Evening Star Newspaper, July 11, 1926, Page 1

i (0. A. Weather Bureau Forecast.) |, District of Columbla—Fair and cool- er today, and tomorrow fair with mod- erate fresh winda; rising Full report on Page T. v Exploding Projectiles teémperature, HUNDREDS INJURED, * |WASH-VA RALWAY BLAST FELT 30 MILES; : HUGE FIRES RAGING Army Munitions Depot, Mile From Naval Station at Dover, N. J., Reported Ablaze. MAGAZINE BECOMES INFERNO, BLOCKING ALL RESCUE EFFORT Continuing Explosions and Darkness Make Check of Toll Impossible; Officers Missing. By the Associated Press. DOVER, N. J., July 10.—Fro m 50 to 75 persons are believed to have been killed in a series of terrific explosions today at the Navy thunitions depot near here, which destroyed the depot and spread destruction through the surrounding territory. At midnight tonight flames sti repeated smaller explosions made ill'roared through the depot and it impossible for rescue workers to enter the danger area to remove the dézg and assist the injured. Soldiers and Marines formed a guard around the depot, allowing ‘no one to pass. Hundreds in Nearby Towns Injured. Hundreds of persons living in a radius of a few miles of the depot were injured when the blasts leveled their homes. Most of the dead were Marines stationed at the ‘depot. A bolt of lightning late in the afternoon struck an arsenal which ex- ploded. The entire force at the depot—70 men—was called out to fight the fire which followed, and a second and greater explosion caught them, Jeavinguthem dying or injured. = amseiesig The terror and confusion country made it almost impossiblt read through: tle*!urrou;idi:;g‘ o determine for some tinme the number of casualties. _Fifty persons were taken to the Dover General Hospital, many seriously in{:ted;f emergency hospital at the American injured were taken to Morristown Hospital, Morristown, ousl N. J., and scores of others with wefe taken .to ar. gion headquarters, 13 seri- minor injuries were treated by physicians here and in nearby towns. Entire Town Reported Wrecked. The entire town of Mount Hope, a few miles from, the depot, was reported destroyed and man; also was réported that the town of The explosions were felt for injured were found there. ' It Hibernia had been leveled, 30 miles around the depot, and pieces of steel and concrete, flaming timbers and ashes fell miles away, starting many fires. Late tonight the fire in the Navy depot was reported by Capt. 0. & Dowling, U. S. A., commandant of the depot, to have spread to Picatinny Arsenal, an Army depot. , The first death reported was that of a woman who died in the Dover General Hospital. It was believed, however, that the greater number of the dead would be found in the ruins of the depot when workers are able to ebiter it. In a statement to the Associated Press; Capt. Dowling said he saw no one killed- in the explosions, which * wrecked the depot tonight. He said he had no way of checking the number of casualties before day- . light and that he expected the fire, which followed the explosions to rage for_hours. The depot, he said, contained 200 magazines, small buildings filled with T. N. T. depth charges, high explo- sive shells and smokeless powder. Every building in. the depot was wrecked, he said, and virtuglly every magazine exploded. Car Wrecked by Explesion. At the time of the first explosion, he said, there were at the depot 61 marines, 20 satlors from the Brooklyn | what arsenal the call came from could, Navy Yard on speclal duty, three other sailors and an ufidetermined number of civillans, including the wives and families of some.of the men stationed at the depot. Describing the disaster, he said: “At 5:25 pm., I was sitting in my quarters with my wife, when the fire ajarm sounded. Some one had seen & wisp 'of smoke coming from a magazine containing TNT depth oharges. : “I got into my cdr and drove to- rd the magazine. When 1 was bout 200 feet from it there was a terrific_explosion. ‘which wrecked my car and threw me out of it.” There wag nothing to do. but run bl¥fore the rain of shells which fol- lowed as magazine after magazine blew up. Capt. Dowling made his way to Dover, where he was treated for cuts on the face and where his wife was confined to a hospital with minor injuries. The arsenals.arg about a mile from each other and small communities in themselves. i Residents of Mount Hope and the ad- Joining town of Rockaway -evacuated thelr homes -before their lives were threatened. 