Los Angeles herald., 1905-12-25
GRAHAM FAMILY HAS
MIRACULOUS ESCAPE
FROM AWFUL DEATH

Of the many miraculous escapes from
instant death that of "A. S. Graham,
wife and three children of 21S North
Fremont street was among the most
remarkable. Mr.. Graham and family
had spent the afternoon at the Ostrich
farm and transferred to the Second
street car which met the impact Of the
death engine as it plunged down the
hill with fearful speed. Marrila and
Kitty, the daughters, aged 20, and IS
years, occupied front seat section of
the open part into which the runaway
! car hurled itself. And that both were
| not instantly crushed betook of the
nature of divine providence. Marria
was the most severely injured and for
| many minutes was in a constant state
of the widest Mysteries.
Both young women were found hud-
died in the wreckage with the blood
| flowing from their faces and hands as
q result of the shower of broken glass
which covered the space surrounding
the scene Of the castrophe.
They were carried into Deans drug
store and at first it was thought they
| they had been badly injured. The
mother and father, with the baby boy,
had found seat at the rear of the car
on the open section next to the window.
!
| but managed to step over the railing
OF the upturned car and reach the
street in safety. Mrs. Graham between
gasps of pain from bruises which were
swelling on her face and tears of happi-
ness at the thought that her family
| had passed through the frightful ordeal,
told of the experience.
Sees Husband Injured
I,o1
aged to find seat on the rear of the
car and i held the baby in my arms. I
knew the girls were sitting on the front
section, and when the crash came 1t
| stunned me for a moment.
"The first thing J. knew was that |
still held the baby, and then | saw Mr..
! Graham lying on the floor with his face
covered with blood and a cash on the
| side of his head. He managed to get
up and we stepped over the side of the
| car onto the street. i was almost
crazy for the moment as | heard the
people shouting, and realized that my
| girls were perhaps lying under the car.
1--WE hunted for twenty minutes be-
| fore finding them in the drug store.
Then they took us to the receiving hos
pjtal and let us come home"
Marrila, the Oldest daughter, was
unable to walk and moaned as though
badly hurt while being assisted from
the car which carried them TO their
home She was partially dazed but
told of the scene which preceded the
acciden..
I'VE had just sat down on the front
seat of the car which was standing on
| Second street when the other car
came upon us. Kitty was sitting by
me and we did not see the other car
| 10 l..
was the people running away and then
the shock came. 1t was all dark till
L found myself in the drug store"
Kitty, the younger daughter, was Sc
verely bruised about the head which
was a mass of bumps, from the force
with which she was thrown against the
side of the car.
Passengers Pray
Miss Helen Hawvichorst was on the
front end of the runaway car. She
saw that the motornan had lost con-
troll and ran to the rear. Panic stricken
the passengers, as Miss Hawvichorst
described them, We're crushing each
other or upon their knees praying to
be saved.
With an appalling crash the cars
struck and Miss Hawvichorst was
hurled against the rear end of the car.
"Ohl il was AWFUL exclaimed the
Young woman. 1--WE were helpless and
everyone seemed to think that they
had met their doom. ] expected to be
killed when the crash caIne-and |
never want such an experience again"
o, p Weddel, 1445 East Fiftieth
street, with his wife and three chill
dren were on the Hollywood car. Be-
fore they were aware of what was
about to occur the crash came, Mrs.
Weddel was thrown forward against
the seat in front and her little daugh-
ter Freda, that she was holding on
her lap, was badly bruised. Gertrude
and Willard and Mr. Weddell were cut
by flying glass.
Stitches Save Life
w. G. Thompson of Santa Monica
was one of those who made the wild
ride down Second street and the fact
that doctor was on the scene to
take several stitches, which stopped
the squirting blood that flowed from
the severed artery of his right wrist,
saved his life.
Thompson was carried from the car
to a room in the Hollenbeck hotel,
where everything possible was done
to alleviate the pain of the gaping
wound.
DIR. j. c. Ferbert, who had been eat
ing dinner In the Iollenbeck cafe, at
tended the injured man and stopped
the flow of blood. Had this con-
tinuea fifteen minutes longer the man
would have bled to death as the radial