davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1955-03-06
Rains and Ice Glaze
Continue 10 Harass
Northeastern States
BY fhs ASsoeioted Press

A March cold wave shattered
springlike weather in the mid
Continent yesterday. and a
freezing drizzle sheathed . large
area in the Northeast with
treacherous ice.
Parts Of the South. however,
perspired in summerlike temper
atures.
At Preside. Tex, the mercury
hit 90 degrees. Birmingham,
Ais. with 80 degrees and Char
lotts. N. c.. with "a. reported
their highest temperatures ever
for 50 early in the year.
An overnight glaze Of ice
coated much of New York. New
jersey and New England. There
we're scores of auto accidents in
New York and New Jersey and
at least two persons died in acci-
dents attributed to the ice. Air
line schedules were disrupted.
Rain pelted wide areas of the
East, where recent storms have
swollen streams and rivers.
Flood Fears Abated.
Flood fears abated in Pitts
burgh, however, after the United
States Weather Bureau there
forecast that the Ohio River
would crest from one foot above
the 25-foot flood stage.
This level would result in only
minor damage.
Flood waters menaced sections
Of Kentucky, West Virginia. In
diana and Pennsylvania, al
though no serious property dam
age had been reported.
At Huntingdon. w. Va. the
Weather Bureau said the Ohio
River, which had been falling,
will rise again to at least five
feet above flood stage in that
area.
Daytime drizzle and fog ex-
tended from the Mid Mississippi
Valley eastward across the
Southern Great Lakes to South
ern New England.
Blowing and drifting snow was
reported in Northern Minnesota.
Bridge, Tunnel Traffic Hit.
In New York City, icy road
ways interfered with traffic on
the huge Triborough Bridge,
which connects three of the
city's boroughs. The same con-
ditions prevailed in the Queens
midtown tunnel linking Queens
and Manhattan. Sanding over
came the difficulty.
Between am. and noon yes
terday, 26 departures and 80
scheduled arrivals at LaGuardia
Airport were Cancelled.
A six-car pileup halted traffic
for an hour on all but one lane
on the Washington Bridge in
New York.
Evening star., 1955-01-15
Diggs Fayors Suffrage
For District Residents

Suffrage for residents of the
District is favored by Repre-
sentative Diggs. Democrat. the
first Negro elected to Congress
from Michigan.
He stated his position yester-
day before the Capital Press Club
at a luncheon at the Lincoln
Hotel.
Mr.. Diggs also said he favors
veterans benefits for future re-
cruits instead Of cutting them
of for those who enter the serv-
ices after January 81, as is pro-
vided in a presidential order. Mr..
Diggs is member of the House
Veterans Committee.
Other legislation he said he
favors would provide for 18-year-
olds to vote, elimination Of poll
taxes as a requisite for voting,
higher minimum wages, modi-
flying the Taft Hartley Act and
the McCarran immigration Act,
highway construction and civil
rights.
He said Negroes are interested
in more than civil rights. They
are interested also, he said, In
the fight against communism and
In the national economy.
Evening star., 1955-01-15
British Bridge Team
Beats U. s. for Title
BY the A.,oeiuisd Press

NEW YORK, Jan. 15.-The
Bermuda Cup. symbol of the
world bridge championship, to-
day was in the hands of a six
man British team which de-
feated the. United States team
by 5,420 points.
The British team, champions
of Europe, took the world title
at the end of six days of play
last night. The two teams
played 224 hands. during the
eight sessions and at the end
of each the British were ahead.
! The defeat was the first in
five years for q United States
team playing in Bermuda Cup
competition.
Members of the British team
were Terence Reese, Boris Scha-
piro, Kenneth Konstam, Leslie
Dodds, Adam Meredith and Jor-
danis Pavlides. Reginald Cor
wen was the non-playing cap
tain.
The American team was made
UP Of Alvin Roth of Washing
ton, William Rosen and Milton
Ellenby of Chicago, Lew Mathe
Of Los Angeles, Clifford Bishop
of Detroit and John Moran OF
Arcadia, Calf. The play
ing captain was Peter Leven-
tritt Of New York.
Evening star., 1955-01-15
sy The AsIsoeioisa, Press

