1951
University Daily Kansan
Kansas State Historical Society Topeka, Ks.
STUDENT NEWS PAPER
Lawrence, Kansas
OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
St. Paul, Minn. - U.P. A butane gas explosion ripened apart a section of the sprawling Minnesota mining and manufacturing company today, killing at least six persons and injuring at least 38.
The explosion occurred shortly before 8:30 a.m., just moments after a foreman, John Richards, said "I smell gas" and went to investigate.
By 11 a.m. three bodies had been brought to the morgue and three bodies were at Ancker hospital. Ancker hospital reported at least six of the injured brought there were in critical condition.
Minnesota Explosion Kills 6, Injures 38
The first victim brought to the morgue was a man about 45 to 50. His head was crushed. His left leg had been blown off. Ancker hospital attendants said three persons in critical conditions there were being treated with 15 others less seriously wounded.
St. John's hospital treated three persons for minor injuries and then released them. St. Luke's hospital said it had received no dead, had about nine bed patients, and admitted about 20 for treatment before sending them home.
Ancker hospital reported that two unidentified bodies had been brought there. Authorities said it would be hours before the first dead could be identified because they were mutilated badly.
"More are coming in," the hospital said. "It's a hell of a mess," one workman said. "It seemed like more than 50 persons were laying around, horribly mutilated. You didn't get near the place without bearing awful moanings."
St. Luke, Ancker and St. Joseph hospitals reported they had filled all available space with injured workmen. The blast, which occurred about 8:30 a.m. (C.S.T.), knocked out the company's switchboard but a man on duty at an emergency circuit said "all I know is that there's been an explosion up there."
The second annual County Clerks' school, sponsored by the bureau of government research and University Extension, is being held today and Friday at the Union.
The blast was heard for miles. Police switchboards were swamped with telephone calls and, once the location of the explosion was determined, many anxious wives and families rushed to the scene. Police roped off the blast as fire equipment and firemen swarmed into the explosion area. The building was a shambles.
Clerks School Opens Today
Friday, discussions groups will meet throughout the day. Leaders of the discussions include Ethan P. Allen, director of the bureau of government research; Mrs. Mildred LeSuer, budget officer for Douglas county; Fred Horn, chairman of the state commission of revenue and taxation; Raymond R. Carmon and Vernon E. Koch, administrative consultants for the bureau of government research; Jack F. McKay, senior analyst for the bureau; and Guy S. Day, county clerk for Geary county. All classes will be held in the Kansas room.
Issue number three will feature an article by Chancellor Deane W. Malott, varsity basketball and intramural sports news, campus activities, and graduating seniors in law, pharmacy, religion, and business
Spring Jayhawker Ready In March
The representatives were welcomed this morning by Paul B. Lawson, dean of the College. Dinner will be held in the English room at 6 p.m. today. A movie entitled "1950 Touchdown Thrills" will be shown after the dinner.
About 40 counties are represented at the school. The Kansas County Clerks' association is assisting with the school.
The spring issue of the Jayhawk-
er will be distributed toward the end
of march, William Howell, editor
Covers and second issues may be picked up at the Jayhawker office any time during the day.
The firm manufactures several types of abrasives, in addition to scotch tape. It is one of the oldest and largest concerns of its kind.
A St. Paul fire department dispatcher said, shortly after the blast occurred, that "dead people were laving all over the place."
Mrs. Mildred Wilson sait she was in the bedroom of her home several miles from the blast when she heard it rip through the air. A detective said he heard it estimated that 100 people were in the building when the explosion curred. Company officials were not available to confirm the figures.
The detective also reported that firemen were unable to pull the dead from the debris right away. "They got as many injured out as they could and had all the city's hospitals full in an hour," the detective said.
The January - February issue of Upstream, edited by Dorothy Van Ghent, assistant professor of English, went on sale on the campus today.
This issue contains a chapter from a novel; the prize winning stories of the Upstream contest by Virginia Doan, education senior; and David Fanger, graduate student; prose and poetry by Milton Hughs, John Nesshof, graduate students, is included.
Also in this issue is an article, "More on Dianetics," and a correspondence from India by Dale Judy.
Miss Neiswanger is chairman of the public relations committee of the division of cataloging and classification, and has served as a cataloging consultant for the American Library association clearing house.
Miss Laura Nelswanger, Watson library classifier, and Mrs. Domenico Gagliardi attended the midwinter meeting of the American Library association in Chicago, Jan. 30 to Feb. 3.
Upstream Literary Issue Out Today
Mrs. Gagliardo, who is library chairman of the National Congress of Parents and Teachers, took part in the discussion on Federal Library Legislation.
In a cutline under a picture on page 8 in Wednesday's Kansan Mrs. Audrey Drawbaugh was by mistake identified as a secretary in the geology department. Mrs. Drawbaugh is a former secretary in the geology department.
Mrs. Drawbaugh Ex-Secretary
Price of the 44 page magazine is $2.5.
Two Attend Meeting
ArmyToKeepTrainsRunning
Washington—(U.P.)—The army today ordered striking railroad men to return to work or be fired.
BULLETIN
Washington—(U.P.)—President Truman today ordered the army to keep the railroads running despite a strike of union men who, he said, ran out on an agreement like a bunch of Russians.
KANASS—Generally fair and warmer tonight and Friday. Low tonight 20-25 northeast; 30 to 35 elsewhere;
The president told army secretary Frank C. Pace, Jr., to do whatever it takes to end what he called an "intolerable" interference with essential military and civilian railroad transportation.
