Death through a Sneeze.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 28 August 1914, Page 2

Death through a Sneeze.

SERIOUS ACCIDENTS FROM TRIVIAL CAUSES.

'On my flight Ohio," said Mr. Harry Alwooii, the American aviator who is creating new records for long-distance flights, "a small flew into my nose. I felt the sneezing convulsion coining: on and fought against it. Realising that a sneeze was inevitable, I braced myself so that I would not lose possession of my senses, even for an instant. It was the first time I had ever to sneeze while in the air, and it immediately dawned upon me that many an aviator probably owed his death to a sneeze—the spasmodic jerking of the head, the brief loss of sense direction, and probably the jerk of a lever which made recovery of balance impossible. Believe me, I never again want to sneeze while flying. It is one of the most serious perils of aviation."

over Cleveland

Through the driver of a 40-h.p. landaulet, travelling from Yarmouth

to London, putting up one hand to save his cap from being blown off, the car was capsized and wrecked. The momentary loss of control caused the car to swerve. It glanced against a telegraph-post, dashed up a bank into a fence, and then turn ed over. There were five men in the car, all of whom were more or less injured. The well-known story of George Stephenson and his reputed saying that "it would be all the worse for the coo" if it charged an oncoming train, would certainly generally be borne out by facts, although an obstruction .as heavy as a cow might i even derail a rapidly moving express train. Even an end-on collision between a train and a thrush was responsible for' an unexpected accident some weeks ago. The Irish Mail was running between Chester and Holyhead at high speed, when the left hand glass through which the engine-driver was looking ahead' was smashed, and he was struck with such violence in his eye that he stepped backwards considerably dazed. The fireman saw that his driver was injured and, looking round for an explanation, discovered a dead thrush on the footboard. That a little bird of such slight build and weight but weighing but a few! ounces should smash and' actually come through glass a quarter of an inch thick and hit the driver a blow in the eye constitutes an extraordinary and unexpected happening. Needless to say, the thrush was as dead as the proverbial doornail. If pretty Miss Ethel McGowan, teacher of music in Baylor University, U.S.A., were not so popular she would not now be confined to her bed in weakness and pain. One of her student admirers, Miss Grace Harrison, an expert basket-ball player, returned from a vacation, and, overjoyed at the sight of Miss McGowan, threw her muscular arms round the teacher's little waist, and hugged her with all her strength. Something cracked and Miss Mc- [ Gowan fainted, to the astonishment and fear of Miss Harrison. A physician was summoned, and found that three of Miss McGowan's ribs were cracked by the hug. There is only one instance on record of a man being shot by a dog. This happened near Harwich, from which town a. young man had gone out in a motor-car with some friends rabbit shooting. The sport being finished, the guns were placed in the car in readiness for the return journey. By an oversight one of them was left loaded and at half-cock, and just as the young man stepped into the car, his dog, which had been leaping and playing around him, bounded on to the car, touched the trigger, and shot his master.— "Tit Bits. ""