Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 62, Number 127, Decatur, Adams County, 28 May 1964 — Page 1

VOL LXII. NO. 127.

Mightiest Rocket Hurls Model Os Moonship In Orbit At Cape Kennedy

Million Mourn At Funeral Os Nehru

NEW DEI JOT (UPD—Jawaharlal Nehru, a single red rose pinned as usual to his long white coat and a garland of jasmine around his neck, was cremated today in a ceremonial funeral pyre. Millions of Indians mourned the death of the man who had been the first and only prime minister of independent India. Nehru’s 15-year-old grandson, Sanjoy, ignited the funeral pyre after relatives and dignitaries smothered the body with sticks of fragrant sandalwood and flowers. Hundreds of thousands gathered along the banks of the sacred Jamnu River to watch the ceremony after an hourslong funeral procession through the streets. Nearly a million sorrowing Indians watched with tears in their eyes as the body was borne from the prime minister’s official residence to the river bank on a flag-covered gun carriage in 100-degree heat. Cortege Moves Slowly The funeral cortege moved slowly through the -highways and byways of this capital city and its environs on the six-mile journey to the cremation site at Rajghat, 400 yards north of the tomb of Mahatma Gandhi — Nehru’s mentor and father of Indian independence. As the Jeep-to wed gun carriage neared Gandhi’s tomb, the huge crowd could no longer contain itself and many rushed forward to get closer to the cremation site. As the funeral cortege reached the end of the journey, the chief of the pall bearers, the chiefs of the three militaryservices and senior army officers lifted the body from the gun carriage and carried it to

gUU Lailiagc auu ucuuvsa ~ — Huge Fire On Hudson River

JERSEY CITY, N.J. j (UPD— A spectacular wind - whipped fire wrecked a square mile of abandoned stockyards and Hudson River piers today, piling up damage in the millions of dollars. Fifteen firemen were over- • come by smoke and three others were trapped on a tower. The stiff wind showered sparks on the New York waterfront. The wreckage still smouldered hours after the blaze was brought under control. Firemen remained at the scene wetting down the rubble. Battalion Chief Vernon Nacion said there were no indications of foul play. “Somebody probably just dropped a cigarette in the grass and the wind carried it to the piers,” he said. More than 450 firemen battled the general alarm blaze for more than four hours before it was brought under control. A 30-mile-an-hour wind carried sparks across the river, briefly setting New York Pier 3 ablaze. A fireboat put that fire out. Tbree firemen carried hoses up a 30-foot ladder in a futile effort to fight the blaze from a tower. They found their water supply cut off and their lives endangered I when the wind shifted, leaving them trapped between water and flames. Race to Safety Eight firemen on the pier raced to safety but the three on the tower had to be rescued by a Coast Guard cutter. It pulled up to the pier and they

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

the funeral pyre. —- Leading the last journey was young Sanjoy—son of Nehru’s only daughter, Mrs. Indira Gandhi —his head straight and high, holding his grandfather’s feet in an embrace. Crowd Stampedes As the flames shot up from the funeral pyre there was a stampede among the huge throng to get closer to the pyre. Tens of thousands rushed forward, but police with batons formed a barrier to hold them back. Secretary of State Dean Rusk and the American delegation—which arrived here from Washington an hour after the funeral procession started — rested briefly at the U.S. Embassy, then returned to the airport and were flown to the funeral site aboard a Soviet-built Mil helicopter to avoid the crowds. Prime Minister Sir Alec Douglas-Home and ’ Lord . Mountbatten, last viceroy of India, represented Queen Elizabeth and Britain, the nation which imprisoned Nehru nine times in his long fight for independence. But the irony of this situation rowing millions as they wept for the man who had led their country as its first and only prime minister for 17 years, and whose death leaves a gaping hole in the nation’s leadership that could provoke division and chaos. In the swirling throng at the river were thousands of the “untouchables”, the low-caste Hindus whose segregation status Nehru had sought to remove by law in the independent India he had headed since 1947. Many fainted in the crowds that lined the route of the procession through its capital city and who gathered at the riverside for the last ceremonies.

