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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1964-08-06, Page 1• • • 4 turn cemZionve FIRST SECTION Wingham, Ontario, Thursday, August 0, 1964 Singe Copy Not Over Ten Cents Rains Cause Flash Flood on Maitland A flash flood on the north branch of the Maitland River, caused by rains early Monday morning, crested at the Howson Dam about noon hour on Tues- day, Town authorities were con- cerned when ttie park beside the upper pond flooded and water started to by-pass the darn from Riverside Drive, crossing Al- bert St, and running back into the river above the swimming area. Town employees, caught by surprise, had to use chain - saws to cur thc uprights holding the stop -logs. They could not be raised due to the heavy pres- sure of water in the pond. PUC workers removed hoards in the lower dam and by Dile o'clock the pond had not only levelled out but was down about a foot from a few hours earlier, The flood calve as a surprise in Wingham as there was not a vast amount of rain Sunday eve- ning and early Monday in the immediate vicinity. While the other section of the river which joins the main branch at Wing - ham was not effected, the north branch drains an area as far back as Arthur Township includ- ing the Harriston ars4 Palmer- ston districts of the watershed and this area, it was reported, received four to five inches of rain, The high run-off flooded the Gorrie Conservation Park and took out the hoards in the Wrox- eter dam as the crest headed downstream. Reports from the north in- dicated that the Saugeen River was on the rampage with high water levels being recorded at various centres in that water- shed. Peculiarly enough, liarris- ton's main street was reported to he under water on Monday, and yet the Town of Listowel did not report any rise in the river level. Ilarriston is on the north branch and Listowel is on the Middle Maitland, which would indicate the storm was limited to the one section of the Maitland Valley drained by the northern tributary. Mayor Hetherington said that the flash flood points to the need for some sort of a control gate at the Howson bridge inor- der tolet water through more quickly in an emergency. FLOOD WAS NOT CAUSED BY GORRIE DAM BREAK Stories in the city press and on the air on Wednesday stated that the cause of flooding in the Wingham park was caused Injured of River Ann Howson of Blyth sus- tained bruises but was not ser- iously injured in a water skiing accident at the river. The young lady was making a turn and collided with some steel piling. She was taken to hos- pital where she remained for a couple of days. —itllkll�l ALONG THE MAIN MAGI BY The Pedestrian By The Pedestrian FUN FOR THE KIDS -- With the park beside the up- per pond flooded on Tuesday the kids were having a marvel- lous rime retrieving picnic ta- bles and other park parapher- nalia in the shallow water at the edge. Some of the more adventurous were out in the river rescuing tables that started to float down stream. Young • fishermen and their friends ga- thered scores of fishworms that were floating on the water co- vering the park, 0--0--0 NOT THE DOGS -- Carling Terrace and Cathar- ine Street residents have hcen annoyed thc last couple of weeks by the dumping of gar- bage cans during the night. Us- ually dogs are to blame, but Mrs. Harry Garniss reported • she happened to he up in the wee stnall hours and looked out to see an old racoon with two or three youngsters having a go " at what, to the coon, must have been a real gold mine. 0--0--0 • BOULDERS GONE-- Thc construction boys work- ing on the sewage site have al- ready cleaned up the big stones on the Josephine -Victoria St. intersection and put itt some finer gravel. It is still a bit bumpy, but is a great improve- ment, 0--n--0 TO PLAY SARNIA-- The Wingham Pec Wes will play the Sarnia Pee Wees under the lights in the town park att8 p. m. Saturday. This is the first in the best out of three its the all -Ontario Play -down. The boys need your support. They hope to see you at the park out Saturday night, by the collapse of the dam at Gorrie. Such was not the case. The Gorrie pond was drained about two weeks ago when an upright holding the flashboard broke and released the water. Actual cause of the flooding was attributed to heavy rains to the north and east of Wingham which sent a large volume of water down the north branch of the river. Rev. J. R. Watt Preaches in The Holy Land Rev. J. Robert Watt and Mrs. Watt of Toronto, left on July 2 for a trip to the Holy Land. The tour is arranged for ministers and their wives by the United Church Observer and the trip was a gift to them from the Trinity United Church Congreg- ation, While in the Holy Land Mr, Watt was invited to be guest minister for a worship service in a chapel on the Lake of Gali- lee. Mr. and Mrs. Watt intended to spend two weeks visiting European countries and the Brit- ish Isles before returning to Ca- nada, Rev. Watt is a son of the late ARTIST'S DRAWING of new stone gates at the west end of John Street. The Wingham Branch, Royal Canadian Legion, is considering the gates as a project to mark the entrance to the new Riverside Park development. WELCOME )i TO W 4( A *A Vld '>S' '"'%Ky9'. u. rlt The finished drawing was made by Guenther Hein from sketches sub- mitted to the Legion. Hospital Directors Vote to Purchase Heating Plant At a special meeting of the hospital board on Friday eve- ning the directors voted unan- imously to replace the two ex- isting boilers with two new 125 horse -power units. Chairman R, B. Cousins presided over the meeting and the hospital's en- gineer, Peter Norman, at- tended to provide information about the steam generating system. Some time ago the board authorized the purchase of a new electrically heated hotwa- ter unit because there was a constant shortage throughout the building. At that time, however, the architects engag- ed to plan and supervise the construction of a new wing at the hospital advised that it would be wise to delay thepur- chase of the electric tanks, since new boiler equipment would be required for the addi- tion to the building and would in all probability