“What a Mess!”

Posted on by hchm-curator

by Kristine Schmucker, HCHM Curator

It started on Tuesday morning with freezing rain and sleet.  It ended on Wednesday afternoon and left behind a mess of downed trees and power lines. Listed number 3 on the National Weather Service’s “Worst Kansas Ice Storms,” the storm that began in the morning of January 4, 2005 and lasted until the afternoon of the 5th, coated nearly the entire state in two inches of ice. The counties of Harvey and Marion were hard hit.

Tree Damage at Moorlands, Newton, Ks, January 4-5, 2005. Photo by Gary Alumbaugh, 2005.

All day and into the night, the sound of the wind through the ice covered limbs, followed by the cracking branches and a crash as entire trees broke apart and fell under the weight of the ice, could be heard. Winds up to 20 mph caused weakened trees to break apart and huge limbs to fell to the ground.  Even the large, older trees were vulnerable to the wind and coating of ice. Trees up to 22 feet high broke and split in half during the storm. One resident noted that “it was quite a show, with all that falling, it sounded like gunshots all night long.”

Tree Damage, 5 January 2005, Photo by Gary Alumbaugh, 2005.

“Tuesday was Real”

The  Newton Kansan reporter noted in the Wednesday edition that “today held evidence of a day of the most unusual sights and sounds, proving Tuesday was real.” A disaster emergency was declared for Newton and Harvey County. Weststar Energy employees worked through the night to restore power to as many as possible. Statewide more than 86,000 people lost power.  Newton, and Harvey County, was one of the worst hit areas with more than 12,500 people without power in the bitter cold.

Photo by Gary Alumbaugh, 2005.

“What a Mess“

Reports from the other communities in Harvey County were just as dire. In Burrton, a fire destroyed a double-wide mobile home, and a house in Walton.  Just over the county line, a house in Whitewater burned.  Sedgwick was without power. Halstead experienced sporadic power outages that were a result of trees falling on private property and instead of the entire block losing power, only the individual homes went out.  This made the work of the crews go much slower.

West Hill Apartments, W 12th, Newton. Photo by Gary Alumbaugh, 2005.

Fortunately there were not many injuries. A carrier for the Kansan was injured from a falling tree limb and was taken to the hospital.

Area schools closed and temporary shelters were opened.

Harvey County Sheriff Byron Motter noted, “what a mess” and further encouraged people to “leave the limbs alone.  Stay indoors and let nature take it’s course.” 

West Hill Apartments, W 12th, Newton. Photo by Gary Alumbaugh, 2005.

 

Newton Kansan, 7 January 2005.

Restoring Power

Things started to go back to normal for some by Friday, January 7.  Several schools had reopened including Halstead, Hesston, Sedgwick and Newton. Remington, Burrton, Berean and Goessel schools remained closed. However, many areas remained with out power including Walton and Goessel.  It was noted that they could be without power for up to 10 days as crews worked to restore power.  By Thursday about 200 electric crews from around the country had arrived to help.

Newton Kansan, 11 January 2005

A week after the beginning of the storm,  power to most homes and businesses had been restored. The clean-up of the debris left behind continued for some time.

Two Years Later

Two years later, Kansas  again dealt with the another ice storm.  Listed number one of the five worst ice storms, the storm on December 10-11, 2007 affected nearly the entire state. Ice accumulations of 1-2 inches with “phenomenal 2-4 inch accumulations” in some areas. Although there were no fatalities, the damage to buildings, trees and power poles was extensive.  Some places were without power for up to 2 weeks.  Damage to the electrical infrastructure alone was estimated at $136.2 million, giving the storm the distinction of being the “costliest ice storm in Kansas history.”

Sources:

  • Newton Kansan: 5 January 2005, 6 January 2005, 7 January 2005, 11 January 2005.
  • https://www.weather.gov/ict/ks_worse_ice_storms

Ruins of Fire: August 4, 1914

Posted on by hchm-curator

by Kristine Schmucker, HCHM Curator

“At last the weary watchers see the spiteful tongues of flames sink lower and lower and the fire is conquered.  But where is the  most populous block in Newton? In ruins!  Nothing now can be done save rebuild . . .”  – Marie Tayer, NHS sophomore and winner of essay contest about the “Newton Fire” published in the Evening Kansan-Republican , October 2, 1914.

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Postcard, “Ruins of Fire Newton Kan. Aug 4, 1914”

On the morning of August 4, 1914, Harvey County residents woke to devastating news that a massive fire was burning  “the most populous  block” in Newton. By the time the fire was put out the entire east side of the 500 block of Main was in ruins.  This disaster changed the face of Newton’s Main Street.

Newton Evening Kansan Republican, 4 August 1914

Newton Evening Kansan Republican, 4 August 1914

Fire Protection in Newton, Ks:  “A good demonstration was given.”

