Evening Star Newspaper, March 27, 1940, Page 3

One Missing, Six Hurt In Gas Blast Aboard Navy Destroyer Neutrality Patrol Ship Damaged Off Newport; Captain Blames Leak By the Associated Press. NEWPORT, R. I, March 27.—One sailor was missing and six others were being treated for injuries to- day in the wake of a terrific blast which damaged the U. S. Navy de- stroyer King yesterday at its moor- ing in Newport Harbor. Capt. William S. Farber, com- mander of the neutrality patrol unit to which the 20-year-old, 1,190-ton vessel was assigned, said the explo- sion was caused by leaking gas in the after deckhouse, the forward bulkhead of which was demolished. Several containers of the gas, Capt. Farber said, were in the deck- house. He declined to identify the gas and ventured no opinion as to what ignited it. Announcement of the official cause of the blast await- ed a study by a naval board of inquiry, to be appointed. One Critically Injured. Richard Carl Oehlert of Denver, Colo., fireman, first class, was re- ported missing after musters of the | crew, and naval sources said he must have been thrown overside' by the blast. The King, a “flush decker” with an over-all length of 314 feet, was moored about a half mile off the south end of the city when the blast let go shortly after 4 pm. (E. S. T) with a roar that was heard through- out downtown Newport. Men Burned and Shocked. The injured were Charles E. Mc- Coy. Corpus Christi, Tex.; G. E. * Hagg of Reserve, La.; Lee Con- cannon of Davenport, Iowa; O. F. Fletcher of Keefeton, Okla.; J. H. Cole of Monette, Ark, and R. E. Crow of Elkhart, Ind. Some of the men suffered first-degree burns, some suffered shock, others had * punctured ear drums, while Cole and Crow were stricken with trau- mztic deafness. The King, completed in Camden, N. J., 1n 1920 and equipped with four 5-inch guns, one 3-inch gun and 12 21-incn torpedo tubes, had just come in from neutrality patrol off the New England coast. At the Naval Hospital, all of the six injured were described today as “doing very well” and their complete recovery was expected. Three boats from the torpedo sta- | tion joined a search for Oehlert's body. Maj. M. E. Higbie, 48, Dies at Mount Alto THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 1940. CHURCH FIRE AT ITS HEIGHT—A general view of the roof of St. Peter’s Church while thg flames were at their height. Water from the high- The site of St. Peter's Church, swept today by a five-alarm fire, is | reportedly the oldest Catholic | Church site now in use in the Dis- trict. Although St. Patrick’s Parish is the oldest in the District, the present church at Tenth and G streets N.W. is not so old as St. Peter’s. The | Site of St. Peter’s Occupied By Catholics Since 1820 as the Very Rev. William Matthews, Daniel Carroll of Dudington, Wil- liam Brent, James Hoban, Nicholas | L. Queen, James Peter Callan, Ed- | ward Mattingly, James Spratt and James David Barr. Mr. Carroll do- nated the land. Edward Augustine Johnson was the first person to be baptized in the Maj. Merton Eugene Higbie. 48, first St. Peter's Church was con- |church at ceremonies September 23, War Department engineer and World | structed at the Second and C streets [ 1821. The first pastor, who conduct- War veteran, died Monday at Mount | SE. site in 1820 to meet the need |ed the ceremonies, was the Rev. Alto Hospital. Chapel. Born in Rawson, Ohio, Maj. Hig- bie was graduated from the engineer- ing school of Ohio Northern Uni- wversity in 1913. As a member of the * Ohio National Guard, he saw action in the Mexican border campaign. During the World War he served #s a lieutenant in the Army and was gassed and wounded in the Argonne. He remained with the army of oc- eupation at the close of the war, and on returning to this country was commissioned a major in the National Guard. Maj. Higbie had been a civil en- gineer with the War Department about three years . He made his home at 1303 Maple View place S.E. Surviving are his widow, Mrs. Bertha Higbie; his parents, the Rev. Frank E. Higbie and Mrs. Higbie of Bowling Green, Ohio; a son, Grant Higbie, and a daughter, Miss Mere- dith Higbie, both of Washington; two brothers, Merritt and Calvin Higbie, both of Toledo, Ohio, and two sisters, Miss Dorothy Higbie of * Wellesley Hills, Mass, and Mrs. Percy Thomas of Perrysburg, Ohio. Wife Slayer Is Freed; Jury Refuses to Indict * By the Associated Press. MINNEAPOLIS, March 27. — Frank Leschisin, 67-year-old ele- vator operator, looked gloomily at the jailer as he unbarred the cell, then heard him say: “You can go now; you're free.” Even then he never uttered a word—just walked from the cell he entered a week ago after he shot and killed his wife Mary, 57, in their apartment and voluntarily sur- rendered to police, saying: “Yes, I shot her—I should have done it 15 years ago.” He was free because a county grand jury refused to indict him after hearing testimony from his son John, his wife’s sister, whom he ealled after the shooting March 20 and instructed her to summon po- lice, and several neighbors. A coun- ty prosecutor said they testified for him and that 50 others wanted to appear to urge his cause. . '‘Daddy Snooks’ to Wed LOS ANGELES, March 27 (#)— Hanley Stafford, “Daddy Snooks” of the radio, and Vyola Vonn, singer snd actress, have applied for a marriage license. They plan the ceremony April 12, with Fanny “Baby Snooks” Brice as a guest. Mr. Stafford gave his age as 35, Miss Vonn’s as 21. hundred thousand sandbags n’:’fi‘ym made in India. WHERE TO DINE. Fried Chicken Dinner LOTOS LANTERN Golden Fried Chicken Dinner 75¢ and $1.00 5:00 to 8:30 P.M, Try Our Daily Special 55 c Dinner at __ TERRACE 1630-34 CONN. AVE. Testy Luncheons Daily, 35¢ Up building was con-] Oldest church of any denomina- tion in the District is given as the St. Paul's Rock Creek Church found- | ed in 1719, | At the time the first St. Peter's | Church was constructed, the money was raised by a committee which | collected subscriptions from more | than 200 people. Members of the | committee included several persons | well known in District history such ' He will be buried |for a church east of the Capitol. | James F. M. Lucas, who later joined | o With full military honors tomorrow ( The present In Arlington National Cemetery after | structed in 1889. services at 2 pm. in Fort Myer | the Jesuit order at Georgetown. | Two colored children, Emile and Ann, according to reports, were the second and third to be baptized. First convert of the church was Thomas Bayne, 20, who was con- ditionally baptized August 14, 1822, nd the first confirmation class was a group of 200 in 1823. ‘The first mass was said August 14, 1821, and on November 4, the church was dedicated to St. Peter by the Rev. John Tessier of Baltimore. Fire ___(Continued From First Page.) the air and onto nearby huuses,‘ details of police began clearing oc- cupants of dwellings for several blocks around the blazing building. The second tower was put in operation on the opposite side of the church, with the hoses shooting five streams of water onto the tall | spire. The alarms were sounded in rapid succession, the first at 10:13 o'clock and the others following at 10:15, 10:19 and 10:26. The fifth and gen- eral alarm went out at 10:50, leav- ing only reserve firemen and equip- ment away from the blaze. In all, more than 160 firefighters and 40 pieces of apparatus were called to the scene. Many of the reserve companies were shifted to the downtown area, where the first alarms had drawn most heavily. At 10:30 all firemen off duty were or- dered by radio to report to their stations to replace the large num- ber dispatched to fight the church blaze. Hospitals in the area sped all available ambulances to the inter- section soon after the third alarm was sounded. The injured firemen—A. L. Craver, | 34, of 902 Maryland avenue N.E, attached to No. 3 Engine Company, and Paul Knight, 42, of 1501 Nine- teenth street SE., detailed with No. 7 Truck Company—were rushed to Providence Hospital. Doctors feared at first that the men had been burned, but an exam- ination revealed they suffered mostly from the effects of smoke. Mr. Craver was unconscious when he ar- rived at the, hospital, but was soon revived. Firemen at the scene asked the Board of Surgeons of the Police and Fire Department to send medical aid from the clinic. Firemen Off Duty Called In. Trucks from the Department of Vehicles and Traffic were ordered to the area with equipment to close off streets. Traffic was routed around the scene four blocks in every direc- tion. Motorcycle men from all pre- cincts were dispatched to the area. A mass of burning rafters crashed to the ground from a small spire in the rear of the building, where other firemen were battling the