Wilkes-Barre Sunday Independent

              ALL OPERATORS SIGN UNION COAL CODE
SUNDAY INDEPENDENT
LEASED WIRE TELEGRAPH REPORT TO 3 A. M. SUNDAY
THE WEATHER
Diminishing  rains  followed  by fair: temperature about normal
SIXTY-FOUR PAGES
The   Only   Sunday   Newspaper Covering  the   Wyoming   Valley
WILKES-BARRE, PA., SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 1933
Entered   at   Wilkes-Barte.   Pa.. As   Second   Class   Mall    Matter
PRICE TEN CENTS
4 ENTOMBED MEN RESCUE SELV TWO DIE AS RAINS FLOOD VALLEY
PRESIDENT IS VICTOR  \\. IN MINE AGREEMENT
Part Of Wreckage Left Here By Storm
Last Of  Important  Codes \ Is   Sent   To   Roosevelt After   Bitter   Argument!
EFFECTIVE SOON
Final Word From Coal Men Is One Of Gratitude That The Ordeal Is Now Over
INTERESTS UNITED
Washington, Sept. 16.—UP—The long and bitter struggle over a code of fair practice for the bituminous coal Industry came to an end to¬ night when powerful operators representing practically the entire Industry pledged support to an NRA agreement written after months of debate and controversy.
I'"lnal agreement of operators who had Used argument after argument against unionization and the plan for a single code for the entire In¬ dustry was regarded as a signal vic¬ tory for the National Recovery Ad- mlnlstiation.
Representatives of Coal compan¬ ies operating In the eastern Appal¬ achian range and long regarded as enemies of unionization of their mines, signed the code shortly be¬ fore 7:30 p. m.
President Roosevelt's signature on the coal code, expected soon, will add that vital Industry, disor¬ ganized for years, to steel, oil, lum¬ ber, cotton textiles and the 23 other Industries now operating un¬ der NRA codes.
Roosevelt Wins Again
Signing of the code by represen¬ tatives of the industry began this morning, but It  was not until eve-
L
LER BY STORMS ALONG ATLANTIC
Disturbances Will Abate After Moving Forward To New England States
WARNINGS STILL UP
two  cities   had   been   isolated   from nlng that a majority of the Indus-, j^o outsido world since yesterday.
try had been pledged to Its support. The code la the one drawn after President Roosevelt, aroused by strllte disturbances, ordered speedy action and termination of the bick¬ ering and disputes which have characterized the industry and the efforts to reach a trade agreement. Although It had been Administra¬ tor Hugh S. Johnson's ambition to complete wage contracts covering all the Industry before the code was signed, one small section of the in¬ dustry was still In dispute over wages. This was the Alabama group and final settlement of wage contracts for that district was put over for the time being.
J. D. Francis, vice-president of the Island Creek Coal Company, of the Southern Appalachian group, said as he signed the code:
"It's a mighty fine code and I think they did a splendid job."
Francis and his as.sociates have been non-union oiierators tor years and the new status^ of their affairs brings them into contact with Ignited Mine AVorkers of America, whom the non-union operators have fought bitterly In  the past.
•1. D. A. Morrow, jirosident of Pittsburgh Coal Company, In the same category, signed the code, which lias been stripped of the com¬ pany union clause which Jlorrow and his associates fought for at the beginning of  negotiations.
The Northern Coal Control Asso¬ ciation and the Smokeless Appala¬ chian group, centers of the non¬ union clement in the Industry and comprising about 70 percent of the nation's soft coal production, were Plodgcd to the code through the signatures of Morrow, Francis and '•'• C. Mahan, president of the smokeless group.
The code was signed in Johnson's oillce and found the oi)erators as well as NRA offlclals delighted that the long grind of conferences was at an end
Everybody Satisfied Johnson said the code would not he .sent to the White House to- "iKht. Its approval by the oper¬ ators was what Mr. Roosevelt wanted and, that having been ob- (Contlnued  on  Page  8—Sec. 1)
New Bern, N. C, Sept. 16—(UP) A picture of desolation and de¬ struction was revealed tonight after a hurricane, carrying winds of 100 miles velocity at times, moved northward. The storm was de¬ scribed as the worst In the last 50 years and estimates of damage ranged from U,000,000 to $3,500,000.
