STUDENTS JOKE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 2768, 7 August 1924, Page 4

STUDENTS JOKE.

When a joke is carried to the extent that life and property are endangered as occurred at Dunedin recently during the University Students’ Capping Day Carnival, it is a matter for authorities of a town to that a repetition does not occur. About three o’clock in the afternoon one of the Maori Hill electric cars proceeding to the cablecar junction, end, in addition to a fairly large freight of ordinary passengers, had in the rear and about the foot-board a number of students in characteristic carnival attire. Just before the tram reached the bend in City Road someone thought it would be an excellent joke to remove the trolley from the overhead wire. This was done, and the motorman lost control of the car. At first he did not know what had happened, and therefore reversed the power —usually a quicker method of bringing a ear to a stop than applying the. brake. This had no effect, and the ear jumped the rails and proceeded down City Road for about 50yds. , cutting through the concrete pavement as as though it was cheese, and coming to a standstill against a wirenetting fence. It was. only by the merest chance that it kept its wheels, for the road is very steep and lies on a slant. The motorman had the presence of mind not to apply the brakes after the car left the rails, as this, would certainly have capsized it. Strange to say, the ear itself was only slightly damaged; two windows being broken.