2£S NOME NUGGET
_ OLDEST NEWSPAPER IN ALASKA—MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
VOL. LIX No. 21 NOME, ALASKA, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 19.7 Per Copy—15i
Seventy Feared Dead in Blaze of Mo.
Home for Aged; Said Worst in History
By ALLAN MERRIT and
GEORGE SITTERLY
WARRENTON, Mo., UP) —
Grim-faced men poked through
the smouldering ruins of an old
folks home today for the bodies
of at least 70 persons who died
in the blazing funeral pyre with
in minutes yesterday.
The searchers, working in spots
cooled off by streams of water,
had found 16. A deadly stench
filled the air. Smoke and steam
continued to rise from the ruins.
Seventy of the 155 inmates, iin
cludinbg 45 women, were reported
missing in the fast-spreading fire.
A ripping explosion followed. One
eyewitness said the entire build
ing was aflame in three or four
minutes. Another said about 15.
Authorities were baffled by the
speed with which the flames
i raced through the two-story
i brick building..
The fire, probably the worst in
i Missouri’s history, brought quick
demands for state legislation that
would tighten safety regulations
for nursing homes and institu
tions for the aged.
The home had been approved
in recent inspections for fire haz
ards.
The charred bodies were bur
ied in a pile of twisted iron
beds, plumbing fixtures, brick
and mortar in the basement.
None of the 70 inmates reported
missing had turned up overnight
to further confirm the estimated
death toll.
Officials felt most of the Sun
day visitors managed to escape j
since no inquiries had been re
ceived. Just how many were there
probably will never be known.
Missouri Gov. James T. Blair
in Jefferson City today called
the state nursing home inspection
law “completely inadequate.”
He said he would ask the Leg
islature for a better one. Blair
said a thoi’ough investigation of
the tragic fire would be made.
Truman Declines Invite
To Greek-Turk Ceremony
WASHINGTON, UP) — Citing
other commitments, former Pres
ident Truman has declined invi
tations to attend ceremonies
marking the 10th anniversary of
the Greek-Turkish aid program
he inaugurated.
The State Department an
nounced this yesterday and said
it is “a source of regret” to both
President Eisenhower and Secre
tary of State Dulles.
The invitations originated with
the Greek and Turkish govern
ments which plan celebrations in
Athens and Ankara next month.
Dulles passed the invitations on
to Truman, after Eisenhower had
given his approval.
Truman, who is on a combined
I speaking-vacation trip in Florida,
sent his reply to Dulles Saturday.
The former Democratic President
declined in Miami Beach to say
what was in it.
L. W. Cullop Held
After Wife is Run
Over by His
FAIRBANKS, UP) — "I_eon W.
Cullop, 42, a sheetmetal worker,
was held without charge yester
day after the death of his Eski
mo wife, Dorothy, 27, whom
police saw being run over by the
blood-spattered Cullop pickup
truck.
Policeman William Dewalt, re
sponding'to a call from a radio
equipped taxicab, yaid he saw
Mrs. Cullop tumble from the j
moving truck under the wheels.
She was dead on arrival at a
hospital.
Cullop, who returned Jan. 30
from his job at Galena, told po
lice his wife had left home Feb.
13 and gone to stay with friends
at the Eskimo village on the out
skirts of Fairbanks. He went yes
terday to bring her back, and a
quarrel ensued.
Police said she tried to escape
from the truck several times on
the return drive home. A cab
driver radioed his dispatcher of
her cries for help, and police were
summoned.
The Cullops were married one
year ago at Point Barrow. She
had two children, 7, and 2, by
a previous marriage.
U. S. Atty. George Yeager 9aid
charges would be filed against
Cullop tomorrow.
Israel Will Hear
Report of Envoy
Before Acting
(By the Associated Press’
Israel came to the crossroads
today on her insistence that she
will not leave Egyptian territory
without guarantees.
Israel six times has failed to
comply with U. N. demands that
it pull its forces out of Egypt.
President Eisenhower told Is
rael she has all the assurances
she can reasonably expect. This
statement capped a week of ne
gotiations during which the
United States tried to get Israel
•to withdraw from the Gaza Strip
and an area guarding the Gulf of
Aqaba approaches to Eilat, Is
rael’s southern port.
