THAT FLOOD: The flood of 1942 was apparently quite an
event.ð

That’s the word today from Mary Fairbanks in Florida – one of
many responses we have received concerning our inquiry about the
record amount of rainfall which fell in Smethport on July 17 and
18, 1942.

This flood was apparently one of the worst to strike McKean
County, with reports that Port Allegany was the hardest hit
community but certainly not the only place to suffer severe
damage.

We’ll start with Mary’s information, but have plenty more to
share with readers.

She writes, “I am fortunate to have in my private home
collection ofðBradford and Pennsylvania histories a book published
by W.H. Greenhow Co. from Hornell, N.Y., that is a pictorial
account of the area’s devastation.ð It includes some 47 pages of
theðflood along with major headlines from area newspapers.”

“I noticed at the bottom of page 7ðthat the caption read:
‘Streamer Headlines of Newspapers call flash flood worst in
history.ðBradford Era (bottom) of Monday, July 20, was published in
Jamestown. Plant was not damaged but Bradford was without
power.”

“It then shows the headlines for both the Times Herald and The
Bradford Era with major stories accompanying both.

“Also, in the introduction to the booklet, an excerpt reads as
follows:ð ‘… Most serious damage of the entire area was centered
around Port Allegany, Pa., where the waters figuratively tore the
community apart. Olean and Bradford, the largest centers of
population, both experienced heavy damage but the waters in these
places did not come with the rending current that wrought such
heavy damage farther east … Local organizations were unable to cope
with the relief of thousands of homeless.ðCoast Guard, Red Cross,
Civilian Protection divisions and American Legionnaires augmented
the local groups in relief and rehabilitation work.'”

We have much, much more information on this fascinating subject
and hope to pass it along soon.

OLYMPIANS?: Jim Pringle wrote over the past weekend: “As the
Olympics are drawing to a close I am wondering if the Bradford area
ever had an Olympic athlete? I am a luge official and took part in
Salt Lake 2002 and hope to go to Canada in 2010 but, of course,
didn’t compete. I can’t think of any but perhaps there are.”

He also had a post script to our columns about great area
football players: “Don’t forget Stew Barber.”