iff
tart
Eugene Democrat
Asks Pentagon
To Make Check
FLAMES, SMOKE SPREAD-This picture, taken by Mail '
Tribune Staff Photographer Bob Vroman from a helicop-
ter, shows vividly the size and spread of the fire which
Ifr-L.:.,, i , "Ww
SHED BURNS A shed next to a house stroyed. Its ruins, shown above, contained
owned by Travis Atchley, 1167 North Main a stove and stored property,
at., Ashland, was one of two buildings de-
Roseburg Blast Area Remains
Blocked Off; Ruins Still Hot
Roseburg, Ore.-flJPU-A large
part of the downtown area of
this lumber center of ,13,000
remained blocked off today
because of falling Jebris from
buildings hit by last Friday's
disastrous explosion and fire.
Authorities said many of
the ruins were still too hot to
be searched. Building inspec
tors planned to make a building-to-building
trip into the
area.
Police Chief Vernon Mur
doch said the city would be
restricted for an indefinite
period of time. He said the
National Guard and state po
lice, called in when a state of
emergency was declared,
would probably remain here a
week or more.
The county coroner's office
placed the death toll at 12. A
woman, earlier believed - to
have been killed in the blast,
was located alive Sunday.
Coroner C. H. Babbitt said the
victims included eight bodies
which had been identified,
three persons missing and pre
sumed dead and an unidenti
fied body which could not be
any of the presumed dead.
Authorities at first feared
the death toll would go as
high as 30. However, Babbitt
Roseburg Newspaper
Now Using Own Plant
. Roseburg-(UPD-The Roseburg
News-Review resumed pub
lishing in its own plant here
Saturday.
- The newspaper ' was pub
lished in Klamath Falls on
Friday because this city's ex
plosion and fire knocked out
electrical service. Copies of
Friday's newspaper were dis
tributed here that evening.
The front of the newspaper
office received considerable
blast damage.
fife,
said there was a chance of
finding remains of additional
victims in the rubble.
The town was calm Sunday.
Residents attended religious
services in damaged chjirches,
while i workmen set about
cleaning up the debris. Some
business establishments on
the fringe area of, the blast
planned to reopen today.
: The explosion occurred
when a truck containing four
tons of - ammonium nitrate
mixed with diesel oil and two
Bloodmobile Visit
Due Wednesday
The American Red Cross
bloodmobile will be at the
Medford Red Cross building
here on Wednesday, Aug. 12,
from 1 to 6 pjn and local
officials said that they hope
to obtain 290 pints of blood
from 350 donors.
The bloodmobile ran out of
blood about two weeks ago
and 26 "walking donors" were
called upon in three days.
Usually an average of only
four walking donors a month
are contacted.
Local blood was sent to
Roseburg area immediately
following the disaster there
last week.
Only 29 appointments for
blood donors have been made
as of this morning. Persons
wishing to donate blood may
contact the Medford Red Cross
chapter at SP 2-4405.
No Disaster Rating
Planned for Roseburg
Salem-flJPD-Gov. Mark Hat
field said today that he did
not think Roseburg would be
declared a federal disaster
area "at this time."
burned in the Ashland area over the week end. Parts
of Ashland itself can be dimly seen through the smoke
in the foreground.
tons of dynamite was set off
by a fire at a nearby supply
company. Th cause of the
fire is still not known.
Authorities have estimated
the loss at $10 million. The
Red Cross said some 650
buildings were destroyed or
damaged.
Medford Continues
To Help Roseburg
.The Medford area continued
over the week end to help
those affected by the Rose
burg blast. The local Red
Cross chapter has sent .out an
appeal for money , contribu
tions for Roseburg residents
in need of aid. Contributions
will be accepted at the Med
ford Red Cross building.
Blood from the local chapter
was sent to Roseburg, officials
reported.
Meanwhile, state police and
other " law enforcement of
ficers are continuing to patrol
the blast area to prevent loot
ing and sightseer congestion.
The Medford state police of
fice detailed three officers to
Roseburg this morning, and
three officers have been sent
from Grants Pass. Only peo
ple who have legitimat-; busi
ness in the Roseburg area are
permitted to enter the blast
area, state police said.
