Zurich Citizens News, 1969-07-31, Page 10.61.6111.014122
Nc,. 30—FIRST WITH THE LOCAL NEWS
ZURICH, ONTARIO, THURSDAY, JULY 31, 1969
A DISASTROUS STORM - Thursday's storm
which ripped through the Exeter area caused
heavy damage to many of the business places
in that community, and one of the hardest hit
was Dinney Furniture store. In this photo, John
ssist
A nine -man diaster relief
committee formed following
the storm Thursday, Monday
night issued a public appeal for
funds to cover damage and crop
loss estimated at $250, 000.
It also agreed there is little
time to lose in launching a
fund campaign to cover Exeter,
where damage was heaviest, and
the adjoining townships of
Stephen and Usborne "while the
damage is still in the minds of
the people".
Exeter mayor Jack Delbridge,
who is heading the coordinating
committee, acknowledged the
group is faced with several -pro-
blems, particularly an accurate
assessment of the damage and
a formula by which to reimburse
area residents,.
"We're going to have to rely
on the honesty of the people, "
he said, and wondered if the
committee should set a minimum
damage claim at $200 as was don
during a devastating rain and
Teevins, left, of Grand Bend, and Art Gaiser,
right, of Exeter, indicate on the back of the
chair how high the water rose in the storage
department of the store,
(Citizens News Photo)
"7e F r
r Exeter
hail storm which struck northern
Huron County in 1953.
The committee left the
technicalities of reimbursement'
to be decided at its second
meeting August 6.
Robert McKinley, MP told
the committee he would deter-
mine if the area qualified under
a federal disaster relief program
established during the flooding
of the Red River at Winnipeg
during the late 50s.
Friday, the day after a 10 -
square -mile area around was
pounded by the four-hour
storm, Provincial Treasurer,
Charles MacNaughton, who
represented Huron in the
provincial legislature, said there
is no question the Exeter area
qualifies for provincial assistance
COMMISSIONER TO TRINIDAD
Gerald Anthony Rau, a native
of this area, has been appointed
High Commissioner to Trnidad,
and presently is on his way to
that southern island. He is a
brother of Charles Rau, RR2, Zur'
ich.
Hensall Man New
Deputy Master
For South Huron
A Hensall man, Charles D.
Hay, was chosen as deputy rand
master of South Huron District
last week, at the 114th annual
Ontario Communication of
Grand Lodge A.F. and A.M. of
Canada, held at Cedarbrae
Collegiate, Toronto.
Mr. Hay is a past master of
Hensall Masonic Lodge, which
will celebrate its 100th year
of Masonic service in 1970.
Clare Vincent of Londesboro,
clerk of the Townshipof Hullett
was elected deputy fr the North
Huron district at the same
meeting.
The gathering was attended by
representatives of lodges through-
out Ontario, as well as from
other provinces,,. several states
of the U.S., and United King-
dom and other nations.
Bruce B. Foster of Ridgetown
was elected grand master for
Ontario,
adding Ontario would match
dollar for dollar any amount
raised by the three municipalities
The Ontario Hospital Services
Commission have also indicated
there will be assistance available
for South Huron Hospital, to
compensate for the terrific loss
by that institution.
Besides Mayor Delbridge,
members of the committee
include Deputy Reeve Mervin
Cudmore and Councillor Helen
Jermyn, both of Exeter; Reeve
James Hayter, Deputy Reeve
Joseph Deitrich and Councillor
Gerald Dearing, all of Stephen
Township, and Reeve Roy West-
cott and councillors Lloyd
Ferguson and Walter McBride,
all of Usborne Township.
WWII =SAP
1Q CENTS PER COPY
Residents of Exeter and surround
ing area are still busy cleaing up
the mess following the devastat-
ing four-hour rain and hail
storm which hit that area last
Thursday afternoon.
The deluge caused a flash
flood which raged through town
streets. The store wiped out
hundreds of acres of cash crops,
ripped corn and grain to shreds
and overturned automobiles.
It cut a swath about five miles
wide and 10 miles long through
Stephen, Usborne and Tucker -
smith Townships.
Exeter became a divided
community when the storm
inundated an old creek bed,
turning it into a raging river.
The storm began shortly after
3 p.m., pelting Exeter with
hall stones the size of marbles.
Before the rain had stopped, a
small creek east of Exeter,
which becomes an undergound
storm sewer as it passes through
town, had overflowed its banks
and turned at least six streets
into streams four feet deep.
Hundreds of basements and at
least a dozen shops and businesses
in a 20 -block area were flooded.
The raging water overturned a
car parked on Main Street,
Exeter's main thoroughfare,
and carried five others a block
away.
South Huron Hospital suffered
the greatest damage. The
basement and main floor corri-
dors quickly filled with water.
-At least one hospital employee,
awoman, was rescued from the
basement when water rushing
down Anne Street behind the
building filled the pharmacy.
Police said no injuries were
reported.
NO PAPER NEXT WEEK
There will be no edition of
the Zurich Citizens News pub-
lished next week, August 7, so
that the annual vacation period
may be observed. The next edit-
ion will be publised on Thursday,
August 14.
A skeleton staff will be on
duty at the Citizens News plant
during the one-week layoff, to
take care of any printing require-
ments.
er
hrsay
A boiler in the hospital burst
and immediately 20 of the 36
patients in the hospital had to be
evacuated to other wings. On
Fridayimorning all the patients
were transferred to the hospital
at Clinton and some to the
Blue Water Rest Hone at Zurich.
Thousands of acres of crops
were damageed in the Exeter
and Kirkton areas, said Fred G.
Wright, field superintendant
for Canadian Canners Limited,
Exeter.
Mr. Wright said canning peas
and corn crops were seriously
affected as were white bean
and grain crops. He said the
loss would amount to thousands
of dollars and estimated that 15
percent of it would be covered
by crop insurance.
I've lived here for 26 years
but I've only seen two floods
here --both during the spring
runoffs --but it's never been this
bad", said Mayor Jack Delbridge,
As the flood waters washed
westerly along the old creek
bed, debris filled a culvert under
the CNR tracks. The tracks and
the track grading became a
natural dam.
A tractor with a back -hoe was
moved onto the tracks and was
successful in unclogging the
drain. By 10:30 p.m. the water
had begun to subside.
The mayor said storm sewers
four to five feet across were
installed a few years ago in the
town portion of the creek bed and
the bed was filled in. The
creek continues to tun open
west of Exeter where it eventually
runs into the Ausable River.
The flood caught most of the
residents unaware. By the time
a few noticed the water rising
and forming a crest it passed
through the town, it was too
late for action.
Basements began flooding in as
some homeowners tried desper-
ately to salvage washing mach-
ines and recreation room furn-
iture.
Mayor Delbridge said damage
to homes and businesses would
undoubtedly amount to several
hundreds of thousands of dollars.
He estimated damage alone to
the hospital at $50, 000 to
$100, 000.
(pease turn to page two)
ANYONE FOR A RIDE - These four girls, Carol
Smith, Karen Smith and Diane Smith, all of
Zurich, and Michele Galszechy, of Toronto,
enjoy themselves on a warm summer day taking
a nide with the family pony and rig. The pony
doesn't always go the way the girls want it to but
somehow they seem to manage.
(Citizens News Photc