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V I McCormick messenger. McCormick, s. c.. Thursday, march 3,1938 Safety Workers Recruit Science In Battle on Highway Fatalities r ( © IMBEDDED ELECTRIC CABLE CONTROLLING STEERING WHEEL CHANNELIZES Tf EFFECT OF WINDSHIELD WIPERS. "> CURE FOR HAZARD ZIONE. INFRA-RED BEAM V PHOTO ELECTRIC EYE INFRA- RED LAMP ELECTRIC BUMPERS @ U WARNING BY* RADIO \ l ELECTRIC EYES AUTOMATIC HIGHWAY LIGHTING Clintock. This development will also make use of infra-red light rays and photo-electric cells, he says. When the first “one-lunger” chugged down Main street, a speed of 30 miles an hour was considered remarkable, and as a result, no par ticular demand was put on the brakes. Nowadays, stock cars are manufactured with much greater speeds, and more efficient brakes have followed—brakes which can bring cars to a stop in less than half the distance formerly required, if the proper traction can be ob tained on the road surface. Such traction is a simple matter when road surfaces are dry, ac cording to Professor Lessells, edi tor of the technical journal of the American Society of Mechanical En gineers. Eliminating the “hazprd zone”— where wet pavement causes skid ding accidents—will be one of sci ence’s greatest contributions to traf- Antomatic Gadgets Will Eliminate Human Element in Autos of the Future, Say Pioneering Engineers—Read and Gasp at Their Elaborate Precautionary Plans! By JOSEPH W. LaBINE Automobile accidents dealt sudden death to 39,700 persons and cost the nation two billion dollars last year. That is not news. It is an all-time record and a disgrace which should be emblazoned in letters of fire along every high way of the land, although it already has screamed from many headlines in the last few weeks. - But today, for the first time, there is a definite, organized war being carried into every corner of the United States by an army of 8,000,000 who, with their families, make up a quarter of the nation’s population, in an effort to drive the grim reaper from the highway once and for all. j THAT is NEWS. And scientists today are able to predict confidently that the time is in sight when science will take over the con trol of a moving car when it is not & safe to leave the control in the driver’s hands—and restore that control to the driver at times when nature would ordinarily take it away from him. THAT is news, too. Twelve far-seeing national, civic, educational and business organiza tions are recruiting the troops for the war on death. . One would expect to find lined up in such a campaign the American Automobile association, the Auto motive Safety Foundation, the High way Education board, the Interna tional Association of Chiefs of Po lice, the National Automobile Deal ers’ association and the National Safety council—and so they are. But it is encouraging to learn that the banner is also being carried by such ordinarily independent groups as the American Legion, the Gen eral Federation of Women’s Clubs, the National Congress of Parent- Teachers and the National Grange. Particularly the National Grange, for in the rural areas more auto mobile accidents result in swift and horible death, relatively, than in the more crowded thoroughfares of the cities. Science Takes a Hand. And it is especially heartening to discover that two active groups rep resent the scientific resources of two great universities. These are the Traffic Safety institute of North western university in Evanston, 111., and the bureau of street traffic re search of Harvard university at Cambridge, Mass. Two “crystal-gazers” of science —Dr. Miller McClintock, director of the Harvard bureau, and Prof. John M. Lessells, of Massachusetts In stitute of Technology—recently star tled the automotive world with vi sions of the day science will make highway accidents next to impossi ble. Dr. McClintock speaks of the day to come when invisible “electric bumper” rays will prevent one mo torist from colliding with another, no matter how careless he may be. “It is possible to lay in the pave ment itself electrical cables which, when a car comes to a dangerous curve or around an obstruction, would automatically take the steer ing from the driver by radio con trol and thus center the car over the cable and steer it safely around the curve or obstruction,” Dr. Mc Clintock explains. Pointing to the success of “in visible eye” controls in other fields, the scientist predicts the use of electric bumpers. This