WEATHER
Mr. Truman read a statement on the rail strike at his news conference in which he praised switchmen who "stuck to their jobs" but denounced other "ill-advised and irresponsible men who are disregarding the emergency needs of their country."
ERNEST K. LINDLEY
His comparison of the strikers to a bunch of Russians was made verbally in reply to questions and could not be quoted directly. Referring to a Dec. 21 "settlement" signed at the White House by union and management leaders but subsequently rejected by the unions' general chairmen, the president said the unions had run out on their agreement.
Newsman To Speak Friday
A noted political reporter, columnist, radio commentator and author, Ernest K. Lindley, will speak at the all-student convocation at 9:20 a.m. Friday.
Mr. Lindley, who is chief of Newsweek's Washington news bureau, will discuss, "The Years of Danger."
Mr. Lindley's qualifications for his job as chief of the Washington bureau include an extremely wide acquaintanceship with key political personalities and an uncanny ability to ferret out the significance of events well before they become headlines. Mr. Lindley enjoys the confidence of unofficial yet authoritative news sources, that keep him appraised of undercover, political maneuvers and events.
First-hour classes, 8 to 10:30 a.m.; second-hour, 8:40 to 9:10 a.m.; con- vocation, 9:20 to 10:30 a.m.; third- hours, 10:40 to 11:10 a.m.; and fourth hour, 11:20 to 11:50 a.m. Afternoon classes will be as usual.
The revised schedule of classes for Friday morning is as follows:
A Rhodes scholar, Mr. Lindley entered journalism as a reporter on the Wichita Beacon, gaining a broad experience of general news before turning to politics.
Despite his duties as chief of Newsweek's Washington bureau, Mr. Lindley has found time to write several books and magazine articles on politics, government and political personalities.
No packages which are addressed to points east of the Mississippi river or to St. Louis, Mo. are being accepted by the campus post office.
A special directive from Washington, which was received by the University post office this morning, said that until further notice mail would not be accepted which would go through St. Louis by railroad. The directive gave no indication as to when mail would be accepted.
R. C. Abraham, superintendent of the University post office said that he has been refusing mail for eastern points for the last few days. "The weight limit for sending packages by air is two pounds
and a few students have been able to send their packages that way." Mr. Abraham said.
Kansas Pharmacy School
Retains Class 'A' Rating
Mr. Truman told reporters he was "gravely concerned about the interference with essential military and civilian railroad transportation" during the current strikes. "It is bad enough in other times; it is intolerable in an emergency," he said.
In a letter to J. Allen Reese, dean of the School of Pharmacy, approval for continuance of accreditation was submitted by the council.
The University of Kansas School of Pharmacy is still a class "A" school, according to an examination report of the American Council on Pharmaceutical education. Chicago
Most of the rail strikers have returned to work except in Chicago, the nation's biggest rail center. Many switchmen were drifting back to work there, however. Negotiations to settle the wage-hour dispute which prompted the walkout still were bogged down. The government is seeking a formula to get the stalled negotiations moving. The walkout tied up freight and military supplies and forced some plants to shut down for lack of raw materials.
Deadline Saturday For Class Changes
All students in the College who wish to make any changes in their enrollment must do so by Saturday noon, Paul B. Lawson, dean of the College, said Wednesday.
Limiting the time for enrollment changes is to the student's advantage, Dean Lawson said. In many cases late starts result in failures. He attributed the University's high stolastic standards to the policy of refusing to permit students to enter courses after the basic principles of the subject have been covered.
He said he hoped the army order would be ready by noon, but pending actual announcement, he would not give any hint as to the army plans. In a previous railroad strike, the president advocated legislation to draft the strikers.
Mr. Truman said he was proud of the vast majority of railroad workers who stuck to their jobs in the controversy, but "there are still some ill-advised or irresponsible men who are disregarding the emergency needs of their country."
Inquires to the Daily Kansan have been made by student concerned about radioactive snow from the Nevada atomic testing grounds.
Kansas Snow Not 'Atomic'
Reports that radioactive snow has fallen in the east has caused considerable concern by residents of that area. Gov. Thomas E. Dewey of New York ordered an investigation to determine if the radioactive snow was harmful to the human body.
Frank E. Hoecker, K.U. professor of physics, and civilian defense expert, said there was no need to become alarmed. Although the department has not made any tests on the snow it has Geiger counters running almost continuously and no radical changes were noted.
The radioactive particles have to travel over such a vast distance that by the time they arrive in this area they are so well dispersed or decayed, that they could cause no harm," Professor Hoecker explained. "Also, the amount of radioactivity that is ordinarily in the air and on the ground is probably of greater intensity.
Military Engineering Group Sees Two Motion Pictures
Two movies, "Time Out for Tomorrow" and "Clearing Paths through Enemy Mine Fields," were shown to members of the Society of American Military Engineers in the lounge of the Military Science building Wednesday night.
"Time Out for Tomorrow" illustrated the possibility of mom continuing their education after entering the armed services. Lt. Col Roy W. Matz, assistant professor of military science, discussed enemy mines and booby traps after the showing of the second film.
The society, which was formed at the University during the spring semester of 1850, did not begin its regular function until last semester
Members of the organization must have junior or senior status with
any branch of R.O.T.C., and be enrolled in an engineering or industrial management curriculum. Present membership numbers 25.
The society meets twice a month, alternating business and program meetings. A dinner is also held once a month. Field trips are conducted and a book service to members is rendered through "The Military Engineer," magazine of the national organization.