Friday, July 14, 2023

7/9/1953

 

EAST FAREWELL NEWS


Thursday, July 9, 1953   Vol. C239


LOCAL NEWS


FIREWORKS EXPLODE


East Farewell – The much anticipated fireworks display over Lake Charles celebrating the Fourth of July was quite the explosion. Unfortunately it was not the beautiful display that everyone expected. Five minutes into the show an errant spark jumped into the storage area and ignited the entire storage area. The explosion was technically multiple explosions but was massive none the less and went on for almost four minutes keeping the standby fire truck and firemen away until it had almost blown itself out. Amazingly no one was injured and there was virtually no property damage because the area was an open field that was well fenced. Most of the ignitions were vertical but some did shoot out horizontally and they posed the most danger to the attendants and the crowd.  The event was visible from the Lakefront Plaza and some of the explosions were visible from across the lake.

            Even though the big show was cut short the party at the Lakefront Plaza continued on after everything was declared safe. Gus Templeton and his orchestra played an extra set and Big Roy and the Magnificents really got the people dancing with their very exciting rhythm and blues. Gus Sloan closed out the night with his second jazz set.  The restaurants and shops that had set up café seating and booths kept the evening going and stayed open until the end of the evening. They had originally planned to close once the fireworks started.

            Fire Chief, Leon Barnes, started the investigation as soon as the fireworks were brought under control. He issued a preliminary report on Monday that pointed to an ignition spark landing in the storage area and igniting the stored fireworks. No intentional sabotage has been indicated. It seems it was just a spectacular accident.

Fireworks exploding seen from Lake Front Plaza


SPORTS


NAGY DAZZELS WITH NO HITTER


East Farewell – Joe Nagy put on a pitching show for the crowd at the new ball park on Saturday. He was able to strike out nine and lead the Travelers to a 4-0 win over the Erie Eagles. The game gave the struggling Travelers a big lift after losing three on the road.  Nagy started out by striking out the first four batters and then having the next two hit in to infield outs. In the third Eagle, Bobby Rome hit a long fly to right but that was it, both Ford and Gamble grounded out. On the other side of the scorecard the Travelers went to deep right with leadoff hitter Ralph Francis knocked one out of the park on a 2-1 curve ball from Eagles starter Ben Rice.  By the seventh inning the game had become almost a showplace for Nagy. He struck out at least one batter in every inning, only one batter, Jones, was able to reach on a walk. The Travelers had scored two more one in the fifth and one in the sixth. Nagy seemed to get stronger as the game went on, striking out the side in the seventh and two in the eighth.  Only in the ninth did the Eagles scare the hometown fans. After Ford grounded out, Gamble went 3-2 against Nagy. The pay-off pitch was a fastball that looked close inside. Umpire, Dick Farley, called a ball four and put Gamble on. Nagy regained his composure and pitched a fastball to Rucci who hit a stinger to Dale who easily turned the double play with Archibald to Watson to end the inning and any Eagle threat. The Travelers added some salt to the wound by Johnny Cloos blasting one out in the bottom of the eighth.

            The Travelers are home for the next three weeks. Next week they play the Mountain View Explorers with ace Joe “Freight” Trane pitching and slugger Bobby “Hammer” Taxen. The game begins at 1:30 at the new ball park.


 NATIONAL NEWS


COMMIES READY TO SIGN ARMISITICE – WAR TO END SOON – UNEMPLOYMENT DOWN TO NEW LOW


Communist truce negotiators announce that they are ready to sign the armistice on the basis of U.N. promises that South Korea will honor it.  The Reds propose that armistice negotiators begin “immediately” to discuss preparations for the truce-signing ceremony.

45,000 American and South Korean troops counterattack the Communists along the Korean central front bulge in the biggest allied attack in several years.

Unemployment in the U.S. reaches the lowest point since WWII - at about 1.7 million workers out of work, compared with 3.1 million in 1950.


Many, many thanks to www.mrpopculture.com for contributing to this section of the East Farewell News.



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