The Washington times., 1909-07-27
WHY MOTORS SHOULD HAVE
a SPEED LIMIT.

Two automobile accidents on Sunday
attracted attention on account Of the
wealth and standing of the persons
killed in them. The real moral to be
drawn from them, however, lies in the
manner in which the accidents occur
red. The one on Long Island, in which
a well -known young man was crushed
to death, is thus described IN the dis
patches:
The party was on its way 10 see
Glenn H. Curtiss make an ascension in
his aeroplane at Mineola. Waaen they
reached the crossing they were said to
be speeding. at forty miles an hour
View Of the tracks Is ODSCured some
what at the point by trees and shrub
I berry. The gaTeman was said TO have
been slow in lowering the gates. Tap
pan is believed TO have seen the lights
on the gates high in the air, and ac-
Cepted that an indication that the
tracks We're clear
1T is said that as ne neared the
tracks the gates began to descend. He
was going too fast TO siacken up. He
could do but one thing, put on all
/ power possible and go ahead.
In the other accident one Of the lead
ling citizens of central New York,
president of the National Casket Com
pany, was killed. The way in which
ne met his death is thus described:
+ MIR. ChappeI and his party were
hurrying home from Syracuse to avoid
( a heavy stern that was following
I them rapidly from the West, and when
/ directly in front of the Murray Hill
/ stock farm they came up with Her
I bert YOrton and family, of Canastota,
ra-Er F ID ri q e
Mr.. ChappeIls chauffeur attempted
/ to turn out 10 pass Mr.. GOTtOn s
carriage, and simultaneously IL start
{ ed to turn into a gate directly across
4 the path of the rapidly moving E2tO-
mobile.
/ Realizing the danger Of striking the
/ team, NJ Lee Brock, Of Oneida, chauf-
/ feur, gave the wheel wide turn and
! the speed at which the car was
( travelling took fl over the grade in
the road, turned 1t completely upside
down, and hurled it with terrific force
/ against the telegraph pole, which II
cut iH two like so much wax.
/ with the overturning Of the car Mr.
/ Chappell was thrown against the pole
and killed. The other members OF the
I marty were shot like stones from a
J catapault in every direction. Mrs
/ CbappeU. Miss Wells, and Mrs
/ CoChrane were rendered unconscious
In the report of this accident it is
said that this machine also was going
at rate of forty miles an hour.
From the descriptions given it aP
pears that both accidents were due tC
Icarelessness. In the first case it Is
Iplain that the automobile was going
so fast that there was not time to stoT
before the machine plunged into the
train. Common sense would suggest
that the machine be kept under con
troll, ready for any emergency. Al
automobile going at a reasonable rate
can be checked almost instantly, anc
a prudent driver ought certainly t.
have his car we'll in hand when cross
ing a railroad track.
The smash-up in central New YorE
was due primarily to the speed at which
the machine was going 1t was at
tempting to pass a carriage at a gate
the driver of which did not know Tia
automobile was so close behind him
+. He tried to turn in at the YER
! moment the machine tried to pass, and
to avoid a collision, the chaufTeu
. changed his course and ran INTO
. telegraph post with the result indicated
j Description of such disasters shows hon
easily they can occur. Hundreds @
3 people run similar risks every time the
, 90 for spin. Probably even tn
hairbreadth escapes they themseIYe