EY
PAGE SIX
Hills About Dallas Have Protected
Town From Nature's Freakish Moods
Mountain-Guarded Villages West Of Valley Have
Watched In Safety While Disaster Struck Nearby
Although its strategic position protects it from such catas-
trophes as the flood which engulfed the Susquehanna Valley
-quehanna rose rapidly.
THE POST, FRIDAY, APRIL 5, 1940
Wor er
this week, the section surrounding Dallas can draw upon mem-
ories of severe storms and other freakish carryings on of na-
ture.
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.
It is probable that Dallas
came closest to a tragedy of
major proportions in August
of 1890 when a tornado which
spread destruction over many
parts of the country exhausted
itself or altered its course shortly
before it would have struck the
borough. That tornado whirled in-
to Luzerne County from Columbia
County and cut a path 600 yards
wide in a northeasterly direction.
It levelled crops, ripped roofs from
buildings and carried one house
200 feet.
In Hunlock Township it pulled
a 30-inch tree out of the ground
and carried it away, When it reach-
ed Lehman it disappeared strange-
ly, sparing the frantic poeple in
this section, who could see the tor-
nado, or a second one which de-
scended about the same time upon
Nanticoke and swept toward Wilkes-
Barre, where it spread tragic de-
struction before it swirled through
the wooded section to the northwest
of the city. Letters and papers from
Wilkes-Barre homes were picked up
later in Hamilton, Wayne County.
Flood Old Story To Valley
Floods, of course, have always
been the lot of people living on the
Wyoming Valley lowlands. The
first recorded occurred in February,
1772, and it was the fact that it
necessitated postponement of a
town meeting, rather than that it
caused much damage, that caused
historians to record it.
During the winter of 1783-84
there were unusually severe snow
storms here. For most of that win-
ter snow five feet deep covered the
ground and roads through narrow
valleys were impassable until
Spring. In March, as the thaw be-
gan, heavy rains came and the Sus-
Hundreds
of the early settlers in the valley
fled to the hills and 150 houses
were swept away. Some of the ice
that piled up on the plains did not
melt until late summer of that year.
“The Pumpkin Flood” occurred in
November two years later. It re-
ceived 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,
"In 1809, 1841, 1843 and 1846
there were floods, none of them
very serious.
Twenty-Two Persons Drowned
One of the most destructive
floods occurred in 1850. It destroy-
ed a number of highways, battered
mills and took a number of lives.
Nescopeck Creek claimed the lives
of 22 men, women and children
who had sought shelter in the same
building. At Tamaqua 40 dwellings
were torn away by flooded waters.
On St. Patrick’s Day, 1865, the
Susquehanna River overflowed and
reached a mark of 33.1 feet, forc-
ing residents to higher 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. In that flood all the bridges
at Pittston were swept away and
when the water receded it left
great masses of ice across Market
Street, Kingston. Gorges had to
be cut through the ice so traffic
could pass between Kingston and
Wilkes-Barre.
During the 1880’s there were
floods almost every other year.
The tragic occurrences of 1902
and 1904 are remembered by a
great many people in this vicinity.
On March 2, 1902, the river reach-
WORST FLOOD STRUCK
VALLEY IN 1875 WHEN
CREST WAS 35.6 FEET
Although there are accounts
of floods in Wyoming Valley as
far back as 1772, there was no
attempt to keep accurate rec-
ord of the river level until
about the time of the Civil War.
A list of the high water
marks since then follows:
ABGY = NTs
1875 (March)
1901
1902
1904
1910
1913
1914
1916
1927
1929
1935
1933
(March)
(March)
(March) _._.
(March)
(March)
(October) _.
(April)
(July)
(March)
Stevenson Sends
Boats From Lake
Summer Resort's Craft
Aids In Rescue Work
Responding to urgent calls for
rowboats from Wyoming Valley's
Disaster Committee, Chief Ira C.
Stevenson of Harvey's Lake spent
three busy days over the week-end |
rounding up rowboats and super-
vising their shipment to the flooded
area.
By Monday night, when the last
call for boats came, Chief Steven-
son had secured 42 rowboats and
seen them off on trucks for Wyo-
ming Valley. There they were
turned over to Col. Stephen Elliott
of the 109th F. A. There were a
number of boats still at the Lake,
but permission for their use could
not be secured because the owners
could not be reached.
Several Wyoming Valley resi-
dents who had motor boats at the
resort came for them early in the
week and transported them to the
valley, where the power boats play-
ed an important part in relief work.
Mrs. Mertle Isaacs Dies |
Biter Long Illness
The remains of Mrs. Mertle G./
Isaacs, 50, who died at her home on
Norton Avenue, Dallas, on Friday
morning were held on Monday af-
ternoon, with interment in Wood-
lawn Cemetery, Dallas. Rev. Fran-
cis E, Freeman, pastor of Dallas
Methodist Church, officiated.
