The Brownsville Herald from Brownsville, Texas • Page 1

the YOUR FREEDOM NEWSPAPER VOL. 69-NO. Tornado Our Port Busy This time, like is very good know what to do -Ralph 'Alter three days of buffeting in the fringe of Hurricane Carla, Brownsville was back to normal September weather today with sunny skies, warm temperatures and a fresh southerly breeze. The U.S. Weather Bureau here said the Wednesday outlook calls for considerable cloudiness and some possible isolated showers.

Some 20,000 pupils in private, parochial and public schools here were back in classes today after a Monday "storm" holiday. Supt. Ben Brite said principals reported "normal" attendance tigures, The Port of Brownsville was back in business today and with the distinction of being the first on the Texas Gulf Coast to do so. Other Texas ports including Corpus Christi and Galveston where Carla storm hit harder, were still cleaning up harbor damage. Richard Schultz, executive as-' Ristant of the Brownsville Navigation District, said four ships, which had remained in haven here during the hurricane, were preparing to sail, They were the Dutch "Aardyk," the Swedish the Dutch "Woltersum" and the American tanker "Samuel Q.

Brown." Outside Santiago Pass where have weathering the storm preparing to enter the Brome Ship Chanhel were the "Sigland" and the British 'Beaver Scores of shrimp trawlers which hurried basins at Port Isabel and Brownsville week as Carla made mountainous seas and massive tides were preparing to 20 fishing again. It the precedents set by previous hurricanes are followed, fishing is expected to be bountiful. Although wind gusts here reached up to 50 miles per hour over the weekend, damage to 1o- cal property was negligible. polic reported today. schools one downtown store and some homes reported broken windows.

The dty maintained extra cleanup crews throughout the three days of strong winds and bursts of rain and today there was little evidence of the storm's Hitter of palm leaves and other debris. Rainfall for the last five days amounted to 1.40 Inches, the weather bureau reported, Corpus Christi received even less with .62 of an Houston had something of a deluge with 5.19 inches. Temperatures Wednesday are expected to range from 76-86 A- long the coast, 74-92 in the MidValley and 72-93 in the Rio Gran de City area. Prison Term On Weed Charges Jacinto M. Garcia of Harlingen drew three years in prison Monday for possession of marthuana.

Garcia pleaded guilty 138th District Court. Mariano J. Rosales, charged with assault with intent to murder, was placed on three years probation. Ramiro Flores Cantu drew one year probation for driv. ing while intoxicated, and J.

R. Hall two years probation for burglary. Donna Rotary Sets Double Meeting Time DONNA The Donna Rotary Club will hold two meetings this week with District Governor Howard Duffy of McAllen both sessions. In addition to the regular Friday luncheon, meeting, the civic organization, drill hold a club assembly Thus a stay at 7:30 p. m.

Officers and con hittee chairmen will discuss club activities for the year with the district, gover: nor Thursday night, pay his official visit to the club Friday. Don Pedro says DON PEDRO came into the newsroom carrying lightning rod, "This is the latest Invention of the PUB," he said proudly. "What does the Public Utilities Board need with a lightning rod when they are opening a DeW plant?" asked the City Editor. "I do not associate with the Public Utilities Board," sifted the Don. "This lightning rod was developed by Bill Haygood and he and 1 have formed the Pars Unuther Bottle society for hot -shots like ourselves.

And out he went. all other times, Waldo Emerson with it. one, if we but The Brownsville 60 Your Freedom Newspaper 10 PAGES BROWNSVILLE, TEXAS TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 1961 Adds To NOT MUCH LEFT OF THE BEACHCOMBER Padre Island's. Beachcomber Motel was a scattered mess of debris today CIt tides and diminishing winds allowed inspection of the isle. In the right foreground, J.

R. Butler examines a deepfreeze from the motel. as receding still contained frozen meat. Butler is the brother of the Beachcomber's owner, Mrs. Kathy Anderson.

