Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 53, Number 188, Decatur, Adams County, 11 August 1955 — Page 1

Vol. Lilt. No. 188.

HURRICANE WARNINGS GO UP . ? f u *IP W i * IHC Ifcgm V * <4* * I WM nfek ■■■■% . Mb- . SHIaR tU- F MB ; ’ ilwic £L iMHbBMeII Jiffs • 6 ■.■■Jk mmt , ’-r"- ' *1 5 iPlk VMI mStt'Wr IpSllfeU.UPIS KprJ jM. 'I. *" AS HURRICANE “CONNIE" draws ever nearer the United States’ east coast. North Carolina towns make initial preparations for the onslaught brought about by these ocean storms. Weatherman Alpheus Drinkwater is aided by Judy Walker, of Charlotte, and Phyllis Freshwater, of Beaver Falls, Pa., in raising the hurricane warning flag at Manteo. near Wilmington.

21 Killed By Blast Rocking Town In Ohio

A N’DOVER, 0. (INS) -The death toll inußhroomed to 21 today as rescue worker* poked through the charred ruins of six buildings demolished by a half million dollar explosion and fire in downtown Andover. ? And as additional bodies were discovered in the rubble which once formed an entire business * block, officials feared that even more persons would be found dead. Four others reportedly are unaccounted for. In addition, more than 20 were injured, six of the‘m crimieally, when the blast erupted in a store shared by the • Isaly Dairy and Gateway Restaurant Wednesday night during a severe electrical storm. Reports indicated,! that the explosion may have been caused by lightning striking sewer gas, although no official cause has yet been advanced. The area has been blocked off for several miles to keep sightseers out, and 60 troops from the Vienna air force base near Youngstown were dispatched to the town of 1.200 to help probe through -the debris which was scattered some 500 feet in all directions. Andover, a resort (own, is located 6-4 miles east of Cleveland, near the Ohio-Pennsylvania border. County coroner Dr. H. K. Lynne said that eight of the bodies have ' befift identified, but that identification of De others would be "extremely difficult” because their bodies are so badly burned. The eight are: The eight-year-old son of Edward Surrnan, of 11115 East 33rd st Cleveland (first name unknown): Darlene and Arlene Cutlip, 16-year-old twins from Williamsfield. near Andover. George Schroeder, 27, of 101 Climax St., Pittsburgh; his 23-year-old wife, Shirley, two-year- ;• old son, and 47-year-otd father-in-law,-Thomas Kanell, also of Pittsburgh, and Tom Brown, 25, a dishwasher of Andover. tS Kanell's wife. Jesse, is In Ashtabula general hospital. The Kanells and the Schroeder famiry were eating in the Gatesway restaurant when the explosion rocked the town of 1,200. . The explosion, believed to have been cause by sewer gas ignited by lightning, occurred in a store shared by the Isaly. dairy and Gateway restaurant during a severe electrical storm Wednesday ngiht. , Seventeen of the bodies were taken to a temporary morgue set up in a garage, while the other was sent to a funeral home in Conneaut? 1 Two of the three owners of the (Oeatmued « fee* ®igi*t)

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

. — - —- Big Increase Reported In Polio Cases .■ 36 Percent Boost Reported in Nation During Last Week WASHINGTON (INS) — The U.S. public health service said today that polio cases rose 36 per cent last'week for a nationwide toll of 1,409 mostly In Boston and the hard struck northeast states. The weekly report said the 1,409 -cases could be compacted with 1,037 for the previous week and a five year average of 1,608 cases. The toll was lower than the same week in 1952, 1953 and 1954, but slightly above the 1950 and 1951 figures. The government said that some southern and western states reported a decline last week but that the New England, Middle Atlantic and East North Central states registered a 50 per cent increase. According to the PHS, about 60 per cent of the nationwide total in these areas. , Massachusetts also showed a 50 per cent increase over the previous week, but the service said that a smaller proportion of cases occurred in Boston and figures there “would appear to indicate that the peak there is or about to be reached.” The government said that so far this year, there have been 7.937 cases compared with 10,791 during the same period of 1954. Since the so called “disease year” began on April 1, there have been 6.874 cases compared with 9,238 in the same period last year. In a special note, the government said there have been 150 paralytic and 127 non-paralytic cases of polio among the six and one half to seven million children who have been inoculated with Salk anti polio vaccine. This compared with 138 paralytic (Continued on Page Eight) Dr. Harold Zwick Reported Improved Improvement was reported todayin the condition of Dr. Harold Zwick, Decatur physician, who is a patient at Parkview memorial hospital in Fort Wfcyne, Dr. Zwick is suffering from"tf virus infection. His condition was repohed as improved today. • •« /

