November 11 - Did you know?
Nov 10, 2019 09:14:48 #
November 11 is Veterans Day, first called Armistice Day. It commemorated the ending of WW I, which was called "the war to end all wars." It took place at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918. In America, it has become Veterans Day. More people world-wide celebrate November 11 for a reason totally unrelated to these celebrations. It is the beginning of the Carnival Season, also called Marde Gras. In Austria, where we lived a number of years, it is called Fasching.
The carnival season had religious beginnings stemming from Roman Catholic Easter traditions. On Ash Wednesday, Catholics are called upon to confess their sins, have ashes rubbed on their forehead and to fast during Lent.
At some point, the idea emerged that one must do all his or her sinning prior to Ash Wednesday. Of course there had to be a beginning for the frivolry, so it was said to begin at 11:11 o'clock on the 11th day of the 11th month. In Europe, a Carnival king and queen (sometimes Prince and Princess) are crowned to reign throughout the carnival season. There are numerous dances and parties during the "Ball Season", as it is sometimes called in Europe. It all ends with a bang Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. On Rose Monday or Fasching Tuesday, most larger communities have a Fasching Parade.
In November, 2000, a good friend of ours, who was Director of Public Functions in the city of Vöcklabruck, passed away and his funeral was set for November 11 at 11:00. Friends from the community and church also attended the funeral. We were chatting before the funeral when someone interrupted to say that Austrian news had just reported a horrible train accident on Kaprun Mountain. Scores of skiers were feared dead. A couple from the church that we had been talking to turned pale and the wife almost fainted. They explained that their son had traveled to Kaprun with a school group early that morning for a day of skiing. He was likely on that ill-fated train!
By 10 AM, Austrian radio and TV spread the news that many or perhaps most passengers on that train had died in the inferno. Our friends' son realized that his parents would be worried, so he found someone with a cell phone and called his parents to say that he was okay. It was just before 11 AM and the funeral that we were attending was about to begin.
Most mountains used for skiing have cable cars to get people to the top, but Kaprun was a favorite ski paradise, so engineers built a steep mountain (funicular) railroad with a 2-mile tunnel that could transport 200 passengers at a time to the Kitzsteinhorn ski area.
About 9:15 on Saturday, November 11, 2000, a crowd was waiting for the train to the top of the mountain. Some had fireworks with them to celebrate the beginning of Fasching (carneval season). It was a great day and snow conditions were ideal. Our friends' teenage son was standing in the crowd. Suddenly fire trucks and police cars began to converge on the scene and the news spread that there was a fire on the last train that departed the station. It was stuck in the tunnel.
All the doors automatically locked when the train left the station. When smoke began to fill the cars, the train stopped, but doors remained locked and passengers broke windows to escape. Most of them ran towards an illuminated Emergency Exit sign just ahead of the train, which proved to be a fatal decision. When the door was opened, it created a funnel effect, fanning the fire to an intense heat that literally welded the railroad cars to the tracks. All but twelve persons were killed in the fire or asphyxiated from smoke inhalation. The engineer of a descending empty train also died from smoke inhalation. Those who escaped, climbed out windows in the rear of the train and walked a mile downhill to the tunnel entrance. There was a strong wind blowing against them, but they were safe! If they had seen the exit sign, they too would have headed uphill and died.
The Kaprun disaster claimed the lives of 159 persons.
The carnival season had religious beginnings stemming from Roman Catholic Easter traditions. On Ash Wednesday, Catholics are called upon to confess their sins, have ashes rubbed on their forehead and to fast during Lent.
At some point, the idea emerged that one must do all his or her sinning prior to Ash Wednesday. Of course there had to be a beginning for the frivolry, so it was said to begin at 11:11 o'clock on the 11th day of the 11th month. In Europe, a Carnival king and queen (sometimes Prince and Princess) are crowned to reign throughout the carnival season. There are numerous dances and parties during the "Ball Season", as it is sometimes called in Europe. It all ends with a bang Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. On Rose Monday or Fasching Tuesday, most larger communities have a Fasching Parade.
In November, 2000, a good friend of ours, who was Director of Public Functions in the city of Vöcklabruck, passed away and his funeral was set for November 11 at 11:00. Friends from the community and church also attended the funeral. We were chatting before the funeral when someone interrupted to say that Austrian news had just reported a horrible train accident on Kaprun Mountain. Scores of skiers were feared dead. A couple from the church that we had been talking to turned pale and the wife almost fainted. They explained that their son had traveled to Kaprun with a school group early that morning for a day of skiing. He was likely on that ill-fated train!
By 10 AM, Austrian radio and TV spread the news that many or perhaps most passengers on that train had died in the inferno. Our friends' son realized that his parents would be worried, so he found someone with a cell phone and called his parents to say that he was okay. It was just before 11 AM and the funeral that we were attending was about to begin.
Most mountains used for skiing have cable cars to get people to the top, but Kaprun was a favorite ski paradise, so engineers built a steep mountain (funicular) railroad with a 2-mile tunnel that could transport 200 passengers at a time to the Kitzsteinhorn ski area.
About 9:15 on Saturday, November 11, 2000, a crowd was waiting for the train to the top of the mountain. Some had fireworks with them to celebrate the beginning of Fasching (carneval season). It was a great day and snow conditions were ideal. Our friends' teenage son was standing in the crowd. Suddenly fire trucks and police cars began to converge on the scene and the news spread that there was a fire on the last train that departed the station. It was stuck in the tunnel.
All the doors automatically locked when the train left the station. When smoke began to fill the cars, the train stopped, but doors remained locked and passengers broke windows to escape. Most of them ran towards an illuminated Emergency Exit sign just ahead of the train, which proved to be a fatal decision. When the door was opened, it created a funnel effect, fanning the fire to an intense heat that literally welded the railroad cars to the tracks. All but twelve persons were killed in the fire or asphyxiated from smoke inhalation. The engineer of a descending empty train also died from smoke inhalation. Those who escaped, climbed out windows in the rear of the train and walked a mile downhill to the tunnel entrance. There was a strong wind blowing against them, but they were safe! If they had seen the exit sign, they too would have headed uphill and died.
The Kaprun disaster claimed the lives of 159 persons.
Nov 10, 2019 09:50:14 #
Nov 10, 2019 10:20:56 #
Nov 10, 2019 11:58:32 #
Nov 11, 2019 09:15:36 #
Nov 11, 2019 09:42:54 #
Alafoto
Loc: Montgomery, AL
Bill 45 wrote:
Ok, what does that have to with vet's day?
Makes me glad my high school graduation trip was to Vietnam instead of a skiing trip trip Austria.
Nov 11, 2019 17:44:27 #
Cyberkinesis70
Loc: Northern Colorado
Bill 45 wrote:
I would suggest you read the title of the post. Maybe you can realize that it is about the date and not just Veteran's Day. I think there are probably a lot of things that happened on this day in history.Ok, what does that have to with vet's day?
Nov 12, 2019 07:02:16 #
chippy65
Loc: Cambridge
There was a wonderful TV feature here on UK TV at the USA Air-force Cemetery here in Cambridge.
kind weather and some very proud USA veterans who had made the trip , standing tall............. Good attendance.
We will never forget the brave young men who helped to liberate Europe
kind weather and some very proud USA veterans who had made the trip , standing tall............. Good attendance.
We will never forget the brave young men who helped to liberate Europe
If you want to reply, then register here. Registration is free and your account is created instantly, so you can post right away.