The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1902-09-05
HAS A NARROW ESCAPE 4 ||'.i'
PRESIDENTS CARRIAGE STRUCK
az A STREET CAR At $<sis
PITTsFlELD, MASS. y
KILLS WILLIAM CRAIG

KILLS WILLIAM CRAIG
Secret Service Officer Accompanying
the Party Falls Under the Car
Wheels and Meets a Tragic Death.
Driver of the Vehicle Seriously and,
Mr.. Roosevelt, Governor Crane ana
Secretary Corte'you Slightly Injured.
P:ttsfield, Mass. Sept. 4.-The presl-
dent of the United States escaped
tragic death by only few feet IN q
collision between his carriage ana an
electric street car in this city during
the day while one of his most trustee
guards, Secret Service Agent william
Craig, was instantly killed, and David
]. Pratt of Dalton. who was guiding
the horses attached to the vehicle,
was seriously injured. President
Roosevelt himself was badly shaken
up, but received only slight tacla1
bruise. Secretary Cortelyou, who oc-
cupled seat directly opposite the
president in the landau, sustained
minor wound in the back OF the head,
and Governor Crane. who sat beside
the president. extricated himself from
the wreck practically without
scratch. ID
The carriage was demolished by the
impact of the rapidly moving car ana
the wheel horse on the side nearest
the car, was killed outright. The
crew and passengers Of the car es-
CAPPED INJURY. d,
The president and party were drlv-,
ing from this city to lenox through
South street, one of the prlnclDal
thoroughtares OF Pittsfeld. which was
lined with cheering people and the
catastrophe occurred in plain view or
the hundreds whose happiness over
the arrival of the nations chief was
suddenly TUNED to grief. ~
Thousands had poured into the city.
in the early morning from the nearby
country to see ahu hear the president
and his address at the city park r
Had Been Loudly cheered.
At the conclusion of the exercises he
wished to make a brief call on former
Senator Dawes, whose house in Em
street, is but short distance from
the park. The presidents carriage,
in which he had ridden in from Gov
ernor Cranes home at Dalton. was &C
cordingly driven to the Dawes resi-
dence and carriages containing a num-
Der of other gentlemen in the party
followed. President Roosevelt's call
was a short one and then the carriages
returned to the city square.
After a few minutes delay the jour
ney to Lenox was begun. Meanwhile
the mounted escort of police officers
and the carriages containing the news
paper correspondents. who. haze &C.
coInpmleu the president on his tour,
had started off ahead on the road to
Lenox and were safe distance in adj
vance of the presidents equipage.
Three or four other open carriages
fell in line Immediately behind the
landau in which the president rode
with Secretary Cortelyou and Cover.
nor Crane Secret Service Agent
Craig, who throughout the New Eng
land tour, had almost constantly been
at the presidents elbow was on the
drivers box beside Coachman Pratt.
Out through South street Is broad
smooth highway. The tracks of the
Pittsfeld Electric Street railway are
laid in the center of the road with
ample room for teams on each side
and scores of vehicles Of every de.
scription followed along this road be-
hind ho nroci1onf'o nortv Shortly
after he left the park, an electric car,
which had been
Filled With Passengers
at that point, started toward Lenox,
well behind the procession. 1t passed
all of the teams and was about mile
and a half out from the city at the
beginning of Howard hill and was
nearly up to the presidents carriage,
which was travelling on the west side
of the highway. Just at the foot of
Howard hill, the road bends little
and teams are compelled to cross the
street railway tracks to the east side.
The railroad then continues at one
side of the street, instead of in the
center. Just at this point the up
grade of the hill begins and but a
short distance beyond the crossing
there Is a narrow bridge spanning
small brook.
The trolley car approached the road
crossing under a good head of speed
with gong changing just as the driver
of the presidents carriage turned his
leaders to cross the tracks. On each
side of the chief executives carriage
rode two mounted troopers of the local
nj IN
the left of the landau had turned on
to the track with the trolley car i'm
mediately behind them, though some
yards distant.
Alarmed by the changing gong, they
both turned in their saddles and
waved vigorously to the motorman to
stop his car. Almost at the same
instant Governor Crane, who quickly
% Ii Co.