Today -100: September 5, 1911: Of parades, near-misses, and things that go boom

The mayor of Los Angeles orders the route of the Labor Day parade altered so it doesn’t go past the county jail where the McNamara brothers, accused of blowing up the LA Times building, are currently located.

During a firing exercise the USS Delaware fired its big guns at a repair ship rather than at its target. Well, they looked a lot alike. Fortunately, the Delaware also couldn’t shoot for shit, and missed both times.

In another near miss, a malfunctioning biplane knocks Sen. William Lorimer’s hat off, then crashes into a tree.

Rear Admiral Nathan Twining invents a dirigible aerial torpedo.

Headline of the Day -100: “Woman of 80 Grabs Negro.”