davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Imperial Valley press., 1929-05-16
FAULTY FIRE
DOOR BLAMED
FOR DISASTER
BY G. M. BURCKY
(United Press Staff Correspondent

CLEVELAND, o., May 16. W.P)-
A faulty fire door was discovered
today in the Cleveland clinic X-ray
room, the seat of the origin of the
explosion that has resulted in l2e
deaths.
The fire door was discovered BY
the city investigating commission
early today.
Had the door worked it would
have shut off the room from the
rest of the building and caused the
deadly poison gas to be forced out to
the street through ventilator, DIR.
H. L. lockwood, health commission
er, and head of the investigating
commission, said.
The door is the only entrance to
the X-ray room. 1t works auto
matically the temperature of the
room releasing lever when it
reaches a certain heat. The lever
closes the door.
The lever worked when fire broke
out in the room Wednesday, but a
heavy metal pipe, carrying either
gas or water, stood in the direct
path of the lever. This prevented
the door from closing more than
half way.
DR.. lockwood also found that the
ventilator did not work but pointed
out that draft carried the fumes
through the open fire door, and
thence through the building.
The Investigators found that
though the door could be opened and
closed by hand, it was impossible for
ii to function automatically because
of the pipe.
A workman who left the door open
just before the explosion, las ques-
toned by Emmett j. Potts, detective
captain, today. He said that he
left the door open to go to the
clinic hospital for tools, returning
a few minutes later, resumed work
and shortly after was hurled through
a window by the force of the blast,
Imperial Valley press., 1929-05-16
LENGTHY SESSION
OF LEGISLATURE
COMES TO END
Governor VetOes Group
Of Bills At Eleventh
Hour.

SACRAMENTO, Calf. May 16.
(U.R-The 1929 Legislature came to
its end at a. m., today in bedam
of noise and confusion.
After working all through the af-
ternoon, evening and well past mid
night, the legislators celebrated the
finish with a fun battle in both
houses.
Wastebaskets were thrown back
and forth across the chambers.
Desks were slammed and the air
filled with fluttering bills from bill
files. Everyone shouted. shook hands,
and went back to hotels to pack up.
Several legislative upsets marked
the closing hours Governor Young
vetoed three bills, and his action on
each was upheld by the legislature.
Within 24 hours after it was sent
to his desk, the governor vetoed the
hydraulic mining bill, calling for re-
sumption of that industry.
He turned thumbs down. on the
measures raising the salary of Los
Angeles superior court judges from
$4,000 to $4,000 year and provid-
ing for uniform state contribution
of $4,000 to salaries of all superior
court judges.
The newspaper libel bill by Sena-
tor Frank Merriam of Long Beach
lost by three votes in the assembly,
which also defeated the teachers
retirement measure after opponents
declared the teachers didn t want
the bill passed. The Wagy measure
calling for 100000 for teletype
communication system between Sac
ramento. San Francisco and Los An
geles for use in state business and
criminal detection was adopted.
The senate approved the "a hour
school for youthful incorrigibles,
state publication of free supplement
tary textbooks and asked congress
10 restrict immigration of Filipinos
and invoke the quota system for
.lexicans. Five more superior court
Judges were granted to Los Angeles
county.
Governor Young now has 30 days
or until June 10 to work through
the legislative bill heap and decide
the measures he will permit to be-
come law and those he will allow to
die by the pocket veto route.
Imperial Valley press., 1929-05-16
FORMER SCREEN
STAR CONTINUES
In DRUG GRIP

