davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Imperial Valley press., 1942-10-18
Flood S
Cover
Cities
Washington Hit
AS Potomac Goes
Beyond Barriers

WASHINGTON, Oct. II.
tUP)-The rampaging Poto-
mac river began receding
slowly here today after its
sWirling waters had hit new
record high levels and inundate
several lOW--ying sections Of the
capital
Early reports indicated that flood
damage here would be comparative
negligible, due largely to hurried
erection Oh sand-bag dikes in two
vulnerable spots-arcund the city's
sewage disposal plant and between
the Washington monument and
Lincoln memorial grounds.
Several families living along the
river banks were evacuated from
their homes before the flccd crest
hit this region.
In Maryland, Virginia and West
Virginia, however, floods along the
Shenandoah, Rappahannock and
Savage rivers-aS well as the Po-
tCmac-already had caused at least
Is deaths and property damage
running into the millions
AT many points the floods were
worse than the 1886 disaster which
wrought damage estimated at So
f6G ,00c
CREST STRIKES
F. 7he crest Of the flood hit Wash
ington early this morning 1t reg
istered IT'S feet in Georgetown,
compared with the 172 feet high
level in 1886 and the flood stage of
sever feet.
The Rappahannock also was re-
ceding at Fredericksburg, Va, one
of the hardest-hit towns. Police
there said they were unable to eS-
Continued on Page 6, Col. -
Imperial Valley press., 1942-10-18

administrative posts, Knox also deS-
ignated Capt. Earle w. Mills, AS, to
succeed Rear Admiral Claude A.
Jones, 81, as assistant chief.
No explanation was given for
these and other changes, which be-
come effective Nov. /. The bureau
is charged with the building and
maintenance of ships.
The senate committee investigat-
ing progress of tile war effort had
charged the bureau of ships with
being prej';1iced against new devel-
opments and slow in its operations.
Van Keuren. who has been chief
of the bureau of ships only since
February of this year, will become
director of the U. S. naval research
Imperial Valley press., 1942-10-18
Football
BY UNITED PRESS

Duke "a, Colgate 0
Pittsburgh 7, Indiana 10
Rutgers 8, Bucknell 7
Pennsylvania 6, Princeton
Marquette %, Michigan State 7
Boston College 7. No. Carolin;
Cadets 6
Ohio State &c. Purdue 0
Fordham 90, w. Virginia ii
Penn State 0, Cornell 0
Harvard 2, Dartmouth ID
Syracuse 10, Holy Cross 0
Navy 13. Yale 6
Brown 7, Lafayette 0
Georgia 40. Tulane 0
Wisconsin l3, Great Lakes 7
Michigan "a, Northwestern l6
Illinois II, Iowa 7
Imperial Valley press., 1942-10-18
House Passes Draft Bill

WASHINGTON, Oct. 17-tUPo
The house, responding to the
Army's plea that its fighting quail
ity requires immediate draft of
teen age youths, tcday passed and
sent to the senate legislation low
ering the age of compulsory mill
tary service from 20 to 18.
The house acted under a rule
that prevented offering of amend
ments from the floor except those
pertaining directly to the draft age
range. 1t rejected by standing
vote of 2l2 to AZ, AN effort by some
members to obtain a new rule
which would permit an amendment
TO compel the Army to train teen
Imperial Valley press., 1942-10-18

laboratory at Anacostia. ID. C, He
will succeed Rear Admiral Harold q.
Bowen, So, who will assume duty
in the office of the undersecretary
of the navy.
Both Cochrane and Mills we're on
duty in the design division OF the
bureau of ships.
The Bureau of Ships came under
particular fire several weeks ago
for cancelling a contract with the
Higgins shipyard. for construction
of numerous Liberty ships. The Fig
gins yard is second only 10 Henry
j. Kaiser in record breaking ship
construction.
Imperial Valley press., 1942-10-18

