MID-SOUTH MEMORIES
25 years ago — 1997
MIAMI – The moon and eight planets are lined up in the sky this week in a sight that won’t be visible again from Earth for at least another century. “It’s quite beautiful, an exquisite grouping of the moon and planets,” said Jack Horkheimer, executive director of the Miami Space Transit Planetarium and host of the public television program “Star Hustler.” This is naked-eye astronomy at its best. It began Monday night and continues through Dec. 8. From west to east, Pluto is followed by Mercury, Mars, Venus, Neptune, Uranus, Jupiter and Saturn with a crescent moon alongside.
50 years ago — 1972
The initials “PH” scratched into a narrow underground canyon in south central Kentucky led a group of explorers to a 6,000-foot-long passageway which links two large cave systems that could cover 300 miles, it was disclosed Friday. The explorers entered Flint Ridge Cave system, the world’s largest with 87 miles, and found the initials of Pete Hanson, who began exploring Mammoth Cave 34 years ago but was killed in World War II. Since Hanson did most of his exploration in Mammoth Cave, the initials gave the explorers their first significant clue that the two systems were linked.
75 years ago — 1947
NASHVILLE – State investigators started working Monday to ferret out at least 30 unqualified “healers” who are still practicing in Tennessee. Dr. R.H. Hutcheson, state commissioner of Public Health, said that the Tennessee Supreme Court’s action in upholding repeal of the “Naturopathy” Laws cleared
the last obstacle to a concentrated and thorough cleanup. The Supreme Court decision, which was handed down Saturday, has been pending since April.
100 years ago — 1922
NEWBERN, N.C. – Fire, which raged uncontrolled for 11 hours today in the western section of Newbern, destroyed property valued at nearly $2,000,000 including more than 300 residences, an overall factory, two churches, several stores, a tobacco warehouse and other structures in an area of more than 20
blocks.
125 years ago — 1897
The exodus of horsemen from Memphis to New Orleans, where the winter meeting begins Saturday has begun. A large number of horsemen passed through Memphis after the Nashville meeting and stayed here several days. Nearly all left last night. Among the best known turf characters that have been in the city in the past few days are Tommie Burns, the crack lightweight jockey; Charlie Ellison and Kid Rogers.