EAST FAREWELL NEWS
Thursday, March
13, 1952 Vol. C352
LOCAL
NEWS
STRANGE AIRSHIP FLOATS ACROSS
LAKE CHARLES
East
Farewell – It was an unusual scene on Lake Charles last
week as a very large inner tube with a small boat-like cabin on top was dragged
down to the shore by the Lakefront Plaza beach and pushed out onto the ice. In
the center of the tube was a large fan facing downward. When the fan was
started the tube lifted ever so slightly off the ice. At the same time a small
fan mounted on the back of the tube fired up and started to propel the craft
forward sliding on but not really touching the ice. The whole contraption was
piloted by a young professor and inventor, Brian Quantry, who
was seated in the “cabin” controlling the fans speed and steering by angling
the rear fan left and right. Quantry steered the craft down the middle of the
lake barely avoiding all the fishing huts and the boundaries of the makeshift
hockey rink. A student of his happened to be in his path with a camera and was
able to shoot some photos before jumping out of the way. He was proceeding at a
fairly quick pace and making an incredible racket as he started to approach an
area where the ice was very thin and a rope barrier had been strung to make
people aware of the danger. Quantry’s craft did not have any brakes and being
essentially a watercraft did not have very precise steering so Quantry slid
right through the barrier. A gasp went up from the crowd that had assembled and
as Quantry slid off the ice and onto the open lake water they expected him to
sink into the icy water. Much to everyone’s amazement, the float-boat kept
right on going. It skimmed across the water and Quantry was amazingly able to
make a wide sweeping U-turn and head back toward the beach. Unfortunately, when
he hit the ice flow again he bumped up onto the ice but his inner tube caught a
stake that was drilled into the ice to hold the knocked down barrier and
punctured. The air quickly came out of the tube and the craft fell down onto
the ice and skidded to a halt before it reached the beach.
The
crowd swarmed onto the lake and surrounded Quantry and his craft. He was able
to shut down the fans and climb out of his cabin and onto the ice. The crowd engulfed
him and congratulated him on his impressive invention. Then they all dragged
the deflated air boat off the ice. Many folks gathered around the Lakefront
Plaza to hear Quantry explain his invention and ask questions. Many of
Quantry’s students gathered around his machine to get a closer look. The news
reporters had showed up and started to ask Quantry about his invention.
“Basically,
it is a hovering craft. I got the idea from Bill Van Dyke’s fan boat last year.
He would just glide across the lake and I thought I could improve on that
design to reduce the friction. I thought of the fans and inner tube when I was
lounging in the lake last summer in an old inner tube. I thought, ‘If I can
just raise this up, it would slide across this lake and then it hit me, fans. I
only had to figure out how to power them. That’s when I came up with bottled
gas. It is propane gas in a canister. It works amazingly well,” he said to the
reporters.
Practically
speaking, this
invention has little chance of success. One of the first things that would
have to be addressed is the inner tube would have to be made much more puncture
proof. Professor Quantry has an obviously inexhaustible imagination and a very
inventive spirit but many will say he does not have a real firm grasp on
reality. That is probably why everyone in town loves him unconditionally.
Quantry and his float boat
SPORTS
COUGARS END SEASON WITH A WIN – TOURNAMENT
BOUND
East Farewell – The Cougars punched their ticket to
the regional playoffs with a 38-36 win over the Slate Mountain Miners on Friday
night. They finished the season with a mediocre record of 8-7 but that was good
enough to get a 12th place seed in the tournament. The Friday night
game was a loud, raucous event partially due to it being the senior’s last home
game and partially because the playoff bid was in the
balance. Franny Warner and David O’Shea have played on the Cougars basketball
team together all four years of their high school career. They started as
freshmen and have been together ever since.
The game started with the Cougars coming out with their
fast paced, run and shoot offense and a half court press to challenge the
Miners offense. The strategy worked as the Cougars jumped out to 12-6 lead and
both Warner and O’Shea leading the way with a very strong showing of game
control and direction.
The Miners were able to
battle back before the first half and bring the Cougar’s lead down 2 as the
half buzzer sounded.
