Tampa Bay Times from St. Petersburg, Florida • 13

AGED OAKS IN WILLIAMS PARK AMONG STORM VICTIMS SECTION TWO ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1944 THIRTEEN ronevs ocaie as Fails; Trees Uproote 1 mm li Storm Damage Estimated $25,000 to $50,000 fH it py. oi Power C. 1 1 "ift ft ft riWft il Tr''- "ill Tir in iwm imnflihr- r-ir-mmnT" Bebris Litters Streets I By EDWARD STEVENS "St. Petersburg can consider itself mighty lucky," City Manager C.

F. Sharpe declared yesterday afternoon at the end of an approximate 24-hour vigil during which he and a group of key department heads, "rode out the storm," as he put it. After a final check, the city manager said that property damage about the city is comparatively slight as a result of Thursday night's hurricane. 4 T. He estimated that total damage, Highlights to the shell is huge awning in front of the structure.

This was torn to shreds by the 90-mile wind that tore through the park area during the height of the storm. There also was considerable damage to park benches scattered throughout the park. Many of these, however, have iron frames which can be repaired, park officials said. The two pictures above give some idea of the Williams park damage. Many smaller trees in the city's central park area also were damaged.

Park officials estimated that it will take weeks to entirely clear the parks. One of the large oaks in Williams park fell within inches of the recently erected service men's memorial. Others fell close to the park's band-shell, but inflicted no damage. The only damage Officials estimated yesterday that one of the greatest losses as a result of the storm, one which they said cannot be estimated in dollars and cents, 's in damage and destruction of trees in city parks. Nine huge oaks in Williams park were entirely uprooted, while large branches on scores of others were blown down.

Many of the oaks destroyed, park officials said, were as old as the city itself and have an esthetic value beyond duplication. Hurricane O. K. Staff of Staffs China Shop, 822 First avenue north, was notified by a neighbor at 10 o'clock yesterday morning that the smaller window of his shop had been blown out. Hurrying to the shop, he found that the vertical metal corners holding the plate glass had spread and the window had been blown in.

Despite the fact that many pieces of expensive china and glassware were left in the window, not one piece was damaged, nor any stolen. Four trees on the northeast corner of Sixth street and Central avenue, one of which, a banyan, was an old city landmark, were torn up, roots and all, while a Boats Incur Whips Beaches; Property By ALAN HOPKINS Although 90-mile an hour winds swept bay and gulf small jacaranda was left standing waters into angry, curling rollers and buffeted abandoned resort installations late Wednesday and throughout yesterday, comparatively minor damage was reported along the Palm trees and papayas suffered most by the blow. At King's grove, Sixth avenue and Thirty-sixth street south, nearly an entire acre of papaya trees were leveled. At Wilson's Azalea gardens several palm trees toppled all of them, incidentally, had been purchased and were to have been delivered yesterday. Of the few restaurants that remained open early yesterday, the establishment located next door to the Florida Motor Lines depot seemed to thrive best.

Most cus tomers were persons unable to make connections at the bus station. Waterfront park, with the ex ception of a few loose fence boards here and there, remained intact, despite its proximity to the bay. Awnings at the Trade Winds cocktail bar and the Detroit hotel were intact, while the St. Charles (hotel, neighboring both establish ments. had its canvas banner ripped to shreads.

A street light, located at Tan cerine avenue and Twenty-ninth street south, provided one of the most unusual casualties of the storm. The lamp was sliced in half at the middle, but the bulb and the base of the fixture re mained solid. TONS OF BREAD DOUGH SPOIL AS BAKERY POVER IS SHUT OFF ji Veterans Told How to Apply -For Home Loans The Veterans administration last night issued regulations governing procedure under which returning service men may obtain loans for purchasing homes in accordance with the GI bill of rights. In an accompanying statement Brig. Gen.

Frank T. Ilines, veterans administrator, emphasized that: 1. The Veterans administration, itself, docs not make loans, but guarantees loans made by banks or kindred businesses. 2. Loans must be used for pur chasing, or for payments for con structing or improving real property to be used as a dwelling, although such property may also be the site of a business.