NEW YORK, Jan. l5.-So-
cialite Cornelius Vanderbilt, jr.'s
blond nth wife lost her sepa-
ration suit against him yester-
day. A court ruled he beat her
to the draw with q 1853 Reno
divorce.
However, State Supreme Court
Justice s. Samuel Di Falco left
the door open for separate main
tenance, a form of alimony per-
missible under New York law.
even in the case of a valid OUT
state divorce.
Justice Di Falco set January
% for the taking OF testimony
on support. He refused to grant
the 32-year-old Mrs. Patricia
Wallace Vanderbilt any interim
allowance. although she said she
is destitute and on relief.
They might not continue to
give me charity" she told JUS
tice Di Falco tearfully.
IF you need help, tell them
to call me up." the justice re-
assured her.
Evening star., 1955-01-15
VonderbiIt's S Wife, on Relief,
Fails to Win Separation Suit

In seeking q separation. Mrs.
Vanderbilt claimed her husband
was not a bondafide resident Of
Nevada when he got a divorce
June 80, 1858. However. Justice
Di Falco found evidence that
Vanderbilt was a legal resident
of Nevada and said Mrs. Wander
bilt had failed to prove other
wise.
The court refused to release
any part of $4,000 of Mr..
Vanderbilt's money tied up
pending the outcome of the case.
II am sure Mr.. Vanderbilt
won't need funds to support
himself" Justice Di Falco said.
'His financial plight is not as
bad as this plaintiffs. ,
Mr.. Vanderbilt supplements a
$23, ,000-a-year income from
trusts by writing and lecturing.
Mrs. Vanderbilt alleged cruelty
during a four-day trial of her
separation suit. She said her
husband falsely accused her Of
being too friendly with other
men and once threw her into a
bathtub during q quarrel.
Evening star., 1955-01-15
Mrs. Dodge
Is Feted
AT T ca

Mrs. Joseph M. Dodge, wife Of
the former director az thu
rs .,.. -
cuuse" WaS "eieolieu pasA "
washington yesterday on her
first visit since last spring.
Her husband has been IN ana
,.,..I..-... s......,..,..
OUT VI "asnnseon tisauen.ay
during the past couple OF months
In his new capacity as special
assistant - the president INIT
~S,.r -
MIS-. I'ouse mas leinaiiieu ~ -
-troit until she decided TO come
TO town this time with her Old
friend. Mrs. Paul Morrison. Mr.
Morrison. now q professor OF
finance at Northwestern Univer-
Evening star., 1955-01-15
Judge Asks How
Woman Can Become
vagrant in ; Hours

Municipal Judge Edward Beard
asked prosecution and defense
lawyers yesterday to prove to
him how a woman living at the
fashionable Woodner Hotel can
become a vagrant within three
hours.
He gave Assistant Corporation
Counsel Carl Coleman and De-
fense Attorney Joseph M. Bonuso
until January % to come up with
their answers, pro and con.
The legal problem arose in the
case of Margaret johnson. %. q
Woodner resident, charged under
the vagrancy laws with commit
ting two acts Of prostitution on
December %.
In addition, she was charged
with another section Of the stat
ute as Q vagrant in that she led
an Immoral and profiigate life" !"
The period in which the i'm
moral and profiigate course Of
conduct took place, police testi-
iied, was three hours on Decem-
ber %. just before and after
nightfall.
Judge Beard told Mr.. Coleman
he felt the question poses the
closest legal point to confront
him since he assumed the muni-
cipal bench.
The course Of activity here
spans the shortest period / have
ever been confronted with in
claiming q course Of action con-
stitutes an immoral and pro-
f7igate life," he said.
Il don't think 1t is a question
I should decide on the Gun. !"
he said. II want each Of you, !"
he told the lawyers. TO pin-point
your research and appear again
in two weeks"
Evening star., 1955-01-15

