The Chilliwack Progress from Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada • Page 1

Spectacular Morning Fire Wipes Out Hop Kiln Was maiitmmk THREE SECTIONS TWENTY PAGES SIXTY-FOURTH YEAIi, Vol. 20 CI1ILL1WACK, B.C., WEDNESDAY, 1, 1954 Wet Summer Hitting Cash Crop Producers Processors Also Affected By Lower Yields, Quality Cash crop growers and processors throughout the Valley from Hope to Ladner say they have not seen a summer likp it. in Years. 1 Oil Tank Explosion Barely Prevented Fast action by Chilliwack volunteer fire department was credited this morning with preventing a major catastrophe in keeping roaring flames that totally destroyed a drying kiln on the John I. Haas Golding hop farm in Sardis away from a tank containing 5000 gallons of crude oil.

Hop company officials said after the blaze that many persons might have been killed or injured had the tsnk exploded and caught fire. The tank was only 30 feet away from the drying kiln. No persons were injured in the spectacular blaze that broke out at 8:45 a.m. a cupola of No. 2 kiln, one of three kilns at the farm at 243 Evans road, just south of the drive-in theatre.

The fire spread a pall of black smoke across the sky seen by thousands of district residents and drew hundreds to the scene. No Damage Estimate Henry Nickel, Golding manager, also credited members of the volunteer fire department with saving adjoining kilns and houses. He said he could make no estimate of damage other than that it would run into "thousands of dollars." Mr. Nickel reported the kiln contained four days' pick of hops, but did not think its loss would disrupt picking operations now in full swing. He said balance of the harvest would now have to be distributed between the other two kilns, with any balance being allocated to other company operations in the area.

"The fire hit us just at the peak of the harvest and may result in a temporary delay in processing operations, but I think we will be able to handle it, all right," he said. Mr. Nickel said today's fire was the first at Golding farms. A kiln burned at the company's Kent farm operations last year. Heat Intense Het from the blaze was so intense that it destroyed piles of picked hops standing nearby and caught poles as far as 100 yards from the fire.

Mr. Nickel said the fire apparently started from a spark fim drying equipment catching dried hops high in the cupola of the huge, barn-like doing kiln. It was discovered by Pete Teichgrab who, with two other employees, made a valiant but unsuccessful attempt to suppress it with fire extinguishers and hoses. The fire department's water tank truck was not required to fight the fire. The company's own water supply was used to keep the blaze under control.

The 28-year-old kiln blazed for 50 minutes before its walls collapsed and the fire could be struck out. Mr. Nickel agreed with fire fighters that they had no chance to save the building. It blazed into fury minutes after the alarm was turned in. The crude oil in the 5000-gallon tank was used in heating furnaces used to dry the hops in the kiln.

All loss was covered by insurance, Mr. Nickel reported. 1 lesser de-the subse yri-e man musi 01 quent crops), peas, beans and corn. The corn crop still stands a chance of making good, but it is already a mcnth late and processors re ported to The Progress today they do not expect to handle corn in quantity for at least another three weeks. They point out that by then the menace of frost may well be in the air.

Processors are not looking for a high quality corn crop this year, although a sudden siege of warm sunshine might still save the day for this crop. skies. with plenty of rainy days have resulted in crops below par in quantity and quality. It is no secret that most growers this year are going to be lighter in the pocketbook because of the lack of sunshine. Crops have been difficult and expensive to maintain even at the below-par levels of yield and excellence.

Spraying for disease, plus rejects in the field due to dampness, have cost many growers additional dollars before laying their produce down at packing house doors. Returns from lighter yields and nnnrer oualitv have been less as a result, both to grower' and processor. ALL CROPS HIT This has been true of straw No Seats Until Spring For Arena r. fllost plants in this area construction of the Dro- Processing corn by this time last jc.ii, 01 di ndsi wuiiiii me in si popcum, scheduled to be in pro-week of September, officials Juction by May. Employment Prospects For Fall "Fair" National employment Service officials in Chilliwack are keeping their fingers crossed and making only the most cautious predictions on the labor situation in this area for the coming fall and winter months ordinarily the lean season of the year, employment-wise.

