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NUMBER OF COPIES PRINTED 4800 ERA 103RD YEAR EXPRESS HERALD 60TH YEAR NO NEWMARKET MARCH as SINGLE COPIES CENTS EACH Destroys Firemen Maintain Control Newmarket firemen said that yesterdays Newmarket ice plant shows firemen on a rooftop fighting the main blaze about half fire was the worst they have had to fight has been general hour after an explosion blew out the front of the plant right for the excellent manner in which they controlled the the owner Dick and starting the fire and protected surrounding buildings The general view at the top All Wednesday afternoon and into last night the firemen of Newmarket Aurora and Holland Landing battled to get at flames which inched through frame up per parts of the Newmarket Ice Company buildings Particular in a large storage building south of the compressor plant the firemen had to punch count less holes into the asbestosshing led frame which contained tons of ice inside packed in 18 in all of sawdust and shavings All the buildings had been insulated with shavings and sawdust every inch burning with billowing clouds of smoke Driven by a hard northwest wind the smoke creat ed much additional hardship for the firemen and his helper had rush ed out the front door immediate ly when he noticed an ammonia leak They had been working on an oil line at a compressor at the rear of the plant was caught between his building and his own trucks when the blast from inside blew out the entire front concreteblock wall One of the blocks is thought to have struck and hurled him under his truck The blast was hoard over a wide area of the north end of Newmarket In the house across Main Street Mrs Meredith heard the rumble as if a carload of coal rolled down a chute and looking from her window saw hurled down She rushed to phone firemen and told the phone operator to call a doctor as a man had been hurt By the time she came back to her window flames were shooting in every direction from the plant how open to the street Newmarket firemen quickly put the pumper into ac tion with two lines boosting the hydrant supply at Davis Drive and Main St to give three lines of pressure water to the blaze Still further attack on the flames was made by Newmarket reels from the hydrant on Davis Drive east of Eves Lumber building to have water at the back of the ice and storage buildings By the time the local firemen had the plant blaze controlled it had sent tongues of flame to the two icestorage sheds south and east of the compressor room Both buildings are of frame high type one clad with shin gles and the other asbestos over a cinderblock foundation All were full of insulation sawdust Page Col FIRE CAUSE INDEFINITE While the cause of the blast yesterday at the ice plant is known the specific cause of the fire has not been defined with certainty Escaping am monia from a valve during re- pair operations at the plant was the cause of the blast The Immediate outbreak of flames is the cause of specula tion Firemens opinions are thai the space heater must have exploded when the blast occur red IMPORTANT SOURCE OF ICE SUPPLY NOW GONE The fire at the Newmarket Ice Co plant which is an important source of supply for the district likely will cause immediate problems The plant has supplied ice for Holland Marsh vegetable storage plants in particular a plant at Bradford It supplied crushed ice for refrigerator trucks which transport Marsh produce to distant points such as New York and Chicago STILL BURNING A small group of Newmar ket firemen stayed at the fire last night and today to main tain control of the tee plant fire It Is expected that It will continue to burn for sev eral days remaining walls are packed with damp smol dering sawdust Toronto newspapers and radio stations enlarged on the Newmarket fire story to the extent In one ease that people were hurt Contrary to Toronto press reports that were Injured only one man Dick owner of the ice plant suffered Injur ies hums on the leg and a fractured pelvis Some men suffered from smoke and ammonia fumes hut there were no serious ef fects Owner Hospitalized After Escape From Initial Blast Two men narrowly escaped with their lives when an ammonialine exploded in the plant of the Newmar ket Ice Company Limited at noon yesterday to start a fire which gutted three of the four buildings on the property In early moments when the two occupants raced from the dangerspot Dick owner of the firm was blown off his feet and hurled beneath one of his trucks as the front wall was blown out into Slain St north was rushed to York County hospital with double injuries a severe ammonia burn down one leg plus a pelvis injury determined by Xray to be frac ture His helper Percy happen ed to run north from the building as the pair raced out the doqr escaped Injury and was immediately able to get Mr into the auto of Herb Lawrence nearby Altogether the loss to Mr Rupke is expected to total most of the property value of minus his building coverage of insurance Little salvageable will remain of his compressor units in the onestorey north building his storage buildings one empty and one three- quarters filled with ice for summer demand were both destroyed Remaining untouched is a