The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1939-1949, 1947-07-17

ticulturist repo ed after an il
apple orchards are so damaged
that only culls will be harvested
this year."
The Winesap and other apple
varieties grown in the area seem
to have escaped major damage,
though, he said.
Reviewing the destruction to
prunes, Schultz noted that the
Demeris and Early Italian plant
ings show yields that are from
so per cent to completely lost.
The Standard Italians, a later
variety, came through the storm,
with heaviest losses ranging not
more than so per cent, although
the trees themselves are many of
them fatally damaged.
Pointing out that Weatherspoon
prunes came through the storm
with virtually no loss, Schultz
commented that they seem to be
particularly adapted to the area,
if properly handled.
Peach losses, he continued are
spotty. Some orchards are COM
pletely destroyed while others
are upscathed.
The only damage to grape vim
eyards was sustained by young
vines not fully rooted or tied 20
supports. The fact that estab-
Hshed vineyards weathered the
wind successfully Is an emport-
ant factor in this grape-producing
area, Schulz stressed.
Johnny Sawyers, of the Twin
City Airport, estimated losses on
his field at $4,000. A, Piper Cub,
belonging to the field, and. a Tay-
lorcraft, owned by Walt Knowles
and Chuck Neel, were each dam
aged to the extent of $4,000, when
the high wind tipped them loose
from their heavy concrete moor
ings.
On the oppisite side of town,
at Vista Airport, moored planes
escaped largely without damage.
But hangared aircraft were dam
aged to the extent of $4,000, when
the heavy hangar doors were torn
off at both ends of the building,
smashing plane surfaces and Gre
ating a veritable wind tunnel in
which company personnel and Wis
itors strove desperately to hold
the aircraft in their places. Hang
ar damage was estimated at $1,000.
Also at Vista Field the Kenne-
wick Air Service T hangar was
stripped of its aluminium siding
and a new hangar under construc-
ton was completely blown dewn,
save for two walls left standing.
Many Kennewick streets were
blocked as thirty and forty year
old trees were ripped from the
ground, many of them landing on
top of nearby houses.
Bob jackson of KenneWick was
aloft on a solo training flight
when the storm broke. Climbing
to escape the weather he broke
out of the wind-borne dust at 5000
feet, he reported, and continued
on to Ephrata, landing there and
flying back to Twin City Airport
later in the evening.
Paul Duncan, Twin City Air
potr pilot, landed on the field
with a three passenger charter
flight at the peak Of the storm.
He landed without difficulty or
injury to Mike Cronin, Jack Van
Horton and Henry Cruss of Ken
newick, who were flying with
him.
He would have flown on to an
other landing site If possible, Dun
can said, but shortage Of fuel
forced him to land in Kennewick.
AS nearly as he could estimate,
the storm extended at least as
far to the southwest as Arlington,
Oregon, continued to the north
west in a broad Swath toward
Spokane, with Kennewick, Pasco
and Richland in the center of the
disturbance.
Every major power line in the
locality was struck from falling
trees, PUD Manager Robert A.
Cruzen reported. Crews worked
through the night and into Fri
day morning to restore full SER
vice. Telephone communications
were also interrupted by falling
branches and trees.
No storm equal to this in vio-
lence has been seen in Kennewick
since 1896. ta