Cincinnati Enquirer - May 10, 2006
City hall may contain treasure
Project to see if mural underneath
BY DAN KLEPAL | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER
Workers at Cincinnati City Hall will begin peeling back the years this week - along with decades-old paint, glue and acoustical tile - from the ceiling inside council chambers in an attempt to uncover a mystery.
The effort could lead to a larger project to restore a piece of the city's history, covered more than 70 years ago.
It is believed that local artist Charles Pedretti, a world-famous muralist who lived in Price Hill, painted the ceiling of council chambers as part of a $25,000 contract he won to be the interior designer when the building was under construction from 1888 to 1893.
The murals were covered with acoustical tiles in the 1930s because it was difficult to hear debates of the day in the enormous room.
No one has seen the murals since they were covered, and there are few photographs taken before 1935 that show any part of the ceiling.
Pedretti complained in 1935 to an Enquirer reporter about his work being buried.
"Pedretti lamented the fact that cherubs and artistic figures which he painted on the ceiling of council chambers have been covered up in the city's program of improving acoustics of the auditorium," says the article. Another clue can be found in the official dedication program, dated May 13, 1893, which provides this description of the chambers: "The panels of the ceilings are frescoed with seals of the nation, of the state, of the county and of the city."
Scaffolding will be installed in council chambers Monday, so a small section of the tiles can be removed during the next two weeks.
Joel Koopman, principal architect for the city, said Pedretti's murals were probably painted on plaster and canvas. It will cost $5,000 to study a small portion of the ceiling, and that is being done before routine maintenance is performed.
"It's time to paint and restore some water damage," Koopman said. "But we want to do this investigation before that work, so we don't do any more damage if it is something that can be restored."
If the murals are salvageable, the next step will be to figure out how much it will cost and how to pay for it. Any restoration work could be years off, Koopman said.
The local architectural firm of Fearing & Hagenauer will supervise the project. And staff from the Cincinnati Art Museum will evaluate the murals.
Stephen Bonadies, interim co-director of the museum, said the type of glue used to attach the tiles could make all the difference.
"If the glue can be softened or dissolved, it's possible to remove it," Bonadies said. "If it's something like a more modern adhesive, like carpenter's glue, (restoration) would be quite a task."
Pedretti was trained in Italy before retuning to Cincinnati and opening a business with his brother. They painted murals in houses and municipal buildings in the city.
A 1990 maintenance project in council chambers didn't include a peek at the murals. The city considered removing all the acoustical tiles, but determined the $300,000 price tag was too expensive.
"We don't believe it is high art," then-superintendent of architecture Ronald Kull said at the time, adding that removal of the tiles would likely "rip up the canvas."
Koopman said acoustics wouldn't suffer much if the tiles are removed from the ceiling. There's a state-of-the-art sound system in the chambers today. He also said placing tiles over artwork isn't the only questionable design decision made.
Over the years, he said, shag carpeting and wood paneling were placed over marble in the mayor's office.
But Koopman says people nowadays shouldn't be too critical of decisions made decades ago.
"I don't fault them. That's just the way they did things," Koopman said. "They had an issue, they put tile in. It was a different time. But with everything we do today, we are mindful of what City Hall is - a historic piece of architecture.
"And this is a special project."
(Note: The 1930 U.S. Federal Census lists Charles and "Mina" Pedretti residing on Pedretti Ave in the Delhi - the western area of Cincinnati. Charles' Occupation: Interior Decorator.)
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1. Michael Betscher (1793-1861)
2. Caspar Betscher (1823-1877)
3. Wilhelmina Betscher-Pedretti (1864-1945)
Charles Pedretti (1864-1941)
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Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Earl Betscher Jr. - Part 2
I found this posting on the Internet today, and it may be of interest to some of you Betscher readers (See previous posting, entitled "Earl L. Betscher"dated 16 Aug 2004):
This concerns the C-47 Air Force plane crash in Alaska 5 Feb 1954
when Earl L. (Bob) Betscher was killed:
Touching the Ancient One: A True Story of Tragedy and Reunion
On February 5, 1954 , an Air Force C-47 broke apart over the Susitna Valley of South Central Alaska and fell onto Kesugi Ridge. Six miraculously escaped, survived bone-chilling cold, and were rescued through the efforts of pilots Cliff Hudson and Don Sheldon. Unacquainted with one another before the accident, the Air Force men bonded in the hospital. Forty-two years later, the survivors and their families, the families of the victims, and rescuers came together for a reunion in Dayton , Ohio
Published 2006 Rupert Pratt
Biography/Autobiography
392 Pages
ISBN 1587365812
Here is an excerpt from the book, which related to
Earl "Bob" Betscher
Chapter Five
February 5. 1954: I tell about it here, relating what I experienced. The
experiences of others I also include, as told to me and/or substantiated
by military records. In addition, other anecdotal material has surfaced,
some only recently. At the time I was unaware of these peripheral, though
related happenings. I include them because they add perspective.