Terror Tactics Are Continued By Hurricane Hurricane May Hit Early Tonight At North Carolina Coast WILMINGTON, N. C. (INS) — Hurricane Connie — slightly decreased la intensity — continued her terror tactics off the coast of North Carolina today, drifting in a northwest and north northwest direction. . Continued movement in that direction would bring the center of the hurricane to the coast between Myrtle Beach and Wilmington about 9 p.m. EST tonight. Far to the southeast — in the Caribbean’s hurricane spawning belt —a second giant tropical storm, nicknamed ‘Diane,’’ i i raging. It threatens to step into Connie's fearful shoes once the season's first full blown hurler is out of the way. • ~ ''' ~ k^ ' The Miami Weather Bureau’* 11 a.ra. KST advisory said Connie, is centered about 100 miles south southeast of Wilmington, near latitude 32.7 north and longtit'ude 77.4 west. The advisory said the central pressure of the hurricane has filled more than an inch during the past 48 hours and there are indications she has lost some of her punch. Highest winds are estimated at about 100 miles MPH over a. small area near the center. Huricane winds extend 100 miles to the northeast and east and 50 miles to the southwest. Gales extend out 300 miles to the northeast and 150 miles to the southwest. Ship reports indicate the new threat —dubbed Diane—is centered near latitude 23.0 degrees north, longitude 62.0 degrees west — or about 400 miles northeast of San Juan, Puerto Rico. San Juan is about 1,000 miles to the southeast of Miami. Meanwhile, Connie inched herself closer to the mainland, causing the weather bWeau to extend the huricane warning southward from Myrtle Beach, S. C., to Cape Romain, near Georgetown, S. C. The latest advisory placed the center of Connie approximately 120 miles southeast of Myrtle Beach. She was continuing a slow movement toward the north northwest or northwest at about five to seven miles per hour. Winds have increased to near hurricane force in the vicinity of Cape Fear and will continue to increase along the coast of the Carolinas to gale and later to hurricane force from north of Georgetown to near Cape Lookout by midday. _ Tides are running four or five feet above normal along the Caro(Continued on Pago Eight)

Pleads Not Guilty To Brutal Slayings Charge Slayings Os Mother, Stepfather COLUMBUS, O. (INS) —Robert J. Miller pleaded not guilty today to charges of first degree murder in the brutal slaying of Tiis mother and stepfather. The youth was arraigned in Columbus criminal court and after be filed his plea, his case was turned over to Franklin county officials for grand jury action. Police previously reported that the youth confessed the crime in its entirety, supplying sort of a psychological background as to the roots of his murderous tendencies. In a rather eerie explanation of his crime, the youth was quoted as saying: “I never should have left school. . . I guess it all started when I used to shoot out street lights with BB guns. . . then one thing led to another.” (Miller said that Saturday morning, he awoke at the home of his mother, Mrs. Betty Thomas, 39, where he had stayed for the.night. When he went into the kitchen and found her making breakfast, she scolded him for spending all his time with a 16-year-old girl identified only as “Ruby." The youth said he told his mother he planned to marry the girl and she called Ruby “a dirty ngme.” Miller became angry and punched Mrs. Thomas. , Then Gorman Tftomas, 50, rushed into the -room, carrying a hammer whieh he had been ustng to (Continued on ewre Six) INDIANA WEATHER Fair tonight and Friday. Somewhat cooler near the Ohio river tonight. Low tonight 5806. High Friday 80-86.

ONLY DAILY NEwdhkPKN IN ADAMS COUNTY

Decatur, Indiana, Thursday, August 11, 1955.