Beaufort, Morehead City, New Bern and the countryside around here apparently bore the brunt of the disturbance. The sea was lashed to a fury and water was driven up the Neuso river until It reached the highest level in years.
The towns of Oriental and New Bern, on the river, were partially submerged and damage was esti¬ mated at thousands of dollars.
No loss of life was reported here, at Morehead City or Beaufort, but a Negro fisherman was drowned near Nag's Head and a Negro Negro guardsman was reported lost In a sninll boat off Manteo.
Virtually every home In Beaufort, Morehead City and vicinity was damaged by wind and water. Those
Reports were that all Menhaden flsli factories were razed, the roof ripped off the Beaufort grade school, and virtually all crops de¬ stroyed In Carteret county.
The root was blown off tlie More- head City power plant. That city and Beaufort were plunged Into darkness and the water supply was reported cut off.
The $300,000 Neuse river bridge, between New Bern and Brldgeton, was Bweiit away. Much damage to small boats which sought refuge In local harbors was reported.
The Red Cross housed many of the homeless in the Morehead City school building.
Ships Safa
Norfolk, Va., Sept. 16—(UP)—The Exporter, a 6,000-ton motorship, was reported in distress off the plantation light near the entrance to the t^'hesapeake bay by coast guards  tonight.
The coast guard cutter Mendota was hurrying to tlio assistance of the E.xporter, and otllciais said that probably the cutter Mascoutin was also headed for the distressed ves¬ sel.
Captain Wheeler, at coast guard headquarters here, said he had not heard from the ship recently, and that it may be running under Its own power now.
He did not know how many men were In the crew.
The ship broke loose from Its anchorage just Inside the entrance to the bay today while high winds accompanying the hurricane swept that region.
The 40-foot ketch livacore of Marblehead, owned by Peter Vos- burg of Cambridge, was for a time feared at the mercy of gales be¬ tween New Hersey and Massachu¬ setts, but later Vosburg's mother received word from her son that he and his wife, the former Penelope Watkins of Montgomery, Ala., were
(Continued  on   Page   s - Sec.   1)
The top picture snows the home of W. A. Morgans and family, swept from Its foundations on Ash street In Parsons by Laurel Run creek. The family returned from Philadelphia   two   hours   after   the
deluge struck and found that neighbors had carried their furni¬ ture  to  safety.
The lower picture Indicates the force with which the flood water struck   the   main   line   of   Centra'
Railroad near Baltimore colliery In Parsons. A trestle blocked the sweep of the stream Issuing from the nearby creek and it spent Its fury against the rail bed, tearing t out and badly twisting the tracks.
BOSTON DELUGE REACHES CLOSE TO
Famous Trails And Railway Routes Badly Damaged By A Steady Downpour
SEVERAL MISHAPS
BABY GIRL RESCUED BY LITTLE BROTHER
A baby girl was rescued from drowning In the Brookslde section yesterday afternoon by her 13-year- old brother. The-baby, a sister of Charles Berezlch, 13, of 85 Brookslde street, fell from the pordi of her home into swirling water, eslimateA at that  time  about  ten foet deep.
Charles leaped Into the water and grasped the child's clothing as the current fhlpped her away. He managed to reach a point of safety from where the baby was rushed to medical assistance. Tlio Berezlch family was forced to vacate their home when flood water rose above the first floor.
Boiton, Sept. 16.—UP—The storm in Boston and other parts of New England was marked by one of the heaviest and steadiest downpours on record.
The Boston weather bureau re¬ ported that from 11:30 last night, when the rain began falling, until 4:30 this afternoon, 5.32 Inches of rain had fallen in Greater Boston. It predicted that with one more good shower the all-time record of 6.04 inches for a 24-hour fall would be surpassed at 11:30 tonight.
