Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-02-16
TAKE Is FOOT FALL
WILLIAM LOCKE. DRIVER OF
CAR, IS GIVEN CREDIT FOR
SAVING LIVES Cr PARTY BY
STICKING VAliANTLY TO HIS
POST.

Dame fortune favored City Clerk
and Mrs. W. w. Curtis and their
driver, William Locke. when they es
capped with only few bruises last
evening at II O'Clock after the auto
in which they were driving dropped
distance OF seventy.fye feet into the
ravine that skirts the west lill Of
South Ottawa.
This morning Mr. Curtis was al his
desk at the city Offices, none the
worse for his experience save a cut
under his right eve. He was shaken
up considerably. Mrs. Curtis escaped
with minor injuries to both shouIuola
and will be confined to her nome for
a few days until she RECEIVERS from
the terrible shock of the accident.
William Locke. the driver and part
owner OF the Ottawa Taxi line. was
able to be around this morning, Tie
car greatly delapidated. was taken to
the garage this morning.
Mr.. and Mrs. Curtis had been in
the business district earlier in the
evening and when ready TO depart for
their residence at SO Guthrie street
they called taxi William Locke
who is considered an expert driver
responded to the call
When about In the middle Of the
hill they were forced to turn on, fol
buggy. The auto started to sill
and Locke applied his brakes. The
car continued on its downward path
crashing thru a wooden fence. Locke
stuck to the wheel Once thru The
fence the car was travelling a peril
Gus gait, and it was matter of few
seconds when the party were plCnret
into the bottom of the ravine, frs
dropping eight feet from the side
walk before continuing their wild
dash down the steep incline.
The car turned over, alighted on it,
side Mr.. Curtis tore open doc
ned for a time, felt his way in the
darkness and then succeeded in help
ing his two fares to safety,
Shortly after the crash scycra
people in the immediate neghborhooC
were On the scene to render what aiC
they could. Mrs. Curtis was remove,
to the family residence and DR.. Nor
iarty summoned. An examination re
yealed that no bones were fractured
Mr.. Curtis, in an interview thi
morning stated that their escape wa
nothing short OF miraculous HOY
we could drop eight feet of that side
walk he said, and land upright i
a conundrum that cannot solve"
One would naturally expect III
machine to back sommeraault as tn
rear wheels dragged it over the wal
for the plunge below, but the car di
just what was not expected Of it, an
alighted on It's wheels. A large ire
standing near the walk may hay
helped to right the auto and keep
on all fours.'
1.-THE mach ne seemed to t,p on
way as It scurried down the Hill, bl
Wien it was finally stopped it lay G
the other side.
Locke stuck to his post like
major and ii he had not kept at II
wheel. Mrs. Curtis and myself sure
would have been killed. believe h
pluck is all that kept the auto fro
oyerturning when it left the walk.
II believe, when we turned to pc
nit the buggy room for passage. In
the wheels struck some ice and ski
ded. When they gathered momentl
Locke could not halt the car"
Hll Slippery.
Mr.. Locke stated that the accide
was due to the slippery condition
the hill. After passing this rig
applied his breaks but it was u9ele