The coastland times with which is combined the pilot and herald of Belhaven and Swan Quarter., 1962-05-18
SAFETY COUNCIL
REPORTS ON 1851
rFREAK SQUEAK"

Il . y
CHICAGO - Traffic acci-
dents on the island of Bjarkoey,
Norway, rose. sharply in 1861
to an unprecented rate equal to
5000 accidents per 10000 re-
gistered vehicles.
The Artic island has an area
of five square miles, pop
ulation of 730, one road, one
truck, and one station wagon.
the islands only taxi. The truck
and the taxi collided at a bend
in the road.
This is one Of the tales in an
article Freak Squeaks Of 1861 :"
the National Safety Councils
annual roundup of odd and un
usual accidents. 1t appeared in
the February issue of Traffic
Safety magazine, published by
the Council.
Water started fire in Lara
nie, Wyo. The water was in a
gallon jug in a station wagon,
and the sun shining through it
ignited a sleeping bag. Heat
from the fire caused a gasoline
lantern to overflow, adding fue'
to the fire.
Richard Matheney badly dam
aged his car when he swerved off
Illinois highway 460 to avoid
hitting a deer. He got another
auto to continue his business.
A. short time later he ran off
the same highway and into a
| fence-to avoid hitting another
deer.
Matheney's deer We're not the
only animals involved in unusual
accidents. Mail carrier Buck
Henson of Greer, S. c., was try
ing to shoe away a barking dog
when small boy ran from a
nearby house and hit the post
man on the arm. And John
Hohnson got two bites for one
when he hooked a catfish in
Chestuee Greek near Cleveland,
Tenn. The 20-pound fish bit him
when he landed it.
In Olympia, WASH, a Saint
Bernard dog leaped playfully
from a pickup truck onto a
small auto driven by Marvin
Merger. Repairs necessary to the
dented hood and smashed wind
shield were estimated at $3.50.
The years most unusual snack
was not enjoyed by a Marietta,
Ca, housewife. While eating wa
termelon, she swallowed a yellow
jacket wasp which flew into her
mouth. 1t stung her throat on
the way down.
Policemen-and women-had
their troubles too. George r.
Mischner was directing traffic
in New York City when he
stepped backwards into an open
manhole. He managed to grab
4 the edge of the hole to keep
from falling Is feet to the bot
tom. And Police Matron Albina
Jenko in milwaukee, Wis, dis
located her jaw when she yawn-
ed at $3.50 one morning.
Baseball stars added to the
list of unusual mishaps. Don
! Newcombe, former major lea
guer pitching for Spokane in the
Pacific Coast League, was -sched-
uled to go against Hawaii in
Honolulu. He couldn't make it
after he received an eye injury
when he bumped into palm tree.
And Alvin Dark, manager of the
San Francisco Giants, had to
have his little finger Damaged
after he snagged it on a metal
stool he threw in anger after a
losing game. I
Seventeen-year-old Leland La
rioso of Hilmar, Calf, shot him
self in the right foot with 20
gauge shotgun as he demonstrat-
ed to friends how he had shot
himself few weeks before in
| the right foot with a 2Q-gauge
shotgun.
Meanwhile, across the coun-
try in Birmingham, Ala, eight
year-old Johnny Hines fell out
Of a swing and broke his right
4 wrist. The next day he fell while
playing football and broke his
left wrist.
In Globe, Ariz., Mrs. Lena
Berry broke her leg when she
slipped and fell while walking
down a hill. She was hurTying to
a first aid class. In Bangor,
Me-, a woman described only as
lbeing of generous proportions" !"