In next week’s Post—The -thrilling story of Etienne Brule’s adventures along the unknown waterway which became The Susquehanna. The third in The Post’s series of historical arti- Friend husband studies the stock mar- ket heport but his good wife watches “Food Market Advice” on Page 7 and then buys wisely with the help of Dal- las Post ads. 4 aa I cles. ; . : : ° N : : More Than A Newspaper, A Community Institution 3 . a ——————— ME EE - eees—— VOL. 45 TT DALLAS, PA., FRIDAY, JULY 12, 1935. No. 28 —— mm pE— ; POST... - SCRIPTS _ FLOODS PUMPKINS RILEY TORNADO GENTLEMAN Although its strategic position pro- tects it from such major catastrophies as the floods which engulfed the Sus- quehanna valleys this week, the sec- tion surrounding Dallas can draw up- on memories of severe storms and other freakish carryings on of nature. Even these have been infrequent and Dallas can look to the everlasting hills which surround it and thank them for the fact that severe drenchings and a few washed-out lawns are generally the extent of its damages. s—() Tt ig probable that Dallas came clos- est to a tragedy of major proportions in August of 1890 when a tornado which spread destruction over many other parts of the county exhausted it- self or altered its course shortly be- fore it would have struck the borough. That tornado whirled into Luzerne County from Columbia County and cut a path 600 yards wide in a North- westerly direction. Tt leveled crops, ripped roofs from buildings and car- ried one house 200 feet. In Hunlock Township it pulled a 80-inch tree out of the ground and carried it away. ‘When it reached L.ehman it disappear- ed miraculously, sparing the frantic people in this section who could see it moving toward here. It was never known whether it was the same torna- do or a second one which descended about the same time upon Nanticoke and swept toward Wilkes-Barre, where it spread tragic destruction be- the fore it swirled away through wooded section to the Northwest of the city. Tetters and papers from Wilkes-Barre homes were picked up later in Hamilton, Wayne County. ga Floods, of course, have aiways been the lot of people living on the Wyom- ing Valley lowlands: The first record- ed occured in February, 1772, and it was the fact that it necessitated post- ponement «of a town meeting, rather than the damage, that provoked his- torians to record the date. ge During the winter of 1783-'84 there were unusually severe snow storms here. For most of that winter snow five feet deep covered the ground and roads through narrow valleys were impassable until Spring. In March, as the thaw began, heavy rains came and the Susquehanna rose rapidly. Hun- dreds of the early settlers in the val- ley fled to the hills and 150 houses were swept away. Some of the ice that pile dup on the, plains did not that piled up on the plains ‘did mot melt until late summer of that year. be “The Pumpkin Flood” occured in November two vears later. It received its name from the fact that the river swept with it thousands of pumpkins from the fields which it inundated. In that flood Rev. Benjamin Bidlack was carried in his house down the river. After it had grown dark people heard him shouting and tried to rescue him. He escaped, finally, when his house lodged against a bank. ene In 1809, 1841, 1842, 1843, and 1846 there were floods, none of them very serious. ! ' Orr One of the most destructive floods occured in 1850. It destroyed a number of highways, battered mills, and took a number of lives. Nescopeck Creek claimed the lifeless bodies of 22 men, women and children who had sought shelter in the same building. At Ta- maqua forty dwellings were torn ‘away by flooded waters. —— On St. Patrick’s Day, 1865, the Sus- quehanna River overflowed and reached a mark of 33.1 feet, forcing residents of Wyoming Valley to high- er ground. The water swept across Market Street and reached Wyoming Seminary. —(— The highest mark ever reached by the river in the valley came on March 16, 1875, when it touched 35.6 feet. In that flood all the bridges at Pitts- ton were swept away and when the water receded it left great masses of jce across Market Street, Kingston. Gorges had to be cut through the ice so traffic could pass between Kingston and Wilkes-Barre. Lee During the 1980's there were floods almost every other year. — The tragic occurences of 1902 and * 1904 are remembered by a great many people in this vicinity. On March 2, 1902, the river reached 31.4 feet. It was during that flood that a colorful character named Riley lost his life while éndeavoring to get to Kingston from Wilkes-Barre in