School pupils and adults mar
shalled their forces Saturday for
the most concentrated scrap drive
ever held in Imperial county and
expected the weekend collections
10 exceed those made during SIM
liar period since the drive started.
More than eight trucks were
pressed into service by the Ell Cen
tro salvage committee, two to help
high school and junior college pu-
pills with their scrap collecting and
six to make a tour of the rural
Imperial Valley press., 1942-10-18
Male Strip Tease Act

It was all in the spirit of good
clean fun that Bill Hinderks, Yen
Philipos and Palmer Barrett waded
out into New river after ducks,
Fully dressed in the usual oddly
assorted raiment affected by duck
hunters. the trio went in to their
arm pits.
They emerged safely but their
pants were SO full Cf river mud that
they couldn't carry them around.
So, my dears, they shed their pants
and put them up in the back of the
Philibos car and went on with their
hunting, stickerS or no stickerS.
When they returned to Ell Gen.
tro they had to unload their ducks
and Junk from the Pilibos car and
PIT it in the Hinderks and Barrett
machines.
They were a sight to behold with
their sheep-lined coats above their
shanks and daintily tinted shorts
below
1t wouldn't have been quite so no.
ticeable if Hindreks hadn't been
wearing those cunning Hawaiian
shorts he is SO fond CT.
Imperial Valley press., 1942-10-18

Representative Hamilton Fish,
Republican, New York, ranking mi
nority members of the rules COM
mittee, urged the house to defeat
the rule and demand a new one
permitting an amendment on the
years training policy to be offered
from the floor.
I'VE are all in agreement that
the brass hats are not infallibl ."
Fish said. Nor is the military af-
fairs committee infaliyle."
FISH said that he had personal
knowledge as an infantry captain
in the last war that the Army
sent requirements to the front lines
Imperial Valley press., 1942-10-18

De Forest Perkins, counsel, told the
west coast aircraft wage stabiliza-
ton conference that starting scale
of 95 cents an hour probably would
be set by Boeing as the result of a
study of plant problems.
The 95-cent minimum for Nopin-
ners would meet the demands Of
the international Association of
Machinists (AFL) and the United
Automobile Workers (CIO) repre-
sentatives participating in the con-
ferences presided over by Paul r.
Porter, war labor board official.
The Boeing spokesmen announc-
ed also that their firm is agreeable
to q maximum hourly rate of $l.50,
which is Is cents less than the
figure asked by the unions.
Plants in southern California have
held out for continuation of the
Imperial Valley press., 1942-10-18

60-cent rate for beginners and a
sliding-scal increase to a basic
minimum of 80 cents an hour after
16 weeks. The basic minimum of 20
cents would be five cents hiG,1er
than the present scale.
To deal with unskilled workers
Boeing had originally proposed an
85-cent starting wage, and a sliding
scale increase to 95 cents at the
end OF "a weeks.
Perry and Perkins said Boeing
was anxious to get the wage stabili-
zation problem disposed of so that
west coast plants may concentrate
with utmost efficiency of manage
ment and labor in production of
planes for United Nations fighting
forces.
Imperial Valley press., 1942-10-18

age soldiers a full year before
sending them into combat.
The effort to impose restrictions
on the use of 10 and 19-year-old
troops was headed off by Repre-
sentative James w. WadsWcrth, Re-
publican, New Pork, who read a
letter from General George c. Mar
shall. chief of staff, warning that
such measure would make it al
most impossible for the Army to
operate
Marshall said the Army's policy
provides adequate training for all,
but that it must be given discre-
ton in use of men as needed
Imperial Valley press., 1942-10-18
ROBBER COMPLIMENTS
CLERKS BEAUTY

CHICAGO, Oct. IT, CUP)-Two
robbers held up liquor store last
night, holding customers and clerks
at gunpoint while they seized 1865
AS they dashed from the store. one
paused before Mrs. Vivian Foster
a clerk. Gosh, Tou're pretty" he
said He handed her So and fled.
Imperial Valley press., 1942-10-18
Knox ReorSonizes
Bureau Of Ships