Fire was a very real danger to the Newton community almost from the beginning.  Dry, wood buildings tended to burn quickly and fire at the various livery stables was a constant concern.   After a November 7, 1872 fire, the Newton Hook and Ladder and Bucket Company was formed. A volunteer fire dept was created in November 1877 with B. McKee as the fire chief.  Josiah Foltz became the first “partly” paid fire chief in 1899.   In 1910, Israel Richardson became the first fire chief to receive  a salary for full time work.

In 1914, the City of Newton purchased an American LaFrance Type 12 triple combination pump, hose and chemical automobile fire engine.  It was fueled by gasoline.

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Demonstration of the new fire truck, July 9, 1914.

To show the  power of the new engine the Newton Fire Dept gave a demonstration by the Sand Creek Dam on July 9, 1914.  The new engine cost $8,500.00.

The new machine was soon pressed into service.

Newton, Ks Main Street, 500 Block east side pre-1914.

August 4, 1914: “Fire Destroys a Block of Business Buildings”

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August 4, 1914 Smoke billowing over buildings on the east side of the 500 block of Main.

The most devastating fire in Newton’s history started at 2:00 a.m., August 4, 1914 in the City Auditorium at 124-126 E 5th.  From there the fire quickly spread to the north and west.  Even though the fire fighters were able to get there in minutes, after an hour of trying to gain control, they made the decision to call the Wichita Fire Dept., which arrived on the train at about 5:00 a.m..  A fortunate shift in the wind kept the fire from spreading even further.

This was the first test of the new motorized fire engine purchased in May.  The pumper ran continuously for 16 hours, breaking the old record of 8 hours of continuous pumping.  At times the heat from the fire was so intense that the paint on the engine blistered.

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Photo August 4, 1914. New American LaFrance Pumper Fire Truck.

Despite the hard work of the firemen to fight the fire,

“it was evident that the odds were against them.  The wind blew the burning embers about.  There was not sufficient hose to play the water on so many places at one time and not enough men to manage the hose. Their work was most fatiguing, but they stuck in it, even through the day. “

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Photo of August 4, 1914. After the fire, men are loading hoses onto a horse-drawn wagon.

The Newton Fire Dept. consisted of Chief O.N. Eberle, driver Ed. C. Warhurst, fireman Israel Richardson and seven volunteers.  In addition to the Wichita Fire Dept, members of the Santa Fe Railroad Fire Dept and many volunteers. also helped fight the fire that day.

1914 Newton firemen: E.C. Warhurst (Driver); Guy Kemper (Fire Chief); O.N. Eberly (Volunteer Fireman); E.P. Moore & Israel Richardson (Firemen),

1914 Newton firemen: E.C. Warhurst (Driver); Guy Kemper (Fire Chief); O.N. Eberly (Volunteer Fireman); E.P. Moore & Israel Richardson (Firemen),

“Several Injured During the Fire”

Remarkably, no lives were lost in the fire and very few injuries.

An alert Santa Fe switchman, Patrick Hays, was working “at the Sand Creek switch yard early Tuesday morning, when he noticed flames in town.” Thinking the Santa Fe roundhouse was on fire, he ran to help only to discover flames coming from the Auditorium Hotel on east 5th.  Hayes was one of the first ones on the scene and he immediately started helping the firemen. He was even able to hold  “the hose direct from the engine for an hour without relief.  . .  work  that usually took  four men or at least two.” Hayes fought the fire until he collapsed from fatigue and was taken to Axtell Hospital.  It was noted that Hayes had been renting “a room at the Auditorium hotel and had lost all in the fire.”

Another fireman, Aster Early, was “overcome by the heat” and suffered from smoke inhalation. He was taken home and soon recovered. W.C. Moore also received  minor injuries.

Aftermath of the Fire: Postcards

 

The fire destroyed the east side of the 500 block of Main and several businesses located in the 100 block of E. 5th and 6th. Buildings on the west side of Main were damaged, mainly with broken windows and smoke damage. Volunteers set up a brigade and “worked so persistently on the tops of buildings on the west side of Main street.”  They were credited with saving the buildings.

Aftermath of Fire: Photographs

 

Murphy Studio Photograph looking west to the back of the Main Street Buildings after clean up had begun, August 1914

Murphy Studio Photograph looking west to the back of the Main Street Buildings after clean up had begun, August 1914

Sources:

  • Kansan, 7 November 1872
  • Newton Evening Kansan Republican, 4 August 1914, 5 August 1914,  6 August 1914, 7 August 1914, 17 August 1914, 22 August 1914, 8 September 1914, 14 September 1914, 15 September 1914, 17 September 1914.
  • Evening Kansan-Republican , October 2, 1914.
  • HCHM Photo Archives
  • HCHM Postcard Collection
  • Warhurst, Elvin E. “Early Fire Protection in Newton, Kansas: 1872-1922”, 1995 HCHM Archives, Newton, Ks