fourth building facing on Davis Drive which is full of rented lockers contain ing frozen horse meat owned by a majority of the districts mink breeders The valuable mink feed threatened by the fact that no longer is there an ice plant to keep it frozen Housewife Saves Child COMING EVENTS if Newmarket brigade mans a hose on top of members the brigade attack the fire from the roof of the Elman the truck left In front of hnn is the wreckage of the front section Campbell residence Aurora and Holland Landing brigades arrived of the ice plant which was blown out by an ammonia blast Right to help the local men Era photos by Here and There Around Town By Over 250 children from New- markets elementary schools en- Joyed the free skating at the Memorial arena on Saturday af ternoon The treat will continue through the courtesy of the Rec reation commission throughout the season with skating from to each Saturday Visitors on Main St Tuesday morning were curious about the mob scene at Atkinsons Drug store Is it a onecent sale or some other bargain attraction they asked It was learned that the annual Ice Carnival was the cause of the rush The plan for reserved seats had opened that morning for Newmarket Figure Skating Clubs attraction to be staged at the arena on March and This service the provision of A central location for the trans acting of a clubs business is typical of the many contribution made by the merchants of our They allow potters to be placed in their windows display articles an which HOSPITAL GRANT Approval was given by York County council at its session on Feb to a grant of for York County hospital The money to be paid in five annual instalments of each is for use in the expansion program of the hospital County council will decide at its next session on March whe ther the first payment will be made in or It was agreed that council would accept the recommendation of the hospi tal board on this matter Jumped From Barn For Help Five Year Old Girl Injured draws are arranged They ac cept tickets for concerts teas and other special events Whenever there is a bingo euchre or bridge they are the first people to be approached for donations A Cub was wandering about the Scout Hail on the night of the annual father and son ban quet He looked worried and seemed to be searching for some one his smaller brother it was later learned One of the help ers who had seen the boys dad at the other end of the hi stop ped the Cub and asked Are you looking for your father Why He isnt lost- the youngster replied in Judith Ann Knappett year old daughter of Mr and Mrs Courtney Mulock Farms fractured her pelvis and hip when she jumped from a barn in an attempt rescue her two year old brother Larry on Tuesday The two children had entered the barn as they returned from visiting a neighbor The door closed behind them and Larry be came frightened starting to cry when they found themselves lock ed in the barn Judith decided to jump from the hay loft over feet to a wagon But she hit the ground Her mother beginning to worry that the children had not returned home went to search for them Jim Vine an employee at the farm found her first The little girl was more than feet away from the barn where she had EXTRA PAGES Because of a rush of late ma terial two extra pages of the Era and Express were printed last night The result Is that some pages printed yesterday are numbered incorrectly crawled despite her injuries to try to reach help Judith Ann was admitted to York County hospital Dr J Edwards attended Mr Knap pett la a gardener on the Mulock estate Very Rev Dr Skene To Speak At Off St Andrews Church 12 1st anniversary of St Andrews Presbyterian church Newmarket will be marked by a special service at am Sunday It will also be the anniver sary of the building of the present church The Very Rev Dr J Skene Port Credit will be the speaker Terry will be soloist Also taking part in the service will be the new minister at St Andrews Rev Stuart Johnson At a Presbytery meeting on Tuesday night Rev Johnsons call was approved and he will be inducted at a service on March WEDNESDAY MAR 2 Bingo at Legion Hall Newmarket pm Good prizes gomes Jack pot Door prize spec ial games Free bus after bingo THURSDAY MAR In Legion Hail Aurora sponsored by Ladies Auxiliary of Canad ian Legion Jackpot30 At pm Admission THURSDAY MAR Euchre school sponsored by Community club at pm Refreshments and lunch Admission THURSDAY MAR Organ recital vocal In Trinity United church Newmarket Dr Char les D also Jeanne Pengelly a music ian of resource and power spon sored by the Trinity United Church choir Voluntary contri bution Time pm FRIDAY MARCH Annual anniversary ten and bake sale from under auspices of the Handicraft Guild of the Presbyterian church Newmar ket FRIDAY AND SATURDAY MAR and Newmarket High Dramatic society presents play by Wilder entitled Our Town In the High School auditorium at FRIDAY MAR St Johns bingo In Newmarket hall Jackpot Admission TUESDAY MARCH Euchre In Sharon hall sponsored by Sharon at good prizes Everyone welcome TUESDAY MARCH The Red Cross will quilt and sew at Trin ity United church from oclock until oclock Lunch served TUESDAY MARCH At Snowball school at pm euchre sponsored by Snowball Womens