The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-12
TOURING AUlOISTS INJURED
CiRSO FIX. n. OTIS AND r. J. CLARK
Overturned.


SOUTH BEND. Ind. July 1.-THE second
days run Of the 1907 tour of the American
Automobile Association to-day was marked
by the two most serious accidents that have
ever occurred during the course Of n national
touring contest. In the first mishsp Ken
meth X. Otis N he Cleveland Automobile
Club, his wife and her sister were injured.
while in the other case T. J. Clark Of the
Chicago Automobile Club was the I'M
fortunate.
Both accidents were due to the slippery
condition Of the roads between Toledo and
this city, which had been made very muddy
by a heavy rainstorm that began just after
midnight and lasted for about six hours
Mr.. Otis was driving his own six cylinder
Pierce, which had beer entered AZ a con-
testing car for the Glidden torphy as n
representative of the Cleveland Automobile
Club. Mrs. Otis was in the seat behind
him, and in the tonneau were Miss Tiny
Rollins, Mrs. Otis's sister: James Noonan.
MIR. Otiss chauffeur, and +. Ed Spooner of
New York.
The dry weather Of the preceding days
had left the roads coated with a thick layer
Of dust, which the rain turned into mud.
and practically all OF the cars that started
from Toledo this morning had tier chains
or noD-skid bands fitted to their tires.
Mr.. Otis did not use a regular type Of tire
chain, but fitted the tires with a contriv-
ance Of steel studded leather, made much
on the plan used in making the regular tire
chains.
About three miles away from the out
skirts of Toledo Mr.. Otis ran up behind the
car Of Philip s. Flinn of the Pittsburg Auto
mobile Club. He drove along behind MIR.
Firms car for "A time and then blew his
horn so that Mr.. Finn would move over
To one side of the road and allow him to
pass. Mr.. Otis was driving at about twenty
miles an hour. according to the estimate
made later by Mr.. Spooner, when he began
driving around Mr.. Films car.
The front left wheel Of the Otis car went
of on TO the grass. but was turned back
on to the road before the left rear wheel
rolled on to the grass. Mr.. Spooner was
sitting on the left side OF the tonneau seat
and as the rear wheel over which he was
sitting went on to the grass he could feel it
slipping underneath him and wondered
how far he would be thrown.
Spooner thinks that the front wheel
struck a rock embedded in the road surface.
or that'the wheel slid into a rut so that the
oar turned over. Spooner was thrown
out of the right side OF the car and Noonan.
the chauffeur. who had been sitting at the
right side of h tonneau. was pitched out
of the left side of the car. Spooner landed
forty feet away and Noonan twenty feet
away from the overturned machine.
Spooner ran back to the car and found
that Miss Rollins and Mr.. Otis were both
pinned under the machine. Mrs. Otis had
also been thrown from her seat at her hus-
bands side. but Miss Rollins. who had
been occupying the middle seat in the
tonneau. was under the car when IL turned
over.
E. s. Lea of the Mercer County Auto Club
had been driving ahead of MIR. Finn and
when the Otis car overturned both he and
Mr.. Finn turned back to help the injured
ones. Miss Rollins was held under the
edge of the body of the car. which rested
on the back of her head. she lying face
downward in the mud. Mrs. Finn and
Mrs. Albertson OF Philadelphia, who had
been in the Finn car. dug the mud from
around Miss Rollins face so that she would
not sun ooate.
Mr.. Otis was also pinned down, as the
edges Of the car we're on his legs n head.
He kept his nerve wonderfully. ask ed if
his wife mad been hurt and told the rescuers
not TO mind him. but to get Miss Rollins
out;
her legs was cut badly and she tainted from
the shock and injury. Miss Rollins was
badly cut. Mr.. Finn took Mrs. Otis and
Miss Rollins back to the Boody House at
Toledo in his car and Mr.. Otis was removed
to a hospital in Toledo in Mr.. LEAFS car
When the car was pulled of Mr.. Otis one
Of his legs was badly cut.
Mr.. Clark's mishap occurred near Bryan,
Ohio, about sixty miles from Toledo. As
he approached a sharp curve in the road
his car skidded of the road into the ditch
at the right hand side, turned bottom
side up and then over on one side. The
official Red Cross" car was following
close behind the Clark machine and DR..
Andrew Callahan OF Buffalo, one Of the
physicians in the car, jumped out when
he saw the Clark car begin to skid.
DR.. Callahan reached the Clark car as
u started on its last half turn and pulled
Mr.. Clark out Of 1t by the collar in time
70 save him from falling. In addition TO
Mr., Clark the car had as'passengers r. W.
McGookin of Chicago. Peter r. Fehey Of
Cleveland and Mr.. Clark's chauffeur, George
Hunt. All of these escaped injury.
Mr.. Clark, however. was badly cut around
the face and mouth and injured in his
chest. Seven stitches were taken in MIR.
Clark's lips by DIR. Callahan. Two Of his
ribs were broken and his lower jaw frac-
tured.
some WIG reports were circulated to-
night that Mr.. Clark had been killed, but,
on the contrary. a telephone message
came in here late tonight from the Christ
man Hotel at Bryan. where Mr.. Clark
war taken, that he was resting we'll. A
specialist was called from Chicago and
rear ned Bryan late this afternoon.
II had been reported that one of the limited
trains is to be stopped AZ Bryan tonight,
50 Mr.. Clark can be taken home 10 Chicago.
His Packard car was righted and put into
commission again, though the steering
wheel was broken. In spite Of this George
Hunt drove the car into this city tonight
and will continue on to Chicago tomorrow.
where the car will remain.
At Brimfeld the car was run partly over
the edge Of a high bridge az a right angle
turn, as u could not make the full turn
With the damaged steering wheel. II vgs
pulled OF the bridge and driven here with
out further mishap in time 10 allay the
fears OF a number of men who had been
told hat Hunt and F.. r. Estep az Chicago
had been injured. as they we're said TO
have been In the car when II was SMASHED
on it's way in.
TOLEDO. Ohio. July 1.-Two Of the
X. r. Otis automobile party were W recked
O short distance west Of Toledo this morn
ing and ara in had shane fO-nip hi