a cab. Cab, driv- er, and Riley were swept away while travelling over Pierce Street. The driver climbed onto a floating cake of ice which bumped against a house on Market Street, Kingston. The house was deserted but the driver managed to climb in a window where he stayed until he was rescued next day. Riley caught a tree and people who heard his panic-stricken cries tried to help him but he was swept on down the river, never to be seen again. en In March, 1910, the river reached 26.1 feet and in 1913 and 1914 it went slightly over 28 feet. / —() This column would have ended with that paragraph above had not one of our highly-paid secret agents encoun- tered a story which, for obvious rea- sons, belongs in this week's column. (Continued on Page 5.) Kerr Dismissal Leaves Section Minus Officer No Word Of Successor For Harvey’s Lake Health Man 4 ’ “POLITICS” CHARGED Failure of authorities to appoint a successor to Elmer Kerr, local rep- resentative of the State Department of Health, left thirteen townships in this section without a health officer this week, / Mr. Kerr said his notice from the State Department of Health fixed es were to end. Because he had not received his vacation, the letter said, his salary would be continued until July’ 15. Dr. F. E, Donnelly, county medical director, said yesterday he has re- ceived no word concerning the change and did not know of any action that has been take to appoint a successor to Mr. Kerr. Dr. Donnelly said any re- quests for the services of a health of- ficer would be cared for from Xirby Health Center. ; Mr. Kerr said he has received a number of requests for service since his dismissal but he is forwarding them to Dr. Donnelly. Friends of Mr. Kerr staunchly de- fended his record this week and charg- ed that politics is responsible for the dismissal. Mr. Kerr has been Health Officer here since 1929. His territory, one of the largest in the State, includes Exeter, Kingston Township, Plymouth Lehman, Hunlock’s Creek, Ross Town- ship, Huntington Township, Franklin Township, ‘Take Township, Dallas Township, Jackson Township, Union’ Township and Fairmount Township, In Dallas Borough the health officer, John Frantz, is appointed by Borough Council. On several occasions, by prompt ac- {tion, Mr. Kerr has prevented epidemics lin this section and his record is clear of criticism. The salary for the position is $160 a month and according to the letter received by Mr. Kerr there will be (Continued on Page 4.) Scores At Funeral F or Mrs. Guida Lee Had Been Resident Of Dallas For THiviy-1gres Years LL The funeral of Mrs. Guida Brother- hood Lee, aged 57, widow of the late Henry Lawrence Lee were held Sat- urday afternoon at 2:30 from the family home in Dallas with services baugh of St. Stephen’s church, Wilkes- Barre The untimely passing of Mrs. Lee was a distinct shock to the commu- nity where she had made her home for the past 33 years and were there were few who knew of the seriousness of her illness and its sudden change for the worse resulting in her death Thursday night in Nesbitt Memorial hospital. Mrs. Lee was a woman of cheerful disposition, generous, and de- voted to her family. She was a mem- ber of St. Stephen’s church of Wilkes- Barre but since its organization in Shavertown had attended and given much of her time toward the building up of the Prince of Peace church. She was born in Wilkes-Barre, the daugh- ter of George and Lettie A. Dietrich Brotherhood. 5 She leaves two sons, Peynton B. of Dallas: Henry Lawrence of Lehman, and one daughter, Lettie A. at home and three grandchildren, also one sis- ter, Miss Maude Brotherhood of Wilkes-Barre. The pall bearers were: C. A. Frantz, Paul Shaver, Clark Hildebrandt, Ralph Rood, Sterling Machell and Ira Cooke. Interment was in the family plot at Oaklawn cemetery, Wilkes-Barre, July 8 as the date on which his servic- | . | manager in charge of the Rev. Dr. F. 1. Flinch- | ON HER WAY In constant demand as an en- tertainer is Audrey O'Kane, daughter of Chief of Police and Mrs. Leonard O'Kane of Dallas. The youthful star is winning an enviable reputation for her sing- ing and dancing in amateur stage “productions and for her frequent broadcasts from Station. WBAX in Wilkes-Barre. Last night she en- tertained at the Orondo Ballroom in Wilkes-Barre with a group from Terrence Tracey's studios. Trip Has Sad End For Local F amily Death Of Son, Weakened By Malaria, Brings Dressels Back 7 The family of Charles Prosser was back home in Shavertow ¥$" week but their return was a tragic contrast |to the optimistic future which seemed {ahead of them when they left for