Bellwood Bulletin 1936-03-26

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4lfo0G&
VOL. XLVII.
BELLWOOD, PA.,1
AFTERMATH OF THE
.    BIG MARCH DELUGE
Damage Wrought by High Water in Blair County WUl Run
Into Millions—Hood Damage Great in all
Juniata River Towns
As we went to press Friday ate
noon of last week, the damagj done
by the unpredented flood of Tuesday and Wednesday waa juat beginning to filter through. Survey of
the flooded districts locally aa given
In these columns laat week was not
by any means overestimated. Farmers living along the Juniata river
and othar'home owners have suffered severely and it may be many
months before they caa regain their
losses to soil and buildings.
Much of the low lying section of
Tyrone is a picture of desolation-
Sunday the pleasant borough to the
east of us was visited by thousands of sight-seeing motorists and
all were of the opinion that the
damage wrought by the flood waters i
to beyond comparison and will ran
into a loss of possible a million and
one-half dollars. The paper mill was
drowned out and it is thought that
work will not bt resumed there for
a number of months. Heavy damage
was don. to. expensive machinery it
may be necessary to rebuild much
which suffered. The less in damaged
-stock of tho merchants on Tenth
street and Pennsylvania avenue is
quite heavy. A number of bridges
crossir-* Bald Eagle creek were
waaheu . t and must be replaced at
heavy expense to the borough, unless the state comes to the aid of
Tyrone, and in the -present instance
it should be forthcoming.
Immediatly after the high water
receded to the normal channel, the
home owner, who. were flooded
started with characteristic energy to
rehabilit* __ieiT  homes, many    of
HURRY SMITH DIED THIS L I
■'jTwSM^nmsrWmSwt
-accoskplished after days of hard labor. The Tyrone paper mill lost hundreds of cords of paper wood which
waa stored near the plant, being
taken down the raging stream and
but very little of which can be salvaged.
AU sections along the Juniata
river, from its source here in the
mountains to the Susquehanna river,
suffered irreparable loss. Mt. Union
was hard hit Homes in the low-lying districts between the railroad
and tha river were lifted from their
foui.dations and were crushed like
egg shells and many of them floated down the river with most all the
belongings of the owners. It is related that two thousand people suffered loss and were at the mercy of
the flood.
Huntingdon was badly inundated,
aot aj "****■£ homes, but the business
sections. Portstown and Smithfield
were under several feet of water
and many home, owners and business men suffered loss. Some of the
buildings were-lifted off their foundations and cai ied away. The Smith-
field bridge went with * the flood.
However, a recently constructed
bridge farther down the river weathered the fury at the flood, otherwise Huntingdon would be isolated
as far as vehicular traffic is con-'
cerned.
The highways along the river
have been in many respects, almost
impassable since'the flood, the concrete and macadam being washed
away as though is were sand. It will
require months to place the. highways back to their former condition.
Many large river bridges from
Huntingdon to the Susquehanna
river were washed away and must
be replaced during the coming summer at great cost, and-in-ndshy instances concrete bridges will likely
take tiie place of the ones taken
away by "the flood.
The flood was unusually severe
ia the southern part of Blair eounty,
where untold damage was done end
at least twenty bridges, some small,
having been washed away. The
damage to heavy to farmers aad
others living along the banks of the
river. Many of the summer cottages
from Franksto- .. te Williamsburg,
along the Juniata river washed away
sad while those not taken by the
flood have been moved from their
foundation..
The day after the flood Williamsburg wss Is dire straits and it waa
feared that a food shortage would
result The only meana of getting tn
Well Known Railroad Employ* Succumbed After L°ng lUaess
Harry C. Smith, for many years
a well known and honorable citizen
of the borough, during which time
he was one of the faithful employe
of the P.R.R. company as a division
foreman, died at his home in trie
Lauver apartment orr Rlailro'ad
street, after a severe illness, dating
back to January first of this year.
He was born at Pennsylvania Furnace, Huntingdon county, Dee. 19,
1870, a son of William C aad Katherine (Johnson) Smith, both* deceased.
