6
Monday, June 18, 1979
Summer Session Kansan
Showboat still idle a year after disaster
Photo by RICK JONES
By LEONARD D. GROTTA
Accident anniversary
Staff Reporter
by a small tornado moments after it embarked on an evening cruise. The accident has been termed the worst water disaster
The shipboard Whippoorwill, repaired and ready to be used, is moored at Lake Pomona, west of Ottawa. The boat capsized a few days ago.
VASSAR—One year ago, today the showbat Whippoorwill pulled away from the passengers and 13 crew members. Less than 15 minutes later, a small tornado reportedly struck and caped the boat, resulting in a worst water disaster in history.
Moments after the boat capsized, survivors climbed out of the water onto the deck. Two passengers remained underwater. Other passengers remained underwater, breathing from pockets of air trapped under the boat until they were rescued by scuba divers. Other passengers did not
By midnight the following day, 14 bodies had been pulled from the water. The body of a 9-year-old Topeka girl was recovered a day later.
ACCORDING TO THE Osage County coroner, the official death toll was listed at 16 instead of 15 because one victim was a pregnant woman in a few weeks from giving birth.
One year later many questions concerning the disaster still are unanswered. And with numerous lawsuits because of the disaster, the legal burden is reluctant to talk about what happened.
Bruce Rogers, who owns the boat with his wife Veda, said Friday that the damage to the Whippooorwill itself was minor and restricted mainly to the superstructure, and that the boat was damaged by a storm. He estimated the cost of repairs at $10,000.
Rogers said the Whippoorwill completed its scheduled season last summer after bake offs.
"WE HAD GOOD crowds," he said.
"The disaster must have had some effect, but I don't know what."
Although no schedule has been announced for the dinner-theatre showbowl for this summer, Rogers said he was still planning a season. He said he was spending his time at the Vassar Playhouse, a restaurant that serves desserts and on the newly added "Vassar Shortline" railcar restaurant adjacent to the playhouse.
This contrasts to what Bruce and Veda Rogers told The Associated Press earlier this month. According to the AP, they said that Steve Bauer would not return season, and perhaps never would be again.
"THERE ARE JUST too many questions answered," Mrs. Rout was asked as Ms.
Such questions reportedly included the boat's lakeworthiness and the resolution of the many lawsuits brought against the boat. There were hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages.
To date, six civil suits resulting from the incident have been filed in the District Court of Osage County. A clerk in the court office said she had been told additional suits had been filed in Shawnee County, and those suits had not yet reached her office.
LIABILITY INSURANCE for the Whippoorwill showboot was issued by the National Indemnity Co., a Nebraska corporation authorized to do business in Kansas. According to W.C. Niehr of Nehart Insurance in Kan. theant, Kan. the insurance company of the National Indemnity Whippoorwill incident has resulted in the largest claims ever to go through of his-
Bruce and Veda Rogers have been listed as defendants in all the suits filed so far.
fice. Niehart refused to say what the claims totaled.
"I don't believe I should give out any information on that. Our records are confidential and not for the public," he said.
Nihard did say that claims of this type often took two to four years of litigation.
A suit has been brought against Bruce and Veda Rogers by the insurance company.
The cruise that resulted in all these suits started much like many others. Bruce Rogers took the Whippoorwill out onto Pompon one or two minutes after 7 pats.
The sky looked slightly overcast but calm. At 7 p.m., simultaneous with the boat's departure, the National Weather Service reported a dawn storm watch for the area. This was information which neither Rogers nor any of his passengers had knowledge of as they embarked on what was to be a leisurely day out and produced of the musical "Dames at Sea."
PHIL SCHIDLER, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Topeka, said there had been no tornado watches or warnings posted for the Pomona Lake area. Schilder said what happened was a "family outbreak" of tornadoes, involving very small funnels without sufficient intensity to be detected on radar.
As nearly as can be determined, the Whippoorwil was struck and capizbed by a gunshot.
When asked last Friday what he thought at the time of the accident, Bruce Rogers replied. "Have you ever been in an accident?" "No." There wasn't even time to act, only react."
Liquor...
From page one
years: "The open saloon shall be and is
herely forever prohibited."
What defines an "open saloon?" The Kansas Supreme Court, the Legislature and the "wet" and "dry" forces have tangleled that phrase annually for the last 30 years.
LIQUOR WAS LEGAL in Kansas in 1948, but “wets” were clamoring for a place to drink it, other than at home. In 1965, they got private clubs with lounge pools.
Finally, in November of 1970, those favoring liquor by the drink had their own restrictions.
the "open saloon." The Legislature voted to put a referendum on the ballot to allow Kansans to decide whether liquor by the drink would return to Kansas.
"Wet," and "dry" leaders campaigned
wetly. The referendum failed by 15,000
votes.
Then in 1971 another anti-liquor crusader, carrying a lawbook instead of a hatchet, began a crackdown throughout the state on liquor-law violators.
ALARMED AT THE ILEY liquor bottles found after college football games, the crusader, Attorney General Vern Miller, mailed letters to leaders of state colleges.
He said he would provide campus authorities with assistance from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation to enforce the law using of alcohol on public property.
