www.thetimes-tribune.com/site/news.cfm
Alleged thief takes plunge to elude pursuing citizens
BY BORYS KRAWCZENIUK
STAFF WRITER
11/19/2006
Edward R. Morrell got himself in hot water Saturday, then jumped into cold water and almost got himself killed.
Scranton firefighters fished Mr. Morrell, 49, of Scranton, out of Roaring Brook, which he waded into while trying to avoid capture for a theft at 6:58 p.m. at Molly Brannigan’s on Adams Avenue.
“We thought he was gone,” said Bill Kreis, 49, of Dunmore, one of three people who lost track of Mr. Morrell after chasing him to the stream near the Chamberlain Manufacturing ammunition plant.
Police Sgt. Robert Stanek said Mr. Morrell had a couple of beers at Brannigan’s, then walked up to a table where John Peragallo, 74, of Paterson, N.J., was sitting.
He introduced himself, and they talked but eventually Mr. Morrell grabbed Mr. Peragallo’s wallet from the table, Sgt. Stanek said.
Mr. Kreis heard a commotion as Mr. Peragallo shouted, “He stole my wallet.”
The chase was on.
Mr. Morrell knocked down several patrons as he fled, police said. He ran out onto Adams Avenue, which turns into Cedar after crossing Lackawanna Avenue. Mr. Kreis, a waiter and another patron chased him about three blocks to near the plant, where Mr. Morrell scaled a 6-foot chain-link fence and ran into Roaring Brook.
His pursuers lost sight of him, but when Mr. Kreis threw a rock into the stream, Mr. Morrell surfaced at the water’s edge.
Mr. Kreis said he ran to the stream and grabbed a second rock. When Mr. Morrell refused to stop, Mr. Kreis said he threw it at him, narrowly missing his head. Mr. Morrell began swimming upstream toward the Cedar Avenue bridge, Mr. Kreis said.
As police arrived, Mr. Morrell swam to the other side of the stream, where his escape was blocked by a concrete retaining wall. The current, which was running faster than usual because the creek was swollen by heavy rains Thursday, began carrying him toward the brink of a 15-foot-high dam. He tried to climb into a storm sewer outfall but slipped out.
He snagged the limb of an inundated tree about 40 feet from the dam’s brink. Dressed in a green football jersey with the number “23” in white, Mr. Morell hung on.
Within 15 minutes, Rescue One firefighter Al Taylor had rappelled down the wall suspended by a rope and harness. He grabbed Mr. Morrell, who refused to cooperate and be placed in a separate harness.
When it became apparent he wouldn’t cooperate, partly because he was combative and partly because he was slipping in and out of consciousness, a second firefighter, Bob Hannon, also rappelled down the wall.
A wire basket followed. The rescue took about half an hour, but the two firefighters finally got Mr. Morell into the basket, laced him in and watched as other firefighters used ropes to raise him into the parking lot of a Convenient Food Mart on Cedar Avenue, almost an hour after the robbery.
The firefighters were pulled back up, and ambulances took them and Mr. Morrell to Community Medical Center for treatment. Mr. Taylor and Mr. Hannon were treated and released, according to a hospital spokeswoman, who had no information on Mr. Morrell’s condition.
Police stationed an officer at the hospital to await Mr. Morrell’s release. Already wanted for a parole violation, Mr. Morrell was expected to be jailed for the violation and also will face at least a disorderly conduct charge.
Sgt. Stanek said Mr. Peragallo did not want to press a robbery charge. Police recovered the wallet and found Mr. Morrell had several hundred dollars on him, presumably, police said, belonging to Mr. Peragallo.
Rescue One Capt. Dave Schreiber said the fast current prevented firefighters from rescuing Mr. Morrell by simply walking across the stream from where he entered. Mr. Morrell could have died if he had lost his grip fallen over the dam, Capt. Schreiber said.
“If he goes any further, he’s done because that’s a pretty good drop,” Mr. Kreis said.
Contact the writer:
bkrawczeniuk@timesshamrock.com
=========================================================
www.thetimes-tribune.com/site/news.cfm
Underground comfort spot gone but still not forgotten
11/19/2006
In 1915, Scranton was a cosmopolitan city with a lively downtown. Tall buildings housed thriving businesses, elegant shops lined the busy streets, and the Lackawanna County Courthouse stood proudly at the center. Its parklike square offered a cool respite for shoppers and workers. At night, the theaters and lecture halls drew large crowds, and Courthouse Square was a popular venue for concerts.
The rhythm of life was different in those days when the downtown was the heart of the city. We might not stop to think about it, but public restrooms were a necessity. Passengers riding the electric trolley from Old Forge to Scranton had a lengthy trip. Patrons shopping at various stores along the avenues also needed access to a public facility. To meet these needs, a thoroughly modern comfort station opened on Courthouse Square on Dec. 14, 1915.
