rn NOME NUGGET
* OLDEST NEWSPAPER IN ALASKA—MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
i - • . —v— ■ ■
VOL. LXI No. 141 NOME, ALASKA, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1959Per Copy—154
Canaveral Moon - Rocket Program Goes
Ahead, Despite Big Atlas-Able Failure
By HOWARD BENEDICT I
CAPE CANAVERAL, tla., Ufi —
The United States pushed ahead
with plans for another stab at
space today while still seeking
the reason for the failure of its
biggest moon rocket.
In about two weeks an attempt
will be made to propel a payload
toward the vicinity of the planet
Venus and into orbit about the
sun. The launching vehicle will
be a Thor-Able rocket.
The nation’s laSt space effort
ended in disappointment Thanks
giving Day when a mammoth
Atlas-Able rocket fizzled shortly
after it was fired in an attempt
to put the first satellite into orbit
around the moon.
The Atlas-Able, 10 stories high
and the most powerful rocket ever
assembled by this country, was on
its maiden flight. It crashed hun
dreds of miles out in the Atlantic
Ocean after its second stage failed
to ignite.
Scientists are studying tele
metry data and launch movies to
learn the cause.
Focal point of the investigation
was a mysterious piece of mater
ial that fell from the rocket about
30 seconds after the launch. The
chunk, which appeared to be on
fire, spiraled slowly into the
ocean a few miles offshore.
Officials theorized it was part
of a protective fiberglass fairing
that covered the third stage and
the 372-pound satellite. The fair
ing was to split in two and blow
away when the rocket was out
side the earth’s dense atmosphere.
It is believed the fairing may
have broken prematurely, expos
ing the uper stage and payload to
intense friction.
Had it been successful, the
American satellite would have
whirled into a lunar orbit and
transmitted back crude pictures
of the moon’s surface and other
information on its environment.
Holiday Snows Blanket
Many Parts of U. S.
(By The Associated Press)
A snowstorm swept into the
east today and dumped up to 8V£
inches of snow in New York
State.
The storm skipped the lower
Hudson Valley ’ and Long Island,
but left three to four inches of
snow in Syracuse, Utica and
Rome.
The snow area extended from
the upper plains area eastward
through the upper Ohio Valley
into the North Atlantic states.
Cold air engulfed virtually all
of the country except the north
eastern and southwestern cor
ners. The mercury shriveled to
j6 in Leadville, Colo., and -4 in
Bemidji, Minn.
A Thanksgiving Day storm
dropped up to 14 inches of snow
in some sections of the Rocky
Mountains.
A storm also struck in New
Mexico. Snow ranged up to six
inches in the mountains in the
northern part of the state. A low
of three below zero was registered
in Estancia Valley.
New Joint Security
Will Calm Troubles In
U. S. Philippine Bases
MANILA, UP) — U. S. and Phil
ippine military commanders con
ferred for two hours today and
reportedly agreed on new joint
security measures for American
bases here.
The conference was called by
Philippine Defense Secretary
Ale jo Santos in the wake of an
American congressman’s demand
that the United States abandon
this country as a Pacific defense
project.
U. S. Representative Phil
Weaver (R-Neb) issued a state
ment in Washington Wednesday
charging that a “graft-ridden”
Philippine government was open
ly harassing American service
men and that there was “mass
looting of American property
here.
Weaver’s statement drew a
storm of protest in Manila,
marked by bitter references to
“ugly Americans” and threats to
abrogate treaties with the United
States.
N. W. Airlines Refused
Nonstop Orient Flight
WASHINGTON, Uf) — The Civil
Aeronautics Board Wednesday
denied Northwest Airlines per
mission to start nonstop service
between Tokyo and Hong Kong.
The CAB said “On the basis of
circumstances as they exist at the
present time it appears that such
nonstop service may adversely af
fect the public interest.”
The board said Northwest could
file a further nonstop notice at
some future date “when present
circumstances with respect to
such service have altered.”
Northwest notified the CAB
November 6 of the intent to offer
the new service. Pan American
Airways filed a letter of protest
November 13, and Northwest filed
an answer November 20.
‘DEATH WATCHERS’ FOOLED AGAIN — SIR
WINSTON STEPS OUT HALE, HEARTY, NEAR 85
By EDDY GILMORE
LONDON, OR — Three days be
for his 85th birthday, Sir Win
ston Churchill is one of the most
amazingly healthy ailing men in
the world.
