IRISH TIMES ODDITIES:Culled from archives of The Irish Times.
NOVEL METHOD OF MAKING CONCRETE PIPES
A novel and quick method of making concrete conduit pipes has been introduced by the Japanese. A trench is prepared, and in it is placed a long rubber tube inflated to the required diameter. Concrete is then shovelled into the trench. When the concrete is set the tube is deflated, and is easily withdrawn. Other sections are similarly added. At a recent demonstration only a few minutes were needed to complete a pipe 30 feet long.
December 11th, 1926
DEATH OF TYRONE CENTENARIAN
The oldest resident in the district of Clogher, Mrs Bridget McKenna, of Tavneymore, County Tyrone, was buried in St Macarten's Cemetery on Thursday. Born in the spring of 1824, she was possessed of all her mental faculties in the fullest degree.
She belonged to a family of centenarians: her father had lived to be more than a hundred, while a sister, seven years her junior, is still living.
Up till a few days before her death Mrs McKenna was able to thread a needle without spectacles, and had enjoyed remarkable health throughout her life.
Mrs McKenna had never been in a motor car or a train.
February 23rd, 1928
A RELIC OF THE TITANIC
After washing about in the sea for 19 years a scared and discoloured lifebelt, marked SS Titanic, washed up on the shore of Gravesend Bay, New York today. The Belfast built White Star liner was sunk on April 15th, 1912, after a collision with an iceberg, off Newfoundland, and over 1,500 lives were lost.
May 20th, 1931
DIED TRYING TO SAVE HUSBAND
A devoted wife's attempt to frustrate her husband's suicide by hanging resulted in her own death yesterday, when his body fell on top of her, police in Le Havre, France, disclosed yesterday. The husband lived. Police said the woman, Mme Rachel Lang (52), came home to see her husband hanging from a rafter in their kitchen. She ran into the streets calling for help from her neighbours. Then she went back into the house, and cut the rope hanging her husband. As she sliced the rope, her husband's body tumbled down on her, fracturing her skull on the kitchen floor.
August 15th, 1956
TV CHIEF HAD NO LICENCE
For three years the managing director of Tyne Tees Television Ltd, Joseph Anthony Jelly, of The Meadows, Humshaugh, operated an unlicensed television set at his home, it was stated at Hexham Magistrate's Court yesterday. He pleaded guilty by letter and was fined £10.
June 7th, 1962
PEN FRIENDS MEET
A pen-friendship which began 40 years ago resulted in a holiday in Devon for Mrs Winifred Akers of Warren Road, Narborough, Leicestershire, and Mrs Loreeta Chrystal of Belmar, New Jersey, USA. Though they had written more than 1,000 letters, they never exchanged photographs, but recognised each other at once at Leicester station yesterday. Mrs Crystal is on a European tour with her husband, and Mrs Akers is showing them the English countryside at holiday-time.
June 7th, 1960
SAVING THE JOINT
An emergency phone call was received at police headquarters in Chatham, Kent, from a motorist who had stopped at Sittingbourne, 10 miles away, while on his way to the coast with his family. "We have just remembered that we have left our joint cooking in the oven. Can you do anything about it?" he asked. A police officer was sent to the house, switched off the gas and saved the joint.
July 9th, 1956