Norwich bulletin., 1920-08-03
DANlELSDN

seven PeIoOuS dpp6dTeQ D6lOIS w. Fenner Woodward in the town court Monday morning, to answer to charges of having operated motor vehicles not equipped with headlight lenses approved | by the commissioner of motor vehicles. | The roundup was the result of the ac- | tivities fo Deputy Inspector R. c. Young | of the state motor vehicle department
 and Deputy Sheriff Chas. E. Aver, off cials who have been engaged here for the past two weeks as in other neighboring territory, in seeing that the law pertain | ing to lenses is enforced.
 Charles Duquette of Webster, Louis Wolfe of Putnam and Dayville, Horace k. Turner of Danielson, Royal Chatfee of Oxford, Mass. each paid $10 and costs, total of s20.74. They were charged with operating cars having una7proved headlights. MT. Wolfe represented to the court that he was driving 2 new car just in from the factory. He is an au- tomobile dealer He had had no oppor- tunity to change the lenses on the new car, it. was stated to the court. MT. Turner had been away on vacation and did not know that the law was being enforced in this section. Messrs. Du- quette and Chaffee, Massachusetts men, knew what the Connecticut laws require as to headlights, but their cars were not equipped to comply, so they were fined the same as the Connecticut men.
 Light violation cases against Fred R. Boyle of Coventry, R. l., Alfred M. Leulea of Washington, R. l., and Mel win Murad of Providence were nolled upon payment of costs of $10.74 in each case. Rhode Island does not have lens laws like those of Connecticut, so the men from that state get consideration from the court.
 Other persons ordered to appear in court for not having proper lights on their cars will appear befoer Judge Woodward later in the week. postpone ments of the cases being permitted Sor good and sufficient reasons.
 The inspection work of the officers which was conducted on Saturday and Sunday evenings in Main stretC near the
 Congregational church, was watched with interest by q gallery of spccta- tors
 It was remarked that only very small percentage of the cars that pass ed were not equipped with proper lights.
 As showing the need of completing the state highway between Danielson and Little Rest on the Rhode Island bor der to accommodate the heavy traffic that would use it if in good condition, it was stated here Monday morning that a check on automobiles passing a given point near Scituate, R. L, on Sunday between the hours of a. m. and p. rn showed upwards of 1900 machines. As there are only 660 minutes in eleven hours, it will be noted that cars passed all day long at the rate of nearly two a minute.
 Only a very small percentage of those 1900 cars came through to Danielson or went from Danielson through to ProW- dence, the reason being the very bad stretch of highway between Little Rest and Danielson. The traffic goes to show, however, how much used this highway would be used as a through route and how much that traffic would mean to Danielson if the road were completed, as should have been done years ago. Dan.elson business interests are paying ,lca-ly for lack of organized effort to secure the completion of this highway, and Brooklyn, Hampton and WIlIiman- tic also are paying for their negligence ir regard to bringing about an improve ment that would be of such great value to all the central section of Windham county.
 Coroner Arthur G. Bill said Monday that his attention had been called to claim that the motor of the car driven by Henry Filligar and which figured in the accident at Sterling Sunday sta!iel as the machine was just on the track before the onrushing train. The story relative to the motor of the FilIigar car stalling appears in press despatches from Willimantic in Mondays papers is attributed to the engineer of the }Ioo claim.
 Representative Amory J. Kebler of the town of Sterling told a Bulletin repre- sentative that he tried years ago to have this dangerous crossing abolished but met with opposition from some inf1uen- tial persons in his own home town, so abandoned the project
 While the crossing is regarded as an extremely dangerous one by all persons familiar with it and who drive motor casr, it is more dangerous approached from what might be termed the south eriy side than On the side from which the Filligar car was coming when it was struck. An automatic bell at the crossing gives warning of approaching trains, but the great responsibility for his own safety and that of the persons riding with him rests upon a motor car driver.
 Entirely disregarding for the moment the accident to the Filligar party it is a fact that no competent observer will dispute that heavy percentage of motor car drivers have become grossly reckless in negotiating grade crossing in this section of the state.
 Scores of car occupants that passed the site of the Sterling wreck within two hours after it occurred Sunday had an object lesson that should prove valua- ble to them, as illustrating what hap pens to a machine and it's occupants when the right of way is disputed with a locomotive. Those in the cars first at the crossing after the accident went away Shocked and heartsick at the trag- edy of it all, for it is not pleasant to look upon mangled and bleeding fellow beings who but a few minutes before were in the full flush of the enjoyment of an outing and on day of pleasure bent.
 Two grade crossing accidents within a week in eastern Windham county, re- gardless of how careful the drivers who in he