™s NOME NUGGET
OLDEST NEWSPAPER IN ALASKA—MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
YOU LVI No. 26 NOME, ALASKA, MONDAY, MARCH 1, 1954 _Per Copy—15<
Philadelphia Blast
Kills 5, Injures 38,
Razes 2 Buildings
PHILADELPHIA, Lin—Investi
gators poked through tons of deb
ris today seeking the cause of a
terrific explosion that flattened
two buildings, killed five persons
and* injured at least 38 others.
About two other buildings in
an old and thickly-populated
South Philadelphia neighborhood,
less than two miles from historic
Independence Hall, were dam
aged by last night’s blast. The
violent concussion broke hundreds
of windows.
Deputy Fire Chief George E.
Hink said it was “amazing” the
death toll was not higher.
Scores of police and firemen
swarmed over the tragic scene
through the night, digging into
the shattered bricks, smashed
plaster, splintered wood and brok
en glass in a search for victims
and the cause of the explosion.
A luncheonette, popular meet
ing place of neighborhood teen
agers, bore the brunt of the earth
shattering blast that leveled it
and an adjoining three-story
building housing a jewelry store
on the ground floor. Only on Sun
days is business slow—a fact that
probably saved many lives. Nev
ertheless, at least 18 passersby
were hurt by the blast and the
showers of bricks and glass that
followed.
Four victims died near the
luncheonette soda fountain. They
were the proprietor, Isadore
Pearlman, 50, and three young
customers.
Senate Confirms Hodge
As 2nd Division Judge
WASHINGTON, Iff)—The Sen
ate confirmed on a voice vote to
day the nomination of Walter H.
Hodge to be United States district
judge for the Second Division
court in Alaska.
Proposed Reductions Of
Alaska Air Line Fares
Suspended By CAB
WASHINGTON, bP>—'The Civil
Aeronautics Board suspended un
til May 27 proposed reductions of
air line passenger fares in Alaska
and between Alaska and the Pac
ific Northwest.
The board also suspended a re
duced rate, proposed by Alaska
Airlines, Inc., for the air trans
portation of mercury from Mc
Grath, Alaska, to Anchorage.
The board suspended the pro
posals pending investigation of
them.
It said that the reduced local
fares filed by Alaska Airlines,
Inc., and the reduced joint fares
filed by Alaska, Northern Consol
idated, Wien Alaska, Western and
West Coast, for transportation be
tween Portland-Seattle and Alas
ka, may be unjust and unduly
discriminatory.
The proposed passenger fare re
ductions were opposed by Pan
American World Airways.
Martin Olson
Secures Dangling
Ski While in Flight
Martin Olson, pilot for Munz
Airways, damaged a ski on take
off yesterday with two passen
gers aboard. They were up in
Death Valley, back of Golovin,
securing the plane of Merle Smith
which had made a forced landing
last week. The passengers were
Merle Smith and Edwin Punguk.
Realizing that the dangling ski
was tearing the fabric of the
fuselage of the plane, Olson turn
ed the controls over to Smith and
with Punguk holding his legs
he leaned out the door of the
plane and managed to secure the
ski so that no longer battered the
belly of the plane.
Arriving at Nome Olson made
a good landing, with only one
ski.
21 Killed As Spear-Wielding
Sudanese Demonstrate Against
Restored Egypt President Naguib
KHARTOUM, Sudan, (^—Police
bullets beat off a wild attack on
the British governor general’s
home Monday by yelling Sudan
ese tribesmen brandishing steel
tipped spears in a demonstration
against visiting Egyptian Presi
dent Mohamed Naguib.
At least 21 persons were re
ported killed, including the Brit
ish police commander, Col. H. S.
Muguigan, and six of his men.
More than 100 persons were
wounded,. 30 of them critically.
Authoritative sources reported the
Sudanese police chief, Brig. Mar
tada El Mahdi, among the victims.
