The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-05-27
Cars on "Shoot the Chute" at
Forest Hill Park Crash While
Rounding Curve
LADIES HISTORICAL
FROM SEVERE SHOCK
Airaculously it Seems that None
Was Seriously Injured When
One Car Travelling at Rapid
Rate Dashed into Another.

Daxtling at terrific speed around the
loop of the "shoot the chutes' at For
est Hill Park Thurrday night, car
in which three young men were en-
joying the celebrating and exciting
effect of i,etng hartied in circular
and triangular fashion. came into
sudden contact with a car that should
have preceded them. and miracuiousiy
all escaped serious injury. In the
front car there were three ladies and
n gentleman None was hurt. though
one young lady suffered from hyste-
ria afterwards.
Messrs, A. +. Ford. Pete Hines and
Motorman Ittner were In the second
car. Mr.. Ford was bruised about the
hands and body. and his companions
W ere shaken up considerably The
names OF the young ladies in the front
car could not be learned Friday morn
ing Those who witnessed the acei-
dent declare that nothing short of a
miracle saved several of the two par
ties from being seriously. II not fatal
~, injured.
The Car Rolls Back.
IL was shortly after 8 O'Clock when
the first car started around the
"swttehback." From the top Of the
incline a mechanical device starts the
cars and stops them after the circuit
IN completed Around the loop the
car loaded with the three ladies and
one gentleman. sped until IL reached
the second curve. when IL rolled half
way up the incline and then dropped
back into curve. BEHIND II was the
other car, rushing at II great speed,
with no power on earth To stop IT,.
The three young men realized that a
collision was inevitable. but none
could jump. Leaning backward in
their car and Offering up silent
prayer. they literally flew into the rear
end Of the car that WAS standing stnl.
So great was the force of the blow
that the rear car was almost wreck
ed. The entire front of IL was torn
Off. but the wheels remained on the
track. and 1t rebounded eight or ten
feet up the incline. onty 10 roll back
again and strike the opposite car the
second time. tine Of the young men
had the presence OF mind AT this time
to catch the foremost car and pre-
vent further bumps.
Lady Paints.
One yeung lady had tainted in the
first car, and the others were SO
terical. The young men extricateS
themselves from the demolished cars
and lent what assistance they could \
hurried examination by the officials
of the shoot the schultz showed that
none was seriously hurt. though the
ladies were SO frightened that they
had to be taken to u house and given
restorati' rs.
Colonel Livingstone Is in charge OF
the particular Amusement feature at
Forest Hin. The ''switchback" IN the
largest one in the country. SO II Is
said. and natural gravitation runs the
most OF the cars, The cause of the
first car stopping Is attributed to the
fact that one of the caps from an
oil valve came of and the axles did
not turn as rapidly as they should.
The car started Off all right. but the
momentum gained tn Descending a
slide was not sufficient to throw the
car over the over-rise.
The news OF the accident spread like
wiidfire though the park and through
Washington ward. and there were
many accounts Of people being killed
and injured.
II is the first accident that has ham
pened this year in the place, and the
officers promise that there will be no
more.