Brooklyn Boro

July 9: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

July 9, 2022 Brooklyn Eagle History
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ON THIS DAY IN 1846, a Brooklyn Daily Eagle editorial said, “Under the rule (we suppose) that ‘Misery loves company,’ the N.Y. Express talks as though Brooklyn were a part of the great City of Wickedness on the opposite shore — talks of our dirt and pigs. We confess the pigs; but as to the dirt, we have hardly any at all except what comes from New York — brought on the heels of the thousands who so eagerly rush over our ferries, out of that stifling place, to enjoy our delicious goodness here. Poor, miserable New Yorkers! We pity you again!”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1911, the Eagle reported, “Enough is enough, and too much is plenty. Brooklyn has had plenty of bad umpiring this week, but too much was reached yesterday when the weird decisions of Umpire Frary, late of the Northwestern League, and too early for the National League, created an amateur riotous demonstration at the Brooklyn ball yard. Pittsburgh beat Brooklyn by 3 to 1, largely through the assistance of Frary. Ordinarily we are a friend of the umps. They lead a hard life and are seldom happy; but because a man has been appointed an umpire is no reason why he should be good at his trade. He may get the appointment and still be all to the punk. Such is the case with Frary. He was to the bad on Friday, and to the worse on Saturday. How much further he can fall is a problem. He can hardly become worser, for he is that now.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1934, the Eagle reported, “Bathers at all beaches fringing the metropolitan area were warned today of the presence in these waters of a school of sharks, reported sighted at noon off Wards Point, Staten Island, by Capt. W.A. Stuart of the ferryboat Galloway. The surf at all Staten Island beaches was cleared. At Coney Island some 100,000 bathers were warned to keep out of the water. Meanwhile, like most big ones, the sharks had gotten away. Captain Stuart and Police Sgt. John Burberg of Tottenville were the only official witnesses who could be found who had seen the school — evidently here on summer vacation. Nevertheless two Coast Guard boats from Rockaway Beach, two from Staten Island and three police patrol boats set out to patrol the waters. When Sergeant Burberg heard from Captain Stuart of the shark, he rowed out, all alone, from the ferry slip at Tottenville, to do battle with the deep sea monsters single-handed. He had rowed about 75 feet, he said, when he sighted the sail-like fin of a shark, which apparently was playing hookey from Captain Stuart’s school. He blazed away with his service revolver six times. The shark kept right on swimming around. He reloaded and blazed away again. The only effect this had on the shark was to change its course. The change was in the direction of the sergeant’s boat, so he rowed for the shore. Small boys, meanwhile, attracted by all the excitement, collected along the waterfront. They were armed with sling shots, air rifles, bricks and what not, and were resolutely determined to defend at all costs their native shore against the invading piscatorial army.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1947, the Eagle reported, “LONDON (U.P.) — An official announcement of the engagement of Princess Elizabeth and Lt. Philip Mountbatten, former Prince Philip of Greece, was in preparation by Buckingham Palace today for imminent publication … A short engagement to be followed by a wedding in October was expected in court circles. Both Philip and Elizabeth were at the palace as the announcement was being prepared.”

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Richard Roundtree
Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP
Tom Hanks
Matt Licari/Invision/AP

NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include “Shaft” star Richard Roundtree, who was born in 1942; “Strangers” author Dean Koontz, who was born in 1945; “October Sky” star Chris Cooper, who was born in 1951; U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, who was born in 1955; “NYPD Blue” star Jimmy Smits, who was born in Brooklyn in 1955; Oscar-winner Tom Hanks, who was born in 1956; Hole singer Courtney Love, who was born in 1964; Anthrax bassist Frank Bello, who was born in 1965; The White Stripes singer Jack White, who was born in 1975; long-distance runner and Olympian Kara Goucher, who was born in 1978; and Cheetah Girl Kiely Williams, who was born in 1986.

Jimmy Smits
Christopher Smith/Invision/AP

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MAKING AMENDS: The 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified on this day in 1868. It provides that no state shall have the right to abridge the rights of any citizen without due process and equal protection under the law. It was proposed in response to issues related to former slaves after the Civil War.

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HIGH-WATER MARK: The highest tsunami in history was recorded on this day in 1958. An earthquake registering 8.3 on the Richter scale caused a massive landslide at the head of Lituya Bay, Alaska, which in turn created a tsunami of 1,700 feet. A 300-foot wave immediately followed, scouring bare about four to five square miles of land on both sides of the bay. Amazingly, only five people were killed.

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Special thanks to “Chase’s Calendar of Events” and Brooklyn Public Library.

 

Quotable:

“If you do the same thing too often, it gets to be the only thing you can do.”

— Richard Roundtree, who was born on this day in 1942

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