No loss of life was reported, but fear was expressed tor the crew of the 40-foot ketch livacore of Marblehead. owned by Peter Vos- burg of Cambridge, unreported since It left Cape May. N. J., for Block Island on Monday. A man and woman were said to be aboard.
Most serious of the accidents caused by the all-day deluge wan the derailing of four cars of a 15- car    freight    train    near   Uurdnur,
caused when a small stream under¬ mined the roadbed. Rivers neared flood heights and In several cases overflowed their banks. Sunken railroad roadbeds were inundated and the tr.T,lns gave the appearance of ploughing through canals.
Reports gathered by State police tonight indicated that most of the rivers in western Massachusetts were flooding their banks and mak¬ ing numerous  roads impassable.
Jacob's Ladder in the Berkshlres was closed to traffic at many points and motorists were caution¬ ed to use the Mohawk trail In trav¬ eling between Boston and Albany, N. Y. There was a 85-foot fashout oti Route 20 in East Lee, and at CheEter the river was over the road. Tho main road between Rus¬ sell and Woronoeo was likewise flooded, and at Tyrlngham tho highway was under nearly four feet of water.
APOLOGY
The management of the SUNDAY INDEPENDENT regrets that it was necessary to omit a number of adver¬ tisements from this Issue. It was a mechanical impossi¬ bility to grant late requests for space and at the same time place this Issue In the hands of readers at the regu¬ lar hour through our various distributing agencies. ITpward of 24 columns of advertising have accordingly been omitted todny.
West Nanticoke Families Saved By Rescue Crew Of    Field    Artillerists
ROAD LOSS $30,000
Several State highways of the region were blocked to traffic yes¬ terday and it will require fully two days' work to remove debris from the Harvey Creek road and the State highway from West Nanti¬ coke to Plymoutli, where about 100 men were engaged during the night and will continue today. Tiie cost of cleaning the highways coupled with the general damage will ag¬ gregate about $30,000.
The Harvey Creek road from West Nanticoke to Lake Hilkworth, Pike Creek and Lehman was Inun¬ dated over a lengthy stretch, due to flood waters of Harvey Creek whicli parallels the new highway. For a distance of a mile and a half the surface la concrete, tlie balance of the road being surfaced With oil- bound macadnT'i. a .Inh recently c.iiii- ACuitlinued on faa^ H,—beu. XX
FOR SCORES LEFT IT
Emergency Station Fixed Up For Twenty Families Routed  By  High  Water
GIVEN ALL COMFORT
For the third time In the last decade, the Guthrie public school building on North Washington street was pressed Into service last night to provide emergency lodgings for families temporarily made home¬ less by yesterday's flood waters.
More than a score of families, numbering 100 women and children spent the night In Improvised quar¬ ters In the boys' and girls' gym¬ nasiums of the building amid scenes similar to those that marked the breaking of Mississippi levees during past years.
Medical attention and food, to¬ gether with blankets for sleeping, were aecured by a detail of local Red Cross workers under the di¬ rection of Miss Margaret Elliott, Major and Mrs. Benjamin F. Evans, Miss Maude Brotherhood, and Mr. and Mrs. Carl Leighton. Dr. H. Gordon Guyler provided medical treatment for several women suf¬ fering from 111 effects of the flood, while Miss Nan R. Donohoe, a reg¬ istered nurse from the neighbor¬ hood, also assisted during the night.
Care of the homeless got under¬ way shortly before 7:30 oclock last night when Chief of Police Russell Taylor discovered In his tour of the Brookslde area that numerous fam¬ ilies forced from their homes had not been taken In by neighbors or relatives. He immediately requested local Red Cross officials to establish emergency quarters In the Guthrie school, last used for the same pur¬ pose several years ago when Mill Creek overflowed its banks. Get Military Blankets
Red Cross workers immediately communicated with officers of the 103th I-"leld Artillery Regiment and blankets were provided while a generous supply of foodstuffs was ilispatched to the building by Clyde Davis, manager of Percy A. Brown & Company. Chief of Police Taylor also took active part in caring for the stricken families and stationed I'atrolmen Anthony Gallagher and Martin Murray for duty at the school during the night.