WASHINGTON, Oct. IT, (UP)-Secretary of the Navy
Frank Knox today reorganzed the navy bureau of ships
naming 5Oyear old Capt Edward L. Cochrane chief
to succeed Rear Admiral Alexander H. Van Keuron, 81.
Apparently seeking to place younger in the bureaus
Imperial Valley press., 1942-10-18
Plane Plant to
Pay Higher Rate

LOS ANGELES, Oct II. (UP)-Boeing aircraft OF
Seatt e. breaking the united front of management against
pay increases the aircraft industry today withdrew op
position to AFLCIO demands for 95-cent minimum wage
F.. r. Perry, assistant the president of Boeng
Imperial Valley press., 1942-10-18
Girl Identifies
Kidnoper Couple
That's Ny New Mommy andPoppy'
Says Four Year Old; Police Reveal Prison
Record of Man Who Picke d Child Up

RED BLUFF, Cal. Oct. II. UP)-Bright-eved Vivian
Miller, 4, cngng to her father identified William and
Charlotte Thompson her kidnapers today in dramatic
meeting in the lobby Of the Tehama county jail.
The ThOmpsons taken from their jail cell to be
Imperial Valley press., 1942-10-18
137 Men, Women.
Babies Perish in
Nuzi Sub Attack
I02 Survivors Rescued After Canadian
Passenger Steamer Goes Down Under
Torped do Blow; Tales of Heroism Told

SYDNEY N. S., Oct. II. (UP)-The death of the Carl
bou small passenger steamer sunk Wednesday in Cabot
Strait by German submarine set at 1877 Canadians
and Americans today.
Rescue vessels have landed 1O2 survivors here. The
Imperial Valley press., 1942-10-18
z Major Battles
See Allies Hard
Pressed to Hold
Enemy Carriers Loose Planes in Effort
TO Wres+ Control of Sky from American
Forces Defending GuadaIcanaI Position
= BY UNITED PRESS

Two of the wars major battles ragged Saturday. sep
araed by thousands of miles of land and se-the battle
of the Soomons and the battle of Stalngrad.
In both conflicts the forces of the United Nations ap
Imperial Valley press., 1942-10-18
D AMBl|Ne
\EpoR1ER

The Panacca-
Billy Clements went away back
to Ohio to Wooster college. He was
SO busy for time that he didn't
have time to concentrate on the
way he felt. Now, however, he IS
beginning to teei lonely.
The other day his mother, Mrs.
E. E. Clements, received a letter
from Billy that went something like
this:
I'm homesick. I miss you and ]
miss the gang. Do you think some
cookies would help?"
Imperial Valley press., 1942-10-18
Not SO Hot

Not SO Hot
The cheer leaders from Central
Union High school did their best
to convert the Ell Centro Rotary
club into some semblance of cheer
ing section at the last club meet
ing.
Hard work and the following of
ali ideal may get results in some
instances but it failed with the
Rotarians. In spite of the hard
work the cheer leaders did, the Ro-
tarians remained Rotarlans to TIC
end of the session.
The cheer leaders departed with
resigned expressions which indicated
that the ROtarians were no great
shakes as singers but, in fact, were
just plain hopeless.
Imperial Valley press., 1942-10-18
Can You Tie ThiS?--

Using only one pickup truck
Wallv Christian and a group of
Central Union High school students
in two davS collected five tons of
scrap metal for the school scrap
pile. Not that they will get the
credit for it. Wallv and his gang
are lust the collection crew.
Patriotic. we call it.
Imperial Valley press., 1942-10-18
WEATHER

Maximum Friday 49, rnmum Saturday So; s am.
Saturday &C, humidity II; noon Saturday IS, humid
ity 25; pm Friday "a, humidity q.
Imperial Valley press., 1942-10-18

