Smyrna times., 1961-07-06
50 YEARS AGO

One of the worst electric
storms of the season passed
over Smyrna and vicinity yes
terday and struck several places
but no material damage is re-
ported. A bolt struck the stable
of George Reed Lofland on the
Edward G. Walls farm and but
for the timely arrival of a few
buckets of water, the building
would have been in ashes. The
bolt des n d e d to the feed
room and in few moments
was in flames. A horse in a
stall nearby was badly stunned
and for a time it looked as if
the horse would die but it re-
covered. The fire burned up
several sets of harness and char
red the woodwork of the feed
room. The timely arrival of Mr..
Lofland and his farm hand was
the only thing that saved a
fearful conflagration. During the
same storm a lightning bolt
struck the roof of the kitchen
on the farm of Former Register
of Wills w. D. Hudson, but no
damage was done outside of
tearing a portion of the roof.
A pig in a pen of Will Robin
sons on Main street was stun
ned. Several trees were struck
and uprooted near the resid-
ences of George w. Turner and
Mrs. M. E. Voshell and an cleo
trio light and telephone pole
was knocked down near the
corner of Main and Frazier
streets. In the country districts
many trees were uprooted.
Yesterday was a gala day in
Smyrna and despite the intense
heat and electric storm, the
County Fair and Fourth of July
celebration was pulled through
with a determination and sue
cess for which the women of
the Twentieth Century Club of
Smyrna have gained a State
wide reputation. 1t was great
day for Smyrna. Early in the
morning crowds began to arrive
from all directions. Citizens of
Smyrna were up early and
many homes were attractively
decorated with the national col
ors. All sorts of vehicle brought
the crowds to Smyrna and the
incoming trains did a rushing
business. The trend of every
body and the one enthusiastic
note was the County Fair" +"
The streets were lined with
spectators when the parade be-
gan.
The steamer "City of Dover"
has arrived in the st. Jones'
river, ready to resume the reg
ular schedule of trips between
Dover and Philadelphia, by way
of Lebanon and Bowers Beach.
The CITY of Dover" has al
ready made one round trip from
Philadelphia to test her road
ability" on the new route and
she measures up to the mark
to the satisfaction of the oper-
ating company. The "City of
Dover" left Lebanon wharf with
freight and passengers on time
on Monday morning and the
company will operate hacks and
vans from Dover to Lebanon
wharf.
! Middletown is becoming no.
torious from its frequent horse
stealing which seems to go on
in some form or another nearly
every Saturday night. Recent
ly bay mare and a buggy were
stolen from Mr.. Mike Carroll's
livery stable at the National
Hotel and driven away. The
team was found the next after
noon below Millington, Md,
with a note in the buggy CIV
ing the name of the owner. A
! farmer near Millington said the
driver of the stolen team was
a colored man. The horse had
been very hard driven, both
horse and buggy being covered
with mud. Another night, the
horse and buggy of Isaiah En-
ory, of Middletown, was stolen
from before the colored church
in Odessa, and not recovered
until the next morning, when il
: was found hitched in the Mid
dletown Hotel sheds. This poor
horse had been very badly mis-.