LOS ANGELES. May l6. U.R-
Alma Rubens, whose brilliant career
in motion pictures was cut short by
the narcotic habit, was in the
psychopathic hospital here today
awaiting transfer to the state in
Stitution at Patton.
The latest difficulty of the dark
eyed actress came last night when
two deputy sheriffs were sent to
the home of Mrs. Theresa Rubens,
mother of the former star, when it
was reported Miss Rubens had at
tackled her nurse and threatened to
kill hersela.
According to Captain j. l.. Har-
rod, who sent the deputies frcm the
sheriff's office when the mother
called, Miss Rubens saw the two
men alight from an automobile and
barred the door to the upper floor
of the home.
Neighbors were aroused by her
screams from an upper window as
she threatened TO kill anyone who
entered the house.
The deputies were ordered by
Captain Harrod to pretend to leave
and then slip around to a rear en-
trance of the house. After three
hours the ruse worked and Miss
Rubens came cautiously out ON the
porch, where she was seized ~ the
officers.
The actress fought and screamed
for 10 minutes before she was sub
dued and taken to the hospital in
a state of exhaustion.
In the meantime members of the
family had called their physician
who was commissioned to sign
commitment for Miss Rubens ad-
mission to the state institution.
The latest escapadc of the
actress, one of many during the
past six months, revealed that she
had been receiving narcotics from
some source, it was reported at the
sheriff S office.
treatment ut state hospital at
Spadra and upon completion of the
treatment was taken to private
home ut Pomona. There she escaped
four guards and nurse and was
found drinking bottle of pop at
a small restaurant about Is miles
away.
Ten days after the escape Miss {;
Rubens entered a sanatorium in
and remained there until
TO days ago when she was taken to
her mother 5 home.
Members of the family and nurses
said they believed some clever
method had been found to smuggle I
dope to the actress although She
had been under close watch when
ever she met outsiders.
Imperial Valley press., 1929-05-16
Governor OF
Louisiana Wins

BATON ROUGE, La, May 16.U.D
Gov. Huey P. Long of Louisiana
today won his fight with the state
legislature, which so9ght 10 lmpeach
I'm.
All charges against him were
dropped and the senate court of i'm
parchment adjourned sine dc.
Proceedings of the senate court
were deadlocked by the introduction
Of stat'mant <igned by l. soma
tors to the effe't that they bclirv.
cd the trial unconstitutional and
they would vote for acquitta on
all charges regardless of tcs lmcny
which might be entered
Tho adjournment ended he in.
pea'm.. ut proceedings against the
governor which arose in the course
of special s,ssioA called Mpr,h
20 for lLc pufr &c of levying Cc-
enSu tax n oil ] fineries.
Imperial Valley press., 1929-05-16
Speed Used In
Disaster Photos

In this issue CT the Press read
ers will notice two photographs
of the disaster at Cleveland yes
terday. Attention is called co
them as being splendid examples
of the speed necessary in news
paper work today.
The tragedy happened at 1850
yesterday morning, central time.
or 9:30 in El Centre. This
morning at 9 O'Clock, less than
"a hours after the tragedy, mats
CT the photos were received at
the Press office, ready for
casting an insertion in today's
paper.
This was made possible
through the NEA service of
which the Press is client. 1t SC
happens the NEA headquarters
is in Cleveland. After the photo,
graphs were taken, the te,ephotc
was used to transmit them TO
Los Angeles where the mats
were made and forwarded to El
Centre by mail.
Equally as prompt service has
been given time and again, when
the affairs depicted did not hap
pen in Cleveland.
Imperial Valley press., 1929-05-16
COUNCIL MOVES
TO INACCURATE
ZONE ORDINANCE
Representative Men Of
City To Be Appointed To
Commission.

