Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1891-11-13
STRANGE ACCIDENTS
WHICH HAVE CHANGED SEVER
AL MEMS LIVES.
Trivial Events which Resulted Ia Impor-
tant Discoverics-A Rainstorm
Which Had an Influence
on Dickens.

writer's as somewhat singular that the
curiosities OF chance have never sug-
gested themselves to any writer entic-
ingly enough to give the world book
under that title. says the St Louis
! Post-Dispatch. That such a book
would prove a romance OF interest no
one who reads can doubt, for how many
great concerns have been begun or
ended. how many momentous battles
won and lost, how many things great
and little done and undone. by chance
happenings in themselves nothing? 1t
has been said that there never was an
individual born whose whole career
did not hinge upon chance or acct
dent Whether or not an assertion so
broad and sweeping be true, il is a
fact that the history of men who have
stood in the foremost ranks is rich
with instances OF the effect OF happy
chance or accident.
Wallenstein, the great captain, who
never lost battle, was, until the age
of manhood, little better than an idiot
case injured his head. but cleared his
clouded intellect Mohillon was Il
mere idiot until similar happy chance
fall restored him TO reason. The gold
en- genius of Charles Dickens might
have remained unsupported but for
chance. Dickens in early life was
enamored OF the stage. After many
attempts he succeeded in gaining
promise from tho manager of the Co.
| n dan hno To 10
trionic powers private hearing.
A chance exposure to rainstorm
brought on a cold which prevented
Dickens from keeping his engagement
and thus the stage lost an aspiring
actor while literature gained king
Thorwaldsen, the great Danish
sculptor after working for months
unrecognized in Rome determined in
despair to return home and lay down
the sculptor's chisel forever. A chance
error by careless clerk in drawing
his passport detained him twenty-four
hours. During that interval of wait
ing Mr.. Hope walked into his studio
admired his Jason in clay and aroused
the respondent Danes hope by order
ing copy in marble. Thorwaldsen
unpacked his boxes and never after
ward in his long career lacked patron
age
Rachel the great tragedienne. was
when a child, a great singer and as
such might have passed into woman
hood and old age had not party Of
critics dining together CHANGED to hear
her loud, clear voice beneath their
windows. They observed the child's
wonderful face and eyes. and in a
kindly spirit, aroused no doubt by the
wine they had drunk, proposed to her
protectors 10 place her in a conserva-
tory as pupil.
OF Benjamin Disraeli there was
story current years ago to prove the
building Of his greatness was helped
along by chance. In his youth he
was a reckless spendthrift. His am
bition was to lead his party, but such
was the state of his finances that at
one time il was doubtful whether he
could longer support the expense of a
seat in parliament Accident or
chance threw him in the way OF a
noted money lender in London. who
liked the brilliant young dandy on
first sight and did what he had never
done before nor ever afterward to any
man. lent Disraeli TO, 900 on no other
security tnan his genius and ambition.
Disraeli never forgot the service, and
never tired. so the story goes, Of re-
turning il In the various ways which
his after influence enabled him to do.
OF all the thousands who every day
glanced ut the swinging lamps sus-
pended from the roof of the Cathedral
of Pisa not one saw any principle in
volved in their regular motion until
Calico, searching for means TO reg
ulate the movements of clock,
CHANGED to behold them. and instantly
hit upon the idea OF pendulum.
Montgolfier, the father OF pronauts.
CHANGED to see a piece of paper placed
on the top of coffee pot swell and
rise as the steam distended in il, and
conceived the idea OF the balloon.
Schanward, a Nuremberg glass cut
ter, CHANGED to spill drop of aqua
forts on his spectacles. Attempt
ing some time afterward to wipe
it off. he found that it had corroded.
ana the ldei Oh etchlng on glass dawn
ed on him. The chance lack of pen
and ink to n lazy author caused him TO
jot down words on n rough stone
which on trying TO clean, he found
transferred its impressions to paper
Thus was the incalculable discovery of
the photographic stone made. Glass,
according 10 Pliny. was discovered by
accident. A party Of merchants. trav-
cling with inter, for lack of stones to
build fire on used Jumps of inter-
What was their astonishment TO be-
hold. as the fire grew intense and the
inter was burned, a transparent fluid
running over the sands.
Electricity, though vaguely known
for centuries was not discovered to
exist as universal force until chance
threw together a combination of ele-
ments which made the fact clear TO an