"WE WERE LUCKY" Two units of the Dunes Motel on South Padre Island collapsed when the sea wall broke, allowing angry seas to tear at the building Sunday. However, Mrs. Stan Scruggs, co-owner of the motel, said today "We were lucky we're actually happy and ready to make a fresh start." She said it was feared Sunday the entire motel would crash down in the pounding surf. Padre Damage Light: er Cle Clean-Up Under Way a SOUTH PADRE ISLAND Al bright sun beamed down and balmy breeze was gently blowing in from the southeast late this morning as "operation cleanup" got under way on South Padre island, brushed briskly by Hurricane Carla Saturday and Sunday. By some miracle the pounding waves and force winds that.

raked the island the weekend did very little damage when you consider what could have happened. But some spots did suffer high property damage. Beachcomber Gone The Beachcomber Motel Is gone. Waves still crash against what's left of the foundation. The motel's upper structure is tered over a wide area with building materials, bedding, steaks and loaves of bread, television sets, plumbing fixtures and refrigerators-to name some of the debris -hall-buried in the wet sand over 100-yard circle.

Herald Rain Cloudy WEATHER Maybe; Skies, 72-90 Degrees DIAL LI 2-4331 FINAL EDITION PRICE Woes Mid-State Area Hit By Storms Hurricane Carla began its slow dissipation in Central Texas to. day, but spawned death dealing tornadic winds and deluges rain in its backlash along the Texas coast. Winds described by the U. Weather Bureau AS either tornadoes or wAterspouts ripped an L-shaped path of destruction on hurricane-battered Galveston Island before dawn even As the eye of the main storm pumped slowly through the Austin arca. Fragmentary reports from Galveston indicated at least three persons dead and scores injured in the wake of the Island tragedy.

Property damage, already tremendous because of hurricane winds and high tides, spiraled even higher. Carla Heads North Carla itself was slogging ward through the state and was not due to expire until after it crossed into Oklahoma tonight. Its force, however, was spent and about the only damage it was expected to cause now wAs flooding from heavy rains that accompanied it. Raio gauges along the coast couldn't begin to measure the total downpours which stung like BB pellets as the water was blown horizontally by the powerful winds. At Victoria, for example, a nine inch rain gauge began overflowing at mid afternoon while heavy downpours continued on into the night.

Heavlest amount actually recorded by a Weather Bureau slation able to get Its records on the wires wAS 9.69 Inches at Wharton, west of Houston. Hallettsville reported 8.75 Inches in the 24 hours ended at 6 a.m., while Columbus had 7.83. Galveston 7.26, Elgin 5.44, Houston 5.19, Taylor 4.10. Blanco 4.52, Rusk 3.12, Wortham and Belton 3.00. BeaumontPort Arthur 2.20 and numerous points above the two inch mark.

Rains Extensive Rains extended over all of the state except the extreme south and extreme west portions of the stale. Overnight low temperatures ranged from Alpine's 56 to 79 at Beaumont. Pipkin Had Low Amount Of Expenses Brownsville's representative In the Texas legislature -Maurice S. Pipkin-is one of nine state legislalors who kept their expenses under the $900 alloted for expenditure during the regular session of the body at Austin. Expenses of Pipkin were 88, according to word received from Austin today.

Twenty House members spent more than the $900 alloted. LeadIng the top spenders was Mrs. Myra Banfield of Rosenberg. Her expenses came to $1,192. Next biggest spender was Rep.

George Richardson of Fort Worth who is recorded as having spent $1,136. The low spending of Pipkin long with the nine others, including Roger Thurmon of Del Rio, made statewide news. Expenses of the members are recorded by Mrs. Carrie Franka, House Contingent Expense Clerk. Expenditures for the first and second special sessions are yet la be tabulated.

None of the other Valley legisJators was mentioned in her report, For 7:30 With skies clearing and the sufficiently dry to handie A crowd, dedication ceremonies for the new 22.000 kilowatt generating unit of the municipal electric plant will go on as scheduled at 1 7 p. m. tonight. Federal Judge Reynaldo G. Garza will dedicate the unit to public service and in memory the late Si Ray who devoted much civic activity for the benefit of the utilities.

The unit will be known as the S1 Ray Extension of the municipal electric plant. The program will start at 7 p. m. in order to wind St up in an hour and half. Opening cereanonles will be free movies and Casualty Totals Vary; Hospital Gets Six GALVESTON, Tex.

dying Hurricane Carla through the heart of flood-isolated collapsing buildings around sling death and injury, Estimates of casualities rescue workers had to plough and search flooded rubble John Scaly, Hospital six persons dead, five men and; a woman, and 44 injured, 8 seriously. Police said another 40 or 50 persons were hurt, mostly by fly-' ing debris and glass. Two Coast Guardsmen were Injured and the Coast Guard station on Pelican Island was damaged. Carla Bores Inland The twister hit as Carla, Monday a 150-mile-an-hour fury, steadily lost strength moving inland. It hit the Texas capital of Austin with gusts up to 68 miles an hour Monday night, but they rapidly diminished.

