JULY 11, 1955
Safety Belt May Save Your Life
Almost everyone at some time or another has ridden in the
“suicide seat”—that’s the softly cushioned two feet of car space next
to the driver.
It’s the most dangerous spot in the car and 75 per cent of the
fatalities in automobile accidents are front seat occupants. Other
statistics show that one person is killed every 14 minutes and one
person is injured every 15 seconds in highway accidents.
Police in Indiana during a 90-day period studied 130 fatal acci
dents in which 153 persons were killed and 220 autos were involved.
They reported that if a suitable body restraining device—a seat belt
for example—had been used, 69 per cent of those killed would have
lived and an additional 21 per cent might possibly have survived. Only
19 per cent were listed as hopeless.
Another study has shown that the most prominent single cause of
injury in accidents was related to the opening of the front doors under
What’s the point of all these words ? If cars are going to continue
to become more powerful and speeds are going to continue to go up,
an added safety feature is needed—a seat belt for the car occupants.
“Karbelts” are now being ordered by Firestone dealers and stores.
The function of a seat belt is to hold the occupants securely in
their seats. Thus the occupant slows down with the vehicle instead of
hurtling forward into the instrument panel or windshield when his
auto comes to a crash stop.
The belt would also prevent the occupant from flying out the
door to strike the pavements.
"nie lap-style seat belt, a proven safety factor on airplanes, will
not always prevent head contact with the instrument panel or steer
ing wheel but it will reduce the force of the contact. It restrains more
than half the body weight and without this restraint, the energy of
the motion of the entire body may help increase the blow.
“Karbelts” are endorsed by safety authorities and insurance com
panies. Firmly anchored to the door and to the floor they are designed
—when in use—^to hold the door closed. The closed doors make it possi
ble for the car body to retain its maximum structural strength and
add a protective armor in a crash.
When the belts are not in use, the method of installation elimi
nates dangling of belts around the floor of the car and they are out of
These safety belts should be on your car—see them soon at your
I ’restone Store. A set of two for the front seat of your car sells for
only $22.95 minus your discount. It’s a small price to pay for your
safety and the safety of the person who rides in your “suicide seat.”
Summer Calls For Fire Prevention
Now that summer is here and the outdoor season is in full swing,
campers need to be reminded of forest fire prevention. So that each
one can do his part toward conserving America’s timberlands and
other valuable property, here are some basic rules to follow.
Matches—Be sure the match is out. Break it in two before throw
ing it away.
Tobacco—Be sure that pipe ashes and cigar or cigarette stubs
are dead before throwing them away. Never throw them into brush,
leaves or pine needles.
Don’t smoke—While traveling through the woods.
Making camp—Before building a fire, scrape away all inflamma
ble material from a spot five feet in diameter. Dig a hole in the
center and in it build your campfire. Keep your fire small. Never
build it against trees or logs or near brush.
Breaking camp—Never break camp until your fire is out—dead
How to put out a campfire—Stir the coals while soaking them
with water. Turn small sticks and drench both sides. Wet ground
around the fire.
Be sure the last spark is dead.
Volume IV, No. 12, July 11, 1955
Published by The Firestone Tire & Rubber Company
Firestone Textiles Division
Gastonia, North Carolina
Department of Public Relations
CLAUDE CALLAWAY, Editor
CARDING—Edna Harris, Jim Ballew, Jessie Westmoreland.
SPINNING—Ray Thomas, Mary Turner, Maude Johnson.
SPOOLING—Nell Bolick, Helen Reel, Rosalee Burger.
TWISTING—Pearl Aldridge, Corrie Johnson, Lorene Owensby,
Dorothy Baber, Dean Haun, and Vera Carswell.
SALES YARN TWISTING—Elmina Bradshaw.
SYC WEAVING—Vivian Bumgardner, Lucille Davis, Sara Davis,
Nina Milton, Juanita McDonald.
CORD WEAVING—Roy Davis, Irene Burroughs, Mary Johnson.
QUALITY CONTROL—Sally Crawford, Leila Rape, and Louella
WINDING—Mayzelle Lewis, Ann Stevenson, and Christine Stroupe.
CLOTH ROOM—Margie Waldrop.
WAREHOUSE—Patsy Haynes, George Harper, Albert Meeks,
PLASTIC DIP—Frances Huffman.
MAIN OFFICE—Mozelle Brockman.
SUPERINTENDENT’S OFFICE—Sue Van Dyke.
PERSONNEL OFFICE—Barbara Abernathy.
COOL WATER BECKONS—
Samuel E. Crawford, of the Re
freshment Department here goes
over his fishing equipment for a
last-minute inspection before
leaving on an angling trip to
Putman’s Lake near Kings Moun
Nylon Sports Tire
A new high-speed sports
car tire that combines increas
ed traction, greatly improved
tread wear, and improved
lateral and forward stability,
was introduced recently at the
Fifth Florida International
12-Hour Grand Prix of En
durance by the Firestone
The tire, called the Super Sports
170, is of nylon construction. Its
improved safety features and
greater wear characteristics were
proved in the difficult 12-hour race
over the 5.2-mile cement and black
top course at Sebring, Fla.
