Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 50, Number 244, Decatur, Adams County, 15 October 1952 — Page 1

VoL L. No. 244.

Two Dead, Six Missing After Du Pont Blast Explosives Plant . ‘ In Wisconsin Is Rocked Early Today J BARKSDALE, UP — Two Workmen were rkiljed and six qthe|rs were missing and feared dead in two explosions which locked'a DuPont explosives plant here early today. ' ■Coroner Alvin Btatley identified one inf the victims as Ed pudmore, a .veteran employe at the plant. The other lx>dy was not identified 1 immediately. Briatley and plant ij officials searched the smoldering wreckage of the, nitromek production building for other possible victims. _ J DuPont officials here said ■ they ; did not know what caused the ex- . plosions, and subsequent fire. They estimated damage at more than |75.000 and said on^, building was destroyed. B. A. Semb, plant manager, accompanied by a Catholic priest and a Protestant' pastor visited the homes of six men unaccount- * edfcr. notifying their relatives. Hundreds of persons j'ined the fence bordering the plant. Only officials were allowed inside. The first explosiop smashed a building housing nltromex producing equipment at 2:50 a. m. CST. A raging fire immediately followed the explosion. ivThe heat ■was go intense that ’firefighters had difficulty approaching the Hanies. ■* \ Sheriff Joseph H. Demars said that “I understand that six men were right* in the building.” He said the plant gates were barred, and that he could dot enter to investigate the mishap. A second blast .shoos, thd chemical works a few minutes later. Semb said. '. The first shock was so severe that it shattered about two thirds of the windows on thle main street of nearby Ashland, Wis., residents ■ said " ' \ I. \ ■ ' Ashland is about J seven miles across phequamegon Bay in Lake Superior from Barksdale. Swmb said about 8() men were : on duty in the DuPont plant, ■which produces commercial explosives. However, he added that most of them/ were probably at •work In Buildings other than the nltromex division. ' ’ Newsmen jyere barred from the plant. The company ’was fightirig the* blaze with its own fire department. Semb estimated damage to the plant at about $75,000. The plant employs a total of 300 ■workers but only the’night shift was oh duty at ,the time of the jj Blast. The last explosion at the Barksj. dale wqrks occurred in the late 1920’s and killed two men. , A night nurse at the Washburn hospital said no casualties were brought to the hospital and she had herird that six or eight men were killed. She said any survivors would have Been brought to the Washburn hospital. j * Charles Sheridan, a _ photographer from Washburn. . said the nitromex unit was Composed of two large buildings and several , smaller structures. The other units were spread ,out in rolling, wooded country tor - safety. - J.. I ’ The plant is a branch of the E. I DuPont de Nemours & Co. ' I' > ■ Plenty Os Seats I Are Available For Fire Demonstration Plenty of seats will be available at Worth man field fbr the fire prevention demonstration which will be gi vein in Decatur Thursday afternoon starting at 1130 o’clock, the three cpopera'ting sponsors’ said today. In event of rain, the demonstration will be held Friday. . The demonstration,- which will she atended by all Decatur school Children, is also open' to the gener- ' al public. It is being sponsored by v the Decatur fire department and the fire departments of General v Electric and Central Soya. \ The demonstration is regarded as one of the finest ever planned, and will be both entertaining and educational. It will be mixed with enough comedy to hold -the audience arid various’ methods are shown for quick control of fires. The program will be announced by jthe firing of a borhb art 1 O’clock afternoon and another at 1:25, just prior to the opening , of the ghow. The sponsors also announced that there is plenty of parking space available.

