Latest news with #GreenHornet
Chicago Tribune
25-05-2025
- Chicago Tribune
On a rainy May day 75 years ago, the ‘Green Hornet' streetcar disaster left more than 30 dead
On May 25, 1950, Walter Skonicki sat down on his couch to perform his evening ritual of listening to the radio or perusing the newspapers. 'What the heck!' he exclaimed upon hearing an explosion and feeling a blast of air coming through his living room window at 6242 S. State St. Looking out, he got a preview of the Tribune's front-page headline the next morning: 'TRUCK-TROLLEY FIRE! 33 DIE.' The accompanying story reported that the fuel in a gasoline tanker became a fireball after colliding with a rush-hour streetcar, a sleek new model dubbed the 'Green Hornet.' The death toll was later estimated at 34. The disaster resulted from a chain of events that started with a heavy rainfall on that May day, all of them laid out in detail in Craig Cleve's book 'The Green Hornet Streetcar Disaster,' from which much of this account is taken. At 2:30 p.m., Peter Duggan, a CTA supervisor, reported that a viaduct at State and 63rd was flooded. Southbound streetcars would have to stop at 62nd Place and be sent northbound. To provide for such contingences, the CTA built reversing loops at intervals along its streetcar lines. Duggan asked for a flagman to hold up one of the trains when he pushed a long iron lever into the turnout's switching mechanism. Charles Kleim, a bus driver who'd finished his shift, was sent to warn approaching streetcars, but without a flag. That was not unusual. At the 62nd Place turnout, Kleim, who had waved down 200 streetcars with his bare hand, saw one more. It was going too fast and ignoring his frantic signals. As Kleim desperately ran toward it, the streetcar lurched into the turnout. It was trailed by the sound of crunching metal and screaming passengers. With the 63rd Street underpass now open a southbound Mack Truck drove through it. Mel Wilson, the driver, was bringing 4,000 gallons of gasoline from an Indiana refinery. Shortly after emerging from the underpass, he crossed paths with the Green Hornet coming from the turnout adjacent to Skonicki's cottage. Wilson and the motorman Paul Manning were killed by the collision. 'Survivors, suffering from shock, told conflicting stories about difficulties in opening the doors. Several said they had to kick out the glass in order to open the doors, but Beverly Clark, 14, of 6143 Wentworth Ave., said the doors swung open when she pulled an emergency cord, breaking her finger,' the Tribune reported on May 26. 'She was the first to leave the car.' The explosion ignited a number of nearby buildings. 'Hours after the flames in the street car had been extinguished, firemen still were battling the flames in the buildings. Walls collapsed in several of them,' the Tribune reported. Amid the bodies and the streetcar's twisted remains a pocket watch would be found. Its hands had stopped 6:33.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Gov. DeSantis, Florida lawmakers help spread 'chemtrails' conspiracy theory
It looks like Gov. Ron DeSantis has tossed his tin-foil hat into the ring on the not-so-great debate over unknown 'theys' trying to poison Floridians through 'chemtrails' in the sky. It used to be that you had to seek out Alex Jones and other lunatic-fringe professionals to indulge in this sort of contrived conspiracy theory banter. But now, you just have to tune into the Florida government to scratch your crazy itch. DeSantis, declaring that we here in Florida are 'proud of our sunshine' – bless his heart – has vowed to put an end to an imaginary, secret government practice of intentionally blocking the sun over Florida. 'People have a lot of kooky ideas that they can get in and put things in the atmosphere to block the sun and save us from climate change. We're not playing that game in Florida,' DeSantis said in a recorded message posted on social media. It's so adorable when DeSantis tries to burnish some tough-guy street cred by standing tall against nothing. It's default DeSantis. (In other news, we're not 'playing that game' with the giant, costumed Easter Bunnies at the malls, either. You're scaring our hard-working toddlers half to the death. Take your chocolate socialism and carrot-vegan agenda elsewhere.) Bolstered by the empowering of renowned kook, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the new head of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, there's a movement in Florida and other similarly feeble-minded states to write laws that mainstream paranoia about the government-backed aerial poisoning of the American people, which is sometimes called 'geoengineering.' 