Zurich Citizens News, 1958-10-22, Page 1No. 47
ZURICH, ONTARIO, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 1958
12 Pages
Big U.S. Weather Balloon Crashes,
Canister Lodges In Tree 50 Feet Up
A huge United States govern-
ment meteorological balloon crash-
ed Friday in a ten -acre woodlot
a mile and a quarter east of Hen-
sel]. Force of the descent of the
balloon tore limbs from tops of
trees. Overall measurements of
the balloon were reported to be
about 200 feet long, with a cir-
• cumference of about 150 feet.
A three by six foot metal can-
ister, carrying unidentified in-
struments, was left wedged in the
fork of a tree about 50 feet above
the ground. It was removed on
Sunday morning with a derrick
owned and operated by Rus-
sell Parsons, Staffa, with a large
crowd on hand to watch the per-
formances. Estimated weight of
the cannister was about 1,500
pounds. Members of the United
States Air Force from Chicago
were present to direct the work,
and take the canister back with
them.
Collapsed plastic at the end of
a cable measuring 100 feet be-
tween the cannister and the up-
per portion of the balloon billow-
ed outside the woodlot on the farm
owned by Bruce Tuckey, Exeter,
and operated by Mr. and Mrs.
Gerrit Branderhost: Shortly after
7 a.m. Mr. Branderhost summoned
Provincial Police, who in turn
sought advice from RCAF Station
Centralia meteorologist George
Bush. The officers at Centralia
expressed the belief the unident-
ified object was an American sky
hook balloon used for tracking
winds directions and velocities at
high altitudes.
It was revealed on Sunday that.
the balloon had been set off from
Minneapolis. A resident of the
district, Melvin Traquair, report-
ed hearing the balloon crashing
through the trees about 2,30 a.m.
on Friday.
0
Scouts Holding
Paper Drive
This Thursday
The Boy Scouts will be
holding a Paper Drive this
Thursday afternoon at 4.30
o'clock. All people are asked
to have their old papers tied
an bundles and set them out
in front of their hones.
If there is anyone who has
papers in their basements and
is not able to carry them out
they may call Zurich 190W
and the .Scouts will arrange
to get the papers.
Village Trustees Stock ile Gravel .
t;iscuss ew Style of Street Lights
At the regular meeting of the
Village Trustees held last Wed-
nesday night, it was decided to
buy a quantity of crushed stone
to be put on a stock pile, and
held in reserve for future pur-
poses. A sink hole in front of
the residence of Allan Gescho is
to be repaired as soon as possible.
Two trees in front of the Zur-
ich Public School are to be cut
down, as they are both dead. The
council also decided the dump
council also decided the dump
grounds should be bull -dozed so
as to make more room for rubbish.
The Public Utilities manager,
Milfred Schilbe, was given per -
FROM OUTER SPACE? Hundreds of local folk visited the farm of Bruce Tuckey,
near Hensall on the weekend to see where the huge U.S. Weather Balloon crashed early
Friday morning, October 17. Above is the canister which houses valuable equipment
used to record weather data. It was lowered by crane from a fork in a tree fifty. feet
above the ground where it had lodged. (Citizens News Photo)
mission to attend the Western
Region ADIEU convention in Lan-
don on October 23. If possible
one of the members of the council
will accompany him.
Considerable discussion took
place regarding new street lights
in some sections of the town.
Many neighbouring villages have
installed the new type of lights,
and are finding them quite satis-
factory.
FROM THREE TO A HUNDRED AND TEN—Everyone's doing the hula heop! The
two young ladies from among the dozens of experts in the district illustrate the sport.
They are, on the left, Marlene Rader, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Lorne Rader, and on the
right, Carole Johnston, daughter of Mr. and, Mrs. Ross Johnston, all of Zurich.
(Citizens News Photo)
Lions Club Appoints Don tl'Brien to
Scout Group; To Attend Zone Rally
Baseball Team
To Be Honoured
With z" anquet
A banquet will be held in
the Community Centre on
Wednesday, October 29, to
honour the Zurich Lumber -
kings ball team, Ontario Int-
ermediate "C" champions. A
turkey dinner will be served
by the Women's Institute, and
about 225 tickets will be on
sale for the event. They may
be purchased from any mem-
ber of the ball team or the
executive.
Suitable entertainment will
be provided, and presentations
of various trophies will take
place.
The Zurich Lions Club held their
regular dinner meeting at the Do-
minion Hotel this past Monday
night, with president Delbert Geig-
er in charge.
Twelve members of the club are
planning on going to Arthur on
Thursday night to attend a Zone
rally. The members decided to
travel by car instead of going on
a chartered bus with members of
the Exeter and Grand Bend clubs.
A request was received at the
meeting from Jack Bannister,
newly -appointed chairman of the
group committee for Boy Scouts,
to have a member of the Lions
Club appointed to the committee.
Don O'Brien was selected as the
Lions representative on the group
committee.
After the meeting the program
committee made plans for the an-
nual visit of the District Governor,
who this year is Rae Watson,
Lucknow, former president of
London Central Club.
Hay Township Council Sets Tax Rate,
Nomination Day Set For \ ovember 28
At a special meeting of Hay
Township Council last Tuesday
night, the tax levy for the year
was set. The rate is slightly high-
er than last year, due to an in-
crease in the county rate to 13.3
mills.
The school and road levies re-
main the same as last year. The
mill rate includes:
General township, farm and
residential, 2.2 ;commercial, 5.1;
road rate, 9; general school. rate,
3 (not applicable to school area);
South Huron District High School,
7; Federation of Agriculture, two-
fifths; fire protection for farm
buildings, two-fifths; Zurich and
Dashwood police Village rates, 15.
School rates: Hay area, 7.8 spec-
ial rate; school debenture, 2.2;
general rate, 3; total of 13. (New
provincial regulations provide that,
where all township schools are in
an area, the general rate is in-
cluded in the school assessment
rather than in the township rate.
Hay's school area rate is actually
the same as last year.) Stanley
school area, 8; Stanley U.S.S. 9,
10; S.S.S. 1, Hay, 8; S,S,S, 1,
Stanley Union, 12; Union SS. 1
(closed), none.
The council decided to request
the Federation of Agriculture and
the Zurich Lions Club each to
appoint a man to represent their
(costumed ttlitued on page 12)