An enabling ordinance" the
first step toward the formation of
city planning and zoning COM
mission, was read to the city coun-
ell last night by City Attorney
Dorsey Whitelaw and passed for a
second reading.
The ordinance provides for the
appointment of representative men
Of the city, familiar with condi-
tions and with the needs Of FL Cen
tro, to work on segregating the
business and residential sections as
wen as to make plans for the beau
.tification of parks and streets.
No definite appointments were
made last night but is expected
in conjunction with the plans will
receive notification to act on the
board at the next reading Of the
ordinance.
Incident to the discussion and
reading of the planning and zoning
committee who have been working
toward the purchase of site for
a city park on the south side.
The committee reported they had
interviewed the owners of the prop
er,y adjacent to the Harding
school and had been asked to sub
NIT an offer. The council gave the
committee permission To bid $500
with the assumption Of delinquent
taxes. 1t is expected that negotia-
tions will be completed before the
next meeting of the city fathers.
}. S. Cameron is chairman of the
committee.
1t was moved by Councilman H.
w. Fawcett and seconded by r. E.
Couch that the resignation of Dr.
+. A. Burger as city healtl, officer
be asked and that said resignation
become effective May 81. The
motion was passed unanimously. No
question of inefficiency was
brought up, it being understood that
the private practice of DR.. Burger
interfered with the work of the Of
flee in the opinion of the council.
The expected passing of an
amendment to the slot machine or
(COnfinued IN para Eival
Imperial Valley press., 1929-05-16
GREEN STATES
MILL STRIKE IS
LIKE HOMESTEAD
BY JOHN R. MORRIS
Omitted Press Staff Correspondent
(COpvriph 1920 hv United Pressl

\SOPyAASAes AO6O Wy SlA0ON ACocJ
WASHINGTON, May 10. W.H-
The situation in the textile mills of
Elizabethton, Tenn, rapidly is de-
veloping into repetition of the
horrible Homestead tragedy, Presi-
dent William Green of the Ameri-
can Federation of Labor said in an
interview with the United Press to-
day.
Green S remarks were made be-
fore it had been learned the chief
water conduit into Elizabethton had
been bombed and more than 100
strikers arrested for picketing.
81 told them something like this
was coming he declared when in
formed by the United Press of the
incident.
In kilograms to the governor of
Tennessee and public statements to
the mill owners the labor leader
continued, 81 warned that violence
was bound to follow a policy of
repression and the use of military
forces 10 intimidate the laborers.
''Use of force will gain nothing
for the strikers in the end. either.
Destruction of property will harm
their cause, not help it. But they
have been goaded to despera ion by
the companies.
"The mill owners are displaying
toward the workers the same obstin-
ate attitude that led to the holocaust
in the Homestead steel mills of Penn
sylvania with a loss of life which
hung over Andrew Carnegie ike \
shadow to the end of his days"
Green said.
Use of troops in the Tennessee
dispute has proved serious mis-,
take.'
Green said his personal represen-
tative, Edward +. MacReady, whom
he had sent to Elizabethton, had
found it impossible to negotiate
with the mill owners.
Imperial Valley press., 1929-05-16
HOUSE LEADERS
BACK DOWN ON
FARM MEASURE
To Send Senate
Bill To Conference Of
Committees.
BY PAUL r. MALLON
Omitted Press Staff Correspondent)

WASHINGTON, May I6. U.p)-
In order not to block the farm relief
legislation, house leaders agreed to-
day to accept the senate farm bill
and send it to conference of com
mittees representing the senate and
house so that differences between
the two houses may be amicably
threshed out.
In reaching their decision, the
leaders abandoned their old plan of
sending the bill back to the senate
because it contains tae dcbenture
clause to which they, like President
Hoover, have strong objections.
The House Rules Committee will
be instructed to prepare rule say
ing the house considers the deben-
ture clause an infringement on its
constitutional pregorative of origi-
mating all revenue legislation. The
resolution will add, however, that
becaustNof the necessity in expedit-
ing farm relief legislation the house
will agree to thre:h the matter out
in conference.
Virtually all Republican leaders
Of consequence attended the meet
ing in the office of Speaker Long
worth.
The house leaders were confident
the disputed debenture clause can
be eliminated from the bill in con
ference.
Some difficulty may be met in
getting consent of the senate to kill
the provision but Republican lead
ers already are working on the de-
benture proponents to bring them
in line. 1t is claimed they may get
the necessary three votes to reverse
the decision of the senate.
Imperial Valley press., 1929-05-16
Florida Oranges
Declared Clean

SACRAMENTO, May lG. W.p)
No traces of the deadly Mediter-
ranean fruit fly were found in an
examination of six oranges which
reached California from the infest-
ed regions Of Florida, A. +. Nor
rison, county horticulturist, an
nounccd today.
The oranges, discovered in a box
ear here, were steamed and burned
py inspectors inside the car.
The fruit, shipped from Yumatel'
la, Fla, to Wexford, r. l., were dis
lodged from their box during un'
loading in the Rhode Island city and
were inadvertently mixed with an
oyster shipment to California.
Imperial Valley press., 1929-05-16
Heads
State X. of c.