flames from the ground. Father Connelly and two priests from the rectory adjoining the church rushed in and out of the blazing building, carrying to safety blessed vessels, vestments, chalices and other movable objects from sacristy. Bits of slate and piec¥s of timber | soon began falling also in the in- terior of the church, and the sal- vage operations were forced to cease Section of Roof Collapses. One large section of the roof col- lapsed at one time, with a loud roar. The flames, which started under the roof directly over the altar, spread rapidly toward the front of the church. Above the sound of water playing on the roof came the crackling noises of the loosened pieces of slate as they | slid off the edge and sailed to the ground. Inspector L. I. H. Edwards, assist- ant superintendent of police, ap- peared on the scene to take personal charge of the policemen who had been dispatched to the area. Engineer Commissioner David A. McCoach also rushed to the scene from the District Building to assist in directing fire-fighting operations. Mother of Boy Who Died In Iron Lung Found Dead By the Associated Press. ATLANTIC CITY, N. J., March 27.—Mrs. Martha Yon, 45, whose 16- year-old son, Jules, died yesterday in an iron lung after a four-month fight against infantile paralysis, was found hanged today in a room of the hotel which she and her hus- band operated. County Physician Dr. Isaac E. ! Leonard termed her death suicide. ADVERTISEMENT. L Are They Vlhlsptrlngf “YOU'RE SKINNY" It's & shame for a girl to miss good times because she looks skinny. She may need the Vitamin B Complex and in her diet to aid ap- ttractive pounds. Get Iron of Vin ale by Peoples Drug Stores. Another Census Quiz Since Uncle Sam has made “Questions and Answers” popular indoor sport this year—may we ask one? “What’s your annual coal bill—and wouldn’t you like to reduce it?” All right, try some Marlow’s Famous Reading Anthracite the low ash hard coal. You'd be surprised how much this genuine laundered poal can cut your fuel costs. Marlow Coal Co. 811 E Street N.W. National 0311 . In Business 82 Years Our Coal and Service Must Be Good pressure hoses loosened the slate shingles and sent them showering down over the firemen, and one large section of the roof collapsed with a loud roar.—Star Staff Photo. Een SR e o Father Francis E. Sullivan holding a ciborium saved from the flames. Around him are other articles carried to safety. —Star Staff Photos. Appropriations (Continued From First Page.) crat, of Georgia called an “admitted Communist.” Williams Denies Charges. Mr. Williams told reporters later that the charges against him were untrue, political and unimportant. Representative Marcantonio stir- red laughter by remarking that he agreed the Stokowski tour would be subversive because “he’ll be play- ing Bach, Beethoven, Verdi and Wagner—alien influences.” Representative Sabath, Democrat, of Illinois and Representative Tar- ver, Democrat, of Georgia defended Mr, Williams, Mr. Tarver said the attack on him was “patently unfair,” since he had not been afforded an opportunity to answer the charges in detail. * l LATE BULLETIN I Here's a pleasant, herbal syrup which gives uick: ief for coughs due to eolds—It's erumsin. Prescribed by many doctors for over 30 years. Safe even for babies. For fres trial bottle, write: Pertusein, Dept. T-1, 440 YaningtonSties. PERTUSSIN New York, N. Y. Take 1/10 storage space reauired by ordinary awnings No_tools meeded to install or take dow! Made of finest U. 8. Army Duek (10 or. per sa. 7d.) Custom-made to your requirements Citizenship Day Urged Creation of an annual citizenship recognition day will be recommended to the Senate Judiciary Committee by Senators Wiley, Republican, of Wisconsin and Chandler, Democrat, of Kentucky. The Best Buy Is This TESTED Spray With Certified Killing Power Crystals for FREE DELIVERY—NA. 6479 American Disinfectant Co. BUILDERS! CONTRAC TORS! AWNING CO. 2021 17th STREET (JUST ABOVE YOU ST.) Altmark at Kiel - Atter Slipping by |Brifish Blockaders Former Nazi Prison Ship - Uses Norwegian and Danish Waters !| By the Associated Press. Federal Playhouse Program Tonight BERLIN, March 27.