Montgomery County sentinel., 1958-03-27
Continued From Page !
Experience Of Six
Primitive Days

The only reason am writing this is that there
were quite few Of us on the eastern end of the
county, which Is served by the Baltimore Gas and
Electric Co, who We're in the same boat. This
Is their story, tO0
Potomac Electric Power Co. did grand job of
restoring service and am sure the Gas and Elec-
tric Co was just as efficient. But the latters
territory runs all the way to Pennsylvania and
West Virginia and is much larger than PEPCO's.
They had much bigger job to do.
The thing that saved us. really was our
wonderful big fireplace in the kitchen. When we
bought the old house in 1855 one of the first
things did was uncover the big old fireplace
which had been bricked up by previous owner
Later, had replaced crane in the fireplace
purely, thought for decorative purposes.
That fireplace and crane were in constant use
during six-day emergency. i bet we burned
up ut least cord and half of wood 1 don't
know how many candles or fIashIight batteries
we used or how much kerosene for the lamp
During the first couple of days we melted
snow in buckets for the toilets and for washing
purposes. Later trapped melted snow running
off the roof I drained the wells pressure tank
for drinking water and coffee. Later, as the
roads became navigable hauled drinking water
by car from friends house about two miles away
whose current had been restored early.
Actually, our diet suffered little although it
wasn't exactly easy for Mary to cope with. She
would just put an old iron frying pan on the burn
ing wood for fried sausage and eggs and bacon.
Two mornings we had soft-boled eggs. 1t was
easy to make toast by putting slice of bread on
long fork. And we'd hook pail half full of water
over the crane to boil of spaghetti beef stew
baked beans, green beans and other canned foods
We only resorted to hot dogs once. One night we
had steaks moraelboosting gift from my wife's
parents who arrived for visit from balmy Massa
chusetts.
The Observation-Disclosures milk, hot dogs
and two bottles of beer-I buried In snow bank
In shadowy spot to the north of the house. They
kept perfectly.
I don't think the interior of the house ever
got below 40 degrees We wore extra clothes and
at night piled on the blankets During the day,
everyone stayed in the kitchen with that wonder
full big fireplace which saved the day
/ think the outside temperature dropped be.
low freezing only once early Monday. If the
weather had been really cold. there would have
been some real, honestto-goodness suffering in
Montgomery County During the February IS
blizzard when we had 12foot snow drifts out front
for five days the electricity-and the oil burner
stayed on during that bitter cold spell.
In spite of the difficulties we faced this week,
It was, in many ways, a rewarding experience.
For the kids it was educational in that they
learned first hand how their grandparents grew
up-a sort of practical history lesson
For us oldsters. it made us a little more re-
sourceful and little less dependent on gadgets
CWe heard, with astonishment, that some people
called the power company to complain bitterly
because they couldn't see their fayorte teleyislon
program).
Sometimes, confess, suggest TO my wife
that we keep the therTnostat little lower. +Ifs
healthier" say but OF course I'm really thinking
Of the heating bills From now on. my wife can
keep that thermostat as high as she wants. I'll
just be glad that II works!