesterday
the thermometer dropped to 29
below. Lake Coeur d'Alene's 47
square miles were frozen over.
At Spokane, Wash., the temper
ature was 24 below zero early
yesterday, the lowest in 62 years.
It was 18 below at 8 a.m. today.
In Oregon Multnomah county
road equipment was pressed into
service to plow through an es
timated 300 miles of county
roads closed by drifts.
CorbcU, east of Portland, was
isolated and the old Columbia
river highway was closed nt
Sprlngdalo. The water-lcvql Col
umbia highway was blocked at
Corbctl station and all north
south roads east of 122nd ave
nue and north of NE Halscy
street were reported blocked.
"We have lots of 15-foot drifts
to battle through." said Assist
ant Roadmaster Paul C. North
rup. "On Sidel road near Spring
dale there Is a drift 22 feet high."
Northrop said that if the wind
subsides, the county hoped to
have all routes open to at least
one way traffic by Wednesday.
Official 15 Degrees
Portland's official airport tem
perature minimum was 15 de
grees but many householders re
ported readings below 10 on
their porches. Some of the wind
blown snow even penetrated
doors and windows, residents
reported.
Heaviest snow In the latest
blizzard fell in the Portland area,
where from four to eight inches
were recorded in various parts
of the city. Salem also caught
the brunt of the storm with more
than six inches and schools in
both Salem and Portland, with
a few exceptions, were closed.
Trains Late
Trains wore reported "many
hours late" on nearly all lines.
Busses also operated on delayed
schedules and there was no ser
vice between Portland and The.
Dalles on the Columbia river
highway. Busses to eastern Ore
gon were going over the Mt.
Hood loop and Wapanitia cutoff,
then to The Dalles. Airlines re
ported, however, they were on
near-normal schedules from the
Portland airport.
Pendleton was Oregon's cold
est reporting weather station ear
ly today with 17 degrees ooiow
zero. Baker followed with a
minus 15, Bend with a minus 8
and Burns with a minus one.
The Dalles had one above, On
tario 4. Eugene and Portland 15,
Klamath Falls 18. Medford 27,
Newport and North Bend 31.
97 Persons Visit
Park Over Week-End
Crater Lake National park
had a total of 97 visitors over
the week end, 89 of them skiers,
park headquarters here reported
today. No skiing accidents were
reported. The ski tow was brok
en at noon Sunday but was ex
pected to be back in service by
next week-end.
There are 18 Inches of new
snow at the park, making a total
snowfnll this month' of 308
inches. It has packed and settled,
however, to a present depth of
135 inches.
West and south entrance roads
are open to one-way traffic, the
park service reported, but the
road from government camp to
the lake rim is temporarily
closed.
Maximum park temperature
the past 24 hours was 14 degrees;
minimum was 9 degrees, and at
8:30 a.m. today the mercury
stood at 10 degrees.