8 e Shells were manufactured and stored at the arsenals, and it was said that they were placed at sufficient distance from each other, so that the ex of one would. not aftect athers. All Magazines Belleved Hit. - The lghtning struck At the naval reservation shortly after § o'clock, and that"was followed almost, {nstantly by a major explosion. At approximately half-hour intervals after that three ogher major dxplosions were “heard. I r - explosions occurred at more | frequent. intervals. Persohs fatiliar wit r,ne naval plant believed all the arsenal about a mile from the were maintained at the Army arsenal. A series of explosions began there within 45 minutes of the first explo- sion at the naval plant. About 50 persons were reported in the general hospital here, and one woman died. Most of the refugees urd in from Mount Hope and ockaway were taken care of by resi. dents here. At 9 o’clock the explosions were stil heard, and the corps of am- bulances were still held outside of the danger zone by marine guards.’ Buildings in Rockaway, about 5 miles southwest’ of the arsenals, were damaged by the concussions of the ex- plosions.. No shells were reported to have landed there, but several houses | y;, crumbled when the major explosions occurred, The men and officers reported mis- sing made up the detachments sta- tioned at the Lake Denmark plant. Laborers who worked at both places lived in Rockaway and Mount Hope. Robert Richards, a native of Dover, told friends that an officer had tele- phoned him from ome of ‘the arsenals at about 7:40 o'clock and advised him to move his family out of Dover. Richards said he would leave imme- diately. ‘'Who the was and not be learned. Refugees arriving from Mount Hope reported that the entire town had been destroyed by 'shells from the Navy arsenal. i .‘The naval arsenal is located on Lake Denmark, a s about 7 miles northwest of Dover. Mount Hope, with a4 population. of close. to 1,000, was about 2 miles southwest of the landing _in the Army Picatinny and setting off the powder there. FIRE FIGHTERS TRAPPED. Many Missing After Second Blast Shatters Magazine, NEW YORK, ‘July 10 (#). i Mrs, wi in 3 arsenal at |t MAY BE SOLD SO0N FOR“SCRAP VALLF Receivers Announce Decision ‘to Close Up Company’s Affairs at Once. ESTIMATED AT $750,000, . ROAD MIGHT PROSPER Communities Served by Eleotric Line Hope Purchaser Will Con- tinue Service to D. C. The entire holdings of the Wash- ington-Virginia Railway system, oper- ating electric cars to Fairfax, Alex- andria and Mount Vernon and buses to Fairfax and Falls Church, may soon be sold for their “scrap valuation.” Receivers for the financlally in- volved railway company announced yesterday their intention of closing up the affairs of the company at the earliest possible moment and are said to have made known their willingness to consider sale of the system—rolling stock, car barns, buses and all—on the basis of their scrap value. The disclosure was made by F. W. ‘Woodcock, representing the receiver- ship, at a meeting in Alexandria of a special citizens’ committee formed to seek continuance of the railway’'s operation, even though it should be s0ld for “scrap.” Valued at $750,000. The scrap value of the system, the committee said it was advised, ap- proximates $750,000. The company, long in financial difficulties, is said to bhave a bonded indebtedness> of about 000, which would be wiped out lon of the receivership. m ‘The proposals ot the reeel throu Icock, made - public last night by company and chairman of the citizens* committee which will strive to have service continued. The committee, Mr. Church stated, told Mr. Woodock that one of its members has & client who is con- sidering purchasing-of the company’s holdings and an effort will be made at once to consummate a deal that will be satisfactory to both parties. Members_of the committee, in ad- dition to Mr. Church, include C. W. Fitch of Clarendon, secretary; 'ge ‘Warfleld, Carroll Pierce and C. 8, Taylor- Burke, Alexandria bankers; F. Shield McCandlish, Fairfax; Joseph E. Berry, Vienna, and Ashton C. Jones of Clarendon. Bus Competition Blamed. - Preliminary intimation of the agree- ment of the receivers to wind up the aftairs of the company was given a week ago at a meeting in Alexandria of interested parties, called at the instance of Day and Zimmerman, operating engineers, of Philadelphia, who are advisers in the receivership. At that time Mr. Woodcock is said to have declared that the receiver- ship ‘inevitably must end shortly, since the revenues had been badly depleted by bus competition, and the road was’barely paying expenses. A committee was then appointed to confer on the matter, and attempt to reach a solution as to the disposi- tion that might be made of the com: pany’s praperty. It was this com: mittee that met again yesterday, with r. Woodcock again present. Fo: organization of the group for the pur- poses outlined was effected. ¥ Chairman Church announced after the meeting that Mr. Wodcock had assured the committee that any pro- posal to purchase the road with a view to continuing