The majority of the men
sent to Roseburg by the Cali
fornia Pacific Utilities com
pany here have remained in
Roseburg. since Friday.
Tventy-two men, with about
18 trucks and cars, were sent
Friday from Medford, Klam
ath Falls and Grants Pass.
Two have been returned to
Ashland and the remain ier
are reported still working in
Roseburg.
4,800 Mere
Under ..Control
The stubborn fire above
Ashland that 1 has ; burned
through an estimated 4,800
to 5,000 acres since it erupted
Saturday afternoon appeared
to be nearing control late this
morning. ; ''v
Forest officials said today
that a trail has been built
completely around the .blaze
and that except for some slop
over on the southern face of
the fire - termed the "critical"
area - the blaze is under con
trol. ' ' .
An estimated 430 state and
federal firefighters .were
engaged in back-firing, fire
suppression and mop-up opera
tions this morning.,
Northerly winds kept
enough smoke in the air to
prohibit the use of ' borate
supplied airplanes this morn
ing, but the forecast for this
afternoon called for winds to
shift to the southwest and it
is expected that planes will
be called in at that time.
Backfires Set
An estimated 1,200 acres
were burned 'yesterday, most
of them in the Rogue River
National forest and some of
them in backfires that were
set to help combat the bigger
fire.
Yesterday's burn, federal
officials said, was all within
the Ashland watershed, but
below the reservoir. The criti
cal area this morning was on
top of a ridge about two miles
below the Wagner Butte look
out. x
Firefighters today face a
predicted temperature in the
middle 90's with an antici
pated low humidity reading of
about 10 per cent.
Forest service personnel
from the regional office in
Portland were reported flown,
in Saturday night.
Investigate Cause ,
Norris R. Joyce, chief in
vestigator for the state for-
kestry department in Salem,
is here trying to determine
the cause of the fire. Working
with him are -state' police and
sheriff's officers, investigat
ing the possibility that, the
fire may have been man-set.
The blaze, which started
about 1 p.m. Saturday as two
relatively small fires erupted
and burned toward each oth
er to combine, burning rap
idly through manzanita and
brush in the area above Jack
son Hot Springs shortly after
it started.
It appeared to be nearing
control late Saturday after
noon, but it blew up early
Saturday evening and flashed
through an estimated 1,000
acres in one hour. By late
Saturday night it had moved
into Douglas fir and pine for
ests and almost 2,000 acres
were involved as the flames
looked as if they were going
to move right into Ashland
itself.
FIRE AT NIGHT-The fire was plainly visible in all parts from the Ashland Loop road, looking west across the
of the valley. Hundreds of Medford residents watched it .Ashland creek canyon. (The picture was taken at f2, ex-
from hillsides. This spectacular night time picture, taken posure of a full second, on Tri-X film.) -by
Mail Tribune Reporter Eric Wentworth, was taken
Fire lines were manned by
about 300 men by that time
and the blaze once again
seemed to be nearing contain
ment. Fifteen loads of borate
were dropped on the fire Sat
urday., .wnv - ''"li
. Bit "area residents all day
yesterday could see smoke in
the hills above Ashland as
the stubborn conflagration
continued working its way
south until, by this morning's
estimate about 5,0t)0 acres
had been blackened.
City Firemen '
Ashland city firemen extin
guished spot fires on one run
this morning at the head of
Lithia rjark. The blazes were
ignited from sparks and em
bers from the forest fire.
Runs were made by firemen
yesterday on Granite st. and
Grand View dr. and to the
head of Granite st. to put out
similar fires. Firemen were
on patrol along the city limits
throughout the day yester
day. Two county roads depart
ment bull dozers and opera
tors are also at the fire line!
in the woods above Ashland,
the county court reported.
They were sent up early Sun
day morning after a call to
County Commissioner Ches
ter Wendt from' the Jackson
County civil defense. The
county also sent some hand
equipment, the county court
said.
Additional Stories and
Pictures on Page 10
Cooler Weather
Forecast in Medford
Cooler weather in the Med
ford vicinity - is anticipated
through Tuesday after four
days of 100 degree or higher
temperatures.
The Medford station of the
U.S. weather bureau antici
pated a 95 to 98 degree maxi
mum after a 101 reading yes
terday. Expected, high tem
perature Tuesday is 93.