Still lagging badly at this time are the construction trades. Some 30 union carpenters and tradesmen are still listed as un- employed, but the main hope poscd $5,000,000 cement plant at No confirmation of a starting date on buildings has yet been obtained, although it has been reported construction should start early this fall. If this fails to materialize, the pr0spcct for steady, volume cm payment in the construction trades locally is not too bright. Biggest disappointment in this field at this time is the news that construction of the new ale Agassiz bridge will require only about 16 or 20 men during the fall, all to be hired and employed on the Agassiz side of the River, where the bridge work will start. Although there will be eniploy ment for up to 200 men when construction is in full swing, it is not expected this phase of (Continued on Page 5) High School Class Postings Listed Class by class postings of students at Chilliwack High school are printed in this edition of The Progress.

Complete listings are to be found on Page 6 of the second section, along with a list of new teachers assigned to District 33 schools. There will be no scats built to see a little more of in Chilliwack Memorial arena, un-J lhc sun about now- Early hP til early next spring because of hffl-ifesting 1s going --quite A roaring blaze that broke out in No. 2 kiln on Golding farm of the John I. Haas Hop Company in Sardis this morning completely destroyed the building and an estimated 160,000 pounds of hops stored inside it, the product of four days picking. The flames narrowly missed a huge crude oil storage tank which-eould have erupted into a major disaster: The fire also threatened adjacent hop fields and buildings.

No one was injured in the blaze which firemen fought for an hour. The loss was covered by insurance. Staff photo. Prediction for the corn yield crop and settlement is on a cash to 75 per cent of a year. HOPS NF.LI) SUN Although it does not qualify as a cam crop, prospects ior nops mis year are sun ior a good average' harvest, the big; growers in me LniinwacK vaney would, like other growers, be dc la iciJUl iuu.

In the meantime, final payments arc being made for "straws" on the basis of 18 cents per pound to the growr, and final cheques for raspberries will be going out from some plants next week 011 a settling basis of nine cents per pound (or thereabouts) to the grower. Corn is grown as a contract crop and settlement is 011 a cash basis on demand or ien the entire crop has been taken into the plants. Bean picking is underway in volume, but quality is reported as below normal, as is also the situation with peas. All in all, the majority of cash crop growers in this area are already looking back on the sum mer of 1954 with bleak Schools Open Tuesday For 4650 Students school is now complete and Little Mountain school is expected tO be finished by October 1. Both PROGRESS TO PUBLISH ON THURSDAY NEXT WEEK Because of the Labor Day holiday Monday, the next edition of The Progress will be published Thursday, September 9, rather than 'ednesday.

Advertisers are advised that display copy will be received until noon Wednesday, and classified advertisements until 5:30 p.m. Wednesday. Carrier boys and retail outlets are also asked to note the change in day of publication. The 16 schools in Chilliwack School District 33 will swing their doors open Tuesday to admit an estimated pupils and, as far as the school board is concerned, the schools will be ready for them, though crowding is expected in spots, especially the senior high school. dinuuia nave ucimi luiisii uiiuu well within the school board Fkfim.i!nH nnrntmpnl fhprp 1070 students.

Attendance increase is not expected in grades 7 and 8. The big in- will soon be no more. A letter crease is expected in the high has been received from the de-school and elementary schools, partment of education authoriz-Thc Grade 9 class at Yarrow williing disposal of the building, be the first one ever held in the studcnU will gct a brcak disliict. fnjs ycari for who live at a CULTUS REGATTA BRINGS ONE TOUCH OF SUMMER the high cost of lumber at the present time and the lateness of the season. That is the word from Chilliwack Recreational Centre officials after a directors' meeting last night.

A resolution was passed to be presented at a general meeting in the City hall September 10 that in view of the high prices of lumber and the lateness of the season that no immediate start be made on the scats, and that all groups be asked to make every effort to raise sufficient funds to make a complete job of the scats jn eai.jy spring. rnnlrihiitinrr and the general public are invited attend the meeting in City Officials feel that they will probably save at least $1000 on the cost of lumber if they wait until spring. A lumber strike in the United States has sent prices up and they feel it may be over before they arc ready to start. Prices are lower also hter on in the winter before spring sets in. They also feel that if they went ahead w-ith, the seats it would be well into the winter before they were finished, and it would be too cold for anyone to use them.

The association now has a total of S1926.74 on hand as a working basis. Individual and club donations total $914.45, (he rummage auction sale tbrought $3135. sale of miniature 2x4's totalled $764.09 and the raffling of two rugs at the Fall fair brought $138.20. Only deductible item from this list was a small expense of $25. Plans are expected to be made at the general meeting for more drives to raise more money for more scats.

