Infomaniac: WeBlog

Remembering a different tragedy

Someone posted to Metafilter today that it's the 60th anniversary of the day a plane hit the Empire State Building. It was an Army Air Corps plane, trying to land at Newark airport. The pilot, flying in bad conditions, saw the East River below, and thought it was the Hudson. This was a terrible tragedy, but now mostly forgotten. Many people don't even know it happened. According to this historical report,

Nearby buildings were damaged by fragments of the impact and one of the planes engines was found on the South side of the building in the top of a twelve story building. The engine had flown over thirty-third St. and had crashed through a skylight in a penthouse. The engine started a $78,000.00 fire in the studio of sculptor Henry Hering. Hotel magnet Vincent Astor owned this 12-story building.

14 people, including the plane's crew, were killed.

Speaking of forgotten tragedies, did you know that in early 1953, a runaway train loaded with passengers arriving in Washington, DC for Dwight Eisenhower's inauguration, crashed through a wall and into the concourse of DC's Union Station? 87 people were injured.

posted by liz at 12:53 PM

Comments:

How can u ignore the whole art teele thing? It happened in your very building. Are the mafia editors going to fire you too if you talk? The Herald doesn't believe in the 1st amendment, does it?

# posted by

Anonymous : 6:54 PM

Mafia editors??? Herald doesn't believe in the 1st amendment??? BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA... I'm glad you remained anonymous.

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