I ■
NOME, ALASKA, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 1961 Per Copy 15*
..- ' ' "■ .—' . RJ."1 ' » ■ I I. . ■ ' ■ ■■■ =• - -.1*.- ■ ..-. - ■ l.l. ■■■■—■ I ..—
TWA Airliner
Crashes Outside of
Chicago - 78 Perish
CHICAGO m — An airliner
laden with vacationers crashed
and burned in a cornfield today,
killing all 78 persons aboard in
the nation’s worst single commer
cial plane disaster.
The four-engine TWA Constel
lation disintegrated when it
plowed into the muddy ground
10 miles west of Chicago’s Mid
way Airport minutes after it took
off for Los Angeles.
It was the third worst U. S.
commercial plane accident, (but
both those with greater life loss
were double crashes after colli
sion in the air.
Witnesses said the plane, ap
parently smashed in an emer
gency landing attempt. They said
there was no explosion in the air.
Doctors said the first dead ex
amined bore no evidence of ex
plosion injuries but looked,
rather, like auto crash victims.
In Washington, the FBI said it
had started an investigation of
the possibility a bomb may have
caused the crash.
Most of the passengers were
embarking on Labor Day holiday
visits. Seven were members of
one Los Angeles family.
The plane left Boston at 7:45
p. m. Thursday. It was enroute to
Los Angeles and had made stops
at New York, Pittsburgh and Chi
cago. It left Chicago at 2 a.m. and
crashed about 10 minutes later.
, Jerry Broz, a farmer whose
house is only 150 yards from the
wreckage, said he heard the
plane roar overhead, then ap
parently start a turn.
“I think he was trying to land,”
Broz said. “It might have been
done successfully — with all the
space here. But something was
wrong.”
The thunderous explosion
caused residents of the area to
look first toward the Argonne
National' Laboratories, the Atomic
Energy Commission installation
which is five miles southwest of
the crash scene.
The blast spewed burning oil
and scorched the side of Broz*
house, melting the plastic screens
on windows.
The dead were scattered with
debris over an area one-fourth by
three-fourths of a mile. Scattered
effects included a baby bonnet,
a bathrobe, shower clogs, a part
ly burned dress. There were
broken traveling bags and suit
cases. 1
As morning came, a hundred or
more officials and workers pre
pared to collect the bodies. A Red
Cross emergency disater unit
crisscrossed the field, driving
stakes with numbers on them in
to the soft mud beside each body.
Survey of Fallout Shelters
To Be Made in Alaska
JUNEAU M — The State Office
of Civil Defense and other state
agencies will cooperate with the
Corps of Army Engineers in a
survey of fallout shelters in Alas
ka, Gov. Egan said today.
The survey will be made by
the Army Engineers’ Civil Works
Branch and will attempt to de
termine the suitability of exist
ing structures both public and
to serve as shelter space.
The actual evaluation and
marking of acceptable structures
will be done by selected archi
f ■ tectural engineering firms.
Major Buildings In 50
States to Be Surveyed
For Fallout Protection
BALTIMORE; Md. (£) — A sur
vey of major buildings in all 50
states — the first step in a gov
ernment program designed to pro
vide fallout protection for 50
million persons — will get under
way next month, officials an
nounced Thursday.
Completion of the survey, for
which $93 million has been ap
propriated, is expected by Dec.
31, 1962.
Representatives of the Defense
Department outlined the vast pro
gram during a joint meeting here
of Army engineers from the Balti
more area and Civil Defense of
ficials from seven states.
The survey of buildings will be
limited to those structures capa
ble of accommodating more than
50 persons. Some of them prob
ably won’t need modifications and
will be marked with signs visible
to the public.
Was It a Quake
Or Russian Bomb?
Seismograph readings Thursday
touched off speculation that the
Soviet, Union had already carried
out its threat to resume nuclear
weapon tests. But most scientists
agreed that their instruments had
actually registered an earthquake
near Peru.
The shocks were registered
about 9 p. m. Wednesday. Prof,
Max Bieder of Basel University’s
Astronomical Institute in Swit
zerland, and Dr. Raffaele Ben
dandi of the Geophysical Ob
servatory in Faenza, Italy, placed
the shocks somewhere in China’s
Gobi Desert.
Bieder said the shocks were
unusual in that the second was
stronger than the first and the
center was relatively near the
surface. Bendandi said they could
have been caused by a subter
ranean explosion.
The shocks were also regis
tered at about the same time on
seismographs at Columbia Uni
versity, California Institute of
Technology, the Japan Meteorol- j
ogical Agency, the Riverview Col
lege Observatory in Australia and
Sweden’s Uppsala University.
