New-York tribune., 1904-08-30
THE scoRcHERg BOAST DIsPRorED.

THE SCORCHERS' BOAST DISPROTED.
We do not know that Sunday last was either
a particularly good or a particularly bad day
for automobiles. Judging from the weather and
all perceptible conditions, we should suppose It
10 have been just an average day. The record
made by such vehicles on that day may there
fore be taken as average record So may
our news thereof be regarded an average
presentation OF the record, no unusual pains
having been taken either to extenuate or set
down in malice 1t may be profitable and will
certainly be pertinent then, TO consider some
features Of the record made on that day as set
forth In our columns.
Ten accidents were recorded. Each differed
from all the rest in some detail but all were
alike in one important respect namely, that
the engines were being run at high rates OF
speed. In one case the engineer was blinded
by the customary cloud Of DUST thrown up by
a machine IN front OF him. The result was
that two men were killed. In the second case
an engine was running down hill at high speed.
and could not be properly steered or stopped.
1t ran into a tree, and two persons were hurt.
In the third case something happened-just
what is not knOwn-to an engine running at
high speed, and one man was killed. In the
fourth case an engine, running reckessy at
high speed, smashed q carriage and two per-
were hurt. In the fifth the engine run
ming at high speed, collided with both tree and
wagon, and four persons were hurt. In the
other five, horses were frightened into running
away by engines running at unlawful rates OF
speed on park drive on which insolent and de-
tant violations Of the speed law are Of daily
occurrence
Now instructive feature Of several of
these cases, and of uncounted other cases, hap
pening daily, is this that the disasters occurred
because the engineers could not check the pace
or control the direction Of their engines That
gives the lie TO the often-made boast of auto
mobile motormen, that these machines may be
run at high speed far more safely than horses
may be driven, because they can be steered
more accurately and stopped more quickly than
horses That boast is untrue Last Sundays
record proves its falsity. So does the daily rec
ord OF automobile mishaps and disasters We
believe we are well within bounds in saying
that more than half Of the automobile accidents
barring those in which horses are scared by the
machines and In which no actual collision oc-
ours, are directly due to the inability Of the en-
gineers to manage the machines or to the i'm
possibility of managing them
Recall what used to be said upon this subject
It was said that an engine running seventeen
miles an hour could be stopped within twice its
own length a correspondent OF The Tribune
processing 10 be an expert and authoritative en-
gineer, declared over his signature that he could
and often dld, stop his engine when running
at thirty miles an hour within thirty feet. We
are quite willing to believe in charity. that
such boasterS were unconscious boasters They
thought they were telling the truth They were
like those motormen who run their engines at
twenty-five or thirty miles an hour, and then.
whan arrested and arraigned. swear that they