would be made possible by installing infra red lights in the rear of automo biles, which would actuate photo electric cells in front of other cars. This “invisible eye” would reduce the speed of a car overtaking an other too rapidly. Lighting the Way. Cars of the future may them selves turn on and off the lights used to illuminate highways at night, it is predicted by Dr. Mc- Here are traffic developments predicted for the future: (1) Guid ing cars automatically by invisible rays from cables in a street. (2) Ending motoring’s “hazard zone” with—in effect—a battery of wind shield wipers through non - skid methods. (3) Infra-red rays from car to car to slow down vehicles approaching too rapidly. (4) Radio beam warnings from one car to an other. (5) Electric eyes to control highway lighting so that any given area is illuminated only when traffic requires it. on the road—10,000,000 more cars than now choke the highways! Except for the relatively few heavy traffic routes which are prop erly lighted, the inadequate systems used for illuminating the highways, and the blinding glare of head lights on the road, are two chief reasons given for rural roads being the scene of most fatal auto acci dents. Science is developing a new sys tem of highway lights for certain areas which will supply long-range visibility without glare—illuminat ing the road so that a driver can see as far ahead as in clear day light. Glareless Headlights. Because the taxpayers would groan if all highways were flood lighted by this new lighting sys tem, traffic experts say that glare less headlights will be necessary on 90 per cent of the highways. Here, too, science has the answer in de velopment of polarized glass for headlights and windshields to elim inate glare without reducing the amount of light on the road ahead. Looking to the car of the future itself, the public is assured by the auto makers that the cars of the next few years will make the pres ent models look more antiquated than the first horseless carriages. A crystal-gazing picture of what m Dr. Miller McClintock, director of Harvard university bureau of street traffic research, examines a model “city of the future,” where traffic will move quickly along super-highways. fic safety, according to Professor Lessells. Pointing out that the solution of the problem must be found at the point where the car makes con tact with the road, Professor Les sells adds: “If we can instantane ously create a dry surface, over which the tire is always passing, the car’s brakes will keep it under control. I anticipate that some way will soon be found to make this possible.” Autos on Increase. The car owner who thinks that traffic safety will come only when fewer autos are on the highways is in for a big disappointment, if a recent survey of automobile and traffic experts means anything. They expect, on the basis of pres ent trends, that the next 20 years will find 37,000,000 motor vehicles kind of a car today’s driver may be riding in tomorrow, is given by Capt. Eddie Rickenbacker, World war ace, and engineering “proph et.” Captain Rickenbacker predicts: “It will be an attractive car to ride in. In size and appearance the in terior will be like a small living room. It will be air-conditioned and there will be no noise or vi bration. “You will have to look twice to find the engine. It will be less conspicuous than in cars today. It may be x-shaped or it may be radi al like certain airplane engines. It may be in front or it may be be hind. In any case, it will be lighter and more compact but just as pow erful as the engines you are used to.” © Western Newspaper Union. Historic Hoaxes By ELMO SCOTT WATSON © Western Newspaper Union. Horrors of the Drouth TOURING the great drouth of 1936 an enterprising photographer sold to news picture companies three “views from the drouth area of North Dakota” which were printed in newspapers all over the country. One showed the water in the Mis souri river near Stanton so low that automobiles could ford the “Big Muddy” without difficulty; another depicted “a herd of cattle from the drouth area contentedly grazing on the state capitol grounds at Bis marck”; and a third, the whitened skull of a steer lying on a bare spot of pasture that had been parched and cracked by the heat. Widespread publication of these pictures caused great indignation throughout North Dakota because its citizens knew that they were gross exaggerations. One of the leading papers of the state, the