The citizens of Scranton brought a sense of civic pride to everything they did, making certain that their beloved city held its own among the great eastern cosmopolitan centers. When they decided on a comfort station, they turned to one of their own top architects, Frederick A. Fletcher of the Duckworth firm in Scranton, the same firm that designed the Hotel Jermyn.
Mr. Fletcher had supervised the building of a similar station in Washington, D.C., several years before. He studied public facilities in Boston, Philadelphia and Wilkes-Barre, and then borrowed the best features of each to create what was said to be the finest comfort station in the country.
Skilled labor
The comfort station was actually built underground, a fete that took considerable skill. Mr. Fletcher was up to the challenge, and Carlucci and Co., another well-known Scranton business, worked as the general contractors. The firm of Palumbo and Kroft did the concrete work.
The decision to build underground most likely had to do with the desire to preserve the beauty of the square. The station had two entrances: the gentlemen’s entrance on the Washington Avenue side of the square, and the ladies’ entrance on the Spruce Street corner. Attendants were on hand to take care of customer needs and to maintain an optimum level of cleanliness.
Attention to detail
The station itself measured 18 by 64 feet overall, with the floor of the structure 12 feet under the street level. A solid 18-inch concrete wall assured that the building was protected from dampness.
Every detail of the interior was designed for elegance and sanitation. Georgia marble, white enamel, metal and brass were classic features that allowed for efficient cleaning. The five interior rooms were designed with rounded corners, permitting the attendant to clean without dirt collecting in sharp corners.
Each of the rooms contained air ducts that allowed circulation throughout the structure. Internal air was forced out through a vent located near the Soldiers and Sailors Monument. Fresh air was pumped in through radiators located just above the entrance. In the winter, the fresh air passed over heat coils before it circulated throughout the station, warming the interior to a comfortable temperature. In summer, outside air passed over cooling coils. The air circulated through a complete cycle every three minutes. The entrance and the air vent were the only parts of the station that were visible from the surface. A plaque at the entrance paid tribute to the members of the City Planning Committee.
The comfort station remained in use into the early 1970s, under the direction of the city’s Public Works department. The city sometimes considered closing the facility, but whenever the subject came up, it was promptly voted down because the station was so well used. By the early 1970s, though, the rhythm of urban life had changed considerably, and the once-popular station was no longer considered safe.
All visible traces of the comfort station are gone, but the beautiful Courthouse Square remains at the heart of a city alive with its own past.
Alleged thief takes plunge to elude pursuing citizens
BY BORYS KRAWCZENIUK
STAFF WRITER
11/19/2006
Edward R. Morrell got himself in hot water Saturday, then jumped into cold water and almost got himself killed.
Scranton firefighters fished Mr. Morrell, 49, of Scranton, out of Roaring Brook, which he waded into while trying to avoid capture for a theft at 6:58 p.m. at Molly Brannigan’s on Adams Avenue.
“We thought he was gone,” said Bill Kreis, 49, of Dunmore, one of three people who lost track of Mr. Morrell after chasing him to the stream near the Chamberlain Manufacturing ammunition plant.
Police Sgt. Robert Stanek said Mr. Morrell had a couple of beers at Brannigan’s, then walked up to a table where John Peragallo, 74, of Paterson, N.J., was sitting.
He introduced himself, and they talked but eventually Mr. Morrell grabbed Mr. Peragallo’s wallet from the table, Sgt. Stanek said.
Mr. Kreis heard a commotion as Mr. Peragallo shouted, “He stole my wallet.”
The chase was on.
Mr. Morrell knocked down several patrons as he fled, police said. He ran out onto Adams Avenue, which turns into Cedar after crossing Lackawanna Avenue. Mr. Kreis, a waiter and another patron chased him about three blocks to near the plant, where Mr. Morrell scaled a 6-foot chain-link fence and ran into Roaring Brook.
His pursuers lost sight of him, but when Mr. Kreis threw a rock into the stream, Mr. Morrell surfaced at the water’s edge.
Mr. Kreis said he ran to the stream and grabbed a second rock. When Mr. Morrell refused to stop, Mr. Kreis said he threw it at him, narrowly missing his head. Mr. Morrell began swimming upstream toward the Cedar Avenue bridge, Mr. Kreis said.
As police arrived, Mr. Morrell swam to the other side of the stream, where his escape was blocked by a concrete retaining wall. The current, which was running faster than usual because the creek was swollen by heavy rains Thursday, began carrying him toward the brink of a 15-foot-high dam. He tried to climb into a storm sewer outfall but slipped out.
He snagged the limb of an inundated tree about 40 feet from the dam’s brink. Dressed in a green football jersey with the number “23” in white, Mr. Morell hung on.
Within 15 minutes, Rescue One firefighter Al Taylor had rappelled down the wall suspended by a rope and harness. He grabbed Mr. Morrell, who refused to cooperate and be placed in a separate harness.