YOSEMITE, Cal, May 10. U.P}-
Robert A. Mackenzie of San Fran
cisco was reelected state deputy of
the Knights of Columbus here to-
day for his third successive term.
Other state officers named were:
Manuel S. Lopez Jr., Glendale,
secretary; William Schisel, Los
Angeles, treasurer; Ivan Maroevicb,
San Francisco, advocate; w. b.
Fitzpatrick, San Luis Obispo, war,
den. Mackenzie was reelected only
after hot contest with John Dono-
hue of Chico, who polled "a votes TO
l0S for Mackenzie.
Catalina Island was chosen as the
1880 scene for the 2Sth annual X.
{. convention.
Imperial Valley press., 1929-05-16
Swing Asks Duty
On AvOcadOs

WASHINGTON, May IS. U.H-
Rep. Swing, Republican, Calls, to-
day requested Secretary of State
Stimson to negotiate a modification
Of the commercial reciprocity treaty
with Cuba to permit imposition OF
duty on avocados, now on the free
list.
Swing said 90 per cent of the
avocados imported this year came
from Cuba. California, with some
100000 acres devoted to avocado
orchards, cannot compete with the
Cuban product, he said.
Swing also has made request
Of the house ways and means com
mittee for a duty on the fruit.
Imperial Valley press., 1929-05-16
DEAD IN
DISASTER
INCREASE:
Cleveland Death Toll
Still Mounts As Gas
Claims New Victims.
INQUIRIES STARTED
Three Fold Probe Will
Be Made By City, State
And County.
By G. M. BURCKY
Omitted Press Staff Correspondent;

CLEVELAND, O., May 16.- W.9
AS the death toll in the Cleveland
clinic explosion disaster reached 1875
this afternoon, many of the rescuers
were near death.
An order was issued by city Off
cials for any who hai come in con-
tact with the gas which killed most
of the victims, to report for medical
attention, no matter how slightly
they had been affected.
Four fIremen were in serious con-
dition and were given blood trans
fusions. Doctors, nurses, police and
citizens were in hospitals for treat
ment. Most of these had entered
the fume filled building in rescue
work.
CLEVELAND, May 16. W.n>-
The finger of tragedy rose and fell
over Cleveland today, counting off
the dead in the explosions and fire
that turned its famous clinic into
a honeycomb of lethal chambers.
One hundred and nineteen bodies
lay in morgues. Sobs of relatives
arose as identity of the dead was
established.
-- Scores of other victims were in
hospitals, some with poison fumes
in their lungs and by no means out
Of danger.
The city remained dazed and
horror stricken. Ambulances clang
ed through the streets, enroute to
the morgue with bodies, ard to
undertakers' with identified dead.
a tri fold investigation was un-
derway to determine how the $500
600 clinic was transformed SC sud
denly yesterday noon into a charnel
house of poison gas, flames and
panic.
Gov Myers Y. Cooper announced
all state agencies had been ordered
to join in the investigation. Coron-
er a. j. Pearse was to confer with
all county officials TO ascertain the
cause of the blasts and fire. An Of
ficial commission was named by
City Manager w. R. Hopkins to be-
= III d uCdl liiS.
Authorities agreed that the blame
lay in the Xray storage room in
the basement of the four story
brick structure and that the deadly
fumes swirled from ignited x-ray
film. But they disagreed as to
whether the clouds of dark yellow
gas that snuffed but so many lives
were nitrous peroxide or a bromine
and iodine vapor.
Twelve bodies. scared and vel
lowed by the gas, were found in the
A-ray room. Twelve other bodies,
equally discolored, were taken
from the roof. Between those points
were many sprawled bodies of dead
and injured.
Some Die IN Fed
A nurse was found lying dead
across a wheel chair bearing a
patient she had tried vainly to
wheel 10 safety. Some patients
were trapped and killed in bed.
Patients heard muffle9 roar
from the A-ray basement room. All
fire doors Immediately closed.
Poison gas, generated from the ex-
Plosion, was forced through the
Fentilator shaft by the heat.
Those in the first floor ran out
(Continuad on paoa S;xN
Imperial Valley press., 1929-05-16
Lewis-S0nnenberg
Match I'm Off Offfing,

