Years Ago

August 11, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

Today is Wednesday, Aug. 11, the 223rd day of 2010. There are 142 days left in the year.

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On this date in:

1810: A major earthquake shakes the island of St. Michael in the Azores.

1860: The nation’s first successful silver mill begins operation near Virginia City, Nev.

1909: The steamship SS Arapahoe becomes the first ship in North America to issue an S.O.S. distress signal, off North Carolina’s Cape Hatteras.

1934: The first federal prisoners arrive at the island prison Alcatraz in San Francisco Bay.

1949: President Harry S. Truman nominates Gen. Omar N. Bradley to become the first chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

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1985: Massive forest fires threaten Ohio and Pennsylvania woodlands as a result of the May 31 tornadoes.

Thomas Quayle, East Ohio Gas Co.’s senior vice president, says 14 percent of all natural gas the company purchases comes from Ohio gas wells.

1970: President Nixon sends to Congress a report calling for massive changes in government, industry and private life to reverse man’s desecration of the environment.

Youngstown Mayor Jack C. Hunter sends letters to each city employee asking them to report deficiencies in city services, such as potholes, refuse in vacant lots, burned out street lights, burning of refuse, failure to pay income taxes or vice operations.

The Thomas W. Bode family of Youngstown and the Willard Headland Jr. family of Goshen Township are named the Canfield Fair’s “outstanding” urban and rural families.

1960: The decomposed body of Vincent Innocenzi, 39, a notorious safecracker and suspect in underworld bombings in the Youngstown district, is found in a wooded area in Akron, shot in the head. He was known to have attended a special underworld meeting in Cleveland about a week ago.

Youngstown Finance Director Abe Harshman says city income tax revenue should total $4.2 million, about $200,000 more than had been anticipated.

1935: WPA officials in Youngstown start calling out men for work, but Russell A. Bowen, president of the building trades council, says his men won’t work for the low wages offered by the WPA,

Ohio is being ravaged by the worst floods in 22 years. The fourth terrific rainstorm in 10 days causes heavy damage in Columbiana.

Special trains from Pittsburgh and McKees Rocks as well as a phalanx of automobiles bring 6,500 employees and families of the P. & L.E. Railroad to the company picnic at Idora Park.