THE DAILY ALASKA EMPIRE
UALL THE NEWS ALL THE TIMET
VOL. LXXVI., NO. 11,728
JUNEAU, ALASKA, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1951
MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
PRICE TEN CENTS
SCORES ARE KILLED IN TRAIN ACCIDENT
MEMORIAL
WOULD TRIM
THIRD DIV,
First, Second, Fourth Pro
test Allotment of Con
vention Delegates
By BOB I)E ARMOND
Seventeen members of the House
of Representatives — all of the
members, that is, from the First,
Second and Fourth Divisions —
banded together in an effort to cut
the Third Division down to size in
a proposed constitutional conven
tion.
Co-authoring a memorial just be
fore noon, the 17 Representatives
attempted to secure immediate ac
tion but were blocked by the seven
Third Division Representatives on
1 technical points.
It was obvious, however, that with
more than a two-thirds majority
of the total House membership
sponsoring the memorial, its pas
sage could be delayed only momen
tarily. A vote was expected during
the afternoon session, which was to
start at 2:15.
Protests S50
The memorial protests the pro
visions of a statehood bill intro
duced by Senator Joseph O’Ma
honey as to delegates to a constitu
tional convention for Alaska.
The bill, S50, provides for a con
stitutional convention with 31 dele
gates, apportioned as follows:
First Division, 5.
Second Division, 2.
Third Division, 10.
Delegates-at-large, 9.
This would make it possible, the
memorial points out, for the Third
Division to control the convention.
It could do this by electing six
of the nine delegates-at-large in ad
it tion to its own 10 delegates.
The memorial proposes an ap
portionment of delegates according
tc population, following the formula
fer apportionment of Represents
\i tes in the House, and that there
no delegates-at-large.
The memorial suggest the follow -
ij.g apportionment of delegates:
\Tirst Division, H.
Second Division, 3.
Third Division, 12.
Fourth Division, 8.
Recess Voted Down
A move to plao! the memorial
immediately into second reading
was blocked when Third Division
members moved foi a recess.
The motion failed, as did several
others for recess, the seven Third
Division members standing alone in
their desire for a breather.
Efforts to act upon the memorial
were stalemated by repeated mo
tions for recess, which take pre
cedence over all other matters.
Rep. Franklin moved to suspend
the rules regarding the precedence
(Continued on Page Eight)
The Washington
Merry-Go-Round
By DREW PEARSON
(Copyright, 1951, oy Bell Syndicate, Inc.)
l^ASHINGTON—Almost as inter
esting as the military secrets he re
vealed—which cannot be told—was
the human side of General Eisen
hower as he briefed the House
Armed Services and Foreign Af
fairs Committees on his recent trip
to Europe.
Ike impressed Congressmen with
his honesty and humility during the
closed-door session. There wasn't
a member present—Democrat or Re
publican—who wasn’t solidly in his
corner when it was over.
Probably the best compliment
was paid by articulate Carl Vinson
of Georgia, House Armed Services
Chairman, who didn't open his
mouth once during the entire meet
ing. As one Congressman remark
ed: “A guy has to be good to make
Carl, who dominates all our meet
ings, take a back seat.”
Eisenhower reported that Europ
eans generally were "determined"
to fight Communism, with our help
but he added that we should not
adopt a “mendicant attitude” to
ward Germany or any other nation,
as though they are doing us a favor
by fighting their own battles aginst
Soviet aggression.
“I’m the kind of a guy who
(Continued on Page Four)
Any Radioactivity!
More or less typical of the nonchalance with which residents of Las
Vegas, Nev„ accept periodic test atomic explosions in the deesrt
northwest of the city is this scene. Terry True is the girl using the
Geiger counter to determine if there’s any radioactivity in the beard
of Prospector Smiley Washburn. And if you suspecte the fine hand,
of a press agent behind this, you’re quite right. </P) Wircphoto.