On October 27, last, 44 yeara ago,
he was married to Minnie Robinson,
who surwives.^with two sons and a
daughter, Paul, Robert snd Mrs.
George T. McFariand, all of Bellwood. One sister survives, Mrs. Walter Everhart, of Bellwood, es well* as
two brothers, George Smith, of Altoona, and Musser Smith, of Chambersburg, and five grandsons.
He waa a member of Bellwood
Lodge No*. 819, I.O.O.F., AM Encampment of Altoona, Bellwood
Lodge No. 181, Knights of Pythias,
F. & A.M. of Roanoke, Virginia,
and a member of the United Brethern church of thia borough. The
body may be viewed any time after
9 a.m. Friday. The funeral services
will be held in "the United Brethern
church mf}' North Tuckahoe street
at 2 o'clock Saturday, afternoon, ia
charge of the pastor, Rev. W. J.
Ritchey. I^______l J^made in I
PERSONnlJp
People Who Visit H<
Those Who Go AwaJ
MOVEMENTS OF OUR CI
Guests Who Arm Entertained )££'
Wood Hosts   Personal
Those Who Visit To and
Mr. and 'Mrs. Leroy    Miser
Hackensack, N. J., visited ov
weekend at the home of Mra.'
parents, Mr. and Mrs. J. H.
•on South first street.
Mr. I. M. Watters and son-it**
Mr.   Elliott Trego  of  North F«
street,   motored to  Newton
ton on Sunday   to look after
cottages, one  on the camp
•owneed by Mr. Watters, whlea*2
undamaged, the other of which"'!
Trego ia the owner and situate
the bankss of th. river, was
damaged in the    interior,
not washed away.
Mrs.  Daisy Houston  and
ters, Misses Blanche and Emn
of Main street, Mr. John Sode
Juniata, motored to Camp Wei
on Sunday. Mrs. Houston*, son,;
who was home    on a five-da**^
lough,  was  detained longer afjfj
-count of the flood  conditions,
being able to reach*camp by
The visitors from tbe borough
joyed a bountiful supper in the |
hall.
THE ROBIN'S SONG
What te It in tiie robins song
That seems to thrill us -ag
When    first he greets    us in
spring,
Perhaps before the snow
Is gone, or chilling winds aat*?
. He carols forth so gay—
A message straight to yen; and
"Cheer up," 'he seems
FIEfY #YEARS  AGO
In the column "Looking Back Fifty Years," as it appered in the last
week's issue of the Hollidyburg Register, we extract tiw .following two
items of local interest:
Mr. John G. Waters, of Bellwood.
has been commissioned Fish Warden
for Blair and Cambria counties.
We understand that Mr. Albert
McFariand, of Antia Township, will
become a candidate for Director of
the Poor, before the next republicsn
County Convention. No man in the
county would make a better Director.
The perrfos mentioned in the foregoing will Be well remembered by
many of our older citizens of tin
community. In their dsy of activity
they were quite prominent in the
affairs of the town and county
POSTPONED UNTIL MAY
Directors of the Altoona Boorer
association have decided to postpone
Blair County day until May. Also it
was deemed propitious to postpone
Cambria County day until a later
date and now the merchants have
decided to postpone Blsir couty day
and to hold another' Centre county
day during May when weather and
road conditions will be much more
favorable.
The Booster members are devoting much of their time and effort
to assist in extending flood relief to
neighboring communities and when
ths three county days are held In
May will be better able to give their
undivided attention to making their
guests feel at home.
But in the -robin's fearless song
There*, more than' melody, i
A comfort he seems to be
When clouds and trials loom;
He helps in his own cheery way
To drive away the gloom.
ELkEN IRVIN.
REPUBLICAN MEETING
The members of the Bellwoo
and Antis Township^ Republican clu
will hold .an important meeting i
the Community Room of the Firs
National bank, Monday night
7:45. All club members are earnest
ly urged to be present. Plans will h*
made for the coming campaign.
—About the only inconvenience
BeUwood experienced was when Ito.
electric current failed and the filling of many cellars with water.
COLONEL B. C. JONyS RETURNS
Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin    C
Jones of Tyrone and of the 104t
cavalry returned to hto. home Tues-]
day after having been on active d
ty in Harrisburg for five days.
