The Perils of Early Motoring
A local market owner survives a harrowing roadside accident near the N. P. bridge.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Wm. Dircksen and his Ford runabout had a narrow escape from serious injury Tuesday night. As Mr. Dircksen was driving from town to his home on the river front, his Ford missed its footing and rolled down an embankment at the side of the road this side of the N. P. bridge. Mr. Dircksen landed with the machine on top of him but succeeded in extricating himself and made his way to the home of Mike Driscoll where he summoned assistance from town by telephone. Other than a bruised and cut forearm, a broken windshield and battered fenders, Billy and the Ford came out of the mishap with no serious injuries, and both were on duty at Dircksen’s Market the next day.
“Mr. Dircksen landed with the machine on top of him but succeeded in extricating himself.”
In 1914, early automobiles like the Ford runabout were navigating unpaved roads and steep river embankments with rudimentary safety features. While modern roads around the river front have been stabilized, the inherent tension between early infrastructure and new transit technology echoes in today's local debates over traffic safety.
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