Five-day forecast for west
ern Oregon includes a predic
tion for warmer temperatures
after Tuesday.
Yesterday's 101 marked the
15th time since July 10 that
a 100-degree or higher tem
perature reading has been re
ported by the weather station
at the airport.
Low humidit'es have ac
companied the heat with a
10 per cent reading yesterday
and a similar low figure ex
pected today. Humidity Sat
urday dropped to 11 per cent.
SCHOOL OPENING
The Applegate school will
open for classes on Wednes
day, Sept. 2, it was announced
today. Previously it was re
ported that the school would
begin the fall term on Sept. 8.
f'' ' ' ' '
Price 10 Cents
Medford
16 Pages MEDFORD, OREGON, MONDAY, AUGUST 10, 1959 No. 116
Pear Picking
Gets Start
Today in Valley
First pear picking of the
season got under way in the
Medford district today . with
one packing house starting a
small operation.
A general increase in the
picking is expected Wednes
day with wide-spread picking
next week; packing houses re
ported. '
General picking will be 12
days later than last year, but
not later than the average
picking date of Aug. 8, pear
growers reported. The delay
in picking should result in
better pear size. Tair volume
and good quality is predicted
by growers.
A grower for one packing
house is starting his picking
today. That packing house
predicts an average crop of
Bartletts with the current
size tending toward the
smaller grades. This packing
house e::pects to open Friday.
It will ship its orchard run of
pears direct to the cannery.
Another, of one of the early
packing houses . will start
picking operations in a small
way tomorrow afternoon.
Pear industry spokesmen
said they never run short of
pickers in this first stage, but
as the operation becomes
widespread do expect a picker
shortage.
No Mexican Nationals
Meanwhile, John J. Patton,
manager of the local Oregon
state employment service of
fice, said there are no Mexi
can nationals in this area, nor
are any plans being made
right now to import any.
There are approximately 200
pickers of Mexican ancestry
contracted for, Patton said.
However, these are U.S. citi
zens from Texas who have
just finished picking for the
Green Giant company in the
Walla Walla, Wash., area.
Some have already set up
quarters in the local labor
camp, Patton added.
He said that the farm labor
office has been opened at
1831 South Pacific highway
near the entrance to the ball
park.
WEATHER
FORECAST: Clearing tonight
and partly cloudy Tuesday. Low
tonight 50. High Tuesday 50.
TEMPERATURE
Highest Yesterday 101
Lowest This Morning . 50
Our Skies Tonight
Sunset today . 7:21 p.m.
Sunrise tomorrow - 5:13 a.m.
Moonset tonight 10:51 p.m.
First Quarter Aug. 11
A combination of the move
ments of the Earth and Venus
on their orbits now causes
Venus to appear to move west
ward among the stars. As a re
sult Venus rapidly leaves the
evening sky and returns as a
morning planet within a month.
Implications of
Education Act in
West
t - i-
I The 13 western states re
! ceived'18 per cent of the total
$44,300.00 that was the first
appropriation by Congress for
the , Defense Education Act,
Homer D. Babbidge Jr., told
the Western Interstate Com
mission on Higher Education
at a meeting here Sunday
morning.
Babbidge, who reported on
the implications of the Na
tional Education Act in the
west, is assistant commission
er for higher education in the
national office of education,
Washington, D. C.
The WICHE states has 20
per cent of the nation's stu
dents enrollment in college,
Babbidge said, and 14.5 per
cent of the higher degrees are
awarded in these western
states.
The speaker said that Con
gress as well as other branches
of the government are turn
ing to the office of education
for information. He said that
this change has added a new
dimension to the office's re
sponsibilities. In this new role
the office wanted to reflect
the consensus of the best
thinking of educators.
The annual meeting,, held
this year for the first time in
Oregon, was attended by 33
commissioners from 11 west
ern states. Alaska and Hawaii
did not send delegates this
year.
Student Loans
In mentioning the student
loan applications for 1959-60,
one of the defense act pro
grams, Babbidge said that the
western states had asked' for
less than Congress had appro
priated, the only region in the
United States, to do so. The
199 institutions had asked for
only $5,282,888, less by $182,
938 than that appropriated.