67 American Soldiers Killed As Two Flying Boxcar Planes Collide

Hake Progress On Taming Os Hydrogen Bomb Announcement By * ■ Strauss Cautions Os Long Range Job GENEVA (INS) — The United States announced today it is making “positive progress’’ in how to tame the hydrogen bomb and use its gigantic power for peaceful energy purposes. Lewis L. Strauss, chairman of the U. S. atomic energy commission, made a cautious announcement at a news conference at the international atoms -for - peace conference of world scientists. He warned, however, against expecting a solution of this problem in the immediate future. He said it is a long range job. Strauss told a jammed conference of correspondents from all corners of the globe that United States progress in the study of the controlled fusion process had not reached a point which would justify hope of peaceful use of hydrogen power in the near future, “There has been nothing,” he said, “in the nature of a ‘breakthrough’ which would justify .any one thinking that this is anything but a very long range project.” When the conference opened Monday its president, ProL Homi J, Bhabba of India predicted that the hydrogen bomb’s enormous power would be harnessed by men in the next two decades to provide a limitless source of industrial power. That was the first time that a high ranking scientist had made such a prediction, and led to speculation that some recent scientific “break through” had been discovered. There are two processes for releasing atomic energy. One is known as fission, which is splitting the nuclei of some heavy elements such as uranium and plutonium, into lighter elements. This is the process used in producing atomic bombs or the peaceful nuclear reactors for controlled energy. But the fission process is not dependent on temperature x as is the second process known as fusion which can occur only under very high temperatures of millions of degrees such as exist in the ihterior of the sun. The fusion process consists of merging the nuclei of two light elements into the nucleus of a heavy element. The United States has used the intense heat of the fission, or atom splitting process, (Continued on Page Eight) Monmouth School Faculty Complete All Teachers Named At Monmouth School All teachers for the 1955-56 school term at Monmouth have been appointed, Omer Merrimgn, Root township trustee, announced today. Loren Jones, principal, has been reappointed, the trustee said. Othet members of the teaching staff include: . ~ .Agnes Yager, commercial; Vera Owens, art; Eloise Andrews* English; Geraldine Herderhorst, home economics; Martha B. Kleinhenz, physical education; Fred P. Meier, agriculture; John Rosier, history; Darrell Gerig, music; Marvin Wiseheart, industrial art; Hugh Landis, mathematics and - science Mary Dean Myers, fifth and sixth grades; Alice Martin, fourth and fifth grades; Vera Harris, second and third grades; Kathryn Dorwin, first and second grades, and Ralph V. Shaw, veterans agriculture. Charles P. “Porky” Holt, athletic director and coach of the sectional champion basketball team, Monmouth Eagles, also will return as coach and instructor of physical education.

Five Ohio Persons Killed In Accident Automobile Struck By Fleeing Youths SEYMOUR, Ind. (INS) —Five Ohio persons were killed when two youths struck their automobile head on at Seymour while trying escape from police in a stolen ear, The multiple tragedy claimed these lives: Robert M. Ghnnon, 38, Russell Point, O. Mrs. Olive Gannon, 41. his wife. William Waitrflan Gehrman, 32, Hamilton, O. „ Mrs. Delores Gehrman, 32, his wife. A two-year-old girl whom police had not yet been able to identify this morning. The youths, Larry Howard, 16, of Louisville, Ky., and Knox, Ind., and Eugene Fletcher, 16, of Knox, were reported in critical condition today at Schneck memorial hospital at Seymour. Howard and Fletcher were captured by Indiana troopers who chased them from Crane Hill, Ind., where the car in which they were riding Jiad been stolen. Seymour police had established road blocks. However, the two fleeing teen agers eluded jioth and swung onto the wrong side of the highway at the edge of therbioine** district add struck the OHIO ctir. All of the Ohio persons were killed instantly except Mrs. Gehrman, who died about two hours after the collision in Schneck hospital. Seymour officers, Clem Kleimoln and Jack Nowling, had taken up the chase after a maroon car, reported stolen, shot past their road block about two miles west of Seymour. They said they chased the car, believed driven by Howard, at speeds ranging up to 90 miles an hour but failed to catch up with it. At a second road block, set up at the Seymour city limits on U. S. 50, the car containing the two teenagers whirled around a car parked cross-wise of the pavement by driving on the right berm. At this point Seymour officer Harold Knoke also joined the chase. (Continued on t-ag* Five)

