The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1935-10-26

ing a hole in the bloody drip that
fills her Eyes and runs off her
chin. Minor details would include
the raw ends of bones protruding
through flesh in compound frac-
lures, and the dark red, oozins
surfaces where clothes and skin
we're flayed off at once.
Those are all standard, every
day sequels to the modern passion
for going places in hurry and
taking q chance or two by the
way. IF ghosts could be put TO a
useful purpose, every bad stretch
of road in the United States would
greet the oncoming motorist with
groans and screams and the edu-
cational spectacle of ten or dor
en- cerpses, all sizes, sexes and
ages, lying horribly still on the
bloody grass.
Last year q state trooper OF
my acquaintance stopped big
red Hispano for speeding. Papa
was obviously a responsible per-
son, obviously set for pleasant
weekend with his family-so the
officer cut into papa's well-bred
representations: "11l let you off
this time. but If you keep on this
way. you won't last long. Get
going-but take il easier" Later
passing motorist hailed the
trooper and asked if the red His
pano had got ticket. NO." said
the trooper, IL hated to spoil their
party" "Too bad you didn't"
said the motorist, 81 saw you stop
them-and then I passed that car
again 80 miles up the line. 10 still
makes me feel sick at my stom-
ach. The car was all folded up
like an accordion-the color was
jabout all there was left. They
we've all dead but one Of the kids
land he wasn't going to live to
the hospital"
Maybe it will make you sick at
your stomach, too. But unless
you're heavy-footed incurable, a
good look at the picture the art
ist wouldn't dare paint, first
hand acquaintance with the re-
suits of mixing gasoline with
speed and bad judgment, ought
to be we'll worth your while. l
can't help 1t if the facts are re-
Voting. Ii you have the nerve to
J drive fast and take chances, you
ought to have the nerve to take
the appropriate cure. You can't
ride an ambulance or watch the
doctor working on the victim in
the hospital, but you can read.
The automobile is treacherous,
just as cat Is. 1t is tragically diff
ficult to realize that it can be-
come the deadliest missile. As en-
,thusiasts tell you, it makes Go
feel like nothing at all. But So
an hour is. 100 feet a second, a
speed which puts viciously UNI.
| justified responsibility on brakes
and human reflexes, and can in
stantly turn this docile luxury in
to a mad bull elephant.
Collision, turnover or sideswipe,
each type of accident produces
either a SCATTERING dead stop or a
crashing change of direction -
and, since the occupant-mean-
ing you--continues in the old di-
rection at the original speed, ev-
ery surface and angle of the cars
interior Immediately becomes
gathering, tearing projectile, aim
led squarely at you - unacceptable.
There is no bracing yourself
lagainst these imperative laws of
momentum.
It's like going over Niagara
Falls in a steel barrel full of rail
road spikes. The best thing that
can happen to you-and one of
the rarer things-is to be thrown
out as the doors spring open, so
YOU have only the ground to
reckon with. True, you strike with
as much force as if you had been
thrown from the Twentieth Cen
fury at top speed. But at least
you are spared the lethal array
of cleaning metal knobs and
i, edges and glass inside. the car.
I Anything can happen IN that
split second of crash, even those