A composite regiment of 600 me,
including members of the cavalry,
infantry and artillery, waa form
for emergency patrol duty with]
Colonel George J. Shoemaker ftp
command. Lieutenant Colonel Jonei
acted as executive officer.
The troops patrolled a large section of the city of which about one
quarter was flooded. The Tyrone
officer said that for a time tha situation was acute but tbat-every thing
was now well under control.
TO SPEND 9100,000
E. N. Jones, state WPA director,
has notified D. G. Puderbaugh,
icountty supervising engineer, tbat a
sum of 8100,000 may be expended
in Blair county in flood repair damage. Of thte amount $85,000 will be
spent in labor and % 15,000 for
equipment hire.
Additional grants for flood repair
In the county are expected after s
survey of the da mag. has been completed by Governor Earle sod WPA
authorities. The work authorised under the present great is expected to
last for 80 days, and WPA authorities will employe 1,497 relief case
workers and 126 non-relief workers.
Williamsburg    was by the way    of
Piney creek road.       «
The flood was the worst ever to
be known in thte section. According
to the best available sources the
Juniata river was never so high. The
rain was heavy, at least six inches
having fallen to forty-eight hours
and coupled with the vast body of
snow on he mountains, the streams
wes unable to care for the large
amount of water and the disasterous
flood wss the result, tt to related, and now is the time for the charlt-*
that in some places on the moun- ' able-inclined to coma to their aid-.
tains la the immediate vicinity tiie Their lpss and suffering has beea
snow eat the level waa four feet la great, aad la thia Christian land
depth, while ia other pert* drifts ten ther. should be a generous response
feet high -sere te he foaad. I en the part of everybody.
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CS **3
Name
Indexed
SP=
Wtft MARCH 26, 1936
NO.  6
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IrU JOB COLUMN
Items That Will Inter-
est-Our Readers
—Our citizens are making liber*
al response to the Red Cross undertaking. Many have contributed cash,
which now amounts to almost $200,
while there haa been a generous giving of clothing and food. The flood-
sufferers will need much ass5 stance,
SUMMARJLOF THE WEEK
Faaegrapha Coace-raing    tha
of Bar Bocoagh   Tho Col.
Oar Sobacribar. Enjoy
-Tresspass notices tor aale at the
|etin office. •
-Bead all the advertisements in
Bulletin,
^..There are many house-hunters
borough thte spring.
-Mrs. Ella Givin te confined to
JMy Illness at her home on Maple
aue, suffering from sn attack of
flu.
-Desolation ■ reigns  supreme    in
river teem down along   tits
le" Juniata.
-W\th a few bright days of sun-
la nature will start responding to
gentle touch of spring.
-Onion sets hay. made their ap-
fprance on the local market and
never known, to be as such a
onable price.
^-"Kicked Out of College,"    for
benefit   of the flood   sufferers,
"be given   in   the Y. M. C.   A.
arsday and Friday evening by the
timbers   of the Gradale    Sorority.,
nission 260. The entire proceeds
I be   turned over   to the    Red
Now   te your chance to   aid
unfortunate.
—Now that spring-like weather
arrived, greater progress will
' made with the construction of the
rough aswer system. During the
iter month, the workmen ware
atly handicapped owing to se-
*t. weather conditions. It te now
oposed to push the Job as rapidly
sad bring it. to an early
last Saturday evening. Along with
a number of companions, he left
Chambersburg la the early morning,
headed for BeUwood. After making
many detours and traveling many
miles out of the regular course,
they arrived here about six o'clock.
Mr. Musser said the conditions along
the Juniata river wss indescribable,
especially at Mt. Union and Lewis-
town, where untold damage was
done by the high water.
—The waShout of No. 4 west
bound track of the P.R.R. a few
hundred feet west of the passenger
lepot, when the raging water of
{Bell Bun hit the roadway, has
about been repaired, after a week of
almost steady work by a day and
night force. It was the wont damage to occur to railroad property iti
the immediate vicinity, although
there waa a bad wash out of the
roadbed several hundred feet near
Tipton. Normal conditions of the
movement of freight and passenger
service on the big railways are expected to be resumed within a few
daya, possibly by the beginning of
next week.