'We are going to stop these crimes,' Kennedy vowed last August. Florida's just being the Kato to his Green Hornet. Opinion: Florida politicians indulge conspiracy theorists with nonsense 'chemtrails' bill But don't expect results. Ever since the U.S. government began experimenting with cloud seeding decades ago to bring rain to drought-stricken agricultural land or to control wildfires, conspiracy theorists have let their imaginations run wild. This has led them to single out the often visible condensation from aircraft engines on jets flying at colder high altitudes. This condensation turns to ice crystals called 'contrails' that often span the sky. Conspiracy theorists have convinced millions of people that many of these white streaks of water vapor across the sky are really a mix of deadly heavy metals dropped day and night for the secret purpose of creating a permanent haze that dims the sun. And these so-called 'chemtrails' are spreading everything from autism to Alzheimer's disease to the people living below them, they say. Apparently, this is being done with the backing and support of a shadowy bunch of 'theys' that often include billionaire Bill Gates, the United Nations and fill-in-the-blank Democrats in high levels of government. This kind of disinformation reached a fever pitch last October after Hurricanes Helene and Milton battered the Southeastern United States, particularly in parts of Florida and North Carolina. Tens of millions of social media posts pushed claims that the storms were preceded by an unusual number of 'chemtrails' in the sky and that the hurricanes were an attempt by the Biden Administration to wipe out Republican voters in key states a month before the election. 'Treason Alert: The Biden-Harris Admin Have Been in Control of Hurricanes Helene and Milton Using Pentagon Weather Weapons,' was a headline in the Alex Jones site, InfoWars. This was the backdrop for the proposed Florida weather-manipulation bill that is up for consideration now. And it doesn't seem to matter that for decades these claims have been categorically refuted by multiple government agencies. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Air Force have repeatedly and emphatically tried to dispel the baseless claims of a secret government campaign to poison the American people from the sky. The Florida Senate Bill (SB-56) establishes a hotline number for citizens to call about trails they are seeing in the sky. This will scramble the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to alert the Florida Department of Health to race to the scene and do air quality samples under the path of the contrail. Opinion: Florida must invest in risk reduction to better mitigate climate disaster costs And that puts the Florida Department of Emergency Services on notice to 'step in to mitigate', said the bill's sponsor, Ileana Garcia, a Republican who lists an educational background that culminates in senior year at Miami Senior High School. The bill calls for the mysterious violators to be fined $100,000 so 'they know we mean business,' Garcia said. The proposed legislation got rougher treatment in the Florida House last week, where committee members in the House Natural Resources and Disasters Subcommittee ended up passing a bill that allowed 'weather modification operations' in Florida, as long as these operations were licensed by the state. Unlicensed violators would be fined $10,000 under the bill. This set off DeSantis, who backs the sky-is-falling Senate bill and regards the House bill as an endorsement of weather modification in the state. That's why he's speaking out now about how proud he is of Florida's sunshine. And how we won't let 'them' take it from us, no matter who the 'them' are. Or aren't. Can we move on to those mall Easter Bunnies now? Frank Cerabino is a news columnist with The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA Today Network- Florida. He can be reached at FCerabino@ This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: FL lawmakers, DeSantis fight imaginary contrail problem | Opinion
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
One-of-a-Kind 1968 Shelby EXP500 CSS Heads to Premier Auto Auction
⚡️ Read the full article on Motorious A truly unique piece of Shelby and Mustang history is set to cross the auction block—a 1968 Ford Mustang Shelby EXP500 CSS, the only authentic recreation of the legendary Green Hornet prototype, personally commissioned by Carroll Shelby. Powered by a Shelby 428 V-8 engine producing 400 horsepower, this one-of-one coupe features a heavy-duty modified C6 three-speed automatic transmission, ensuring both power and drivability. The car is finished in Highland Dark Green with a gold vinyl interior, complemented by a black vinyl top, mirroring the original prototype that was believed to be lost. Originally built by Ford and Shelby in Dearborn, the Green Hornet was a groundbreaking prototype featuring advanced technology for its time. When the original car was thought to be destroyed, Carroll Shelby personally oversaw this exclusive recreation to preserve its legacy. This one-of-a-kind vehicle remained in the Carroll Shelby Foundation's collection until 2019 and is listed in the official Shelby Registry. The EXP500 CSS is equipped with Shelby performance upgrades, including a high-performance intake, a Holley 700 CFM four-barrel carburetor, a high-volume fuel pump, and an aluminum radiator. Handling is enhanced by four-wheel disc brakes, a front independent suspension, a live rear axle, and rear Koni shocks. Period-correct details such as Lucas fog lights, a push-button AM radio, and 15-inch 10-spoke wheels complete the package. Adding to its pedigree, the Shelby Chassis #CSS011 comes with a Deluxe Marti Report confirming its one-of-one status, as well as a Certificate of Authenticity signed by Carroll Shelby himself. With its unmatched history and direct connection to Shelby's legacy, this Green Hornet recreation is expected to draw significant interest from collectors and Mustang enthusiasts when it hits the auction floor. This awesome car is selling at Premier Auction Group's Gulf Coast Classic in March 14th & 15th. To see more vehicles for sale, register to bid or consign your vehicle for sale at this auction please visit Premier Auction Groups website.
