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Nile Kinnick correspondence, December 1942-March 1943

1943-02-20: Page 02

best, but not to much avail. Opening the hood disclosed a conflagration of no small proportions. I never saw anything like it. The flames shot up as from a bonfire of twigs and leaves. It was evident, that if we didn't do something right away the whole doggone car would be endangered. Fortunately, we had stopped right in front of a house. I rushed in hardly bothering to knock, grabbed a kettle full of water and splashed it over the motor. A couple of such treatments did the job. Calling upon my wide mechanical experience I tried to analyze what had happened. Thought at first that there must have been a short in the wiring, but couldn't figure out what had caused the bang. Finally, decided we might as well try to start it again and see what happened. While Bill ground the starter I peered within the hood, listening like a master diagnostician. Just as it started I noticed a rather large hole in one of the rubber hoses which connected the radiator and cooling jacket around the cylinders. However, since there was a garage only about a quarter of a mile distant, we drove it, feeling that little damage could be done in that short while. The serviceman opined that anti-freeze had splashed all over the motor and that it had gotten hot enough to cause spontaneous combustion. Inasmuch, as the temperature gauge had indicated red a good deal

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best, but not to much avail. Opening the hood disclosed a conflagration of no small proportions. I never saw anything like it. The flames shot up as from a bonfire of twigs and leaves. It was evident, that if we didn't do something right away the whole doggone car would be endangered. Fortunately, we had stopped right in front of a house. I rushed in hardly bothering to knock, grabbed a kettle full of water and splashed it over the motor. A couple of such treatments did the job. Calling upon my wide mechanical experience I tried to analyze what had happened. Thought at first that there must have been a short in the wiring, but couldn't figure out what had caused the bang. Finally, decided we might as well try to start it again and see what happened. While Bill ground the starter I peered within the hood, listening like a master diagnostician. Just as it started I noticed a rather large hole in one of the rubber hoses which connected the radiator and cooling jacket around the cylinders. However, since there was a garage only about a quarter of a mile distant, we drove it, feeling that little damage could be done in that short while. The serviceman opined that anti-freeze had splashed all over the motor and that it had gotten hot enough to cause spontaneous combustion. Inasmuch, as the temperature gauge had indicated red a good deal