The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1907-05-24
Mr. and Mrs. Guy GotschaIl
And Mr.. and Mrs. Horace
Scott Came Out of the Af-
fair Most Fortunately.
EXPLOSION FOLLOWED
OUTBREAK OF FIRE.
The Machine, a Wayne, Was
Comparatively New, and
The Loss Is Heavy-Many
Attracted to the Scene.

In an auto accident Guy Gotschall
and wife and Mr.. and Mrs. Horace
Scott had a most miraculous escape
from death Thursday night about ten
O'Clock, three miles northwest of Rich
mond on the Williamsburg pike, the
auto in which they were riding turn
ing completely over. and down an en-
bankment. where a few seconds later,
it caught fire and the acetylene tank
exploded. completely demolishing the
car and burning it beyond all recogni-
tion.
Mr. and Mrs. Gottschall and Mrs
Scott were returning from Hagerstown
where they had been visiting Thursday
afternoon Ii had not rained at that
point like it had in Richmond. and
Mr. GottscLail. who was at the wheel,
was sending his car along the road to-
wards Richmond at a good rate. prob
ably travelling twenty miles an hour
All had remarked on the excellent con-
dition of the road about mile from
the place where the accident occurred.
the rain having laid the dust. The
machine was going down a small hill
at good rate of speed when it en-
countered an extremely muddy place.
The machine Immediately began to
skid from one side of the road to an
other and the brakes applied immedi
ately by Mr.. Gotschal We're ineffect-
i've. When he saw that the machine
hk.a ff<.t, he.
Immediately released the brakes and
put on all steam and turned the car
directly toward the fence. aiming to
go through it, thinking that not as
much damage would result by this
method as if the car were overturn-
ed He had partially turned the front
wheels and was started toward the
fence when the rear wheels struck an
abutment on a culvert which overturn-
ed it. throwing it distance of at least
ten feet from the road.
Pinned Under the Car.
Mr.. and Mrs. Scott, who were both
sitting on the left side OF the machine.
were thrown out. while both Mr.. and
Mrs. Got1schall. who were sitting on
the right side of the machine on which
the car. which was wrong side up. Mrs
Gotschall crawled through a space
hardly one foot wide between the top
of the tonneau door and the ground
Had she been heavier woman, she
could not have performed the feat.
which was undoubtedly the saving OF
her life. Mr.. Gotschall was caught by
one leg, but Mr. Scott. by an almost
superhuman effort. lifted one side of
the car and released him. Soon aft
err Mr.. Scott had released Mr. Got
schall. the gasoline which had spread
over the entire car, caught fire and
burned briskly.
Thinking of the possible danger of
an explosion, Mr.. Gotschall told the |
partysto run up the road. and they had |
gone about one hundred feet when |
the Pres-O'-Light tank let go with ter
rifle force. completely shattering the /
remains of the machine The rescue /
of Mr. and Mrs. Gotsehall had occurred /
about fifteen seconds before the fire /
broke out. Had they remained in |
the wreckage thirty seconds longer. it /
is believed both would have undoubt-
edly been killed.
blew off when the explosion occurred
and passed through the fender of the
car over the spot where Mr. Gotschaui +
had been lying
Heard for Mile.
The explosion was heard for more
than a mile and awoke several farm
ers who later arrived upon the scene
After arriving in the city through the
kindness of one of the farmers. Elmer
McConaha was notified of the accident,
and he went to the scene. taking Glen
Whitesell. who remained at the site all
night. Whitesell noticed a large
hole in the road embankment and dug
into it about five feet and found the
Prest-O-Lite can solidly embedded in
the hard embankment. The head OF
the car was found about a mile away +
from the scene of the accident.
Mr. Gotschall was the only one of
the party who was injured to any ex-
tent, and he is but slightly bruised
The entire party IS receiving the con-
Eratulations of their friends on hav-