Looking back: Child miraculously escapes burns from electric blanket and burglars steal underwear and a sword

IDAHO FALLS — EastIdahoNews.com is looking back at what life was like during the week of Jan. 13 to Jan. 19 in east Idaho history.

1900-1925

BLACKFOOT — A Blackfoot woman was almost run over by a train but miraculously walked away uninjured, The Bingham County News reported on Jan. 13, 1913.

Alice Neil was crossing the railroad tracks on Bridge Street when she fell while a train was quickly approaching her.

“An approaching engine nearly caught her before the engineer, who had immediately reversed his engine, could stop,” the article states.

Neil was able to get up and out of the way in time. She only suffered a few bruises.

1926-1950

RIGBY — After 25 years of trying, Rigby made a “good skating pond” for community members to enjoy in the winter months, The Rigby Star reported on Jan. 13, 1944.

The article said 500 children were going ice-skating every day from sun up until 10:30 p.m.

“With the help of the city equipment, the old baseball diamond in front of the junior high was cleared of snow and flooded by use of (the) firehose,” The Rigby Star explained. “The low places were filled in and thanks to the cold weather, froze solid the first night.”

The city council purchased a patented spray machine. Some of the local boys would spray the pond every night so it would be in ideal condition to skate on the next day.

“The students have cooperated by not throwing trash on the ice and much good sport has been derived,” the article reads.

1951-1975

TERRETON — A Terreton family was grateful their two-year-old son was alive and unharmed after falling asleep with an electric blanket that malfunctioned, The Rigby Star reported on on Jan. 15, 1970.

Wyett Christensen was asleep when his older brother, Cody, 4, woke up his mom around 1 a.m. complaining of the smell of smoke.

The mother believed he was smelling smoke from an earlier campfire. But, a little while later, she smelled the smoke and went to her boys’ bedroom. When she walked inside, she found the room filled with smoke.

Wyett was “sleeping soundly” but she got him out of his bed. That’s when she noticed the electric blanket on his bed wasn’t working properly. The entire upper third of the blanket near his head had disintegrated, the plastic mattress cover was melted and a hole was burned in the mattress.

Wyett was not burned and reportedly suffered no effects from the smoke.

1976-2000

POCATELLO — A Pocatello resident reported an odd burglary at her home, the Idaho State Journal reported on Jan. 18, 1977.

The woman reported burglars took two pairs of Levis, five pairs of underwear, three dress shirts, a pair of $40 boots, two wrist watches and a sword. Jewelry worth more than $500 was also reported stolen.

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