Sewickley Herald

              The
The Sewickley Valley’s
News Weekly
Voi. 44 No.' 10
SEWICKLEY, PA., THURSDAY, MARCH 6, 1947
Price Five Cents
Spectacular Blaze Drives Out Five Families
Left: Smoke and flames billowing out of the second floor and roof of a house owned by Miss Hazel McDonald, 301 Miller Way, on Sunday, February 23rd. The blaze, started by a gas stove on the second floor, was confined to the upper story and roof by Sewickley firemen. Bedding, furniture and clothing of five families was wiped out by. the fire.
Right: Sewickley firemen pouring water into the window, where flames could be see roaring and swirling about. The building housed five families, whose clothing and housing needs were met immediately by the Bed Cross, The Bed Cross is also making plans for meeting the future needs. of those made homeless by the blaze as part of the disaster relief program.
Photos toy John iHaibiber, Jr.
ANOTHER BAD FIRE
$7,000 Blaze Damages Duplex
A duplex owned by Walter Wilson at '601 Hill Street, was damaged to the apparent extent of $4,500 and1 clothing, furniture and personal possessions of Mr. Wilson and .the tenants estimated •to toe worth $2,500, were destroyed or damaged in a blaze which was discovered by W.H, Terry at 9:53 p. m. Monday. The Are, started from an overheated furnace, was blazing in the first floor hall when Mr. Terry, who lives on the first floor, discovered it; lie ran next door to the Goeddel residence to call the fire department.
Firemen arrived to find smoke pouring from the house and made a quick hook-up to .the fireplug at the corner, only to findl that "the plug was frozen. That necessitated some delay, while lines were laid to two other pings a ■block away in each direction and the blaze 'gained further headway. Big lines were laid with the pumper pulling water from both plugs and a erew : of hosemen entered the smoke-filled ■ house to fight the 'blaze in the basement and first floor hall, while other crews, with 1% inch lines attacked the j fire from the outside. Holes were cut s through the asbestos shingles and then the siding to open the partitions, : through which flames were racing to [. the space under the roof.
Inside, once the fire which burned the cellar joists away was out, hose | crews, cut open partitions in the rooms f and closets to got at tho flames there. | Holes wore also out in the ceilings of Ithe rooms on tho second floor und firo-|fighters battled in the-thick choking |«moko to extinguish the fire outing | away at tho underside of the roof. ^Difficulty was experienced in cutting ¡ through, tho ceilings ns acoustic board ¿'had been placed on ovor the plastor and |lath. The flromon controlled tho blaze ¡.so well that only in' one place did it
break through the roof, near the chimney in the rear.
'The flames had so weakened the joists of the cellar floor that the floor sagged in the kitchen over the furnace and) the refrigerator slid through to rest on the top of the furnace. The front rooms were damaged mostly by water and smoke, but the woodwork of the front hall, draperies and clothing were badly charred. A wardrobe of clothing -belonging to the tenant of the downstairs apartment, W. H. Terry, was destroyed. Silverware and other articles in heavy woodqn eliests, were not damaged and- most of -his furniture had not arrived, as lie had only moved in Saturday. Mr. and ¡Mrs. Wilson left Monday morning to make their -home in Albuquerque, INaw Mexico. Sewickley police sent out a teletype message and Mr. Wilson notified by St, Louis police, called Chief J, C. Doughty from St. Louis, Mo., atf 4 p. m. Tuesday to learn of the fire.
Mrs. Elsie ¡B. Gray, tenant, of tho second floor apartment, had only moved in that day and fire swept right through the closet where her clothing was kept. Her furniture was damaged by water tout not by the fire, which went up the partitions and then mushroomed in the space under the roof.. Her loss, it is understood, is covered by ’ insurance, but Mr. Terry had no insurance on his things. Damage to the house and furniture owned toy Mr. Wilson, was also coverod by insurance, it is understood.
Observers, chilled by^tho 23-degree wind, wondered audibly, as usual, about the free use of the axes and hatchets by tho firemen, but inspection the next day showed' that in every case, fire was inside tho partition whore the hole was cut. Tho L. and M. Dairy Store sent up hot coffee and a number of neighbors brewed tho same bovorago which was .much appreciated toy tho fire fighters and polico on duty. At last Sunday's firo, it was Isaly’s which furnished tho cream for the coffee sent up by
Steve’s Hotel.