3. Veterans may not apply for such loans before the end of the war or more than five years af ter the war. The regulations defined as eligible those service men who were in active service on or after Sept. 16, 1940, "and before the officially declared termination of World War who are discharged or released from active service, "under conditions other than dishonorable" after 90 days active service, "or because of injury or disability incurred in service in line of duty, irrespective of the length of service." Veterans may apply "within two years after separation from the military or naval forces, or within two years after the officially declared termination of World War II, whichever is later. In no event, however may an application be filed later than five years after such termination of such war." The regulations define eligible lenders as "persons, firms, associations, corporations, and 'governmental agencies and corporations, either state or The regulations state that loan property must be of "reasonable normal value." A veteran may obtain more than one loan, but the total which the administration will guarantee is only $2,000.

Two or more eligible veterans may sign the same application, and in such cases, they shall be "conclusively presumed" to be borrowing "an equal proportion ate part." However, a husband and wife, both of whom are eli gible veterans, apply for a loan, the liability shall be the husband's. Storm Refugees Brighten Day At Bay Pines Yesterday's hurricane cut off electric power lines and telephone service at Bay Pines and uprooted numerous trees on the grounds. But behind the hospital doors, secured by heavy planks, life remained fairly normal. Light and power were supplied by an emergency electrical unit, and an almost complete staff of doctors, nurses and attendants managed to reach the hospital to care for the patients. Perhaps the most unusual feature of the day was the presence of numerous refugees, residents of the Gulf beaches who came to Bav Pines for safety during the hurricane at the invitation of Col.

Brvson. The excited children scampering in the corridors bolstered the morale of patients and visitors alike. The kitchen staff particularly did excellent work in preparing meals lor the refugees as well as the patients with no slackening of their accustomed etliciency. TASCO Resumes Work Today A call to all employes of the Tampa Shipbuilding company, who reside in the St. Petersburg area to resume their work schedules this morning at 8 o'clock, was issued by P.

B. Brill, vice president and general manager of the company, yesterday. The Times was requested to publish the call due to the firm's inability to reach employes by phone. I 1 2 11-mile strip of Gulf beaches Redington beach. No casualties Lower shore areas in the Pass-i a-Prille-Dnn Ce-Sar-St Peters- burg beach sections reported to have been 94 per cent evacuated by resident and tourist population by 8 p.m., Wednesday, suffered heaviest loss in uprooted trees, tattered awnings, and damaged small craft.

At least three commercial fishing boats of the 28- 40-foot class were sunk or awash in Pass-a-Grille waters at 11 a.m. yesterday. Scores of sport sailing craft were capsized at their moorings at the Yacht club and other bayou points south of the Don Ce-Sar, one 16-foot sloop being pounded to pieces at municipal pier number two when its mooring lines snapped and hurricane gusts and high tides pounded the frail craft against shore pilings. A statement issued by mayor of Pass-a-Grille, George Carpenter a few minutes after 11 o'clock yesterday morning, indicated that not a single injury due to the storm had been reported. At the time Carpenter made the announcement, a Miami weather bureau bulletin directed to the St.

Petersburg beach and mainland areas, advised that 85-milc-an-hour winds might rccurr late Thursday. The threatened in crease in storm violence, however, did not materialize. Power company, telephone, and clean-up crews tackling beach breakdowns and road blocks at 5 a.m. yesterday, reported that nearly all beach thoroughfares and side streets were partially clogged with fallen limbs, whole trees, and scattered debris. Three telephone poles at Twenty-first street and Pass-a-(Jrille way toppled before high velocity gusts, trailing wiring and splintered cross bars across two blocks of the main thoroughfare.

Contrary to warnings of high water levels predicted for approximately 4 o'clock yesterday afternoon, actual levels at and after that period were only a few inches in excess of ordinary heights. Driving sheets of rain filled low spots all along beach shorelines, however there were no reports of inundated homes or buildings. Both Treasure Island and Corey causeways remained open throughout the storm although towering wave crests on Boca Ciega bay, were spilling over many sections of the Central avenue bay bridge at 9 a.m. yes terday. Tolls on the causeway were removed late Wednesday to facilitate speed of transit and allow bridgekeepers to return to their homes.