Carla, which was downgraded to a "tropical storm," and hurricane warnings came down but danger of hurricane-born tornadoes remained in wide areas. The tornado swath through Galveston was four blocks wide. Police said it hit first at the Coast Guard station, moved west through the business district and then turned south into a residendial ares, One of the dead, Identitied as Mrs. Marie Harris, 57, was asleep in her home when the wind hit with a thundering roar at 5:10 a.m. Her house collapsed around her.

Most of the houses hit were older, two and three-family homes built shortly alter the 1900 Galveston hurricane and tidal wave -the nation's greatest natural disaster--In which 83 many 8,000 died. Many Bulldings Wrecked Some houses were flipped over, others were knifed in two, An estimated 50 homes were destroyed, along with several commercial searchers. water One policeman on plagued rescue detail was bitten. Three other snakebite cases were reported by the John Sealy Hospital anti-venom center. Heavy equipment was needed to push aside the tornado-caused debris.

But there was little of it on the Island and none could get through across the flooded ways connecting Galveston onto the mainland. Electric power failures ham(See TORNADO Page Eight) La Pesca And Eighth Pass Are Improved Local fishermen had some good cane Carla. Massive tides have news today in the wake of Hurricleared Jesus Maria Pass to guna Madre 100 land miles south of Port Isabel, also known 83 Eighth Pass, and La Pesca on the Soto la Marina, two of the most fruitful fishing areas on the Gulf Coast. Report that the backwash Hurricane Carla had cleared the long sand-clogged passes was made Matamoros by Roberto Montemayor, ranchman and pilot. Montemayor flew over the arca Monday.

J. Gilbert Philen Brownsville also New over the areas today and reported that La Pesca had two passes opened. Both areas draw fishermen from all over the United States, and are known for harvests trout, redfish, pike and other species of the pisces. Dedication p. m.

(filmed cartoons depicting various phases of electric power subjects. Films Are titled "Power Which We Live." "Freedom and Power." and "Principles Electricity." Color slides made locally will lake viewers through parts of utilities electric, water and sewoffer construction programs! The speaking ceremony is sche-1 duled promplly at p. and will last no more than minutes because Judge Garza has another engagement at 8 clock. Ruben Edelstein, chairman the Public Utilitics Board, will act as master of ceremonies and will Introduce the speaker. Dr.

A tornado spawned by clipped an L-shaped swath Galveston early today, sleeping occupants and caus- were hampered by the fact through waist-deep water for victims. Utilities Weathered Big Blow Feit Case Is Opened At Austin AUSTIN (UPI)- Marla America Guerra, 21, told a district court jury in Austin today that Roman Catholic Priest John B. Feit attacked her as she knelt saying rosary in the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Edinburg last year. "'He grabbed me and tried to stuff a rag in my mouth, and I started fighting back," the attractive, dark girl said. "He grabbed me down towards the floor and kept me down with his hands on my mouth." She said she bit her assailant's finger and screamed.

In answer to a question, she pointed her finger at the priest and said, "he is the one." Feit sat stoically during the testimony, looking intently at the young girl. Sho's First Witness Miss Guerra was the first witness called by the prosecution when the trial got underway after a delayed start. The delay came when defense attorney Fred Semaan of San Antonio requested a I continuance because of missing witnesses. After a recess to check on location of the witnesses, Dist. Judge Penn Jackson overruled motion for continuance.

Feit is accused of assault with intent to rape the girl, who was at the time a Pan American College coed. The jury, all Protestants or stating no religious preference, er several defense altempts a to empaneled Monday night aftpostpone the case or dismiss the jury failed. Miss Guerra watched part of Monday's legal mancuvers from a seat in the half-filled courtroom. The dark-complexioned priest sat with clasped hands or read from a Bible at the counsel table. Prison Possible Felt faces a penalty upon con-! viction on the charge of not less; than two years in the penitentary.

Il he is found guilty of the lesser charge of aggravated assault, the maximum penalty would be a two year sentence and-or a $1,000 fine. The jury is comprised of 10 men and two women. One of thei men is a Negro, Defense attorney Fred Semaan of San Antonio tried and failed Monday to get a continuance of' the trial. He told Dist. Judge Penn Jackson he needed time to 1 collect "more than defense witnesses who he plans to call.