While the fire -was being'fought, firemen built. another fire around the .frozen fire plug. It helped warm half-frozen fingers, tout its main purpose was to thaw out the plug-, which it did about midnight. Then, Fire Chief Doughty, always thinking about the next one, had the lines loaded from the block-distant plugs, so the truck Could go more quickly in ease of another alarm. Two men were left to guard the house ■all night and the next day the fire truck was driven .to the. scene to pick up the ladders and axes left there. The frozen firemen returnd to the 'borough building at 1:30 a. m.
Fire Ghief Doughty considers Sewickley very lucky to have had only two frozen fire- plugs as far back as he can remember. Tile last one was at tlie Edgeworth Club fire in 1928. Despite the cold winters, tlie occurence is very rare due to the cooperation between the Water Department and the Fire Department, IWhen Chief Doughty uses a fire plug for practice lie has the firemen at the plug' test for suction, to sec if it is draining properly. Then, the next day, he notifies the Water Department and they make a double cheek, to see- that the plug is turned off entirely. The plugs have a drain, which empties them after use. and if the valve is turned off entirely, there is no Water remaining in the plug to freeze.
FIREMEN THANK RESIDENTS
The Sewickley Fire Department wishes to express' its thanks and appreciation ito all the residents of Se-wiekloy who contributed to the Firemen’s Fund. The money is used to pay expenses of the firo company not. covered by tho borough's annual appropriation for strictly firo purposes.
THE PUBLIC LIBRARY
■Books recently added:
James Monroe, by Cresson; Under the Red Sea Sun, by Ellsberg; From The Top of The Stairs, by Finletter; Hannah More and Her Circle, by Hopkins; ¡Best plays of .1045-46, by Mantle; In thé Hands of the Senecas, by Edmonds; Toil of The Brave, by Fletcher; Case of the ¡Backward Mule, by Gardner; Green Grass of Wyoming, by O’Hara; The Wild Flag, by White; Lost Treasures of Europe, by LaFargo; The Lincoln Reader, by Angle; Mrs. Mike, by Freemans; The 'Happy Profession, by Sedgwick; Album of American History v. 3, by 'Adams; New Zealand, by Soljak.
'Now on display in the library: Mexican ware loaned by Mrs. Daniel E. ¡Neviii.
Allegheny County Volunteer Firemen’s Association will moot at North ¡Brnddoek Fire Department, March 8, 1047, at 8 p, in,
Mustn’t Tow Sleds
Sewickley police say that a number of citizens have been violating the law during the current snowy weather by permitting children to hitch their sleds behind their automobiles. Great sport, but very dangerous, and in plain ’contravention of Article 1923, Section B of 'the Pennsylvania vehicle code, which forbids riding on running boards, hitching sleds or bicycles or other such attachments, to n "motor car, or permitting it to be dune. Hitcher, driver and owner of the ear are all subject to penalty for such an act.
Polico have so far made no arrests, and hope not.,to have to make any, but wish everyone to realize both the law infraction and the danger involved ill such practices.
A man bought a cigar and started to light it. “Didn’t you notie’e tho sign1?” asked the salesgirl., “What!” exploded the customer, “You sell cigars in here but you prohibit smoking?” The salesgirl smilocl sweetly: “We also sell bath
towels,”
Board of Trade
Ladies’ Nigirt Next Wednesday
Once a year Board of Trade members; their wives and some of their employees, have a first-class evening of social enjoyment at a dinner, with good, food, good entertainment and good fellowship. This year that joyous occasion has been set for next Wednesday evening at the Dorian Club, assembling at 6:30', for which preparations have been, in the making for several weekp past, Dinner, yes, and entertainment, yes; and prizes donated by the stores and other business establishments in Se-wiekley. Earl Myers awdi his subcommittees are making sure that everything will be arranged in the finest style,
Among other attractions will be the appearance in .person of Faye Parker, singer; Buddy O’Neill, mimic extra ordinary; and Dolly Dean, light-footed dancer; with John Schafer, pianist. ’ All are members of the KDKA Tadio station’s Artists’ Service Bureau, familiar to broadcast listeners and coming to Sewickley for this occasion,
^ Facilities of the Dorian Club aro limited, so that not all requests for tickets could bo satisfied so far. There are 75 members of tho Board of Trade, and they have first been given the op portnnity to make reservations each for self and wife, and that may leave but a limited number of places for other guests. Airs. R. D. Ritchoy and J, Conway 'Macon are rounding up tho reservation list. A full attendance seems already assured.
There is some victory gained in every gallant struggle that is made.
—Charles Dickena Not in the clamor of the crowded street,
Not in the shouts and plaudits of the ■ throng,
But in ourselves, are triumph and ■defeat.
^—Longfellow