Two strange accidents were reported on this date: a fatal baseball injury in 1924, and a logging truck mishap with no injuries in 1974.
100 years ago
July 2, 1924
• A Qulin teen died today after a freak baseball accident.
During ball practice late yesterday William McIver, 18, and another player ran for the same fly ball and collided. The other player’s head reportedly struck McIver’s neck. The Daily Republican stated, “McIver suffered some at the time from the shock, but soon went back to playing,” even though he complained of neck pain.
McIver began having breathing difficulties that night and in the early morning hours his condition became serious. Despite medical intervention, he passed away around 4 a.m. McIver is survived by his parents and several siblings, and was considered one of the best athletes at the Qulin school.
75 years ago
July 2, 1949
• After delays, West Pine Boulevard’s $110,000 street widening and resurfacing project is complete and traffic is flowing.
Porter-DeWitt Construction Company handled the project and was “greatly hampered” by heavy rains over the past few weeks. With the road’s opening, West Pine Boulevard is now part of Missouri’s urban highway system. The speed limit is 20 mph.
“The attractive new surfacing replaces the old worn out brick pavement put on the street years ago and provides a quiet, smooth riding surface,” the Daily American Republic said.
• June through September is polio season, according to health officials, and Southeast Missouri is on alert. Eight cases have been reported in Pemiscot County. Dr. S.B. Beecher of the Pemiscot County Health Unit urged parents to seek medical attention immediately if they suspect a child has polio.
50 years ago
July 2, 1974
• No one was hurt when a logging truck lost its load on a busy road yesterday.
Driver Bob Petrie was negotiating a Pine Street hill in heavy traffic and shifted into a lower gear. At that moment the bindings on the logs snapped. The logs spilled across the roadway and tipped the front of the truck several feet into the air, but no injuries or damage to other vehicles was reported.
Petrie said he was “just happy there wasn’t anyone behind him.” It took about half an hour to clear the logs and reopen the road to traffic.