New-York tribune., 1902-06-23
AMERICAN GENIUS BEHIND.
REMARKABLE FRENCH PLAN 10 ANIL
IORATE ACCIDENTS AT AUTO
MOBILE RACES.

Nous comes from Paris that the automonle
rrobIern has been solved According 10 ihe us
matches il appears that American lnNeh'io'i mas
-oi,-5 a I77,r,iliatinc defeat at the hands OF the
French and that while Yankee ingenuity ana en-
terr,rise were still plodding along III uaI Aiies9
ouicker French mind had discovered a pan "iliCi'
robbed autornobiling Of all its terrors ana 1haue
the sport as much a nursery pasume as mop
scotch or ping pong.
Tne plan when explained seems SO eNceeill'slH
simple that one wonders why nobody thonght OF II
long ago In a word. the invention is nothing more
nor less than an automobile ambulance, Whl'h Is
n r,r \ few wards behind the racer in his nachine
In a contest where several automohles are en-
tered an ambulance sufficiently large 10 accom-
modate the entire party. II necessary Is 10 Io'o"
the expedition.
one dispatch. which mentions in remarkably
matter of fact way this extraordinary invention
reads thus:
Paris June Th competitors in an il Sntom%0le f$ n9
Thursday June 26. SiXty-four machines earI{1iis {I
tourists. who win watGh Inc ing parg 5'i NJ Henri
De Rohschd will send car hgilt TO o attend
date twenty persons. as an ambulance 10 a''e''0
the racers on Thursday.
With what ohaerin must patriotic American
read such a dispatch, Why did not Edlsoh ~
some other American first think Of such plan II
order that the honor might not nave DeeH "ie7'e"
away by foreigners?
Thar the ambulance attachment IS n long stride
toward the perfection Of the automobile. ooth Tor
Measure and business purposes. no one VIII nave
the tenerItE to deny foI iliStdiltt- ''-'N'-' 49,
invention from point Of view Of the bystander-
for it IS in this relation that the subject assumes
its greatest importance. As matter OF contempo-
rape,lis history il appears that in an automooiie
wreck nine times cut Of ten it is the bystander
who is killed. and not the aEtomobilist II the
machine runs wild. 1t is the crowd that * moved
down When the debris is cleared away the
driver is generally found at the top OF the heap
and half a dozen bystanders underneath the ma
chine Indeed an automobile accident is much
like a Kentucky duel The question asked after
ward is not if either Of the principals was shot
but how many spectators were killed.
It is evident. therefore. that the ambulance at
racbrnant would be a great boon the public. In
this way an ordinary plain clothes citizen would
he able to witness automobile race and cross a
street without trepidation. As matter OF fact.
he need not concern himself as TO whether he viii
f i.'I. ,,t,- ,.iii ne on f}G s5ot immcdiafeIy
and everything viii be done that science can 90 10
care for his injuries And II, in spite Of the atten-
should die nevcTtheIess his death should be Ie-
sarded as sacrifice to the progress Of civiliza ton
rearei a little TOO rapid.
new French invention has sttl greater merits.
With what q feeling Of utter freedom can he dash
now sweep along with tn wind. obiivious to the
fact that he is running over pedestrians, long
collapses from the tremendous strain on its cogs
delightful insensibiliIy. where in twnkIing all
taousht anF M 1osnssy nTdy fennoraHv he
will awaken only to find himself costly tucked
surgeons and nurses. There. outstretched his
! cot. whose elastic supports deaden every jolt Of
the wheels he still continue the enthusiasm OF
| the race and watch the finish from his ambulance
windows II, however, the automobilist suffers
such injuries that no healing linnents or restora-
tives bring him back life the sadness of his
death should alone be lsidered. Some regard
also should be paid his eminent services for the
/ enlightenment OF the age in trying break a
! worlds record. And over the tomb Of such one
| might be engraved such appropriate as
| this
His life was noble and his end sublime.
Alas, he died while racing against time.
The only criticism which has been made of the
! invention. and which has given rise extended
discussion scientific circles the possibility of
| an accident TO the ambulance Suppose. one of
these critics says the ambulance filed with a
| dozen bystanders and one automobilists.
should suddenly become wrecked. and should dump
bystanders. automobsts, surgeons and nurses into
the gutter Several profound scientists have tried
10 solve this problem It appears they are
evenly divided the subject. One faction holds
| that the first ambulance should be followed by a
second. and the second by third. and on. while
the second faction argues that the should be
on A circular track. with hospital in the middle