Dinner Party

Canadian Ambassador and
Mrs. Heeney were hosts at a
dinner last evening In honor Of
the Chief Curator Of the Ma.
tional Gallery in Ottawa, Mr..
r. n. Hubbard. Mr.. Hubbard is
here in connection with the
exhibit of Canadian art at the
Phillips Gallery.
Guests at the 8 o'clock dinner
were the Netherlands Ambassa-
dor and Nine. van Rotten, Spe-
cial Assistant to the President
and Mrs. Nelson Rockefeller. Mr..
and Mrs. Duncan Phillips. who
founded the gallery here by that
name: Mr.. and Mrs. John
Walker, he is chief curator Of
the National Gallery here: Mrs.
Eugene Meyer, whose husband
had to regret the party because
Of illness; Mr.. Alexis Leeer, Mrs.
Milburn Russell, Mr.. and Mrs.
e. r. Finkenstaedt and the
Canadian Minister Counselor
and Mrs. La Pan.
Evening star., 1955-01-15
Society News
The Congress Goes
To the White House
By lsobeIIe sheIton

who also arrived together. were
saying much the same thing over
on the other side Of the room.
Both have husbands. but neither
was in town. They thought may
be somebody ought to introduce
q BILL Some one pointed out
that it probably didn't require a
bill. but merely q chat with the
First Lady.
That's q good idea, and If !
ever get the chance I'll talk to
her about it," said Mrs. Knutson.
Representatives Edith Nourse
Rogers and Katherine st. George
were other Congresswomen
glimpsed.
Toctful james Roosevelt
Representative James Roose-
velt, son Of the late President,
was the center Of many curious
glances when he arrived. At
least 80 people must have asked
him how he liked the remodeling
of the house in which he lived
for so many years. particularly
the dining room. the most con-
troversial feature tTnaily people
have thought it was a mistake
to cover the old paneled walls
with green paint.
well, I don't know. It's the
first time I've been here since
the house was done over. did
think the paneling was very
lovely. But I'll have to look some
more and think about it for
a WHILE" he said tactfully.
Speaker Rayburn. whose two
sisters. Miss Lucinda Rayburn
and Mrs. Edward BARLEY. were
at the party. held court all eve
ming in one corner Of the dining
room, shaking almost as many
hands as the Eisenhowers.
The cabinet members were
scattered around the dining
room, being noticeably cordial
with the legislators. President
and Mrs. Eisenhower went ups
stairs promptly at 10 O'Clock,
however. Immediately after the
last of the 7T3 hands had been
shaken. without pausing to min
gle with the guests,
A Bit Of Jazz
It was an unusually gay group
of White House guests, with
many more people than usual
crowding into the East Room to
dance. BY 10 of IL, when all but
about Is young couples had left
the dance floor. the Marine
Band played a hot jazz version
of "Alexander's Ragtime Band"
That's the best music they've
played all evening" said one
member Of Congress Lets have
some more Of that" But the band
reverted to q fairly slow foxtrot,
and soon 1t broke into Good
Night, Sweetheart" the signal
that another White House re-
ception had come to an end.
Evening star., 1955-01-15
Potomac Basin Agency Looks
To Stepup in Conservation

The Interstate Commission on
the Potomac River Basin is
looking today toward a stepped
UP program of land and water
conservation in the rivers water
shed.
The commissions Land Com
mittee. at the annual winter
meeting here yesterday, ap-
proved the formation Of a land
advisory committee to help
bring back life to the soils of
the Potomac Valley.
DR.. Daniel L. Seckinger, Dis
trict health director and a for
mer chairman of the Land Com
mittee, urged the formation Of
the new advisory group. He
suggested that it be composed
of physicians and other scientists
dealing with human health. in
addition to agronomists, engi-
neers, businessmen, Industrial
lists, conservationists and repre-
sentatives of other public and
private agencies.
Or. Seckinger, who long has
been interested in the relation
between healthy soil and
healthy people. said the vital
top 8 inches of soil' is being
damaged by improper land
practices.
'"The mineral elements, so
vital to health. are being de-
pleted because of improper land
usage" he said.
within q few generations"
DR.. Seckinger said. I'VE have
lost a large part Of the soil. wa
ter, plant and animal resources
which man Inherited from ma
ture.
"The continued population
growth and the occupation Of
most Of the known land area
has accelerated the depletion of
Evening star., 1955-01-15
Department Store Sales
Up 46 Pct. in Area