Fargo Forum, exposed the hoax by reprinting the pictures labeled “It’s a Fake.” Along with the Missouri river pic- ture was printed one showing a Stanton ferry crossing the stream which, it declared, was 15 feet deep at that place. The second was la beled “a photographic trick—super imposing a picture of a herd of cattle on a picture of the North Dakota capitol building. Where those cows are presumably grazing is a graveled parking lot at the rear of the state capitol, thickly dot ted with cars at all hours of the day.” As for the steer’s skull it was called a “movable ‘prop’ which comes in handy for photographers who want to touch up their pictures with a bit of the grisly” and it was pointed out that it was “a typical alkali flat, left when melting snow water and spring rains have passed. Without difficulty, one can find these in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Indi ana, wherever one chooses.” • • • The Floating Cabaret D ACK in 1924 the New York Her- aid Tribune printed a story which sent the United States coast guard on a wild goose chase all up and down the Atlantic seaboard. It was in the days of prohibition and this story described a 17,000-ton “floating cabaret” with an old-fash ioned American bar, a ballroom, a jazz band and beautiful chorus girls —all provided for the entertainment of wealthy New Yorkers who visit ed this “joy spot” every night. The story had been turned in by a young reporter named Sanford Jarrell who claimed that he had been an eye-witness of the merry making going on there. Then Jar rell was sent out to get more details of the illicit bar. But instead of coming back with one, he sent back a signed confession that it was all a hoax. He had concocted the yarn to win the attention of his city edi tor. So copies of his confession, with the Herald-Tribune’s apologies for being the unwitting perpetrator of the hoax, were sent to all the oth er New York papers which had been playing up the story, based upon Jarrell’s “revelations.” However, a movie company which was just about to release a new pic ture called “Wine” capitalized on the excitement over this story. It placed an advertisement in all the papers in the form of a letter signed by “the captain of the 12-mile limit cafe” and advised readers to go to the manager of your favorite pic ture theater and whisper “show me Wine.” He will do the rest. A great many did—and he did, thereby in creasing box office receipts mate rially. • • • The Iron Maiden C'OR many years Nuremberg, Ger- * many, was famous all over the world for a relic that was consid ered the most terrible instrument of torture ever devised by man. It was called the “Iron Maiden,” a huge iron box, in the form of a cloaked and hooded woman, with hinged sides. Inside was an ingenious ar rangement of razor-sharp pro jections so placed that, when a com plicated clockwork slowly closed the doors upon the unfortunate prisoner, his eyes, heart and other vital or gans were pierced. According to tradition, more than one witch died a horrible death with in the embrace of the “Iron Maid en” and the sight of it caused many a shudder when this and other sinis ter examples of medieval cruelty from the notorious tower of Nurem berg were taken on a tour and ex hibited in the leading cities of the world. In 1931, however, the “Iron Maiden” was exposed as a hoax by Fraulein Hildegard Kartner, who announced that this instrument of torture did not date from medie- vsif times, nor had anyone ever been killed in it. Instead, the “Iron Maid en” was the invention of her great- uncle, an antiquarian who had con structed it back in 1867 to satis fy an apparent public taste for “horror relics” and who had made up an appropriate story to go with it. Mocking Bird States The mocking bird is the state bird of Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas. OP?. SEW 4^"* Ruth Wyeth Spears Min fl£D LIGHT BUM FMM mm RED W E HAVE been hearing a good deal about American handcrafts lately. Of course, quilts have always been impor tant among our needlework hand crafts. So many readers have written asking me for more of the old fashioned embroidery stitches that were used in making crazy patchwork that I have collected dozens and dozens of these quaint stitches from old quilts. Some of them are so attractive and col orful that it seemed a pity not to use them for modem decora tive purposes. This gay little double house effect built upon blanket stitches with chain stitches flaunting