He is still one of the most
quotable.
“I am ready to meet my maker,”
he told a friend not long ago.
“Whether my maker is ready to
meet me is another matter.”
Victim of two major strokes,
two bouts with pneumonia and
numerous other ailments, his
strength is remarkable.
For at least 16 years he has
been fooling people who dared
predict he was near the end.
In 1943, Field Marshal Lord
Alanbrooke wrote in his diary
that he was afraid Churchill was
at last beginning to run down hill.
The last scare about Churchill
came last week.
Because of a sudden indisposi
tion, he had to cancel meetings
with Chancellor Konrad Aden
auer. London editors stationed re
porters on a “death watch” at
Churchill’s front door.
It was the same old story. The
next day Britain’s wartime lead
er was up and about, feeling fine.
He talked 40 minutes with
Adenauer.
Even so, Sir Winston hates
birthdays, for he knows he can’t
go in forever. At 85 he is in
deniably feeble.
He has trouble getting in and
out of chairs and automobiles.
When he reads his speeches,
he often loses his place, or
stumbles over familiar words.
Yet, during the same fumbling
speech, he will suddenly galvan
ize the audience and bring un
ashamed tears to many eyes with
fleeting moments of his magic
way with words.
Words, spoken and written,
have always fascinated him.
“Short words,” he once said,
“are the best, and the old words
— when short — are best of all.”
A poor scholar as a boy, he
developed his scholarship rela
tively late.
“No one has ever passed so few
examinations and received so
many degrees,” he once said.
During his adult life Churchill
has always liked alcoholic drinks,
particularly champagne and
brandy.
His likes and dislikes are strong.
One of his pet hates is auto
mobiles. He steadfastly refused to
learn to drive.
Once he observed; “I have al
ways considered that the substi
tution of the internal combustion
engine fbr the horse marked a
very gloomy milestone in the prog
ress of man.”
Work to Revamp
Projects to Bolster
Phone Service
SEATTLE, Uf) — Plans for the
expenditure of an additional $1,
376,973 for communications and
construction projects in Alaska
during the next year and a half
were announced by the Alaska
Communications System Wed
nesday.
ACS said the money will be
used to expand its long distance
telephone switchboards in An
chorage, Fairbanks and Ketchi
kan; replace obsolete long dis
tance telephone facilities at Ju
neau; install a microwave sys
tem between Lena Point and the
new Juneau toll center; install
additional telephone central office
terminal equipment at Anchor
age and Fairbanks; construct a'
building addition and install an
additional boiler and larger capa
city generator at the Tok repeater
station; construct a new power
house and install a larger capacity
generator at the Lena Point sub
marine cable repeater station,
and expand the channel capacity
of its submarine cable and wire
lines.
The contracts for several of the
projects already have' bee.n
awarded, ACS said, and the re
maining contracts will be awarded
before next June 30. All work is
expected to be completed by the
summer of 1961.
The $1,376,973 is in addition to
an estimated 5 million dollars
ACS will spend during the cur
rent fiscal year on normal oper
ations and maintenance.
WEATHER FORECAST
Cloudy with intermittent snow
and easterly winds 20 to 25 mph.
Lowest temperature expected to
night 29, the high tomorrow 34.
In the past 24 hours: highest
temperature 33, lowest 27. Max.
wind 40 mph from the N.E.
Superior Court Judges Sworn Today
JUNEAU, UR — Eight Alaska
lawyers were sworn in today as
judges of the new state’s Superior
Court.
They received their oaths of of
fice during a 34-minute ceremony
that marked the first official ses
sion of Alaska’s three-man Sup
reme Court, appointed last July.
The trial court judges were
sworn in to the $19,000-a-year
posts by Chief Justice Buell Nes
bett in a ceremony that drew a
capacity crowd in the District
Courtroom of the Capitol Build
ing.
The historic ceremony virtually
completed organization of Alas
ka’s judicial system just six days
from the 11th month anniversary
of the admission of the 49th state
to the union.
To Hold Court In January
It will be early January before
the new judges begin hearing
their first cases as the new trial
courts take over in place of the
transitional Federal Courts. The
transitional courts, a continua
tion of the four District Courts
that served Alaska in territorial
days, will be replaced by a one
judge U.S. District Court.