The new sports racing tire has
tread and sidewall of special com
pounds developed as a result of
tests conducted on the Indianapolis
Speedway and the Bonneville Salt
Flats, as well as extensive testing
in actual sports car races. It com
bines the maximum side and for
ward traction with high abrasion
resistance for long wear.
The individual tread units of the
new tire are knitted together with
tie bars which make the entire
tread pattern operate as a single
unit. The uniform wear character
istics on each traction block gives
much improved wear and keeps the
flat, non-skid tread pattern intact
throughout the life of the tire.
The Super Sports 170 is designed
for us with a tube pending develop
ment of suitable air-tight racing
wheels. It has already been success
fully tested as a tubeless unit.
Mrs. Blanche Dobbins, battery hand, is a patient at Gaston
Shirley Moore is spending a month’s vacation with her mother,
Mrs. Pauline Moore, battery hand. Miss Moore is in nurses’ training
at Mercy Hospital, Charlotte, N. C. After her vacation she will report
to a Raleigh hospital for further training.
Mrs. Betty Martin, battery hand, had visitors recently from
Erwin and Fayetteville, N. C.
Carl Stewart, Jr., 1954 Firestone Scholarship Winner is working
in the Weaving Department during the summer months. In the fall
he will resume his studies at Duke University.
Mrs. Sarah Ward, smash hand, has been out from work, due to
illness for several weeks,
Mrs. Belle Blaylock, battery hand, spent a recent week visiting
her father, John Phillips, who has been ill for the past 3 weeks.
Mrs. Ella Ruff, change hand, her parents, S. C. Tate, Firestone
retired employee, and Mrs. Tate spent a recent week end with Mrs.
Ruff’s brother, Clifford Tate and family in Denton, Md.
Zeb Bradley, fixer and his family spent their vacation in Franklin,
William Allen, twister tender, spent his vacation with his mother,
Mrs. Allen, in Weaverville, N. C.
Mrs. Clara Mitchell, reclaimer, and Lonnie Mitchell, doffer, are out
from work due to illness.
Employees on vacation the week of June 13 were Bart Allen,
twister tender, and Grady Birch, twister tender.
Miss Jo Ann Johnson, daughter of Mrs. Corrie Johnson, reclaimer,
spent a week end in early June at Central, S. C., where she attended
the graduating exercises at Wesleyan Methodist College.
Hobart T. Aldridge, overseer in the Twisting Department, was
one of the 13 officers and directors of the Gastonia Lions Club, in
stalled at a recent meeting in Masonic Temple. Mr. Aldridge will
serve as tail twister for the club during the ensuing year.
Margaret Summitt, warper helper, is a patient in Gaston Memorial
Pvt. Norman Welch of Fort Jackson, S. C., recently spent the
week end with his mother, Mrs. Pearl Welch, spooler tender.
Elsie Hullender, spooler tender recently underwent surgery at
Gaston Memorial Hospital.
Johnny Fowler, son of Mrs. Lucille Fowler, speeder tender, had
an appendectomy recently.
Larry Hughes, son of Rufus Hughes, plumber, and Mrs. Hughes,
spent a week in early June at Coaran Camp, Morehead City, N. C.
John Goebel, electrician, and Mrs. Goebel recently spent a week
in Indianapolis, Ind., as the guests of Mr. and Mrs. H. T. Mack.
(Continued on page 4)
FOR YOUR TRAVEL NOTEBOOK
North State Offers Variety For Sightseers
In North Carolina at this season you may
choose from a wide selection of accommodations in
motor courts and inns. Picnic and camping areas
are open in the Great Smokies Park, on the Blue
Ridge Parkway, in the national forests, and in
Mount Mitchell State Park, on top the highest peak
in Eastern America.
At Cherokee village, near the entrance to the
Great Smoky Mountain National Park, the arboretum
and nature trails developed by the Cherokee Histori
cal Association is open to visitors from May
14 through the autumn season. Some 18,000 shrubs
and plants have been added to this natural botanical
Scenic overlooks and high-altitude attractions
like Grandfather Mountain, the Blowing Rock,
Chimney Rock and Whiteside Mountain offer sweep
ing vistas of the highlands.
EASTWARD IN THE STATE, the Outer Banks
are ideal for outing in the spring and summer. Near
the southern end of the banks at Buxton one may
visit the famous Cape Hatteras Lighthouse
Hatteras State Park. Buxton, buried in a growth o
yaupon, pine, holly, and oak is reported by many
be the “healthiest place in the state.” At Cap®
Hatteras fishing is at its test, providing blue and
warm water fighters like dolphin, amberjack,
mackerel, cobia, barracuda, albacore, sailfish an
At several points on the Outer Banks
ponies roam and are penned for selection of a
which are deemed of value. These pony penning®
have become celebrated summer events at some o
the places, especially on Ocracoke. ,
At Cape Hatteras is located America’s tallc®^
lighthouse and the new Maritime Museum. Design®
to tell the story of man’s struggle against the sea»
the museum was recently opened in America’s
National Seashore Park, the Cape Hatteras Nationa
Seashore Recreational Area.