Delaware County Daily Times from Chester, Pennsylvania • Page 1

98th 126 HOME DELIVERY 75 CENTS FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1974 PRICE: FIFTEEN CENTS Shapp to use Guard to protect highways PITTSBURGH (AP). Gpv. Milton Shapp, vowing to. keep peace on Pennsylvania highways during the nationwide truck, shutdown, has taken steps to call out the National Guard. ''If the truckers want to walk lout their prerogative, but I have determined there will be no violence, "Shapp said.

Lt. Gov. Ernest Kline said Shapp will sign an executive order morning. to activate the National Guard and added that the Guard already has'-been put on alert. The governor said troops would protect all overpasses on the state's in order to prevent Shapp and state officials from Connecticut and Ohio met Thursday night at the AP WIREPHOTO STATE Policeman stands next the shattered windshield from the tractor-trailer that crashed off highway near Allentown.

Violence mars stoppage By The Associated Press Truck drivers traveled in packs across Pennsylvania ph. Friday after several incidents of violence marred beginning of a work stoppage -by independent drivers protesting high fuel and weight liniits. Compliance. with the shutdown Company drivers; in western- Pennsylvania appeared to be sporadically cooperating requests by truckers to halt their an explosion rocked a truck garage late Thursday, breaking 75 windows. Authorities' did 'not specifically link the blast to the protest, but sources said the explosive device was probably either carbide or dynamite.

1 'The firm, Brockway Sales and Service, services Brockway trucks. See VIOLENCE, Page 14 Greater Pittsburgh Airport, with representatives of the. National Truckers Unity Committee, formed by independent truckers associations. But the meeting appeared to be fruitless. truckers clear they; will have their shutdown," Shapp said.

William J. Hill, chairman PECO asks hike in rates Philadelphia Electric-Co. -has asked the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) 1 for a 21 per cent rate increase which would affect more 152,000 customers Delaware County. The. proposed hike be put into effect in three steps over the next 12 mon- ths and would 'boost the average monthly bill for residential' customers by $4.53.

PECO has about 140,000 residential customers in Delaware County, according to a company spokesman. The PECO proposed increases would be made at the rate of 4 per cent on April 1, another 8 per cent on June 1, and finally 9 per cent next Jan. 1. John Austin, vice president for "accounting and finance, said the higher rates were not being sought because of decreased consumption resulting from energy crisis conservation efforts. Instead, he said, the $136-million annual increase is needed to meet inflated costs of equipment and supplies, and to cover the costs of opening new generating facilities this year.

Among new facilities to be put into use this year are an- expansion of the generating plant at Eddystohe and expansion at the company's nuclear generating station at Peach Bottom in York County. of both -the Fraternal Association of Steel Ahulers arid the newly formed Unity Committee said the strike would continue until there are firm results from Washington." Hill said, however, that independent truckers have been instructed to go home "and. not get involved in any violence Shapp said he would ask the rest of the country's governors and congressmen to attend a meeting on Sunday in Washington "to get a program started to take care of the truckers' grievances." Both Shapp Kline, when asked 1 why. they were involved in what appeared to be a national issue, See GOVERNOR, Page 14 Dedicated today Bridge 'symbol' of state cooperation The opening of the. Commodore Barry Bridge today "symbolizes what two great states working together can accomplish," a top New Jersey of ficial said today.

Crabiel, secretaryof state, made the qomment in' remarks prepared for delivery at ceremonies today at the administration building oh the Bridgeport, N.J., side of the bridge. The opening "also symbolizes the beginning of a new era for southwestern New Jersey while placing new responsibilities" on the state and community, Crabiel said. He warned that the bridge opening poses some development problems making southern New Jersey "more accessible to residents of a more densely populated region." Crabiel urged that "mistakes made in the past" not be repeated in possible rapid development of the now comparatively sparsely developed area of New Jersey. About 300 state and municipal officials were expected to gather for the ribbon cutting ceremonies at which Crabiel was scheduled to speak. The ceremonies were to be followed by a variety of activities ending at 6 tonight when the first regular traffic is to begin streaming across the $120 million bridge.

With the opening of the three-mile structure, the countdown will begin for the Ferry which will fade into history later tonight. The last ferry from Chester to Bridgeport, N.J., will 'leave about 7:30 p.m. All passengers dispatched in Jersey and the ferry its -across 'the River about 8 reloaded; nostalgic; Delaware p.m. In eastern Pennsylvania, compliance also differed, with State Police at Hamburg and Fpgelsville reporting, lighter than-normal truck traffic early Friday. State Police at Milesburg in Centre county said truck traffic seemed normal.

Those drivers, still on the road were generally traveling in groups of up to 12 trucks, apparently as a safety precaution after Thursday's of violence which left one driver dead. There were reports trucks were shot at or were the targets of rocks. State- Police said a rock through the windshield of a rig near Allen-' town. caused the truck to go out control and over an embankment off U.S. 22.