The clash came after more than
30,000 demonstrators agitating for
and against Naguib massed in the
capital. Members of the pro-inde
pendent Umma Party marched
on the home of Gov. Gen. Sir
Robert Howe, where Naguib was
being entertained after his arrival
by plane from Cairo.
Sudanese police, commanded by
British officers, first tossed tear
gas grenades at the pressing crowd
^pd then opened fire with their
guns when the tribesmen charged
with out-thrust spears. The seven
slain policemen fell before the
spear charge.
Naguib came here with Egyp
tian Guidance • Minister Slah Sa
lem for the inaugural session of
the Sudan’s first parliament. Af
ter the fighting, the governor gen
eral announced the ceremony
would be -postponed indefinitely.
Salem, who once did a dance in
his underpants to win Sudanese
support for Egyptian plans, was
one of the men who helped engin
eer Naguib’s ouster last week.
The anti-Egyptian demonstra
tion undoubtedly was a blow to
Naguib, who flew to Khartoum
after surviving a crisis in his own
government in which he was
forced out as President on Thurs
day and then reinstated on Satur
day. Naguib, who was born in the
Sudan, has been a popular figure
to the Sudanese up to now.
Five House Members Shot From
Galleries By Shouting Puerto Ricans
Atom Tests Start
WASHINGTON, UP—'The Atom
ic Energy Commission said Mon- j
day an atomic device has been
detonated at its proving ground
in the Marshall Islands.
Chairman Lewis L. Strauss said
the detonation was the first in a
series of tests.
Only that much information
was contained in the AEC’s brief
announcement which confirmed
the start of a series of tests ex
pected to include detonation of
an H-bomb.
100-Inch-Long Polar Bear
Shot Off Sledge Island
Bob Curtis, Bob Jacobs and
Glen Lenert made; a flight to
Sledge Island Sunday for a polar
bear hunt and brought back a big
one which measured 15 inches be
tween the eyes and 100 inches
from nose to tail. The bear was
first seen with a group of five
including a female and one cub.
The hunters reported that ev
ery time the plane,, got near the
female she would gather the cub
close to her for protection.
Attempts to get more of the
bears were delayed by poor fly
ing weather.
It has been many years since
polar bears have been caught so
near to Nome.
The carcass of the bear was
hung from the telephone pole in
front of the N.C. Store today.
Butler Bill For
Better Treatment
Of Alaska’s Insane
WASHINGTON, UP)—Sen. Butler
introduced a bill Friday to provide
a “modern, efficient system” of
providing for Alaska’s mentally
ill.
'Alaska now has no authority to
control its program for the care
of the mentally ill.
Butler told the Senate present
procedures are “outmoded to the
point of being ridiculous and
cruel.” He said:
“Under the present law, no per
son who is mentally ill may be
committed to an institution for
treatment until after he has been
found by a court to be guilty of
the ‘crime’ of being insane. The
whole system of handling the
problem of mental illness in Alas
ka is at least 40 or 50 years out of
date.”
French Claim Successes
Over Indochina Reds
HANOI, Indochina, tff)—T h e
French claimed new successes
Monday in flushing Vietminh reb
els c^it of the key Red River low
lands of north Indochina, with 92
rebels killed and 114 captured.
A French army communique
said tanks and other mobile units
scattered one Red - commanded
Vietminh battalion in a sharp day
time fight in the Phu Van Dinh
sector, 30 miles south of Hanoi.
WASHINGTON, (/P)—A group of men and a wo
man—shouting “Free Puerto Rico!”—fired pistols from
a House gallery at Congress members today and hit
at least five.
In milling confusion, the members first ducked,
ran, then turned back to aid their injured colleagues.
Spectators grappled with the pistol wielders in
the gallery and police leaped after them.
Neliru Rejects
Eisenhower Offer
Of Arms Aid
NEW DELHI, India, UP)—Prime
Minister Nehru blisteringly rejec
ted President Eisenhower’s offer
of arms aid for India Monday and
demanded that American observ
ers with the U.N. cease-fire team
in disputed Kashmir be with
drawn.