The motion tor delay was overruled. Lattimore Prosecuting Chief prosecutor R. L. attimore, Hidalgo County district attorney, said he did net know how many witnesses he would call. One defense witness subpenaed to appear was state Rep.

Eligio! (Kika) De la Garza of Mission, who sald he did not know why he I potoriety" had prejudiced its case. With new improvements completed and in service, the ville municipal utilities weather. ed the fringe effects of Hurricane Carla in good strape and the system generally is giving full serve ice today, according to Manager George K. Weir. The new 69 kilovolt loop circling the program, city, part of the improvement kept storm-caused power failures from extending beyond immediate areas, he said.

Weir estimated that 95 per cent of Monday's problems were caused by service drophones which run ty, through tres on private proper. Palm Frond Troubles Many property owners object to' cutting of trees, he sald, pointing out that Sf they do object, they are In position of accepting the risk of trouble in event of high winds. Palm trees proved more troublesome than any other kind cause tronds blew across Ines, knocking circuits out even when the wires themselves were undamaged. Weir also asked public cooperation in event of future emergenctes through public use of telephones. Many persons Monday, he said, called to report power interruptions and then took telephone time to review some past complaint, ask about bills, or chat about service generally.

None Off Hook With a limited number of phone circuits available, this kept other persons from reporting interruptions because all circuits were busy, In an emergency the utilities man each circuit separately and no phones are off the hook," he asserted, but busy signals are genuine because many callers do not keep their reports brief and hang up to allow the other fellow a chance. a I Fire Destroys Rural Residence WESLACO Fire early today destroyed a four frame dwelling at Mile North and 5 West, Four units of the Weslaco Fire Department answered the fire call at around 3:40 a. m. How. ever, the blaze was at such an advanced stage that it was be yond control when firemen AT.

rived, according to Chief Truman Lyles. The rural dwelling was occupled by the A. L. Marliner family. But no one was at home when the fire broke out.

Lyles, said. "We have no idea how the fire 'started," he added. Is Set It appeared more like a tornado, the motel apart than the sea. Just south of the wreckage is a home heavily damaged, the front section facing the Gull ripped owned by from the George rear E. of the Rockwell.

house, en North of what's left of the Beachcomber, the Dunes and Capri Motels lost several units each to the storm when their sea walls collapsed. In this general area the protile of the dunes and beach has undergone 8 complete face-lifting. Where there were protective dunes the storm cut the sand down almost to sea-level. A big cut was blown through the dunes near the Beachcomber to the Laguna Madre area. Weather Alert Issued FORT WORTH, Tex.

(UPI) The U. S. Weather Bureau today issued a tornado forecast for portions of extreme Eastern Texas, Western Louisiana and Southwestern Arkansas. The forecast warned: "With increasing daylime tem-1 peratures and thunderstorm de-, velopment in the warm unstable air in the eastern portion of the Another house nearby had damage and two others the large John Tompkins resiwere undermined badly, Including dence, which fronts on the Gull of Mexico. But most of the many homes not built up on pillars escaped with only slight water damage.

Those built up from the sand were very slightly affected by the wind. which at times gusted over 70 m.p.h, Sunday. Open For Business Water damage was suflered In many business establishments to stocks and fixtures, but structural damage was believed slight. Workmen were busy sweeping out water from them today. The Jetties Cafe was being swabbed out this morning but sea water on the floor was the only trouble spot.

The cafe will be opened for business Wednesday. "We're actually to make A fresh start and not! bemoaning our little sald (See IS AND Page Eight) At Plant circulation about Hurricane Car-1 la, the threat of a few isolated tornadoes will again exist with the! most likely area along and ap-! proximately 60 miles elther side! of a line from Lake Charles, to 50 miles northeast of Texarkana, from 11 a. m. 10 6 p. m.

cst." It was the second tornado lore. cast including Texas today. It expired at 11. a.m. J.

C. George, as mayor and member of the Utilities Board, will give the response to Judge Garza. Judge Garza, who will officialdedicate the unit, was a city commissioner when previous gen(erating facilities were built. He suggested to the Utilities Board that the new extension be named (in memory of Si Ray. Following the speaking, conducted tours of the plant will be offered.

Since plant will he operating, children will not be allowed on the tours unless each is accompanied by an adult. Refreshments, displays of electrical equipment, and more movlies and slides will close the program..