Killed was Ronald Hengst, 33, of Spring; Grove. State Police termed the incident. murder and said they were searching for four men. Police in Johnstown, said Before official opening Bridge beckons children as DRPA removes gates By MARLENE FAZIO Daily Times Staff Writer A CHESTER. Childish voices broke the quiet of the cold, dark night and in the distance a car rolled slowly forward.

The children riding bicycles did -figure eights and circles on the five-lane roadway. And the ione motorist looked sheepishly out the car window won-- dering when it would stopped. It still 24 hours from the official opening of the Commodore Barry Bridge but the glowing lights Thursday night seemed to beckon people aboard. The Delaware River Port Authority (DRPA) had ordered the gates removed in anticipation of today's ceremonies. The night was also being used to test the road lighting.

Apparently people surprised to find the bridge clear had decided to make the maiden run. The children laughed and'' shouted when they saw the vehicle: "Hey, mister, the bridge isn't open yet." A couple, oblivious to, the childish giggles, strolled hand-in-hand. They were wrapped in the velvet hight as the red and green highway lights sparkled above them. The almost soundless highway was beautiful and, eerie. There were no horns blaring or cars belching exhaust and 1,000 lights dotted the skyway of Chester.

Far below on the Delaware River, the ferry streamed into the black night. Out of the distance came another car--only this time it, Chester police marked on its'side. It stopped several times as the policeman alerted the children and driver that the bridge was off limits at least until today. And as the youngsters left one by one, the bridge grew perfectly silent waiting for its first honking horn and its first traffic jam. The Delaware River Port Authority (DRPA), which is operating the bridge and been, handling ferry operations since 1965, said it is "playing it by ear" as to how many cars will line up to make the last ferry ride.

In 1930 when the ferry was a novelty, cars were backed up a mile waiting to make the maiden voyage. It was estimated that more than 1,000 vehicles and several thousand passengers boarded the ferry during its first day of operation 43 years ago. In the past year, about 2,500 vehicles daily have crossed on the ferry. DRPA estimates that Barry Bridge traffic should more than double the ferry totals. A DRPA spokesman said that projections for 1974 call for 2.3-million trips across the span.

Bridge traffic should be further increased in several years when the Interstate-95 connecting ramps in Chester are completed. Construction of the intricate maze of ramps has been held up indefinitely because of a legal hassle. Until it's resolved, traffic will be dumped onto 9th and Flower Streets in Chester and detoured through local streets to link up with 1-95. On the New Jersey side of the river, the bridge connects with U.S. Route 130, a principal north-south artery and leads directly to U.S.

322 which crosses New Jersey from the Delaware River to the Atlantic Ocean. The bridge also leads to the nearby interchange with Interstate 295. Today's thought Southern Gen. Robert E. Lee a i "Duty is the i in our language.

Do your duty in al! things. You cannot do s.hould never to do less." Daily Times Photo by BERT HODGE THE SUN SETS on a Chester-Bridgeport ferry as it makes one of its final runs before the new Commodore Barry Bridge opens. (See related photos on Page 12.) New bridge, new lives CHESTER Animal life is apparently flourishing in conjunction with the Commodore Barry Bridge. A German shepherd guard dog had 11 puppies Thursday morning. Later in the day a guppy gave birth to 20 offspring.

Both animals belong to contractors that have 1 been based in Chester for construction of the 8120-million bridge. Jack Campbell, resident engineer for Bethlehem Steel said the dog, "Lady," and her offspring will be going back to Phoenixville with him. The guppy is one of many fish that has been wading in the waters of an aquarium in the office of Rod Pieretti, project engineer for the E. Lionel Pavlo Engineering Co. Inside your Daily Times Amusements 17-18 Bridge 26 Classified Ads 21-25 Comics 26-27 Crossword Puzzle 27 Death Notices 4 Editorials Financial News 20 Horoscope 26 Junior Editors 26 Obituaries 4 Outlook Section 10-11 Sports 15.18 Television 26 Rain and snow Increasing cloudiness with a chance of rain or snow later tonight; low, 30.

Rain Saturday- high 30. Details onPage 14. except All E. Hussein-Nixon talk is slated WASHINGTON King Hussein of Jordan will meet with President Nixon and other administration officials late next week to discuss the Middle East State Department officials said today, Hussein's visit was listed private and he-is expected undergo a routine medical check up while in the United States. The question of Israeli occupation of the west bank of the Jordan River will be one of the topics considered during Hussein's visit, as well as the status of Jerusalem.

Israel occupied the west bank and areas of Jerusalem formerly held by- Jordan during the 1967 Middle East war. The United States'is now the major supplier of arms for Jordan and Hussein is expected to seek an increase in military supplies and to ask for additional economic assistance during his discussions with officials..