from all gables was the invention of someone’s great-grandmother and I couldn’t resist using it for a luncheon set of light blue linen. It originally adorned a light blue satin patch in a quilt and all the other colors indicated here in the sketch are the original colors. All the strands of six-strand mercerized embroidery thread were used for the luncheon set. The mats were hemmed first and then the blanket stitches were taken through the hems to make a firm edge as shown at the lower right. All the other stitches used are clearly illustrated. Just the edge stitches without the little houses were used for the nap kins. Many more authentic old patchwork stitches are illustrat ed in a new leaflet which is free upon request with the booklet of fered below. Have you a copy of Mrs. Spears’ new book SEWING? It TIPS ,0 (jardeners Seed Treatment ^EEDS are sometimes treated to ^ hasten germination or to com bat disease. The following prac tices are recommended by Harold N. Coulter, vegetable expert of the Ferry Seed Institute. For more rapid germination: Chip or nick the seed coat of the following flower seeds: Lathy- rus (perennial sweet pea,) the lupins, moonflower, all morning glories, and annual sweet peas. Be careful not to damage the in terior of the seed. Remove the tough outer shell of abronia (sand verbena,) castor bean, nasturtium, and momor- dica. Soak the following flower seeds in water for 12 hours: Canna lily, Job’s tears, sweet pea, all morn ing glories, and momordica. For preventing disease: Soak the following vegetable seeds in hot water at exactly 122 degrees F. for precisely 30 min utes to combat black rot and black leg: Broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower and collards. ^Tavotlte /Qeclpa of} the IVeeh 1 tsp. salt 2 slices of onion Va tsp. paprika PIMIENTO BISQUE T HE soup described below is delicious. It has a delectable flavor and the rich color of the pimientoes gives just the desired red touch to the finished product. 1 can cream of celery soup 1 cup milk 3 pimientoes If canned condensed soup is used, prepare according to direc tions on the label and then add 1 cup of milk. If canned ready-to- serve cream of celery soup is used, pour the contents into a pan and add the cup of milk. Rub the pimientoes through a sieve and add to the soup. Add salt, onion and paprika and heat until the soup is hot. Stir frequently to pre vent scorching. Remove the onion before serving. Serves 6. MARJORIE H. BLACK. contains forty-eight pages of step- by-step directions for making slip covers and dressing tables; cur tains for every type of room; lampshades, rug and other use ful articles for the home. Copy will be sent postpaid, upon re ceipt of 25 cents (coins pre ferred). Address Mrs. Spears, 210 South Desplaines St., Chicago, 111. LINEAGE LONGER THAN A KING 9 SI For 80 years, generation after generation of flower and vege table seeds have been grown and gradually perfected by the unique Ferry-Morse Seed- Breeding Institute. Some have twenty generations behind them —for it takes time to produce prize-winning strains. Each year, before Ferry's Seeds are packeted, the same Institute tests them all for growing ability—and grows and analyzes each variety for trae- ness to type. Only seeds that have passed their tests appear in the famil iar Ferry’s Seeds store display. Choose your seeds there — and be sure of a fine garden this year! 5c a packet and up. 1938 novelties too! Ferry-Morss Seed Co., Detroit, San Francisco. FERRY’S SEEDS Habit of Industry Acquire the habit of untiring in> dustry and of doing everything well.—Todd. Now Real Economy! 1 doz. St. Joseph Aspirin lOo 3 do*. St. Jossph Aspirin—_20o 8 Vi do*. St. Joseph Aspirin-3 So St.Joseph GENUINE PURE ASPIRIN Have Both If there is anything better than to be loved, it is loving.—Anon. Our Friends Friends are not so easily mads as kept.—Lord Halifax. BACKACHES NEED WARMTH Thousands who suffered miserable backache* pains in shoulder er hips, now put on All cock’s Porous Plaster and find warm, sooth- ins relief. Muscle pains caused by rheuma tism. arthritis, sciatica, lumbaso and strain* all respond instantly to the slow of warmth that makes you feel sood right away. Allcock’s Plaster brlnss blood to tho painful spot . . . treats backache where It is. Alleock’s lasts tons, comes off easily. It is the orisinal porous plaster... suaran- teed to brins instant relief, or money back. Over 6 million All cock’s Plasters used. 16* ALLCOCK’S