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT ... ONLY DAILY NEWtPAI»KRI IN AQANIB COUNTY V . i

■\ Change Os Presidents Opens U. N. . . 1 ji, . ! ,vi ’\ ■' ~ ■, J | I I ’ -x I k® I'" • 1 111 I f //"EE M&a -minim W P M V 1 DR. LUIS PADILLA NERVO of Mexico (top-left), outgoing presidjent of the llnited Nitions general ni;ombly, hands the gavel tp Letter B. Pearson of Uanadi, as the latter was scheduled to be installed as the pew president of the 60-pation assembly as it opened in the new multi million dxiljar U. N< building in New York Tuesday. Bel|Dw. •the Soviet delegation to the seventh annual general assembly Pre shown in their places (1. to ir.) Andrei Vishinsky, Soviet Foreign ' . Minishw; Audref Gromyko, Russian Ambassador to London andi V. A. Zorin. I ■ |t •

Ike’s Income Over SBBB,OOO Past 10 Years • 'i JH - . : . ' ' ■ More Than Half Os Income Is Derived From r Sale Os Book '-'’i J?'* "t. ’ 4} Hi i ■ I ' '-i NEW YORK UP —Dwight D. Eisenhower corhpleted politics’ personal income jeircle today with the he earned $888,033.99 during tlje Ih-yeft: period ending 'last Dec; JU. V Eiseulwwer saijd tri a summary of (joint federal iiicoifne tax returns which, he? and hjs 'wife had\ filed that-they: retained so7l.22l.2B'after taxes.; ij . The' Republican? presidential nominee was the last of the top four lic his financial affajirS- ,! Sep. Iflichard 3tt iNijkdh of Cali--1 forrtia, Eisenhower;s running mate, began the circle! >y revealing his so|frtes of incomje rind accounting 1 for his use of ah SIB,OOO expense ' fund,. ■' !?j, • \ ■ Thfen. Gov. Adlal E. Stevensop, the Democratic presidential nominee, announced'laft. Sept. 28 he had received $50Q.0|6.84 during the f same 10J years, jjaiing $211,980:42 1 in ,fax» s.- [ ■ \ Seri. John J. spdrkman of Ala--1 ham a, the Democratic vice presidential followed shortly with a . full accoiijnfjhig of his earn- • frigs' and taxes duting the past decade. ? Eisenhower’s statement, released Jatri Tuesday at! lss headquarters in trie Hotel Cojnriiodore. said he had paid $217,0|2j71' in incomje ’ \lore than half of Eiserihpwer’s ; income during the 10-year period . canie fr.otn the snle in J 948 of aik I rights t<| “Crusadejin Europe,” hijs mttqoirs’of Worlt War 11. • ; , The summary; sjaid Eisenhower receivetj $635:000 j front his pub-, lishet. He was permitted by the bureau of internals revenue to pay , a capital gains. ! tax of $158,75(0 I since he. was riot]’ a professional writer arid the boiofc represented hib; r life’s; work. hjl. ' d . From the book Eisenhower netted: $476, eiriht times greater than his) total income of $59,976.67 . fr<Mri,il94£-1947, sjixj years which he spent iri the military service. .’ Eisenripwer’s statement said hri] had received $08&39.83 from iri-: 1 vestments he had: madp wiih his; ; I’Crusade” mone^! during a four-, ’ year perjod endkifflDec. ’3l, 1951. ’ i fclsenhpwer the details of' his; .e'arnjngs and[ taxes in a letter 5 to Arthuj- H. Vandenberg, his exeo utlve assistant, and authorized him ’ to show the statement to accredited members of the press. f “I am how. in etery sense of the? (Turn To POge Elffbt)