Mrs. Isaacs, a highly esteemed
resident of Dallas for a number of |
years, had been ill for several years
and her courage was an inspiration
to her friends. She is survived by
a son, Robert, at home; her father,
Wilson R. Garinger, Dallas; brothers,
A. N. Garinger, Dallas, and M. X.!
Garinger, Wichita, Kan., and a sis-
ter, Mrs. C. B. Gregory of Dallas.
ed 31.4 feet. It was during that flood
that Mike Riley lost his life while
endeavoring to win a wager that he
could get to Kingston from Wilkes-
Barre in a cab.
Cab, driver and Riley were swept
away while traveling across 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 and was rescued next
day. Riley was swept on down the
river, never to be seen again.
The high mark of the second of
the twin floods which struck the
valley in March, 1936, was 33.3.
New Light on Safety
WEST PALM BEACH, FLA. Driving-safety is an important consideration
in The Atlantic Refining Company's Florida Road Test, where stock cars
m.p.h., Here a new-type flare brightly illuminates a possible road hazard,
are being driven more than 1000 miles daily, at-an average speed of 50 |
as the cars flash past on their gasoline fact-hunt. (Advt.) 3
biiiu
}
AS WATER POURED THROUGH DIKE GATE
AN
Lu Shad
A
The angry Susquehanna hammered at Kingston’s new dikes in
vain all day Saturday and Sunday
the sandbag bulkhead which had
south of the town. Within a few
opening had engulfed Kingston Corners (above).
but on Monday it broke through
been blocking a gate in the dike
hours water gushing through the
The photograph
below was taken from the Narrows Road, near a point where the bulk-
head gave way.
Rampaging Toby Creek Gives Area
‘Baby Flood’ Before Valley Disaster
High above the flooded Susquehanna, Back Mountain communities
along Toby’s Creek nevertheless had
a “baby flood” of their own over
the week-end as the ordinarily-harmless stream washed over its banks,
covering the highway in some sections to the depth of a foot.
The quick melting of last week’s
seven-inch snowfall and the torrents
of rain which rushed down the
steep sides of the creek’s watershed
sent the water level up swiftly and
the cocoa-colored creek caused con-
siderable damage before it receded
to somewhere near its normal vol-
ume on Sunday afternoon.
At its crest the creek flooded cel-
lars on the lower sections of Main
Street, Dallas, and lapped against
the first floor of A. C. Devens’ feed
mill. The cellar of Titman’s Cash
Store held several feet of muddy
water. The torrent was the worst
remembered since the cloudburst,
nearly 10 years ago, which saw
water on the first floor of stores in
central Dallas and boats being used
on Main Street.
Highway Is Flooded
When a retaining wall was wash-
ed out below Center Street, Shaver-
town, the creek left its banks and
lapped about homes. Near the
Shavertown Fire Company water
covered the highway, although not |
to a depth to halt traffic. Rushing | Wednesday afternoon at the home,
water cut into the bank at Birch | Main Road, Trucksville, with Rev.
Grove, below Hillside, undermining | Ralph A. Weatherly officiating,
the base of guardrail posts.
Quaill’s Demise
Shocks Dallas
Club Superintendent Is
Stricken At Hospital
The sudden death of John O. W.
Quaill, 39, superintendent of grounds
at Irem Country Club, Dallas, came
as a severe shock this week to the
hundreds of staunch friends he had
made since his arrival in this sec-
tion about a year ago.
Mr. Quaill, who died Monday
| morning at Nesbitt Memorial Hospi-
‘tal of complications which set in
after an appendectomy, was buried
yesterday in Pittsburgh, his form-
er home, with interment in the Al-
legheny County Memorial Park.
A widely-known authority on golf
courses, Mr. Quaill was formerly
ground superintendent for the High-
land County Club, where he had
served for 17 years, succeeding his
father. He was a former president
of the Eastern Division of the Na-
tional Greenkeepers’ Association and
a member of its board.
Although a comparatively new
resident, he had made friends quick-
ly here. He was a valuable member
of Dr. Henry M. Laing Fire Co. and
had an active part in arranging the
settings for its recent benefit pro-
duction, a job which brought him
a great many compliments and new
friends.
Surviving are his widow, Frances,
and two children, Roberta, 16, and
John David, 13, and one sister, Mrs.
C. E. Johnston of Baden.
| Charles Anderson Once
' Postmaster At Trucksville
Charles Anderson, former Trucks-
ville postmaster, died on Sunday
morning at Nesbitt Memorial Hos-
pital, where he had undergone an
operation on the preceding Tues-
day. Mr. Anderson was the weigh-
master at Dorrance Colliery of Le-
high Valley Coal Co.