By giving military aid to Pakis
tan, Nehru told his cheering Par
liament, the United States had
intervened in the Indian-Pakis
tani fight over the Himalayan
state and the American observers
therefore “can no longer be re
garded by us as neutrals.”
At the end of 1953 the United
States had 14 officers with the
48-merrrber U.N. military mission
supervising the Kashmire truce.
The lf.S. Air Force also makes a
B-47 transport and crew available
when needed.
Eisenhower’s offer of American
arms aid “has done less than jus
tice to us or to himself,” the Pre
mier reclared, continuing:
“If we object to military aid
being given to Pakistan, we would
be hypocrites and unprincipled op
portunists to accept it ourselves.”
Roy Rogers Shoots Self
And Horse Trigger At
Performance In Scotland
EDINBURGH, Scotland, UP)—
Cowboy Film Star Roy Rogers
shot himself and his horse Trigger
during a weekend performance at
a local theater. But tell the kids
to relax.
Roy escaped with a slight nose
bleed and Trigger with a stung
flank.
They were hit by small pellets
which ricocheted off the stage
while Roy was demonstrating his
p stol marksmanship.
Earl Warren Confirmed
As Chief Justice
WASHINGTON, (ff)—The Sen
ate today confirmed President
Eisenhower’s appointment of Earl
Warren as chief justice of the
United States.
The Senate’s approval came on
a voice vote with no audible
“No’s.” There was little discus
sion.
Quake Rocks Adelaide
ADELAIDE, Australia, Iff)—This
capital of South Australia and a
large area of the state were sha
ken last night by the region’s
most violent earth tremor in 50
years.
i No casualties were reported.
The lawmakers wounded were:
Alvin M. Bentley (R-Mich);
Ben F. Jensen (R-Iowa);
Clifford Davis (D-Tenn);
Kenneth A. Roberts (D-Ala);
George H. Fallon (D-Md);
Bentley was struck through the
chest. He dropped to the House
floor apparently seriously injured.
Jensen also was on the floor in
a big pool of blood.
Roberts was carried out on a
stretcher.
Davis, hit in the leg, remained
in a seat, being treated by a nurse,
after the wounded were removed
to hospitals.
Fallon also was reported to
have been hit in the leg.
Two men and the woman who
wielded pistols were seized.
One of the gunmen was grabbed
by a doorkeeper, Mathew Far
della, when he attempted to re
load his gun. Fardella caught him
and pulled him out into the corri
dor. Another doorkeeper, Charles
Santoro, also joined Fardella in
subduing the gunman.
The shots were fired from auto
matic pistols as the men and wo
man shouted for freedom for
Puerto Rico. They fired at ran
dom from a comer of the visitors’
gallery while the House was de
bating a Mexican farm labor bill.
As police seized the group and
rushed them to police headquar
ters in downtown Washington,
one of the three tossed a Puerto
Rican flag into the air.
Nine Killed In
Airliner Crash
NEWCASTLE, Wyoming, U?i—A
ground party early today found
the shattered wreckage of an air
liner which apparently crashed
in a snow-storm and killed nine
persons.
In the first brief report from the
scene by radio, State Highway
Patrolman George Wilcox told
the sheriff’s office here: “It’s a
mess.”
The Western Air Lines Convair,
enroute from the West Coast to
Minneapolis, disappeared Friday
with six passengers and three
crew members.
It was discovered from the air
by Bill Spear, Western’s regional
pilot from Denver, and Bert
Mooney of Salt Lake City, chief
pilot for the airline.
Flying only 30 feet off the
ground, they identified the craft
from colored fragments—the larg
est appearing no more than three
feet in diameter, Tom Lane, WAL
sales manager at Rapid City, said.
No sign of life was observed in
the vicinity.