Department store sales in the
Washington Metropolitan area
last week jumped Is per cent
above those Of the previous week
and were Is per cent higher
than the totals for the corre-
spending 1854 week, the Fed
eral Reserve Bank of Richmond
reported yesterday.
s Sales in the four weeks ended
January 8 were 6 per cent above
those q year earlier.
Sales, Of downtown depart
nhent stores alone were 80 per
cent above those in the compa-
fable week last year.
Downtown sales in the four
week period were 3 per cent
higher than, the figure Of o
year ago.
Evening star., 1955-01-15
| Mr.. .Byroode
Is sHonored

The Indian Ambassador and
Mime. Mehta entertained at din
ner last night at the Embassy in
honor of the former Assistant
Secretary of State and Mrs.
Henry Byroade. Mr.. Byroade
has been appointed Ambassador
to Egypt.
Among the guests were Mr..
and Mrs. Joseph Rucinski. Mrs.
Thomas Braden. Mr.. and Mrs.
Alfred Friendly and officers Of
the Indian Embassy.
Evening star., 1955-01-15
Forgery Is Charged
As Man Gives Up on
Advice Of Victim

Police today we're preparing q
forgery case against 4 man who
surrendered himself on the ad-
vice Of his victim.
Charged with forgery was
Fred A. Louis. 80. whose last
address police gave as the 1900
block Of Harvard street NV.
Police said he admitted forging
II checks for, q total Of $3.50.
Police said Louis told this
story:
After working for q year at
the Goetz Printing CO.. 1880
Twentieth street NV, he made
out eight different checks to
himself on the company's ac-
count during August and cashed
them at the firms bank. Riggs
National. They totaled $500.
To each he signed the name of
the president and treasurer Of
the firm.
Spree Uses Funds.
He left work and started a
spending spree in Washington
and continued 1t at Lovingston.
Va, where his family lives.
When the money ran out. he
twice called James c. Mother
snead, president of the printing
company, and suggested they
meet and talk things over. Each
time Mr.. Mothershead called
police. and they arranged trap.
But Louis didn't show up.
Advised to Surrender.
When he called a third time
yesterday. Mr.. Mothershead de-
cided to meet him alone. This
time Louis appeared. He said he
wanted to straighten things out
and go back to work again. Mr..
Mothershead told him he should
turn himself in Louis agreed
and they drove together to head
quarters.
There Louis admitted the
whole thing and added that he
had forged three other cheeks
for q total Of $50 on a former
employer in Silver Spring.
1t. David Higgins of the check
and fraud squad charged Louis
with one case and said the others
viii be presented to the grand
jury. 80
Evening star., 1955-01-15
Eight Men Injured
In Car-Truck Crash

Eight men were. injured In a
.head-on car and panel truck
crash at Fourth and v streets
NV. yesterday.
Admitted to Casualty Hos
'pital where they were reported
in good condition today were
james Morgan. 80. of "a / street
NE, John H. Beard. 50. Of GIL
N street NV. and Robert Har-.
per. A. Of tbs Rhode Island
avenue NE. all colored.
Police said they were passen-
gers in an auto. headed south on
Fourth street. driven by James
H. Frye, Al. colored, Of the 1900
block North Capitol street. Frye,
who was charged with unrea-
5enable speed. passed parked
vehicle near the intersection Of
v street and Fourth and smashed
into a northbound panel truck.
Frye also was charged with hav-
ing no District driving permit
and failing to obtain District
auto tags.
*@Other passengers in Frye's car
who were taken with him to Cas-
ualty Hospital for treatment Of
injuries and then released were.
Richard Clark. 81. Of. 1914 r
street NV. and George w.
sNfyles. 4S. OF 1927 s street NV.
Both colored.
Driver of the panel truck
owned by the District Public Lii
brary was David w. Carroll. 40.
acolored. Of TAOS Sheriff road,
Huntsville. Md. and Walter
Harris, 26. colored. Of 23s Hillside
place NE. Mr.. Carroll was
treated and released at Casualty
and Mr.. Harris was treated at
the District Public Health Dis
'pensary.
Evening star., 1955-01-15
Two Major Oil Firms
Conferring on Merger