The new state jurists, appointed
19 days ago by Gov. Egan are:
James A. von der Heydt, 40,
presiding judge for the First Ju
dicial District at Juneau.
Walter E. Walsh, 60, judge for
the First District at Ketchikan.
Hugh A. Gilbert, 44, presiding
judge for the Second Judicial
District at Nome.
Edward V. Davis, 49, presiding
judge for the Third Judicial Dis
trict at Anchorage.
James M. Fitzgerald, 39, judge
for the Third District at Anchor
age.
J. Earl Cooper, 52, judge for the
Third District at Anchorage.
Harry O. Arend, 56, presiding
judge for the Fourth Judicial Dis
trict at Fairbanks.
Everett W. Hepp, 44, judge for
the Fourth District at Fairbanks.
Of the eight, all are Demo
crats who will serve initial terms
of five years, only von der Heydt,
Gilbert and Walsh will serve in
cities which were not their homes
before appointment. «
Von der Heydt, who resigned as
■president of the Alaska Bar Assn,
to become judge, moves from
Nome to fill the court post at Ju
neau. Walsh, former Interior De
partment attorney, leaves Juneau
to become judge at Ketchikan.
Gilbert, one of two state sen
ators among the eight, lived at
Fairbanks before his appointment
to Nome.
(Continued On Page Three)
Hawaii Celebrates
Statehood; Volcano
Supplies Fireworks
HONOLULU, UP — When Ha
waii opened a statehood celebra
tion yesterday Kilauea Volcano
supplied the fireworks, suddenly
coming to life with an eruption
of crimson lava.
The fiery fountain shot as high
as 1,000 feet — and quit after
16 hours as abruptly as they
started. An eyewitness said “it
dropped off to nothing within 20
seconds.”
A tourist-attracting eruption in
Kilauea Iki crater began Novem
ber 14 and continued for a week.
Then it went dormant for four
days.
Islanders combined the Thanks
giving holiday with a full-scale
| commemoration of statehood, ffie
J festivities to last four days. Spec
i tators flocked by auto and plane
to the new display on 4,090-foot
Kilauea in the Island of Hawaii.
Observance of the official ad
mission day of the 50th State
ended with a memorial service
to the nation’s war dead #at
Punchbowl Cemetery, an extinct
volcano crater above Honolulu.
Berry-Less Feast Spread
On White House Table
WASHINGTON, UP — The Eis
enhowers had a cranberry-less
Thanksgiving dinnef. Applesauce
was served instead.
That word came from actressj
Rosalind Russell and her hus
band, Producer Frederick Bris- j
son, who dined with the President I
and his family at the White House.
Secretary of Welfare Arthur S. j
Flemming and his family had !
government-approved cranberries j
with their holiday dinner. Flem
ming touched, off a cranberry
' scare earlier this month when he
reported some berries were j
tainted by a weed • killer which j
I had produced cancer in rats.
Ousted U.N. Officer
Suicide in N. Y.
NEW YORK, UPI — Paul Bang
Jensen, 50, deposed United Na
tions official who had been miss
ing since Monday, was found dead
Thursday in a Queens Park. Police
called it “an obvious case of
suicide.”
The body of Bang-Jensen, dis
missed from the U.N. in a con
troversy over releasing the names
of Hungarian refugees, was found
by a man walking his dog along
the bridle path of Alley Pond
Park.
A .25-caliber automatic was in
his right hand. He died of a bul
let wound in the right side of
his head. Pilice "said a note in
his possession was identified by
handwriting experts as that of
the Danish national.
Authorities said the body had
been in the wooded area more
than 24 hours. This left about 48
hours of Bang-Jensen’s time un
accounted for after his disappear
ance. He was not seen alive after
leaving his home Monday at Lake
Success on Long Island — about
two miles from where he was
found.
Bang-Jensen, former senior po
litical officer at the U. N., was
fired from his $17,000-a-year po
sition in July, 1958. He created
an international furor for refus
ing to divulge the names of 81
Hungarian refugees who had
given secret testimony before the
U. N. Committee on Hungary.
Bang-Jensen said he had prom
ised to keep the names secret
to protect the refugees’ families
from possible Communist repris
als. The sealed list of names was
burned on the roof of the U. N.
building in the presence of offi
cials.
Bang-Jensen first was sus
pended from his U. N. post, ac
cused of insubordination, and
then discharged by U. N. Secre
tary-General Dag Hammarskjold.