Total Cash, Checks and Drafts Sent
Through Tke Two III Centre Banksl
Imperial Valley press., 1942-10-18

BUTTERFLIES Angeles extra 48l@c; grade cream
Gl 1sc; manufacturing milk 6dl3c; route gathered
cream 53c.
l.. A. HAY-U. 5. No I S24; u. S. No 2 leafy
!. v. $22-23; No $l95O-2O September flax
$2.46.
Imperial Valley press., 1942-06-30
Grand Jury Probes
Woman's Death In
Affer-ParfyFaII

WAUKEGAN, Ill. June 30-CUP)
"A Lake county grand jury opened
an investigation tomorrow into the
death of Miss Thoried Arna Lar
son. "a, who died June rs, three days
after she was found lying mcon-
scious in lonely, wooded section
of this city.
Meanwhile chief petty officer
Franklin Cathcart III, "a year old
Stanford University graduate, was
being held at Great Lakes Naval
Training station. He reported to
naval officers that Miss Larsen had
fallen down a stairway of his quar-
ters on June 90 after tour of
North Shore taverns with him.
He told naval authorities that the
girl refused to go to hospital and
that he let her out of his automo-
bile at a Waukegan intersection.
not far from the spot where she
was found.
A coroner's inquest. postponed
yesterday. was also scheduled for
tomorrow.
DR.. Henry HALEY, Chicago path
ologist, reporting on an autopsy,
said that death of the girl was due
to basal skull Fracture, compli-
Gated by meningitis and broncho
pneumonia.
Imperial Valley press., 1942-06-30
Join
British in Egypt

not have enough armored strength
for a pitched battle with the enemy.
Rommel now stands within strik-
ing distance of his first big goals
Alexandria and Cairo, which would
mean the conquest of Egypt and the
opening of road toward the Near
East oil field and Allied supply
lines.
EGYPT REASSURED
But there are several major OBJ
stacles which Rommel must over
come before he can reach either
Alexandria or Cairo and Britain S
Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden
again assured the Egyptian govern
ment that the Allies would and
could stop the enemy.
In the first place, Prime Minister
Winston Churchill told parliament
that Lieut.. Gen. Neil NJ. Ritchie had
crippled eighth army and that Gen.
Sir Claude Auchinleck, commander
in-chief in the Middle East, had
taken personal command. Ritchie' :
removal had been disclosed last Sat-
urday in United Press dispatches
from Johannesburg, South Africa.
Second, the British armed forces
now are expected to make then
main stand in the Ell Daba sector
30 miles from Alexandria, where
the almost impossible Qattara de-
preston narrows the fighting front
to about so mileS-the firm ground
between the depression and the
Bediterranean coast-and thus pro-
tects the British flanks.
REINFORCEMENTS
Third, Allied reinforcementS are
arriving at the front, as reported b.
United Press Correspondent Richard
D. Mcmillan, who narrowly escaped
the trap closed around Matruh wher
the enemy spearheads cut the Ma
truh-El Daba road about Is mile,
east of Matruh.
Mcmillan, veteran of the North
African campaigns, said that the
British army was retiring from
Matruh in order to fight again
that it had the spirit TO lick Romme
and that new tanks were reaching
the front. New Zealand forces alsC
had gone into action Immediately
after arriving. Dispatches TO Lon.
don newspapers told, without de.
tails, of American reinforcement!
by the thousands moving into thC
front line sector, of more American
air units reaching Egypt and of still
more en- route.
United Press dispatches from Cairt
said merely that there was no of.
| ficial information available.
Imperial Valley press., 1942-06-30
Fl Centro Mans
Father Succumbs