—Now that the deluge of last
wash to s thing of the past, out citizens should- set to work removing
the large amount of litter hat has
accumulated about their premises.
There te nothing like a spring cleaning of the streets and alleys, and a
look about town will reveal that
there is much that could be done in
the way of making the community
took splc and span. Now is the
time for all good men to start the
big job. Who wiU be the first?
Mrs. George A. T'..,on, of Chambersburg, WSS avisitor in town during the week and was entertained
at the home of Mr. and Mrs. I.. M.
Myers on Main street.
-—Many newspaper plants were
la the wake of the disasterous flood
that came upon Pennsylvania last
week. In Tyrone the Daily Herald
(printing plant was flooded with several feet of water and the paper has
since beea1 printed by the Altoona
Tribune. The weekly Times printing
plant a*SS also badly flooded and
since then brother Miner has had
many troubles. The Huntingdon papers offices were also flooded, as
well as the Everett newspaper
plants. Our old-time friend John C.
Chamberlain haa our sympathy In
his misfortune, but with characteristic energy he will come through
the ordeal with flying colon. Imagine, the floor ef e newspaper plant
being covered with a foot or two of
slime and silt!
DISCUSS PLANS FOR M
ABANDONING TROLLEY
Special Meeting of Council Held With RepresenUtiveo el
Traction Company and Highway Department      M
to Plan Removal of Railway
OLD WH CITIZEN IS DEAD
Howard   F. Bdflas  Long Active   hi
Community   Affairs
With a residence in Bellwood the
major portion of his life, Howard
F. Boyles, died early Sunday morn-
ins; at Hollidaysburg, where he had
resided for the past few years. He
had been in declining health for a
long time, although able at different periods to visit hto friends in the
borough, and hto teat appearance
her. was in August, 1985, when
the firemens convention was held
In the borough. He was a son of
David K. Boyles, a Civil war veteran, will be remembered by many
of our older citizens, and Wealthy
(Foster) Boyles. He was born August 14, 1863, at Fostoria, near the
borough, and later the family moved
here. For many years he waa an active member of of the Excelsior
Company, and took «* prominent
part in ita affairs. For a few years
he resided in Chester, Pa., where
he was employed.
Surviving are one sister, Mrs. Annie Stephens of the north side, and
a number of nieces and nephews.
Funerals services were held at the
home of hte nephew, J. H. Burns,
804 North Second street, Wednesday afternoon at 2:80 o'clock, in
charge of Rev. H. G. Dooley, pastor of the Logan Valley Baptist
church. Many friends and members of the fir. company were present at the obsequies. Interment
wsa made in Logan Valley ceme-
snW'^"'hi***'V''*«»*to ->Sa^teHtttt'. Mas
among them being hte grandfather,
who fought to the Revolutionary
war, and hte father, a Civil war veteran.
The deceased was wall known and
a much esteemed citizen of the borough and had many friends and acquaintances.
WILL RECEIVE GIFTS
Funds for the Red Cross relief
work will be received at the First
National bank of Bellwoid. Cashier
H. W. Schalles sad hte force of assistants will gladly receive all contributions from our citizens. Remember there are many destitute fam-
ilys over the great deluge and much
assistance will be required to give
them a good start again in the
world. Now is the time to help the
needy.
VACCINATION FOR HcALTH
The Blair County Medical society
through its public health and public
■relations commjittee has arranged
for vaccination of the people to
guard against typhoid fever in the
community, especially in Tyrone,
Hollidaysburg and Williamsburg and
those areas visited by the flood waters.
The committee has recommended
-vaccination for immunization against
typhoid.
—Paul M. Straymyer, automobile
salesman and ex-sailor, charged with
the slaying of Viola E. Moore, 85-
year-old Altoona woman, was acquitted by a jury in a verdict returned at 8:4b o'clock last Saturday
night in the county court at Hollidaysburg. Among tbe jurors were
Mr. Herman Gilmore and Mr. John
McGlinsay of thte borough, who
were selected after the regular panel had been exhausted. Straymyer
was represented by Attorneys Samuel H. and Ben Jubelirer..