Fed. Judge
Condemns
Strikers
(By Associated Press)
A Federal Judge hearing a con
tempt charge against railroad
strikers declared today switchmen
have challenged U. S. sovereignty
and that army officers should be
running the railroads.
Judge Michael L. Igoe made this
observation from the bench in Chi
cago. Over the-country back-to
1 work movements of striking switch
men were gaining momentum.
Some key railroad centers, includ
ing Chicago, Cleveland and St. Louis
and in Pacific northwest, still re
mained undermanned and the long
tieup continued.
The back-to-work trend begar.
yesterday in New York, Philadelphia
and a number of other eastern
points.
Judge Igoe unloosed a verbal blast
at strikers during a hearing of
Federal contempt charges against
officials of the Brotherhood of Rail
road Trainmen for a sick call strike
in December.
Several bright spots appeared
on the troubled rail front following
the first major break yesterday
when thousands of switchmen re
turned to work.
Service was normal on major lines
in the New York and New England
areas. It was near normal in many
other cities. And many carriers ex
pressed hope for normal service
soon as the back-to-work move
ment spread from city to city.
But there were some dark spots
too, in the overall picture. No im
provement was reported in the Se
attle area.
WEATHER REPORT •
Temperatures for 24-Hour Period •
ending 6:20 o'clock this morning •
In Juneau — Maximum •
21; minimum, 11. •
At Airport — Maximum, •
18; minimum, -8. •
FORECAST •
Cloudy witfi intermittent •
light snow and gusty north- •
easterly winds tonight. Low •
temperature about 24 de- •
grees. Occassional light snow •
Thursday. High temperature •
29 degrees. •
PRECIPITATION •
(Past 24 hours ending 7:30 a m. today •
City of Juneau — None; •
since Jan. 1 — 3.95 inches; •
since July 1—41.94 inches. •
At Airport — None; •
since Jan. 1 — 2.25 inches; •
since July 1—30.25 inches. •
• •••••••••
STATEHOOD BILLS
TO BE DISCUSSED
SEN. COMMITTEE
WASHINGTON, Feb. 7 — <fl —
Chairman Murdock (D-Calif) of
the House Insular Affairs Commit
tee has tentatively set Feb. 21 as
the date for considering the Hawaii
statehood bill.
Earlier yesterday, the Senate In
terior Committee decided to vote
Feb. 20 whether to report the Ha
waii and Alaska statehood bills
without further hearings.
Delegate Farrington (R-Hawaii)
said he expects the House Commit
tee to act promptly on Hawaii state
jhood “without extensive hearings.”
Most committee members are fa
miliar with the legislation, Farring
ton added.
Farrington said he will seek an
amendment, which would ratify the
action of Hawaiian voters, who ap
proved a state constitution at the
November election.
The Senate Committee decision
was announced by Chairman O’Ma
honey (D-Wyo).
SCOUTING STRESSED
AT KIWANIS MEETING
Boy Scout Week was observed at
a regular meeting of the Juneau
Kiwanis Club at the Baranof Hotel
today. Colored slides of the Eagle
River Scout Camp were shown with
Scoutmaster Tom Cashen giving a
running commentary. Field Execu
tive Ken Ubbelohde talked briefly
on the objectives of the Scout pro
gram and said that many paralled
the Kiwanis objectives for 1951. He
said that 1778 Alaska boys were en
rolled in scouting work.
Cashen,' who accompanied the
j Alaska Scouts to the National Jam
boree at Valley Forge last summer,
said that in watching the thousands
of boys there, he was impressed
with their spirit of Americanism.
Check of those present showed
that nearly every Kiwanian present
had been a Boy Scout at one time
or had been affiliated with Scouting
activities in one way or another.
Lt. Norman Steinig told about the
World Day of Prayer. Gene Vuille
announced that the Business and
Professional Women were holding
a smorgasbord February 16 from
6:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Scottish
Rite Temple. President Larry Par
ker said that a ladies night would
be held soon.
