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Slice of Life

Alex Price

From the South China Morning Post this week in: 1952

A furious battle between men and fish raged as wave after wave of tiny herring swam to their death in a Long Island power plant, in New York, threatening to cut off electricity to 500,000 persons in three counties.

Herrings by the millions started menacing the cold water intake equipment just a week ago.

Suicide schools of herring rode in on the tide and crashed against the huge screens that strain the water of the bay before it is pumped into the power plant and used to create steam.

The plant supplies power to parts of three counties. As fast as they could heave their shovels, 20-man crews have been labouring day and night to stop the fish from blocking the water intake and stopping the machinery.

A beauty queen swept the bearded and unbearded kings off their traditional place on Swedish paper money. Blonde, bosomy Greta Hoffstrom, 25, winner of a Lake Maler beauty queen contest, made her first appearance on the 1,000 kroner bills. She will also appear on notes of lower denomination.

Greta is believed to be the first woman in the world to get into the money in this way from magazine covers. She has been a professional model for five years.

'Blonde Bomb' Greta was brought into monetary history by distinguished Swedish artist Markl Sydwan, who acted on a photographer's tip.

London slowly came back to life after a five-day choking fog, which paralysed transport, set off a minor crime wave and took uncounted lives in freak accidents and respiratory failures. Weather forecasters said it would be blown away by warm, rain-bearing winds.

The estimated cost of the 'Great Fog', the worst in the capital's recorded weather history, ranged from #5,000,000 to #10,000,000 in dislocation of trade and transport. Officials estimated more than 100 elderly people died in their homes from respiratory ailments intensified by the soot-laden fog while ambulances were slowed to walking pace.

Others died stumbling into the path of traffic in the sound-deadening murk, and dozens narrowly escaped death from falls into the Thames.

The era of the atomic-powered submarine is here and it promises a revolution in undersea warfare that will make previous operations seem puny. Already submarines travel faster underwater than on the surface.

They have uncanny new weapons and secret electronic devices that completely change the character of their operations. Such advances in the world of undersea warfare have already made the US fleet submarines of World War II as obsolete as the Model T Ford, writes Alan C. Fisher Jr, in National Geographic magazine.

An even greater undersea revolution is promised by the world's first atomic-powered submarine, USS Nautilus, now on the ways near New London, Connecticut.

It has been unofficially estimated the first nuclear-powered submarines would be able to make 35 knots submerged - considerably faster than the top speeds of most modern surface warships.

Thus comes the prediction from Cmdr. Edward L. Beach, skipper of one of the navy's newest attack submarines, USS Trigger: 'A number of submariners - and it includes me - foresee the day when all warships must be able to submerge or court disaster.'

Yeung Wai-cheun, the proprietress of the Sing, Sing, Sing Dancing Academy and Chan King-hai, a dancing instructor employed by the academy, were fined $100 by Mr D.F. O' Rielly Mayne at Kowloon when they were found guilty of using the premises as a part-time dance hall. Inspector Wheeler said that on raiding the premises at 366 Nathan Road, on November 30, he found 24 Chinese couples dancing to recorded music in subdued lighting. Ladies were admitted free while men had to pay $2 to dance from 2pm to 5pm and $3 from 8pm to 11pm.

Mr R. W. F. Lodge, representing the defendants, submitted that his case was that the premises were used solely for academic tuition and that his clients had applied for a licence to run the academy in June 1952 and had received no reply.

The Magistrate said he would impose a light fine due to the extenuating circumstances of the case.

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