Tag Archives: Accident

Philip Ippolito Dies, As A Teen, Made Emergency Plane Landing On George Washington Bridge In 1965

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Philip Ippolito, Made Miracle Landing On George Washington Bridge In 1965, Is Dead

Ippolito airplane George Washington Bridge

Philip Ippolito airplane being Inspected on George Washington Bridge December 26, 1965 Photo; AP Wirephoto

From SNCA reader Jason Smith comes word that Philip Ippolito who on December 26, 1965 at  age 19, made an emergency landing on the George Washington Bridge, died on December 19, 2021, at age 75.

Ippolito died of a heart attack in his home in Suffolk County, NY. He lived with a long time girlfriend and had no children.  Survivors include his older sister Rose and a younger sister, Janice. A brother Robbie died in 2019.

Philip Ippolito and Joseph Brennan in hospital Dec 26, 1965

Ippolito and Brennan in hospital photo Jim Hughes for NY Daily News

In 1965 Ippolito was a flying novice, having logged only 85 hours of flight time. With his plane in distress, Ippolito made the risky decision to land on the bridge. Along with his passenger Joseph Brennan, the two suffered only minor injuries. Ippolito decided against touching down in the Hudson River because Brennan could not swim. The FAA later tried unsuccessfully to revoke Ippolito’s pilots license.

You can read the amazing full story which we covered in 2015 by clicking here. Continue reading →

Whoops. Army Anti-Aircraft Guns Hit The Equitable Building

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The Army Fires Live Shells & Hits New York’s Equitable Building – 1942

Equitable Building hit by army anti-aircraft shell March 13 1942 photo AP

Photograph shows where New York City’s Equitable Building was struck by an anti-aircraft shell. March 13, 1942 Photo: AP

The old Equitable Building at 120 Broadway was destroyed by fire January 9, 1912.

A different sort of accident occurred thirty years later to the new Equitable Building.

On Friday, March 13, 1942 during World War II, eight anti-aircraft shells were mistakenly launched by the army from the East River. The Equitable Building was hit by one of the 37 millimeter shells. Continue reading →

Visiting The Doors Lead Singer Jim Morrison & How He Died 50 Years Ago

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The 50th Anniversary Of Jim Morrison Really Being Dead

or

People Are Paying Their Respects To A Coffin “Loaded With Sand”

The Truth About The Death Of Jim Morrison & A Visit To Mr. Mojo Risin’

Pére Lachaise Cemetery photo: Stuffnobodycaresabout.com

“Is there really a body in there?” is usually not one of the questions you ask yourself when visiting a grave. But this is no ordinary grave. Continue reading →

117 Years Ago Today Over 1,000 New Yorkers Die In The General Slocum Disaster

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June 15 1904 Over 1,000 People Die In The General Slocum Excursion Steamboat Fire

Hundreds Of Women And Children Burn And Drown In The Second Greatest Catastrophe In New York’s History

Illustration: Puck Magazine

Every year after 1904 there was a ceremony on June 15 to commemorate the victims of the General Slocum disaster. Today a few people will gather near an otherwise ignored memorial fountain in Tompkins Square Park to remember the 1,000 plus people who perished on the General Slocum.

If you do not know about the disaster you are not alone. Continue reading →

Dignity For A Little Girl Killed By A Truck – 1904

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Three-Year-Old Nettie Delaney Dies In A Horrific Accident & A Homeless Man Performs A Selfless Gesture – 1904

A kind act can transcend time. When researching our previous story about Times Square this tragic, but touching story was found.

Combining accounts from The New York Tribune, The New York Herald and The New York Times, this is what happened on August 31, 1904:

POOR, BUT A GENTLEMAN
With His Only Coat He Taught the Morbid a Lesson.

Nettie Delaney, three and a half years old, of 14 West One Hundred and Thirty-Third Street, was run over and killed almost in front of her own home yesterday afternoon by a horse drawn heavy truck carrying stone. Continue reading →

Old New York In Photos #114 – Grand Street c. 1908

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A Trolley Accident Draws A Crowd On Grand Street

Grand Street c 1910 photo via Columbia University Community Service Society CollectionOur vantage point is just past Eldridge street looking west on Grand Street towards Forsyth Street (the shoe store on the corner). The Third Avenue El is in the background. 

While this scene appears to be a just a typical crowded street scene on the lower east side, it is not. Schoolboys crowd the sidewalk and a big police officer keeps the peace.

In the center of the street it is clear that a trolley has had an accident and has come off its rails. Continue reading →

Book Review – The Finest Building In America The New York Crystal Palace

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The New York Crystal Palace Gave Americans A Building To Be Proud Of

burrows finest building in americaOn the site of the future Bryant Park on 42nd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues stood The New York Crystal Palace. It was only there for a little more than five years. Built of cast iron, timber and glass the building was unlike anything previously built in America.

Edwin G. Burrows book, “The Finest Building in America The New York Crystal Palace 1853-1858” Oxford; (2018), is a short, entertaining account of the impact the building and the wonders displayed inside, had on the city. Continue reading →

New York’s Pedestrian Danger In 1890

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Before Automobiles, Runaway Horses Caused New York’s Traffic Accidents

Runaway horse Brooklyn side of bridge Harper's Weekly March 15 1890 illustration John Durkin

Runaway on the Brooklyn side of the East River Bridge – drawn by John Durkin (Harper’s Weekly March 15, 1890)

Horses are a rarity on New York Streets. In 1890 there were tens of thousands of horses supplying transportation to the city.

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio is not a fan of horse drawn vehicles. Since his election in 2014 de Blasio has been inundated by animal activists to ban Central Park’s carriage horses. His efforts to do so have only removed the horses from waiting for customers outside the park. Continue reading →

The General Slocum Disaster – 115 Years Ago Today

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The General Slocum Steamship Disaster Wiped Out Entire Families – June 15, 1904

The New York Evening World General Slocum Cover June 15 1904 headline Over 1.000 Dead115 years ago today, a penny brought you news of a  massive calamity. It was a disaster unlike any other that had ever occurred in New York City.

Earlier that day, June 15, 1904, the General Slocum excursion boat caught fire. Women and children who comprised the majority of the passengers, were burned alive or drowned.

As news filtered in to the newspapers, the death toll continued to mount. The number of victims would rise from hundreds to over 1,000. Continue reading →

In The Early 1900s Americans Celebrated the 4th Of July Exuberantly, Though It Killed & Maimed Lots Of ‘Em

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At The Turn-Of The Century, 4th of July Celebrations Injured Thousands and Killed Hundreds of Revelers

4th of July Accidents - 1915 World AlmanacThis small informative chart was reprinted in the 1915 World Almanac. The Journal of the American Medical Association provided the statistics of accidents occurring during Fourth of July celebrations from 1904 – 1914.

According to the AMA the most accident prone cities were:

Pittsburgh, PA
Cincinnati, OH
Providence, RI
Worcester, MA
Syracuse, NY
Omaha, NE
Grand Rapids, MI
Hartford, CT
Reading, PA
Wilmington, DE
Des Moines, IA

In a large city, like Philadelphia, PA, 22 were killed and 422 injured on July 4, 1907. Usually the cause was fireworks related.

Do's and Don't of Fireworks New York Tribune 1908

A fireworks warning to children (who were smart enough to read a newspaper?) from The New York Tribune, 1908

Foolish acts by children causing injuries included pinning a string of firecrackers on to the back of another unsuspecting child. Another dim-witted act was throwing a lighted firecracker or shooting a roman candle at somebody. Continue reading →