100 years ago

It had been announced from New York, that Mr Edison had perfected at his laboratory at East Orange, New Jersey, a new form of storage battery for submarines, which would do away with the chief danger currently existing in the operation of underwater craft - the danger of chlorine poisoning.

The only metals in the new batteries would be nickel and steel, the lead being dispensed with.

A solution purified the air of the submerged vessel, absorbing the carbonic acid gas exhaled from the lungs.

It would therefore be possible for a submarine so equipped to remain underwater 100 days without danger of asphyxiation to the crew.

The new battery had been accepted by the United States Government, and would be installed in the new American submarine L8, currently under construction at the Portsmouth Navy Yard.


50 years ago

The world was suffering from the plague of the motor car, the Royal Society of Health was told. Drastic action was needed to keep this “plague” under control, said Mr TV Burroughs, president of the Institute of Municipal Engineers, at the society’s congress.

There was a danger that it might spread at a rate in excess of the ability to control it. Chaos in such a case would prevail.

To most individuals, a car was no longer a luxury but one of those things he considered himself entitled to in the 20th century.

Traffic circulation could be a difficulty when its volume became so great that one-way systems had to be introduced through completely residential areas.

Mr GC Booth, senior planning officer of the Transport Survey Unit, Ministry of Transport, told the congress that local authorities should take an objective look at suburban traffic problems. In planning for the future, it would be short-sighted not to plan for an average of one car per family, he said.


25 years ago

Police based at Bridlington were to start a clampdown on drivers and passengers not wearing seat belts. Shock figures released by the police revealed that during 1989 nine of the 18 car drivers who died in the division were not wearing seat belts.

In addition two passengers who were also not wearing seat belts were killed.

A police spokesman said: “During May, in line with force policy, the police officers at Bridlington will be actively enforcing the regulations with regard to the wearing of seat belts in motor vehicles.”

The police spokesman said the offence was one that could be dealt with in the fixed penalty system recently increased to £16.