The western institutions
estimate that 14,379 students
will borrow an average of
$600 each during 1959 and
1960.
Dr. Charles E. Odegaard,
University of Was hington
president, stressed the need
to get the facts to legislatures
that the nation's higher edu
cation institutions cannot be
Castel Gandolfo, Italy-flJPD-Pope
John" XXIII has given
permission to Roman Catho
lics throughout the world to
eat meat this Friday because
it comes on the eve of the
Feast of the Assumption.
Dayton, Ore.-OIPD-The Yam
hill river near here was par
tially clogged today after a
series of landslides. River traf
fic in some spots was on a
one-way basis.
Explained
54th Year
Tribune
appraised by measures of en
rollment and classroom space,
WICHE was organized fol
lowing World War II for the
purpose of arranging for the
exchange of studies in the
professional fields to avoid
the expense of unnecessary
duplication. Since that time
it has become a research and
planning agency on a wider
scale..
Picnic Changed
A picnic Sunday evening in
Ashland Lithia park had to be
changed due to the U. S. for
est service fire, camp head
quarters held there. The pic
nic was held in Hawthorne
park here with the group
traveling to Ashland for the
Oregon Shakespearean Festi
val's production of 'Twelfth
Night" afterwards.
The meeting adopted a res
olution expressing recognition
and appreciation to Medford
and school district officials
for their assistance.
The sessions closed today at
noon following the annual
business meeting. Elected
chairman to replace Fred D.
Bagg Jr., president emeritus
of the University of Califor
nia, was Richard A. Harvill,
president of the University of
Arizona. Vice chairman is Dr.
Alfred M. Popma, Boise, Ida
ho, physician.
The 1960 meeting will be
held in Seattle, Wash.
'We've Decided To
Governor's Office
Says Probe Welcome
Salem-flJPD-Gov Mark Hat
field's office said today an in
vestigation of the governor's
use of a National Guard plane
to attend the governors con
ference in Puerto Rico would
be "welcome."
Hatfield was called to task
for using the plane by Rep.
Keith Skelton (D-Eugene) in
a speech at Pendleton Sun
day. Travis Cross' Hatfield's
Dress secretary, said use of
the plane was authorized by
the National Guard bureau in
Washington, D.C.
Skelton asked the pentagon
to check to see if Hatfield
was entitled to the plane. In
a telegram to Sen. Richard
Neuberger (D-Ore.) Skelton
noted that Louisiana Gov.
Earl Long had had to pay tor
unauthorized use of a guard
plane.
No Comparison
But the governor's office
said there was no comparison
between Long's use of the air
craft and Hatfield's. Cross
said the flight to Miami and
back was no additional ex
pense to th Guard as the
planes regularly fly training
missions anyway.
He added that the governor
made the flight from Miami
to San Juan by commercial
airliner and that the six Ore
gon delegates' expenses were
paid by the Puerto Rican gov
ernment during the confer
ence.
Skelton also was critical ef
Neuberger and Oregon's other
Democratic Senator, Wayne
Morse, for the controversy be
tween them.
"It's time they stop acting
like children and take up the
business of legislation," he
said.
Accidents Kill
Nine in Oregon
By United Press International
At least nine persons died
in Oregon traffic accidents
during the week end.
Leroy Linton Love, 26, and
Mary Ann Martin, 25. both
of Eugene, were killed early
Sunday when Miss Martin's
car collided with a parked
truck south of Salem.
Harold Ernest layes, 27,
and Wilma Louise Williams,
15, both of Lakeview, and
Ken Williams, 21, Burns,
were killed in the collision of
a gravel trurk and their car
north of Burus Saturday.
William H. Hastings, 36,
Eugene, was killed Sunday in
a head on collision north of
Eugene.
An Oswego woman, .Mrs.
Doreen Berg Taylor, 29, was
killed Saturday when a car
in which she was riding
crashed into a guard railing
on the Baldock freeway.
Glenda Marie Sandvik, 16,
Portland, was killed Saturday
when a car crashed into a
guard rail near Troutdale.
Mrs. Lois Mary L. Allen,
29, Portland was killed Sun
day when her car went out
of control and crashed near
Tillamook.
Try Underriding It"
S S ires
mm
9
'Qck Tmik
Ppeim