Recent Posts
Massive Flywheel Burst Killed Engineer at Chicago Steel Plant
In 1915, five hundred men were at work inside the Illinois Steel Plant in South Chicago when a massive flywheel came apart. The wheel, thirty…
1920 Guide Explained the Right Way to Dry Sweet Corn
Drying corn was a practical way to preserve one of the garden’s best crops for the months ahead. The United States Department of Agriculture offered…
Homestead Electric Plant Disaster Killed 27-Year-Old Engineer
In 1895, the electric light plant in Homestead, Pennsylvania, had only just returned to service when disaster struck. After three weeks of repairs, the plant…
1903 Execution at Sing Sing Took Five Electric Shocks
Antonio Triola was led into the death room at Sing Sing prison smiling. It was 1903, and he had been sentenced to die in the…
Five Manhattan Fishermen Escape Death After Launch Sinks Offshore
On what should have been an ordinary day of fishing, five Manhattan men suddenly found themselves fighting for their lives in the waters off New…
Gruesome Find Near Sioux Falls Led to Injured Man
In 1914, a man walking along the Omaha railroad tracks near Sioux Falls made a gruesome discovery. M. Petit was on his way into the…
Delaware Pastor Claimed Election Bribes Reached the Church
In 1905 Delaware, a Methodist pastor startled a church convention with accusations that political bribery had reached even into the pews. The Reverend William Cashmore,…
Des Moines Woman Won Divorce After Family Jokes Turned Sour
In 1905 Des Moines, Iowa, Mrs. Roslie Pohlman went to court with an unusual complaint: her husband would not laugh. According to her divorce petition,…
Brooklyn Man Vanishes While Wading in Three Feet of Water
In 1909, Stephen Ernest was standing in only three feet of water when he vanished. The Brooklyn man could not swim, so he remained close…
Before Weather Apps, Some Families Watched a Frog Climb a Ladder
Long before modern forecasts were available at the touch of a button, some households in Germany and Switzerland looked to a small green tree frog…