Northward along the 11.8 miles of hurricane battered beaches from the army's convalescent hos pital at Don Ce-bar place to Redington beach, storm wreckage was somewhat less than at lower shore points. Apparently, shorter expanses of bay waters and wider windbreaks had tempered the force of rain-filled gusts sweep ing down from the northeast. A few shattered windows, sagging LINEMEN FACE BIG JOB including that to equipment and lines of Florida Power corpora tion would fall somewhere "between $25,000 and $50,000" a comparatively small figure for a city hit by hurricane winds which reached a peak velocity of 92 miles an hour about 5 o'clock Thursday morning. "There is a big clean-up job ahead," Sharpe said, "but fortu nately no major damage has been done." Regular water service was re sumed shortly before 5 o'clock yesterday afternoon. Street car service probably will be back on regular schedule some time today, James Gibson, utilities director said.

The street and sanitation departments reported to Sharpe late yesterday that no streets or bridges were damaged as a result of the storm, although tons of leaves, tree branches and the like, litter the streets. Paul Scudder, sanitation department head, said that it will be some time before this litter can be entirely cleared. Citv Manager Sharpe said this tvoe of work can be expedited if householders will clear in front of their own properties and place accumulations from both the street and yards in piles between curbs and sidewalk lines. Except for a few broken display windows, torn awnings and sign boards jarred loose from their moorines. the downtown area es caped unscratched.

Warned well in advance of tne expected diow, merchants had taken all precautions, boarding windows and re- movins all large lignted signs. Although hundreds of miles of nower lines were down, Florida Power corporation was hardest hit through a freak accident at the Third street plant at 4:15 Thursday morning. In some manner an 11,000 volt circuit flashed over through a switch into a low voltage automatic switch line and carried back through into the main plant causing much damage and forcing the plant to close down entirely until temporary repairs were made. The automatic switch devices were comnletely burned out ne cessitating hand switching irom the main power line to outside feed circuits when operations were resumed. Although crews of linemen were on the job throughout the night Wednesday and yesterday repairing broken lines, nign winds hampered their work and power officials said that probably all residential service could not be restored before another day at least.

After plant operations were re sumed yesterday morning, feeder lines to the central city section were repaired and service re stored. The breakdown in power took both local radio station off the air and made it necessary to switch city water pumping operations to city's Crescent lake plant. It also forced the use of emergency generating equipment at city hospitals, darkened City Hall, police and fire department headquarters and the emergency quarters of the Red Cross in the civil defense building. The city manager and other officials kept their vigil at City Hall by flashlight illumination, while candles and lanterns were pressed into service at the other key points. City's power plant was in operation during the storm, but as outside lines began falling shortly after midnight Wednesday all circuit lines except the one servicing Crescent lake pumping plant were cut off.

Wednesday night trolley sche dules were completed, but the service was not resumed yester day morning because of littered tracks and broken trolley lines in various sections. Street and traffic lights went out of service as the force of the storm hit the city and probably will not be restored for at least three days. Utilities Director Gibson said. Approximately two hours before local power failed, lines from Tampa, supplying city Cosmo Odessa water plant, blew down and service at that point was not restored until late yesterday afternoon. City busses ran on regular schedule yesterday and all extra husses were placed on major lines usually served by trolleys.

Although the city manager and department heads were on the iob yesterday. City Hall was closed to the public during the entire day. Citv Manager Sharpe said this was done to make possible field checks of storm damage. The city manager said that the storm emphasized the need for emergency generating equipment to service more of city's major facilities such as City Hall and rartio station. He indicated that he would propose this type of installation to city council as snon necessary equipment is available.

All theatres did business as usual yesterday with large crowds of youngsters and furloughed soldiers providing the audiences. Marine casualties of the storm included one small boat over turned and sunk in central yacht basin and eight other small craft flooded and sunk or capsized in the Vinoy yacht basin. Mute evidence of the downtown power failure eariy yesieraay mornine was the clock at iNintn and Central, which called it quits at 3:34 a.m. Half a dozen of the double boulevard lights on municipal pier were broken and, strangely, all of them were on the water side of the poles. Lights on the inside brackets escaped damage.

