nrnpcT MirwSPAPFR TM AT.ASK A— MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
VOL. LIV No. 84
4 Believed Dead
In Pioneer Hotel
Fire In Fairbanks
FAIRBANKS, (/P) — Four or
more persons were believed dead
and several were reported missing
in a Fairbanks hotel fire that
may reach the proportions of a
major disaster.
Nine persons were in a hospital,
two of them in critical condition.
The fire was in the Pioneer
Hotel, where there were approxi
mately 250 occupants, at about
midnight.
Scores of guests jumped from
windows, and others leaped to a
building next door.
Guests who escaped from the
third floor, estimated up to 50
persons were burned to death.
But night clerk David Little
field, who raced through the
building warning sleeping guests,
said he believed this estimate
was far too high. He escaped with
the guest list and authorities were
attempting to check the list but
they were handicapped by the
fact that many of the guests es
caped with little or no clothing
and left the scene of the fire to
seek other shelter. They were
scattered all over the city.
Fire Chief E. B. Wood cox said
there was no \^ay of estimating
the death toll.
Chief o*f Police Floyd Clower
said “All we know is that we sent
nine to the hospital, including one
fireman. We haven’t found a
single body. The building is too
hot to get near and it may be
days before we can check the
charred ashes to seek human re
mains.”
Two of the nine persons hospit
alized were in critical condition.
One of them was identifed as Bob
Vanderpool, an employee of the
Alaska Freight Lines.
Two guests Cy Hughes and Has
kell Dickerson of Fairbanks, were
the only two from the third floor,
where the fire was centered, who
could be found outside the struc
ture.
Night clerk Littlefield said that
of the four he believes are defin
itely missing, one was a nine
year-old girl who had been left
alone in her room by her parents.
Nothing remained of the build
ing but charred embers and
warped sheet metal two hours
after the fire was reported.
Seattle Climbers
Ascend Mt. Augusta
SEATTLE, (/P) — Members of
Seattle’s King Peak-Yukon expecU
ition have reported the first
ascent of 14,100-foot Mt. Augusta.
The hitherto unclimbed peak is
located in the southwest corner of
Yukon Territory, near Mt. Logan.
Some of the climbers, who have
to get back early, now are walk
ing out to civilization, while four
others, including Pete Schoening,
expedition leader, are setting up
a high camp for an attempt on
17,130-foot King Peak, which re
cently was climbed for the first
time by a party from the Uni
versity of Alaska. The Seattle
climbers will try King by another
route.
New Law Signed Provides
Civilian Control Over
Military Spending
WASHINGTON, (/P)—President
Truman approved an act Monday
authorizing $2,398,282,000 for
military construction — mostly
secret air bases. But the new law
also provides for closer controls
over military spending.
Most of the Air Force fund is
tabbed for secret airfields from
Japan to Europe. They are for
use only by U.S. forces and are
separate from the fields to be
used by Mutual Security Forces.
The law carries a requirement
that military chiefs must obtain
approval by both the Senate and
House Armed Services Commit
tees before they can go* ahead
with classified or secret projects.
Another provision directs the
Defense Department to create a
new office of Director of Instal
lations, to be manned by a civilian
to maintain direct control over all
military building.
The act also reduces the maxi
mum cost for permanent barracks
construction from $2,000 a man
to $1,700. Temporary barracks
costs must be held to $1,400 and
bachelor officers’ quarters to
$5,000.
Survivors of B-17 Search
Plane Crash Recovering
ANCHORAGE, UP) — All seven
survivors of a B-17 crash in the
mountain wilds near the Alaska
Yukon border were reported by
the Air Force Monday to be re
covering satisfactorily here.
Only one of the survivors was
in serious condition with severe
burns, and he was said Jo be im
proving. Four others had varying
degrees of burns and bruises,
while two escaped with only
minor bruises.
Rescuers said it was remark
able only one of the crew of five
officers and three enlisted men
was killed.
The Air Force said the B-17
search bomber of the 10th Air
Rescue Squadron crashed and
burned near Snag, Y.T., in the
area it had been assigned to hunt
for a Royal Canadian Air Force
Mitchell bomber missing in the
Yukon since June 30 with four
men aboard.
