The Savannah morning news., 1901-09-07
ALMOST IN COLLISION.
OgIethorpes Had Narrow Escape on
the Way to the Range.

!
The Oglethorpe Light Infantry held
their annual rifle competition at the
Avondale Rife Range yesterday after
noon, going out some thirty-five
| strong under command of Capt. David
! c. Barrow. The company assembled at
the Regimental Armory at 2:30 o'clock,
and a car was taken for the range.
On the way out an accident was
narrowly averted. for the car of the
| Oglethorpes almost collided with car
that pulled three fiat cars loaded with
dirt. A construction gang was aboard
the car and the fat, but nobody was
paying the slightest attention to the
track in front. The motorman was on
the end of the car next the flats, and
there was no lookout at the other end.
though the car was running back
wards.
Just where the double track ends,
west of the Thunderbolt road, there is
switch. Into this the motorman of
the Oglethorpes' car started to go, and
he would have had time, had he con-
tinued. He stopped, however, seeing
that there was something strange about
the on-coming train. The motorman of
the construction train showed no sign
that he knew or cared that there was
another car near, but kept right on.
The negroes aboard were all oblivious,
too, until the shout of the motorman
and the soldiers aroused them.
The motorman of the Ogiethorpes'
car reversed, and started the car back
ward, it's speed gradually increasing. 1t
looked as though he could not get 1t
out of the way before the other crash
ed into it, and the Oglethorpes began
consulting their safety Some of them
didn't stop to measure the probabili-
ties, but took a flyer from the car. The
track, just at that point, is on a rather
high embankment, and deep ditch is
at either side. Backing up the bitches
are barbed wire fences.
Into the bitches, head over heels,
went two or three of the men, while
four or five others landed but little
more gracefully. They were not count
ing appearances, however, but only
sought to be off the car when the col
lision, that seemed to them unavoida-
BILE, came. Two or three didn't stop
short of the barbed wire fence. Pri-
Yates Duncan Kent and Lewis Lee may
finch when they shake hands with
their friends to-day.
Aroused finally to a sense of some re-
sponsibility and seeing that he might
as we'll keep a lookout, the motorman
of the dirt train brought his car to a
stop. 1t was not far from the Ogle-
thorpes' car at the time. and a few sec
onds sooner there could not have been
more than two or three feet of space
between the two, and that with the
construction train coming at a good
rate of speed.
Then the motorman of the Ogle-
thorpe car did some very artistic
tongue work. He let fly at the crew
of the construction train in a way that
his passengers commended most heart
lily. The Oglethorpes who had taken
the header from the car climbed sheep
ishly aboard again, while those who
had not left their places enjoyed a
great triumph. AS, fortunately, the
incident meant no serious accident, it
was greatly enjoyed as one of the
laughable events of the afternoon.
Arrived at the range, the company
was divided into classes, and the con-
tests began at the 200, 300 and 500
yards ranges. The prize in the first
class was won by Sergt. G. Bourquin,
who made a total of &c. winning the
company medal. which was won last
year by Capt. Barrow, and a cash
prize of IS. Capt. Barrow and Pri-
vate Corley were second in the contest,
tying for the place. The prize in the
second class, IS, was won by Private
w. o. Cleary. Refreshments were en-
joyed at the range, and the afternoon
was spent very pleasantly.