One of the most badly damaged homes in the city was 'that of Miss Nellie Mickle, 226 Tenth avenue northeast. A giant euca lyptus tree planted in 1915, which has weathered several hurricanes, was unrooted, taking with its giant base the front sidewaiK Plunging into the two front porches. It tore out the railings and destroyed part of the front of the house. So great was the force of the wind that some of the thick lower branches were thrust back into the cement walk Crowds lined the lobby of Western Union two and three deep from midmorning yester day until 10 o'clock last night, as St. Petersburg residents ana visi tors wired friends and relatives that the hurricane had passed, leaving little damage and no casualties.

Although crowds thinned out around 10:30 p.m., Western Union remained open uutil mid night as usual. Due to damage to the grounds of Williams park and a lack of electricity caused by the hurricane, the regular Thursday park program was not presented last night. According to William A. Kenmuir, chairman, the program will be postponed until repairs can be made. tities of mix, spoiled by leaving in vats, must be disposed of.

City garbage trucks hauled away tons of dough and mix for disposal. Lodge Members Go To Council Opening at Miami Arrangements were made Tuesday night at a meeting of St. Petersburg Council No. 8, JOUAM for several members and state officials to attend the opening of the new council at Miami, Oct 28. Plans for a Halloween party at the local hall here were also made.

NEWS OF RECORD NKW COfRT CASES Vernice H. Gentry vs. Curtis H. Ceil try. divorce.

Forrest Gentryj attorney. Ethel Betty Dock vs. Charles Denny Deck, divorce, Thonm.s J. Collins, at tornpy. Mildrfd Klizabeth Maher vs.

Frank J. Maher, divorce, Thomas J. Collins, attornpv. Martha L. Givt-ns vs.

Frank M. Giv ens, divorce, Thomas J. Collins, attor new Malah Pal ton vs. Samuel R. Patton, divorce.

B. M. Skelton. attorney. Olen P.

Gausc vs. Marjorie F. Cause, divorce, Archie Clement, attorney. MARRIAGE LICENSES Louis E. Channcll, 24.

Tampa, and Ruth Ann Carpenter. IS, St. Peters burs. Elwin F. Pnoars 25.

Clearwa ter. and Dorothy E. Tyler, 23. Largo. The Times, the Jeffersonian club to put the president be personal.

Checks of a corporation must be as Storm Loss Minor In the Local News Peg Middleton was soloist at a meeting of the Jaycees Wednesday noon at the Detroit hotel. Miss Middleton was accompanied by Eddie Squires. Ben Jones won the war stamp pool and president A. B. Treat presided.

0 Carleton F. Sharpe, new city manager, outlined post-war plans for St. Petersburg at a meeting of the Civitan club Wednesday noon at the Shrine club. II. A.

MacKenzie was program chair man and president B. J. Northrup presided. Supply of Ice Here Plentiful Although electric power was off from 2 a. m.

this morning till around 2 p. m. this afternoon at Swift and oiticials re ported no damage to stores of refrigerated meat. Doors to re frigerator cars were kept closed and the accumulated ice prevented any spoilage until power was resumed by Atlantic Ice this afternoon. Disruption of power service in residential areas brought heavy demands for i as residents fought against food spoilage.

Ice companies reported ample sup plies of ice on hand, although most of their power was off for about 14 hours. Ice Service said trucks would back on delivery tomorrow to take care of regular customers residents without service or automobiles, wno naci no way of getting a supply. They stressed there would be no need to ration ice ns power was re sumed at the plants late yesterday afternoon. Bus Service Resumes After Long Delay Regular service by Florida Mo tor line busses was resumed late yesterday afternoon after all communication service remained at a standstill for, in many cases, more than 24 hours. Up until 4:30 p.

m. yesterday only two trips had been made to Tampa since 11:30 p. m. Wednesday night. Round trip service to Orlando and Ocala was stopped at 2 a.

m. yesterday morning and resumed at 1 p. m. There were no busses to Miami since 9:30 p. m.

