Sailing Club holds first regatta

July 13, 1923: An electrician died at Chanute Field in Urbana, witnesses said, after he noticed a suspended wire, remarked “Wonder if it’s hot?” and touched it. He received a shock of roughly 2,300 volts of electricity and died at the scene before a pulmotor sent by the Urbana Fire Department could reach him. 

July 13, 1948: Mrs. E.D. Lewis and daughters Veronica Ann, 3 1/2 years old, and Mary Teresa, who will be 2 on Aug. 15, left the Ford County village of Roberts on Saturday by train for San Francisco. They will sail from there on July 16 for Okinawa, where her husband, S. Sgt. E.D. Lewis, is stationed with the Army Air Forces. Veronica Ann has been in 37 of the 48 states and will add three more on her way; Mary Teresa has been in 31 states. 

July 13, 1973: The newly formed McLean County Sailing Club will hold its first regatta this weekend at Evergreen Lake. The club was founded on June 25, 1973, to encourage the sport and sponsor regattas on Lake Bloomington and Evergreen Lake. 

July 13, 1998: Nearly 55 years ago, the 141st Field Artillery battalion toured European battlefields during World War II; last month, they toured Beer Nuts, Pontiac’s Caterpillar plant and the Old Courthouse Museum in downtown Bloomington. For the past 17 years, some of the battalion’s surviving members have gathered annually to reminisce. This year’s hosts were veteran Wib Henkel and his wife Idelle of Flanagan.