leaped aboard. On the same pier, fireman PetOr Calvanico, driving a pumper, was trapped when the pier’s wooden flooring caught fire and the pumper’s wheels crashed through. Running to safety, he received first degree burns on both arms and required treatment at the Jersey City medical center. Fifteen other firemen suffered smoke inhalation. Fire officials saM it would take several weeks to specify the dollar amount of damage. Six piers were destroyed in the blaze, along with five float bridges. Compare Blaze Officials compared the blaze with the 1949 waterfront fire which caused $5 million worth of damage. tChe fires started in an abandoned stock pen about two blocks from the riverfront and spread, through heavy brush, to the piers. The property is owned by the Pennsylvania Railroad. The stockyards are no longer used and the piers are used only to load freight on barges. Railroad engineers spent the night removing freight cars and engines from the scene. I Public Library To Be Closed Saturday The Decatur public library will be closed all day Saturday, Memorial Day, according to an announcement today by Miss Bertha Heller, librarian.

CAPE KENNEDY (UPD—A Saturn-1 super' booster, billed as the world’s mightiest rocket, today hurled a prioneer model of America’s Apollo moonship into orbit on its first practice flight around the earth. With one mighty thrust of slightly more than 10 minutes, the giant space machine shot a spacecraft from Cape Kennedy to an orbit more than 100 miles up. The Federal space agency announced at 12:21 p.m., EST, that “our information from Goddard Space Flight Center (in Greenbelt, Md.) tell us that we have a satellite in orbit.** The Saturn-1 worked flawlessly from start to finish. The success was the sixth straight without a failure for the Saturn-1, and measured a major stride forward in the drive to land two astronauts pn the moon in late 1969. The Saturn-1, generating more power than 31,000 family iutomobiles combined, rose from, its launching pad wjJWj*a ground-shaking roar at- 12-98 p.m. EST. The 190-foot tall Satutn-1 is 30 times faster than a speeding bullet and is capable of shooting more than 100 miles into space in a single 10-minute thrust. The cone-shaped Apollo, load*>T 'vHth lead to simulate the weight of three astronauts and their equipment, was perched on the nose of the Saturn-1, the IMz-million pound thrust rocket that some U.S. space officials claim is more powerful than Russia’s best. Youths Taken Into Custody On Tracks Five boys were apprehended by the Decatur city police along the Erie railroad Wednesday evening standing on the tracks as a train came by at 75 miles an hour, and placing objects on the tracks, W. E. Bumgerdner, Erie-Lacka-wanna agent, stated this morning. This is the third incident involving young boys on the Erie, tracks reported this week. Earlier a boy and his dog had to run to avoid being caught on the railroad bridge over the St. Mary’s river, the dog falling from the tracks into the river. And on Monday an Erie passenger train, with a vice-presi-dent and other railroad officials, had to apply the emergency brakes because of youths shooting rifles across the train tracks. Standing On Tracks Bumgerdner stated that the youth were standing on the tracks at Patterson street, and waited until the train was less than a block away, and had slammed on its brakes, grinding the wheels, before jumping from the track. This not only costs the railroad quite a bit of money for retooling all of the wheels on the cars involved, but it is extremely dangerous, because if a boy would slip and fall, or catch his foot, in front of a speeding train, nothing Could save him. Illegal To Desspass It is absolutely illegal for boys to be tresspassing on any railroad property, and they are warned that the law will be strictly enforced for their own good, Bumgerdner reminded parents, o Under Indiana law, a parent can be held responsible for delinquent acts of his children, and punished as well as the children themselves. Parents are asked to warn their children to stay away from the railroad tracks; and to never use a railroad bridge. Every year, in this country, hundreds of people are killed because they disregard this stem warning, and violate the law by walking along the railroad right-of-way. Even small stones, thrown by the powerful huge wheels of the new diesel engines, have beep known to seriously Injure tresspassers just watching the trains, Bumgerdner added.

