Sewickley Herald

              Herald
VOL, 57 No. 17
The Sewickley Valley's Home-News Weekly
SEWICKLEY, PENNSYLVANIA, THURSDAY, APRIL 28, 1960
Price Xen Oests
Many Grass Fires Keep Firemen Busy
Historical House On Tour
Band Concert Friday Night
(Village Photos)
Like frozen sparks, sunlight ricochets from the glittering¡Waterford crystal chandelier in the Alexander Hunters spacious dmmg room. This elaborate fixture (circa 1785) was imported from a great house on the Island of Gumsey. Here Mrs. Joseph Griffithi stands before an imported marble mantel elaborately carved in , grape motif. Twin Spode antique plates, a screen by Hanley Henock and a long Victorian mirror turn tins room into a memorable experience. This is one of seven hous s seen on the Child Health House Tour, May 4.
Sewickley Ready For 5th House Tour, May 4th
As spring spreads its- glory through our Valley, the ^eathei seems made* to order for the 5th annual Child Health House > Wednesday, May 4. Eager decorators, home-makers, and. gar enthusiasts who come from a 100 mile area encompassing n states will find the 7 houses awaiting them distinguished by tne individuality that has made this one of the most popular even in Western Pennsylvania.	,	,	.	.
Included in the group of home owners who have so graciously opened their homes for this year’s benefit are; Mr. and Mrs, Kenneth Moller, Jr., Mr. and Mrs, David B. Oliver, IE Mr. an Mrs. Alexander Laughlin Robinson, Mr. and Mrs, Richard • Purnell, Mrs. Elmore Willets, Mr. and Mrs. William Boyd, Jr. and Mr, and Mrs. Alexander Hunter.
An added attraction at this year’s tour will be an opportunity for guests to attend open house at the Watson Home, This institution, along with the Laughlin Children’s Center, will «'are in the profits from the current tour,
On the day of the tour luncheon by reservation will be served at the AUe-Bneny Country Club and nt the Edge-worth Club. A "quickie lunch” for ]' reservations are not needed will bo served at the Shields Presby-tonan Church.
Mr. Joseph Helinsld
The public is cordially invited, and urged, to attend the concert to be presented by the Quaker Valley High School Band tomorrow, Friday, night, at the Quaker Valley High School. Leetsdale, at 8 p.m. The band will be resplendent in their new “Quaker’’ uniforms, and this concert, free to the public, is their way of saying “Thank You.”
The band, under the direction of Mr. Joseph Helinski, will present a varied program, planned to please the audience. Why not spend a pleasant evening with our students and show your interest in our schools.
What’s Doin’
ATTIC AUCTION 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on THURSDAY, APRIL 28 Post 4, American Legion Broad Street, Sewickley Auctioneer: Oliver Wright Sponsored by the Woman’s Auxiliary Sewickley Valley Hospital for the benefit of the School of Nursing.
•	(Adv’t)
Tickets for the tour may be purchased from all active Child Health members or by writing or phoning Mrs, ^ Richard O.
Meadow
Marsh, Jr., 405 .-QW Lane (Sewickley 2495). fkkets are also available at Quintos,*
the Portico and the Looking Glass. In town, tickets may be purchased at Horne’s Travel Service and Gimbel’s Personal Service Agency.
The rustle of hoop-skirts seems to echo through the vast rooms of Mr. and Mrs, Alexander Hunter’s stately ante-bellum home, one 'of seven houses to be seen on the Child Health House Tour,.May 4.
Freighted with history, laden with romance, this imposing grey and White house was built in 1830. Designed to shelter the Edgeworth Seminary, the first boarding school for young ladies west of the Alleghenies, it reflects the grace and good taste of its original owner, Mrs, Mary Olver.
(Continued on Page 7)
RUMMAGE SALE April 28 and 29, 1960 - Thursday and Friday - Rummage Sale, St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Sewickley. Thursday, 7 P.M. to 9 P.M. and Friday, 9 A.M. to 12 M. (Adv’t)
Thursday, April 28, 1960, 8:00 P.M. Quaker Valley P.T.A., Sewickley Elementary Section. Last meeting this term. Sewickley Elementary Building. Election of Officers and panel discussion on “Homework”?
