The morning journal-courier., 1908-08-22
QUEER ACCIDENTS One Novel Way to Start an Electric Automo-
 bile.
! TRIP ON THE LAWN
Other Little Incidents That Mark the Life of the Chauf-
 feur.

With the overturning of the auto mobile on tho way to the Yale-Prnce- ton baseball game last June, the injuries to Barney oldnelds party in Lowell. Mass. the killing of Cedrino, and other casualties. the matter of accidents has been rather a timely subject of conversation among auto mobilists lately, says the Hartford Courant. And with all the serious mis- haps 1t Is pleasant to find that there are one or two which have their ridic- ulous side. One of these occurred last Sunday In front of one of the large churches in this city just as the con- gregation was coming out from morn ing service A number of automobiles had been left at the curb and small boys had been heard footing the horns while the owners were inside the building. What else they did developed later
 Among the other cars was an cleo tric phaeton which was standing alongside the curb behind large tour ing car, The owner of the phaeton a gentleman, came out from church at the conclusion of the service with his little daughter and placed her in the car while he put in the plug. But the second that he inserted the plug In the hole the car started ahead at full speed crashing into the touring car and trundling 1t ahead down the street. The child in the car was so startled that she even forgot to scream but the really scared persons were the spectators who heard the crash. saw the moving cars and thought that there was real live ac- cident In progress. The gentleman, however kept his presence of mind, leaped into the car and put on the brakes at about the same time that the touring car ran Into the curb and stopped further progress on It's own hook. The explanation of the trouble was that the small boys had showed forward the control lever to the third sPtFh sp tlahf NhPh Nii' iiNb N'S aAi serted, the car started itself.
 Moral-for owners of electrics-al- ways see that the lever is back before inserting the plug.
 The Street That Was Not.
 An accident that was even more ri- diculous but which might have been serious occurred some months ago on Asylum avenue opposite Huntington street. The occupants Of the houses opposite this street which terminates at Asylum avenue awoke one morn ling to find a large touring car in the middle of one of the lawns in semi wrecked condition. The explanation of the miracle came later when it de- veloped that the driver of the car had been driving down Huntington street al high rate of speed the night be- fore and. thinking that he was on Sig ourney street, tho next street absye he had kept right on when he reached Asylum avenue and had ended by making a short but disastrous tour on the lawn. It will be remembered that 1t was mistake very similar to this one which caused Barney Oldheld's recent accident in Lowell.
 \ Tale of the Tow Path.
 Still another accident had it's ridicu- lous side after 1t was all over A fair ly large car had broken down near Elmwood Hill and small car had been sent from an Allyn street garage (there are three of them so no feelings need be hurD to tow the cripple in. ob- servers noted that the towing car seem ed to be having great deal Of trouble and was obliged to make frequent stops after each one of which 1t would have so much trouble in getting its burden started that the poor little car would be literally jerked backed Occasionally too the. engine on the lowed car would be heard to spit and puff little as if 1t were running. Finally the explana tion came It seems that the man who was steering the lowed car was new hand. Every motion of the car ahead he scanned with anxious eye and man euvered accordingly. Then every time that the car ahead would start up he would reach religiously forward and throw in his first speed. He knew that that was the way to start the car un- der normal conditions so why not nowI Thus the poor little car ahead was not only towing It's big companion but bucking the compression of it's engine as we'll. No wonder 1t baked and jumped back when asked to start ahead.
 The Invcrtebrate Chauffeur.
 Leaving then, the accidents which have actually happened 1t may not be imapropos to name some which are going to happen unless the seventh vertebra system of driving speedily loses It's vogue. This system consists
 in driving car while the chauffeur is reclining on the middle of his back