- w
Superforts Make .
Greatest Air Strike
Of Korean War
SEOUL, (/P) — B - 29 Superfort
resses took over at dusk Friday
to make an around - the - clock
bombing of Communist installa
tions in the North Korean capital
the greatest Allied air blow of
the war.
Sixty -five Superforts followed
waves of fast United Nations fight
er-bombers which left Pyongyang,
the capital, and its environs in
flames during daylight raids.
More than 1,400 tons of bombs
were loosed on the rubbled area
in a record 1,254 sorties (individ
ual flights).
A record 1,330 sorties against
Pyongyang and other targets Fri
day is part of a new “get tough”
policy which began with the an
nihilation of key North Korean
power installations last month.
Most Demos Agree
GOPs Nominated
Their Best Man
(By the Associated Press)
Democrats predicted Saturday
they would whip the GOP Eisen
hower-Nixon team in November.
But most of those who commented
agreed the Republicans nominat
ed their strongest candidate for
the presidency.
The big question now was: Who
will the Democrats pin their
hopes on to beat Gen. Eisenhower?
They’ll decide that in the Demo
cratic national convention open
ing in Chicago on July 2E
The November election will be
no “pink tea” party for the Dem
ocrats, predicted James A. Farley,
former Democratic national chair
man. He told a convention of New
York State Young Democrats the
Republicans had nominated “a
very formidable candidate” and
the Democrats must select a man
“qualified in every respect.” Far
ley didn’t say whether he had
anyone in mind.
President Truman sent word to
newsmen that he had no comnient
on Eisenhower’s victory. All along
he has indicated he thought Sen.
Taft would be easier to defeat
than Eisenhower.
Anchorage Doctor Drowns
When “Seabee” Ditches
In Turnagain Arm
ANCHORAGE, (A5) — An An
chorage doctor was missing and
feared drowned in turbulent
Turnagain Arm after the forced
landing of an amphibian plane in
rough seas Saturday.
Three other members of his
fishing party made their way to
the rocky shore opposite Otter
and were snatched to safety in
a daring rescue. The missing man,
Dr. Karl F. Pelka, orthopedic
surgeon, came here from Los An
geles about three years ago.
Rescued were Mr. and Mrs.
,Nevin Boward and Harold “Tex”
Wright, pilot of the ill-fated Sea
bee.
The plane ran out of gas only
a few minutes away from Merrill
Field, its destination. Giant waves
in the fast running tide swamped
the amphibian and flipped it on
its back.
The survivors were too weak
from shock and exhaustion to be
questioned about how Dr. Pelka
was lost.
Dr. Pelka is survived by his
wife here.
Truman Signs Bill To
Permit Alaska To Share
In School Lunch Funds
WASHINGTON, (^—President
Truman signed a bill Saturday
to permit Hawaii and Alaska to
share in school lunch funds on
the same basis as the 48 states.
The school lunch act previously
limited Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto
Rico and the Virgin Islands to
three per cent of the money ap
propriated for the program.
Funds are apportioned among
the states on the basis of the
number of school - age children
and the per capital income of
each state.
Sen. Douglas of Illinois
Would Turn Alaska Over
To The Republicans
WASHINGTON, </P)—Sen. Paul
Douglas (D-Ill) said last night he
thought it would be a good idea
to turn Alaska over to the Re
publicans.
He s-aid on a national broadcast
news interview program that it
would have “a sobering effect” on
the Republicans by giving them
responsibility, while it would be
in an area where they wouldn’t
be able to do any harm to the
nation.
He made the comment in res
ponse to a question as to whether
he did’nt think it would be a
good idea to give the Republicans
the responsibility of national ad
ministration, for a change.
He replied that he thought it
would be good for the Republi
cans, but not necessarily for the
nation.
Then he interjected the com
ment about Alaska.
He had expressed high respect
for Gen. Eisenhower as a presi
dential candidate! but said he
couldn’t say the same for the Re
publican party influences that
would come into authority with
him.
