This day in history: Spokane race car driver Tom Sneva recovering ‘well’ after fiery Indianapolis 500 crash

From 1975: Spokane race car driver Tom Sneva was “doing well” in an Indianapolis hospital after surviving a fiery crash at the Indianapolis 500.

The hospital said his prognosis was excellent.

“Tom was driving a fine race when it happened,” said Roger Penske, the owner of the car Sneva was driving.

The race car virtually “disintegrated” during the crash.

Penske was not concerned about the car, because “we have plenty of ‘em.”

Despite the crash, Sneva placed 22nd in the race, earning $17,829 for the Penske team.

Sneva would later have a far happier result at the Indy 500, winning it all in 1983.

From 1925: A workman, 18, at the Diamond Match Co. plant in Spokane was “smothered to death” in 20 feet of sawdust “while his brother stood by powerless to help.”

The young man went into a bin to “tramp down the sawdust so that space could be made for more.” The sawdust caved in, and buried him .

A desperate rescue operation ensued, with machinery rushed from the Washington Water Power Co. plant, but when they dug him out, he was found dead;his throat and lungs had filled with sawdust.

Also on this day

(From onthisday.com)

1863: The U.S. Civil War Siege of Port Hudson in Louisiana by Union forces begins, lasting 48 days, the longest American military siege in history.

1930: The 1,046-foot Chrysler Building in New York City, the tallest man-made structure at the time, opens to the public.