(Adv’t)
CHILDREN’S MINIATURE THEATRE Saturday, April 30,1960 - 1(1:15 A.M, to 1,1:30 A.M. - at Quaker Valley Senior High School, Leetsdale, “The Little Mermaid,” Tickets SOc, (Adv’t)
BENEFIT SPAGHETTI DINNER Saturday, April 30, 1960 - 12 noon ’til 9:00 P.M. and Sunday, May 1, 1960 - 12 noon ’til 8:00 P.M. Sponsored by Harmony Lodge at St. James Church, Broad and Bank Streets, for benefit of Building Fuhd of St, James Church.
POST 4, AMERICAN LEGION FOURTH ANNUAL LEGION (Continued on Page 24)
Dry, Windy Weather Results in Many Fires
Frame Garage And Two Gars Destroyed In One Fast-Burning Grass Fire
Sewickley firemen have been kept busy in April answering alarms for grass and brush fires, after answering just one fire alarm in snowy, blowy March. One fire caused several thousand dollars damage when it spread to a frame garage containing a station wagon, an antique car, a bicycle and tools behind 658 Maple Lane on Thursday, April 21st. Another on April 25th, raced up a hillside beside Chestnut Street near the railroad underpass and threatened a large frame hbuse. Others were less serious, but required a lot of time and effort on the part of the firemen to extinguish them.
Sewickley Heights firemen were called to four fires in the past week or so, one of them a garage fire on Quarry Road which destroyed two automobiles. Aleppo aided 4ie Heights at two of their blazes.
As soon as the snows disappeared and a warm sun dried out the grass and bushes, ’t h e epidemic of grass fires started. On April 12th, at 6:45 p.m., Mrs. Margaret Rupp, 28 Thom Street, called In a grass fire. The next day, at 11:52 p.m.’ the Sewickley firemen were sent to McKown Lane, Osborne, where Mrs. W. J. Devlin was burning leaves and tlie breeze spread the fire rapidly. The firemen were out until 12:30 o'clock on that alarm.
Then next day, April 14th, at 2:03 p.m., a grass fire broke out between the railroad tracks and the river at the site of the old Challis tipple. It took the firemen until 3:20 o’clock to put it out after a sonsiderable area was burned over.
On April 15th, at 2:02 p.m., a grass fire was discovered on the bank behind 803 Maple Lane, Sewickley, and firemen were out until 2:45 p.m. extinguishing it. The firemen had a rest over the week-end, but at 4:41 p.m. on Wednesday, a blaze broke out and
spread over ‘considerable area on Ellis Hill, taking nearly an hour to extinguish.
Then, on April 21st came the most destructive blaze of all. It started on the bank and swept up to a pile of leaves and grass piled against a three-car, frame garage at the rear of 658 Maple Lane, an apartment house owned by Harry W. Hinldey. The fire, discovered at 2:11 p.m., spread so fast there was no opportunity to get out a '36 antique Ford touring car or a ’5.7 Ford Country Sedan station wagon. The truck left the building at 2:13 p.m., but the smoky blaze had spread so rapidly that it enveloped die frame garage before firemen arrived. The dry wood burned furiously and firemen had difficulty in even saving portions of the roof and walls. Firemen were at the scene until 3:50 p.m.
On Saturday, April 23rd, there was a smoky grass fire at Dippold and
(Continued on Page 6)
Blaze Ruins Antique Car
(Photo by Bob Bowman)
The ruined car at left is a ’36 Ford owned by Jack McDonah, of Hampton, South Carolina, formerly of Sewickley, who was planning on taking it south on his next trip. The car had been equipped with hydraulic brakes; \vas newly painted; had a new' top and Mr, McDonagli planned to apply for an antique license for it. The car at right was a ’57 Ford Country sedan station wagon, owned by Fireman Jake Vonllofen, 658’Maple Lane, who was present, byt was unable to drive the car out, 4ue to the rapid spread of the flames. A bicycle owned by'the Von Hofen family was also destroyed in the blaze, which destroyed the frame garage,