Chambersburg Elementary School Destroyed By Fire

On December 17, 1973 at 3:57 a.m. a passing motorist spotted a fire in the Thaddeus Stevens Elementary School, South Main Street, Chambersburg. When firemen arrived the fire had control of the void spaces, about 20 firemen were inside the building when the blaze broke through the roof. All were evacuated and a defensive stance was made. Fireman manning 35 pieces of apparatus from 14 fire companies had the fire under control by 4:30 a.m. and remained on the scene into the afternoon. For you young guys Chambersburg still operated with five companies at this time, each having there own chief and a volunteer chief of department, John Shatzer. The building was destroyed in the blaze with damages estimated at $650,000. The West End Fire and Rescue and Cumberland Valley Hose companies assisted at the scene.

For those that look at my sites expecting to see post made in the morning you can thank mother nature for the late entry. We have been without power since yesterday morning and just got it back a couple of hours ago. We relocated to the Embers last night, and their wireless this morning was so slow that I was not going to attempt to make a post. Shane and I headed to Borders for coffee and wireless only to find out you have to pay for the wireless there, being cheap and all I said no way. Things are looking up, 5 years, two months and one day and I can retire and leave the cold.