Poughkeepsie Journal from Poughkeepsie, New York • Page 1

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By N0AM1 ROCK Associated Press Writer WHITE LAKE, N.Y. (AP) The great rock festival ended today In the tame spirit of peace and sharing that enabled 400,000 young people to gather for three days of music, marl juana and mod living without major incident. "There has been no violence whatsoever, which Is remarkable for a crowd of this size," said Dr. William Abruzzi, the festival's" chief medical officer. "These people are really beautiful." As the great exodus of tired, hungry youths began Sunday, security officials reported three deaths and close to 5,000 persons treated for inju ries, illness or adverse drug reactions during the three day span.

A late afternoon thunderstorm speeded departures. But thou sands of determined fans re mained and huddled around flickering campBres through the emu night to near the final concert. Despite the rain that turned1 the farm fields of the festival site into seas of again, de spite the shortages of water and food and the lack of sanitary fa cilities, the spirits of the audi ence remained high at the end, Everything from drugs to rides to sandwiches donated by local residents and merchants was being shared. Volunteer doctors and nurses were treating the sick in hurriedly set' ud clinics to keep the hospitals free for emergencies. ''Today," said Michael Lang, 24, one of tne lestival organl culture came out of the alleys and Streets.

This Generation was Droughf together and showed It was beautiful. "The peace they were screaming about is whit they really want they're living it. They value each other more than material things," said Lang, who had anticipated an attendance of only about 50,000 each day. Tne extraordinary response created' traffic Jams, health problems and material short ages beyond anyone's expectation. One man who worked to al leviate the problems was Max Yasgur, the dairy farmer who rented his eoo acre spread to the festival (or a reported 150.000.

He sold or gave away quantities of milk, butter and cheese. He also put up a biz sign sav ing "Free Wat" on bis bam after he heard that some resi dents were selling water to the youths. "How can anyone ask money for water?" he asked an grily of his friends. "I never expected this festival to be this big," he told an acquaintance "But if the genera tion gap is to be closed, we old er people have to do more than we nave done. And there was some evidence of understanding and apprecia tion between the old and young.

"Notwithstanding their per sonality, their dress and their ideas, they were and they are the most courteous, considerate and well behaved croup of kids I have ever been in contact with commented, "Like wow, these in my 24 years of police work." said Lou Yank, head of the con stabulary in nearby Montlceuo. "Speed." summed Laura tiiazer, an is yeaid people are really beautiful the cops, me storekeepers, the Army, everybody," uarnett Rukin, i bus compa ny vice president, praised the Denaviour of the youths travelling on his firm's buses. "As far as their demeanor goes you couldn't ask for anyone better." State police and deputies from the Sullivan County sheriffs of fice reported no disturbances or even arguments. They arrested about 80 persons on drug charges but there was wide spread use of marijuana. "There was so much grass.

being smoked last night that you could get stoned Just sitting there breathing," said one coC lege youth. "It got so you didn't even want another drag of any ming. One of the dead youths was the apparent victim of an overdose of heroin. The other fatali ties were a youth run over by a tractor and another with a burst appendix. None of the dead was identi fied.

Dr. Abruzzi told a news conference that two young woman who attended the festival gave birth, one in a car along a roadside and the other at a local hospital. Their identities were not available. Many of the remaining youths aimed to camp at the festival site for a few days before moving on. "Some of them might decide to livo here permanent ly," said one state trooper.

As one shaaohaa' youth. who Identified htesetf only as "The an, zers, "is a time to think about! from Fort Lee, stopping Inl the mud, the rain, the music. jy.1 yuuuijuunucxiio way nomeme nassies." It Was Unbelievable Any Way You View It THE TRAFFIC JAM AT THE AQUARIAN EXPOSITION tied up roadways "surrounding; the Bethel festalteforarxjut'lO'mllesrHotels'were" jammed for about 30 miles but many persons slept In their cars parked along the road or In Impromptu parking lots in the fields. Shown here is Sunday's traffic jam along Route 17B. Cars were moving but very slowly because of the pedestrian Traffic and other autos "parked along the roadway.

Homeowners along the routes provided food and water for the music lovers. Pouehkttpilo Journot Aorlil Photo by Jiim Cocknor Tod Lifko pilot By BRUCE CAMERON WHITE LAKE The exodus of the tired and thirsty continued today from "the third largest city in New York State" in the wake of the unbelievable Aquarian Exposition. State Police from Middle town, who were coordinating the mass evacuation, reported this morning that all roads are open. The latest crowd estimate, which swelled to more than 450,000 person on Saturday, was 100,000 as of Sunday night ano diminishing rapidly. However, some persons at the three day rock festival said the would stick around for a couple of days before moving The festival was unbelieva ble no matter how you looked at it.

Most area residents, who sat on their porches with paper fans and cans of beer to watch the music lovers as they slowly streamed into Bethel, soon po larized tneir viewpoints on the seaate crowd. Many residents freely ran their water hoses all day to 1 by Red Troop Buildup Reported SAIGON (AP) A topank Ing American commander said today that more enemy regiments are in position between 'Saigon and the Cambodian border to the north than at any time since May 1968. Lt. Gen. Julian J.