Los ANGELES, May 16. DIP
Lou Darow, Los Angeles promoter,
announced today that he had wired
Gus Sonnenberg, heavyweight cham
Pion, an offer of 100000 to meet
" Stranger" Lewis at Wrigley
Field here in July.
Darrow informed Sonnenberg that
Billy Sandow already had signed for
Lewis.
The former college football play
er beat the strangler' in Boston
a few months ago with his "but-
ting attack,
Imperial Valley press., 1929-05-16
Fatal Blast In
Northern Mine

CALISTOGA, May 16. W.H-One
miner was dead today and two
others were in serious condition at
the general hospital here today fol
lowing an explosion at the $50 foot
level of the Palisades gold mine,
five miles north of here.
Fred w. Stuther, 26, was instant
ly killed when his pick struck into
an unexploded charge of dynamite.
Two companions, George White,
20, Calistoga, and Wilson James,
%, st, Helena, were able to reach
the surface after the blast, and
than COLLAPSED.
Imperial Valley press., 1929-05-16
Lake Steamer
Pounding Rocks

DULUTH, Mimi, May l6. W.H --
The Great Lakes Transit Company s
steamer Ralph Budd was reported
pounding to pieces on the rocks off
Eagle Harbor, Mich, today, where
she was blown Wednesday night by
a Lake Superior storm
The crew of 81 men was safely re-
moved, but it was feared the vessel
and her cargo of gram ana iron ore,
all of which was valued at $1,000
600 would be lost. There were no
passengers aboard.
Imperial Valley press., 1929-05-16
WHAT'S DOING
TONIGHT

TONIGHT
Night school, TO, high school.
B. P. o. e. No. 1925, 8, Elks
building.
I. v. Council No. "a, 8, Ma
sonic Temple.
Citizenship classes, 1880,
high school.
Troop 8, B. S. A., 1850, scout
hut.
Troop 81, B. S. A., 7:S0, M.
E. social hall.
Adult English classes, 7,
high school.
Barbara Worth Rebekahs, 8,
Davis hall.
Farm Adult Glasses, 7:3O,
high school.
Moose lodge, 7;3o, Masonic
Temple.
Recital by pupils Of Adelaide
Hartman, 8, Christian church.
Fox Imperial Theatre, 1.-The
Iron Mask
Radio KXO, clio.
TOMORROW
w. G. T. U. meeting, 2, 643
olive.
Kiwanis club, Barbara Worth.
Radio KXo, Ill.
Imperial Valley press., 1929-05-16
Good Price For
F.O. 3. Melons

The first car Of cantaloupes
sold f. o. b. the valley was sold
at Westmorland yesterday for Sc
per crate.
According to B. A. Harrigan,
horticultural commissioner, about
10 cars a day will be shipped
from now on, and the quality so
far is excellent. Rigid inspec.
tion will be exercised on all cars
leaving the valley.
The price received is an excel
lent one, according to growers.
Imperial Valley press., 1929-05-16
Session Costs
Half Million

SACRAMENTO, May l6. W.N -
1T cost the state of California
$536,4S2.C4 to keep the 1929 legis-
lature IN session for 80 days, State
Controller Ray l.. Riley told the
United Press today.
This was the first time in the
states history that the legislature s
cost has exceeded hal ia million
dollars. The 1927 session, lasting
50 days, cost approximately $685.,
900.
The Hardy impeachment trial ac.
counted for $4,000 of the legisla-
tive expenditure, consuming three
weeks of the session.
Imperial Valley press., 1929-05-16
EDITORS VISIT NORTH

