Lee Historical Society
Newsletter
Vol. 7, No. 9
September 2010
Lee Historical Society, Inc.
P. O. Box 170
Lee, MA 01238
www.leehistoricsociety.homestead.com
The September Meeting of the Lee Historical Society will be held on Thursday evening, September 9th at 6:30 p.m. in the cafeteria of the Senior Center at Crossway Village. This will be an important business meeting for Board Members, Officers, Committee Members and all interested members. There will important discussions brought up about Founder’s Day Weekend and nominations for the Board of Directors which will be held at our “Annual Meeting” which has been moved to October by a vote of the membership of last year’s meeting. We urge any member that can attend meeting, please do so. We are also looking for members that may be able to help out at the Founder’s Day booth either on Friday, late afternoon into the early evening, or during the day on Saturday. One or two hour shifts are being asked for. Call Marion Leach at 413-243-0907 or email us at Lee_Hist_Soc@msn.com.
Founder’s Day Weekend:
Again this year the streets of Lee will be bustling with people on the last weekend of September when Lee welcomes the Annual Founder’s Day Weekend. There will be food, live music, street vendors, an 11:00 a.m. parade on Saturday, sidewalk sales and fun for everyone. The town will also welcome back the 1960 class of Lee High School for their 50th reunion. It should be a great weekend for all. Hope the New England weather cooperates. As usual the Lee Historical Society will be found on the south side of Memorial Hall with our booth that will contain items of “old Lee” for sale as well as raffle tickets for our “November Calendar Raffle” which is our main fundraiser for the year that supports our scholarship fund and other programs that the society engages in during the year. Stop by, talk, look, buy a cookbook, magnet or raffle tickets. Maybe, you might even join the society.
The committee for the “November Calendar Raffle” is almost ready to get this year’s tickets printed. Again this year, a ticket will cost $10.00. A name will be drawn each day of November with the lucky ticket holder winning the prize or prizes listed for that day. The winner’s name will be placed back into the drawing box and he or she will be eligible to win more prizes. There will also be “Bonus” prizes added during the month’s drawing. Some of the prizes will be tickets to a Red Sox game and other sporting events, cash, food and Gift Certificates. There will be many great prizes, so make sure you have a ticket because…….if you don’t have a ticket, you can’t win!
Marion Leach is interested if anyone out there has knowledge of the old watering tub at Cold Springs on the Tyringham Road and of the land where the spring is located. She has heard that the old cement tub once belong to the Hale family of Tyringham, who brought it up to “Cold Springs” so that horses could be watered on the trips between Lee and Tyringham. After the spring was closed several years ago, the tub was brought back to the Hale Farm and was recently donated to the Town of Tyringham. The Town of Tyringham has positioned the old watering tub in the circle in the center of town. It seems that the land around “Cold Springs” may have been owned by the Cone family, thus Cone Park. Any information would be appreciated by Marion, who can be reached at 413-243-0907.
Goodhind- Seeking ephemera and information related to RICHARD GOODHIND who resided in Lee, Massachusetts from 1890 until his death in 1911. Richard was the superintendent at Hurlbut Manufacturing; served in the Civil War as a private in Company G 2nd Regiment Mass Volunteer Infantry. Will exchange info. Contact Elizabeth Goodhind-Banas, 631 Alpine Drive, Southbridge, MA 01550. 1-508-765-5452 or lizzygeo@hotmail.com
Recollections VIII
By U. S. Navy Retired Commander Vic Mottarella,
A native of Lee
(Continued from the August-10 issue)
The Bearcat’s top speed was 421 miles per hour as opposed to 380 miles per hour for the Hellcat. The second model of the plane (the F8F-2) flew at a top speed of 447 miles per hour. This model could develop 2,250 horsepower and could become airborne in as little as 461 feet. With a twenty-knot headwind it got airborne in 115 feet. The Bearcat was considerably more responsive but also more prone to airframe failures than the much more sturdy Hellcat. One had to be particularly alert to retract the landing gear immediately after becoming airborne for the plane would quickly accelerate and exceed the maximum designed gear down velocity. When put in this condition the gear would not fully retract because the puny hydraulic system could not overcome the excessive air pressures put on the system.
Because the Bearcat was a lot more fragile than the Hellcat the Grumman engineers came up with a unique idea to relieve pressures and avoid overstressing the airframe when a pilot went into a violent turn or pulled out of a steep dive. The wing tips were designed to break away (about three feet) whenever a pilot pulled over 9 “g’s”. The three feet also included a good portion of the ailerons.
