Brooklyn Boro

July 29: ON THIS DAY in 1914, Servian capital bombarded

July 29, 2019 Brooklyn Eagle History
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ON THIS DAY IN 1914, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “St. Petersburg, July 29 — A dispatch from Belgrade says the Servian capital has been bombarded and the bridge over the River Save blown up … Because of its exposed position, the Servians decided to abandon Belgrade as soon as war threatened. The capital of the country was transferred to Kragnyevatz, which is a considerable distance farther toward the interior, and King Peter removed there several days ago. He returned for a brief conference with his ministers two days ago, but departed again as soon as news concerning the declaration of war was received. Immediately following the declaration of war yesterday, all business expect that pertaining to the army was suspended. Foreign residents have been fleeing from the city for several days. The last of them crossed the Danube into Austrian territory yesterday. The Austrian batteries on the other side of the Danube command practically the entire city, and its destruction by bombardment is a very simple matter.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1920, the Eagle reported, “Rumors that Charles Ponzi, the Boston high financier who is reputed to have amassed a fortune of $9,000,000 in a few weeks, will open an office in New York have not been confirmed, and in the meantime the U.S. District Attorney in Manhattan is keeping close watch over the possibility of his coming here. A question that neither officials nor laymen have been able to figure out as yet, in connection with his startling entry into the financial world is: Who is losing the money that Ponzi has made?”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1940, the Eagle reported, “With thousands of witnesses on foot and in automobiles lining the two highways along the Brooklyn side of the Narrows, the United States Lines’ newest and largest luxury vessel, the $17,500,000 S.S. America, steamed up the Narrows today to a rousing New York harbor welcome. Planes seemed to fill the sky and two blimps cruised overhead, while the waters of the Upper Bay were churned into downright choppiness on a day when an almost complete lack of wind would have left it normally placid. Fifty to 75 ships of all sizes and conditions flanked the proud, new vessel as she glided beneath the tall towers of lower Manhattan. Someone in the offices along Wall St. started a ticker tape welcome and soon a summer blizzard of paper was pouring out upon the broad, marginal street flanking the North River. It was a gala, care-free occasion into which a serious note was injected only twice, once when Senator Claude Pepper declared: ‘The only sad thing about all this is that the ship had to pass the Statue of Liberty, given to this country by the children of France, who are now slaves.’”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1948, the Eagle reported, “London, July 29 (U.P.) — King George VI officially opened the 14th Olympiad today in a scene of pomp and splendor. Standing in the royal box, a blue-fenced enclosure bearing the royal insignia in gold, the King said: ‘I proclaim open the Olympic games of London celebrating the fourteenth Olympiad of the modern era.’ Then at 4:07 p.m. (11:07 a.m. Brooklyn time), 22-year-old John Mark of Britain ran into the Olympic arena bearing the traditional Olympic torch to the royal box. The sight of the flaming torch sent the crowd into roaring cheers. Dressed in the blue uniform of Admiral of the Fleet and flanked by Queen Elizabeth and Princess Margaret Rose, the king addressed the approximate 6,000 athletes from 59 nations and the estimated crowd of 75,000 spectators after a half-hour parade up Olympic way to Wembley Stadium. Flags of each of the 59 competing nations fluttered on each side of the Olympic Way, a six-lane thoroughfare resurfaced for the games … The picture was far different from the last Olympic Games at Berlin in 1936. Then Adolf Hitler personally led his goose-stepping Germans in the opening ceremony, with Japan playing a major role. Outbreak of the war prevented the scheduled Olympics in 1940 and 1944.”

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