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Stand Back, Folks: 1917
Submitted by Dave on Tue, 01/13/2009 - 6:02pm.
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Our third look at that circa 1917 car wreck at Massachusetts Avenue and 21st Street N.W. in Washington. As with so many of these old glass negatives, mold is colonizing the thicker parts of the emulsion. The result is an accident scene that looks like it's been dusted with flour. National Photo Company. View full size.
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Eagle
Submitted by Rich Terrell on Wed, 01/14/2009 - 2:41pm.
Dave, I think you got it. Other details (radiator cap, horn) match nicely. Well done.
The Car
Submitted by Rich Terrell on Wed, 01/14/2009 - 2:01pm.
Has anyone identified the make of this auto? I didn't see a manufacturer's logo. It seems to be right-hand drive with controls outside the cab -- probably emergency brake. That great horn could be an add-on. With the worn and slightly tattered top it probably is dated sometime earlier than 1917.
[The hubs are embossed with what looks like the word "Eagle." Or maybe "circle." There's one more photo of this car left to post. - Dave]
Below, the 1907 New Eagle, a four-cylinder car made in England.
Bottle
Submitted by sjmills on Wed, 01/14/2009 - 12:06am.
What's that bottle for on the running board? If it were 50 years later or more, I'd say it's a fire extinguisher, or it's an NOS bottle and this heap piled up while draggin' fer pinks.
[It's acetylene gas for the headlights. - Dave]
Wrecks
Submitted by Fenfox on Tue, 01/13/2009 - 9:23pm.
All these early car accidents make me think surely there were carriage/wagon wrecks. Any pics of those?
[Not that I've seen. But there are plenty of newspaper accounts of "runaway teams," which seem to have been a major hazard. - Dave]
Honk
Submitted by Anonymous Tipster on Tue, 01/13/2009 - 9:14pm.
While the horn is certainly cool, it is not a Klaxon. Klaxons are electric or hand powered. This could be a Rubes horn.
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