PAGE TWO
Timton* NEWS
AUGUST 10, 1954
The Inquiring Reporter Asks. . . .
What Can Be Done To Make Local Fishing Areas Safer Against Brownings?
THE SERIOUS fishermen and boating enthusiasts at this plant are concerned, as
are many others, at the alarming number of drownings occurring in the Catawba
River in recent summers. According to the Gaston Life Saving Crew, an increasing
number of lives are being lost each year by drowning in Gaston County with the
Catawba accounting for practically all of them. While this increase in drownings
might in some measure be explained by the growth in popularity of boating and water
sports in general at this river, it appears from comparison with other areas that
drowning frequency has been for some time abnormally high here.
Thus it has become a matter of concern to everyone, and especially to those who
spend many leisvire hours fishing and boating hereabout. All seem agreed, including
the employee-fishermen interviewed below, that some way must be found to reduce
river accidents and drownings. The Inquiring Reporter’s Question: “What can be done to
help prevent drownings in the Catawba River?”
LEE OWENS, overhauler,
says boat pilots should be licens
ed to insure the safety of them
selves and passengers while op
erating powered craft on any
body of water. “Might even re
quire licenses for riders,” he
adds seriously. “Everyone in a
boat should have a life preserver
—and have it on,” he emphasizes.
Mr. Owens keeps a boat at Seven
Oaks and wants to see an im
provement in the accidental
drowning picture at the Cataw
ba. “If driving and drinking
don’t mix,” he observes in con
clusion, “it’s doubly true for
boating.”
CHARLES McARVER, Wind
ing Department clerk, does a lot
of fishing on the Catawba. “Just
good common sense should be
enough to persuade the average
boating enthusiast to keep life
jackets in his boat. That along
with some regulations aimed at
eliminating drinking while boat
ing will reduce drownings in the
Catawba by 90 per cent,” says
Mr. McArver. He also thinks
that more courtesy on the part
of boat pilots when in the vi
cinity of fishermen would help
matters.
MRS. ANNIE HUBBARD,
spinner, thinks life jackets, if
worn by boat riders, would re
sult in an immediate and drastic
reduction in river drownings.
Say she: “I’ve never been in a
boat without a life jacket on. In
my case it’s a necessity because
I can’t swim, but even if I could
I’d want to wear one.” Mrs. Hub
bard witnessed a boy fall from a
boat recently who was saved by
his life jacket which he had put
on minutes before he needed it.
Incidentally, she feels that the
state needs a law requiring boat
riders to wear life jackets.
LUTHER BLAYLOCK, sec
tion man, wants to see local fish
ing and boat riding continue to
grow in popularity. To do so, he
realizes, the dangers of drowning
or boat collision must be lessened.
The occasional reckless boat op
erator and the fellow who thinks
he must drink while motor boat
ing are menaces to the sport of
fishing, in Mr. Blaylock’s estima
tion. With respect to the need of
regulations or laws governing
boating he says: “Our state, like
South Carolina, should have laws
requiring persons in boats to
wear life jackets.”
FRANK SPENCER, cord
weaver, believes that overloading
is the big cause of boating acci
dents. “Boats should be tagged
showing the maximum weight
and number of passengers to be
carried. Game wardens should
have the authority to inspect
boats at any time to see that
they are safe to operate and are
not being overloaded. And, of
course,” he continues, “they
should be equipped with life
jackets for everyone aboard.”
Mr. Spencer says he has seen
instances of dangerous overload
ing of boats with unprotected
children.
New Truck Tire
(Continued From Page 1)
Tompkins, Firestone Vice-Presi-
dent in Charge of Trade Sales. The
new tire will deliver long, trouble-
free mileage and will mate with
any original equipment tire.
The tire has a rib-type tread and
tension-dried, gum-dipped cord for
increased non-skid traction and
greater strength than other com
petitively priced tires, he added.
Newly developed tire cords have
added strength assuring that the
B-112 may be recapped safely and
economically many times, Mr.
