[PRCo] Re: Glassport abandonment

[Fred Schneider]

This original transmission had a MS word file attached that could be printed with different font sizes and different fonts and with the headlines centered.
If anyone is trying to keep a file, those can be provided separately.



On Aug 31, 2010, at 3:29 PM, Fred Schneider wrote:

> http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=n0IqAAAAIBAJ&sjid=EE8EAAAAIBAJ&pg=2754,2574978&dq=glassport+trolleys&hl=en
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> Pittsburgh Press, August 9, 1963, page 18
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> Resume Trolleys, Glassport Asks
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> Storm-Hit Borough Takes Case to PUC
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>     Glassport Borough has asked the Public Utility Commission (PUC) to compel Pittsburgh Railways Co. to resume trolley service to that community.
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>    Pittsburgh Railways had contended the cancellation, last Tuesday [August 6, 1963] was necessitated by damaged inflicted by last Saturday‚s severe windstorm.  [Note the service cancellation was three days after the storm.] 
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>    In its PUC petition, the borough charged this violated Glassport‚s contract with the trolley company.   The contract expires Sept. 1.
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>    In the meantime, Noble J. Dick Bus Lines has moved into the breach, but Glassport officials note that cash fares only are acceptable and many riders are still holding PRC tokens.
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>    The trolley company said these tokens would be redeemed.
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> [Note that PRC planned to abandon service in connection with the end of route 56 service on August 31.   McKeesport authorities wanted the trolleys removed from their city.  This was a very hollow threat.]
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> http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=pfQuAAAAIBAJ&sjid=TdsFAAAAIBAJ&pg=5033,665149&dq=glassport+storm&hl=en
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> Beaver County Times, August 5, 1963, page 12
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> Glassport Hard Hit By Storm
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> PITTSBURGH (UPI) ˆ A massive cleanup operation was under way today in nearby Glassport and other district communities which were hit by a series of devastating storms Saturday night.
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>   In a matter of minutes, a hotel, a roller skating rink and several other structures collapsed in Glassport leaving two dead and injuring many others.   The U. S. Weather Bureau said winds ranged up to 89 miles per hour during the height of the storm. 
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>   Police said many of the children at the Broadway Roller Rink were probably saved from serious injury when the lights in the building went out just before the roof caved in.   Most of the children went outside to see what had happened.
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>   There were only about 25 persons in the Petrosky Hotel, including the owner William Petrosky, 41, Glasport.   Petrosky and seven patrons were talking in the bar when the storm struck.
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>   John Fasiska, owner of the roller rink described what happened when the roof of his building collapsed.
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>   „Three kids who stayed on the skating floor were buried in about two feet of rubble,‰ Fasiska said.   I walked around feeling my way.    I stepped on one kid and pulled him out.   Everyone pitched in.   We had those kids dug out in a minute.‰
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>   Alexander Ross, a tenant on the second floor of the hotel, said:
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>   „Everything just caved in.   I came to on the first floor.   Somebody was digging me out.‰
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>   Ross was among 75 persons treated at McKeesport Hospital for various injuries.   Ten persons were admitted, the rest released after treatement.
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>   Th[e] Allegheny County Morgue identified the dead as Petrosy and John Martin, 34, Glassport.   Both were in the bar when the storm struck.
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>   The hotel and roller rink were not the only buildings hit by the storm.   Practically every structure in the city was damaged.   Electric wires were down everywhere.
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>   The city was in darkness from 9:30 p.m. until daylight Sunday.
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>   Mayor Robert Shaw declared a state of emergency and police from neighboring communities and troops from Nike air defense sites came in to help patrol against looting and to search for further possible victims.
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> http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=djft3U1LymYC&dat=19630806&printsec=frontpage
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> Pittsburgh Press, August 6, 1963, page 1
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> Storm Damage Hits $14 Million
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>  The Federal Government today placed a 14-million-dollar price tag on damage to homes, businesses and Industrial facilities in four-storm battered Allegheny County communities.
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>   The estimate was made after officials toured Glassport, Clairton, McKeesport and Carnegie in the wake of the tornado-like storm that rocked the area Saturday night.
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>   F. A. Thomassy, branch manager of the U. S. Government‚s Small Business Administration (SBA), said the storm was „one of the worst shockers he had ever seen.‰
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>   Mr. Thomasssy made the following estimate of damages:
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>   1˜More than 2,000 homes were walloped for losses of more than two million dollars.
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>   2˜About 150 commercial and industrial facilities were hit with damages totaling 10 million dollars.
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>   3˜Loses to municipalities in damaged streets and public buildings come to an estimated $300,000.
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>   4˜The Copperweld Steel Corp.‚s main plant in Glassport was hit with $300,000 in damages.
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>   5˜Public utility firms lost an estimated one million dollars worth of power lines, poles and underground circuit systems.
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>   A Copperweld spokesman said the firm would resume production of aluminum-covered steel wire Aug. 19 and copper wire a week later.
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>   „We thought it would take six to nine weeks to restore operations but our maintenance crews are doing a terrific clean up job,‰ the spokesman said.
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>   The Duquesne Light Co. announced today that service has been restored to all sections of the storm hit area except for a few outlaying homes in Clairton and about 50 in Glassport‚s Third Ward.
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>   A spokesman for the utility form said four crews were at work in Glassport and that power would be restored to all homes by tonight.
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>   The only bright spot in the storm picture was revealed yesterday when the SBA announced that home owners and businessmen will be eligible for Federal loans for rehabilitation. 
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>   Homeowners may borrow money at 3 percent interest over a 20 year period from the SBA at its Downtown office, 107 Sixth Avenue.   Loans are available for rehabilitation of municipal facilities from the Communities Facilities Administration (CFA).
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>   Districts 15, 16 and 19 of the United Steel Workers have offered to aid storm victims through their community service committees.
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>   District offices to be contacted for help are 419 Huey St., McKeesport (15); 2500 Baldwick Rd, Crafton (16); and 400 Lock St., Tarentum (19).
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> Claims Received
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> Maj. Gen. Thomas R. White, Jr., State Adjutant General, toured the stricken areas yesterday and after a flight over them, said the southwest corner of the County, mostly Glassport, was „substantially damaged.‰   [Yes it does say southwest corner of the county, not southwest corner of the state or southeast corner of the county.   Someone is geographically challenged. ]
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>   General White and two deputies will make a report of their findings to Gov. William W. Scranton for possible State aid.
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>   The area was declared a disaster zone by the Federal Government.
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