WANT ADS Buy or Sell Everything Phone LO 4-2441 Dedicated to the Progress of the North WEATHER FORECAST Low 0; High 10; Clouds Crown Life Insurance Co. Wm. J. Shoe key District Representative Phone LOgan 4-2441 Vol. 4; No. 15 PRINCE GEORGE, BRITISH COLUMBIA, FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 1960 BY CARRIER 35c PER WEEK Two men are in hospital � one in only fair condition � with injuries suffered in the fire, that razed the Chinese Free Masons' building here yesterday. Fire started from an overheated stove about 5:30 p.m., gutting the 40-year-old building on Quebec. Flames raged put of control for more than an hour in 10 below zuro cold. Frank Eng, 23, � jumped through flames from a second-store}- window. Me is described by his doctor as being in ''fair" condition, suffering undetermined internal injuries. ic I building was built. All records i beside a stove had caught fire, wore destroyed in the blaze.'The building was evacuated quick-Frank Eng was the lodge's Chi- j ly as the tinder dry interior ex-nese secretary, in charge of the ploded in flame, file;;. He Jiad only time to escape � \�fK OF TIME through the window and could save nothing. Harry Chow, the Masons' English secretary, was playing cards with friends in the building's lobby when the blaze broke out. He said the card players noticed smoke coming from the next room. They discovered a wall Only several hours before the $35,000 Chinese Free Masons . r-., I building went up in flames ves- Chow Loy Qupng, 73, is tevday!he lodgeTwas.negotiating in good condition m hos- thfe payment for.renewal of its HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE gathered to watch a roaring blaze which engulfed the Chinese Free Masons building on Quebec shortly after 5:30 p.m. Thursday. The fire raged unchecked for over an hour before firemen were able to bring it under control *' �Hal Vandervoortr photo-----"inunTty" pita] with burns to his face and neck; He will be released shortly,. Building loss was estimated by Masons officials at $35,000. But one said losses of money and personal effects by the 15 men who lived in the building would likely amount to more than that. There was probably several thousand dollars loss in each room, he said. MANY PENSIONERS Most of the men who poured out of the old two-storey building when Die fire was discovered on the ground floor lost belongings and some money. About half of them were old age pensioners, the rest young men. Half of the men were billeted for the night in a hotel, the rest were taken to private homes by members of the Chinese com- In Attempt to Save Trapped Men . CO A I. BROOK. South Africa (CP) � Rescue teams made contact early today with some of 50G miners trapped 600 feet below ground 'after two cave-ins in it mine near here Thursday. It was not. immediately known how many of the trapped men were alive. Among the rescuers were several hundred men who had been trapped in another part of the FOKT -ST. JOHN (CP) � Without ceremony, the Dominion Bridge Co. next Thursday will hand over the new $5,000,000 Alaska Highway bridge across the Peace River 10 miles south of here to I he' Canadian Army. The bridge replaces a suspension bridge that collapsed Oct. 10, 1957. The opening will bo on lime for the bridge to handle what is expected to be- an unprecedented invasion of nil drilling rigs and equipment into the Canadian north from Mackenzie River west. mine for three hours Thursday. They volunteered for the rescue teams soon after being led to safety, Other rescue workers came from as far as 150 miles away. Rocks still were falling from the mine roof as the rescuers tore at the wall of rubble separating them from the trapped men � six of them white, the rest Negro. "It's sheer hell clown there," one member of the rescue teams said after coming up for a break. "We can hear the roof creaking. Every falling stone sounds like thunder � and all the lime we know our lives are hanging by a thread." Another danger was the constant threat of deadly methane gas seeping into the mine. The trapped men were first reported about a mile away from the rescue teams in a gallery of the Clydesdale north mine. But later officials said they were not certain how much of this distance had been filled by fallen rock. The rescue teams of both white and Negro miners worked in relays of 60 tearing away at the wall of rock which had scaled in the trapped men. One dog-tired rescue worker said: "It's hard to believe there are 500 men down there. We may have to work through a mile of rubble before we reach them. We know it's hopeless." The disaster, some 50 miles from Johannesburg, could be the worst in recent mining history. The last mine disaster-where more than 100 died occurred in Belgium in August, 1956, when 263 workers died after having been trapped for days. The world's worst mine disaster occurred in the llonkeiko colliery in Manchuria in April, 1942, when 1,549 miners were killed. LONDON (API�Aneurin Re-van, the Welsh miner who rose to be Britain's No. 2 socialist, today was reported "very weak" In his fight for life after a major abdominal operation. "Mr. Bevan is very weak." said a medical bulletin issued this morning on the 