When it became apparent he wouldn’t cooperate, partly because he was combative and partly because he was slipping in and out of consciousness, a second firefighter, Bob Hannon, also rappelled down the wall.
A wire basket followed. The rescue took about half an hour, but the two firefighters finally got Mr. Morell into the basket, laced him in and watched as other firefighters used ropes to raise him into the parking lot of a Convenient Food Mart on Cedar Avenue, almost an hour after the robbery.
The firefighters were pulled back up, and ambulances took them and Mr. Morrell to Community Medical Center for treatment. Mr. Taylor and Mr. Hannon were treated and released, according to a hospital spokeswoman, who had no information on Mr. Morrell’s condition.
Police stationed an officer at the hospital to await Mr. Morrell’s release. Already wanted for a parole violation, Mr. Morrell was expected to be jailed for the violation and also will face at least a disorderly conduct charge.
Sgt. Stanek said Mr. Peragallo did not want to press a robbery charge. Police recovered the wallet and found Mr. Morrell had several hundred dollars on him, presumably, police said, belonging to Mr. Peragallo.
Rescue One Capt. Dave Schreiber said the fast current prevented firefighters from rescuing Mr. Morrell by simply walking across the stream from where he entered. Mr. Morrell could have died if he had lost his grip fallen over the dam, Capt. Schreiber said.
“If he goes any further, he’s done because that’s a pretty good drop,” Mr. Kreis said.
Contact the writer:
bkrawczeniuk@timesshamrock.com
=========================================================
www.thetimes-tribune.com/site/news.cfm
Underground comfort spot gone but still not forgotten
11/19/2006
In 1915, Scranton was a cosmopolitan city with a lively downtown. Tall buildings housed thriving businesses, elegant shops lined the busy streets, and the Lackawanna County Courthouse stood proudly at the center. Its parklike square offered a cool respite for shoppers and workers. At night, the theaters and lecture halls drew large crowds, and Courthouse Square was a popular venue for concerts.
The rhythm of life was different in those days when the downtown was the heart of the city. We might not stop to think about it, but public restrooms were a necessity. Passengers riding the electric trolley from Old Forge to Scranton had a lengthy trip. Patrons shopping at various stores along the avenues also needed access to a public facility. To meet these needs, a thoroughly modern comfort station opened on Courthouse Square on Dec. 14, 1915.
The citizens of Scranton brought a sense of civic pride to everything they did, making certain that their beloved city held its own among the great eastern cosmopolitan centers. When they decided on a comfort station, they turned to one of their own top architects, Frederick A. Fletcher of the Duckworth firm in Scranton, the same firm that designed the Hotel Jermyn.
Mr. Fletcher had supervised the building of a similar station in Washington, D.C., several years before. He studied public facilities in Boston, Philadelphia and Wilkes-Barre, and then borrowed the best features of each to create what was said to be the finest comfort station in the country.
Skilled labor
The comfort station was actually built underground, a fete that took considerable skill. Mr. Fletcher was up to the challenge, and Carlucci and Co., another well-known Scranton business, worked as the general contractors. The firm of Palumbo and Kroft did the concrete work.
The decision to build underground most likely had to do with the desire to preserve the beauty of the square. The station had two entrances: the gentlemen’s entrance on the Washington Avenue side of the square, and the ladies’ entrance on the Spruce Street corner. Attendants were on hand to take care of customer needs and to maintain an optimum level of cleanliness.
Attention to detail
The station itself measured 18 by 64 feet overall, with the floor of the structure 12 feet under the street level. A solid 18-inch concrete wall assured that the building was protected from dampness.
Every detail of the interior was designed for elegance and sanitation. Georgia marble, white enamel, metal and brass were classic features that allowed for efficient cleaning. The five interior rooms were designed with rounded corners, permitting the attendant to clean without dirt collecting in sharp corners.
Each of the rooms contained air ducts that allowed circulation throughout the structure. Internal air was forced out through a vent located near the Soldiers and Sailors Monument. Fresh air was pumped in through radiators located just above the entrance. In the winter, the fresh air passed over heat coils before it circulated throughout the station, warming the interior to a comfortable temperature. In summer, outside air passed over cooling coils. The air circulated through a complete cycle every three minutes. The entrance and the air vent were the only parts of the station that were visible from the surface. A plaque at the entrance paid tribute to the members of the City Planning Committee.
The comfort station remained in use into the early 1970s, under the direction of the city’s Public Works department. The city sometimes considered closing the facility, but whenever the subject came up, it was promptly voted down because the station was so well used. By the early 1970s, though, the rhythm of urban life had changed considerably, and the once-popular station was no longer considered safe.
All visible traces of the comfort station are gone, but the beautiful Courthouse Square remains at the heart of a city alive with its own past.
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