—The P. R. R. has restored two-
track service at the big wtashout at
Barree during the flood last week,
when nine hundred feet of the roadbed was washed away, put the railroad out of commission for three
days, during which ime all train service was annulled. By Saturday
one-track service was restored, since
then another track has been opened,
ahd it is expected that all four
tracks will be in service by the close
of the present week. This wash-out
caused the greatest trouble on the)
entire system. While there te a bad
washout juat east of Tyrone, with
No. 4 passenger track of several
hundred feet down over the embankment, It was not to be comperes' ts tta damage done at Ba—ee.
Members of th. borough council
met In special session, Monday
night, to discusss with representatives of the Logan Valley Electric
Railway Company and State Highway department, plans relative te
the abandonment of the trolly sya-
tem through Bellwood.
Thte branch known aa the Tyrone
division haa not been operating; oa
a paying basis for sime time, according to trolly officials. A proposal for
aome time, according to trolly officials. A proposal for erecting a new
highway, bridge at Graziersville wUl
Involve the Company in ea additional expense if the line te continued as their proportionate share
amounts to one-third the total coat.
The company feels that thte added
expense cannot be justified aad will
ask the Public Service Commission
to allow them to abandon the Un.
and install busses in their stead.
Messers C. E. Crain snd J. F.
Mathews were present la behalf of
the traction company, while H. R.
Moffet, district engineer, tepresent-
■ed the State Highway Department.
All members but one of the council
were present with R. H. Cilabine
presiding.
The purpose of this meeting waa
to arrange for   taking care of    the
streets if and when the trolly raila
are taken up. Mr. Crain stated that
the    rails running    through    Main
street are    set in a solid    concrete
foundation and wouM incur a great
expense to remove them.  Tiw section from the Methodist church   to
the west end of Main street te under the care of the state and Mr.
mt^tmt, fiVM^avA *h»
the state   required tracks   removed
and right-of-way put In order    before the state would take it    over.
However, he stated that the removal
of 16 grade    crossings aa the    out-'
■come of thte    abandonment   might
put the    affair    under the    grade
crossing elimination -plan and  thaa]
provide funds to finance this paving.
He also stated that in submitting hto']
report he would   call attention   to 1
the excellent   construction   of   the f
concrete base and possibilities are, 1
that the state may net require   the 1
removal of the rails and will apply I
a black top covering.
The  section from the  Methodiat I
church to tiie   eaat end of     Mala 1
street is under the direction of the §
borough.    Members of council    ex- I
pressed themselves aa being willing l:.
to tot the tracks remain and be co**-g
ered with black top dressing;,
* Mr. Crain expressed his gratif ica- ii
tion at the attitude taken by all con- j
cerned and stated that hte company..:
would   cooperate in every    respect
with the borough    in' working    out j
these plans. He furthermore stated I
that the installation of busses would
be made    in such    a manner    that !
would insure better service.    When
asked concerning   rates be    stated: t
that    an effort would be made   to
make a satisfactory adjustment and
no increase would be made in tana.
Councilman Kay Cherry, submitt- Ij
ed a report on -tiie inspection of tbe 1
Water  shed made  by  memben  eft
the local    Sportsmen's    Association.!
This   report   showed that 80   deaeVf
deer had been found, 11 of them Mr
the streams. All carcasses had been
removed from tiie water shed    an4j
Council  expressed their pleasure
the efficency of this work.
Some minor bills ordered paid saa]
tor which council adjourned UKfM|
their next regular meeting, ea AnjM
18th.
RED CROSS BENEFIT
A three act comedy, "-Kicked
of College," will he presented by I
members of the-Gradale Sorority huf
the Y.M.C.A. auditorium Thuradaajl
and Friday nights of this week. AaWj
mission, 25c. All the proceed,
go for the benefit of the flood saf*|
ferers and will be turned over
the Red Coss. Here is your oj
tunity to assist in a very
undertaking. Purchase a ticket
attend the show.
—Constable  Frank  Garland
he will be glad when the good
summer time arrives, when hs
ran barefooted.
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