Two Variances By I Zoning Appeals Board Sharp Warning Given IF •. ' ' ■ On Placing Trailers The Decatur "hoard of zoning appeals granted two variances in J a regular meeting at city hall Tuesday night. Fred Hancher was granted pertriission to build a garage to be attached to the relar of his property on West Jefferson street. The garage, which \ will be directly in line with the'line of the present residence, will be an extension of the property to the north. The variance waps required because the structure will be within three ’feet'of'the east alley. Alfred Krummen, who, with his son t -in-la\w Don Cochran, operates the, Sanitary market on Mercer avenrie, was granted a temporary permit t'p reside in a trailer Which is parked at the rear of the grocery * ■ .- Both had letters of consent from adjacent property owners. Krummen, who is on a business trip to California at present was represented at the hearing by Cocnran arid Hancher appeared in his own behalf. The board will iheet Tuesday night. October 28, to consider ap; ■ plications for variances on several lots in the Grant. Park addition in the south part of ’Decatur. Issues Warning. \'j. i The pecatur board of zoning appeals through its . chairman Clarence Ziner issued a sharp warning today poncerriing the placing of several trailers for home occtiprihcy within the corporate limits of Decatur without having first obI tained permits from the city. Ziner said that several persons had purchased trailers: placed on residential lots in restricted areas and then later have applied for a Variance to retain : them in their locations. The board chairman pointed out that this was in strict violation J of the; ordinance and indicated j that the board in future actions would clamp down on this form of J infringement.' J J The zonihg ordinance does not ? permit permanent use of trailers J in-residential districts and in some j instances variances of a tempor- , ary nature have been granted; j when local people, without other ■ homes in which to reside, asked .■'lon temporary permits. with approval of the board, has asked the local police J department to cooperate with the ! board in enforcement of the sec- ; tion of the ordinance which pro- , hibits erection of trailers without ; first having obtained a variance.

Decatur, Indiana, Wednesday, October 15, 1952

Army’s Atomic Cannon Ready To Fire Actual Atom Shell From Gun

■ - AgA ■■ Chinese Reds Counterattack Sniper Ridge American Soldiers K Dig In For Reefs' Attack On Triangle SEOUL, Korea, Thursday Chinese Communists hit j Ridge with a strong counterattack Wednesday night and American infantryfnen dug in for ari expected Red assault on 1 newly-won Triangle Hill little more than a mile away. Two Chinese battalions of about 800 men each attacked South Koreans on Sniper Ridge behind step-ped-up artillery and mortar fire. The Republic of Korea troops captured Sniper’s! crest Wednesday inorning and found that mapy Chinese defenders had committed suicide in its caves I and bunkers. Gl’s of the Cl S. 31st rpgiment, 7th division, stormed |h|e steep slopes of Ttiangle Wednesday and won the crest df the climax to the Allies’ biggest assault in ? a yea«. The hill is one of the key outposts in the east-central front iron Triangle Red buildup area. 1 ) A powerful United Nations task force staged a mock invasion of the North Korean east coast south (>f Wonsan ’Wednesday after deliberately tipping the Communists thrit a landing was iihminent. The Allies hoped to draw Red manpower from the battiefpnt and lure thein into exposing the esti-i mated 260d)00 men on ' the Kojo Pehinsula to spa and aij Boinbardy The final assault on Triangle carried G1 shock troops over the crest and 150 yards down the en-emy-held northern slope. They moved on some 200 yards along bommunicationa trenches leading eastward. Americans reoccupied Sandy Ridge in the Tffanglie area without resistance, but called' off a counterassault oh Jane Russell knob when trie Reds unleashed a heavy mortar and artillery barrage. About 20 Communists on Sniper Ridge were holed up in a deep bunker at pinpointjerest and an Allied .officer said, “We are going tp seal the entrance with TNT.” Flairie throwers and grenades seared the way for the ROK’s who Captured the crest in a series of (Turn To Page pSIgM) Senator Capehart In Decatur Monday' 1 Republican Rallyy ; Here Monday Night Sen. Homer Capehart, senior U.. S- senator from ’ Indiana, will he the principal speaker at p cOuntywide Republican rally td be held next Monday at the K. of P. home in Depatur. it was announced today by Harry “Reck” Essex, Republican copnty and district chairman. Sen. Caprihart will arrive in Decatur next Monday afternoon at 4 o’clock and will be the gpest at a deception ffom 4:30 o’clock until Ji:3o p’cloek at Republican headhere. v The reception will be the public, Essex announced. A free lunch of sandwiches and soft drinks will be served to the public from 30 t 0 7; 3® ofclock at the K. of P. home rind the speaking program will start promptly at 8 o’clock, it was announced. Committees to .greet the senator will be announced in a diy or two. the chairman said. Capehart, serving his second term from Indiana, is not a candidate for reelection this year but has been' actively campaigning frir the reelection of trie jupior U. S. senator; William Jenner, who is opposed by Gov. Henry, Schricker. r i ' , ■H't|l . . I '