STEAMER MOVEMENTS
Baranof scheduled to sail from
Seattle at 4 p. m. Friday.
Princess Norah scheduled to sail
from Vancouver 8 p.m., Feb. 14.
Denali from westward scheduled
to arrive Sunday morning south
bound.
I
UN FORCES
SMASHING
FORWARD
Doughboys with Flashing
Bayonets Charge on Reds
-Navy Blasting Enemy
(By Associated Press)
Allied ground forces smashed for
ward today with three powerful
tank columns to the last hills guard
ing the plains of shattered Seoul.
American Doughboys with flash
ing bayonets drove Reds from vital
heights at one point.
The Chinese and Korean Reds
were digging in for a new stand on
the ridges just south of Seoul. At
their backs was the Han River, still
an ice-covered way of retreat for
the Reds but now on the verge of
thawing.
On the central front, United Na
tions forces with South Koreans In
the lead pushed northward toward
the old Parellel 38 border.
Navy Blasts Reds
On the east coast, South Korean
forces secured high ground three
miles east and west and five miles
south of Kangnung, a coastal road
town. Allied naval power blasted
the Reds in Kangnung itself.
The whole complexion of the war j
had shifted once again. The Allies]
had regained the initiative in their
14-day-old “limited’ offensive and
the Reds were giving ground.
Allied artillery was in position to
pour shells into the old Korean cap
ital of Seoul, abandoned Jan. 4 far
the second time in the Korean war
by anti-Communist forces.
Epidemic Reported
In the west, an Intelligence Of
ficer said Chinese Army headquar
ters had warned Seoul residents to
stay indoors because of an epidemic. 1
There have been reports of louse-1
j borne typhus among Red troops.
The Reds were sowing minefields.
Engineers cleared paths through
them and the bank columns killed
hundreds of Reds.
American warships pounded ene
my buildings on the east coast and
British and American vessels pour
ed heavy ammunition into the In
chon-Seoul sector on the west coast.
I
Tacks Dropped on Roads
Allied transport planes roared low
over enemy roads during the night,
sowing millions of big tacks which
punctured the Chinese truck col
umns moving up to the fighting
front and left them prey to daylight
strafing and bombing.
- ,
GIRL SCOUTS OFFER
BABY SITTING TIME
IN INTERESTS OF CD
Many of the Girl Scouts of Ju
neau from 7th grade through high
school have volunteered to do free
taby sitting so that mothers of
small children wishing to take Red
Cross courses in the interest of civ
ilian defense, may do so.
As the courses are all on school
nights, it is expected that the
mothers using this privilege will see
that the baby sitters can be home
by 10 p.m., and use the service only
when necessary.
A geographical list of names has
been made out so that mothers can
obtain girls in their own neighbor
hoods. Further particulars can be
obtained by calling Mrs. Will Reedy,
Black 353.
Any teen age girl not already
contacted. Scout or not, who wishes
to volunteer for this service in the
interest of civilian defense, may do
so by calling Mrs. Reedy or Mrs.
M M. Flint, Black 413.
%_'
STOCK QUOTATIONS
NEW YORK. Feb. 7 — Closing
quotation of Alaska Juneau mine
stock is 3*4, American Can 10814,
American Tel. and Tel. 15314, Ana
conda 42*4, Douglas Aircraft 101,
General Electric 54 >4, General Mot
ors 51 Goodyear 7314, Kennecott
77 >4, Libby, McNeil and Libby 9%,
Northern Pacific 3514, Standard Oil
of California 97*4, Twentieth Cen
tury Fox 2314, U. S. Steel 46. Pound
2.80*4, Canadian Exchange 95.12*4.
Sales today were 2,020,000 shares.
Averages today were as follows:
Industrials 252.71, rails 89.47, util
ities 42.48.
