Los Angeles herald., 1906-07-07
.AUTOISTS FACE
SUDDEN DEATH
LANKERSHIM PARTY C0LLIDES
WITH FLYER
Machine Is Badly Damaged, but oc-
cupants Escape Unhurt-PIaee
No Blame on Motorman
of Car

In a collision between the Santa Mon
lea flyer" car No. 222, and an auto
mobile at the corner of Western ave"
nue. and West Sixteenth street yester-
day afternoon, Colonel j. B. Lanker-
SHIN and party of friends narrowly es-
capped instant death.
The party was returning from a
visit to Colonel Lankershim's ranch in
Cahuenga canyon. The other occupants
of the automobile were Mr.. and Mrs.
NJ. b. Blakemore, Mrs j. Z. Lane and
and f. f. Westergreen. All escaped
without the slightest injury.
Failure of the brake of the automo-
bile to work at the critical moment
was responsible for the collision. The
machine was driven along at slow
speed and as it approached the Los
Angeles Pacific tracks Mr.. Blakemore
saw a car approaching at high rate
of speed and threw on the brake.
But the brake failed to work. The
machine crossed the outbound tracks
and did not stop until within a few
bound tracks.
Machine Is Wrecked
The failure of the brake to work
came so unexpectedly that it was only
through the presence of mind of Mr.
Blakemore who foresaw possible in
stant death to all the occupants of the
machine, that he managed to swerve
the auto in the nick of time in the same
1iract ion q thp car was going.
The car step caught the front end
and side of the automobile demolish-
ing part of the machine.
The terrific impact of the coach and
the forward portion of the automobile
tore the steps off the car and knocked
off the nut to the right front wheel of
the machine, demolishing the headlight
and did considerable injury to the radi-
ator.
So rapidly was the car travelling that
it was not until it had continued for
nearly another block that the motor
man was able to bring it to a stop.
In the meantime neighbors who wit
messed the accident rushed out of
nearby houses and gathered on the
street corner. Occupants of the street
car We're also thrown into confusion.
1t was several minutes before the
radiator and motor could be made to
WOGk. Ine DldCHllle, dI ter eAdullHdlluil,
was found to be in condition to con-
tinue the return trip to the city.
No blame is placed on the motorman
of the car. Mr.. Blakemore stated yes
terday that the failure of the brake to
work was entirely responsible.
AS the Los Angeles-Pacific company
controls the right of way at the point
of the collision no blame can be placed
on the motorman, although the latter
was running his car at a tremendously
high rate of speed, it is said
Owing to Colonel Lankershim's recent
illness 1t was thought that the shock
would be a strain on him. Colonel
Lankershim said last night:
Was Close Call
"It all came so suddenly and unex-
pectedly that no one had time to get
frightened. l have suffered no nervous
strain from the shock. I am only thank
full that I am alive. 1t was the closest
call have ever had. 1t was due entire
ly to the rare presence of mind on the
part of Mr.. Blakemore that the auto
mobile was not overturned and every
one of us dashed to death. We stopped
within a few feet of the trolley pole
between the out and inbound tracks"
Mr.. Blakemore, who was driving the
car, said:
1.-THE motorman was not to blame.
The railroad company controls the
right of way at the point of collision
and although the street car was travel
ing at an enormous speed lay all the
blame on the failure of the brake to
work. Like Colonel Lankershim and
the other members of the party, Tn
mighty glad I'm living, that's ALL