Saves 4 From Runaway Trolley Car

1920

Rescuer Catches Up With an Auto

WORCESTER, Massachusetts— There are a lot of thrillers in real life that rival anything ever seen in the movies. And Mrs. Bertha Velle and her three children of Bramanville, Mass., will fervently subscribe to the statement. For Mrs. Velle and her youngsters had an experience with a trolley car followed by a heroic rescue that they'll never forget. In some unknown manner the brakes became loose just after they had climbed on the car and the car started on a wild run down the steep hill. Mrs. Velle fainted and her children clung frantically to her. But Arthur Heywood, the motorist, hailed a passing auto, gave chase, and pulled off the rescue in a manner that would have made Douglas Fairbanks green with envy.

It all happened a few days ago. Mrs. Velle and the three children went to Worcester to bring a charge of non-support against her husband. They waited for a trolley car in the outskirts of the city. Finally one came. The motorist and conductor went away to make their reports while Mrs. Velle and the children entered the car.

Car Speeds Down Hill.

They were chatting when the car suddenly began to move a little. In a few seconds it had gained more speed. Mrs. Velle gave a scream of horror as she saw that they were going over the brink of a steep hill. She rushed to the brakes. The car had already started down hill and was going at a terrific speed, swaying from one side to another as if it were to leap the rails at any moment.

The woman tugged frantically at the brakes, while her babies clung to her and screamed. Then she fainted.

Arthur Heywood, the motorist of the car, appeared on the scene. just as the car began to speed down the hill.

Catches Car in Flying Leap.

He hailed a passing automobile and a wild race began. But the auto, a high-powered machine, soon caught up and Heywood made a flying leap from the auto to the car platform. It was soon brought to a standstill.

Mrs. Velle, after being revived, went on to Worcester, where she appeared in court against her husband on a charge of non-support.

—The Saturday Blade, Chicago, Aug. 7, 1920, p. 1.

Chicago Chief's Automobile Ran Amuck

1910

CHICAGO. — An exhibition that appeared to be a cross between an imitation of a bucking broncho and a runaway train was given by Assistant Chief of Police Schuettler's red touring car in front of the temporary city hall on Randolph street one morning a few days ago.

While John Upton, chauffeur, was cranking the machine he was surprised to see it start backward. He made a wild dash for the brake, but the auto got away from him. It swept backward at increasing speed, crashed into a Milwaukee avenue car, swung completely around, and, heading west, went over the curbstone and knocked down several signs. It was heading for the basement door of a building at 211 Randolph street, but suddenly changed its mind and plunged off down the street.

"Upton chased the runaway to Franklin street, where he succeeded in getting control of the brakes. His victory was applauded loudly by a crowd of pedestrians who had fled to places of safety in near-by stores when the auto headed down the street.

Chauffeur Upton doesn't think the auto itself is to be blamed for "running amuck." In a written report to the assistant chief, Upton gives it as his professional opinion that while he was cranking the machine, somebody released the brakes and gave her full speed backward, just to see what would happen.

Upton had driven the assistant chief from his home, 3453 Bosworth avenue, to the temporary city hall. The auto was stopped on the south side of the street, heading east. The engine had "gone dead," and after Mr. Schuettler had stepped out the chauffeur started the cranking process. Then the excitement began.

In the early part of its surprising career the auto was chased by Chauffeur Upton, Sergt. Denman, Patrolman Quirk and a dozen pedestrians. When the machine buckled the curb and described an arc back into the street, the pedestrians concluded that they had had enough and fled for shelter. Upton and the bluecoats ran around in circles for a few moments, and then the bluecoats, too, turned the responsibility over to Upton and left the scene with much enthusiasm.

Inventors At Work — An Idea in Parachutes

1896

An Italian aeronaut named Copazza has invented two balloon attachments, which are said to have fully realized the expectations formed of them. The one is an enormous parachute stretched over a balloon, and the other a folded parachute hanging under the basket.

If the aeronaut finds that his balloon is rising too fast he opens the folded parachute, which immediately acts as a huge air brake and effectually retards progress.

On the other hand, should the air vessel explode through expansion, fire, or any other cause, the top parachute comes into action and a descent may be made without the slightest inconvenience.


A New Telephone

A Russian electrician named Kiltschewsky has perfected a telephone which practically disregards distance. At a recent test between Moscow and Rostoff, 890 miles, talking, singing and instrumental music at one end of the line were distinctly heard by listeners at the other. An experiment is to be made by land wires and Atlantic cables in talking between London and New York.

Car Embarks on Driverless Jaunt

Nebraska, 1934

A runaway created a few thrilling moments for folks on main street Tuesday, but it wasn't the familiar spectacle of olden days when frightened horses often embarked on a mad jaunt minus a driver; the runaway in this case was a "horseless carriage" belong to Rudolph Gustafson.

Gustafson stopped his car, a Model "A" Ford, in the alley at the side of his house on Second street, behind Jacobs' studio, and apparently forgot to set the brakes properly. He stepped into the house and when he returned, the car had started its ride to freedom. Gustafson attempted to run after the car and stop it but he stumbled and fell, and the auto continued a winding path westward and downhill, toward the bright light section.

At the bottom of the hill the car jumped the curbing by the Jacobs studio and kept rolling across main street until its journey was terminated abruptly by a collision with a cement block in front of Nelson Bros. garage. Had it not turned a bit too much to the right, the author would have gone straight through the door into the garage.

It missed, however, and now it reposes in the garage through necessity. The crash into the cement block bent the front axle and the front end of the frame, and also broke the flywheel and clutch housing.

—Oakland Independent and Republican, Oakland, Nebraska, June 29, 1934, p. 4.