;■ f : — President Starts 2nd Campaign Tour Three-Pay Campaign ITo End In Brooklyn Washington up —President Truman, highly pleaded with the' results, of, his first campaign torir, is “rarin’ to go agriin." White Bouse intimates reported today. , He will board his special train tonight for his second foray, into tbe hustings on bChalf/of the Demdbmic ticket. His schedule calls f(4 three days'of whi#tle*stopping through .Connecticut,?: Massachusetts. Hampshire, winding u> with a major address Saturday uight in Brooklyn. I ' ' Vice President Albeh W. Barkley also hit the campaign trail today, for the first - time in the 1952 campaign. Leaving the; Capital by the 74-year-old Veep planned 10 visit at least 11 Rates, beginning’with a ralljisjat St» Cloud MKnn.. tonight. Mr. Truman’s intense campaigning drew i fire of Sori. Herman Welker felda., who called <n the President In a telegram to “cancel further campaign tripjsjand teiriain at your past in the Wihjte House in the interests of American security,” Welk<r said that “am! unfortunate impression has been crested abroad tiiut the country Is leaderless during the political campaign, largely because of :tße absence from Washington of the President.” Mr. Truman returned to the Capital Sunday after a 16-day crosscountry trip on which he lambasted Republican presidential candidate ilwight D; Eisenhower? with more than 90 speeches in 15 states. 1 The President v-® 8 understood to have discussed campaign travel plans witri^members of the 1 Deriiocratic finance committee, whß called at‘the White House late Tuesday to report oji the state of tin parly’s treasury. ■ ■One tiuristion which ’ doubtless 'crime, up was how much the party can afford tb set aside for travels and broadcasts by Mr, Truman. (Tijnj To Klwhti Plea In Abatement : h■ ' MS' ; ■ z ; \ 'j ’ To Be Heard Monday ■■■Ji /' ' I . Action Continues In Adams Central Case 1 ■ ’’ v’ ■' ’ ’ , j: In thfe Injunction proceedings of Adams county freeholders against .Adams County Central school consotidatipn’ to halt thp sale of bimds for construction of part of the consolidated school at the west edge of Monroe, attorneys D. Burdette Custer and Robert. Snijith for the del fendant school coloration filed a plea in abatement Tuesday in Wells circuit court. The riadse was veriued tjo Wells county Several weeks ago and and George C. Davis jri sitting ris a speqial njtidge in the.' matter.; The plaintiff freeholders immediately filed motion to strike but the ‘ defendant plea in abatement and the motion to strike w a ß arsued 'Sue’sday afternoon and overruled, y Hearing on the sea, in abatement was set for argument next Monday in Wells circuit court before special Judge Action Tuesday Brings the matter a Ijttle nearer- to the end of a three-year fight waged by the school bohrd. and the school patrons ‘ to construct the building. Recently wbrk started on the center Wing of the new school, which was per--1 mltted because funds for this part - will be u?ed only.frdm the ciimula- ‘ tlve building fund df the corporation: , ’ A suit filed to halt this construction was-dismissed several weeks ago in Wells circuit court. i ; ■ ! ■ .j. | . I INDIANA WEATHER ■'J- Partly 'cloudy,! colder treme : south poriion tonight Thursday partly cloudy, cold* er north and central. Low toM ' night 35-40 north to near 40 south.; High Thursday 40-45 extreme north to near 60 extreme south. \ I 'll