its operation would be entertained by the receiv- ers on basis of “scrap” valuation of $760,000, as estimated by road en- gineers. Road Might Show Profit. The committee expressed the opin- fon that the purchaser of the system on this basis could operate the road at a profit, and it will make every effort to obtain an offer under these conditions. the committee that discontinuance of the railway service : would be calamitous for the communities de- pending “on the road for transporta- tion to Washington, and would result in dangerous congestion of the high- ways due to necessarily increased bus c. Chairman “Church indicated that if such a -purchaser is obtained, the committee may suggdst elimination {Continued on Page 5, Column 2.) RICH. CANNON FAMILY It is the conviction of | JONES ADDS OPEN TITLE T0 HIS LIST Atlantan Shoots 293 for 72 ‘Holes to Nosg Out Joe Turnesa by 1 Stroke. R By the Associated Press. COLUMBUS, Ohio, July 10.—Bobby Jones of Atlanta, Ga,, tonight i& pos- sessor of the greatest number of goif titles ever held by any goifer. Today he added to his long list-the pational open championship of: the United States. The addition was made at the Scioto ‘Club with a score of 293 and he/annexed his latest title before a record crowd of 6,500, most of whom followed the - sturdy southerner through his final 36 holes today. Good asJones' score was for the gruelling Scioto links, he was only one stroke ahead of Joe Turnesa of New York, who had finished ahead of Jonés with 294. To overcome this score, Jones shot one under par on the last nine, finishing amidst a din' of ap- plause with a birdie 4 on the 480- yard home hdle. After Jones had topped Turnesa while all the osher likely contenders still were afleld, the -final stage of the tourney resolved. itself into a thrilling contest to determine whether any one of/these stars could over- haul the man who, as it proved, had the title already tucked away with the other trophles he has garnered since he first sprang into the limelight of golfdom by qualifying in the national amateur at Philadelphia in 1916 when only 14 years old. Evans Fails This Time. Among those who - tried to' beat Bobby on the last round today was an amateur, Chick Evans, who in that year, 1916, won the unique distinction of capturing the national open and amateur tities in the same year, and set a record score of 286 for the open. But Chick failed by several strokes, for he took a 79 for the last round and totaled 302. & Another who was a possible winner during this race was Bill Mehlhorn of Chicago, who led the field the first day with a record 6§ to Jones' 70 and again led the second day with 143, while Bobby had 1560 by virtue of a 79 on the second réund. But Mehlhorn fell off today, taking 76 in the morning and 79 in the afterncon for a total of 297, which tied him for third place. Mehlhorn lost on the last nine, as he (Continued on Page 5, Colamn 7.) TINY BRITISH PLANE. e WINS RACE CLASSIC .55 TRAVELS THIRD CLASS|, North ‘Carolina Millionaires Fore- g0 Oom!vrtrv!‘ Leviathan to . Be With Friends. By the Associated Press. v ml:fifs. July 10.—Seven membets of lionaire Cannon, family of Con- «cord, N. C., have arrived in Parls after traveling third with friends ubable e in order to be to make a more last .| Fall, won_the annual airplane race for the King's' cup, which o:il:.» five of the starters finished. Lieut. Scholefield . came reck second, only 16 seconds behind the winner. The distance was about 1,464 miles, and . was 80 arranged the ‘that the small machines making low, average per hour had opportunity 1, 1926—NINETY-EIGHT PAGES.#* ) 'AGES. General News—Local, National and Foreign. Radio News and Programs—Page 19. ‘Veterans of the Great War—Page 21. Maryland and Virginia News—Pages 26 and 27. Financial News—Pages 32, 33 and 34, PART TWO—12 PAGES, Editorials and Editorial Features. Y- 4 Cluhwomen of the Nation—Page 4. Tales of Well Known Folk—Page 8. District National Guard—Page 9. Girl Scout News—Page 9. Y. W. C. A—Page 9. Spanish War Veterans—Page 9. Serial, . “The Misty Pathway'— Page 10. Boy Scout News—Page 11. Negvs of the Clubs—Page 11. / PART THREE—12 PAGES. Amhunm-nu—‘rhm-n and the Photo- play. Music in Washington—Page 4. Motors and Motoring—Pages 5, 6, 7 and 9, Army and Navy News—Fage 11. PART FOUR—4 PAGES. Pink Sports Section. PART FIVE—8 PAGES. Magazine Section—Fiction and Fea- tures. The Rambler—Page 3. PART SIX~—10 PAGES. Classified Advertising. 5 Fraternal News—Page 10. Civillan Army News—Page 10. GRAPHIC SECTION~12 PAGES. ‘World Events in Pictures. COMIC SECTION=-{ PAGES. Betty; Reg'lar Fellers; Mr, and M Mutt and Jeff. ; Ut LAST OF S-51 DEAD " .TAKEN FROM CRAFT Seven .Umeo;:nm For, vfim‘An Bodies Removed—Records of No Value. By the Associated Press. r 'NEW YORK, July 10.