meet the need for extra hot water. The architects, Dunlop, Please turn to Page Five Mr. and Mrs. W, J. Watt and is a brother of Mrs. Millan Moore and Mrs. George Thomp- son of Whitechurch. Plan Placed Before Legion Propose Construction of Stone Gates As New Entrance to Riverside Park Ross Dundas, vice-chairman of the Riverside Parks Commis- sion, appeared at the meeting of Legion Branch 180 on Tues- day evening of last week to seek Legion support to pay all, Youth Leaps From Tractor As Train Hits Brian Moffatt, 16, sonof Mr, and Mrs. Burns Moffatt, Blue - vale general store merchant, es-• caped injury Thursday when the tractor he was driving was struck by a CNR train and demolished. Brian was operating a tractor hauling hay from a field at the back of the Glen Golley farm a mile west of Bluevale and as he was crossing the private railroad crossing on the farm he noticed the passenger train bound for Wingham, He leaped off the tractor at the last second, just in time to avoid being struck, The tractor was wrecked and the diesel locomotive was slightly damaged but was able to proceed into Wingham, f ESCAPES INJURY—Brian Moffat, son of Mr. and Mrs. B. H. Moffat, Bluevale, es- caped injury when this tractor he was driving was struck by a train at a private crossing on the farm of Glen Gouley on Highway 86. The tractor was considered a total wreck. Advance -Times photo. or part of the cost of new gates at Riverside Park. The estimated cost of the proposed gates is $700. They would be located at the foot of John Street and form the main entrance at the south end of the park, at the camping area, The Legion is giving active consideration to supporting the project and a vote will be ta- ken at the next branch meeting on August 25, OTHER FACILITIES The camping area will have 35 trailer sites as well as ac- commodation for campers and will go into operation next year. According to Mr. Dun- das tenders will go out this week for a wash and bathhouse in the immediate area, the tot- al cost of the building to he be- tween $8,000 and $9,000. For this the Lions Club will com- mit itself to $4, 000. The wash - house will he for the conven- ience of campers and picnicers. A proposal to build a picnic shelter as a centennial project for the Town of Wingham is be- ing talked about. Such a pav- ilion, if it is built, would be End Series in Second Place The Wingham Pee Wees won over Belgrave last Wednesday by the score of 18-6. Bill Skinn for the local boys pitched a fine game with eight strike outs. Joe Kerr, Monty and Paul Templeman each had 2 hits. The Pee Wees ended their regular schedule in second place. They now meet Tees - water in the first round of the play-offs. The Winghatn team is also entered in the 0.A. S. A, The first game will he in the Wing - ham Park Saturday at 8.00 against the Sarnia team in the first round. similar to those in provincial parks, of cut stone with a wood roof, and would probably he located in the camping area. Cost of such a structure has been estimated at $8,000 for which grants of 75 per cent would be received from the fed- eral and provincial governments if the project is approved. The lower pond on which the camping area will face is to be cleaned of silt and weeds and expanded to 30 acres in size. The bottom will he taken down to a gravel bottom with the maximum depth about 11 feet. Tenders for clearing the pond are out now. Mr, Dundas said that the area of water above the Howson Dam will he further cleaned and extended to make up five acres of water. This will allow boating for approximately one mile distance from the dam. The chairman of the River- side Parks Commission is harry McArthur. Two Groups Will Handle Mud Water Testing The Ontario Water Resources Commission and the Maitland Valley Conservation Authority are co-operaring its a valley - wide program of water testing on the four branches of the ri- ver, The program of testing tor pollution and general water condition will he carried out by the c)WRe: with the authority supplying the man -power for the job, Last week eight test stations were designated tor the contin- uing stud),. John Ralston of the OW14:laboratory staff, assisted by John !Ulla, Authority sup- erintendent and K. G. bits clow, tit•ld officer, established the check points on the river where water samples will be taken every second Monday until late in the tall, The stations are located on the north branch at liarriston: the Little Maitland on highway 38 near the site of the Ontario Hospital in Wallace Township; the Middle Maitland at 'I'row- bridge; Royle drain south of Newry and Brussels; the Blyth brook tributary at Blyth and on the main Maitland at Zetland and Godericlt. The testing: itself is a rather interesting operation. First, a special can is lowered into the stream to take a sample of the water. Attached to the can is a sterilized bottle which is im- mediately t•appc•d as soon as it is retrieved with the water sam- ple. This hottic is sent to the OWRC labs in 'Toronto w+Lucre the water is tests d for hat teria aitd chemical attalt>is. The water in the Can is tested on the spot in a portable lab tor t1 disolved oxygen cotttctit, 'Phis test determines the int 1,111 condition of true water, which has a decided effect our the fish its the stream. W. A. Stc'ggles. super),isor of the OWRC streams sower branch, said previous survevsaf the Maitland showed several sources of pollution. To Mon- itor the cftect of this pollution on the gtialtty of the rivt'r wa- ter during the critical low flow period, samples will he taken every second week, "The effect of the new sew- age works and proposed reser- voirs tor the 'Maitland can he evaluated and recommenda- tions made," Mr, s'teggley• said. lt1r, l:alstott !vatted oet tt.at the test; will show tate art r; nt of aftlucnt from creatiierihs, cheese factories ;tud ind':striia plaints as well ae etre .'sc, t ,tit cattle aiili SnCUtc't a:ile+t; 1;.0. t 011 the streatlei. \V1:cn the anal) :.; art !it'c i- prc•ted and a rt.pt=rt il;eni:rccl at rhe ctid r! ti.,. .lora+t ue; period. a cop% 0! 1`•a rt l'• tc: 11 ''e' provide d 'el' ley i ore; Holidays The Advance -Times WILL BE CLOSE Aug. 17 to Aug. 28 REOPENS AUGUST 31