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Decatur, Indiana, 46733, Thursday, May 28, 1964

I Firearms Training I School Is Praised | Chief of police Grover Odle and county sheriff Roger Singleton praised today the F. B. I. firearms training school their department participated in Tuesday and Wednesday. Both law enforcement heads stated the school was very beneficial to their men. Odle explained the course was most beneficial to his men and especially to those who have been on the department just a short time and had never been offered such a course before. Odle also pointed out that Irwin K. Owen, special agent for the F. B. 1., who headed the school, turned out to be a most able and well-informed instructor in the various procedures of firing a pistol. ' Very Helpful Singleton said Owen proved very hefoful to the officers, showing the proper techniques to load and, rfeJoad, etc., speedily. The police chief and sheriff were responsible for setting up the school for the local officers. Odle sag} Owen stated that he thought aU of the men did quite well in markmanship, considering > that this was the first time many had ever fired a practical pistol course. The course was quite itj-rid jrf each officer fired 160 rounds of ammunition during the three-hour training. Several shots were fired from each of several distances. During the practical pistol firing, reloading and loading were a major factor, as each man fired on a time limit. The course was held at Portland’s eight-point firing range, and in addition to the local men, three froth the New Haven police department and several Portland officers participated. City Offices Close Friday And Saturday City hall offices will be closed all day Friday and Saturday, in observance of the Memorial Day holiday. This includes the offices of the city utilities, clerk-treas-urer, mayor and city engineer. The county offices in the courthouse will remain open Friday, but will be closed all day Saturday. The regular hours of 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. will be observed Friday. _ - Stephen Sutton Is Reported Improved Stephen Sutton, son of Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Sutton of this city, may be transferred to the Adams county memorial hospital Saturday or ttye first of next week, doctors have informed his parents. Sutton waS injured in a sewer cave-in in Bangor, Mich., Tuesday, while working with the Earth Construction Co., of Fort Wayne. He suffered a fractured pelvis, but fortunately, no other broken bones were discovered. According to information received by his parents, his entire body was badly bruised by the cave-in of asphalt and earth. Doctors feel, however, that he may be able to be transferred to the hospital here by ambulance Saturday or the first of nevxt week. He is expected to be hospitalized at least seven or eight weeks. Sutton is currently in the Bangor hospital. His wife arrived there Wednesday and is expected to remain until he is transferred here. The local young man was working with a crew of construction workers that is installing a new sewer system in the Michigan city. The first report received here said a large piece of asphalt fell onto his back, while he was in the ditch that Was being dug to la/ the sewer pipe. It was learned later, however, that the ground ■round thf glitch caved in, burying Sutton from the shoulders down, which caused the bruises about his entire body.

Arnold Simon Dies After Long Illness Arnold Simon, 81, of Berne route 1, retired Berne business, man and farmer, died at 10:50 p. m. Wednesday at the Berne nursing home, following an illness of six years. Mr. Simon formerly operated a second hand store at Berne. He was born in Canton Barn, Switzerland, Feb. 6, 1883, a son of Anthony and Mary BurrySimon. His first wife, the former FlJira Meyers, died in July of 1925, and he was married to Mary Lash Nov. 8, 1928. Mr. Simon was a member of „ the West Missionary church at Berne. Surviving are his wife: two daughters. Mrs. Glen Gifford and Mrs. Arthur Sprunger of Berne route 1. three sons, Victor A. and James M. Simon of Berne, and William D. Simon of Berne route 1; a stepson, Verlin G. Smith of , Monroeville route 2; a stepdaughter, Mrs. Eugene Moser of Cra'igville route 1; one brother, David Simon of Berne; two sisters, Mrs. William Thompson and Mrs. Aldine Liechty of Berne; 16 grandchildren and eight great-grand-children. Funeral services will be held at 2 p. m. Saturday at the West k Missionary church, with the Rev. - Armin Steiner officiating. Burial win be in Six Mlle cemetery. Friends may call at the Yager funeral home In Berne after 2 p. m. Friday. Breakfast Meeting Held By Optimists Dan Freeby, program chairman, introduced Jack Edds, of Merk, Sharp & Dehm. Drug Co., who presented ,q. film and inter-, esting discussion on measles vaccination at the weekly breakfast meeting of the Decatur Optimist club this morning. The film, entitled "Mission Measles,” dealt with the perfection and production of a measles vaccine. '■ “Statistics prove that in foreign countries, one out of four cases of measles results in a fatality,’’ Edds disclosed. “While the percentage of fatal cases is much lower in the United States, there is still a high rate of secondary complications to measles, such as pneumonia and encephalitis. “In Chile, South America, 113 out of 121 children afflicted by measles in a recent epidemic died as a result of the disease.” Measles vaccine was perfected by the staff of Dr. John Inders, noted Harvard scientist. Made from the embryo of chicken eggs - , hatched in sterile surroundings, the vaccine requires 137 days in the manufacturing stage, and must undergo 35 different tests. The result is a vaccine that produces a lifetime immunity to one of mankind’s most dreaded scourges. Early Press Time The Decatur Dally Democrat will publish Friday’s edition at 12 noon Friday to afford employes a longer holiday weekend. Copy for Friday's issue must be in the office no later than 9:30 a.m. tomorrow. There wUI be no edition Saturday, which is Memorial Day. INDIANA WEATHER Mostly fair north and central tonight, with rain ending > this evening and becoming partly cloudy in the extreme south- Cool tonight. Friday mostly fair. Not much temperature change north, and a little warmer south. Low tonight 44 to 50 north, low 50s south. High Friday 66 to 72 . north, 70 to 75 south. Sunset today 8:04 p.m. tanrise Friday 5:21 a ( m. Outlook for ’ ’■Rttufaay: Chance of showers. ■o important temperature changes. Lows mostly in the 50s. Highs in the 70s.

