Thursday, June 6, 1974
After several days of rain, and two and a half inches measured between 8 a.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. Sunday, the Greenbrier River rose rapidly Sunday to about 11 feet 3 inches at Marlinton and 14.55 feet at Buckeye. Flood stage at Marlinton is about 10 feet, when it comes into First Avenue. At 11 feet it comes through the storm drains into Main Street. Riverside got some water again. Some of the summer campers at Seebert were forced to leave their camps. Many gardens were flooded and washed.
From the Top of Cranberry
By Paula Waggy
In this “Year of the Shortages,” we opened the Cranberry Mountain Visitor Center with some apprehension. We were afraid that, along with the gas shortage, the food shortage and the penny shortage (the list goes on), there would be a visitor shortage. The bad weather during the first few weekends gave us reason to believe this would, indeed, be a slow season. The average number of visitors per weekend this spring has been 20 percent lower than last spring. But, the arrival of a holiday weekend coupled with much better weather has improved our outlook considerably.
During Memorial Day weekend, we had 1,175 visitors, 20 percent more than the same weekend last year.
Even though we got off to a slow start this season, perhaps it will turn out to be one of our busiest.
MAY WEATHER
J. P. Schaffner
Minimum temperature: 21 degrees; maximum temperature: 84 degrees. Rainfall: 6.91 inches.
Note: This past month of May 1974, precipitation was the highest on record here at this station dating back to 1930.
BIRTHS
Born to Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Kiner, of Marlinton, a daughter, named Lori Dawn.
Born to Mr. and Mrs. J. Steven Hunter, of Marlinton, a son, named Joshua Beard Hunter.
Born to Mr. and Mrs. Lyle Campbell, of Marlinton, a daughter, named Rebecca Lynn.
DEATHS
Mrs. Lillie Ann Gibson, 97, died at the Denmar Hospital; funeral service from VanReenen Funeral Home Chapel, with burial in Oak Grove Cemetery.
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Forest H. Grimes, 69, of Marlinton, a son of the late Anderson and Etta Grimes. Funeral from the Frost United Methodist Church; burial in the Grimes Cemetery.
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Michael Gaston O’Farrell, of Mountain Grove, a son of the late John and Lucy Washington O’Farrell.
Graveside service was at Mountain View Cemetery.
A FOURTH OF JULY TRAGEDY
Decades ago, as now, the idea seemed to be speed, and more speed.
On July 4, 1909, a young Syrian named Albert Shaheen, who was employed by Joe Hamed, hired a “rig” to attend a celebration at Minnehaha Springs.
Why the rush – remains a mystery.
But the above picture tells the tale.
Shaheen and the horse were instantly killed when the noon-day passenger train caught them midway between the rails at the grade crossing in the center of Marlinton.