Ewell, commander of The UA nd Field Force, added that many of the units are, "first line regiments traditionally kept up to strength" but are now operating under strength. "I cant figure out the meaning," Ewell said in an interview, "It's the first sign we've seen of elite troops being put into battle in leas than a real good solid strength figure." 'The general, whose command stretches from Saigon to the Cambodian border, said parts of at least five enemy regiments have' been committed north of Saigon, and at least seven fresh regiments are hidden In the jun and available for future' attacks. Total eaemy strength fn the 11 provinces around Saigon where the 2nd Field Force operates is estimated at 65)00 troops. Asked if the large number of under strength units had some' political significance, Ewell said: i "I think, you could read into It whatever you wanted. From my point of view, it's quite clear that they're making a major effort to achieve military success.

That's what they say they're trying to do." Ewell said the enemy's current campaign, launched, last Tuesday with attacks on'150 bases and towns, "has not really given us any trouble." U.S. and South Vietnamese forces 'claim they have killed more than 3.Q00 Viet Cong and North Vietnamese troops in the 2nd Field Force area in the past three and enemy action has dropped oft more than 60 per cent since' the, start "of the new campaign. Ewell said, however, that the enemy apparently Is trying to draw the campaign out over a longer period than others this year, There, were tl Oiemy lnitlated Incidents reported in the 11 provinces around Saigon at the start of the campaign. The figure has since dropped sharply but remains higher than during the two month battlefield lull broken by the wave of attacks last week. The U.S.

Command reported today that American helicopter gunshins and river patrol boats killed 35 enemy troops in two clashes 18 miles northwest of Saigon during the night. Armed reconnaissance hell copters with special night sightingsighting devices detected one, group of enemy soldiers on the move and illuminated the area with searchlights. U.S. headquarters said gunshlp helicopters attacked about 50 to 70 enemy soldiers with machine guns and rockets, and 27 were reported killed. Navy patrol boats engaged an estimated 50 to 80 enemy soldiers near the Saigon River In the same area, killing at least eight.

ity that was being sold some for SO.cents a bottle. Some residents distributed free food to the hungry crowd which was. continually moving in every direction. All night long on Friday and aaturaay, as many people were streaming into the festival area as were leaving or walking toward the town. A pair of hikers, making bet ter time than metorists stalled in 10 mile traffic jams, remarked they were getting high without drugs as a result of the oxygen content of the rural mountain air and the newly injected carbon monoxide smoke.

However, walking became just as ponderous on Saturday and Sunday as attempting to drive as lack of sleep, food and water took its toll. Lack of food and water was not the only factor that made many persons go home. Friday's rainstorm, with, the resulting calf deep mud, dis couraged many from going to the concerts. However, manv stayed at their campsites mak A lis ing new friends from all ners of the country. Many cars were seen from Canada, California and Florida.

Sunday's rainstorms prompt ed another great exit before the festival officially closed fol lowing the last concert this morning again well past dawn. While this was the largest festival ever conducted surpassing the previous high by about 275,000 persons it cannot be estimated how many per sons decided not to come after festival officials made a radio plea Friday afternoon asking tor those en route to turn around. About 80 others en route didn't make it after being ar rested by police officials in. the area for possession of narcotics. In most cases, high bail was set.

Of that did make it, about 5,000 persons were treated for injuries, illness or ad verse drug reactions during the tnree day span. Three persons died at the festival while another two were born. Clifford CrlspeU Jr a Pough rovlde The precious commod4keepsle traffic commissioner who.laMce presldent of ajiett (f'PneM, fat cor copter company, that brought food and supplies into the festival, said toay he couldn't be? lieve what he saw this weekend.weekend. 'It's absolutely remarkable that you can put 460,080 kid into a place like that for thro days without getting a stogie confirmed incident of violence," he said, Adding, "I'm terribly im. ressed with the sincerity of' these kids." Crispell said Satur" day afternoon a contingent of 20 Hell's Angel motorcyclists decided to turn around and not, go to the festival "You can be sure they weren't afraid of the, five mounted policemen present" be said, "but that the kids would tear them apart if they started something." Returning from the Saturday, concert which was finally, over about two hours after thej sun rose on Sunday One weary youth from Connecticut said, "This reminds me of the" Bataan death march." Previously, when the marchers had more life, it looked'' moreJike a retreat by.Jhe.xagt tattered Confederate Army as harmonicas set the.mood.

I QUESTION: Why can't the official readings be taken in the City of Poughkeepsie instead of at the County AlrportT In late July, over six inches of rain were reported in Poughi keepsle and for quite a distance within three days, yet the airport reported less than six inches for the entire month. TAXPAYER ANSWER: The records of the County Airport's flight weather station are "official," maintained 24 hours a 365 days a year, and are supplied to the U.S. Weather Burnet In times of abnormal precipitation, rain or snow, the PouV keepsie Journal presents accumulations from other parts tvl the country..