Open House Monday As Librarian Retires

Miss Bertha C. Heller, Decatur librarian for the past 16 years wil> be honored Monday evening from 7 until 8:30 p.m. with an open house at the Decatur library, as she retires from her second career. The public, and all those who knew her at the library, are cordially invited. Die Decatur native, honored in 1956 as Indiana librarian of the year by the Indiana library association and Indiana library trustees association, equalled the record of Decatur’s, first librarian, Miss Nettie Moses, who also served 16 years, from 1905 until 1921. She retires officially on Sunday. Mrs. Zerkel Librarian She will be succeeded by Mrs. Elizabeth Zerkel, of Lincoln school principal Hubert Zerkel, Jr., who has been assistant librarian since February, 1963. The year before Miss Heller started with the local library, it had 15,000 books, and its total circulation was 21,000 This past year it had 31,000 books, and it circulated 89,945 copies in 1963, four times the use made of the books 16 years ago. Miss Heller laughed about the remarks of a fellow librarian at a state meeting just shortly after television was introduced. De librarian remarked that Decatur ■ might as well close its library —no one would ever read again. 1 Actually, television has stimulated reading, and interest in good books, and reading has doubled since TV became popular in Decatur. Biggest Change Perhaps the biggest change in the past 16 years was the remodeling in 1958-59. Die old I Carnegie library, built in 1905 at a cost of just $15,000 which included a grant of $12,000 from Carnegie, and $3,000 raised by local donations, had its main library portion upstairs, which I made it difficult for older peot pie to get up to choose a book. . : ■ The late Dr; N. A. Bixler, then L president of the library board, headed the $39,000 remodeling, • which saw the first-story meeting room converted into a fine library for adults, and the upstairs made over into a children’s department. In 1948, a librarian and a single high school page handled the entire volume. Today, there is a librarian, assistant, children’s librarian, two part-time librarians for morning hours, and a page. President Pass Tribute Lowell J. Smith, president of i the library board, and Mrs. L. A. Cowens, board member, paid special tribute to Miss Heller for her ldrig years of service in Decatur. The city has been very fortunate, they pointed out, to have a Class IV librarian; many cities this size have only a class V librarian, with less college and library work. When Miss Heller was graduated from high school in 1902, she began her deep interest in libraries by helping with the school library, Decatur’s only library at that time, and as supply teacher for two years before going to Indiana

'" 1 1 " " ——s—l— Swimming Pool To Be Opened Next Week

The Decatur swimming pool will open the latter part of next week—various conditions permitt. ing, it was learned this morning from veteran headlifeguard Hubert Zerkel, Jr. It will be at least after Tuesday of next week, when the local Catholic school is dismissed for the summer, before the pool opens, Zerkel explained. Os course, weather and other conditions may affect the pool opening. City workmen are now in the process of filling the pool, but the first gallons of water have been quite rusty, and it appears the_ pool will have to be refilled. Die pool will have to be drained of the rusty water, the bottom of the pool cleaned of rust, and then refilled, before it will open. Die filling process takes about three days, Zerkel said. Done Painting The pool repainting for the summer season has been completed, and street department workmen are now in the process of painting the pump houses, etc., around the pool. - “They are really doing a good job,” Zerkel exclaimed, “and it is the best paint« job in some time.” * ’ said anewtype.of' paint is being used this year and will serve to make the pool area quite attractive.