Wednesday and no arrivals from that city since 11:30 p. m. Wednesday. First bus to Jacksonville since early Wednesday night left 4:30 p. m.

yesterday. A. L. Childs, manager of the line, said that service had not really been impaired inasmuch ns only a few optimistic would-be passengers sought service last night. "It took a hurricane to slow down our rushing business," Childs quipped.

Order Lines Trouble snots were said to be Pasadena. Gulfport. Shoie Acres, Pinellas Park and the Gulf beaches. Until such time as the debris left by falling trees is cleared in those areas, attempts to restore service will be impossible. In nearly all cases telephone service was available in the downtown area.

Thomas said that no particular section of the city will be given preference on immediate repairs but that when practicable service will be restored to doctors, nurses, and business establishments first. A survey was taken by officials yesterday afternoon to determine the exact amount of damage. Most Damage from Pass-a-Unlle north to were reported. -l! 1 1. U.3.1J iiuxlllHI" uuithuks, unu smeuutu canvas was the extent of damage noted at the Don.

Beachside cottages and cabana colonies apparently suffered little from the 90-mile-an-hour winds reported to have existed along the Gulf beach section at 4 a.m. yesterday. At Johns pass and Jack's boat basin, several power boats listed heavily at moorings, the decks of some awash in the heavy channel weather. Lightly constructed dock facilities in these areas had collapsed before daylight when support pilings became undermined. One garage at Redington beach collapsed from wind.

Outstanding along the entire shoreline was the totality of Wednesday's civilian evacuation. According to defense chiefs in a dozen gulf areas, the cleanout of esidents undoubtedly accounted for lack of beach casualties. Boarded homes, braced store fronts, and uninhabited tourist facilities created an air of desola tion throughout the beach yesterday. Storm wary resortitcs clune to hard won in town ac commodations in spite of weather bureau advisories that the "real McCoy" hurricane had permanently departed in a northeasterly direction. Although beach busses resumed skeleton schedules at 7 o.m.

last night, few passengers were noted traveling beachward. Complete lack of water and electric utilities at most snore noints offered little incentive to the maiontv ot evacuees wno abandoned beach residences by defense council order Wednesday, A Red Cross spokesman, shortly after 7:30 clock last night stated that only two persons, of thousands of storm refugees, registered at mainland locations, had returned. 'We are advising them against rrturninc hurriedly. tne au thority stated. Pinellas Schools Stay Closed Today Pinellas schools will not re open until Monday, G.

V. Fu- guitt, county school superinten dent, said last night. Many school children are among refugees in noieis anu other buildings and have no clothing except that they had on when the storm struck, he added In addition, we have no way ol notifying school bus drivers. After an inspection tour of county schools from Clearwater to Pass-a-Grille, Fuguitt reported no damage to school buildings except a few broken windows. School yards, strewn with limbs and rubbish, will be cleaned up by the time school opens Monday.

MAKING REPAIRS women cm iloycd in the cen tral office were either liite for work yesterday morning or failed to arrive. In several instances, Thomas said, automobiles were sent after employes. Wednesday's load of telephone messages was exceedingly heavy in comparison with yesterday's almost standstill business. It was impossible to estimate the amount of calls clearing through the central office. Linemen, on the job since late Wednesday night, toiled furiously through yesterday and in many cases worked through last night.

Hundreds of poles and wires are still Ivinn where they fell and. according to Thomas, service to all clients will be "a matter of time." John S. Rhodes Suffers Injuries In Auto Accident Suffering from a badly lac erated scalp and an injured right hand, when his automobile left the road near Thomasville, last Thursday, John S. Rhodes, local undertaker, was reported yesterday to be recovering at Archbold hospital in Thomasville. The accident occurred between Adel and Thomasville, while Rhodes was en route to meet relatives arriving by train to attend the funeral of Mrs.

Rhodes father. Drowsy from lengthy driving, Rhodes lost con trol of his car. His brother, Frank, called to Thomasville last week-end, returned here Wednesday. Damage Slight At Coast Guard, Maritime Base Storm damage at the local U. S.

coast guard air base, the U. a Maritime Service Training station and the Captain of the Port office were meager considering their Bayboro locations. At the coast guard station the roof of a small "victory hut' was ripped up and one small tree was toppled. Taking every possible precaution, Comdr. John R.

