UNIVPVITY IVRY
diiit Killed in Car Crash
STATE COLLEGE, PA.. TUESDAY MORNING, DECEMBER 2, 1958 FIVE CENTS
VOL. 59. No. 55
Killed, 100 Injured
hicago School Fire
88
In
By The Associated Press
JP)—Eighty-eight children and teachers burned -to death yesterday , and
, in a fire that flashed through a parochial grade school 18 minutes before
CHICAGO
100 were injure
dismissal.
l'ty that an arsonist had touched off one of Chicago's worst disasters was
ed by a picked team of police - detectives and firemen.
The possibi
being investiga
Seventy-one of the dead were
laid out at the county morgue.,
many of them awaiting identifi
cation. Another 17 were distrib
uted among seven hospitals.
The sudden spread of the flames
through the older wing of the
three-story brick building prompt
ed Chicago's fire commissioner to
express a belief an arsonist was
behind the disaster.
The tragedy stunned the entire
neighborhood about Our Lady of
the Angels Roman Catholic
Church and School at 3808 lowa
St.
Kinfolk and neighbors push
ed against tight police lines for
a gliztipse of the little corpses,
fearful that they might recog-
nize one as that of a loved one.
Priests who at first helped evac
uate as many of the children as
possible .later stood at the doors
of the doomed structure, admin
istering Extreme Unction, last
rite of the Catholic Church, as
grim -faced firemen carried out
bodies.
The bodies were removed to
the morgue and to hospitals.
There again was the cry, "where
are our children? Where are our
Children?"
"This could have ben a touch
off," Fire Commissioner Robert
Quinn said in anger. "Touch
off" is The fireman's word fox
the legal term of arson.
The police arson squad was sent
to the scene to help fire investi
gators.
The fire virtually wiped out
the eighth grade class housed in
the northeast corner of the old
wing of the building.
The school is U-shaped with a
paved court between arms of the
U. The Rev. Joseph F. Cussen,
pastor of the parish, said the
building is 40 years old and that
fifth, sixth, and eighth grade chil
dren occupied the wing attacked
by fire.
Most classrooms were en the
(Continued on, page three) )
.
4 .11 4
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6 ' '.
FOR A BETTER PENN STATE
Gator Snubs Lions
Despite 25-21 Win
If the members of Penn State's football team decide to
forego the television version of the 1958 Gator Bowl over
Christmas recess, it wouldn't be too surprising.
After all, when the Lions bumped traditional rival Pitts
burgh, 25-21, at Pitt- Stadium Thanksgiving Day, they had
hopeful dreams of playing in that,
post-season bowl. 1
But both bids went to two
Southeastern Conferencc teams—
third place Mississippi (8-2) and
fourth place Florida (6-3-1).
In fact, the Lions weren't even
'considered seriously for the nod
—Sam Wolfson to the contrary.
Wolfson, G a tor Bowl selection
committee chairman, told the
Daily Collegian last Monday that
'the winner of the State-Pitt game
would "be considered seriously"
for a Gator berth.
But Wolfson changed his minds
between Monday and Thursdayd
For before the Turkey Day game,
'newsmen in the Stadium press
box were informed that a Pitt
win would earn it a Gator spot
while a State victory would only
bring , disappointment to Pitt—
and it did.
The victory, witnessed by somel
39,000 shivering fans in 20-degreel
weather, ranks as one of the]
"sweetest" in Penn State football
annals. Not only because it was
,over the Lions' most bitter rival,
but also because of the method
of victory.
Pitt led for most of the game'
and at the intermission had a
14-0 spread. But the, Lion si
stormed back in the second half
and buried the deflated Panthers
under - a running-passing ava
lanche.
It was the finest comeback win
since the Lions edged Syracuse
21-20 three years ago on the pin
point passing of quarterback Milt
Plum, now of the Cleveland
Browns.
What kind of fire did Coach
(Continued on page six)
Cloudy Skies,
Cold Predicted
The weather outlook for to
dal is cold and partly cloudy
with a possible high of 31 de
grees and a low of 19 degrees
predicted.
The prediction for tomorrow
is - 'aoudy and cold with some
light snow •likely during the
afternoon.
By LOU PRATO
Sports Editor
NC State Whips Nittany Cagers,7o=s4
By SANDY PADWE
North Carolina State's basket-'
ball team didn't show Penn State
any Southern hospitality las ti
night as it beat the Lions, 70-54,1
in the 1958 lidlifter before 7000'
screaming fans at Reynolds Me
morial
Coliseum in Raleigh.
Two small men—Penn State's
Mark DuMars and North Carolina
State's Lou Pucillo—put on a scor
ing and passing display that had
the big throng cheering through
out the game.
The two -5-9 mighty mites
scored 27 points between them
(14 for DuMars and 13 for Pu
cillo). But their passing and not
scoring had the crowd going
d.
