Douglas County Past: Dump fire 'explodes' under water pressure; High school athletes in train accident

Mar. 24—March 24, 1933

Choose county fire wardens

E. J. Vanderwall, Brule, district forest ranger Friday announced the list of fire wardens for Douglas county as approved by the state conservation commission.

Seasonal men appointed are: Carl J. Anderson, located at Brule; Frank J. Moore, located at Gordon; Roy Guest, located at Pattison Park; L.E. Brackett, located at Brule.

Emergency fire wardens appointed are: Henry Hendrickson, Amnicon; Jim Blackmore, A.J. Webster, Jack Wiitala, Brule; L.H. Bowman, C.O. Liljegreh, Bennett; Werner Carlson, Cloverland; Charles Maley, T.W. Frye, Edwin Anderson, Dairyland; Arlis Simmons, A.J. DeMars, Max Harter, Herschel Hankins, Gordon; Louis Efaw, Hawthorne; Frank Prochaska Jr., Highland; John W. Miller, Lakeside; Frank Ketzmark, John N. Pellman, Maple; Alford Holm, Henry Fogelberg, Marvin Smith, Oakland; C.J. Tallakson, Parkland; Charles Garvey, Charles Nightingale, John Roll, Carl F. Johnson, Solon Springs; V.J. Milchesky, Frank Izzard, Glenn Shultz, Victor Thompson, Charles Williams, Summit; Frank Kervina, F.W. Fuller, Superior; Dan Buckley and Ben Kreiner, Wascott.

Dump 'explodes' as high pressure water hits fire

The fire that has raged all winter at the city dump was literally being washed away Friday as a crew of firemen brought a steamer into action to create 120 pounds of pressure and threw 150 gallons of water per minute on the dump through two hoses.

A six-foot trench has been dug running east and west about 75 feet north of Winter street. This serves to check the fire from spreading to the cedar blocks which form the base of Winter street.

There was plenty of noise and steam Friday morning as firemen played two hoses on top of the dump, washing everything that was burning into a ravine on the west side of the dump. As the cold water struck hot ashes there were explosions that resounded like dynamite and hot ashes flew into the air.

Dynamite is not being used yet, but will be if it is found necessary. The washing away process that was begun Friday morning is said to be the only effective way of putting out such a fire. This process could not be used until now because most of the dump surface was frozen.

Up and down the street

Add signs of spring — Eleanor Reichel, State Teachers college student, reports that she saw a meadowlark on her way to school. And a robin showed up Friday morning in the Second ward.

Two packages containing different kinds of jig saw puzzles were broken accidentally in the post office Thursday. The parts of the puzzles were mixed together and in order to separate them the whole post office crew worked on the two puzzles, after which they were duly separated and placed in their respective envelopes.

"There is no need for anyone to go to jail for illegal cutting of timber in Douglas county," Axel Soderland, Hawthorne, told Roy Cole, county clerk, Friday. "I wish those timber cutters would come out to my place and go to work. I've got lots of land and lots of wood. They can have the wood. The place is located one-half mile east of highway No. 53 on county trunk B. "It's the first house on the right-hand side of the road. I don't want anybody to miss it," he added.

Superior news in brief

Farmers deny theft — George Mencel, 32, and Jack Jacksena, 58, Douglas county farmers, asked for hearings Thursday afternoon when they were arraigned on charges of stealing chickens. Hearings were set for March 30 at 2 p.m.

March 25, 1918

H.S. athletes in train wreck

Intact and bearing no marks of damage the members of the Superior Central High school basketball team returned home yesterday from the state championship tournament at Stevens Point after having experienced the dangers of a train wreck. The wreck occurred yesterday morning on the Soo line between Spencer and Owen.

The sleeping car in which the Superior athletes were quartered, and one day coach were derailed and partly turned over. Excepting for a jarring up no one was the worse for the accident. A mile post crashed through a window of one of the coaches and narrowly missed striking a passenger.

Although playing remarkably good basketball, the Superior team played in tough luck and lost two games by scant margins in the tournament. As a result the purple and white finished in fifth place out of a field of nine.

Train kills lad at Solon Springs

Ernest Carr, seven-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Wallace Carr, of Solon Springs, was struck down and killed by an Omaha passenger train near the Solon Springs station yesterday afternoon. The lad lived for only a few hours after the accident.

The boy was on his way to the home of his grandfather, near the station, at the time. The train was just pulling in at Solon Springs and it is thought that he saw it coming but thought he could make the distance before the train approached. Attempting to cross the tracks he was struck in the back.

March 27, 1933

Superior news in brief

Denies fowl theft — Chauncey Dahlstedt, 18, farmer, pleaded not guilty Monday to a charge of stealing chickens. He will be heard Thursday at 2 p.m. in municipal court.

Show films — Moving pictures educating school children on the care of teeth are being shown at public schools this week. The films, put out by a toothpaste company, have received the endorsement of the Northern Dental association and the local health department. The pictures were being shown at the Ericsson, Carpenter and Blaine schools Monday.

Superiorite makes first guess on boat arrival

Erick L. Erickson, 1127 Tower avenue, is the first Telegram reader to send in his guess in the annual Marine Guessing contest sponsored by The Telegram. Every man, woman or child Telegram reader is invited to send in a guess when the first boat will arrive here from the Soo.

A prize of $5 will be given to the man, woman or child sending in a guess that is nearest to the exact time that the first boat arrives.

Three seized by dry agents

Gale McKenna, John and Martin Pleso, all of Oliver, were arrested by federal agents in Superior Saturday and charged with the possession and transportation of intoxicating liquor. They were charged with having more than a gallon of moonshine whisky in their possession.

Articles and pictures courtesy of retired librarian Judy Aunet with Superior Public Library.