Tompkins said.
The Transport B-112 Heavy
Duty tires are being manufactured
in sizes 6:00 x 16 through 10:00 x
22.
Made By Holiday Line. . . .
New Velon Life Preserver Cushion Stays Dry Inside
ELECTRONICALLY sealed Velon plastic is used for the first c
completely watertight life-preserver boat cushion, just introduced.
Made by Holiday Line of New York and approved by the Coast
Guard, the cushion is manufactured entirely without stitching holes
so that seepage is eliminated. The unique strap design provides
utmost safety, as the strap cannot come loose from the cushion and
because it can be adjusted for utmost convenience in case of injury.
The Velon plastic used throughout is a product of the Firestone
Plastics Company, Pottstown, Pa.
The Holiday cushion is designed O
to provide utmost safety in all
possible circumstances. It is the
only cushion that, because of its
distinct construction, is absolutely
watertight. When stitched cushions
are submerged in water, seepage
through the holes increases their
weight by as much as 50 per cent.
FIRESTONE NEWS
Volume III, No. 13, August 10, 1954
Published by The Firestone Tire & Rubber Company
Firestone Textiles Division
Gastonia, North Carolina
Department of Public Relations
Editor R. H. Hood
Department Reporters
CARDING—Edna Harris, Jim Ballew, Jessie Westmoreland.
SPINNING—Ray Thomas, Mary Turner, Maude Johnson.
SPOOLING—Nell Bolick, Helen Reel, Rosalee Burger.
TWISTING—Hazel Foy, Annie Cosey, Dean Haun, Carrie Johnson,
Lorene Owensby, Dorothy Baber, Kathleen Clark.
SALES YARN TWISTING—Bonnie Dockery.
SYC WEAVING—Vivian Bumgardner, Lucille Davis, Sara Davis,
Nina Milton, Juanita McDonald.
CORD WEAVING—Roy Davis, Irene Burroughs, Mary Johnson.
QUALITY CONTROL—Dealva Jacobs, Leila Rape, Catherine Isham,
Louella Queen.
WINDING—Mazelle Lewis, Dorcas Atkinson, Ann Stevenson, Chris
tine Stroupe.
CLOTH ROOM—Margie Waldrop.
SHOP—Rosa Francum.
WAREHOUSE—George Harper, Albert Meeks.
PLASTIC DIP—Frances Huffman, Helen Guffey.
MAIN OFFICE—Mozelle Brockman.
SUPERINTENDENT’S OFFICE—Sue Van Dyke.
PERSONNEL OFFICE—Barbara Abernathy.
The air cells break down when the
kapok is wet and the efficiency of
the cushion as a life preserver is
thereby impaired. This danger,
however, is completely eliminated
with an electronically welded cush
ion. Even apart from emergencies,
stitched cushions that accidentally
become wet require weeks to dry
completely and return to useful
condition.
A unique feature of construction
of the Holiday cushion provides
for the straps to pass around the
entire cushion with the supporting
panels extending the full length
of each side. This arrangement
eliminates the necessity of having
the straps pass through small
stitched loops which more readily
give way under stress. Also adding
to the safety is the unique strap
design which pei’mits the user to
slip it over his head in case of
injury to one or both arms.
The Holiday cushion, which is
Coast Guard approved, is kapok
filled and is equipped with a self-
inflating valve. With the special
air valve, it is a simple matter
for the user to I’ejuvenate the air
cells in the cushion merely by
opening the valve. The cushion is
A completely waterproof life-preserver boat cushion has just been
introduced by Holiday Line of New York. Made of Firestone Velon,
it is electronically heat sealed throughout so that there are no stitching
holes to permit water seepage.
available in assorted colors, and
is sold for approximately $4.50 in
sporting goods and boating acces
sory stores throughout the coun-
The Velon plastic used throug
out is a product of the Firestone
Plastics Co., Pottstown, Pa*