100 years ago

News had reached us from Atlantic City, New Jersey, that whilst in-flight, at an altitude of 2000 feet, Mr Vaniman's trans-Atlantic balloon, Akron, had exploded. Mr Vaniman and a crew of four, including Mr Vaniman's brother Colin had been killed.

Shortly after the airship ascended early in the morning, the gas bag ruptured, and there was a great burst of flame; then the car of the airship dropped into 18 feet of water. No trace of the bodies had been found.

The explosion was apparently due to an expansion of gas through the heat of the sun. It was witnessed by 3000 spectators who were too startled to utter a sound. The dirigible had cost half a million dollars.

Eyewitnesses stated that the under-structure of the airship, in which were penned the victims, broke away from the envelope, and plunged downwards.

The headless body of Mr Colin Vaniman had been found. Mr Melvin Vaniman was Chief Engineer on the Wellman airship which was attempting to cross the Atlantic Ocean.

50 years ago

Rumours that take-over negotiations between the York button manufacturers, Gansolite Ltd, and the United Button Corporation, first revealed at the end of the previous year, had been successful, were scotched in an announcement by the York firm.

The company had been formed by Mr Gans, a Dutchman, in 1931, and Mr Younger, who had had considerable experience in the technical and manufacturing side of buttons and plastics, joined the firm in 1949.

Looking to the future, Mr Younger said the company was planning a period of expansion, not only on the button side, but in the manufacture of raw materials as well.

To aid this expansion, a new sales force for the raw materials side of the company had been created. This would be in addition to the already existing button sales force.

25 years ago

Fires involving polyurethane foam-filled furniture could claim 3000 lives in Britain over the following 10 years, York's Tory MP, Mr Conal Gregory, warned in the Commons.

Urging tougher Government rules on the use of fire-resistant materials, Mr Gregory, opening a late night debate, said young and old were likely victims.

“Many will die not from burns but from thick acrid smoke and toxic fumes generated when the foam ignites in chairs and settees.”

In the previous 25 years deaths from furniture fires had increased fivefold. “From the moment a foam-filled settee catches fire the occupants of the house may have no more than three minutes to escape before they are overcome,” he said.

“It's a race against time... which fire crews and the occupants of houses often lose.” Mr Gregory complained that currently most furniture in Britain was likely to fail even the simple match test.