Hen thorn, commanding officer of the base, previously ordered the PBM Martin and the PBY Marion pa trol bombers flown to Pensacola had secured all crash boats and lodged smaller planes safely in hangars. At 5:30 p.m., Wednesday night all personnel stationed in tern porary buildings were moved to safer spots although the velocity of the blow never reached any peak where it was of danger to the temporary structures. The Maritime base did not fare as well as its neighbor. Roof tiles from the administration building were knocked loose and rain seeped through the station's post office. There was no damage to ships or other installations of the base Most civil service workers remained at home through yester day.

At the captain of the port of fice, a recently constructed "10-year" roof was blown off. There were no other damages. Pinellas Field Soldiers Seek Refuge in City Eight service men's wives, two babies and half a hundred enlisted men from Pinellas airport, housed early Wednesday night in the old Coca-Cola building on Central avenue at Seventeenih street, grew into a respectable force of over 300 men, 26 army vehicles and five fire engines, when the weather bureau gave word shortly before midnight Wednesday for the complete evacuation of the field. All men from the field who lived off the base were released and allowed to go home to their families, and the remainder established very safe and comfortable quarters in the abandoned building. Their facilities included a completely equipped emergency hospital, separate quarters for the married men, their own ambulances, movies on the second floor and plenty of chow and coflee.

Hot coffee was made possible through the generosity of a nearby resident who donated her kitchen, where as much as 15 gallons at a time was brewed. "The detail all kept warm and happv," Lt. M. R. Tucker, offi cer ol tne aay, sum.

wki wu didn't hear a peep out of the youngsters." According to Lt. Tucker the detail will return to their base early this morning. Rabbi Wilner Will Talk On 'After the Storm' Rabbi Herbert J. Wilner will sneak on "After the Storm" dur ing regular services tonight at 8 o'clock at Temple Beth El. Confirmation class will be held tomorrow morning at 10 o'clock.

Religious school will be in session Sunday morning at 10 o'clock. Fifteen thousand loaves of bread and an unknown quantity bread mix was written off as a total loss by the Bell Bakeries early yesterday morning when all power cut off because of hurricane damage. According to Carl Good, shipping clerk, masses of raising yeast dough raised and spread over tables and floors and over 1.200 half-cooked loaves remained in the cold ovens for 12 hours. "The power went off at about 1 a.m. and didn't come back on until about 12:30 p.m." Good said.

"It only takes about 25 minutes to ruin bread dough." Asked if other bakery items were being made at the time Good said the plant, at the time of the power failure, was engaged in- full production of bread only. "The public, after a hurricane, isn't interested in rolls, cookies or cake." he laughed. "All they want is bread and plenty of it." The entire loss was due to lack of power according to Good who told of problems encountered in cleaning up the plant before production could be resumed. "We started production about 12:30 p.m.," Good said. "But we are still not in full swing.

There's plenty of cleaning up to be done. Half-baked loaves must be cleaned out of ovens. Dough that rose and flowed over floors must be taken care of. Great quan Your Dollar Will Help Keep Roosevelt on the Radio If you want to give $1, $2, S3 or even more to keep President Roosevelt on the air. just fill in the coupon below, attach your money or check and send it to The Democratic Headquarters.

Dennis hotel, The campaign here is sponsored and the Democratic Woman club. by Thousands of Phones Out of As Storm Topples Poles and Make checks to: Democratic National Committee, Radio Fund, Dennis Hotel, St. Petersburg, Fla. Because yesterday's storm cov ered a wider territory than any other blow in recent years, between 4 and 5 thousand telephones in greater St. Petersburg were out of order with no signs of immediate continuation of service promised by Peninsular Telephone company.

LaVerne Thomas, manager of the utility, said the blow toppled hundreds of poles and wires in residential areas with falling trees contributing in great part to the damage. Long distance service in nearly all cases was impossible. Between 40 and 50 poles on the Clearwater line were down, canceling service to that area. Service was maintained to Tampa. Adding to difficulties, many of I enclose $-on the air.

Name Address Contributions must made out in the name returned. r..