Commander of Jan. 12
C-47 Crash Leaves
Note of Apology
FAIRBANKS, (/P)—'Two’ notes,
one bearing the words “I am
sorry, colonel” were found near
the body of a Sacramento, Calif.,
Air Force captain who apparently
lived for seven days beside the
wreckage of his crashed plane in
the Yukon valley.
Capt. Harvey Tilton, 37, was
one of five men aboard the C-47
transport plane when it crashed
Jan. 12. The bodies of the four
other airmen were found huddled
in a crude parachute shelter
about a mile from the plane.
Tenth A i r Rescue Squadron
crewmen theorized that Tilton
and the others parachuted from
the plane, but that Tilton was
unable to join the others after
he reached the ground.
One of the notes was a farewell
message to his wife. The other
was apparently an apology to
Tilton’s commanding officer, Col.
Edward .Moore, of Eielson Air
Force Base, for losing the plane
and its crew.
Seven marks had been scrib
bled on the note to Col. Moore,
indicating that Tilton had pos
sibly lived for seven days after
the plane plunged to earth about
150 miles north of here.
/
SUNDAY BASEBALL SCORES
(By the Associated Press)
American League
New York 11-12—Detroit 7-2
Cleveland 1-2—Washington 0-1
Philadelphia 6-4—Chicago 0-7
Boston 8-4—St. Louis 5-0
National League
Boston 4-2—Pittsburgh 0-1
Philadelphia 7-9—Chicago 3-2
Cincinnati 7-0—New York 2-4
Pacific Coast League
San Diego 7-1—San Francisco
1-0
Oakland 10-2—Portland 6-1
Los Angeles 8-1—Seattle 7-2
Hollywood 5-4—Sacramento 4-1
Union Ratification
Of Contract Will
End Ship Strike
SEATTLE, (/P)—An end to the
seven-week Sailors’ Union strike
against the Alaska Steamship Co.,
appeared imminent Monday.
The only remaining hurdle was
ratification by members of the
Sailors Union of the Pacific. The
vote was to start during the after
noon.
A tentative settlement by nego
tiators was announced Saturday
night by D. E. Skinner, vice presi
dent and general manager of the
main shipping line ter Alaska.
Skinner returned Saturday
from San Francisco, where he had
negotiated with the union after
breaking away from the negotia
tions through the Pacific Mari
time Association. Skinner said his
firm was forced to start negotia
ting on its own because the
Coastwise Line, also affiliated
with the PMA, was not affected
by the strike and was continuing
to run ships to Alaska.
Maxie Weisbarth, Seattle agent
of the union, said “it looks good”
for union membership acceptance.
He said it provides for a five per
cent pay increase and overtime
for Saturday work at sea. He said
the contract would run to Septem
ber, 1953, with a 68 - day notice
clause.
The first break in the tie-up of
the company’s 22 vessels came
Friday night when it was announ
ced the Denali would be released
to sail Wednesday with 1,500 tons
of cargo and 160 passengers.
Meanwhile, representatives of
shipowners of other West Coast
lines and the union were meeting
today in San Francisco in a re
newed effort to end the general
shipping tie-up. It is the first joint
negotiating session since June 26.
H. N. Peterson, general traffic
manager for Alaska Steam, said
that Alaska Steam has scheduled
the sailing of seven ships in seven
days from Seattle to Alaska ports,
the first ship to leave the day
after the strike ends.
\
Government Provides
Billion For Guaranteed
Home Mortgages
WASHINGTON, (flV-President
Truman Monday signed an act
opening the way for the govern
ment to boost its operations in
financing home mortgages.
The new law puts up $1,395,
000,000 for the purchase of fed
erally guaranteed home mort
gages. It also provides additional
mortgage insurance under the
FHA and veterans housing pro
grams.
The program includes an addi
tional 900 million dollars of pur
chasing power for the Federal
National Mortgage Association, a
government owned corporation
which buys mortgages from lend
ing institutions and thus estab
lishes a secondary mortgage mar
ket for private home builders.
The association — popularly
known as “Fannie May*’ because
of its initials—has now been given
$3,650,000,000 of purchasing au
i thority since It was set up.