The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-06-28
F. W. SMITH JR.
 TELLS OF MISHAP
BERLIET CAR SKIDDED ON STEEP SIDE OF STEEPLY PITCHED
 HIGHWAY
Collided With
 Stevens-Duryea
Prof. Shepherd Sustained Fractured Skull, But Probably Will Recover Smith, Curtis and the Chauffeur Slightly Injured.

SInluI, SuItlS dHu tuO NA1duhOu
 Slightly Injured.
 While returning yesterday from the
 interstate golf match held in Boston
 last Saturday the Stevens-Duryea
 touring car belonging to Roderick P.
 Curtis, of Southport and secretary of
 the Curtis & CurtisCo., and contain
 ing Mr. Curtis, Friend W. Smith, Jr.,
 Prof. William K. Shepard of the Shef-
 field Scientific school faculty, and the chauffeur, George Waters. a brother of
 assistant city auditor, Henry J. Wa
 ters, was in collision at Westerly. R. l., with a Rhode Island machine. The occupants of the car were thrown out,
 but all escaped serious injury except Prof. Shepard who is believed to have skull
 The Bridgeport party had left Wick
 ford Junction ard at about 10:30 a. m
 were at point about fourteen miles east of Westerly when fifteen per
 cent. upgrade was met. The road at this point, although under state super vision, is but sixteen or seventeen feet in width and has high crown with an unusual drop on either side, which makes it a dangerous task for two cars to pass each other. When about half ways up this grade car was heard approaching from the rear, the driver of which kept footing his horn, indicating his desire to pass the stew ens-Duryea- The latter crowded over to the right asc best it could and the Rhode Island car, a big Berliet, strip ped for testing purposes, cleared It safely, but in trying to regain the cen ter of the road the rear wheels sk1dded and striking the forward wheel of the Stevens-Duryea forced it into the gut ter and up the steep bank at the side where it struck a stone wall and top pied over onto it's side, facing the road.
 Friend W. Smith, Jr., who occupied the left side of the tonneau, leaped the moment the machine swerved from it's course, and rolling over several times in the road. arose uninjuerd Directly in front of him sat MT. Cur tis, who was thrown from the car when it struck the bank. He, too, was unhurt, except for a few minor bruises MT. Smiths companion in the tonneau was Prof. Shepard, who, when the impact of the Berliet car came, arose and remained standing in a dazed manner until the machine hit the wall, when he was thrown out, striking his head against the wall. George Waters, the driver, who was pinned in by the steering shaft, was cut about the face, but otherwise uninjured.
 The testing car, which was in charge of George c. McMullen and Eden Nie1d. who are employed by the Amer1- can Loconobile Go. of Providence, the makers of the Berl1et car. Immediately returned to the scene of the accident. Prof. Shepard was placed in the test ing car and supported by a man standing in the rear, was carried to Westerly, R. I. MT. Smith was carried to the same place in another Berliet car belonging to Henry A. Harris, manager of the Hudson Theatre, New York. With MT. Harris was Frank A. Wing. supervising engineer of the Whiting Manufacturing Go. of Bridge port. MT. Curtis followed at once in a car belonging to a MT. Chapin. George Waters was left in charge of the wrecked car and the luggage.
 MT. F. w. Smith, Jr., when seen I any censure for the driver of the Berliet car and his companion. They at once returned to us and admitted that 1t was an error of judgment on their part in trying to pass us on such a road. They not only aided us by hurrying Prof. Shepard to Westerly, but later returned and assisted George Waters in caring for MT. Curtis car. ing 25 miles an hour, but the same ac- cident would have happened had the speed been but ten miles an hour"
 MT. Smith then told how he with MT. Harris and MT. Wing investigated the road at the point of collision, and by following the tracks made by the Stevens -Duryea, found that when the Providence car passed, MT. Curtis car was about two pencil lengths, or less than a foot, from the base of the bank to the right of the road, whereas the Berliet cleared the left bank with more than three feet to spare. Further on the top of the road was rubbed off, showing where the test car had skid ded.
 Prof. Shepard, in charge of two phy- and MT. Curtis and MT. Smith left Westerly at 1915 for New Haven where they arrived at 200 D. m.
 Prof. Shepard. who had remained all the time. was at once hurried to Grace Hospital where Dr. Baldwin, his family physician, and chief of staff of the hospital. made an examination of his injuries. Dr. Bald win believes that Prof. Shepard has an | excellent chance of recovery. Prof l holds,it is said, the golf cham 1 pionship of Connecticut. MT. Curtis and his party had left 1 Boston Saturday evening in a big Stew | touring car, which { has | been in his possession only two weeks. l They had that afternoon participated l in a golf match at the Wallaston Coun- l try Club of Boston. as representatives | of Connecticut against Massachusetts, | a. contest which they lost 11-4. Satur- | day night was spent at Providence, l and an early start made on Sunday | All went we'll with the party | until 10:3O a. m. when the accident oc- l cured.