The next summer, Miller hauled a conducter, a waiter and a bartender off an Amtrak train for serving alcoholic beverages within Kansas boundaries. The Kansas Supreme Court upheld that Miller's arrests were legal under Kansas law. Miller was charged with assault in liquor while flying over Kansas. The court agreed and lined out Kansas skies.
Since 1970, a variety of bills that would permit some form of liquor by the drink
have appeared each year before the legislature. Thanks to the lobbying efforts of the Rev. Richard E. Taylor Jr., president of Kansans for Life at its Best, and other "dry" leaders, nearly all the legislation failed.
LAST YEAR, VOTERS in 15 counties decided to allow restaurants in their counties to serve liquor. Less than a week after the election, the Supreme Court issued an opinion that must have rattled cocktail bars and the state: the law was unconstitutional.
In December, the Supreme Court defined "open salon" in a way that saved "wet"
forces the trouble of trying to get the law changed by passing a bill in the legislature
"Any establishment open to the public, without discrimination, where alcoholic beverages are dispensed and served and served in an open salon," the court's definition said.
That definition opened the door for a bill, passed this February, that will allow liquor to drink in private clubs. Because private clubs are unregulated, they are not, by definition, open saloons.
Unless the constitution is amended, Kansas will remain one of two states (the other is Oklahoma) that does not allow liquor by the drink.
KANSAN On Campus
TODAY: RADIOACTIVE-FREE KANSAS will have a cpmic at 6:30 p.m. on 2nd and Indiana streets. BAPSTE STUDENT UNION will present "Old Time Religion: A Mission of Freedom." Thement Beliefs and Practices" at 7 p.m. at the Baptist Student Center, 1629 W. 19th St.
TOMORROW: THE LAWRENCE BEEP BASEBALL ASSOCIATION will sponsor games at 6 and 7 p.m. at Holcom Sports Complex. The WOMEN'S GROWTH GROUP will meet at 6:30 in Parlor C, the Kansas Union. David Wehr, pianist, will present a DOCTORAL RECTAL at 8 p.m. in Swarthout Recital Hall in Murvah Hill.
CLEARANCE SALE
OF USED AND OLD
CAMPING EQUIPMENT
FROM WILDERNESS
DISCOVERY
RENTAL SERVICE
...including old tents, sleeping bags, coolers, lanterns, canoes, tandem bikes and, more. Stop by the SUA Office (Kansas Union) to look at a look then make a sealab on Friday. June 29th. 5:00 p.m.
For more information and a list of sale items, contact the SUA Office, 864-3477.
Krishnamurti
WEDNESDAY: There will be an ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING FOR SINGLES TENNIUS at 4:30 p.m. in the Robinson Health, Physical Education and Rec. Center. KU SAILING CLUB will meet at 7 p.m. in the Union.
Evening Dialogue Group
Call 842-8251
MINGLE TONIGHT!
"Make New Friends, Meet Old Friends"
Ramada Inn
2222 W. 6th 842-7O3O
Mon-Fri 4pm-3am
Sat & Sun 6pm-3am
Tues. Ladies Night
Mon.-Fri.: Happy Hour
4-7 pm
Jerry Fehr, 7-10 pm
Wed. Live Entertainment
first serve
TOPEKA
WICHITA
CROWN CENTER
LAWRENCE Holiday
LAWRENCE Holiday Plaza
SKI & SPORTS SHOPPE
Topeka, Kansas
ANNOUNCES
Tuesday, June 19
1st Prize - $100.00
6th Prize - $ 25.00
5th Prize - $ 30.00
3rd Prize - $ 50.00
2nd Prize $ 75.00
4th Prize - $ 40.00
WET T-SHIRT CONTEST!
609 Massachusetts
Lawrence, Kansas 65044
PAUL GRAY'S MUSIC
SHOWPLACE
2nd Prize- $ 75.00
COPIES 4c
no minimum
KINKO'S
904 Vermont 843-8019
FOR EACH OTHER CONTESTANT.
$20.00 CONSOLATION PRIZE
913/643-5432
BRING YOUR OWN CHEERING SECTION!
I-70 and Auburn Rd. Exit just West of Topeka.
COVER CHARGE - $2.00 LADIES FREE!
Watch for our roadside sign for directions.
PAUL GRAY'S MUSIC
Musical instruments; accessories and sheet
music
926 Mass.
843-8574
to becoming a Contestant
Ask Parking Attendant for Manager to get Details
8249 S.W. 10th, Toneka, Ks 913-478-9860
Think about it, listen and win with . . .
WHERE IN THE WORLD
DO YOU WANT TO GO?
Too Hot To Stop
FRIDAY JUNE 22
Lawrence, Kansas
Kansas Union Ballroom
Graphics by Sa Goldberg
8pm - 1am $2.00
Disc Jockey WizarD Playing Disco, Reggae and Women's Music
Beer Served Until 12:00
Posters Compliments of
Lambda
The Trough is Aways Full
Ladies Night every
Tuesday 5 - 9 pm
Men's Night every
Wednesday 5 - 9 pm
Happy Hour every Weeknight 5 - 6:30 pm
Cans/Bottles 50°
Draws 25*
Pitchers $1.00
Purple Pig Tavern
810 W.23rd