Institute Door prize and prizes in aid of York County Hospital Building Fund Admission WEDNESDAY MAR Bingo at Hall Newmarket Good prizes cards Jack pot WO Door prize spec- games Free bus after bingo WEDNESDAY MARCH Fourth annual spring fashion how pan and New- market town hall of Newmarket Business and Pro fessional Womens dub Admis sion Tickets may le ob tained from club member from any member Lucky number programs 10c Homemade candy par bap Many prizes and surprises FRIDAY MARCH It Lesson In a revue of fairyland for adults and child ren Hall Admis sion children 25c FRIDAY MARCH At pm Keswick Con cert In Sharon muter aus pices QuccnsviUc United Church Evening Auxiliary Admission adults Children 2w8 FRIDAY MARCH Spring tea and sale of baking Auxiliary of Trinity United church pm Supervised nursery There will be an Inter- More two and a half year old daughter of Mr and Mrs Arthur More Newmarket was rescued by Mrs Albert Srlgtey St when she fell into the swollen waters of the Creek less than feet from her home Alana had been playing by the front of the house her mother Said and apparently had decid ed to go across the fields to meet her Robert on his way from school It was shortly be fore noon when she toppled head over heels into the icy water Mrs who was prepar ing the lunch meal at the time happened to glance out her kit chen window and saw the child fall into the water Some of the neighborhood children attempted to rescue her but were unable to reach her in the water which was four feet deep Racing from her house Mrs covered the yards distance quickly She jumped Into the creek and pulled the child to safety any seri ous damage was done The fam ily doctor said thai suffered nothing worse than a bad scare and a terrific thanks to the presence of and quick action of her rescuer RED CROSS CANVASSERS A meeting of the Red Cross canvassers will be held at Trinity United church on Tues day Mar from to 330 pm All canvassers are urged to at tend Years Hospital Reports Show Near Admitted Patients Prior To Starting New Building Almost people were ad mitted to York County Hospital in 1954 There were births eating display of table settings find operations were One hundred WEDNESDAY MARCH blood transfusions Patricks ten under the auspices of the Newmarket Chapter Order of the Eastern Star from pm In the Firemens Hall THURSDAY FRIDAY SATUR DAY MARCH and Sullivan Trial By Jury and two oneact plays at Pickering College auditorium Tickets on fiale at the college and at Rests Drug Store THURSDAY MAR Red Cross Blitz annual campaign Be ready for canvasser oclock until five oclock and seven oclock until nine oclock THURSDAY MARCH St Pauls Parochial Guild are hold ing a bake sale and candy and afternoon tea from to pm at Parish hall Tea cflwS FRIDAY MARCH Annual Irish social Town Hall Newmarket pm sponsored St Johns church THURSDAY MARCH and School opportunity sale donations pood used clothing with Mrs Atkin son Mrs Gladstone or Mrs Robert Morrison every Saturday night at pm Euchre Thursday at In North Memorial Centre wick Admission til DANCING every Saturday night In Moon Albert Comrauruty hall to and orches tra nod old Ad mission were given were taken and 213 plaster casts were applied during the past These statistics were presented by the superintendent of nurses Miss Lillian Thomas at the York County hospital annual meeting on Feb SOD The official sod- turning for the new hospital wing was held yesterday afternoon A representative crowd includ ing medical men hospital offi cials and municipal represent atives attended Turning the sod were Dr deputy minister of health for Ontario and York County Warden Ralph Comer Speakers were Stiver chairman of the hospital board and Dr C Williams Au rora president of the medical staff The highlight of the year said Miss Thomas was the completion of plans for the new wing for the hospital Several money- raising projects were undertaken by the hospital staff Night with Burns was pre- rented by the staff under the had been purchased from the of Dr Margaret ArHn- special pro grant stall Tickets war sold on baa- 1 had die rafts work of two members of the hospital staff From these two ventures was raised for the Hospital Building fund Hospital day was sponsored by the Womens Auxiliary on May It was well attended with groups of high school girls from Aurora and Newmarket taking advantage of the conducted tours through the hospital Four of local high school girls who had served as nurses aides during their summer holidays entered schools of nursing this fail said Mlsa Thomas Miss Thomas paid tribute to the members of the Womens auxiliary for their continued in terest and assistance during the year Among the many donation made to the hospital were croup tent Mr Cane of Dominion Oxy gen five bedside tables for the one bedside table Mrs W Bosworth Pino Orchard therapy lamp Mrs Ethel Mount Albert upholstered chair Kettleby WJ stethoscope for maternity depart Union Street electric kettle Queensville WJ two tables Aurora two wheel chairs and three Brad ford WJ and numerous dona of fruit jam jelly vege tables by various Institute groups and individuals Some obsolete equipment at the hospital was replaced in Miss listed the items amounting to over which