Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-02
BEFORE THE CRASH CAME.
Sensations of an Occupant of Run
away Automobile.

'In reading of the many automobile ac-
cidents 1 used to wonder what were the
sensations OF the occupants of a machine
lust before the crash, assuming that they
lived to relate their feelings" remarked
a well-known Washingtonian whose new
electric auto has been his delight and the
admiration of his friends.
now know; my machine Is In the shon'
which is usually the first pleasant cxre-
rience a new owner has with his car, put
luckily for me I am not in the hosp tai,
though it came very near 10 being No; %
with me- While coming down hui IN
the outskirts of the city a few evenings
since | applied the brake to SLOW up. Wnen
7 saw / applied the brake l mean That
followed the instructions IN applying the
brake | knew that there was a brake on
the machine, of course, for l used IL, ana
since the machine didn't respond my hfst
thought was that the brake had gone on
visiting some other brake on the nlSht De
fore and had unlindly forgotten to return
home AS the car gathered momentum go
ing down the incline, and the Wheels pc
gan to spin around like buZz-saWs woTkihs
overtime on q rush order, L reailzed tiide
the brake had suiked and refused TO do
duty. The next thought which chased
through my mind was to keep the car III
the center of the road provided the steering
gear didn't go on a strike Tor more wages
and less hours of labor. The next sensa-
tIon was a realization that the steering
gear would hold to its job and not be LED
astray by the sulky actions OF the recai.
citrant brake In that feeting second or
time this sensation was positive and dis
tinct and 1 noted instantly an inspiration
of confidence on my part
.T,ouyp at the foot of the hill was tele-
oranh mole about a mile high. the cement
ebutments of q bridge which looked as big
as the treasury building. road that seem
ed to turn on at a sharp right angle, ana
large touring auto on the level stretch
Of the main road that appeared like huge
Ia ttIeship getting into action to ram. Not
being vet hardened to auto accidents and
their pleasing Incidents, l wondered II
cculd perform the acrobatic feat of hitting
ali of the distractions In succession and
putting them out of business seriatim. or
whether I would do the flying trapeze leap
for life act, skip over them IN turn. ana
corner which was becoming sharper with
every second of my flight
II never thought that anything on wheels
could go down an inclined plane like that
car OF mine and not go up into spontaneous
combustion from the heat of friction My
next realization was that had reached the
bottom of the hill; that the sharp right
angle developed into an easy turn, and
that the wheels had held true and not
'skidded' My machine butted Its nose into
an accommodating embankment without
half the damage expected, and escaped
personal injury
prom the start to the finish OF that ex-s
hflaratinR and happily not Injurious ride
did not have that terrible sense of impend-
ing personal injury with its possibility OF
broken bones or loss of life which one would
think is a preliminary In such instances;
my mind was entirely on the car and Its
control, the sense of personal injury was
secondary, should say. from nay exper-
fence, that auto accidents come with such
terrific suddenness, as would have been the
case with me had my wheels skidded and
the machine overturned, that the occupants
are either spilled out or are killed almost
before the mind can form realization OF
what Is happening.