Funeral services were held on
A native of Bunker Hill Section,
In Luzerne, above the by-pass, a|Mr. Anderson had lived in Trucks-
fill of dirt and ashes was washed | Ville for about 30 years.
away, cutting almost to the edge of
the tracks of the Lehigh Valley Rail-
road.
All territory around the Luzerne
Anthracite Company breaker was
flooded and the D. L. & W. spur to
that breaker was under water as the
new storm sewer through Wilkes-
Barre-refused to carry off the swoll-
en waters.
The first ward of Kingston, near
the mouth of Toby’s Creek, was one
of the first sections of the valley to
be flooded as the creek waters, un-
able to be drained into the Sus-
quehanna, collected in a swirling,
muddy pool.
From 1919
to 1926 he was postmaster at
Trucksville. He was a member of
the Prince of Peace Episcopal
Church, Shavertown, and George M.
Dallas Lodge, F. & A. M.
He leaves his widow and daugh-
ter, Helen, at home; a sister, Mrs.
Louise Schuler, and a niece, Mrs.
James Trebilcox, both of Trucks-
ville.
‘GAY-MURRAY
Cry
Charter No. 8164
THE FIRST NA
Bank premises owned $50,000, furni
Other assets
Demand deposits of individuals, part:
corporations
belief.
Correct—Attest:
A. C.D
REPORT OF CONDITION OF
of Dallas, in the State of Pennsylvania, at the close of business on
March 26, 1940, published in response to call made by Comptroller of
the Currency, under Section 5211, U. S. Revised Statutes.
ASSETS
Loans and discounts (including $1.50 overdrafts)... $348,791.07
United States Government obligations, direct and
guaranteed 0 Sl mare ee 54,000.00
Obligations of States and political subdivisions . 80,496.75
Other bonds, notes, and debentures. _.............................. 147,943.33
Corporate stocks, including stock of Federal Reserve Bank... 4,150.00
Cash, balances with other banks, including reserve balance,
and cash items in process of collection... 154,842.21
Real estate owned other than bank premises...
LIABILITIES
Time deposits of individuals, partnerships, and corporations 465,634.92
Deposits of United States Government (including postal
State of Pennsylvania, County of Luzerne, ss:
I, W. B. Jeter, cashier of the above-named bank, do solemnly swear
that the above statement is true to the best of my knowledge and
W. B. JETER,
Sworn to and subscribed before me this 30th day of March, 1940.
J. T. JETER,
My commission expires first Monday in
January, 1942,
R. L, BRICKEL,
C. A. FRANTZ,
Reserve District No. 3
TIONAL BANK
ture and fixtures $9,100 59,100.00
18,178.77
50.00
nn be ST $867,552.13
nerships, and
rh Te $171,017.91
SAVINGS): Ero oo Es a SE 5,000.00
Deposits of States and political subdivisions ............. au BY,945.58 1]
Other deposits (certified and cashier’s checks, ete.) 2,760.75
Total-Deposits’ cao oie $702,359.16
Other-labilitleg:. oo ne 2 a he br, a 780.64
Total Viabilitles = =... Sc oi rani $703,139.80
CAPITAL ACCOUNTS
Capital Stock:
(c) Common stock, total par $75,000.00... __ $ 75,000.00
Surplus or a -.... 63,000.00
Undivided Profits 26,412.33
Total CapitalcAecounts...... 0 2 ho $164,412.33
Total Liabilities and Capital Accounts.....................__. $867,552.13
MEMORANDA
Pledged assets (and securities loaned) (book value):
(a) United States Government obligations, direct and
guaranteed, pledged to secure deposits and other
Habllltleg on aE $ 17,000.00
(b) Other assets pledged to secure deposits and other
liabilities (including notes and bills rediscounted
and securities sold under repurchase agreement)... 6,000.00
[Ee
(e) ota) ee $ 23,000.00
Secured liabilities:
(a) Deposits secured by pledged assets pursuant to
requirements of law lt i io a $ 19,140.04
(d) Potala a $ 19,140.04
Cashier.
Justice of the Peace.
EVENS,
Directors.
i—the bottle held 1670.
eR
THANKS !
(Written while there is nearly a
foot of water on our first floor).
We want to thank all those
who helped make our Big Party
the success that it was: those
who helped by publicity; those
who took part in our contests;
“Pep” Singer for his fine exhi-
bitions; “Doc” Mifflin for his
clever artistry; the musicians
for their fine entertainment and
all who helped by attending.
We had a lot of fun and we
hope you did, too.
Today (Monday) all the tables
and merchandise are raised up on
blocks 20 inches high, and I can see
water, water, everywhere. Even
the bathtubs are full and there’s a
live mouse riding around here on
a floating piece of 6-inch board,
plenty worried. It’s the most quiet
Monday I ever saw at Gay-Murray’s.