LOS ANGELES, May 1G. WD =
The group of visiting members of
the American Agricultural Editors
Association, on three weeks tour
of the west, were to arrive in
Bakersfield tonight at the conelu-
sion of three day period spent in
inspecting Hollywood studios and
other points of interest here.
Imperial Valley press., 1929-05-16
WILL BUY VESSELS

SAN FRANCISCO, May l6. U.R)
R. Stanley Dollar, vice-president
general manager of the Dollar
Steamship Company. was enroute to
Washington today with plans for
two new $7,000,000 liners. If plans
are approved by the government it
is expected specifications will be
issued and bids called for within the
next few weeks.
Imperial Valley press., 1929-05-16
ZEPPELIN
GIVES Up
JOURNEY
Engine Trouble Causes
German Dirigible To
Abandon Trip.
RETURNS TO PORT
Successful Departure of
Huge Craft Has No Hint
Of Difficulty.

FRrEDRICHsHAFEN, Ger
many, May 16. U.H-The Graf
Zeppelin has abandoned her trip
to America because Of motor
trouble and is returning here,
it was officially announced to-
night.
Imperial Valley press., 1929-05-16
BY MAURITZ HALLGREN
Omitted Press Staff Correspondent }

FRIEDRICHSHAFEN, Germany,
May 1G. Germany mammoth
dirigible Graf Zeppelin points its
silver nose toward the west early
today for its second trans. 4 tlantic
trip to the United States. When last
seen by the huge throng which came
TO bid it bon voyage it was floating
toward the ocean with the dawn.
The giant of the air took off at
5;54 n. III. Ol:5I p. M. Wednesday,
l.. :. IT,. Under favorable weather
conditions it was expected to reach
its destination, Lakchurst, y. j., at
a, IN. Sunday.
The take off was graceful and
sasy. The Graf rose slowly from the
ground few minutes after the en-
gines had been started.
I~. Hugo Eckener, commander of
the flight, expressed satisfaction
with weather conditions.
There were I male passengers and
one woman, Mrs. Mary Pierce Of
New York. Mrs. Pierce said yester-
day that she had cancelled her pas
sage and would not make the flight.
The crew numbered Al.
The departure of the Zeppelin was
like clockwork. 1t resembled the
departure of IA transatlantic liner.
There were no bands rs on previous
hop offs. The passengers wave
farewell to the spectators on the
ground.
Perhaps the most unconcerned pas
senger was Susy. the female gorilla
which is destined for the Chicago
Geological Gardens. Susy retired
rather early to her cabin and looked
on complacently from her cage.
Woman Popular
Mrs. Pierce was the passenger
most popular with the populace of
Friedrichshafen. Her long distance
telephone conversation with her hus-
band in New York will remain one
of the wonders of this town. 1t was
the first Fricdrichshafen to New
York telephone call on record and
the townspeoplc declared that 'it
must have cost her a fortune.
DIR. Eckcner received her at the
gangplank and escored her personal
ly to her cabin, the only person to
whom he extended such an honor.
A careful guard had been placed
over the dirigible to keep stowaways
from boarding Four stowaways had
been caught
A II year old boy, George Scheur-
er, all dressed up in wild west suit,
a bowie knife and other items, was
discovered accidentally yesterday by
Il member of the crew. But for the
fact that the lad decided to take a
peep out of his hiding place in Il |
safety belt he might now be enroute
to the "wild west. "
There was sufficient fuel aboard
the Graf Zeppelin for 1870 hours, 80
per cent more than was needed for
the trip, according to Captain Leh- !
man.
There was half ton of mail
aboard. DR.. Eckener said the French !
government would not permit the
passengers to drop mail while fly |
ing over French territory.
The crew which Started on the
flight was practically the same as
that which made the first trip.
Imperial Valley press., 1929-05-16
SCENE OF CLEVELAND DISASTER

with present % Of l2 dead and additional dshs shocked the terrible