Alaskans Back from Hawaii
Pa r An
i .
i
Sun-tanned and burdened with leis and tropical flowers, these
prominent Alaskans returned recently from Hawaii. Shown stepping
off their Pan American Clipper at Seattle are Lawrence Freeburn
of Kodiak, Mr. and Mrs. P. S. Ganty of Pelican and Mr. and Mrs.
Sheldon Simmons of Juneau. Mr. Freeburn is with the Alaska
Packers Association.. Simmons is co-owner of Alaska Coastal Air
lines. Pan American Airways Photo.
FISHERMEN'S
UNION WILL
VOTE FEB. 16
SEATTLE, Peb. 7—(At—Some 5,
OOO members of the strife-torn Al
aska Fishermen’s Union (Ind) will
begin their ballot for new officers
Feb. 16 at Alaskan and West Coast
ports.
The voting will be held at meet
ings and will continue until March
30.
Union Secretary-Treasurer Oscar
Anderson will not seek re-election
to the post he has held for eight
years. He has been under tire from
one faction of the union which ini
tiated a referendum election accus
ing him of failure to carry out cer
tain directives from headquarters
here.
Louis Mastad, Portland, will op
pose George Johansen, Seattle, for
the post.
Ralph E. Olsen, Seattle, will run
for re-election as Assistant Secre
tary-Treasurer. He will be opposed
by Mrs. Lottie Edelman, Port agent
of the union’s Cook Inlet branch at
Anchorage; Hans Hansen and Olof,
both of Seattle.
The union membership will also
elect port agents for San Francisco,
Portland, Ketchikan, Anchorage,
and the Bristol Bay branch at Dill
ingham, Alaska.
Governor Warren
Is En Hosipilal
SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 7 —W—
Gov. Earl Warren is hospitalized
with an acute pain in his right
arm — possibily bursitis, neurolo
gists said today.
The pain followed a severe cold
the 59-year-old Republican suffered
last week.
MISS HALVORSON ON DENALI
Miss Christine Halvorson visited
with Juneau friends while the Den
ali was in port yesterday. Miss
Halvorson is a former Juneau busi
ness woman and is now representing
firms carrying womens wear lines.
She is making a business trip
through Alaska.
FLIES HERE
Mr. end Mrs. Bob Rice of Fair
banks arrived here yesterday in
their own Beechcraft. Rice is a
pilot and is here to attend a meet
ing of the Alaska Visitors Associ
ation. They are at the Baranof
Hotel.
FROM SITKA
George R. Reading of Sitka is
staying at the Baranof Hotel.
ANCHORAGE VISITOR
James E. Swan of Anchorage is
registered at the Baranof Hotel.
4
LIQUOR BILL
IS APPROVED
BY SENATE
By JIM HUTCHESON
Over two members’ protests that
It would make life easier for Demon
Rum, the territorial senate today
passed a bill to simplify the re
newal of liquor dealers’ licenses out
side incorporated cities.
The bill would eliminate the nec
essity of circulating petitions for
residents’ signatures for the year-to
year renewals of a license, if an
operator’s record is clear. The sig
natures still would be needed, how
ever, to obtain a new license.
The bill was introduced by Sen.
R. M. MacKenzie (D-Ketchikan).
The vote was 14 to 2. The pair
against it to the bitter end — and
bitterly — were Sen. Walter Hunt
ley (D-Palmer) and Sen. Percy Ipa
look (R-Wales), an Eskimo mis
sionary.
Both agreed that it would make
things easier for the liquor busi
ness and they were fundamentally
opposed to making it easier in any
form.
After other senators had referred
to the liquor business as an estab
lished one that was entitled to con
sideration, Ipalook referred to it
sharply as one that “is breaking
homes and breeding crimes.”
Ipalook Objects
Ipalook also Insisted that because
of "ever-changing populations” the
people of an area should have a
right to decide annually on the li
cense renewals.
In replying to Ipalook’s criticism,
Senator MacKenzie said the Soc
ond Division senator was failing to
take the Judiciary into account; that
renewals still would have to be is
sued by the courts.
