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Advocate Archives
In this week’s look back into the Advocate Archives we find out about a big end of the season party back in 1938; charges that hysterical reaction and erroneous remarks caused more damage to the tourism business than a nearby hurricane did to property in 1954; and a teen driver snaps a utility pole and plunges Outer Cape into darkness in 1967 cause complaints about the system.
Sept. 8, 1938
All Are Welcome To Affair Tonight
An unusual affair for this town is scheduled to take place at the Town Hall tonight when artists who have been entertaining out-of-town visitors all summer will get together for an evening of amusement with townspeople and those who remain after most of the summer vacationers have departed.
No admission will be charged and everyone is free and welcome to come to the first Community Night of Provincetown. Jesse D. Rogers, who is general chairman of the affair, said, “I want to assure the people of the town that the one and only purpose of the party is to give the residents an opportunity to get together and have a good time.”
Music will be furnished by the Veterans of Foreign Wars band under the direction of Antone Dennis. Among the artists on the program will be Frances Kessler, violinist; Bayla Gaffin, pianist, Gypsy music by Richard Malaby and Chinese music by Kai Ping. Betty Lodge with Donald Van Wart at the piano will be heard in such selections as “Summertime,” “My Bill,” and “Make Believe.”
Sept. 9, 1954
Press, Radio, Hurt Lower Cape Beyond Harm By Hurricane
Evidence is piling up that the most costly damage inflicted on the Lower Cape, and on the entire Cape, as a result of the fringe winds of last week’s hurricane will be found in the effect on its recreational business of bad and unfounded publicity, the poor judgment and hysteria of some officials, and the erroneous, ill-advised reports given out by travel agencies.
In attempting to arrive at actual damage cost to this part of the Cape, there seems to be no doubt at all that the fish trapping industry suffered most as a direct result of the high winds.
Damage to real estate has been placed roughly at $50,000, but practically no serious damage was inflicted in any one instance. Horace F. Hallett, Provincetown Civil Defense director, who made an estimate for the State department right after the storm, said he found in his investigation of claims filed that practically all of them were small and amounting in nearly every case to a few hundred dollars.
While it is true that several fine pleasure boats were badly damaged, Provincetown’s fishing fleet escaped practically unscathed. A half a dozen old trees were blown over but the streets were cleared almost immediately.
Sept. 7, 1967
Car Crash Causes Third Blackout of Summer, Criticism of System
A car crashing into an electric utility pole on Route 6A near the Truro line last Thursday night sent most sections of Provincetown, Truro and Wellfleet into darkness as the car snapped the utility pole and brought wires toppling down.
The car driven by Vivian Castro, 19, of Somerset, with four teen-aged passengers, struck the pole at 11:15 p.m. The guy wire to the overhead power lines snapped under the impact and whipped itself around the overhead lines which included transmission and distributor cables. Insulators were smashed and the high tension wires sent up showers of sparks.
Some sections of Provincetown were operating shortly afterwards on auxiliary power. Power was restored to much of the town and to Truro and Wellfleet by 12:55 a.m. Sections of the West End of Provincetown, however, as well as other parts of town were without full power until 6 a.m.
The accident caused the third blackout of the Summer here.
Nicholas Wells of the Mews Restaurant said it had been necessary to have a substantial supply on hand after the experiences earlier in the season. He voiced some of the criticism variously expressed by others in business or by home consumers at what they charged was an “inadequate” distribution system serving the Lower Cape area.
“My point is,” he said, “that Provincetown is functioning with an archaic distribution system which apparently does not channel relief power to places that are in particular need of it — places where there can be considerable threat to perishables, to say nothing of public safety.”
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Sep 6th, 2007