NEW YORK, Jan. l5.-Sunray
Oil Corp. and Mid : Continent
Petroleum Corp. conferred here
on a possible merger. according
to Clarence Wright, Sunray
board chairman.
Mr. Wright said last night he
was conferring with President
Robert Mcdowell OF Mid -conti-
nent Petroleum. He declined to
give further details.
Both firms have headquarters
in Tulsa. Sunray produces more
crude oil than it markets while
Mid Continent refines m ore
crude than it produces.
Evening star., 1955-01-15
Wyotts Hosts
To Sherrods

Mr.. and Mrs. Walter Wyatt
gave q dinner party at their
home Thursday evening in
honor of Mr.. and Mrs. Robert
Sherrod. who will move to Phila.
delphia soon.
Guests we're Justice and Mrs.
Tom Clark, Senator and Mrs.
Mike Mansfield, Representative
and Mrs. John J. Dempsey, Mr..
and Mrs. Ray Gidney. 1t. Gen.
and Mrs. Frank Hart and Mr..
and Mrs. Harold Fellows.
Evening star., 1955-01-15
okIohomu Rain Guuee
Was q Little Rusty
81 she As.esiossd Prsss J

LAWTON. Okla, Jan. IS
Martha Elrod. weather observer
here. excitediy reported .95 Of
an inch Of rain yesterday. q
yeritable deluge in parched
Southwestern Oklahoma. Then
she recalled only q light shower
had fallen. F
'Souie prankster must have
put water in the rain gauge" :"
she said sheepishly.
Evening star., 1955-01-15

q conservation program for the
basin that would:
Include steps to prevent soil
losses from the land. distribute
stream now throughout the sea-
sons and increase yields from all
types Of land.
In connection with this pro-
gram, he said. an intensive edu-
cational campaign should be
carried out that would win the
interest and participation Of
farmers. forest owners and resi-
dents Of urban and rural areas
throughout the basin.
Evening star., 1955-01-15
Rumnoqe Sale

A rummage sale sponsored
by the Sisterhood Of Congrega.
ton Har Tzeon, Is being held
all this month at 1883 Wiscon-
sin avenue, Bethesda. The
store hours are 10 O'Clock to 5
o'clock on weekdays; 6 o'clock
to 8 o'clock on Monday and
Saturday evenings.
Evening star., 1955-01-15
Body Of Test Pilot
Is Found in hojaye
sr
After Mass Search
o. Is. A..oeIossd Pres. |

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 15.-The
body Of Flyer James B. Verdin.
So. world speed record holder
who bailed out of his bantam
jet bomber 6 miles above the
earth Thursday. has been found
Efter perhaps the biggest search
ever made on the Mojaye Desert.
The Douglas Aircraft Corp.
test pilot lay 2la miles from the
wreckage Of his A4D Skyhawk
when ground searchers reached
the body yesterday. The plane
,wreckage had been found the
night before. is miles northwest
Of victorville and 100 miles
northeast Of Los Angeles.
Mr.. verdin's unopened para
chute was still strapped to his
-hody. The planes election seat
lay nearby. indicating he had
seleared the seat as he began
alis 30,000-foot fall to earth.
Died ON Impact.
Col. Howard Knapp. surgeon
general at Edwards Air Force
Base near the crash scene, said
Mr.. verdin apparently died on
Impact rather than aloft.
It could not be determined
Immediately why Mr.. Verdin was
unable to get the chute open.
Douglas officials said. Neither
was it learned at once If he was
wearing a standard type para
chute. requiring manual pull
to open it, or an automatic type
preset to open at given alti-
tude.
More than 1000 ground
searchers and scores Of Air
Force, Navy, sheriff's and Doug
las planes famed out over a
10000 square mile area after
Mr.. Verdin tersely radioed Ed
wards AFB. I'm in trouble. I'm
leaving He didn't have time to
say what the trouble was.
-. Plane Could Do 600.
Mr.. verdin was testing the
Skyhawk in the 10000 to $4,000
FOOT altitude range. The plane.
=ealled the Mighty Midget" by
Navy flyers. is capable Of flying
600 miles an hour.
"a A former Navy lieutenant
commander, Mr.. Verdin set the
worlds 3-kilometer jet mark Of
1884 m.p.h. on October 5. 1858,
only three days after Comdr.
Michael Lithgow Of England
had set the previous record Of
1873 m.p.h. for that course. Mr..
Nerdin's record still stands.
However. the speed mark for
level measured fight was set on
u 15-kilometer course by 1t.
Col. F. K. Everest of the Air
Force when he few 754.98 m phi.
In an F-100 in October. 1858.
Third Killed In 5 Months.
Mr.. verdin, who lived in near
by Brentwood, was the third IA
NOUS aviator killed testing
planes over the Mojave In the
last iive months. Capt. Joseph |
Mcconnell, the country's first |
triple jet ace, was killed last |
August IS. George Welch, test |
pilot for North American Avia-
tion. Inc.,s lost his life In the |
iexplosion OF his 7F-i00 SUPER
sabre Jet last October IL.
As Mr.. Verdin, a native of Miles |
City, Mont. was q graduate Of |
sthe Naval Academy and re-
ceived a masters degree from
the University Of Minnesota. He
served in the Navy from l94l
to 1854. earning the Navy Cross.
Distinguished Flying Cross and
Air Medal with six stars.
He is survived by his widow,
three small children and a IL
'year-old daughter by a previous
marriage,
Evening star., 1955-01-15

