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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1980-11-13, Page 14• • • LIEER CHASED INTO TOWN — vidiet and Cliff Broadfoot were surprised by an early morning visitor Fr41ay to their garden at 46 James Street. A young buck yearling, likely pu sued by dogs, ran into a white Woven wire fire fence around the Broadf ot garden. An official from the Ministry of Natural Resources and qe orth police chief John Cairns lifted the young animal to its feet, Wit it ran a short distance and dropped dead. The conservation area sail the animal likely died of fright, since there were no visible signs of injury (Photo by Oke) Thank You I wish to thank those who supported me at the polls and I wish the new council the best in the coming two years. Gary Boyle Sealorth To the electors of Seaforth My sincere thanks for your generous support in Monday's election. I hope to carry out the duties given me to your satisfaction. Commissioner JIM SILLS Thank you I would like to thank the voters of the Town of Seaforth for their support last Monday • at the the polls. .1 will continue to work for your best interests. Gordon Pullman , WANT -ADS Phone 527-0240 •=11m01111•0•1•140111i1•111••••1011•1111111101.1111.= THANK •You I would e to thank all 44ippotfrs at the polls in Tuckersmith Township last Monday. It was greatly appreciated and wish the council the very best in the next term. Robert Fdtheringham 011, • BAKE SALE Friday Nov.14 10:00 a.m. Former Dutch Store Main Si. Seaforth Sponsored By Egmondville U.C.W. 1 1 f Unfortunately, Seaforth doesn't have an antique firehall ot even a fireball noted for some unusual architectural detail. If the town did/' then Elizabeth Willmot might have visited us And the history of Seaforth's flre brigade might have been included in her oew book, Where's The Fire? The book is a fascinating . look at 'fireballs and firefighting techniques used in. southwestern Ontario's earlier days, but the closest Ms. VVIIIrnot came to us was a visit to Paisley and Woodstock. Firefighting in this country, she Points out in her book, began with leather water buckets, Whieb".Were manned by volunteer fire brigades. Brigades in the early days gave themselves brave sounding title's like Hercules or the ever popular Phoenix. Phoenix was hn appropriate name since the mythological bird, and there's suppcisedly only one of its kind, would build a nest of aromatic boughs when death approached. Tlien the bird would set the nest on fire and be consumed by- the flames itself, From these ashes however, another Phoenix was born. Seafortys first fire brigade was formed in 1874, in the days whenbuckets and hoses were as sophisticated as firefighting equipment_got-The early_brigadeincluded one hand engine company, with VV..H, Cline as captain, and a hook and ladder company, captained by George Madden. Fire in the late 1800's was a dreaded foe since water supplies were often inadequate and firemen often salvaged little more than a building's stone foundation. An early firemen had to be fit enough to lift a 25 -pound weight over his head, climb a garden ladder witfr some agility and hold a hose. Many early firemen, as an additional safety ' measure, sported beards which could be wetted and tucked into their mouths during the fire to strain out soot and smoke -a kind of natural protective mask. Seaforth's fire brigade was only two years old when it faced the severest test in its history. FIRE On a Monday night, early in September, someone spotted flames coming from the rear of a frame handing in the wooden block on the east side of Main Street. At 2 a. m. the alarm was sounded -Mrs. Griffith's candy and grocery shop was on fire and the frame buildings on each side were threatened. The fire engine, and hook and ladder apparatus were quickly rolled out and the engine stationed beside one of the large water tanks at the corner of Main and Goderich Streets. The tanks, which were spaced around the town, each held, 1,728 cubic feet of water, but that night, no" amount of watef could save downtown' Seaforth. The commotion, and spreading fire resulted in DANCE Saturday, November 15 9-1 Pineridge Chalet R.R. 2 Henson MUSIC SY: Exeter Main Street Jug Band (Dixieland) next Saturday night Joe Overholt and the Standbys Serendipity. by Alice Gibb THE HURON 6ckiseroR NovIviesER 13, "hundreds of