Penn State took an early lead
Death Marks First
'58 2 59 Auto Fatality
' Gerald D. Wanner became the first student auto accident
fatality of the school year when he was killed in a head-on
collision early Sunday morning.
Wanner, senior in mechanical engineering from Shoe
ri. the two-car crash on the
makersville, died instantly i
Pottsville Pike near Reading.
Also killed was the driver of
the other car, Richard Schaeffer,
a 204 ear-old serviceman from
Lebanon County.
Earl Hess, 24, also of Shoe
makersville and a passenger In
Wanner's car, was critically in
jured in the crash. Although
still in serious condition, Com
munity General Hospital offi
cials in Reading report Hess as
"slightly improved."
State Police in Reading said
Gerald D. Wanner
Year's First Fatality
that the accident occurred on a'.
2-lane concrete bridge. They said
it was difficult to learn how it
happened, since both drivers were
killed and Hess was still in a
condition such that he could not
be questioned.
They could not determine if
either or both cars were going
too fast for the traffic conditions
present at the time. According to
police, there was no ice on the
narrow Berkley Bridge, but there
'was a light snowfall.
The narrowness of the bridge
seems to loom as the most prob
able reason for the head-on
crash at this point in the hives
ligation by police.
Wanner was going north on
,Pottsville Pike, Route 122, when)
`!the mishap occurred. His room-1
mate said that he was not oni
his way back to school at thei
time. Wanner, 21, was driving his
own car, a 1955 Ford, according
to police.
He is the son of Mr. and Mrs.
Harold L. Wanner. His sister,
Helen, is a freshman in home eco-,
,nomics at the University. Funeral
services are scheduled to be held,
this afternoon.
in the game and was leading at
the 10-minute mark, 13-12. Then
the Wolfpack began to roll.
The Nittanies fought back be
hind the rebounding of Tommy
Hancock and the scoring of Du-
Mars and Ted Kubista to narrow
the Wolfpack lead to 28-24 with
three minutes remaining in the
first half. But the Wolfpack really
got hot and broke the game open
with five straight goals and the
first half ended with the Nittanies
behind, 37-28.
Penn Slate couldn't make up
the nine-point deficit that the
Wolfpack had rolled up at the
end of the first half. But they
made the game interesting.
DuMars' passing kept the Lions
in the game as he set-up Bob Ed
wards and Kubista beautifully.
Not to be'outdone North Carolina
State's Pucillo kept the crowd
By DON CASCIATO
Prexy Asks
$581,250 for
Student Aid
President Eric A. Walker hag
asked the federal government
for $521,250 to be made available
for student loans next semester
and the two succeeding school
years.
Walker has informed the gov
ernment of the University's. de
sire to take part in a loan pro
gram of the National Defense
Education Act of 1958 which
authorizes up to $260,000 a year
to each participating institution.
"Already there is evidence
that our students are interested
in this program;' Walker said.
"Our inquiries have come, not
only from students, but also
from many parents eager to
know more about the act and
the opportunities it provides."
On the basis of the Univeisity's
prior experience with student
loans, Walker is seeking $116,250
for the rest of the 1958-59 year
and $232,500 for
_each of the two
succeeding years.
Wilbur Wise, assistant to the
dean of men who handles student
loans, said yesterday that the
money asked by Walker would
be in addition to that already
;provided by ,the Board of Trus
tees.
- The Trustees have made
562,000 available for next se
mester. This semester's fund
of about $50,000 is almost de
pleted.
"The only money we have left
this semester is for extreme
emergencies." Wise said. "There
is very little left."
The U.S. Office of Education,
who administers the federal loan
[ program, has indicated it hopes
to make loans available by Feb
ruary.
The money is to be used for,
essential education expenses as
tuition and required fees, room
and hoard, instructional supplies,
equioment and books.
The education office asks
that special consideration be
givn-t fn superior studtnts in-
(Continued on. page r.!ght)
Pitt-Penn State Movies
Will Be Shown Tonight
Movies of the Pitt-Penn State
football game will be shown
at 8:00 p.m. tonight in room 119
Osmond.
humming by matching DuMars
play for play.
Although he was disappointed
with the outcome of the opener,
Lion coach John Egli liaf a lot of
praise for DuMars and Hancock.
"For playing in his first college
game DuMars really looked good,'
Egli said, "and you can't take any
thing away from Hancock be
cause his rebounding was great."
Hancock had 15 rebounds to lead
the Lions in that department.
North Carolina State coach
Everett Case had s lot of praise
for the Lions even though they
lost._ and dubbed them as "the
best Penn State team" his teams
have faced in the last few years.
The story of the game can best
be told in the statistics. North
Carolina State connected on 39
per cent of its field goal attempts
(Continued on page eight)