The plot of The Great Accident revolves around Congressman Amos Caretall. He has a steel-trap mind and is considerate, courteous, and deceptively slow-moving. Except for the back-room saloons that prey on the town's weaker citizens, he adores his hometown of Hardiston, Ohio. Winthrop Chase Sr., the smooth-talking smelter owner who is running for mayor and aspires to higher office, is Caretall's only local political rival. But, as the Congressman is well aware, Chase has a flaw: Winthrop Chase Jr., an otherwise intelligent and capable young man who drowns himself in alcohol. Caretall declares his intention to “back a Chase for mayor” just before the election. In the year that follows, the plan he implements results in positive change for Hardiston as a whole and young Wint Chase in particular.
