The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1943-01-07
TOWN RECOVERING
FROM EFFECTS OF
HEAVY ICE STORM
Electric Light and Telephone
Lines Sustain Greatest
Damage from Ice
Fruit Trees Break Down; Street
Lights Out; Damage Be-
ing Repaired

Bluffton and its surrounding area
are recovering from effects of one of
the worst ice storms in recent years.
Rain falling Sunday with temper
atures at freezing point blanketed
the entire district under a coating of
ice which damaged electric light and
telephone lines, broke down fruit tres
and rendered travel hazardous for mo-
torists and pedestrians alike.
Altho streets were comparatively
free of ice Wednesday morning, more
than week vii be required to repair
damage done by the storm.
Streets Dark
A number of homes, principally in
the rural district, served by the
municipal electric light plant were
without current Monday when branch
es of trees fell across power lines.
Aggravating the situation was the
fact that the street lighting system
was out of commission in more than
half of the town, including the Main
street boulevard section. This was
due, light plant attaches explained, to
grounded circuits in the cable supply
ing the boulevard lighting system, as
a result of unusually wet weather of
the past week.
Most of the street lighting service
was resumed Tuesday night and the
entire system is expected to be in op-
Grafton by this Wednesday night, it
was stated by Supt. John Swisher,
Tuesday.
Estimate Damage
Damage sustained by the municipal
system from grounded circuits, to-
gether with fallen lines and about
half-dozen broken poles is estimated
at between $500 and $400. Emergen-
cy repairs to supply residences with
current were made Monday and per-.
manent repairs are expected to have
been completed by the last of this
week.
Heaviest damage as result of the
storms depredations was sustained by
the telephone system. Eli Deppler,
manager of the system here estimated
that some 200 telephones were out of
service on Monday
Rural Damage Heavy
Damage was greatest in rural areas
were between 60 and 20 poles were
reported down. Long distance tele-
phone service was hit hard with many
lines down. Operation of Lima and
Ada circuits continued without inter-
ruption but service to Pandora and
other points north and east was dis
rupted.
Engineers have been called to Bluff
ton to make an estimate OF the dam
age and it will require services OF an
outside crew for at least week to
make repairs, it was stated by Depp-
ler.
With a slippery sheet of ice cover
ing sidewalks, travel for pedestrians
was hazardous Monday and many
persons reported falls. Most serious
accident was that sustained by Mrs.
Eva Patterson of South Main street
who sustained broken hip as the re-
suit of fall on the sidewalk on West
College avenue near the high school
building Monday night. She was
taken to Bluffton hospital for treat
ment.
Chas. Dillman, news stand proprle-
sor also fell Tuesday noon while on
the way to his North Main street
Mace of business and suffered brok-
en- bone in the left wrist.
Most of the ice on sidewalks had
disappeared by Wednesday noon but
with the below freezing temperatures
there were still isolated spots which
made walking none too safe.
Damage to fruit trees thruout the
rural district north and east of town
was reported heavy and lawns, swept
bare of snow glistened brilliantly as
the sun shown on ice coated blades
of grass and shrubs.