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BE a a 16 - PORT PERRY STAR -- Wednesday, Oct. 11, 1972 Fire Prevention Week, October 8 to 14 is observed every year to make people aware of the spiralling losses of property and life by fires in Canada. It is also hoped that by reminding people of the many disasters, they will take precautions in their homes and outdoors to help prevent fires. In 1971, 657 persons perished in fires and loss of property was $240,000,000 in Canada. 'In observation of Fire Prevention Week, the Star prints below an account of a disastrous and costly fire raging through Northern Ontario in 1922. Dry, hot weather pre- vailed for three weeks in the late summer of 1922 around the District of Timiskaming in northern Ontario. It was beautiful. People had a chance to get outdoors and enjoy the warm sun. Some went fishing and hunting and prospecting. Others- completed chores around home. In the towns the schools wre open and busin- ess was progressing as usual. Most of the settlers had one hundred and sixty acre holdings and about twenty to forty acres had been cleared on most of them. Crops were in and folks got busy cleaning up for the coming winter. With the good weather many set fires to help clean things up, to get rid of waste or to help in land clearing operations. Several forest fires got started and the settlers fires grew pretty large. Nobody was worried, however; they were accoustomed to burn- ing and the smell of smoke in the air. Then, on October 4th, everything went wrong. the winds increased and the many small fires combined to form giant holocausts. Skies filled with smoke and blotted out the sun. Gigantic balls of smoke whirled in the air, broke into a single sheet of flame, and raced onward devouring all in its path. At the end of the day eighteen townships had been singed, six thousand were homeless, two thousand buildings and other property valued at six million dollars were des- troyed and forty-three were dead. Fire Prevention Week It was Fire Prevention Week and Ontario had suf- fered her costliest forest fire in terms of property loss. Thegreat fire of 1916 claimed 223 lives and the Porcupine Fire of 1911 about 79 lives but neither of these compared with the fire of 1922 in terms of dollars and cents. (From an area bur- ned viewpoint, the 1916 fire was bigger at 24 townships.) The Fire Marshall's report provides interesting infor- mation on the way the 1922 fires occured. A fire from Constant Lake, southwest of Hailey- bury, approached that town on a wind of twenty-five miles per hour. Getting into some buildings west of the railroad station around 3 p.m. it sent sparks show- ering towards Lake Timis- kaming. By four p.m. the shower of sparks became a blizzard. The station plat- form caught fire and roard into a mass of flames. Sparks ignited the roof of the Parish Hall and the Vendome Hotel. The wind, now blowing out of the west, fanned the fire which now cut a strip two blocks wide through the heart of town (down the north side of Main, the south side of 'Browning and all between). A second fire from Clover Valley and Fleming Corn- ers, joined with the Constant Lake fire" and destroyed several places to the north of town on the west side of the tracks. Between five and six p.m. the wind veered and blew out of the north at up to ninety miles per hour. It drove the flames from the two block swath between the station and the dock with irresistable fury to the southerly limit of town, destroying all but one build- ing in its wake. Completely Destroyed Between Haileybury and Cobalt to the south were the communities of Mile 104, Argentite and North Cobalt. The latter lay immediately south of Haileybury and the fire that consumed Hailey- bury also destroyed its neighbour. By seven-thiry p.m. North Cobalt was gone. Mile 104 and Argentite were destroyed by an en- tirely separate fire. It was a forest fire of unknown cause but originating in Lot 10, Concession IV, Bucke Town- ship. It entered Argentite between three and four p.m. and Mile 104 one half hour later. > Six miles north of Hailey- bury lies New Liskeard. Fires had been burning around it for three weeks. With the increasing winds these gathered momentum and entered the west side of New Liskeard between three and four p.m. Thanks to an alert fire department and fire resistant shingles the fire was held to the west side of the tracks. Thirty miles northwest of Haileybury fires had been burning on practically every settled lot of Dack Town- ship. Between two thirty and three thirty p.m. these combined into a holocaust and swept through the town of Charlton leaving but two buildings in its wake. Eight miles east of Charl- ton lay Englehart but it was saved thanks to fire retar- dant roofing materials and early protection activities of the fire department. Earlton and Milberta, in Armstrong and Kerns Townships respectively, were also saved, thanks mainly to large clearings about them. Elsewhere the fires roared and danced with death dealing ferocity through farm and forest areas. There are many exciting accounts of the plights of families in both the town and rural areas. Two child- ren were born that night, one at Charlton and one at Haileybury. Thousands fled to other towns such as Cobalt and New Liskeard. Hunded took shelter in the