In the pre-dawn, Maude Betscher was out of bed to see her husband
off. She was six weeks pregnant and had been deathly sick every day.
Today was no exception. With twenty-two-month-old Keith still
sleeping, they kept their voices down.
Lt. Earl "Bob" Betscher was about to leave for Elmendorf to
prepare for the day's flight. He'd been outside to start the car. Maudie
shivered because of the cold he'd brought back inside the trailer. When
he was ready to go, she smiled at the jaunty angle of his battered flight
cap.
"Be careful, Bob." She whispered.
He smiled his broadest smile that said without words. "I will"
"Where to today?"
"Fairbanks
gers. Should be back early, though. You?"
" I thought I might take Keith and go visit Ann Cunningham----
provided I feel better".
For several days she had wanted to make the trip into town. Living
in Mountain View , Alaska
sometimes she needed to visit the broader world.
"See you tonight". He said.
Earl Betscher Jr - Part 1
Earl was killed near Anchorage, Alaska in the crash of a C-47 Air Force plane. News concerning this sad event were published in the following articles of the Cincinnati Enquirer newspaper:
Sunday, February 7, 1954:CINCINNATIAN IN PLANE CRASH - AIR FORCE JET PILOT MAY BE ONE OF THE SURVIVORS SIGHTED IN ALASKA
A Cincinnati pilot was aboard the Air Force C-47 which crashed late Friday near Anchorage, Alaska, his parents learned last night in a telegram from the Air Force. Hope for his safety continued when it was reported that three of the plane's 16 passengers had been rescued. None of the survivors was identified immediately.
The Cincinnatian is Ist Lt. Earl Betscher Jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. Earl Betscher, 7973 Keller Road. Lt. Betscher, a former University of Cincinnati student, had been in the Air Force since 1948. He had been stationed at the Elmendorf Air Force Base since August 1982, and is chief of the jet maintenance section there.
An Associated Press dispatch said three survivors were found "in good condition" by two bush pilots and an Air Force surgeon last night. They were found about 15 miles from the site of the crash, in the rugged foot hills of Mt. McKinley, 78 miles northeast of Anchorage. It was not known whether they had parachuted to safety or walked to the point.
The dispatch also said two other survivors were sighted from the air at the plane wreckage. Near blizzard conditions hindered rescue operations.
The plane, on a routine training flight from Elmendorf to Ladd Air Force Base when it crashed, carried besides the Cincinnati ooficer, two Army officers, 11 other Air Force men and a three-man Air Force crew. It was unknown whether Lt. Betscher was flying as a crew member or a passenger.
Monday, February 8, 1954:
SIX MEN FLOWN TO SAFETY FROM ALASKA AIR CRASH BUT CINCINNATI PILOT IS NOT ON LIST
Six men who parachuted from an explosion-ripped Air Force transport near Anchorage, Alaska, Friday, were flown to nearby Elmendorf Air Force yesterday, but officials did not say whether the Cincinnati pilot aboard was one of the survivors.
The Cincinnati pilot, Ist Lt. Earl Betscher Jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. Earl Betscher, 7973 Keller Rd., was reported to be among 16 persons aboard the twin-engine C-47 when it exploded on a routine flight between Elmendorf and Ladd Air Base at Fairbanks.
An Air Force-manned helicopter and a bush pilot flew two of the suvivors to the settlement of Taikkeetna and four to Curry, a town on the Alaska Railroad line about 125 miles north of Anchorage, near Mt. McKinley. Rescue headquarters had been set up at Curry.
The first two survivors to reach Elmendorf Hospital were identified as Airman 1/c Bobby G. Sallis, 21, West Nellena, Ark., and Airman 2/c Eli R. LeDuke, 20, Ausable Forks, N.Y. Hospital authorities said they were treated for shock and exposure and neither was able to relate his ordeal.
However, Cliff Hudson, a bush pilot who first spotted the wreckage, said the survivors told him they were lying on the floor of the plane when an explosion ripped open the fuselage and hurled them out and clear. They could not explain the blast; nor could they tell what happened to the others aboard.
The aircraft smashed into the snow-blanketed wilderness 75 miles northeast of Anchorage, 15 miles from Curry. Weather was reported to be poor, hampering the two helicopters and five airplanes from Elmendorf. Deep snow and the mountainous terrain held up an Air Force land party. Maj. Carl M. Russell, wing surgeon at Elmendorf, was flown in to the scene Saturday and passed the night with the survivors when the weather ended rescue operations for the day.
