MOTOR COLLISION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 89, 10 September 1914, Page 7

MOTOR COLLISION.

TRAVELLING AT 05 MILES AN HOUR. A shocking accident occurred in connection with the Victoria Motor Cycle Club's "23 miles race held a few days ago, through two riders meeting "head-on." The contest was held over an out-and-home course (a most dangerous proceeding when men arc travelling at 05 miles an hour in opposite directions), and attracted the fastest riders in Victoria. Dowel, who was riding a powerful S-h.p. .I.A.P. machine, started from scratch,, and overtook Thornton (7-hp.. Indian) before reaching the turn, 12'/ 2 m il cs ol, tDowel and J. Booth (7-h.p. Indian) arrived at the turn at about the same time, and immediately set out in pursuit of a batch of four fiders who had just set off. Accelerating rapidly, they both reached a speed of about 05 miles an hour, and had entered the dust oE the front men, when Thornton came along at top speed in the opposite direction. The handle-bars of Dowel's and Thornton's machines locked, and the riders were thrown with terrific force into the air. Thornton landed some ",oft away from the spot where the impact occurred, while Dowel came to earth on the grass about 35ft away from the scene of the collision. Both men rolled some distance, however, and fully 150 ft separated them when they came to a stop.

In tUo meantime Booth, seeing the machines locked, was in danger of "becoming sandwiched between, hut just aH he came up the motor cycles opened out, and he dashed through. The way on Dowel's machine, however, was so great that its momentum was scarcely checked by the collision, and as Booth, passed, it swerved towards him. Seein" his danger, Booth swung one leg over hi" tank, and rode side-saddle for an instant, and vrhen the riderless motor eve.li- crashed into his mount he, jumped oil'. As he was travelling at ahoiit the same speed as Dowell, viz., 65 miles an hunr. His feet had no sooner touched the "round than he turned a somersault, lirst'pitcuimr on his liead, and then rollin" over and over, until ho came to rest otf top of Dowel. As he was wearimr a padded safety helmet, lie was only dazed liv the fall, hut the force wit.i which he struck the road when lie jamp,,l ripped the heels off his heot-\ Uool l, Dowel and Thornton were all severely injured, and were removed in an ambulance to the Jlomoepathic Hospital. H is expected that Dowell and '1 l.ornton will each need to have an arm amputated.