Guam Daily News from Agana Heights, Guam • 1

VOL IX NO 244 AGANA GUAM FRIDAY OCTOBER 16 1953 FIVE CENTS Lightning Burns Two Unexpected Typhoon Dumps 19 Inches Rain One man drowned two burned by lightning four bridges washed away isolating southern communities families evacuated in the island-wide floodings and hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of property damage were the toil yesterday after the worst rains in 30 years followed in th wake of an unexpected typhoon Following close on the heels of fluctuating Tvphoc-JT Winnie Typhoon Alice intensified suddenly from a tropica! storm to A typhoon at about the time the eye passed over Guam at 7 pm Wednesday A severe electrical storm followed her coming Houses shook with long rolling claps of thunder and lightning struck three times at Andersen Air Force Base By 10 yesterday morning Andersen had logged 1865 inches of rain within a 24-hour period At Fleet Weather Central 8:61 inches were reported in the 12-hour period ending at 10 am yesterday VILLAGES ARE CUT OFF Commissioners in the villages of Talofofo Inarajan Merizo and Umatac cut off completely from the rest of the island by washe out bridges reported that food stocks are sufficient for the time being Commissioner of Public Safety John Noble said yesterday Antonio Castro Cruz 59 was drowned in his own pasture at Chalan Pago yesterday while attending his cows According to hs wife Cruz who was partially paralyzed in both hands failed to return after an hour and their 18-year-old son Pedro went in search of him The first search was unsuccessful On the second young -rtruz found two cows tethered and close to drowning in the high waters Attempting to free them the boy tripped and found he had stumbled over the body of his father The club at Andersen AFB was struck three times Wednesday night according to an Air Force spokesman Two air-men gleaning against a door at the club were burned not seriously when lightning struck the metal door knob The time-clock in the office was hit on another occasion and on the third lightning whip- ped across the club patio I BRIDGES WASHED OUT 1 A building in the compound was cracked by lightning Police radio through yesterday reported the washing out of bridges on Route 4 sole means of communication between southern villages and the rest of the island BOIL YOUR WATER All island residents were advised last night to boil their drinking water until clorine test can be made to assure against contamination following the heavy rainfall Dr Benedict Cooper acting director of medical services said the board of health would make such tests as soon as possible of all island water resources The health board will inform the public when all possible danger is past Dr Cooper said Prisoners Balk At 'Explanations1 PANMUNJOM Oct 15 (A5) Chinese anti-Cammunist prisoners today hurled -rocks and refused to attend at -which -the Reds hoped Jto-soax -them into -e-turning to their' Communist homeland an authoritative source said The prisoners were moved into 250-mancompounds' but flatly re-fused to leave them for explanation tent booths where the Communists were waiting to interview them the source said Gen Thimayya Indian chairman of the neutral nations repatriation commission reportedly addressed the prisoners after their refusal to move There were no further details available immediately Even the Communists did not anticipate smooth sailing when the touchy job of interviewing 14500 Chinese and 7800 North Koreans beean Peioing radio in a broadcast heard in Tokvo predicted explanation work will not be a ea'm and smooth It charged that and planted hv the allies would attrnt in as nvrh of the time as possible out of their eieht-hour working Bugles sounded in the compounds when the Red representatives were sighted by the psoners about 7-11 am Then the rok harraee started The stones rained down on the roads leading to the compounds Indian guards hastened to the compounds and quited the clamor hv 7:45 There were no reDorts of anv of the Communist emanation team described as being injured by the rock-throwing First to go was Umatac bridge At the same time Ylig bridge was reported impassable with water three foot high covering it At Talofofo the river embankment was washed away and at 1130 yesterday morning the bridge went out to sea Early yesterday afternoon Acfayan bridge between Merizo and I Inarajan was washed out and a little later came reports from squad cars on the scene that the Ylig bridge was shaking and would go at any minute Meanwhile civil defense rescue teams were called to assist in the evacuations of families in various parts of the island HORTICULTURIST RESCUED Horticulturist Manuel Torres was rescued from his Yigo home yesterday morning by a duck owned by his son-in-law Ignacio Cruz of Agana Miss Rosalie Torres his daughter said she swam from the house in over six feet of water to give the alarm Yesterday afternoon when water inside the house reached almost to the ceiling amateur salvagers among the Yigo villagers attempted to save a new spinet piano dining room suit and many books The duck was operated by Airman 2C Eddie Cruz attached to Andersen AFB The possessions axe not insured Mrs Maria Santos and family were evacuated from their home behind PM store in Agana when water seeped up throtigh the floor Many Asan residents fled their homes yesterday morning when they awoke to find the water knee-deep' inside Behind Marine Drive in Tamuning depths of between three and four feet were reported by alarmed residents in the more than 100 houses and apartments Miss Helen Ginnatty said water began entering the houses at about seven that morning A public works department crew was active in the area turning off power where shorts had resulted from the floods Kelly Naim head of the public utilities agency said he could give no comprehensive round-up of damage until later but said it (Continued on page 2) clothes dryer at Marsports but A1 Brooks (left) Irby Baker and Jake LeHoy have more pressing problems than laundry as they salvage merchandise from the floor and low shelves during yes ter deluge Ruefully contemplating an extra job of dry cleaning Francis McGowan Jr surveys flood damage to cleaned and pressed clothes awaiting pick-up by customers rains heaviest since 1925 when 39 bouses were washed away in Agana came from the southeast quadrant of Typhoon Alice according to weather forecasters Daily News cameraman who took these shots worked in bathing trunks and a raincoat Another at Yigo later walked fully dressed hi water up to his arm pits for flood pictures (News photo) A.