The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1908-10-02
PRESENCE OF MIND
SAVES THE BANKER
Accident Happens Nearly a Week
Ago While Mr.. Meyn, With His
Family, Was Returning from Mich
igan City to Hammond In Their
Machine.

Let anything happen TO Peter Meyn
and that automobile of his, and IL his
friends find about 1t they will have TO
do so through some of the more COM
municative persons in the party.
Last sunday Peter Meyn had an acci-
dent which might have resulted In the
death of the Hammond real estate man
and all of the members in his party
had it not been for Mr.. Meyn's pres
ence of mind. and here. whole week
has passed by and the news has just
reached Hammond through the medium
of another paper.
The Chesterton Tribune has the fol-
lowing to say regarding the accident:
A Thrilling Experience.
'One of the most drilling expert
ences encountered hereabouts by an au-
tamobolie party. wherein the travellers
escaped without the slightest injury TO
themselves or their car. occurred last
Sunday night when Banker Peter Meyn
of Hammond and a party, composed of
Mrs Meyn, her two sons. Julius and
Walter Meyn, Miss Clara Finding of
Hammond, Edward Wickemeyer of
Michigan City and a representative of
the Tribune shot down a fivefoot en-
bankment and through a six-strand
barb wire fence into a stubble field at
point five miles west of Valparaiso
on the Valparaiso-W heeler road. But
for the presence of mind of Mr.. Meyn
an accident attended by serious conse-
quences might have. resulted.
The party had driven to Valparaiso
from Hammond in Mr.. Meyn's six
cylinder Winton touring car during the
afternoon. where an hour or so was
spent with friends, the start for home
being made shortly before o'clock
Sunday evening. The heavy downpour
of the afternoon and evening had flood
ed the roads in many places from fence
to fence and the steady rain through
out the evening made travelling some
what hazardous. After experiencing a
puncture and getting onto the wrong
road the travellers were more or less
dampened from head to foot To add to
their discomfort the gas tank. supply
ing gas for the searchlights on the big
car. gave out. causing Mr.. Meyn to de-
pend entirely on the meager rays of
| two kerosene lamps to guide the auto
mobile.
Bad Turn in Road.
Just west of Valparaiso. before max
| ing the turn to pass over the Nickel
Plate and Pennsylvania tracks, a fine
| stretch of road was encountered, over
which the big car was driven at mod
crate pace, every precaution being TAX
en- on account of the scant light and
the rain and foggy condition of the
night Mr.. Meyn was aware OF the
sharp turn ahead of him. but the oil
| lamps failed to bring it into view until
the car was within so feet of it The
complete shutting off of the power and
the application of the brakes failed to
reduce the speed of the car, the road
being so slippery that the car slid on
towards the turn as though on run
ners.
Realizing that to turn the car at
the speed it was going would mean
the capsizing of the automobile and
the possible injury of one or more mem
bers Of the party, Mr.. Meyn held the
car to a straight shoot over the en-
| bankment. The good judgment he dis
played is proven when it is known that
the car went over the embankment
without the slightest injury to any
of the party or the automobile.
inspection developing that the car
had not suffered any i'll effects from
/ lts pluHSt uoWH the elAphii hliitht ~
was turned about and by keeping to
the ditch for a hundred feet or more
it was brought to a point where it
could climb the bank and reach the
road again. when the passengers were
taken on and the trip on to Hammond
resumed. which point was reached in
the early hours of the morning, with
the members of the party tired. bedrag-
gled and sleepy. but none the less en-
thusiastic on account Of their strenu-
Gus experience