62-ye'ar-61cl deputy leader of the Labor party. Bevan underwent surgery Dec. 21). His illness has never been announced, although it has been rumored lie was suffering from cancer or a duodenal ulcer. | 1'am leader Hugh Gaitskill denied the cancer rumor. Hevan's own physician. Sir Daniel Dayies, and the surgeon^ who performed the operation, Rodney Maingot and George Qvist called in a fourth doctor for consultation and saw Bevan before issuing today's bulletin. The fourth doctor was a blood specialist. WASHINGTON (AIM � The United States summoned ambassador Philip B. Bonsai home from Havana today, less than two weeks after he had returned to his Cuban post. There were strong indications of official American exaspera tion at Fidel Castro. Vanderteof Rotery Elects Officers VANDERHOOF:�Rotary Club of Vanderhoof Thursday elected an eight-man executive for the coming year. Elected were Bob Anderson, Lorenz French, Vic Smith, Cliff Weeks. Karl Frederiksen, Bill Ogg, Doug Heavenor and Glen Klmball. The executive will meet Feb. 9 to elect a president, vice-president and secret ary-trea.surer frora among its mum- The .big question remains: What can Washington try next to change the course of the bearded Cuban premier without hurting its relations witii the other sensitive Latin American slates? State Secretary Christian Ilcrt-er said Bonsai- was being returned for ''consultations." He had gone back to Havana Jan. 10 after a month of similar consultations.' The new move falls short of a break in relations with the year-old Castro regime, but U.S. officials made plain that they arc in no hurry to send Bonsai back. The new low in U.S.-Cuban relations was struck early Thursday after Castro went on a radio-TV broadcast. The Spanish ambassador became so outraged at Castro's allegations of criminal ties by Spain's embassy that he stormed the broadcasting studio. Castro kicked him out of Cuba, and he too was to leave Havana today. Knife Police were called to the Red Bird Cafe late Thursday after reports a man had drawn a knife on another in an argument over his wife. No charges were laid. Bill Ispistr told police a man sitting next to him on the bus between Quesriel and Prince George had picked his pocket of a wallet containing S25. Robert Burke complained three men robbed him of his watch and wallet including $15 in a lane between George and Dominion. Yet another power saw was reported stolen from the back of a truck Thursday. Clarence Rahn told RCMP he wasn't sure exactly when the theft occurred. It was the fifth saw reported stolen in similar circumstances I in recent weeks. Only $7,000 insurance was carried on the building, headquarters for Chinese Free Masons in the North Cariboo. There arc about 50 local members of the lodge . NEW BUILDING A meeting will be called to plan construction of a new building, likely on the site of the wrecked building. Masonic spokesmen said there had been talk of a new building before but now action will have to be taken. The lodge was formed here $7,000 insurance policy. Renewal had been assured earlier this month but payment hadn't been made. The policy covers the loss however in spite of the fact it wasn't paid up. Harry Chow, the lodge's English secretary, said he had taken out a three-year policy earlier this month when the former one-year coverage expired. Yesterday he went to the insurance company to make payment for the policy, to cost the Masons 10 per cent less because of the longer terms. The insurance man wouldn't take the money, saying he had to clear the deduction with head office. But he assured Mr. Chow the policy was valid even though the premium had not been paid. Mr. Chow said he had been planning to bring the matter of more insurance at the next Mason meeting "l)ecaiis'e""";S7.000 isn't enough to buy a kitchen," he said. WILLIAMS LAKE !CP) � George David Bell, 21, of Williams Lake, was killed here Thursday when struck by a steel stake while unloading a logging truck. Police said the stake broke loose and hit Bell. He is survived by his parents and a sister, all of Wil- some 42 years ago when the' Hams Lake. VANCOUVER W � Maximum terms of 14 years each were handed Ronald Parsons, 39, and his wife, Molly, 41, in assize court here Thursday on charges of trafficking in narcotics. Mr. Justice A. M. Manson, in passing sentence, said: "Selling narcotics is a most heinous crime, worse than murder. It kills not only the body but the soul." He also suggested that Parsons loe indicted as an habitual criminal because he admitted 18 previous convictions. Parsons turned white and muttered under his breath and his wife broke into tears when the sentences were handed clown. Parsons was also given a consecutive one-year term for jumping $10,000 bail. He was arrested in Prince George on a breaking and entering charge after he disappeared from Vancouver, forcing adjournment of the narcotics traffic king trial. RCMP here said today Par-ions will be returned to Prince vicorge later this month to face Ihe breaking and entering charge and a probable further charge under the drug act. Parsons, along with 27-year-old Robert Roland Taylor, was arrested Jan. 14 after theft from the Cunningham Drug Store of goods