100 years ago, 1914
Nine empty flat cars left the rails at the fair grounds at 4.30 Friday afternoon and tied up traffic until 9 last night. A journal box on one of the cars gave way causing the break in the train. Twelve lengths of rails were ripped up. No one was injured and the ears were not damaged seriously. A wrecking train from Portland repaired the break.

50 years ago, 1964
Santa himself made a personal and unusual visit to the children in the neighborhood of 77 Pierce St., Lewiston, today. His visit was to the basement of the Coral Apartment building, arranged by the owner of the building, Paul St. Pierre, and his employees. Adolph Therrien, personifying Santa, remained at his post all day listening sympathetically to hundreds of requests from the little ones.

25 years ago, 1989
About 200 Lewiston residents were without water much of Tuesday because the intake valves at Lake Auburn became clogged with ice, according to Norm Lamie, Auburn Water District superintendent. “It’s extremely rare for this to happen,” Lamie said. “In the last 22 years, it’s only happened three times.” Lack of ice cover and extremely cold temperatures combined with a lower than normal water level to create just the right set of conditions, he explained. “It’s called frazzle ice,” he said. “Very cold water and wind create fine lenses of ice on the upper surface. These are drawn into the intake valves, where they adhere to the cast iron pipe itself, and eventually it closes up.” The intake valves for both cities are located six to seven feet deep, approximately 150 feet apart and 200 feet off shore, Lamie said.

The material in Looking Back is reproduced exactly as it originally appeared, although misspellings and errors made at that time may be edited.


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