rough waters of Lake Tim- iskaming. Some lay beneath wetted blankets in cleared fields. @thers took shelter in root houses and wells and were suffocated as the fire consumed: the oxygen in the air. 150 Carloads of Supplies A massive relief program was undertaken in connec- tion with the fire of 1922. Countless organizations and individuals played a part in providing for the homeless. Eddy Cantor, who was playing in Toronto, took part in a benefit performance for the fire sufferers. The Red Cross, Board of Trade, Eatons, Simpsons, service clubs, municipalities and others contributed generou- sly. Nurses, doctors, teach- ers, policemen, housewives and the severely affected themselves joined in the rebuilding of the north. Over one hundred and fifty car- == ge loads of clothing and kind- red supplies were distri- buted. Improvements in forest protection have been great since that time. Ontario now boasts one of the finest forest protection services in the world. The public plays a key part in forest protec- tion, too, and is encouraged to do so by practicing forest 46 persons perish in 1922 great forest fire - fire safety and by reporting LJ . fires which do occur. Protection specialists con- tinue to be very concerned about forest fire and the foolish risks that are still taken by some people. The great forest fire of 1922 should serve as a reminder of the way things were and the way they could be again if care is not taken. Manchester News There was a good turn out at the U.C.W.meeting Thursday at Marion Webster . in Port Perry. The ladies honoured Mrs. Vi. Johnson for the occasion of her 50th Wedding Anni- versary with a gift and cake. It was decided we would have our annual Tea and Bake Sale November 22nd. Miss Wendy Turner spent Thanksgiving weekend with Mr. and Mrs. Murray Holt- by. Mrs. Marjory McCoomb of Willowdale, Mrs. Frank Duff, Port Perry and Mr. and Mrs. Lionel Diamond of Willowdale visited Mrs. Josh Dobson recently. On Wednesday evening, Mrs. Murray Holtby and Mrs. Byron Holtby enter- tained prospect ladies at The Scots will be back The Scots will be back at the 1973 Canadian National Exhibition. In a unanimious vote, the C.N.E. Board of Directors decided to once again stage the highly successful Scot- tish World Festival from August 16 to 19, announced C.N.E. General Manager David Garrick. The 1972 Festival was the highlight of this year's C.N.E. which drew a record attendance of 3,561,000. Kicking off the '73 Festival will be a parade through downtown Toronto at noon on August = 16th. This year's parade of 1,500 pipers and drummers was the largest in Toronto history with over 300,000 spectators lining the three-mile route. "Holtby Home" to a bridal shower party for Miss Mary Jane Crosier. Mr. and Mrs. W.J. Mitchell and Mr. and Mrs. L.B. Roberts attended the Hit- chens, Gillard Wedding at Kedron United Church, Fri- day evening. Keep in mind the special Missionary Service at the Church, October 18th at 8 p.m. Everyone welcome. There was a good turn out at Church Sunday morning for the Thanksgiving ser- vice. The church was beauti- fully decorated. Many thanks goes to those who did the decorating. A number from the Com- munity enjoyed the Old Fashioned Thanksgiving Service, Scugog Head Church, Sunday evening. Callers with Mr. and Mrs. Grant Franklin this week were Mr. and Mrs. Austin Franklin, Mr. and Mrs. Murray Davidson of Osha- wa. Mrs. Art Fielding, Mrs. Art Aunis and Cathy and: Mrs. Helen Jewell, Oshawa attended this week a shower in Port McNichol in honour of their niece Miss Nancy Hirst. Caller this week with Mr. and Mrs. Art Fielding were Mr. Norm Henderson. Sunday guest with Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Best were Sally, Sandy, Stephen Mc- Tavish of Breckin. Ronald and Barbara, Tommy and Nancy Crosier of Saintfield. and John Spen- cer of Oshawa. Sunday dinner guest with Mr. and Mrs. L.B. Roberts were Mrs. Marjorie Walsh, Toronto, Mrs. Alma McNight Toronto, Mr. and Mrs. Norm May Weston, Mrs. Don Chaffe and girls, Weston, Mr. Thomas Roberts, Mr. John Hogg, Toronto. Mr. and Mrs. W.J. Mitchell dropped into the Foster Memorial just north of Uxbridge, October 1st. and certainly were amazed at the beauty of this marble struc- ture and the beautiful colo- red glass windows. The memorial is open the 1st and 3rd Sunday of each month during the summer. This is well worth seeing. Mr. and mrs. Frank John- son and Westley attended the 25th Wedding Anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Robin- son at Pleasant Point Church Wednesday evening: Alex Johns will be intro- ducing Norman Cafik, Lib- eral M.P. to Manchester residents during the morning of Wednesday, October 18th. Please phone news to 985 - & 2758. Mr. and Mrs. John King- stone attended the Golden Wedding Anniversary for Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Brown in Greenwood, Sunday. Thanksgiving dinner guest with Mr. and Mrs. Kingstone .were Mr. and Mrs. Frank Johnson and Westley. Mr. and Mrs. L. Rourke spent the Thanksgiving week end in Toronto. ART'S PLUMBING - HEATING Sewer Connections QUALITY WORKMANSHIP PHONE 985-2581 CLEAN, SAFE FUEL. season. HEAT YOUR HOME WITH RELIABLE, Call REESOR for a tank of Oil. Let us keep you supplied for the coming burning Reesor Fuel & Lumber PORT PERRY, ONTARIO ~ ART PETROZZI 985-7951