Saturday, February 13, 1954:AIR CRASH FATAL TO CINCINNATIAN, PARENTS LEARN
The parents of Ist Lt Earl Betscher Jr. learned yesterday that their son died Febrary 5 in the crash of a twin-engine C-47 on a routine flight between Air Force bases in Alaska. The plane crashed in a heavily wooded area 75 miles northeast of Anchorage, 15 miles from Curry, Alaska.
No definite word of the late 28-year-old Air Force pilot had been obtained until Mr. and Mrs. Betscher, 7973 Keller Rd., received a Defense Department telegram yesterday afternoon.
The message gave no details but said a letter containing full information about the officer's death was being forwarded.
Lt. Betscher was among 16 persons aboard the aircraft. Reports from 6 survivors indicated that a mid-air explosion took place. They say that they were blown clear of the plane prior to the crash. A rescue team, hampereed by deep snow and bad weather, reached the scene of the crash Monday and reported the finding of two bodies.
Ist Lt. betscher, who was participating in a training exercise, had been an Air Force pilot since 1948.
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The Alaska Veterans Memorial
"We dedicate this place to the remembrance of the veterans of Alaska who have served their country at home and throughout the world. We honor their heroism and dedication."
At Mile 147.2 of the Parks Highway between Anchorage and Fairbanks is a memorial that is beautifully designed to complement its setting, which is itself an important part of the memorial's statement. For travelers, the memorial provides both a refreshing stop along the highway, and an important insight into Alaska's history
Outside the Visitors' Center adjacent to the memorial are several interpretive signs that describe the role of the military in the Bering Sea during the Civil War, and Alaska's World War II and Cold War military history. One of the other panels describes the 1954 rescue of the survivors of a plane crash, by Alaskan bush pilot Cliff Hudson. The C-47 broke up in mid-air enroute from Fairbanks to Anchorage, falling on Kesugi Ridge about 14 miles from the memorial. Ten crew members and passengers were killed, while six others survived. Those still living in 1998, and families of the victims, climbed the ridge and located the site of the wreckage, which had not been disturbed since the rescue. The family members paid for a monument honoring the victims and survivors, and established a fund for the perpetual maintenance of it. The monument, of which two views are seen below, was dedicated in July 1998.
(http://www.explorenorth.com/articles/akvetmem.htm)
(Note: Plaque indicates "Capt Earl L. Betscher" - no doubt a promotion for Earl posthumously)
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1. Michael Betscher (1793-1861)
2. Louis G. Betscher (1830-1918)
3. Earl L. Betscher (1897-1961)
4. Earl L. Betscher, Jr. (1925-1954)
2. Louis G. Betscher (1830-1918)
3. Earl L. Betscher (1897-1961)
4. Earl L. Betscher, Jr. (1925-1954)
*********************************************************************************
Melchior Betscher
150TH ANNIVERSARY OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST CHURCH, DRY RIDGE ROAD, COLERAIN TWP, HAMILTON CO, OH:
July 10, 2009
Who were the first families of the parish?
According to past information, it's reported that there were 18 original St. John's parishioners. However, we've only identified the names of eight. These names were listed in the minutes of the church's original organization meeting held on March 1, 1860. They are:
1. Melchior Betscher – The church property was purchased from Betscher and early planning meetings were held at his home.
2. Henry Kleine – Kleine proposed the name of the parish's patron saint, and was an elected trustee
3. Balthasar Stoeckel – Elected chairman
4. Francis Leierer – Elected secretary
5. Francis Maiwurm- Elected trustee
7. Christopher Schaefer – Elected trustee
8. Christopher Listerman – Elected trustee
2. Henry Kleine – Kleine proposed the name of the parish's patron saint, and was an elected trustee
3. Balthasar Stoeckel – Elected chairman
4. Francis Leierer – Elected secretary
5. Francis Maiwurm- Elected trustee
7. Christopher Schaefer – Elected trustee
8. Christopher Listerman – Elected trustee
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"Hamilton County, Ohio Burial Records – Colerain Twp"
R929.50971
QH222
V. 06
Page 13:
At 5351 Dry Ridge Road, in Colerain Township, the northwestern part of Hamilton County, Ohio can be found the school and cemetery of Saint John the Baptist Catholic Church. A tract of 6.11 acres of land were purchased by Archbishop John B. Purcell from Melchior Betscher, he having promised to donate the largest sum to the new church ($500). Henry Kleine was given the honor of proposing the patron saint's name for the the church, having promised the next largest sum of ($400). A deed was recorded at the Hamilton County Courthouse March 13, 1860 in which the burial site was listed for one and thirty six hundredths of an acre. According to the Catholic Telegraph-Register of September 4, 1860, "the cornerstone of the new church of St. John the Baptist was blessed".
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1. Michael Betscher 1793-1861
2. Melchior Betscher 1830-1918
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