The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1902-08-27
CHARIOT
OF DEATH.
Frank J. Matthews
Rides to a Horli-
BILE Fate in His
Auto.
FAIR GUEST DEAD TOO
Shocking Tragedy at Elber-
Vehicle "Skids"
and Plunges From
a Bridge.
pAOLIsT FATHER HURT
Mrs. Cobb Instantly Killed
and Mrs. Pizzini Seriously
Hurt-Grief and Hor-
ror Among Jersey
City Friends.

Late yesterday afternoon the shocking
news reached this city that Frank j.
Mathews, the we'll known real estate
agent. had been killed by his automobile
plunging over a bridge on to the tracks
of the New York and Long Branch
Railroad in Elberon One of his guests,
Mrs. Kenneth Cobb, of Atlanta, Ga,
was alsg iHstantfy kiffeti. and her sister
iu-law. Mrs. Louise Pizzini, is seriously
injured. The fourth member of the par
ty. Rev. Father Grant escaped with
slight bruises, and the chauffeur was un-
hurt
Word of the accident was received by
Mr.. Robert S. Ross, of the Commercial
Trust Company, brother-in-law OF Mr.
Mathews, few minutes before three
o'clock, and he at once set out for the
scene of the disaster. There are several
accounts Of the sad affair, but the fol
lowing seems to be the most veracious:-
1t was early in the afternoon when
Mr.. Mathews called at the Hathaway Inn
at Deal and invited Rev. Father Patrick
J. Grant of the Paulist Fathers, New
York, and Mrs. Cobb and Mrs. Pizzini, OF
~
Richmond, Va, to go with him in his
new machine He was in charge Of the
controlling levers and the steering wheel
Mrs Cobb sat beside him. On the rear
seat were Mrs Pizzini and Father Grant.
Chauffeur Meyer was on the rumble. The
automobile was capable of high speed
and it moved briskly along the Norwood
Avenue Boulevard northward to Elberon.
Here it was decided to go over to the
Ocean Drives so the machine was head
ed eastward through Park avenue.
On the way it had to cross the bridge
over the tracks of the New York and
Long Branch Railroad. To do this it
had TO ascend sharp rise in the road
Mr.. Mathews put on all the power and
went sailing up the hill
TWO VERSIONS OF ACCIDENT.
There are two versions of what fol
lowed. One is that the fore wheels of
the automobile struck the trolley tracks
and were swung out Of their path so that
the heavy machine went crashing through
the guard rail of the bridge. The other
is that Mr. Mathews. as he came over
the top of the little hill, suddenly saw
ahead of him William H. Havens,
gardener for G. G. Afinzeheimer, walking
in the path Of the machine. Mr.. Mathews
swung the automobile aside, shutting off
power with the lever under his right foot
and applying the brake.
But before the brake could check the
fight of the automobile its great weight
caused it to skid That is. although
the fore wheels were turned to one side
In order to change the machines direc-
tion. its impetus was so great and the
road SO smooth that it continued along
almost the same path it was originally
following. The difference this made TO
Havens was that it saved his lifeA For
the automobile, instead of striking him
head on and running over him, hit him
sidewise and knocked him down.
CRASHED OVER BRIDGE.
For a moment it seemed as If the au-
tolnobile could be stopped in time to keep
it on the bridge. but although the last
six or eight feet of its slide were very
slow. il moved irresistibly against the
wooden guard rail and swept it away.
There was no time for outcry. After
fhc crashing and crunclling as the four
thousands pounds Of metal ground
through the frail wooden rail there was
no sound until the automobile fell upon
the railroad tracks thirty five feet be-
low.
inst rs tile rear wheels were going
over the brink, Chauffeur Meyer Ieaped
frotn his seat at the back Of the ma
chine.
He fell heavily on the door of the