John L Lewis Sets Welfare Fund Deadline No Miners To Work After November 18 If Funds Not Paid B U L L |e |T I N Washington UP— Labor and industry members split during a Wbge stabilization board debate today on approval of a $1.90 a day wage boost for soft coal miners, apparently forestalling settlement until' late Thursday or Friday. CINCINNATI. O. UP —United Mine Workers president John L. Lewis said today that no miners wquld work) after th4 18th of next month if newly-won royalty payments have not been made by the coal operators. \ The deadlinei does not apply to this Saturday, however, since the royalty payments are made on each previous month. But the payments due Saturday would fall under the, oli contract and not the nfew agree-, ment effective Oct. 1 .which granted the miners a a ton increase to their welfare and retirement fund: Lewis told the 2,085 delegates attending the UMW convention her|e that the contract effective Oct. jl provides that each local union president must be notified by the 18tp day of each month that the min|e operator has made the required payment of 40 a ton. to thie UMVV welfare and retirement’ fund for the previous month. ' The operators have withheld payments of $1.90 a day wage increase and a 10 per cent pier ton hike in royalty payments for lack of | wage stabilization board approval. ' ' Some 7,000 miners already are on strike in Wist Virginia, Kentucky, Alabama and Illinois. They walked out when the operators failed to pay the wage increase when their regular payday fell due. It was understood there was no dangdr of a widespread walkoutbefore Oct. 25 or 27 when the majority of the other miners’ payday falls due, but the welfare fund deadline added a new and significant (Tarn To P»ge Eight) Sheryl Kay Tickle Dies Last Evening Five-Year-Old Girl Is Taken By Death Sheryl Kay Tickle, 5, , granddaughter of 'Mr. and Mrs. H. F. Kraft of this city, died at 7 o’clock Tuesday evening at John Hopkins hospital in Baltimore, Md., following an illness of 10 months of a heart ailment. The child was born in Decatur Jah. 12,' 19(4*7, a daughter of Leroy Brooks Tickle and Donna KraftTickle. I > Her father, a lieuteriant in the U. S. army, was stationed in Germany and his wife and daughter wete residing with him at Aschaf* fehburg. Sheryl was returned April 17 to Walter Reed hospital In Washington, D. C. for treatment, and later spent several weeks wiith her grandparents in Decatur. She was returned to| the hospital Sept. 2 when Lt. Tickle was reassigned to Fort Meyer, Va., the family residing in Alexandria, Viju SheryJ was taken to John Hopkins for further treatment when her condition worse. Surviving in addition to the parents and the maternal grandparents are the; paternal grandmother, Mrs. Josdphine Tickle of Van Wert, O„ and the maternal greatgrandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Kraft of Spencerville, O. The body will be brought to the Zwick funeral home Thursday. Funeral have not been completed. H /- ■ r ! ' / . L - hP I . •

Rally Chairman Hb I : ' "I Ctihrles W. Knapp Chairmen Named For Stevenson's Rally r’ V )' L <A • Charles Knapp Heads j County Delegation Charles iW, Knapp, former hardware store Owner and Democratic 'Candidate-for county treasurer, today ,was named chairman Os the Adams county delegation for the Adlai Stevenson rally in 1 Fort Wayne, Saturday, Nov. 1. Simultaneously, Dr. Harry Hebble. Democrat county Chairman, named Mrs. Mabie Striker as vicechairman for the rally. Mrs. Striker is the pemocratic candidate for County recorder. Arrangements for the rally for the Illinois governor and Democratic presidential candidate, were completed: this morning ,by Alex Campbell, !Fdrt Wayne attorney and fourth district chairman I for ' the meeting. Gov. Stevenson will be in Port Wayne one-half hour‘on November L the exact time to be fixed when his train schedule becomes known. The presidential candidate will address the; crowd ,at the Pennsylvania railroad station. Chairman For Ohio Delegation G. Remy Bierly, joint state representative from Adams and Wells counties, and candidate for re-elec-tion, has been named chairman I for Ohio delegations to the rally. He will invite Democrats from the bordering; Ohio Jcbunties- and intends to ■ make a| tour of those counties this week. Campbell said that chairmen for Berne and Geneva would be named this week. -Chairman Hebble is enthusiastic ‘ over the response from political leaders and voters in general 'who want to join the delegation and see Gov. Stevensom He plans to have a caravan move through the - county from Geneva, north through the county and into Fort Wayne, Campbell also announced that Howard Morrison, Democratic nominee for congress In the fourth district, would be on the Steveqson program. Thomas R. Ploughe Dies At Frankfort Thomas Raymond Ploughe,/23, a Korean war veteran and son of Mr. and Mrs. Preston A. Ploughe of Sugar Creek, died Monday at the home of a sister, ’Mrs. Vera King, of Frankfort, from illness result-, ing from a hip injury suffered Oct. 12, 1951. during the.battle of Heartbreak Ridge in Korea. He was an outstanding athlete Jn the Sugar Creek township high school, from which he, graduated. Surviving in addition to his parents are eight piasters and six brothers, jtwo of whom are now in service. He was/ai nephew of Mr. and Mrs. James Halberstadt, Sr,, and a cousin of Mrs. Ed Melching, James Halberstadt, Jr,, and Thomas Halberstadt, all of Pleasant Mills. Funeral services will be held at 2 p m. Thursday at the Hills Baptist church at* Sugar Creek, i!