these vitality important natural
resources"
He said the threat of exhaust
ing the essential minerals of the
soil is q challenge to every mem-
ber Of the medical profession
and to. all public health workers.
Every man. woman and child.
whether in rural areas or in
cities. hasa stake In the soil"
DR.. Seckinger said.
Demonstration Project Urged.
The land committee also rec
commended that the commission
sponsor a conservation demou-
stration in the Gaithersburg
(Md.J area.
Joseph E. Kaylor, director Of
the Maryland Department of
Forests and Parks and chairman
of the land committee, said the
Gaithersburg area, consisting Of
20 farms, would be tied in with
a proposed lake on q park in
the area.
He said the project will demon
Strate. on a small watershed,
how conservation practices car
ried out on the land could pro-
tect the lake from siltation and
pollution.
"This project" Mr.. Kaylor
said. would be easily reached
from Washington and would be
small enough to show clearly
the benefits Of q conservation
program"
The owners of the 20 adjoin-
ing farms. he said, would be
asked to cooperate in the
project on q voluntary basis.
Only the actual park land would
be publicly owned.
New Survey Authorized.
In a discussion Of water re-
sources in the basin, representa-
tives Of the Army Corps of Engi-
neers said a new survey of the
Potomac River has BEEN author
ized, but no funds have been
made available.
ID. v. c. Birrell said the survey.
when made, will consider all
phases of the basins water re-
sources. He said the engineers
plan for the construction Of IA
dams on the Potomac and its
tributaries, which was abandoned
in the middle l940's after over
whelming protests at a public
hearing here, would again be
examined and appraised.
He said. however, that. while
the need for dams would be
studied, q survey now might re-
suit in an entirely different plan.
Opposition to the original pro-
posal, which called for multi
purpose dams for the generation
Of power and for food control.
came from all areas of the
Potomac Basin. The plan was
shelved after thousands from the
basin protested the plan at a
public hearing In the Interior
Department auditorium.
Representatives Of the En-
gineer Corps said the agency Is
interested in any program In the
basin that might influence water
fiow at Little Falls, where the
District takes its municipal water
supply.
The trend toward land irTiga-
ton, 1t was pointed out, might
influence the amount Of water
available for use in the Metro
politan Area.
One orchard in the Hancock
area of Maryland, 1t was re-
ported. is now irrigating 5000
| acres OF orchards and plans to
increase this irrigated area to
10000 acres.
The irrigating water Is drawn
from the Potomac and entering
streams and irrigation systems
are expected to increase in the
next few years.
Program Proposed.
w. 8. swingier. assistant chief
lof the Forest Service. proposed
Evening star., 1955-01-15
Awoy on Trip

Mrs. v. A. williams Of Arling-
ton, who Just returned from
Miami with her husband and
daughter Bonnie. left Washing
ton yesterday morning for .
visit to Connecticut.