The moment of the crash. (File)
Good morning, it’s Saturday, Sept. 15, the 259th day of 2012. There are 107 days left in the year. Temperatures will be in the lower 60s at the start of the day and should rise into the mid 80s this afternoon under a cloudy sky. There’s at least a chance of a shower or thunderstorm again today and this evening. Lows overnight will be in the mid 60s.
Today’s Forecast And Conditions
On September 15, 1896—116 years ago today--railroad officials staged the now legendary “Crash at Crush” north of Waco, setting two locomotives on a collision course as 30,000 to 50,000 spectators watched. Unfortunately the officials underestimated the risk. At least two spectators died and others were injured as the boilers in both engines exploded. “Crush,” incidentally, was MKT General Passenger Agent George Crush, whose brainchild the stunt was. Incidentally, Ragtime great Scot Joplin was then 18 and was among the spectators.
Today's Highlight in Local History:
On September 15, 1896, railroad officials staged a crash between two locomotives at Crush north of Waco that resulted in several deaths and left other spectators injured.
On September 15, 1995, Dr. Robert Sloan was sworn in as Baylor University’s 12th president.
Today's Highlight in History:
On Sept. 15, 1887, the city of Philadelphia launched a three-day celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Constitution of the United States.
On This Date:
In 1776, British forces occupied New York City during the American Revolution.
In 1789, the U.S. Department of Foreign Affairs was renamed the Department of State.
In 1857, William Howard Taft - who served as President of the United States and as U.S. chief justice - was born in Cincinnati, Ohio.
In 1862, Confederate forces captured Harpers Ferry during the Civil War.
In 1935, the Nuremberg Laws deprived German Jews of their citizenship.
In 1940, during the World War II Battle of Britain, the tide turned as the Royal Air Force inflicted heavy losses against the Luftwaffe.
In 1942, during World War II, a Japanese submarine torpedoed the aircraft carrier USS Wasp; the U.S. Navy ended up sinking the badly damaged vessel.
In 1950, during the Korean conflict, United Nations forces landed at Inchon in the south and began their drive toward Seoul.
In 1954, as raucous fans looked on, Marilyn Monroe filmed the famous billowing-skirt scene for "The Seven Year Itch" over a Lexington Ave. subway grate in Manhattan (however, little, if any, of the footage ended up in the movie; the scene was later reshot on a Hollywood set).
In 1963, four black girls were killed when a bomb went off during Sunday services at the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Ala. (Three Ku Klux Klansmen were eventually convicted for their roles in the blast.)
In 1972, a federal grand jury in Washington indicted seven men in connection with the Watergate break-in.
In 1982, Iran's former foreign minister, Sadegh Ghotbzadeh, was executed after he was convicted of plotting against the government. The first edition of USA Today was published.
Ten years ago:
Opposition parties swept Macedonia's ruling coalition from power in the nation's first elections since the 2001 armed uprising.
Five years ago:
In his Saturday radio address, President George W. Bush said while "formidable challenges" remained in Iraq, the United States would start shifting more troops into support roles. Several thousand protesters marched from the White House to the Capitol to demand an end to the Iraq war. Sarah Thomas became the first female official to work a game in the Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly I-A, serving as the line judge in the Jacksonville State-Memphis game (which Memphis won, 35-14). Actress-comedian Brett Somers died in Westport, Conn., at age 83.
One year ago:
President Barack Obama bestowed the Medal of Honor on Sgt. Dakota Meyer, a young and humble Marine who had defied orders and barreled straight into a ferocious "killing zone" in Afghanistan to save 36 lives at extraordinary risk to himself. A single rogue trader at Swiss banking giant UBS allegedly cost the storied institution an estimated $2 billion.
Today's Birthdays:
Actor Forrest Compton is 87. Comedian Norm Crosby is 85. Actor Henry Darrow is 79. Baseball Hall-of-Famer Gaylord Perry is 74. Opera singer Jessye Norman is 67. Writer-director Ron Shelton is 67. Actor Tommy Lee Jones is 66. Movie director Oliver Stone is 66. Rock musician Kelly Keagy (Night Ranger) is 60. Rock musician Mitch Dorge (Crash Test Dummies) is 52. Football Hall-of-Famer Dan Marino is 51. Actor Danny Nucci is 44. Rap DJ Kay Gee is 43. Actor Josh Charles is 41. Singer Ivette Sosa (Eden's Crush) is 36. Actor Tom Hardy is 35. Pop-rock musician Zach Filkins (OneRepublic) is 34. Actor Dave Annable is 33. Actress Amy Davidson is 33. Britain's Prince Harry is 28. TV personality Heidi Montag is 26.
Thought for Today:
"I think the greatest curse of American society has been the idea of an easy millennialism - that some new drug, or the next election or the latest in social engineering will solve everything." - Robert Penn Warren, American poet (born 1905, died this date in 1989).