Israel in the course of the ne
gotiations, insisted upon “effec
tive steps” to see that Egypt did
not discriminate against Aquaba
shipping. She asked, too, for as
surance on use of the Suez Canal,
long denight to Israel by Egypt.
The United Spates, in turn,j
promised to seek to have U. N.
forces introduced into the dis
puted areas and Secretary of
State Dulles insisted Israel’s
forces of invasion and occupation
should withdraw.
The effect of this stalemate
was to put the dispute back in
United Nations hands. The U. N.
Assembly meets tomorrow, and
an Asian-African group of na
tions is drawing up a resolution
to place economic sanctions
against Israel.
Abba Eban, Israeli Ambassador
who carried on last week’s dis
cussions in Washington, was re
called today to Jerusalem.
The Israeli cabinet, after dis
cussions with Prime Minister Da
vid Ben-Gurion, decided it wanted
to hear face-to-face Eban’s ac
count of his Washington talks.
N. Y. Dock Strikers |
Ready to Return to
Jobs with Pay Hike
NEW YORK, (£> — Picketing
ended on the New York water- j
front today, and an employer |
spokesman said striking long
shoremen may return to work
here tomorrow on the basis of a
negotiator’s agreement.
Agreement was reached lest
night on a pact to end the five
day tieup of ports from Maine to
Virginia.
Alexander P. Chopin, chairman
of the New York Shipping Assn.,
said his prediction of a possible
return-to-work here tomorrow
was based partly on reports long
shoremen might not wait until
after a member vote on the pact.
He also said some locals were
holding meetings today concern
ing the agreement l>etween coast
wise negotiations for the shippers
and the International Longshore
men’s Assn. (IND)
Included in the tentative con
tract is a 32-cent hourly wage
boost, spread out over a three
I year period, an 18-cent hike is ef
fective the first year with seven
cent raises for each of the suc
ceeding years. The presnt basic
dock workr’s wage is $2.48
hourly.
The new pact provides also for
improved vacations, holidays,
welfare and pension benefits and
other work conditions.
Marilyn’s Husband
Indicted for
Contempt of Cong.
WASHINGTON, </P> — Play
wright Arthur Miller, the hus
band of Actress Marilyn Monroe,
was indicted today on two charges
of contempt of Congress.
The indictment stemmed from j
Miller’s refusal to tell the House
Committee on Un-American ac
tivities the names of fellow writ
ers with whom he admitted at
tending Communist Party meet
ings in 1939 and 1940.
Miller denied in testimony to
the committee June 21, 1956, that
he had ever been a Communist or
under Communist discipline, but
admitted he had been associated
with a number of Communist
front groups.
The Pulitzer Prize winning
playwright told the committee he
“would not support now a cause
dominated by Communists.”
In refusing to name persons
with whom he attended Commu
nist Party meetings, Miller said:
“My conscience will not permit
me to use the name of another
person and bring trouble to him.”
The Federal Grand Jury which
indicted Miller also returned a
separate indictment charging Dr.
Otto Nathan of New York, exec
utor of 'the estate of the late Al
bert Einstein, with contempt of
Congress.
Nathan, a German-born asso
ciate professor at New York Uni
versity, relumed to answer some!
questions by the House Commit
tee on Un-American Activities on
June 12, 1956. He told it he
would not “make any kind of
statements about my political and
private associations.”
At his New York residence,
Miller said he had “expected” the
contempt action.
Asked whether his wife was
upset by the action, he replied:
“Nobody is very overjoyed.”
Also in New York, Nathan de
clined immediate comment on his
indictment.
Wynn and Skelton Nominated for
Television Honors in New Roles
HOLLYWOOD, iff) — Ed Wynn j
and Red Skelton, who have made
a lifetime career of taking comic
pratfalls, turned to tear produc
tion this season and won them
selves nominations for television
“Emmies.”
The nomination of the two fa
mous comics highlighted the tele
vised nomination ceremony Satur
day night of the Television Acad
emy of Arts and Sciences. Nom
inees were announced in 29 act
ing and technical categories, with
the winners to be selected March
16.
Wynn’s nomination for best
supporting actor and Skelton’s
for best single performance were
2 of the 13 nomination won by
Playhouse 90, the CBS-TV week
ly dramatic series which swept
the nominations.
“It’s like being a doctor for 50
years and then winning your first
case in court,” Wynn commented.