and pills. The pills were sent to Vancouver for analysis. Taylor pleaded guilty here Jan. 15 to the breaking and entering charge and will appear for sentencing Saturday .It is expected he also will face another charge under the drug act. The man who jumped from the window was presumed to have been sleeping and was aroused by shouts of "fire" just in lime to save his !if� Mr. Justice F. K. Collins Thursday dismissed a Supreme Court action for $030,000 lodged against four prospectors by geologist Charles Stowell of Burna'by, B.C. The suit was laid in connection with the staking of a C'as-slar, B.C., asbestos property in 1949. The deposit now is valued at $45,000,000. Stowell, a UBC student at the time, alleged he showed the location of the deposit to Victpv Sit tier. Edmonton; Robert Kirk. Lower Post, B.'C; Ronald Kirk. Edmonton; and Hiram Nelson. Dartmouth, N.S.. after they agreed to give him one-fifth in- IN FAIR CONDITION today in hospital is 23-year-old Frank Eng, who jumped to safety from a second-.storey windbw of the Chinese Free Masons building levelled by fire Thursday night. �Hal Vandervoort photo Fire Chief August Dornhicrer warned today that the Chinese Free Masons building fire yesterday once again points up the need for a ladder truck for his dc: partmenl. He said the- fire could have VANCOUVER CP) � Hon. Thomas C. Davis, 70. politician, jurist and diplomat, died here Thursday. The former Canadian ambassador to Nationalist China, West Germany, and Japan died of a heart attack while visiting friends. The funeral will be held in his native Prince Albert, Sask. Mr. Davis served two terms as Liberal attorney-general in Saskatchewan, briefly sat on the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal and served as a deputy minister of national war services. He complained of "inconsiderate motorists" who drove over fire hose. The chief warned this was contrary to a city bylaw and said this can rupture or cause serious damage to this vital Chief Dornbiercr said he was grateful to the Salvation Army and the National Hotel for bringing coffee to firemen, and to firemen's wives who brought sandwiches. Molester Vanishes Police said today they believe a man responsible for molesting a number of children recently may have left the district. There have been no further reports of incidents since two young girls were accosted in the Salmon Valley and Old Summit Lake Road areas Monday. FIRE CHIEF DOKNBIEKER been quelled "in half the time" if the fire department had the ladder truck he has been seeking for the last three years. Chief Dornbierer said this was "the third occasion" this piece of equipment has been needed here in recent months. (Earlier story cm Page 3) A signed statement by the accused was ruled admissahle by Judge C. W. Morrow in a trial-within-atrial this morning as the trial of 41-year-old Olan Pcrin, of Fort St. James, went into its second day. Perin is charged with criminal negligence in connection with the. The chief said another request i shooting OcL 31 of Indian trap- for a ladder truck, to cost some $50,000, will be made to city council in his annual report to be submitted shortly. A car driven by machinist George Mclvin. 1720 Juniper, caught fire near Third and Queensway at 7:45 a.m. today as he was driving to work. Amount of damage is undetermined . Fire in the late model car was confined to the motor. � Mr. Melvin said he saw flames shoot from under the hood. He ran into Prince George Machinery Depot, where he works, and got an extinguisher. With help of the fire department the blaze was ciuiekly put out. per Ernest Peters, 57, near Fort St. James, 110 miles northwest of here. Judge Morrow ruled Perin's statement, taken by RCMP Const. William Mason a few hours after the incident, admissable "having been given voluntarily." Defence counsel Frank Perry objected to its inclusion charging Const. Mason had been bellit-'er-ent" to the accused, and that Perin, an American, was not sure' of his rights al the time the statement was taken. Mr. Perry told the court Const. .Mason had referred to Perin as "the Yankee with the plane," which the policeman denied, saying he had used the term "American." First day and a half of the trial was taken up by a parade oE Crown witnesses. Trial was expected to continue for at least the remainder of today. A few clouds today and Saturday. Variable cloudiness with a few light snow flurries around Prince George. Not quite so cold. Light winds. Low tonight ! and high Saturday in Quesnel i and Prince George 10 below and i 10 above. Smithers () and 20. Peace Iliver Kcgioh Sunny with cloudy intervals today and Saturday. Not much change in temperature. Light winds. Low tonight and high Saturday at Grande Prairie, 10 below and 10 above. SUB-ZERO TEMPERATURES hampered firemen in their frantic efforts to quell the blaze which razed the Chinese Free Masons building Thursday night. Ice formed on their clothing making their desperate task all the more difficult. �Hal Vandervoort photo Lo Hi P recip. Prince George 1 -IS tr. Terrace 21 14 __ Smithers 13 -C5 __ Quesnel 5 -13 __ K am loops 5 3 .02 Dawson Creek 1 -21 tr. Fort St. John 3 -10 __ Fort Nelson 0 -21 � WhiLehorse 8 �1(1 CM*