None of these plotted the shock
as having occurred in Asia, and
most put it near Peru. A spokes
man at Riverview said the earth
quakes were about 123 miles be
low the surface of the earth and
not likely to cause any damage.
Prof. Bieder said later it was
possible his instruments gave a
faulty reading.
ARMY IN NEED OF
500 ADDITIONAL NURSES
WASHINGTON UP) — The Army
Medical Sendee said Thursday it
critically needs 500 additional
nurses because of the recent build
up of the Army.
The Medical Service said the
Army hopes to meet the immedi
ate requirement through volun
teer nurses, mainly young women
and men who have not yet served
in the armed forces.
Peace Corps Volunteers
Arrive in Puerto Rico
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico UP) —
Thirty-one Peace Corps volunteers
arrived Thursday for 26 days of
training for road building proj
ects in Tanganyika. The volun
teers will get special training in
Swahili, the language of their
future African post, and construc
tion of farm-to-market roads.
Russians Set Off
Nuclear Explosion
WASHINGTON UP) — The Unit
ed States announced today that
Russia has conducted a nuclear
test.
The White House said the test
was of a device bf “intermediate
range.”
U. S. authorities explained later
that “intermediate range” refer
red to explosions of 100-500 kilo
tons, and certainly less than one
megaton. The bomb which de
vastated Hiroshima in World
War II was 20 kilotons, or the
equivalent of 20,000 tons of TNT.
The test, the White House said,
was conducted in the general area
bf Semlpalatinsk in Central Asia.
It was detonated in the atmo
sphere.
“The device tested had a sub
stantial yield in the intermediate
range,” the White House said.
How the test was detected or
reported to the United States was
not immediately disclosed.
The nuclear test occurred just
two days after the Soviet Union
announced it would resume nu
clear weapons experiments — an
announcement President Kennedy
has branded as atomic blackmail.
Kennedy was informed of the
test blast, after it was confirmed
at 3:15 p. m.
“It did not come as a surprise
, to the President or his aides,’
acting White House press secre
^ tary Andrew Hatcher told news
men.
! Superbomb in Brief . . .
By The Associated Press
How much punch would a 100
megaton bomb pack? ...
It would unleash the equiva
lent force of 100 million tons of
TNT.
It 'would be 5,000 times more
powerful than the U. S. atomic
bomb dropped on Hiroshima at
the end of World War II.
It would pulverize everything
—and kill every body—within an
estimated radius of 12 miles of
zero, the point of detonation.
House Passes Bill to
Allow D.C. Residents
Stand-Up Drinking at Bars
WASHINGTON UP) — The j
House passed a bill Thursday that
would permit stand-up drinking
at Washington bars. But not by
serious stand-up drinkers, just by
propective sit-down eaters.
For years, hard-liquor drinks
have been served at only tables
in capital eating places. Bars are
reserved for beer-and-wine trade
and even these customers have to
be seated.
The bill would allow customers
to down a quick one in a vertical
position — but only if the bar
is screened from the restaurant’s
eating area. And the stand-up
tippler would not be able to get a
good foothold for any serious
drinking. Because, a sponsor ex
plained: “This bill permits serv
ice without prior seating only to
waiting customers who are to be
seated within a short period of
time.”
The measure still must be acted
on by the Senate.
_
Soviets to Build Electric Power
Station Operated by Tides
MOSCOW UP> — The Soviet
Union disclosed Thursday it has
drawn up plans for an electric
power station to be operated by
ocean tides near Murmansk on
the Barents Sea. It is to be finish
Contract for Propulsion
Units for State Ferries
Awarded to Oakland Firm
JUNEAU W — A contract for
supplying $2,225,328 worth of
propulsion equipment for the
three ferries the state will operate
in Southeast Alaska will be
awarded to the Enterprise Di
vision of the General Metals Corp.
B. E. Lewellen, State Director
of Marine Transportation, said to
day notification of the award will
be sent to the Oakland firm later
today.
The decision in favor of En
terprise was made this morning
following a meeting of Gov.
Egan, State Public Works Com
missioner Richard Downing; Le
wellen; State Planning Director
George Nichols and Phillip Spaul
ding and Frank Vibrans repre
senting Phillip H. Spaulding and
Associtaes of Seattle.
Spaulding and Associates is the
naval architectural firm retained 1
by the state to design the ferries.