Paramount Hotel Tour Headquarters Tour Cost Includes Hotel Accomodation New York headquarters for those who take the Daily Democrat-Erie Labor Day special will be at the Paramount hotel, 46.th street, just off Broadway hr the heart of Times Square, it was announced today by those in charge of the special train. The hotel accomodations are included in the $46 round-trip ticket and accommodations provide for two in a tooni. If a person wants a single room, that cost will be $2 additional. The train arrives in New York Saturday noon and passengers will have Saturday afternoon and evening and all day Sunday in the nation’s largest city. There will be planned tours for those who desire and there also will be tickets available for those who care to visit radio and television broadcastiftg stations. Each passenger will be given an Erie tour button as a means of identification. A boat trip in the Atlantic for a view of the statue of Liberty is part of the program. Tickets to baseball games on Sunday can be arranged for, and those going on the excursion can plan their own program during their New' York visij. if they care to. —Anyone desiring to make a reservation on the special .train, is asked to fill out. the coupon which appears on another page in the Dally Democrat. A limit of 46 Adams colunty people has been set and all reservations must be in by August 29.

Quarles Named As Secretary 01 Air Force Assistant Defense Secretary Is Named To Succeed Talbott WASHINGTON (INS) — Assistant defense secretary Donald A. Quarles, un expert on guided missiles, was named by President Eisenhower today to be secretary of the air force. The 61-year-old Quarles, an engineer with the Belt Telephone laboratories before he was named to his present post in 1953, was given a recess apopintment to succeed Harold E. Talbott. The White House made it clear that Mr. Eisenhower plans to send Quarles’ nomination to the senate when congress reconvenes in January. Talbott, under fire br senate investigators because of his private business activities, resigned effective this Saturday. Quarles has been the assistant defense secretary for research and development, a position which placed him in charge of all military research, including guided fbft Ales.' tL ~r- - A White Hooke aide pointed particularly to this guided missile experience, indicating It played an important part in his selection for the post. News secretary James C. Hagerty said Quarles was recommended by defense secretary Charles E. Wilson, but declined to say whether’ he was Wilson’s first and only selection for the job. The Arkansas born appointee is a Republican. He has a wife and four children, and makes bis home in Englewood, N.J. He joined Bell Telephone laboratories as an engineer shortly after World War I, when he served as a captain in the army field artillery. He had risen to the position of vice president of both the labora(Continued on rage Eight) Dayton's Newspapers Shutdown 0y Strike * DAYTON, O. (INS) —Dayton’s two newspapers — the morning Journal Herald and the afternoon News — were both shut down today by a stereotypers strike and were not able to publish. Both plants were picketed and other mechanical unions refused to cross the lines.

Mrs. Nellie Mefford Is Taken By Death Funeral Services , Saturday Afternoon Mrs. Nellie May Mefford, 69, of Van Wert, 0., died at 1:25 o’clock Wednesday afternoon at the home of a son, Floyd Mefford, of Decatur route 5, following an illness of one year. She was a native of Paulding county and a lifelong resident of Paulding and Van Wert counties. Mrs. Merford was a member of the Fairview United Brethren in Christ church in Paulding county. Surviving are three sons, Floyd of near Decatur, Gilbert of Kendallvllle and Ernest of Pleasant township, Van Wert county; seven grandchildren; six great-grandchil-dren; two.brothers, Charles D. Eddy of Fort Wayne and William R. Eddy of Convoy, 0., and one sister, Mrs. Anna Mefford of Convoy. The body, removed to the Alspach funeral home at Van Wert, win be returned to the Fioyd Mefford residence, where friends may call after 7 o’clock this evening. Funeral services will be- held at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Fairview church, the Rev. Robert Mueller officiating. Burial will be In the IOOF cemetery at Convoy.

Freed Airmen Relax On Hawaiian Soil Given Traditional Hawaiian Welcome - HONOLULU (INS), —Eleven American airmen, free after 32 harrowing months in Chinese Communist prisons, relaxed today in Hawaii-on American soil for the first time In almost thre years. The flyers arrived at Hononuiu’s Hickem air force base Wednesday in two transports and a short time later one of them, in a« enjotional breakdown, indicated much of their story remains uutold. !AJft»r a traditional Hawaiian welcome-complete with hula girls and leia-the flyers freshened up and then appeared at a news conference. They seemed disinclined to talk. A newsman asked Elmer F. Llewellyn of Missoula, Mont., if he was tortured ,by his Chinese Communist captors and he replied calmly enough: “I certainly was. They gave me the works.” Then a reported commented that he understood that Col. John Knox Arnpld W Sliver Springs. Md., the senior member of the released group, was the main target of Communist brutality and that the reds were easier on the others. Llewellyn responded with a ahoflt : “Like hel! they were!” Then he broke down and wept uncontrollably but regained his composure fn a few minutes. Arnold was asked If he thought China was becoming a modern nation and he replied: “1 didn’t see anything but the inside of a prison ceil for thirty -two months — and it wasn’t modern." Fair And Pleasant Weather In State INDIANAPOLIS (INS) Fair and pleasant weather prevailed over Indiana today and will continue at least through Friday, according to the forecast of the Indianapolis weather bureau. Temperatures tonight will range from 58 to 66, acording to the/prediction. Rain feir in many scattered regions over the state Wednesday afternoon. Town Elections At Geneva And Monroe Town Elections To Be Held November 8 _