Pensioners Organize Here An old age pensioners' group has' been formed in Chilliwack. The organization, known as the Senior Citizens of British Columbia, formed Branch 24 at Cooke's Presbyterian hall yesterday aftcr- noon following a talk by B.C.! nrcsidcnl Georee F. Edwards on 1 the purpose of the league. i Th fiwm.j nnmrii- Ssi "CS I vc school closed in June was 893, but this docs not necessarily indicate a large increase or de crease. There was a large graduating class and the new pupils coming in make up a large part of the difference.

School board chairman A. D. Rundle reports that the high school will be heavily-crowded, at least until October, when Little Mountain School is opened. Two Grade 9 classes and one primary class will be housed in the new building with approximately 40 pupils to a class room. NO SHIFTING Mr.

Rundle hopes however that they will be able to gel by without double-shifting, even though classcs arc bulging. He savs they 1 may have to shift a pupil or two if necessary. The situation is somewhat dif ferent at the junior high school; auiiougn itic building is tilled to capacity there too. The Grade 8 class at Yarrow last year will be staying there for the coming term for Grade 9, so this will eliminate one class at the junior high. Total estimated enrolment at- the is 750 pupils, an increase of 25 to 30 over last term.

A Rascments and extra rooms will still be in use in some schools. Two class rooms are being provided in the high school cafeteria and another one is being provided upstairs from an extra room. Two basement rooms at Robertson School will still be in use. another one at Central School and one at Sardis. NEW TEACHERS September enrolment of teach- a l.u handle the pupils.

This is an increase of seven, possibly eight teachers from last year. hupii attendance to June was given as 4374. Only one exchange teacher is expected to be coming to Chilliwack this year. She is Miss Eileen Thomas, coining from England in October, to replace Miss Morag Campbell at Central School. The Veddcr portable one-room gei.

The Yarrow elementary school distance at least. Five new school buses have been added to the fleet. Four old buses have been sold, so pupils. the benus is with- the Well -Known Jeweller Dies Here A well-known city man, Charles Alexander Dodimcad, died last night in the Chilliwack General Hospital after a short illness. Mr.

Dodimcad was born in Tor-tage LaPrairie, Manitoba, June 7, 1886. He has been in the province of British Columbia for 40 years and in Chilliwack for nine years. He had been a jeweller-optometrist for some 43 years and was employed with Douglas K. Shaw, jeweller, at the time of his death. Mr.

Dodimcad was affiliated with the Masonic Lodge in Chilliwack. He is survived by his wife. Ruth; two daughters, Tcggy at home and Mrs. Charlotte St. Clair, North Vancouver; one son, Allan, Vancouver; one sister, Lot-lie Dodimcad, Victoria, and two grandchildren.

Funeral service will be held may ai p.m. irom i. Thomas Anglican church Rev. J. YV.

Way officiating THE WEATHER Max. Mill. ilnrMliiy 7. SI riiiay 7 S4 .00 7 S1 nnii.iv sis 70 51 uUl rainfall in iiitb 70 rrcc. BE CAREFUL, MR.

DRIVER! SCHOOLS OPEN TUESDAY Thousands of Chilliwack and district school children will be streaming back to their classrooms Tuesday morning. Parents, school, civic and municipal authorities and the kiddies themselves have joined in a plea to motorists to "please be careful." Joined to' this joint pica is that of district KCMP officers, coupled with a straight forward warning that drivers who choose to disregard school zones or crossings will be dealt with as required by law. Motorists are asked to look for and obey members of school boy patrols policing traffic at crossings and intersections. to Mr. Edwards, to give the I pensioners an organized voice for mrc benefits.

Local officers elected were V. Cameron, president; II. R. Arthur, I vice-president, and acting sccrct- iary, Mrs. E.

H. Hcthcringlon. Saturday, these girls placed in 29 events at the lake. They are all local girls and from nearest to farthest away they are Mary Ann Duncan, Heather Jones, Carol Gleig, Carole IUer and Peggy Main. In the water is Karen Kipp.

Staff Photo. It takes more than one swallow to make a spring, but only one pretty girl in a bathing suit to make a summer, despite day after day of overcast skies and drizzling rain. Surely, then, with six pretty girls in bathing suits our summer has not been so bad after all. Contestants all in the Cultus Lake Regatta Friday and Next meeting will be Scptcm- bcr 15 at 2 Pm- 3t lhC ri'CS" bytcrian hall. Almost 100 local senior citizens lltlcildcd tllC meeting.

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