—
Two Bids for Joiner
Systems on Alaska’s
Three Ferries Rejected
JUNEAU <*> — The State De
partment of Public Works Thurs
day rejected both bids for the
joiner systems of the three state
ferries to be operated in South
1 east Alaska.
B. E. Lewellen, State Director
■ of Marine Transportation, said
■ the rejection of the bids would
make no difference in presenl
schedules for completion of the
ships. He said new bids have been
called for and will be opened
Sept. 13, the same day the state
will open bids on the ferries
themselves.
“The bids were rejected be
cause the bidders failed to con
form with the requirements list
ed in the bid invitations,” Lewel
len said. “This has resulted in the
state not receiving the technical
information which is required.”
Of the two bids received, Wash
ington Industrial Products Corp.
of Seattle, bid $1,680,500 and Ar
not Marine, New York City, bid j
$1,683,000.
Egan Gives Full Support
towards New Reception
Center in Anchorage
JUNEAU iffl — Gov. Egan to
day gave full support to a bill
providing for establishment of a
foreign trade zone, a hall of states
and an international reception
center and information center at
Anchorage International Airport.
The bill was co-sponsored in
the U. S. Senate by Sens. Bart
lett and Gruening.
Egan also said again he would
be willing to discuss with the fed
eral government the possibility of
the state making land available
on a rent-free basis for a sepa
rate structure near the main ter
minal building.
“In the event this does not
prove feasible,” Egan said, “the
state would attempt to provide
adequate space for such a facility
within the proposed new Anchor
age Terminal Building.”
THE WEATHER
Partly cloudy with little change
in temperature. Low tonight 40
45, high tomorrow 50-55. In the
last 24 hours: High of 59, low of
46. Sunrise at 4:42 a. m., sunset
at 7:19. Temperatures a year ago
today: High of 57, low of 42. Ex
tremes on this date since 1907:
High of 61 in 1923, low of 27 id
Soviet Document
Shows Support For
Free Air Corridors
WASHNGTON UP — The U. S.
government today made public a
long-secret Soviet document which
it said shows the Russians them
selves once contended the air*
corridors to Berlin are for un
restricted use by both military
and civilian allied planes.
The document says the three
Western corridors to Berlin had
been allotted by four power
agreement, including 'the Soviets,
“for unrestricted flights by al
lied aircraft over the Soviet zone
of occupation in Germany.”
The paper, which the Soviets
presented at the 1947 Moscow
foreign ministers’ meeting of the
big powers, was described as prob
ably the most explicit written
record showing Soviet agreement
to unhampered civilian and mili
tary traffic to Berlin.
The question of air access to
West Berlin is a key issue in the
developing crisis over the Com
munist-surrounded city. The West
j em Allies look on the air corri
I dors as their most important life
line in maintaining their precari
ous foothold in the city.
The Reds have been contending
postwar allied agreements pro
vided for use of the air corridors
only to supply the Western mili
tary garrisons in Berlin.
Communist East Germany offi
cials have served notice that, once
they get the peace treaty prom
ised by Soviet Premier Khrush
chev, they will clamp down on
civilian traffic.
EGAN URGES REOPENING OF
BIA SCHOOL AT QUINHAGAK
JUNEAU UR — The Department
of the Interior was urged today
by Gov. Egan to repair and open
the Bureau of Indian Affairs
School at Quinhagak, southeast of
Bethel.
The BIA said it did not plan
to open the school this year be
cause of its unsafe condition, t
Egan said.
In a letter to Interior Secretary
Udall, Egan urged that repairs
be made pending construction of
a new building at Quinhagak.
"Unless some action is taken
immediately, 60 children will be
deprived of an entire year’s of
schooling,” Egan said.
JAPANESE WEATHERMEN
PRAISE TIROS III
TOKYO UR — Japanese weath
ermen messaged a cable of thanks
to the U. S. Weather Bureau today
praising Tiros III as an excellent
example of the peaceful use of
space science. Japan’s Central
Meteorological Agency said Tiros
discovered a weak tropical storm
east of Torishima Island, 700
miles southwest of Tokyo, before
it was detected by Japanese
weathermen. The agency said
Tiros helped Japanese weather
men pinpoint other tropical
storms, Aug. 17 and 30 and con
tributed to early detection of
typhoons.
Mont Blanc Tunnel
Three-Quarters Completed
CHAMONIX, France UR — The
tunnel under Mont Blanc, Eu
rope’s highest peak, is more than
three-quarters completed, the
French government said today.
The announcement said French
and Italian teams boring from op
posite sides of the mountain have
dug about 25,000 of the 35,000
feet.