dwf* S ,L * '■ if. • "T;"\ sk / ' Miss Bertha C. HeUer

university, which she attended two years, taking a regular academic t course. For five years she taught school, with three years in Alexandria, J ' one in- Marion, and one in Decatur at the old South ward. On July 1, 1913 she went to work as deputy secretary of state for Indiana under secretary Lew Ellingham, then publisher of the Decatur Daily Democrat, and recently elected secretary of state. . That first day was a memorable one, as she issued the first automobile license ever issued in Indiana to Gov. .Samuel Ralston. Chief Clerk 28 Years In February of 1916 she left the secretary of state office, went to the Indiana girls. school, near Indianapolis, where'She was named chief clerk and assistant superintendent. She served as assistant to Dr. Keosha Sessions, who retired in 1940 after 30 years as head of the girls school. Miss Heller remained on at the girls school until 1944, when she -returned to Decatur. That fall she went with Dr. Sessions as her secretary at her home in Illinois, and stayed with her until her death in February. 1947. Miss Heller then returned to, J2>e-

Lifeguards Unsettled Who will be Zerkel’s assistant lifeguard for the summer is not definite as yet, but it will more than likely be John Rosier, Adams Central teacher, who has indicated he would take the job again. Rosier has been the assistant for the past several summers at the local pool. Zerkel said this morning that he hopes to meet with Mayor Carl D. Gerber yet today on pool matters. Rosier will more than likely be reappointed, but the major question concerns r the .proposed charge, how much it will be, will there be season rates, group rates, etc. Mayor Gerber first brought up the matter of charging admission to the swimming pool—one of the few. if not the only free one in Indiana—at the city council’s meeting April 21. Discuss Charging That evening, Mayor Gerber was very emphatic in saying that something must be done to relieve the pool problem of only two lifeguards attempting to watch over several hundred youngsters. •*?.—•« : have to 'do something ■ with that pool,” were the words of the mayor as he explained to the council that it was an impos-

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catur, where she made her home with her older sister, Mrs. John W. Tyndall, 93, of 203 N. 4th street. In February, IMS, she came to the Decalur. .Library, where she succeeded Miss Esther Eichenberger, librarian for two years. This evening Miss Heller will be honored with if party by her coworkers at the Carriage Inn, Fort Wayne. Classes In Summer Reading Open Monday The summer reading program for students from grades three through eight in the North Adams community school district, will open at the Northwest school Monday, with classes daily from 8 a.m. until 12 noon. r L Teachers will be Robert Doan, Mrs. Kathryn Dorwin, Miss Kay Daugherty and Miss Glennys Roop. John McConahan, Monmouth principal, stated this morning that it was believed that all prospective students had been notified either by telephone or by mail, but if any were inadvertently missed, they should report to the Northwest school Monday morning.

sible task for two lifeguards to watch over hundreds of youngsters at the same time. It was brought out that on hot days and weekends, there are several hundred swimmers using ■ the facilities all afternoon, and that there are many out-of-town groups included. On numerous occasions, out-of-town groups have brought a bus load of children to the pool for the afternoon. By charging admission, funds could be raised to hire more lift, guards and make the pool a much safer place to swim. Board Studies At the May 19 couneil meeting, the council again discussed the matter, and turned the problem over to the board of works for > their study and recommendations as to an admission charge. It appears the pool will no longer be free to one and all, but as yet no charge has definitely been set. Zerkel said he would like to Me a small fee be charged everyone, with admission tickets for . the entire season sofd at a set priee. He explained that it wasn’t fair to city youngsters when the pool was overcrowded with swimmen from out bf town, and even from the neighboring state of Ohto. The council meets again next Tuesday and a definite decision may be arrived at by that Hom,