Robert S. Chestnut, 81, father of
Robert A. Chestnut, Ell Centro high
school teacher, was scheduled TO
be buried in Greeley, Colo, Tues
day after funeral services there at
2 pm.
This pioneer Colorado cattleman
and rancher died suddenly last
Saturday while at work on his
ranch. He had suffered no Ill health
during his life and reared eight
children, eight of whom are ranch
ers in the vicinity of his him home
at La Sale, Colo. His wife, eight
children, and other relatives sur
vive him.
Chestnut was unable TO go to
Colorado for the funeral but will
visit his mother and the rest of
the family late in the summer.
Imperial Valley press., 1942-06-30
Continued from Page One

Continued from Page One
British eighth army. but reports
published in London that large
American army forces had arrived
in Egypt were unconfirmed.
Dispatches from Cairo said that
there was greater confidence in
British military circles Tuesday,
presumably as a result of arrival
of reinforcements and effective day
and night aerial bombardment that
destroyed or damaged much Axis
equipment and many supply dumps
west of Matruh as far as Tobruk.
But the Axis claimed Rommel had
passed F'uka and British hopes ap-
peared to be based on the steadily
extending Axis supply lines and
the shortening Allied lines, rathe:
than on any evidence that Rommel
had yet been stopped. Cairo and
London dispatches said that tech
nically the enemy might be vulner-
able to a counterattack, but it was
acknowledged that Rommel still
was displaying great striking power
and that there was as yet no con-
crete evidence to show how much
new strength Auchinleck had been
able to muster west of Al Daba
REDS STRIKE BACK
Dispatches from Moscow said that
the Red army was striking back
effectively at the other prong OF
the German pincers toward the Near
East.
Some German gains in fierce
fighting at Sevastopol were ac-
knowledged by the Russians. but
on the important Kursk sector OF
the southern front it was reported
that hundreds" of Nazi tanks had
been cut off by a Red army trap
and many of them destroyed.
The Russians also said that Their
lines were holding on the Kharkov
front and that counterattacks hac
been launched. indicating that the
enemy had as yet made no import
ant progress in efforts to get start
ed on an offensive toward the Cau-
casus.
AS a result, Hitlers main hope ol
reaching the Near East oil fields
and cutting Allied supply lines
through the Indian ocean seemed
10 rest in Egypt for the time being
ROMNEL ADVANCES
The battle lines in Egypt were
changing rapidly. but still in favor
Of the Axis except for one briei
local battle in which New Zealand
ers rushing to the front repulsed the
enemy temporarily west of Fuka all
base. E?en there, however, the at
tack was renewed quickly by Rom
nel's forces and Tuesday morning
the Axis communiqucs said that the
advance had pushed east of Fuks
on the 120-mi.e road to Alexandra
naval base.
That represented an advance Of
at least 40 and probably so mile;
from Matruh. which the British
abandoned to escape encircle\ nj
over the weekend because they die
Imperial Valley press., 1942-06-30

AN EAST COAST PORT, June 80
-(UP)-Two American seamen who
saw 80 of their shipmates go down
with a United States merchantmen
in the Atlantic begged today for a
chance Ito get, back at" the Nazi
U-boatS which murdered our bud
| dies"
Second Engineer Robert Gates, of
Los Angeles. and Seaman James
Burns, Of Rochester. N. Y, said
they had tried to enlist in the
armed forces but had been told
that the job they were doing in the
merchant marine was more import
ant than any other they might per-
form for their country.
Gates, Burns and four others
were the only survivors of the crew
of 38 aboard the medium sized YES
sci which was sunk on the night
of June l.
MEN BELOW DECKS
1T all happened so fast that 1t
still seems like a bad dream Gates
said II was in my cabin at the
time the first torpedo exploded
Seconds later. I was standing on
deck with water gushing over me
from all sides. She was completely
under in less than a minute. Most
of the crew were below deck =
they didn't have a chance.
Il hadn't yet realized what had
happened when I found myself
clinging to the bottom of an over
turned lifeboat with four other
members of the crew. All of us
took a terrible beating from the
floating wreckage tossed about by
the waves.
my head was covered with blood
and the other men all appeared
injured. Later we saw BarruS first
name and address unknown trying
to stay aflcat with a broken leg.
We hauled him over to the beat
Imperial Valley press., 1942-06-30
Merchantmen Ask
Revenge on Subs