It was not long after we checked out in the new plane that Ensign George Veiling of our squadron caused it to happen. The problem was that one wing tip came off while the other stayed on. This caused the plane to commence a violent roll because of the much greater lift on the undamaged wing. It required an immense amount of stick and rudder pressures coupled with reduce speed to regain control. George was about twenty-five and one of the older Ensigns. He was very strong and had played tackle on the Villanova football team. I doubt if I could have handled the situation but George, being as strong as he was, overcame the differential pressures and brought the plane back safely to the Oceana Naval Air Station.
Another very strong pilot from our sister squadron (LT. Bill Leonard of VF-3) had the same thing happen to him while pulling out of a dive-bombing run. It was suspected that after pulling out of their dives they both horsed their planes up sharply in a climbing turn so they could look back and see the location of their bomb hits and in so doing overstressed one of the wings. More than one Navy pilot was killed after experiencing similar failures. The idea worked as designed except that only one wing tip came off. Because of these incidents the Navy and Grumman got together and decided to add explosive bolts so that if one wing tip came off the other would automatically blow off. This modification only lasted a short time because of an incident that happened on one of the carriers. A Maintenance Chief was working on a plane in the hanger deck of a carrier when stray voltage activated the explosive bolts. After that it was back to square one. The wing tips were riveted on solid and pilots were advised to avoid putting excessive “g” forces on the airplane. At 9 “g’s” my 125 pounds would put a force of 1125 pounds on the seat of the aircraft. The airplane had an accelerometer gage that indicated the maximum “g” forces that had resulted during each flight.
It did not take me long to fall in love with this airplane. It was the hottest thing in the air before the jet age and the last I heard it still holds the record for climbing to ten thousand feet except for those jets equipped with after-burners. Its rate of climb was an amazing 4570 feet per minute.
If I did not know better I would have thought that this airplane was designed specifically for me. The cockpit was very small and well suited to my skinny body. Not more than two inches of space existed between my shoulders and the side of the cockpit. My head almost touched the top of the canopy. I don’t know how the bigger guys squeezed themselves into the cockpit. The fuel selector valve was placed within easy reach on a small panel between your legs. You sat about eighteen inches from the instrument panel so everything including the gun charging mechanism could be easily accessed.
To keep the weight down the plane had a very small amount of reserve hydraulic fluid. This caused some problems whenever anyone had a hydraulic leak. When advised by a wingman that a hydraulic leak was observed the pilot would change his hydraulic selector valve to flaps only. This would usually isolate the system so that the remaining fluid would be available to extend the landing gear. One had to remember to return the selector valve to the full system before landing. The first model of the Bearcat had four 50-caliber machine guns. The second model that was delivered about a year later increased the firepower by incorporating four 20-millimeter cannon. This model was also fitted with an improved two-stage supercharger.
When the new planes were delivered from Grumman the Skipper (Frank Lawlor) ordered all pilots and assigned enlisted personnel to commence polishing and simonizing every square inch of every plane. That may not seem like much of an ordeal but if you have ever waxed a car you should appreciate what we had to go through in waxing the total surface of about twenty aircraft. There is one hell of a lot of surface area on the wings and fuselage let alone on the horizontal stabilizer and rudder. It was a very tiresome ordeal especially when waxing the bottom of the wings and tail surfaces. The idea was, in addition to improving the looks of the plane, to reduce friction and thereby increase to an even greater degree the speed of this already very fast airplane. The waxing ordeal soon faded into memory because after a few flights, oil stains and bugs soiled most of the surfaces. It is impossible to prevent a radial engine, especially one with eighteen cylinders, even when in perfect running condition from spewing some oil.
The Squadron Pilots
As mentioned before, there were about thirty pilots in the squadron. I will not attempt to describe each but for different reasons some stand out more than others. Some, like George Veiling were more colorful. He had a great sense of humor, was a good pilot and helped to incite a spirit of comradely among the pilots. I attended his wedding on Long Island, New York as an usher. Some were great pilots and others were not so great but good enough to get by. Besides being the most junior in rank, John and I were the youngest and the latest to join the squadron. At that point I knew my place and never tried to get involved with anything controversial. I had much respect for the senior Lieutenants who had graduated from the Naval Academy even though they had no more flying experience than John and I. They certainly were a lot better educated.
