Rutty Passmore Newsletter Story -- April 4, 1940

                                     

 

 As mentioned previously in articles about Lindley floods in the 1940, Rutty was confined to his home due to health problems, and published a local newspaper. He resided on Morgan Creek Road and Mr. Ayres mentioned was his neighbor.

 

AN  INTERESTING COMPARISON OF TWO CONSECUTIVE WEEKS 

This weekend just past saw a series of three stages of high water; the week before however was a vastly different. Allow us to show the comparison. Last week ,Mr. William R. Ayres went into northern part of the state and returned on Tuesday. We at the time asked him to write a short article on what he saw. However, it was not ready for last week's edition and we now find that it works out as well a week late as it gives an interesting comparison of two consecutive weeks. Mr. Ayres article follows. 

 

 "You, undoubtedly, have read several accounts of 'Ole Man Winter" in upstate New York. Well, I went up to see, not in an attempt to discredit anything I had read, but on a business trip, intending to return Monday night. Before  I forget let me say I was mighty happy to reach my destination Monday, but never thought of coming back that night. Every thought seemed to be about the weather. Every human I met carried the same expression of doubt, "don't believe we can ever live through it."  I have been through wind and blizzards in Steuben County hills, but I was never blown off a highway before. Never have I been detained nearly an hour on a four lane highway with nearly three miles of trucks and cars lined up waiting to move. What a thrill to be next to the last car to go through, all others being ordered to turn back by the State Police, because the snowplows were so hampered by traffic.

Those who were allowed to proceed east traveled through a narrow lane of snow piled 10 to 12 feet high on either side, only to find another lane of west bound traffic a mile in length waiting to proceed.

When someone mentions 115 inches of snow fall in one winter, believe it. It really does happen and less than 150 miles from us"

 

It was only one week, but within that week was the storm described by Mr. Ayres and three different floods. Quite a record in particular for the Eastern half of the United States. I don't know whether to feel proud of our record or ashamed. I'll leave the decision to you dear reader.  

 

For Rutty's story about the 1940 floods -- please check the March 2010  Archives, August 2012