—The German ‘naval auxiliary vessel Altmark ar- rived at Kiel, Germany, late this afternoon after a long and adven- turous war cruise abroad. The Altmark, raided by the Brit- ish destroyer Cossack in Norwegian territorial waters on February 16, when 299 British merchant seamen prisoners were rescued, reached German waters safely by slipping through the British blockade. She steamed down the Norwegian coast and through Danish waters. When_ the Altmark was attacked by the Cossack she was backed into | Josingfjord, on the Norwegian coast, and run aground. Her propeller was damaged and she remained there for some time. The 12000-ton Altmark comes home after having been at sea since before the beginning of the war. She formerly was freighting in the West- ern Hemisphere. Outfitted as an auxiliary naval vessel, the Altmark was used as a prison ship for the raiding German pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee. After the Graf Spee was scuttled last December 17 the Alt- mark presumably headed home. Bombay Textile Strike Flares Into Violence By the Associated Press. BOMBAY, March 27.—The strike of 130,000 Bombay textile mill work- ers, now in its fourth week, flared into violence today for the first time. Ignoring a government order prohibiting picketing, strikers as- saulted a number of strikebreakers. There was no immediate report of casualties. Only 24 of the city’s 64 textile mills are working part time as a re- sult of the strike launched by work- ers March 3 to enforce demands for & 15 per cent war work bonus. The Federal Playhouse will give | k] another in its series of programs at | the Agriculture auditorium at 8 o'clock tonight, with the Playhouse Chorus, directed by Lloyd Garrison; the Playhouse Dancers, under Hazel | Richards; a jiu-jitsu exhibition and | motion pictures on the program. Lee H. Shugar directs the Play- | house, which is presented by Agri- culture Branch of the National Fed- eration of Federal Employes. Paul R. Mattix Heads Commerce Division By the Arsociated Press. Paul. R. Mattix was appointed chief of the Automotive-Aeronautics Trade Division of the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Foreign | and Domestic Commerce yesterday. Mr. Mattix has been assistant chief-since 1936 and is a native of | Kokomo, Ind. He succeeds Irving | H. Taylor, who resigned to enter private business, FALSE TEETH REPAIRED WHILE YOU WAIT ROBT. B. SCOTT. DENTAL TECR 605 14th at F. Rms. 901, YUz MEt 1833 Private Waiting Roems Fall for y coal. Call us today for & free heat ing survey. P. Steuart & Bro. INCORPORATED 139 12th St. N.E. — Lincoln 4300 If Your Dentist Hurts You Try DR. FIELD _PLATE EXPERT ! RS Extractions, Plates Geld Crewns % Fillings = DR. FIELD 406 Tth St. N.W. MEt. 9256 Over Woolwerth 8¢ & 100 Store $1 ) UME ' yLO g KRYPTOK BIF Choice of modern gold filled or “Zyl" frames—or rimless Single vision lenses—or genuine KRYPTOK BIFOCALS Odd shaped lenses — tinted lenses Examination included, oll for 9.75 NIT OCAL LENSES axs A—3 Eight Other Fire Alarms During St. Peter’s Blaze While most of the city’s fire ap- paratus was employed in fighting the blaze at St. Peter's Church to- day, reserve .equipment was dis- patched back and forth across the city answering eight other alarms, all within less than two hours. Most serious fire was at 3311 Newark street N.W., where firemen fought for an hour to quell a blaze which destroyed most of the roof and third story of the home of Kirby Kibler. Brush fires accounted for most of the other alarms. The police radio announcer be- came so0 accustomed to broadcasting fire alarm reports some rather humorous confusion resulted. At one point he announced a local alarm at Georgia avenue and Rittenhouse street N.W. and then had to add an apology, with the explanation that police were wanted at that inter- section to investigate a traffic acci- dent. Sparks blown from a rubbish fire by a gust of wind today set fire to the porch of the summer home of the Sisters of the Ursuline Convent on Beech avenue, Bethesda, Md. | _Firemen from Bethesda and Chevy | Chase, who prevented the blaze from spreading to the 10-room frame house, now unoccupied, estimated | damages at several hundred dollars. | District motor accidents during January and February of 1940 fell off 467 from the 2,286 accidents dur- ing October and ember in 1939. PIANOS for REN New full keyboard spin- ots and small uprights, only $5 monthly. Grand pianes, $9 monthly. AK the money you pay es rental applies on the purchase price if you decide to buy later. 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