Florida about six weeks ago. They came home to bury their son, | Buddy, aged 11, who succumbed to acute appendicitis after he had been | weakened by a severe attack of mal- |arial fever, Other members of the | family were recovering from attacks of the same disease. | Mr. Dressel, who is widely known throughout this section, was formerly of the cafeteria kitchen at McCrory’s in Wilkes-Barre. Several months ago he accepted an executive position in a candy factory in Orlan- do, Fla. He and his wife and five children left about six weeks ago to "motor to their mew home, | { It is believed that they contracted malaria from mosquitoes while passing through Georgia. In Florida sickness attacked the family and Buddy suf- fered an attack of acute appendicitis. He lost twenty pounds before his weakened condition resulted in his {death last Friday. (Continued on Page 4.) New Park Awaits Governor’s O. K. / The last barrier to development when Governor the Fed according to will be removed George H. Earle signs Land Acquisition Bill, advices this week. : The bill was enacted at the session of the legislature and permits the De- partment of Forests and Waters to ac- quire by long-term lease from the Federal Government, government- owned areas in Pennsylvania for for- est, park, and recreational purposes at practically no cost to the State. The Federal government already has acquired three proposed developments within close proximity to the largely populated centers in Pennsylvania. When these areas are fully developed as recreational centers they ‘will be leased to the state Forest Parks. They will be developed under the supervision of the Department of For- ests and Waters with Federal funds before they are turned over finally to the state. £ Southwestern part of New York State. the Kitchen Creek recreation erfor Exper fic were Mr. and Mrs. James Oliver of of Wilkes-Barre. DALLAS ESCAP Local Family Has Harrowing | ience In Flooded A Among the thousands of motorists who were stranded in New York State this week when rain-swollen rivers inundated main highways and halted traf- Dallas and Mr .and Mrs. Walter Oliver They left here last ‘week for a fish-$ ing trip along the St. Lawrence. Al- though sereve storms broke on Sun- day they felt no alarm about the re- turn trip and it was not until they be- gan striking inundated areas that they began to realize the extent of the flood which was spreading over the At Cortland after splashing through water which covered highways to the depth of several feet in lowlands, they were stopped from proceeding South- ward. That night they stayed in the hotel at Cortland, where hundreds of stranded motorists, many of them frantic to learn of families in the flooded area, taxed the capacity of the hostelry. They were about 125 ‘miles from Dallas. On the following day they were compelled to detour back to Syra- cuse and through the Catskills 348 miles to reach home Tuesday night. Their experiences give evidence of the tremendous damage and the tragic losses caused by the rampaging river. They saw hay wrapped around tele- phone poles fifteen feet above the ground, homes from which walls haa been torn, exposing the rooms like a child’s dollhouse, thousands of auto- mobiles stalled in swirling water, roads ripped up by rushing torrents, and vast areas of crops buried under the floods. | In their car they_had fish they had caught in the St. Law- rence, At Cortland Mr. Oliver ap- proached a policeman with the sugges- tion that they take the fish to some institution there. The policeman sug- gested a Children’s Home but when Mr. Oliver agreed it was discovered that water had isolated the orphanage. idea. of the swiftness with which the water rose came to them when they discussed one route by which they believed they might be able to reach Pennsylvania. A man who had just travelled the road being dis- cussed, assured them they could get through. Before Mr. Oliver's party could start, word was received that three bridges along that highway: had [been swashed out. Mr. Oliver talked to one man who, with - his wife, had spent an entire night in an automobile stalled on a highway which was covered with water, Visibly wracked by the ordeal the man gave a thrilling account of his mental reactions during the awful night, as the water swirled higher ana higher until he and .his wife had to crawl upon the seats of the car to es- cape. Towards dawn the man was un- able to stand the suspense longer and he decided to look for some support to which they might cling in reaching safety, Forgetting that the automo- bile was close to the edge of