The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1953-01-15
Post Storm Cleanup


the county, and all but one of the
20 trunk lines was interrupted.
Almost 500 units still were out
Sunday and by Monday evening
the number had been reduced to
276. He hoped for complete tenn
porary service by this morning.
However, he said six or eigh.
crews would remain in the county
for some time to restore the ser
vice to normal on a permanent
basis.
Potomac Edison
The power lines of the Potomac
Edison company in the Grantsville,
Friendsvlle and Deep Creek Lake
sections Of the county suffered
extensive damage. The 33,000-vol'
main transmission line between
Jennings and Hoyes was carried
down by ice, backing out powc
to the entire northwest section OF
the county. Service was restore
there on Saturday.
This company expected to hav'
service back to normal by todav
Workmen were kept busy in the
New Germany and rural areas or
Monday. Emergency crews were
called here from Hagerstown
Frederick, Martinsburg. Romney,
Charles Town, Berkeley Springs
and Winchester.
No Serious Accidents
During the entire emergency the
utility companies reported no seri-
Gus accidents. Some few workmen
were hit by falling ice but in area
where falling ice became danger
Gus the crews were called out ter
porarily.
A foot section of telephone wire
taken from section around Hoyes
which normally weighs an oun~e
weighed four pounds. The ice
around the wire was four and a
half inches thick.
Crewmen continued to max"
good progress yesterday. Rising
temperatures and a warm sun
combined for the second day to
melt the ice except in a few sec
tions.
Grantsville's telephone service
is operated by an Independent
company, but it's lines were work
ing again by Monday afternoon.
WOrkmen Praised
Utility company officials and
numerous patrons throughout the
area were high in their praise of
the efforts of the crewmen who
worked INCREASINGLY under adverse
weather conditions to restore the
service to the public.
Members of the Forestry depart
ment began survey this week to
determine the number of trees
damaged by the ice and sleet. Two
permanent radio stations and IA
mobile units in cars and trucks
of the department were being used
to maintain communication. The
Forestry department has IS or 80
miles of telephone lines and about
90 percent of them snapped.
The forestry departments radio
system was made available to the
utility companies for emergency
messages.
Cpl. Sam Conrad and Troorer
Robert Henline, of the State Po-
lice, stood by at the telephone eX-
change in Oakland during the
blackout but no emergency calls
were received.
Oakland firemen stood by at the
fire house, since it would have
been impossible to blow the :ire
siren in case of an emergency, bat
the fire house had no calls. Some
of the firemen had planned to ST..
all night at the fire house on Sat
urdav. but current was restore
at 1920.
A. L. Sines. veteran of IS vcarS
declared yesterday morning, This
is the worst I have ever seen.
c. w. Roland. veteran of 81 win
TOYS at the Cove. said practically
tNe so,,,o thing. r. E. Weber, vino
hes hecn kecrin~ weather accounts
south o. town ror more than forty
wears. said the ice was twice az
heavy as he had ever seen it.
Highway crows of the State
and County Roads commissions
kept roads washable during the
oo,ergcn~v. Fslling trees and wires
blocked cort9io sections but onl'
+onnorav;1v. F"neh STOW on S1ln.
J.v ri,-ht .....soI FriftinC in some
snots hut tl-is v-"e Quickly cleare'
Inv the crews Ti~h winds on Sun
dav nirht fellod many trees that
had ID > cow days before in
sections here the sun had failed
10 melt the ice from the limbs.
No offi~ir' cared to make an es-
innate Of tive damage except to
saw it would have run into the
thousands of dollars.