“This doesn’t make it easier to
get licenses," MacKenzie declared.
“It Just eliminates the possibility
of bad practices in renewals. Liquor
dealers might be forced to go to un
desirable means to renew their li
censes."
Sen. Elton Engstrom (R-Juneau)
got into the discussion with the
comment that “I don’t see why an
established business should have
problems in renewals.”
Sen. Steve McCutcheon (D-An
chorage) denied that the bill would
in any way alter local option.
Huntley Adamant
But Huntley was adamant in his
opposition.
“Ever since I have been coming
down to the legislature," he declar
ed, "bills like this have been coming
in. I have always opposed them and
I will continue to do so.
“There has been a trend for liquor
dealers to move just outside of cities
to avoid city regulations. .If they did
so, they have had the problem of
licenses and renewals. Now this
(Continued on Page Two)
Major Train
Disasters
NEW YORK Feb. 7 —(.Ft— Among
major train disasters in U. S. his
tory:
Dec. 29, 1876 — Ashtabula, O., 84
killed.
Aug. 10, t"'7 — Chatsworth, 111..
81 killed.
Aug. 7, 1004 — Eden, Colo., 96
killed.
March 1, 1910—Wellington, Wash..
96 killed.
July 9. 1918 — Nashville, Tenn.,
115 killed.
Sept. 6, 1943 — Frankford Junc
tion (Philadelphia) Pa., 80 killed.
Dec. 16, 1943 — Lumberton, N. C„
73 killed.
Dec. 31, 1944 — Ogden, Utah. 50
killed.
Feb. 17, 1950 — Rockville Centre.
N. Y., 32 killed.
Sept. 11. 1950 — Troop train near
West Lafayette. O.. 33 killed.
Nov. 22, 1950 — Richmond Hill
New York City, 79 killed.
Among the worst railroad disas
ters in other pars of the world was
a derailment near Nowy Dwor, Po
land on Oct. 22, 1949, which took
200 lives.
PIERCING,
CHILLING
SCREAMS
I
Injured Survivors Tell of
Grinding, Tearing Crash
on Wintry Night
i —
! WOODBRIDGE, N. J. Feb. 7 —<*l
A bright red commuter train flash
ed toward Jersey’s North Shore resi
dential area last night. It was mak
ing good time.
Then ....
A quiet section of town, a tempor
ary wooden trestle and a grinding,
tearing crash in the wintry night.
Silence — Just a billowing cloud
of dust and dirt mingled with sear
ing steam from the Pennsylvania
I Railroad Express — followed by
j piercing, chilling cries.
Eighty one persons died. Those
who escaped considered themselves
lucky.
Mrs. Isabella Carlington of Ash
bury Park is one of these.
“I was thrown out of the window,
smashing my face and landed in
three feet of mud. A man’s leg was
lying alongside of me and I got up
and fled," she said.
Mrs. Josephine Brydon of South
Belmar. clutching a bloodied rag
to her face, said she was saved "by
landing on a pile of dead.”
They talked as acetylene torches
bit their way through twisted metal
in the glare of floodlights.
“It happened so quickly that no
body had time to shield their faces,”
Leslie Cavanaugh of Sea Girt added
“I saw many nearly cut in half
by glass splinters . . . the man next
j to me lost his arm ...”
t -
CONFERENCE OF ALASKA
NATIVE SERVICE DOCTORS
Dr. Erwin S. Rabeau, medical of
ficer in charge of the Alaska Na
tive Service hospital at Kotzebue
is here to discuss hospital repro
graming with Dr. Duncan H. Chal
mers, acting area medical director.
Dr. Rabeau will confer with Dr.]
Phillip Moore of Mt. Edgecumbe
on extension of orthopedic pro
grams in the Arctic regions. Obtain
ing the best utilization of ANS hos
pitals In the interior will be worked
out by Dr. Rabeau and Dr. Chal
mers.