the highway he stepped out—into water that «reached his neck. Later that mefning rescuers attached a cable to he automobile and saved the two peo- ple. The local party also heard of a family of nine that was marooned on a knoll which had been isolated by the rising waters, They sought refuge on a bridge only to find the bridge being torn away and sweeping down with the current. When the bridge stuck ‘between some trees and was no long- er safe they sought safety in the limbs of the trees and were eventually saved. a box full of { Some Business Good Howard Isaacs, who has opened a Chrysler-Plymouth sales room service agency in Bush's garage in Shaver- town reports business on the increase. In addition to Howard Woolbert, Mr. Isaacs has engaged Benton Hadsel of Idetown as a salesman. Man For Whom County Was Named Born 194 Years Ago Next Monday Chevalier de la Luzerne Warrior, Diplomat And Patriot “The assembly of Pennsylvania, Monseigneur, wishing to hand down to Posterity a testimonial of its grati- tude for the services which Monsieur le Chevalier de la Luzerne rendered to the Union, has just given his name to a new county.” This message was sent in 1786 to the Court of France to announce that Pennsylvania had come forward - to This is the second of a series of historical articles being pub- lished exclusively -by The Post. In next week’s article, the au- thor will describe the stirring events which were associated with the discovery of the Sus quehanna River, 300 years ago. ville, born July 15, 1741. His oldest brother inherited the title of the fa- honor a son of the Empire. The story of the Chevalier de la | Luzerne does not read like the usual] story of the youngest son of a noble- man. These forgotten men among the | aristocracies of many nations were | seldom outstanding; usually they were | shunted off to the colonies or the min- | istry or priesthood, and little attention paid them thereafter. But Anne Ce-! sar overcame the handicap of having important brothers, and moved stead- ily forward in the affairs of the world until now he is far better known than they. The Chevalier de la Luzerne was the youngest son of the Count de Benze- ther, and most of the lands; in time he became a general and Minister of the Marine, The second brother be- came a Cardinal. Anne Cesar was educated in the Military ‘School of the Light Horse. Following this he served in the Seven Year's War. Thereafter he went to Paris and continued his education as a gentleman, stduying politics, diplo- macy, life and ladies. In 1776 he was appointed Envoy Extraordinary to the Court of the Elector of Bavaria. He served in this capacity for two years, and was most successful. But this was merely a many other notable Americans: he re- viewed the troops, and he entered in- | to the social life of the then cabitel of the Colonies. de la, Luzerne that his manners were impeccable, his speech suave, and his actions in the highest manuaer diplomatic. banity as a gentleman of France must Served In United States From 1776 Until 28 1784 posts that were to come later.’ Recalled from Bavaria, Luzerne was sent to represent the King of France in America. Here was a delicate mis- sion that would require all the diplo- macy of which any man was capable. The Colonies were struggling to gain that independence that they had so ES PLIGHT OF FLOODED RIVER TOWNS rea FOUR-DAY RAINFALL HERE EXCEEDS TOTAL FOR ALL LAST MONTH More rain fell in Dallas from Saturday to Tuesday than fell all during last month. The total June rainfall was 4.62 inches. Rains here on Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday totalled 6.10 inches according to records kept at Huntsville. Dam. Heaviest rain came on Tuesday when close to three inches fell. The day by day record, as kept at the dam, follows: SRIUPAay Li il dates sie eins ain le3] Sunday. ih Sh ae SR 06 Monday. ......vi ad Seales be . 1.34 ENESARY LL Jlnieie oils ate ebbaint oa serail 22. 8 Burglary Epidemic Solved By Police Chief Stevenson Uncovers Cache Of Stolen Goods The arrest of William Evans, 50, of Harvey's Lake, who fled on Saturday night when police discovered a valu- able cache of stolen goods which im- plicated him in more than twenty rob- beries throughout this section during the last two years, is expected hourly. Evans escaped when police, who en- tered his home to search for illegal liquor, stumbled on the tell-tale pro- perty. He left. behind him his wife, 44, and 17-year-old . daughter. Mrs. Evans was taken to Luzerne County Prison, charged with burglary, break- ing and entering. | His daughter is staying with friends at the