Adams county will have two town elections this year, at Geneva and Monroe, it was learned today. Each of the county’s towns will have its own election commissioners and the county board will have no control over the town elections, according to the recent interpretation of state election laws. Each of the major parties will organize in the two towns by electing' a chairman and vice chairman and the town clerk will act as clerk of the election commission. Party conventions must be held on or before August 27, which is the last Saturday in August, and the general election must be held on November 8. The town central committee of each political party shall be composed of precinct committeemen and vice committeemen in which the town is wholly or partly situated, according to the statute. Notice must be posted prior to the nominating conventions and all voters of each party are entitled to attend and cast votes at their respective nominating conventions. A town board and clerk-treasurer shgll be nominated by each party, the statute xay*. Each wwrrß electlon commission shall have complete charge of the general town election and shall count the votes. Democrats and ’Republicans plun to organize in both Monroe and Geneva In the next 10 days, it was learned.

Price Five Cents

Planes Crash In Air Over South Germany Disaster One Os Worst In History Os U.S. Air Force STUTTGART, Germany (INS)— Sixty seven American troops and airmen were killed today when two big “flying boxcar” transport planes collided in the air and crashed in flames in southern Germany. The U.S. air force announced, one- of the worst crashes in Its history while speeding disaster teams to the crash scene near the city of Freudenstadt. It said one plane carried 42 troops of the U.S. Seventh army, plus a crew of five and a loadmaser. The other carried 14 soldiers, a crew of four, and a loadaster. m The accident occurred less than IB after take off at 2:18 p.m. (9:18 a.m. EOT). Army helicopters and aircraft from the 84th air rescue squadron at Rhein Main air Base in Frankfurt were dispatched to the crash scene. An eyewitness said*that the two C-119 afr forew. transport planes were flying in a foftftatlon of three when one on the left veered and rammed the middle one. Both burst into flames and crashed Immediately, setting fire to a forest. . * The planes were flying over the towns of Pfalzgrafenweller and Woerneraberg* shortly before the collision. They had taken off from Echterdingen Air Base at Stuttgart. Several helicopters were dispatched from Echterdingen air base to the crash scene. The identity of the men aboard was not learned Immediately. Even after an Air Force check next of kin will be notified before the names are released to the public. Freudepstadt is 65 miles south west of Stuttgart and about 50 miles southeast of he French Iwrder city of Strasbourg. Air force headquarters in Mftesbaden said that the planes were part of a nine plane training mission with soldiers of the U.S. seventh prpay aboard. Home base of the planes was the Rhein Main air force base at .Frankfurt. First reports indicated that there were no survivors in the crash that occurred near Edelwell* er, In the vicinity of the southern German city of Freudenstadt j Both planes were identified aa C-119 transports, the Fairchild “flying boxcars" used in transportation of tropos and training of parachute troops. Fifth Meeting By U.S., Red China (GENEVA (INS) —The U. S. and Red China met for an hour and a half today behind closed doors o discuss repatriation of American civilians and the problem of Chinese students in the United States. (A brief announcement at the end of the fifh meeting bewwen U. S. Ambassador U. Alexis Johnson and Chinese Ambassador Wang Ping Nan said he repatriation problem was again discussed. * . i i.. ■■ BULLETIN WASHINGTON (INB)—The air force announced today it is nearly ready to teat fly a supersonic rocket plane expected to achieve heights and speeds far" greater than any ever attained. Testa of the new plane, the Belt .#-2, are scheduled to bo made before the end of the year. The aircraft la tho first ever designed to craeh the so called "thermal barrier.” It i* believed able to withstand temperatures. approaching 1,000 degrees fahrenheit.