Boys, ranging In age from 6 to 10 years, were given quarters In the boy.s' gymnasium, wliere improvised beds were made for some while others slept on the floor covered by blankets. More comfortable ac¬ commodations were provided in the girls' gymnasium for the mothers, daughters and younger chiiiiren. More than a dozen women with 40 young children occupied this sec¬ tion while an equal number of youths were quartered in the other gymnasium.
Food   Provided
Among tlio youths quartered dur¬ ing the niglit was John Berezlch, 16, of 85 Brookslde street, whose right collar bone was fractured re¬ cently In an automobile accident. Dr. Guyler attended the youth and applied a new dressing to his Injury.
Employes of the city school dis¬ trict under the direction of Jolin Gibbons, janitor of the Guthrie building, also assisted. They in¬ cluded John Guyler, Coughlin high school janitor, who resides in the vicinity; Charles Shoemaker, Ralph Laycock and Truant Officer Rich¬ ards.
Breakfast for the homeless will bo provided this morning by Percy A. Brown & Company and arrange¬ ments will bo made to find other lodgings for the stricken victims, Most of tl^m live in homes that suffered severely from flood waters. a number reporting that furniture, chickens and other valuables were lost when a rush of water from Mill Creek, increased by the deluge from Laurel Run Creek, struck the vi¬ cinity.
JOHN  P. "CAP" MURRAY
Death claimed John P. "Cap" Murray, 67, pensioned Lackawanna railroad yardmaster, Friday after¬ noon at ills home In Scranton. He was a cons|)lcuous figure for many years in the Cathuli<' Total AliHtln- ence L'nion. He served as yard- master at the Scranton terminal for :5 years and was pensioned five months ago after 57 years of ser¬ vice wult the cuinptiny.
DRASTIC SCENE ERASES TRAGEDY FIFTH MAN SAFE
4 Miners Entombed At Nanticoke Walk Around Wall Of Water And Reach The Surf ace After All Hope Of Salvation Is Given Up By Officials And The Rescue Crews
ASHLEY MAN DROWNED
Four trapped men—for whom hope of rescue had been given up many hours before and whose lives had been officially credited to the toll of dead exacted by yesterday's valley-wide flood-—came back to the land of the living early today from the water-choked Truesdale colliery at Nanticoke.
With them came words of en- coui-agement that the fifth trapped man will make his escape from a watery grave. Alive when they last saw him, the remaining mine work¬ er was believed making his way to the surface through another exit.
Escape of the Truesdale men, doomed In repeated official an¬ nouncements ot Glen Aldcn Coal Company officials, came shortly after midnight as the climax of a twenty-four hour regional catastro¬ phe that brought death to two by drowning In addition to tremend¬ ous damage to surface, public utili¬ ties, mine and  railroad  properly.
Tho four plucky mine workers who refused to give up hope after a wall of water had swept through the Truesdale underground work¬ ings are Andrew Levandowski, Al¬ bert Tucker, Andrew Mardeski and Caslmir Stazgera. The fifth man, whose rescue was expected momen¬ tarily when the Independent wen*, to press at 3 oclock this morning, is   Raphael   Sweeney.
How the four mine workers es¬ caped death was chiefly a, matter ot conjecture early today. While doubled rescue crews under the di¬ rection of Glen Alden oHlciala bent every effort to pump thousands of tons of water from the colliery, they followed tortorous windings and reached the surface.
Reunited   With   Familiea
Reunited with grief-stricken fam¬ ilies who liud kept lonely vigil at the shaft head, despite repeated nouncementa that all hope was lost, they were quickly bundled into an automobile and rushed to their homes. From friends wlio attended them, It was learned they were little the worse physically, despite the privation endured, although all suffered  from  mental  strain.