and the six of las c:ung on for
dear life until daylight"
TWO SUBMARINES
During the nights Burns said,
they saw signal lights from what
appeared to be two submarines. The
men believed that possibly each of
the raiders had fired a torpedo into
their vessel.
The second torpedo hit immed-
lately following the first, Burns re-
called, lust like it had come from
another sub"
When morning came, the six sur
vivors righted the lifeboat. in which
they sailed and rowed for six days
and nights.
1T was pretty pitiful watching
Barrus suffer with that broken leg"
Gates said. I'VE made a splint of
one of the oars and tried to make
him as comfortable as possible in
the bow of the boat. His leg had
swollen to twice its normal size, but
the poor guy didn't let out whimp-
er.
"One of the fellows didn't have
a stitch on. He was asleep on the
deck when the sub attacked us,
and was blown into the water. We
fixed him up a pair of pants out
of burlap bags from the lifeboat
and used the remainder of the ma
terial to make an awning for the
lifeboat. We were we'll stocked with
provisions and water"
Early on the sixth day, June 7,
the tiny craft was sighted by an
American merchantmen which
changed its course to pick up the
survivors and take them to a West
Indian island
Imperial Valley press., 1942-06-30
Hugo Miller Will
Leave Valley Soon

Hugo Miller, resident of Ell Gen.
tro since 1924, will leave soon to
make his home in San Jose where
he has purchased an ice plant.
He was employed by ice COM
panies throughout the period OF his
residence in El Centro. Miller was
a volunteer fireman in Ell Centro
for years and assistant chief for
five years. He is a past president
of the Ell Centro Lions club and a
member Of the Toastmasters club
His wife and two children, who
have been unable to live in the
valley for several years because OF
the i'll health of the children, will
ioin Miller in San Jose.
Imperial Valley press., 1942-06-30
Warnings Fail So
Ruby Goes to Jail
On 4fh Appearance

Police Judge Lee Nuffer has a
memory like the proverbial pro-
boscidean mammal. as Ruby Hum
mingbird can testify.
Ruby was picked up by El Centre
police on May 5. charged with tell
ing fortunes without a icense-a
violation of city ordinance. At
the time Nuffer told her that he
would not take action on the
charge if she would leave town.
Ruby agreed and went on her way.
On May Il she was picked up
again and urged to leave the city.
Once more she agreed.
A whole month went by before
Ruby was picked up again on a
vagrancy charge but the case was
dismissed on the condition that.
you guessed it--Sne leave town.
Monday Rub was again collected
by the officers.
Tuesday morning Judge Nuffer
imposed a 500 fine on her for the
MAY charge. She raised S25 and
will serve 3715 days in the county
Jail.
Imperial Valley press., 1942-06-30
BY RICHARD ID. MCMILLAN

iSopsfignt 1872 By United Press
WITH THE BRITISH EIGHTH
ARMY IN THE FRONT LINE.
Egypt. June 28. 10 pm. - CUP) -
The British eighth army has aban-
doned Matruh to avoid another
Tobruk.
It has withdrawn not merely to
retreat but to fight
AS I write. British forces which
had been threatened with disaster
have fought their way through the
enemy columns to join the main
army.
There is a tremendous ebb and
flow as the British army takes up
new positions.
Tanks. going faster than be-
lieved a tank could move, are rae
ing along the road westward from
Alexandria. hurrying into battle,
cascading dust.
They are brand new tanks, just
arrived in Egypt
With the evacuation of Matruh,
the entrance to the corridor lead
ing along the coastal highway to-
ward Alexandria. falls into the
hands of German Field Marshal
Erwin Rommel
At the same time. the menace to