This is Dr. Rabcau’s fifth year lr
Arctic Alaska and he has also cov
ered every ANS hospital in the
Interior when other physicians were
out on leave.
HERE TO CONFER
A. D. Burr, program and financt
division of the Bureau of Recla
mation from Washington, D. C.. is
in Juneau conferring on the Eklut
na project near Palmer. He has
been temporarily assignee} to the
project until personnel can be re
cruited. '
FROM SITKA
Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Somers o'
Sitka are at the Baranof Hotel.
ABOUT500
INJURED IN
R.R. WRECK
Commuter Train Loaded to
Aisles Plunges Off Trestle
and Down Embankment
WOODBRIDOE, N. J„ Feb. 7 —Uf)
—A crowded commuter train plung
1 ed off a newly-erected trestle last
night, killing at least 81 persons
and injuring about 500. It was the
nation’s worst train wreck in 32
years.
Throughout the night and far
into today, rescue workers hacked
througlj the twisted mass of wreck
age. They said other bodies still
may be found in the crumpled
coaches and debris.
The 11-car Pennsylvania railroad
train, “The Broker," swerved wildly
and Jumped the tracks as it sped
onto the midtown overpass. The
cars, jack-knifing crazily, hurtled
down a 20-foot embankment.
The new, temporary overpass had
been put in service only a few
hours before the crash.
In Newark, the FBI said it was
investigating to determine "whether
sabotage was involved.”
No Explanation
The railroad, conducting Its own
probe, said it could offer no Im
mediate explanation for the cause
of the wreck.
The dead Included bankers, law
| yers, and businessmen, prominent
In their localities and civic life,
i most of them home-bound from
! New York City offices.
In mid-morning, the list of known
dead stood at 77, with four bodies
still unidentified.
Rush-Hour Crackup
The rush-hour crackup was the
worst in the nation since 1918 when
115 were killed in a Nashville, Tenn.,
wreck, and more disastrous than a
1943 accident outside Philadelphia
that took 80 lives.
It was the third major train
wreck in the metropolitan area in
less than a year. A total of nearly
200 died in the three crackups.
In Washington, the Interstate
Commerce Commission ordered an
inquiry into the new disaster, with
a public hearing to open in New
York tomorrow.
Investigations
On orders of New Jersey Gov.
Alfred E. Driscoll, the state's at
torney general, Theodore Parsons,
also began an investigation. He
reached the scene early today, and
I sent an assistant to a hospital to
! question the critically Injured en
gineer of the wrecked train.
It was loaded to the aisles with
homebound commuters — mostly
from New York — on their way to
Red Bank. Long Branch, Asbury
Park and other communities on
New Jersey’s wealthy north shore.
Place* Tragedy Cause
Engineer Joseph H. Fitzsimmons,
a veteran of 33 accident-free years
on the road, blamed the overcrowd
ed coaches and the new trestle for
the tragedy.
Alive but injured, the 57-year-old
Fitzsimmons said from a hospital
cot:
"The moment my engine passed
over the trestle and lurched sharply
I felt the rest of the cars would
never make it.
"I hit the trestle at about 25 miles
per hour and the speed of the train
certainly couldn’t be blamed for the
;rash. When I started to sway, I
ipplied the brakes, but it apparent
y was too late.”
Disagrees on Speed
Passengers and at least one rail
' road detective — who did not give
his name — disagreed with the en
gineer on the speed of the train.
The detective said it was going at
top speed when it hit the trestle.
The Pennsylvania, in a statement,
;aid a 2i mile an hour speed limit
vas in effect on the new track.
The new track was swung about
50 feet from the old one to clear
the way for the Jersey turnpike, big
ross-state highway now under con
struction.
Trestle Not Factor
The Pennsylvania said six trains
| oassed over the new trestle safely
| before "The Broker.”
The railroad said the trestle it
self was not a factor in the acci
(Continued on Page Two)