100 years ago

THE Coroner for York and District, Mr J R Wood held two inquests in connection with fatal boating accidents on the River Ouse. In one of these accidents the occupants of the boats were two young soldiers, who had had very little experience of boating in running water.

Mr Woods said: “It seems to me there should be some caution to soldiers who come as strangers to York. “There are undoubtedly risks when they go out, without any experience, in these boats which are rather light and rather easily upset.

“I think it would be a very good plan if they were warned. I think also the Corporation should consider whether there should not be some notice put up warning inexperienced men. It is a great pleasure to see the soldiers enjoying the river; they work very hard and any recreation they can have we are delighted to see them get. We do not want to stop them, but the occurrences we have heard this morning do point out that there are dangers.”

 

50 years ago

DEFENDING the Post Office Telephone Service against recent criticism, Mr RH Thompson, York Area Telephone Manager, said: “I must sympathise with trunk users, but I am sure you will agree that we are not just sitting back.”

Mr Thompson said it was agreed that the trunk service from York suffered from congestion at busy periods, and this was due to the phenomenal growth of trunk traffic in recent years. “Any major industry faced with doubling its plant in so short a time would expect teething troubles in the early stages,” he said.

An indication of national trunk achievements could be seen from the actual number of circuits existing: in 1939, 6770; 1955, 21,115; 1965, 40,000. “We are planning to increase the network by 8000 circuits this year (20 per cent),” said Mr Thompson.

“In the York area we are laying during the next three years, high-frequency cables from York to Leeds, York to Hull, York to Darlington, York to Scarborough, Hull to Scarborough and Scarborough to Middlesbrough, via Whitby. These cables will also link up with the Norwegian cable due to be landed at Cayton Bay.”

 

25 years ago

SMOKING deaths would soar three-fold to ten million a year worldwide by the 2020s, experts warned.

Richard Peto, of Oxford University, said this meant about half a billion people alive today would be killed by tobacco.

He told the Seventh World Conference on Tobacco and Health in Perth, Australia, that mortality from smoking was rising rapidly, particularly in developing countries.