Other Times
100 Years Ago – 1918: Chester Shipyard Co. held a monster meeting in the furtherance of the Fourth Liberty Loan at noon today. Several thousand workers attended, it being the first of its kind since the ban was placed on public meeting in an effort to check the Spanish influenza by the Health Department several days ago. There was music by the plant band and singing by the entire assemblage at the meeting’s close.
75 Years Ago – 1943:
A man residing at 145 E. Seventh St., Chester, was certain all his patron saints were on hand when he narrowly escaped death beneath the wheels of a train at Wilmington. He decided a short time later that one or two failed to show up. He grabbed the handrail of the moving coach but couldn’t make it to the steps, being dragged
100 feet before releasing his grip. The police, who took him to the hospital, asked for his draft registration card as a matter of routine. The man couldn’t produce it and was held for questioning by FBI agents.
50 Years Ago – 1968: Delaware County has offered to purchase the Philadelphia Suburban Transportation Co. (Red Arrow) and lease it to the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority. The proposal, made during a meeting between SEPTA and suburban county commissioners, provided a “definite breakthrough” in SEPTA’s attempt to acquire Red Arrow, Delaware County Commissioner Harry McNichol said.
25 Years Ago – 1993: A three-alarm fire heavily damaged the auditorium at the Showalter Middle School last night, Chester fire officials said. Firefighters were called to the school about 8:30 p.m. on the report of a dumpster fire and discovered flames shooting from the roof, Chief Willie Hatcher said. The classrooms in the two-story building at
10th and Lloyd streets did not appear to sustain fire damage, school officials said. Students will have no school today.
10 Years Ago – 2008: State Rep. Stephen E. Barrar, R-160 of Upper Chichester, introduced a resolution in his attempt to help Marcus Hook native James B. “Mickey” Vernon take his place in Cooperstown, N.Y. Barrar introduced a resolution that states the Pennsylvania Legislature calls upon the Baseball Hall of Fame to consider Vernon for a rightful spot in the institution. “I wish we had done it while he was alive,” Barrar said. “We can make it right by taking care of it now.”