In the second half the Miners tried their own press and
put in a slowdown game that was pass heavy and shot light. This had a strange
effect on the Cougar’s run and shot offense. The Cougars would take a quick
shot and make it or not once the Miners got the ball they would take the ball
up slowly and pass it around the outside and run time off the clock working and
waiting for an easy shot. When the Cougars got the ball back they would run the
ball down and shoot it, post haste. This strange diametric dance worked to the
Miners advantage, strangely. The Miners were able to keep the score close, tying
it several times but never take the lead. They were 2 points down with 30
seconds left and brought the ball up court. Their stall strategy was weakening,
most likely due to fatigue, and Miner’s guard, Billy Wright took a very
makeable shot from just beyond the foul line. The ball hit the rim and bounced
to the left. Franny Warner was there and out jumped Miner’s center, Albert
Fisher, to grab the rebound. He then turned and dribbled the ball to the side
before passing it to Teddy Fitzgerald who masterfully dribbled out the clock.
The Cougar’s ended their season with a 38-36 win and the seniors were raised off
the floor by adoring fans.
“It was great to see Franny and Davey end their high
school careers, well I guess you have to count the upcoming tournament but this
is their last home appearance, with a solid win. I know Franny is going on the
University of Pennsylvania and I hope he plays there. I don’t think Davey is
going on college, his father works at the Iron Works and I think he has some
connection there so maybe he will play on the Iron Works team, I hope so,” said
Coach Wilson after the game.
The tournament will start next week and the 12th
seed Cougars start with the second seed Central Falcon. The tournament is not
an elimination tournament it has consolation games so the Cougars could end up
playing three games. All games will be played in the Capitol City Arena. The
games start on Saturday at 12 noon.
NATIONAL NEWS
TRUMAN WANTS CHANGE – COMMIE POWS RIOT – MARTIN & LEWIS HOST STAR
STUDDED MARATHON – WEAVERS HAYES “SINGING IS THE ONLY THING THE WEAVERS DO” –WILLIAMS
HIGHEST PAID BASEBALL PLAYER –AT THE MOVIES
President Truman says he favors revolutionary changes in the structure of the Federal government, including a 12-year limit on service in Congress and placement of Federal District Attorneys under Civil Service.
Twelve rioting North Korean prisoners of war were killed and 26 other Communist POWS were wounded in a fresh breakout of violence on tension-ridden Koje Island.
Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis get pledges of more than $1 million in a 16 ½ television broadcast marathon for the benefit of a proposed New York cardiac hospital. Many other stars appeared including Ezio Pinza, Milton Berle, Perry Como, Dagmar, Martha Wright and Fay Emerson.
Communist charges brought against the Weavers folk singing group are denied by member Lee Hays. The charges were made by Harry Matusow, who was associated with the Communist party as an undercover agent, in testimony before the Ohio Un-American Activities Commission. Hays said the charges “are a lot of nonsense.’ “Singing is the only thing the Weavers do.”
Sports – Ralph Kiner of the Pittsburgh Pirates signs a new one-year contract for $75 thousand - $10 thousand more than last two seasons. The highest paid player is Ted Williams of the Red Sox at $100 thousand, followed by Stan Musial of the Cardinals at $80 thousand. Kiner hit 42 homers last year, the fifth consecutive season in which he either tied or led the majors and sixth as a National League king in homers.
At
the movies –
A Girl In Every Port –
Groucho Marx, Marie Wilson, William Bendix
Something To Live For –
Joan Fontaine, Ray Milland, Teresa Wright
The Greatest Show On Earth –
Betty Hutton, Cornel Wilde
Phone Call From A Stranger –
Shelley Winters, Gary Merrill, Michael Rennie, Keenan Wynn
Submarine Command –
William Holden, Nancy Olson, William Bendix
Invitation To A Strange Marriage –
Van Johnson, Dorothy McGuire, Ruth Roman
Lonestar – Clark Gable, Ava Gardner
Many, many
thanks to www.mrpopculture.com for
contributing to this section of the East Farewell News.
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