This is a place for all us old Cedar Valeians to post memories and gossip about our golden years growing up in Cedar Vale, Kansas and our lives in the years since. Please talk to us, comment and/or post an article, someone cares!
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Ice Storm Photo
Does this look familiar all you ex CVers? This photo just in from Don Cox. He tells me that CV missed this one but there are more coming.
Quite a bit of ice up this way. The storm in Cedar Vale (in either late 1949 or early 1950) left the worst long term conditions that I have experienced. It wasn't just ice but a deep accumulation of snow/sleet/ice as I remember.
The worst ice (to my estimation) was in Ark City perhaps around four years ago. The recent ice storm was bad because of the extremely large area of Kansas affected.
Well, this has nothing to do with ice, but with water, which I guess is just runny ice, so maybe it will fit here. And, I apologize if I have already told this story, but at age 70, my mind tends to lose track of what I said last month, or two hours ago. During the big rains and floods in 1951, one evening we were getting ready to go to bed when there came a frantic knock on the front door. My dad went to the door and was greeted by a large young man, who, himself was frantic. He was wearing a U.S. Army jacket and was all wet and muddy. He said that his name was Patchin, and he and his family were driving south to his folk's farm. They got to the "hump-back" bridge that crosses Cedar Creek just south of our house, on the road toward Hewins, and they noticed that water was swirling through the low spots on either side of the little bridge. They proceeded to drive on into the water and found it was so high that the car flooded out and stalled right in the middle of the flood. He couldn't push the car, so he left his wife and little girl in the car and struggled though the flood and ran the mile back to our house. Dad got the old John Deere tractor and a long chain, and they drove back down to the creek. Mr. Patchin managed to walk back out through the ever rising water to fasten the chain onto the bumper and the old Johnny-popper pulled the car back onto dry road, where they managed to get it started. They spent the night sleeping at our house and left in the morning. But they did not go south because by morning the flood water had covered our land and the road all the way to and above the railroad tracks. I am sure if the car had not been rescued when it was, the little family would have been lost, somewhere down in the Big Caney. So, it wasn't ice, but just as deadly.
4 comments:
Quite a bit of ice up this way. The storm in Cedar Vale (in either late 1949 or early 1950) left the worst long term conditions that I have experienced. It wasn't just ice but a deep accumulation of snow/sleet/ice as I remember.
The worst ice (to my estimation) was in Ark City perhaps around four years ago. The recent ice storm was bad because of the extremely large area of Kansas affected.
Take care, keep warm, and keep in touch.
Well, this has nothing to do with ice, but with water, which I guess is just runny ice, so maybe it will fit here. And, I apologize if I have already told this story, but at age 70, my mind tends to lose track of what I said last month, or two hours ago.
During the big rains and floods in 1951, one evening we were getting ready to go to bed
when there came a frantic knock on the front door. My dad went to the door and was greeted by a large young man, who, himself was frantic. He was wearing a U.S. Army jacket and was all wet and muddy. He said that his name was Patchin, and he and his family were driving south to his folk's farm. They got to the "hump-back" bridge that crosses Cedar Creek just south of our house, on the road toward Hewins, and they noticed that water was swirling through the low spots on either side of the little bridge. They proceeded to drive on into the water and found it was so high that the car flooded out and stalled right in the middle of the flood. He couldn't push the car, so he left his wife and little girl in the car and struggled though the flood and ran the mile back to our house.
Dad got the old John Deere tractor and a long chain, and they drove back down to the creek. Mr. Patchin managed to walk back out through the ever rising water to fasten the chain onto the bumper and the old Johnny-popper pulled the car back onto dry road, where they managed to get it started.
They spent the night sleeping at our house and left in the morning. But they did not go south because by morning the flood water had covered our land and the road all the way to and above the railroad tracks. I am sure if the car had not been rescued when it was, the little family would have been lost, somewhere down in the Big Caney. So, it wasn't ice, but just as deadly.
Great remembrance, Wayne. If I would have ever been in danger it would have been comforting to know that your Dad was around. A fine man!
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