—The last of the du:_‘uknn from the submarine 8-61 . wi identified today as thou- sands of civillans journeyed to Brook- lyn Navy Yard to view the wrecked undersea. craftin which tlie men perished. The identifications accounted for all but &even of the crew of the submers- was rammed and sunk off CONGRESS DID SPLENDIDLY, CAPITOL PARKWAY WORK NEAR START Extensive Improvements Will Give Structure Imposing Beauty Originally Intended. Extensiye .| ements which eventually will ‘entirely surround the Capitol and grounds, giving this structure, which is the material heart of the Government, a more im- posing and impressive setting, are to start immediately, with the tearing down of old and disréputable dwell- ings ,that now occupy three of the twelve squares between the Capitol and Union Station, In_ this program is included the completion of the Capitol itself, which, with the White House and the Treas- ury, sets the standard for public build- ings at the séat of Government. With the $50,000,000 public building pro- gram attracting so much aitention, those who are most concerned in the upbullding of the ideal Capital City here again emphasize that since the Capitol and the White House are the chief buildings of the Nation, no struc- ture should be permitted even to.seem to outrank them. Current appropria: tions make provision for improve- ments to the White House, to correct a deplorably unsafe structural condi- tion, and for developments en surrounding the Capitol grounds, and greatly extending them, which have been planned for more than a quarter of a century. Capitol Building Incomplete. this will be . The Capitol bufldl&hnu( has never | F. of Vermont and Re ve Mon: tague, Democrat, of Virginia, are lead- ers in insisting that this duty should ‘be neglected rio longer: Thé final purchase of the 12 of land between the Capitol Union Station is one of the | Capital ;Dav::;mxlv;?t schemes x{:t‘ through in years since Government moved its chattels here Arts, Pitol, - auring. the. wee Capitol, du B that this area should be veloj as a park and that no public bulldings or monuments should be al- lowed to encroach upon it so as to preserve an unobstructed .vista from the main gateway, was of o the future of thé city. ence the Block Island last September. Thirty- | the Comm ‘Ot the seven missing when the finial ‘was made, no ‘officers ‘with the el Tl i squares 1 and |’ "“From Press to Home Within the Hour” The Star is delivered every evening and morning to Washington homes at '60 cents per month. Telephone Main 5000 i ately. and service will start immediately, (P Means ‘Associated Press. ry Forces Seekmg! Same Still Meet In Dark; Four Shot By the Associated Press. 'WNSVILLE, Tenn., July 10. ~—Two forces of county officers put hufiting the same still, each igno- rant of the other’s presence, col- lided in the dark in this county Friday night and a gun fight fol- lowed. Four were wounded, includ- ing Shieriff E. C. King, shot through both legs; and Deputies Lee Styles, shot in the abdomen, probably fatally; Billy Whitten, scalp wound, and Ike Curlin, seriously, CITY COMMISSION T0 HAVENEW FAGES Rudolph and Fenning Places Expected to Be Filled Next Fall. Reorganization of the Board of Dis- trict Commissioners with an entire new civilian personnel now seems cer- tain before snow flies as a result of recent developments. President Coolidge’s apparently posi- tive assurance that Frederick A. Fen- ning will retire to private life, despite his present attitude, coupled with the announcement yesterday by Curo H. Rudolph that he, too, plans to resign, although yet indefinite as to the time, will bring into the District Building two new civilian Commissioners. Lieut. Col. J. Franklin Bell, the Engineer Commissioner, however, - seems. satis- fled to serve the remainder of his three-year detail which comes to a close next June. In the face of persistent ‘reports from the Summer White House at ‘White Pine Camp, N. Y., that the President is confident that Mr, Fen- ning will step out, the Commissioner maintains his strict reticence in regard to this matter. Questions as to. the re- nothing to say." Fenning Busy in Office. Ever since the President let it be by word or action that he intends to decamp. Rumors have been current that the event would take place when Commissioner Rudolph has had a va- . But Mr. Rudoiph, according Yo reliable information, has abandoned all ideas of a protracted trip away from Washington during the Summer because of < the unsettied stafte of affairs. In announcing. his plans yesterday relative to eventual retirement to pri- vate life, Mr. Rudolph emphasized that he would not take such a step “right away,” unless, of course, the President should ask for his resigna- tion. According to those who enjoy his confidence, his resignation. most certainly may not be written until Fall, and perhaps not then. Some of his friends are insisting that he com- plete his term in office which expires April 15, It is a matter of common knowl- FIVE CENTS. 