Several of the other Lieutenants had considerable carrier experience in the Pacific during the war. It was interesting listening to war stories as told by these pilots. One in particular who became my first Section Leader (Al Wright) told about the time he had a cold catapult shot and dropped off the bow of the carrier in a Wildcat. A cold catapult shot could be caused by hydraulic failure, a mechanical failure or a tie down ring breaking prematurely. A tie down ring holds the plane in place before the catapult is fired and is designed to break at a predetermined stress point after the pilot goes to full throttle in preparation of takeoff. Al said he not only was almost run over by the ship but also came within inches of being chewed up by the ship’s screws. He almost drowned before he was able to extricate himself from the parachute and shoulder straps.
This same pilot had a second close call while the carrier Kearsarge was at anchor off Newport, R.I. Someone in senior command decided to experiment with catapulting a Bearcat with no wind while the ship was at anchor. Al ended up in the water again and he was not very happy about this experience because the month was December and the water was very cold. He also lost most of his uniforms that had been stored in the belly of the plane. Al was about twenty-five and very handsome. He apparently came from a very prominent and wealthy Toledo family. He was a comic both on the ground and in the air. He invited me to his house for dinner several times. I thought his wife was a bitch but I never told him. She was not at all like her affable husband and it was no surprise to me when their marriage ended a few short months later.
(Continued to the October –10 issue)
IF YOU LIKE OUR NEWSLETTER and you are not a member of the society; please join us for the upcoming year. If you join over the Founder’s Day Weekend you will become a member for the rest of 2010 and all of 2011. We need members paying dues so that we can continue to print and distribute our monthly newsletters and support other programs of the society.
If you have a story or article about Lee that you would like to see printed, send it to us. Maybe you have a question about Lee that you would like answered or an ancestor that you are searching for, we might be able to help. Let us also know if there is a certain subject that you would be interested in us writing about. We are all interested in learning about the history of our little town.
Officers of the Lee Historical Society for the year of 2010
President – Gary W. Allen – 413-243-2140 or garywallen@earthlink.net
Vice- President – Ethel Noonan – 413-243-0263
Treasurer – Mal Eckert – 413-243-1797 or MalEckert@msn.com
Secretary – Bambi Johndrow – 413-243-2845 or disdeer62@netzero.net
Board of Directors of the Lee Historical Society
Marion Leach/2010
William Clarke/2010Mary Morrissey/2011
William Clarke/2010Mary Morrissey/2011Peg Biron/2011Josh Hall/2011Matt MacNyar/2011
Josh Hall/2011Matt MacNyar/2011JoAnn Zarnoch/2012Maria Hopkins/2012Robert Kelly/2012
Maria Hopkins/2012Robert Kelly/2012Immediate-Past President and Board Member – Stephen Cozzaglio
Society Historian – Charlotte Davis
Newsletter Editor – Mal Eckert
THE FOUR STAGES OF LIFE:
1.)You believe in Santa Claus.
You believe in Santa Claus.2.)You don’t believe in Santa Claus.
You don’t believe in Santa Claus.3.)You are Santa Claus.
You are Santa Claus.4.)You look like Santa Claus.
You look like Santa Claus.I
The Lee Historical Society has the following items for sale. Any one of these would make a great gift for an out of town friend or relative.
(1.)Picture Packet – Six, 8” x 10” colored prints of “Old Lee” for $10.00 each or 3 packets
Picture Packet – Six, 8” x 10” colored prints of “Old Lee” for $10.00 each or 3 packets for $25.00, plus $2.50 if they need to be shipped.
(2.)Refrigerator magnets – (approx. 2” x 3”). Three are of old street scenes from the early
Refrigerator magnets – (approx. 2” x 3”). Three are of old street scenes from the early 1900’s and one is an “Entering Lee” replica sign. They are $3.00 each or buy a set of
three of your choice for $7.50 with no shipping charges.
(3.)Cookbook – “Boiling Water” – a 400 recipe cookbook, put together by the ladies of the
Cookbook – “Boiling Water” – a 400 recipe cookbook, put together by the ladies of the society for $10.00, plus $3.50 if shipped.
(4.)“Historical Lee” – a tribute to the late Betty Dennis. A seventy-three page book
“Historical Lee” – a tribute to the late Betty Dennis. A seventy-three page book containing the articles that Betty wrote between April 1971 and August 1977 that
appeared in the Penny Saver. Price is $10.00, plus $2.50 if shipped.