people, mere- women and children in all manner of attirti, rushing,to ate scene of the fire." Some, were rushing simply as spectators, but many others were merchaats-or frantic homeowners, intent on salvaging what they could before the.fire.spieati to their businesses and hone. Firemen first tried to save the hotel'of Messrs. Stephens and McKinney and the stable of T.A. Sharpe in the rear.; But sparks blew into the hay loft of the livery stable and the whole building went up in flames. It seemed doubtful if firemen would be able to get their fire hose out in time, but some quick work rescued the hoses at that last minute. With the fire spreading rapidly from one frame building to the next, the fire b-rigade discovered-thewafer tank was empty. They quickly moved the engine to the next nearest tank, located on the corner near the Presbyterian Church. As the heat grew more intense, and a southvveSt wind farmed-thellame-s7-drelrieiiirable haWeb-ed:fire-spread to" the west side of the street. The Mansion Hotel, one of the tOwn's. lovekst buildings, also caught on fire. The F_xpositor's reporter, describing the scene in a full page story later, wrote, "Main and Goderich Streets, between the burning rows, were like heated furnaces." By now, flames covered a five acre area and the reflection in the sky could be seen as far away as Carronbrook (Dublin) and Winthrop. The Expositor, office was soctn threatened, and so was a new brick building erected by Mr. Megarey. Firemen struggled for 45 minutes -to save this part of town, and by using wet blankets and salt managed to turn the flames back. The window casings in the Megarey building „burned, but the brick structure saved the other buildings beyond it. It was obvious brick was the building material of the future, The fire spread from 2 a.m untii 5 a.m.. when most of the frame buildings were hot, smouldering ruins: Gradually people started searching through furnit boxes and crdekery to see what remained of their worldly possessions of stock from their stores. Many who had removed possessions from the east side of Main Street to the west watched helplessly as flames spread across the street And their possessions were losL HOMELESS FAMILIES The total loss in the fire was $102,800, a tremendous sum in those days, and only S36.400 of this was insured. Legion events well attended BY JACK EISLER During the past weekend and on Tuesday. Nov. 11 Legion member S from our Branch as well as across Canada gathered together with the public to observe Remembrance Day Services and other activities related to honouring our war dead. The Legion News Althou0 this writer regretably did not attend all functions put on by our own branch. MI were well at- tended especially the Service held at the Cenotaph. In bitter cold weather it was gratifying to see people there from 9 to 90 take part once again in this solemn occassion: On Monday I was once again priveledged to observe the Remembrance Day Service held at Seaforth District High School and put 1 on by the grade 7 and 8 students of the Seaforth -Public School. I was greatly impressed and thanks goes out to those leachers ret, sponsible for their fine direction and effort. 1 can advise you our students of both schools are aware of what •Ilernembrance is all about. After the parade on Tuesday Jtad during the afternoon r 'many me mbcrs stayed o ecminisce, sing songsvor play cards. and as I looked around, many faces usually seen on this day were Mtssidg some of who are in hospital. others perhaps passed on and many for different reasons. Let me assure them and there loved ones our thrittghts were with them. In the evening after the pot luck supper the twenty or so members and then wives who attended the films shown at the high school. had further cause to re- minisce as they were treated thanks to the generosity of SPCINSE S Of MS EVENT REEVE R.Clif SWART DEPTY REEVE DON IMIS CAN °MATES Ftlit COUNCIL HERR BflOINN JOHN KINSMAN ROBERT YOGI NORRIS COR VAN DER Pall TRUSTEES MATT MC CREIGHT LOU 'MALONEY JERRY MURR Y THE SPONSORS—This sign was up in the recreation centre in Dublin Monday night to announce the sponsors of a Hibbert ratepayers party. Not all of the sponsors were re-elected. Dublin had an outstanding 80 percent voter turnout. (Expositor photo) To the electors of the Township of Tuckersmith I wish to say "thank you" for the faith you have shown in