Sewickley Herald

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Herald
The Sewickiey Valley's Home-News Weekly
Vol. XXXI.   No. 33.
SEWICKLEY.. PA., FRIDAY, JULY 6, 1934
Price 5 Cents
Xigljtnirtg   Strikes ^Agatn
In the midst of a sudden thunderstorm at 5:45 last Friday afternoon, a
man carrying a small child descended
from his car in front of the office of
Dr. W. C. Martin, 329 Broad Street.
A blinding flash, a thunderous roar,
the air filled, shrapnel-like, with flying
pieces of slate—and instinctively the
man threw his arm upward to shield
himself and the child. Lightning had
struck the steeple of the Methodist
Church, throwing slate all around; but
only one very small piece struck the
man with the child; it had sufficient
force to cut through his fingernail and
imbed itself in tho flesh.
Other pedestrians narrowly missed
' injury by the flying slate, which punctured the church roof in many places
and littered the sidewalks. Fire Chief
Doughty and Police Chief Barclay hurried to the scene and roped off the sidewalks, as more slate might come down
at any time. On Sunday those attending
service used the side entrance.
It was third time the steeple had been
struck; the picture on this page shows
the ornament that used to top the spire,
which was not replaced after the last
lightning attack. Now there has been
some sentiment in favor of demolishing
the spire almost down to the level of
the clock; but this radical change in
what has come to be regarded as one
of the town's distinctive features has
not yet been decided upon. Adjustment
of the insurance award (it's likely to
cost about $900 to repair spire and
roof) will have great weight in determining  the   character  of  the  repairs.
Tho same bolt, or another almost
simultaneous, ripped past Heuler's bakery on Beaver Street, putting out the
lights, fusing several light sockets;
knocked the top from the chimney of
Jackson's garage; blew out fuses in the
homo of Frank LaEoy, Locust Place
and blackened the ceiling, blowing out
the fuses in the Sewickiey Hardware
and Paint Company store.
On Tuesday evening, lightning struck
in several places in the Valley, dimming
tho lights in homos and stores several
times, then putting them out entirely
for several moments. In.tho Sewickiey
Thoatro it was quite dark for a moment,
as house lights and projector were both
off, only tho safety exit-lights showing.
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ENJOYABLE FOURTH
Big Crowd at Community Celebration
Several hundred residents of the Valley and thqir friends enjoyed a very
safe and sane Fourth of July at the
YMCA field on "Wednesday afternoon.
After an exciting baseball game, told
of in another column, a pot show was
staged, with the contestants and their
small owners marching back and forth
before tho crowded grandstand until
the applause for each candidate was
strongest for Jean "Winnc and her pet
raccoon, "Jack," which crawled contentedly over the shoulders of her
father H. B. Winite. The coon, which
is quite young, was picked up by Mr.
Winno recently, who notified tho proper
authorities, as it is illegal to keep one;
they told him to keep it until they
could come and got it, so he's still
keeping it. A largo white duck, held
in tho arms of Jack Edgar, won second
prize. There wore other prizes for somo
of tho dogs, of various sizes and colors,
which wore exhibited by boys and girls.
Mombors of tho Ambridge Tumveroin,
young mon and girls, then sot up thoir
horizontal bars and other gymnasium
apparatus, and gave a really fine exhibition. Tho girls' squad marched and
did calisthenics to tho music of a piano
mounted on a truck; the men did many
feats" on parallel bars, high horizontal
bar and gymnasium "horse," some of
tho girls also showing great gymnastic
ability too. Human pyramids about as
picturesque as the firework sot-pieces
of other days were erected, making a
scries of colorful pictures. Music from
Paul Ferry's public address system also
accompanied some of tho acts.
After that the crowd scattered over
tho field to take part in individual tests
of skill. Dorothy Fishor beat all comers
in tossing colored bean bags through
tho "mouth" of a big canvas Mickey
Mouse, with Mrs. John Snodgrass second, Dorothy Graham third and Florence Ycagor fourth. Ann Moborly was
able to keep more tennis balls in a cardboard keg than any other of the many
women and girls who tried it, while
Mrs. Emrich was second, Olive Johnson
third and Mrs. Joseph Buzard fourth.
Mrs. Morowood hit tho dummy with the
roiling pin four times out of five, with
Mrs. Ford second, Mrs. Emrich third
and Mrs. McDonald fourth.
William Johnson won the horseshoe
pitch for accuracy, with Harry Saunders second and G. W. Nestor third.
H. H. Pearco and Jim Taylor both
trundled tho wheelbarrow straight down
the strait and narrow path, so closely
that thoy had to try again, Pearce winning by staying right on tho line. C.
Beeman was only two and three-quarter
inches off, and William Pagan won 4th
prize by straying only two and soven-
oighths inches.
Marjorie Pearce won the volleyball
throw for distance, Mary Martin second,
Ann Rupert third and Dorothy Cook
fourth. Carl Norton showed greatest
accuracy in tossing a baseball into a
barrel from the pitcher's box, with
Regis Thein second and Frank Palloiio
third.
One of tho funniest performances of
the day was provided by a group of
youths with long red, green, violet and
pink balloons attached to the rear of
thoir bolts. Placed in a largo circle,
they wore given tightly rolled newspapers and given the word to "bust"
the balloons. In a free-for-all in which
both individual duels wero fought as
well as several youths "ganging up"
on one lone player, only four unbroken
balloons wero left. Then tho fun began as each tried to break another's
balloon and keep his own intact. Joe
Hatton won, with Philip Halm second,
Ed Joseph third and G. M. Miller fourth.
Some othor prizes were then awarded.
Mrs. Fletcher was given a pockctbook,
William Engcl a sweat-shirt; Harry
Saunders a billfold, Henry Cook ice
cream, Dick Angell a shaving sot;
Chief Barclay a pair of shoos half-solcd
and heolod; Philip Hahn a Herald subscription; other prizes Went to Virginia
Kirk, Mrs. Rogers, Mrs. Taylor, Walter
Gray, Mrs, F. C. Bonner, Alex Taylor,
Mrs. Holthaus, Mrs. McDonald and Miss
Mary Rogers.
Everyone taking part in the afternoon
program was ontortainod in a wholesome
and neighborly way; tho committees of
tho various organizations conducting
the events may well feel satisfied wit\«
the success of the day's activities.
Really, thoy didn't miss the cannon
craekorsi   And nobody got hurt.
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