Miners at the shaft said early to¬ day that tlie four men who made their way to the surface, together with Sweeney had fled to a high elevation when water rushed through the Truesdale yesterday morning. For a time the advanc¬ ing deluge exhausted their hope ot getting out alive, but when power¬ ful pumps began working the flood showed signs of receding. For hours they waited in a cramped space as the water level slowly dropped. Late last night they de¬ cided to risk everything on the chance that they mlglit make their way outside. They struggled through gangways until they came to a clear route to the outside. Sweeney was with the four men for some distance but left them, it Is believed, to follow another route. Return ot the four others caused redoubling of efforts to pump w;iter out of the colliery In the hope tliat It might be of aid to Sweeney in reaching the outside.
Edward Griffith, assistant to W. W. Inglis, president of the Glen Alden C^oal Company, declared early today that no further developments had  come   in  the   effort  to   rescue
Sweeney, although he expressed tha opinion that the missing man had reached a point ot safely and In¬ tended to remain there until help reached him.
Swept To Death Solomon's Creek swept one man to death yesterday when a section of the bank collapsed near the third Ashley Plane. The victim was An¬ drew Smith jr., 29, ot 19 Plane ave¬ nue, Ashley. Hla body was carried downstream for more than a mile and was recovered seven houra aft¬ er at the end ot Cook street, Ash¬ ley, by Deputy Coroner William A. Lehman, John Kearna and Edward Burke, all of Asliley.
Smith, employed at the Ashley shops ot the Jersey Central Rail¬ road, was standing along the creek bank wiieii, without warning, th» earth tumbled Into the swollen stream. Witnesses ot the accident said Smitli did not have a chancB to save himself as the rushing water was filled with moving rocks, trees and debris. I'ersons who saw him fall in, followed the body until It disappeared In the swirling water. The accident occurred at eleven oclock yesterday morning, but the body was not recovered until after 4 oclock yesterday afternoon. Dep¬ uty Coroner I/chman, assisted by Burke and Kearns, located Smith's body near the bank at the end ot Cook street and secured a grappling iron trohi the I'reston hose house. Tliey managed to hook the Iron In Smith's clothing and pulled the body to shore.
Deputy Coroner Lehman reported that the body was badly bruised and lacerated from contact with rocks and debris during its passage downstream. He turned the re¬ mains over to Undertaker Joseph Jloiris to be prepared for burial.
The deceased Is survived by hla parents, Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Smith, and the following brother! and sisters: George, Julia, Stephen, Mary, Catherine, Helen, Margaret, Mrs. Albert Small ot Ashley and Mrs. Joseph Adamltis ot Sugar Notch. His grandmother. Mrs. Bertha Lojo ot Uniontown, Pa., also survives him.
Tiie funeral will be held from the family homo on Tuesd;iy at 9 oclock with services following at Holy Rosary Slovak church, Hev. Michael Bernat will officiate and Interment will be In the family vault at St, Mary's cemetery, Hanover. Tragedy and Reacua The mine tragedy occurred,In No. 41 slope at Truesdale colliery. One ot the men died from the effects ot shock as he was fighting his way out with S4 others against a rush of surface water.
The dead man was John Was- ilewakl, 50, a miner, of 312 Center street, ot the Hanover section of Nanticoke. Entombed were the following: Raphael  Sweeney,  31,  slopeman,  of
Hanover street. Warrler Run. Andrew   Levandowski,   50,   labor|r, of Center street, Askam, Hanover Township. Caslmir    Staggera,    also    reported under the  name  ot Kajetan  Sta- chera, 40, miner, ot   East   Wash- Ington street, Nanticoke, Albert Tucker, laborer, married and the  father  ot a  family.    He   ra- (Continued on  Page  8—Sec. 1)
FIREMEN AND POLICE SHOW PERFECT UNION
The wisdom ot having the police | tlons and, Instead of Interfering and Are departments under one with one another, the department* supervising head was clearly deni- working together as a single unit onstratcd yesterday in the cnur- ' (lid splendidly In getting endunger- gency created by the flood. Mayor i eil familits safely out of the danger Charles Loveland directed both dc- ' zones and in properly policing th« partmenls ia tho work of rescuing 1 districts Inundated by Ir '.y raiii» persons marooned In tho flood sec-   of llii; past few dj; a.