acclaiming me as your Reeve for the coming term. I will endeavour to serve you to the best of my ability. Thank You Robt. Bell Richard Burgess and the Classic film Society to such films as Blitz -Krieg. a Day of Infang Diepse and a film called V for Victory a fitting way of ending a weekend of Remembrance. Many thanks to Richard Burgess. I hope I have not offended any one by not reporting on activities that took place at our banquet. as I am sure you will find a detailed account on page 5 of this paper. Of course a special thanks must go to the Ladies Auxiliary not only for their hired donation but in the way they looked after the members and their guests on Nov. II. COMING EVENTS Comrades Stag Euchre will start on Nov. 19 at 8 p.m. and continue every two weeks. The sports committee deserves your support Henson news Margaret Hoggarth prc. sided for the meeting of the Ladies Md which followed and read an item 1 Had My Knights followed by prayer. Arrangements were made for flowers for the church. The Treasurer Mrs. Hyde re- ported good receipts from the Bazaar and Bake Sale. The Dec. 1 meeting will be a Pot -Luck Dinner, at 12:30 followed by the Christmas meeting. Thanks to the electors of Seaforth I appreciate and thank you for your support at the polls on Monday Hazel Hildebrand To the Voters of Tuckersmith I wish to thank you for your support at the polls on Novernber 10th and 1 appreciate very much the efforts of those who worked on my behalf on election day. I look forward to the challenge of serving your interests over the next two years. Bob Broadfoot !would like fo thank all those who supported me of the polls on November 10th. Sincerely, DON BRODIE • Forty homes and stores had been burned, and, 30 were left homeless. Sutprisingly, since both Men and women joined the brigade in battling the fire, the only injuries were cuts and scatches. Also, the neWspaper reporter noted, surprisingly few people on the sperie were "any the worse for drink." But, like any tragedy, 'Seaforth'S fire brought out the bad as well as good in the town's residents. Looters managed to sneak off with goods left on the street by ' families who'd been burned out. The Expositor editor said severely, "Next to the person who applies the incendiary's torch is the nlean-spirited wretch who would steal the property of his neighbour which had been resched from a burning building." The editor also didn't mince words in reminding the town that some good would result from the fire -the good being a Main Street built of brick which could wit and future fires. sf's, In view of the character of the blocks of woode buildings on either side of Main Street in the localit where the fire originated, there was scarcely a resident of'' the town who did not live in nightly terror of a fire_that _ niiihrdanger the town...," But, , he added, o`the destruction and devastation has been even worse than the `\ .- • most timid ever Ilinticipated," The town, after the fire, has "Reached a crisis in our existence" but the edit& hoped the destrurction would, pave the way for brick structures which ."will he a credit to `. their owners and ornaments to the trn) -After all, he ponted out, the majority of buildinglost in the fire, though valuable to their owners "were a positive injury to the town and a hindrance to its growth and progress." The fire, the talk of Huron County. brought crowds of spectators to Seaforth from as far away as Goderich, Brussels and Carronbrook It also brought a day in court for many businessman and the notorious Mrs. Griffiths - the candy shop owner who happened to carry a very lai:.;e insurance policy on her small frame building. Was.s she an arsonist? Mrs. Griffith's testimony in next weeks's column. OPEN RECEPTION for George Johnston _ and Verna Flood Friday, November 14th, 1980 Brodhagen Community Centre Dancing 9-1 MUSIC BY MAURICE DRAGER '1••••••••••••11.1.1111•••••mok COMMERCIAL HOTEL THIS WEEK'S ENTERTAINMENT Wednesday to Saturday and Saturday Matinee 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. The Jim Parish Family Show NEXT WEEK'S ENTERTAINMENT Wednesday to Saturday and Saturday Matinee 4 Nen. to 6 p.m. Nice "n" Easy FIN FINE FOO ENTERTA' "SU NT Thank you for supporting me at the polls. J01-111‘1 FLYNN THANK YOU to the Voters of Seaforth for your support at the polls. Special thanks to the workers. ALF. ROSS Councillor -Elect