Price Five Cent!

Secretary Os Army Reveals Test Is Near Calls Development Significant Event For Future Warfare ABERDEEN, Md. UP — Army secretary Frank C- Pace Jr. disclosed today that the army is getting ready tp fire an actual atomic from-the 11-inch weapon it Mrready has dubbed an “atomic cannon.” \ ■ Pace made the disclosure at the army proving ground after a public demonstration of three of the 85-ton monsters specially designed to fire atomic missiles. So far, the atomic cannon has never fired anything but a conventional high eixplosive shell. But Pace said “it has fired a shell capable of holding an atomic warhead.” He went on to say that in future tests it will fire an atomic shell. Pace would not say when or where the first atomic test of the gun will be held. But he told reporters “you will be advised when it is ready to be fired.” Apparently to spqnce skepticism about the gun’s atomic capability; Pace said flatly “it has been established” that it can fire shells with atomic warheads. He did not say how. Both and Gen. ,J. Lawton Collins, army chief of staff, parried questions whether atomic ammunition actually is in production* for the new gun. But Pace made it clear that atomic munitions are being produced at least for test purposes. Noting the possibility that a “potential enemy'* also may be thinking in terms, of tactical atomic Weapons, Collihs said he is confident that “we are ahead of the game.” Pace called development of the 85 ton. 11-inch rifle. now; being produced in quantity* “qne of the most significant events in recent years.” He said it “opens up new vistas” in the field of land combat. I The secretary spoke at the army proving ground here. In addition to showing off its atomic gun, the army also demonstrated the mam euverability and firepower of three Os its “newest and most formidable tanks.” Inputting the new gun through Its pacek. the army used only conventional munitions. Although it has been thoroughly field tested, it has yet never actually fired an atomic shell, it is understood. Pace spoke glowingly, however, of what he called “this first atomic artillery field piece?’ Up to noW atomic weapons have been delivered only by aiming only at strategic targets far behind battle lines. I. | ' ! But the army, Pace said, “believes strongly” in the application of such weapons—atomic artillery or gilded missiles with atomic warheads -r to ground warfare. i (He added, it has “exerted strong efforts' to insure that a proper jdiare of our national stockpile of' fissionable materials atomic ex(Turn To Paae Eight) Attend Conference r 4 On Girl Scouting A four-state conference on Girl Scouting opened in Indianapolis today, continuing through Friday. Attending from Decatur are Mrs. T. C. Smith, president of the Girl Scout council, Mrs. .Chester Dalzell, Airs. Don Jefferies and Mrs. Jay Thacker. 1 Theme of the conference,. “Girl Scouts—a growing force for freedom.” is expected to attract several thousand leaders, council and committee members and senior Scouts to study intensification Girl Scouting’s program in citizenship and Service to youth. Mrs. Smith also stated that the conference also serves as a prelude to the 32nd national convention in the fall of 1953 at Cincinnati. O. » I'' r "' ;