V
His role as the trainer in “Re
quiem for A Heavyweight” was
his first serious one in 55 years
of show business.
It’s also conceivable that a year
from now the Motion Picture
Academy may nominate him for
an Oscar for his first serious mo
vie performance in “The Great
Man.”
So far, every preview audi
ence has broken into spontaneous
applause every time Ed’s scene,
played with great sensitivity, has
been shown.
Ed has a logical reason for his
switch from comedy to serious
drama.
“I just couldn’t get work as a
comic. And when a fellow’s out
of work it’s easy to act serious.”
Skelton portrayed a comic on
the skids to place him in the
field with such strong dramatic
competitors as Frederic March,
Lloyd Bridges, Sal Mineo and
Jack Palance.
Seattle ‘Pretty Crowded’ to Pioneer
After 59 Years of Alaska Living
j SEATTLE, Iff) — Pete Curran,
j who once “carried” the mail in
! Alaska with the aid of a 28-dog
sled team, Is in Seattle for his
first look at the “outside” in 59
years.
Curran’s reactions to his first
| look at Seattle since 1898 was
concise:
"It's changed a loL Seems
pretty crowded."
On a quick tour of the city Fri
day after his arrival by Pan
American World Airways, Cur
ran saw not a single structure he
knew as a landmark in the 90’s.
Curran, now 90, was lured from
his $1.25-a-day road job here by
the Alaska gold rush. He headed
north and into a career which
has encompassed gold - mining,
freight-hauling, mail - carrying,
and, finally, operating a store.
Curran since 1922 has operated
a general merchandise store and
freight business at . Solomon, a
community of “about 50 families”
some 30 miles east of Nome.
Curran, a native of Erie, Pa.,
went into business hauling
freight from Bennett, near Skag
way, to Dawsotn, Y. T., a 30-day
trip across hundreds of miles.
After a year, Curran moved on
to the Spruce Creek area, near
Nome, and tried his hand at gold
mining.
"In those days," Curran re
called with a wry grin, "a man
had to carry a gun to hold a
claim."
But gold-mining brought
“trouble,” Curran said with a
chuckle, and he returned to mail
carrying.
Curran’s “route,” which he
held more than 20 years on a
contract with the government,
was from Nome to Unalakleet,
225 miles away. A round trip took
16 days by dog sled.
"The storms were pretty bad
sometimes," said Curran.
"There were times when I
couldn't see farther than three1
dogs ahead of me."
Curran rnver got lost. He
trusted to his dogs — and two
compasses.
"If you only carry one com
pass," Curran said,* "you might
decide it's not working and
trust your head instead. With
two compasses you know
they're right."
Curran is accompanied on his
trip here by his wife, Pauline, 77.
They are staying with Mr. and
Mrs. Charles E. Anderson.
Anderson during the summer is
a “neighbor” of the Currans. He
is a gold-miner at Council, 45
miles away.
Curran came here to consult'
doctors regarding eye trouble.
Still healthy and alert, Curran
has no plans to retire.
"I'm going to live another
100 years," Curran chuckled.
"You're only as old as you feel,
and I don't feel very old."
Dems. Advocate
Alaska, Hawaii
Statehood Plans
SAN FRANCISCO, UP — The
Democratic National Advisory
Council adopted a resolution here
over the weekend strongly en
dorsing statehood for Alaska and
Hawaii.
The text in part, reads:
"The representatives of the
Territories of Alaska and Ha
waii have clearly demonstrated
during the meetings held in
the course of this conference
that these Territories are rady
for Statehood.
"The Democratic Advisory
Council recommends early
hearings and favorable action
on pending legislation to create
such stales."
Adlai Stevenson addressed a
$50 Democratic dinner Saturday
night. He assailed “the Adminis
tration's rock and roll diplomacy”
and advocated action—“even at
the risk of war” — to bring
peace to the Middle East and to
open the Suez Canal to all traffic.
“While we don’t propose to
dominate anyone ourselves, we
don’t propose that Russia domi
nate anyone either,” Stevenson
declared.
* * *
SAN FRANCISCO, 1® — Dem
ocratic National Committee
Chairman Paul Butler announced
yesterday he has accepted an in
vitation to address a joint session
of the Hawaiian Territorial Legis
lature when it opens its session
next Wednesday.
Butler said he will fly to Hon
olulu next Tuesday.