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Newspaper
Lawton Constitution
Location
Lawton, Oklahoma, United States of America
Date
Sep 05, 1955
Page
1
Labor Day weekend traffic toll rose to 310 dead by 10 a.m. CST with overall deaths and drownings totaling 416. Safety officials warned the record may exceed the 461 set in 1951, as millions hit the roads and the rate climbed above last year. The worst holiday toll record stands at 658 with 805 for the three day holiday.
Lawton and surrounding counties report 27 accidents as Labor Day weekend peaks. No traffic deaths in district. Lawton police logged nine accidents with two hospitalizations. Highway Patrol handled 61 weekend arrests, 159 warnings, 164 assists, and 824 courtesy contacts. Details include a Lawton crash at Seventh and D and a Portage Pa. driver injured at 23rd and Ferris. Fort Cobb, Duncan, Tipton, and Cement also saw injuries. See AREA WRECKS, Page 2.
Tropical Storm Gladys moves toward the Mexican coast, bringing 30 to 40 mph winds and heavy squalls to the Gulf, prompting 3 to 5 foot tides from Corpus Christi to south of Brownsville. Padre Island evacuated 7,000 to 8,000 as authorities warned small craft to seek port and residents brace for rain and possible inland flooding. Hurricane Flora traces far offshore with winds near 80 to 90 mph.
A strong earthquake trembled through a 150 mile radius of San Francisco lasting 15 minutes starting at 7 01 pdt Sunday causing minor Monday damage with no deaths. Reports from Holister and San Jose noted shaken homes and shattered glass while seismologist from the University of Santa Clara described instrument readings as severe.
Gov. Raymond Gary will keynote a joint dedication of U S 62 277 highway improvements including Oklahoma's first three level interchange and the National Guard armory plant. A 6 30 p m stag barbecue follows, with dedicatory services at 7 45 p m and a 9 p m dance for guardsmen and guests.
CAIRO Egypt UP Premier Gamal Abdel Nasser said Israel apologized for an attack that threatened a cease fire along the Gaza border. Egypt charged Israeli troops opened fire on an Egyptian post during the cease-fire with four Israeli soldiers killed and one captured. Egypt said the captured soldier confessed the patrol knew of the cease-fire. The statement said the Israelis began firing at midnight near Rafah, Egyptians returning fire and pushing back the Israelis into Israel. Officials weighed whether this was an official cease-fire violation.
President Eisenhower interrupts a holiday to hold a top secret conference with Vice President Nixon on national security issues including Israeli Arab violence. Nixon said the meeting has no emergency aspect and will cover items to be discussed at the NSC session in Washington.
Fires roared across tens of thousands of acres of sun dried timber in California and Oregon. No casualties reported as crews battled older blazes and new ones emerged in a rainless landscape. In northern California about 11 000 acres burned near Eureka with 300 firefighters struggling to control the spread. The Alexander Lumber Co plant and cabins were destroyed. A separate 3000 acre blaze south of Eureka threatened redwood stands including Rockefeller Grove as families fled with few belongings.
Soviet authorities release three American prisoners of war in Berlin, including Pvt. Wilfred C. Kumis of Amesbury Massachusetts, Pvt. Michael Feingersch of Brooklyn New York, and Frederick Charles Hopkins. Feingersch also listed as Fields.
On Labor Day Truman assailed the Eisenhower administration as indifference to labor. He pledged a pro labor candidate in 1956. Republicans touted high employment 65.5 million August jobs and urged removal of age barriers to hiring. McKay and Butler traded charges over union busting while CIO and AFL leaders urged better schools housing and security. John L. Lewis criticized CIO AFL merger.
The Associated Press reports Oklahoma’s traffic death toll reached three on the last day of the Labor Day weekend with eight forecast dying on state highways. A Tulsa mother Mary Elizabeth Babbitt and her infant son Michael died when their car lost control on US 77 near Davis. William Dwight Ferguson II died in a separate crash southeast of Woodward. Two other car passengers were injured while the truck driver was unhurt. The year total stands at 370, just four more than a year ago.
Paris police rounded up hundreds of north Africans in a crackdown on nationalist subversion across France. Several hundred Algerians were taken into custody for deportation to Algeria for questioning. Police action targeted the Revolutionary North African Committee, amid dispatches from Madagascar about envoys seeking approval for reforms in Morocco.
Cameron college announces 8 a.m. Tuesday enrollment for the 1955-56 term with freshmen orientation at 7:45 a.m. and sophomore enrollment 8 a.m. to noon. Freshmen not pre enrolled register 1 5 p.m. A Y mixer is planned Wednesday in the cafeteria. About 373 pre enrolled last month, with 252 freshmen and 121 sophomores.
Dee Froneberger, longtime Lawton Fort Sill Bus Co. driver, completed 52 942 trips over 23 years with zero accidents. After 1951 he piloted bus No 50 to the Artillery Center, then moved to dispatching from the Lawton terminal from 4 am to 8 am weekday shifts. He credits luck and focus on safety, recalling moments when distraction nearly caused mishaps. He started in 1932, WWI veteran, once drove to Medicine Park as the company operated between Lawton and Fort Sill.
Police will enforce an old city ordinance limiting downtown parking to two hours per location. Cars parked more than two hours at any meter will be chalked and fined. The ordinance covers Canal Drive avenues and Third and Fourth streets, said Police Inspector Ron Wheatley as the measure aims to free spaces for customers.
Forecast from the state weather bureau calls for perfect resort type weather through Tuesday. Today's highs near 88 degrees with a low around 58. Expect fair, little temperature change through Tuesday. About 0.30 inches of rain fell Saturday night.
Two American Marine guards at the U S Embassy were beaten by a crowd of rock throwing Japanese in Tokyo. Marines say the Japanese started it. police say the Marines were at fault. Marines named are Cpl William L Flynn Jr of Boston and Sgt William C Fedasko of New York.
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