To get back to the Party; the
Rice Brothers showed them-
selves mighty good sawyers
when they defended their log-
sawing championship against
Clyde Kester and Fred Denni-
son,, Milton Tague and Mike
Vargo, John Lowe and his
“Dad” and “Ted” Wilson's
team, ‘‘Al” Fasset gave a fine
exhibition of bait casting to win
over “Stan” Gardner, Harry
Smith, Charles Dayton and
George Singer. “Al's” score
was 86.
“Pete” Brundage won the Fish!
Prize. It weighed 41%. Mrs.
Harold Fassett won the seed corn
Irene Ma-
honey won the Moore's Paint—she
was lucky. Barney sold three sets
of team harness each day, and says
that his party visitors sure liked the
new Gleckner line.
The ladies took a great inter-
est in the new 6-foot Westing-
house Refrigerator and the new
Bottled Gas Range. We'll tell
you about these customers soon.
Don’t forget! It would take more
than a Big Party and a little flood
to stop us. We're ready to serve
you with everything for Spring.
Gay-Murray Go.
Inc.
TUNKHANNOCK, PA.
Owned and Operated by American Stores Company
Guaranteed Satisfaction —
Always An Acme Policy
Acme Market Customers know by Experience that all our quality foods,
meats, groceries and produce have always been guaranteed to give com-
plete satisfaction. We stand back of everything you buy in our Markets,
and you are always sure of full value for your money. You never risk
a penny.
— Acme Quality Meats Always Satisfy |
Small Oven-tendered (Shank Half)
Smoked HAMS
- 12¢
Lean Oven-tendered
Fresh Pan Style
Smoked Picnics
SAUSAGE
SCRAPPLE
1b. 1 5 ¢
Ib. 14c
1b. J¢
3-1b. 5¢
Boneless Smoked Bacon
BONELESS SMOKED BACON
Swift’s Premium
LOAVES
Meat-Cheese
Pickle & Pimento
QUALITY SEA FOOD
ee Fillets of 1b. | Stewing
10c! Perch 19¢ | Oysters
Fancy Fish
Fillets
pt. can
$1.00
Del Monte
PEACHES
3 95
28-oz. jar 1 0 ¢
No. 2 can 10¢
44-o0z. pkg. 25¢
No. 221 can (0c
small can (8c
3 No. 21 cans 22¢
No. 2% can 9c
tall can 19¢
4-1b. pkg. 10c
qt. jar 27¢
3 28-0z. cans 25¢
Bosco (Mue Free). 24-07, jar 35¢ : Huskies, pkg. 10c
Gocomalt (Pinnochio Book Free) small can 23¢
Cut Rite Wax Paper Ige. pkg. 15¢
Prudence
2 25¢
Corned Beef Hash
Purely Veg. Shoterning
CREAM-WHITE
3 "39%¢
Gold Medal “Kitchen Tested”
FLOUR 2
1b.
bag
. HORMIL'S
NEW MEAT or
“101 USES
—_——
Glenwood Delicious Homelike
Apple Butter
Butter Kernel Corn
Presto Cake Flour
Choice Calif. Prunes
Log Cabin Syrup
Partly Cooked Sour Krout
Royal Anne Cherries
Asco Red Salmon
Asco Rindless Bacon
Salad Dressing (Hom-de-lite)
Asco Beans (With Pork & Tomato Sauce)
Welch’s
GRAPE JUICE
pt. bot. 9 1° qt bot. 39°
)
|
[ Every Egg Guaranteed!
(GOLD SEAL “Finest Dated” EGGS
M i L BH Bonnie Oak
Evaporated
Strongheart Dog Food
| Octagon Toilet Soap
Fels Naptha Soap
Palmolive Soap 3 bars 17¢ :
Concentrated Super Suds
SUPER SUDS
(Concentrated)
pkg. 1 ¢
12 in carton 25¢
4 tall cans 25¢
4 cans 19¢
3 bars 3c
6 hars 25¢
3 Ige. bars 25¢
SUPER SUDS
(Red Package)
3 small pkgs. 25¢
Ne oa r= |2 large pigs: de
— Finest Fruits And Vegetables Obtainable! —
Extra Large Calif. Navel, Seedless
ORANGES 29¢
New Crisp
SPINACH CARROTS
3 bunches 1 0 ¢
1b. 5 ¢
MUSHROOMS “=.0 " 19¢
dozen 2 5 ¢
Extra Large Calif. Juicy
OPEN LATE FRIDAY AND SATURDAY!
Prices effective until closing time Saturday in Acme Super Markets at
42-44 Main St, Dallas —989 Main St, Luzerne
£ 1
i
by
| Carefully dozen | :
{ Graded ie
3 sm. pkgs. 25¢
4