75 years ago: O’Fallon and the metro-east was coated in ice making travel a hazard
“Many O’Fallon citizens were unable to get to work while those who did skated, crawled, or skidded on a coating of ice which covered sidewalks, streets, and highways on Tuesday and again on Wednesday.
“The glaze, said to have been one of the worst in years, made walking extremely hazardous and played havoc with traffic on streets and highways. Bus schedules were practically eliminated, buses operating on a hit and miss basis.
“The icy condition resulted when a thin mist and drizzling rain began to freeze early Tuesday morning and had coated everything with a glaze. Many were unable to procure transportation to their work in St. Louis as the state police closed U.S. 50 due to a jam at Carbon Hill where traffic was blocked.
“One early bus load of miners got to St. Ellen mine but the second one was unable to get through and the men had to return home. The mine, however, continued to operate with a curtailed force, about 1400 tons of coal being hoisted by some 76 workers out of a crew of 110. Normal production is about 1800 tons.
“The shaft, however, was idle yesterday due to suspension of electric power, resulting when an ice-covered transformer at Booster, feeding the mine, blew up.
“Citizens employed at Scott Air Base and other places also had difficulty in getting to work. The O’Fallon-Belleville Coach Company continued to operate until 8 o’clock Tuesday night when all service was suspended due to the hazardous condition of the highways.
“One of the Industrial buses skidded near the overhead bridge and slipped partially off the road but the driver managed to keep it on its wheels. It carried no passengers, being en route to Lebanon at the time.
“At Klein hill, east of this city, a similar situation as at Carbon prevailed, autos and trucks becoming stalled. State Highway crews alleviated the condition on hills somewhat by the spreading of mixtures of cinders, sand, and salt.
“In spite of this, travel remained hazardous and many of the cars that ventured out skidded or went off the highways.
“Another drizzle Tuesday and again last night, the ice is still with us, but traffic and local buses are again operating, but with “caution.
“With cars running off highways, only one accident which resulted in injury was reported. T. J. Walker, 81, of Tulsa, Okla., suffered chest injuries in a traffic accident on U. S. Highway 50, four miles west of this city at 7:15 o’clock Tuesday morning.
“He was taken to St. Elizabeth’s Hospital.”
50 years ago, Jan. 24, 1974
“O’Fallon has an All-American boy!
“Bob Cryder, a senior at O’Fallon Township High School and the son of Mr. and Mrs. James R. Cryder, 307 West Third, has been selected by the Who’s Who in National High School Athletics as an All-American High School football player.
“The 6 ft –6, 260-pound, 17-year-old is the first OTHS athlete to ever be selected for any type of All-American award. Bob joins an elite group of other nationwide players to make up the best offensive and defensive high school gridiron stars in the country.
“The selection was finalized Tuesday with OTHS Head Football Coach Bob Scates giving Bob the good news.
“Bob’s got great years ahead of him. He’s one of the finest football players to come out of O’Fallon. And to make All-American… well, you just don’t grow them in your backyard every year. It’s a fine tribute to an excellent player,” Scates said.
“Cryder was stunned when hearing the news. In fact, he said he had practically forgotten about the selection.
“It had taken so long that I figured I was out of it. Now that I found out that I made it I don’t know what to say,” Bob said.
“Although All-American is the highest award he has received, Bob adds it to a long list of other awards he has received during his football career at OTHS.
“Among them are: first team Little All-State twice; first team All Metro-East twice; first team All-Conference twice; first team All-District twice; and first team All-St. Louis Metropolitan Area twice.
“Robert Bellina, principal at OTHS, was pleased to hear of Cryder’s latest accomplishment.
“It is a very deserving award for Bob. It’s a great honor for the school to have a recipient of the award, and it’s a great honor for the award to go to such a fine boy,” Bellina said.
“And, of course, Bob was overwhelmed with the honor, too.
“It’s something I’ve dreamed about. I’ve done everything I ever hoped to do in high school. Now I only hope I can do it all in college,” Bob said.”
(Cryder did. A 1974 OTHS graduate, he was personally recruited by Paul “Bear” Bryant to play for the University of Alabama. He was a first round draft pick for the New England Patriots in 1978, playing with them until 1984 when he was traded to the Seattle Seahawks. He was with Seattle three seasons followed by one season with the Detroit Lions after which he retired. Despite what the Progress reported, his height was generally recorded as 6 foot 4.)