(5.)“Third Strike”- a book, the last of three written by Ralph W. Smith that was published in
“Third Strike”- a book, the last of three written by Ralph W. Smith that was published in 1984. It contains stories of people and tales of earlier days in Lee. The price is $15.00,
plus $2.50 if shipped.
(6.)Commemorative Mugs.
Commemorative Mugs.(a.)A 2008, #1 in our series, mug with a replica of Memorial Hall embossed on the side.
A 2008, #1 in our series, mug with a replica of Memorial Hall embossed on the side.(b.)A 2009, #2 in our series, mug with a replica of Central Fire Station embossed on the
A 2009, #2 in our series, mug with a replica of Central Fire Station embossed on the side.
(c.)A 2010, #3 in our series, mug with a replica of the Lee Library embossed on the side.
A 2010, #3 in our series, mug with a replica of the Lee Library embossed on the side. These mugs can be purchased for $10.00 each, plus $3.00 shipping or two
mugs for $18.00 and $5.00 shipping or all three mugs for $27.00 and $7.00 for
shipping.
Please send me (amount) ______________of (item/items) __________________________
Enclosed is my check for (no cash please)______________________________________
Name_____________________________________________________________________
Address___________________________________________________________________
City_________________________State_______________Zip________________________
Mail to:
Lee Historical Society
P. O. Box 170
Lee, MA 01238
Please support our “Business Members” that support us.
Bartini Roofing CompanyBen’s ShopCharles Flint Antiques
Ben’s ShopCharles Flint Antiques290 Pleasant Street68 Main Street52 Housatonic Street
68 Main Street52 Housatonic StreetLee, MA 01238Lee, MA 01238Lenox, MA 01240
Lee, MA 01238Lenox, MA 01240Greylock Federal UnionQuality PlusL. V. Toole Insurance Agency
Quality PlusL. V. Toole Insurance Agency47 Main Street260 Chestnut Street195 Main Street
260 Chestnut Street195 Main StreetLee, MA 01238Lee, MA 01238Lee, MA 01238
Lee, MA 01238Lee, MA 01238Sullivan Station RestaurantPaperdilly, Inc.Dresser Hull Company
Paperdilly, Inc.Dresser Hull CompanyRailroad Street74 Main Street60 Railroad Street
74 Main Street60 Railroad StreetLee, MA 01238Lee, MA 01238Lee, MA 01238
Lee, MA 01238Lee, MA 01238Robert M. Kelly, PaperhangingKelly Funeral HomeThe Jonathon Foote 1778 House
Kelly Funeral HomeThe Jonathon Foote 1778 HouseSouth Prospect Street3 Main Street1 East Street
3 Main Street1 East StreetLee, MA 01238Lee, MA 01238Lee, MA 01238
Lee, MA 01238Lee, MA 01238Morgan House Restaurant & Pub Lee BankDevonfield Inn
Devonfield Inn33 Main Street75 Park Street85 Stockbridge Road
75 Park Street85 Stockbridge RoadLee, MA 01238Lee, MA 01238Lee, MA 01238
Lee, MA 01238Lee, MA 01238Hunter & Graziano P. C. Myron’s CallLocker Room Sports Pub
Myron’s CallLocker Room Sports Pub10 Park Place 49 Fuller Street232 Main Street
49 Fuller Street232 Main StreetLee, MA 01238Lee, MA 01238Lee, MA 01238
Lee, MA 01238Lee, MA 01238Monk’s Professional Barber ShopFrank Consolati Ins. Agency
Frank Consolati Ins. Agency91 Main Street71 Main Street
71 Main StreetLee, MA 01238Lee, MA 01238
Lee, MA 01238How about becoming a member to help support our Society? Do you have an out of town friend or relative that might enjoy our newsletters? Sign him/her up as a member.
Student Membership - $5.00Senior Membership (one person over the age of 65) - $5.00
Senior Membership (one person over the age of 65) - $5.00Business Membership - $25.00Individual Membership (one person under the age of 65) - $10.00
Individual Membership (one person under the age of 65) - $10.00Family Membership (All members of one family living at home) - $15.00
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Or helping out at one of our fundraisers?____________________
Lee Historical Society
P. O. Box 170
Lee, MA 01238