50 to 75 Reported Killed; New Jersey Countryside BIG STORM LEAVES TRAIL OF DAMAGE THROUGHOUT CITY Three Injured, Streets Lit- tered With Fallen Trees and Windows Blown In. HEAT WAVE IS BROKEN; MEHC?RY DROPS FAST Police Called Out to Clear Avenues of Debris—Violence Centers Near Washington Circle. A steadily rising thermometer pushed its way up to 98.9 degrees yesterday while Washington sweltered and swore in the heat, then came tumbling down on the wings of a short but furious thunderstorm, which broke the heat wave of the last two days, in- jured one person seriously, caused slight injuries to two more and left the streets of the Capital filled with debris from fallen trees and broken branches. When the storm had, passed the temperature had fallen 24.9 degrees in less ghan that many minutes, and cooling breezes brought the forecast for pleasant weather to- day and tomorrow. \ Before the backbone of the heat wave had be2n broken yesterday, how- ever, two persons had fallen victims and were being cared for in hospitals last night. Many windows were blown in by the gusts which heralded the storm; police reported scores of automobiles damaged by falling limbs and tele- phone and telegraph service was in- terrupted for a short time. Police Called Out. ‘When the storm's fury had passed every police, precinct in Washington wu-nd::wtmnt:.mntm decorate t! limbs of ;m“nnn- down with into the hundreds, but when Clifford Lanham, superintendent of trees and parkings, bad completed a hurried check-up, he placed the number of trees actually blown down at 75, while hundreds had been badly damaged. The area bounded by Florida ave- nue, Pennsylvania avenue, Washing- ton Circle and New Jersey avenue suf- fered most, the storm concentrating its fury'there. While the wind was short, it was flerce, but the Weather Bureau put a damper on enthusiastic estimates of its speed by giving its rate as 30 miles an hour. The wind was accompanied by a heavy down- pour of rain, which covered the al- ready littered streets with dead leaves, Thomas Roth, 1326 Massachusetts avenue, was thé most seriously in- Jjured of those hurt in the storm. He stepped: out of his machine in front of 1302 Euclid street to put up his cuftains when a large limb ‘crashed down on him from an overhanging tree, pinning him to his automobile. Residents rushed from their homes to rescue him and he was taken to Emergency Hospital, where he was h“u‘:u‘.o be suffering from internal ‘edge around the District Buflding that | injt udolph did not intend a year of his pres- . Oyster, bega ing upon him additional duties and re- sponsibilities which he conscientio: beileved should not be shifted to a new appointee. Capt. Oyster died, a then Mr. Rudolph did not think it would be proper to quit before first fami successor, Mr. Fen- ning, with the state of affairs in the District government. Last Month Set for Move. Mr. Rudolph then tentatvely set the time of his retirement to private life lor last month—the date of his silver Two Hurt at Windows. Mathew McDonald, colored, a door- man at the Metropolitan Club, was cut about the head and body when the wind blew one of the club win- ldA)wlul.ll on him when he was clos- ing _it. o Mrs. Marie Brozinski, 253 Fifteenth street southeast, severed an artery in nd | her arm as she was closing a window blown in by the storm. treated at Casualty Hospital. Leslie Walker, 20 years old, of 1223 M stréet, owes a lot to his saxophone and his desire to practice on it. Out- side his house his car was waiting for him. He was about to go out and get into it to go for his mother, who ‘was - visiting friends, when he de- cided try a few notes on his saxo- fore leaving. He had been phone Mrs, | practicing only a few minutes when 3 ph apparently has deter- to stick to his post against the wishes of his vm‘h‘umn finis has been ist 100 Feet Prevents of Two a tree limb crashed down on the ma- chine, burying it beneath its branches. - The tree blocked traffic between Twelfth and Thirteenth streets on M. ‘Witnesses told of seeing a man in an automobile at Seventeenth and L- streets do more than a Good Samari- tan turn in picking up a young man and woman, who had been sheltering themselves beneath a tree, and whisk them off in his machine just as the tree split and a portion of it toppled down on the very spot Wwhere they had been standing. - 2 he was riding In hi. automobile the intersection ‘Thirteenth a tree crash- him. i i k 5 35 1t u;g Sl gEs £ 38 H ; i i H £ : A ] H i i | i ? g 2 i & 3 § ] 1] i it 2538 i §§gs ¥