Bee caused coal miners to wreck on way to work in 1934

William Agles, age 64, and his son John, 27, were about to have a bad day.

It was 6 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 10, 1934. John was driving a Chevrolet car, with his father as a passenger, on his way to St. Ellen Mine, where they both worked as coal miners. He was heading west on U.S. 50 and had reached the curve where the highway meets the end of State Street. At that point, he took on a second passenger, a large bumblebee.

The bee buzzed around John’s head while he tried to get it to buzz off. The bee didn’t want to leave. But the car did. Leave the road, that is. In all the excitement, John lost control of the car, which veered left, sideswiped an eastbound truck, flew off the road and crashed head-on into a dirt embankment.

William’s head went through the windshield, shattering the glass and cutting his face. John was also thrown forward, but the steering wheel kept him from mimicking his father. One of his teeth was knocked out, though, and he was cut by flying glass. Both men were treated for their injuries. No word on what happened to the bee.

75 years ago

June 24, 1943

H. Edward Fischer Post No. 137, American Legion, is sponsoring the collection of contributions for cigarettes for our fighting men in foreign service. Under a plan of cooperation with cigarette manufacturers, a contribution of 5 cents will be the total cost of placing a package of cigarettes in the hands of some boy oversees. Milk bottles with placards have been placed in various local businesses for that purpose. Neither the Legion nor the tobacco company will realize any profit.

50 years ago

June 27, 1968

The annual O’Fallon Horse Show will be held Friday through Sunday at the Tally-Ho Stables at Highway 50 and 158. 340 horses and ponies are entered in the show which is being held for the benefit of the Crusaders Drum and Bugle Corps.

This story was originally published June 20, 2018 at 4:08 PM with the headline "Bee caused coal miners to wreck on way to work in 1934."