The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1908-05-15
LOCAL MEN
BADLY HURT
In Automobile Accident in
Berlin, Coun.
AUTO TURNED OVER
L. II. Barber Suffered Broken Ribs and
Punctured Lung and Ira Burnett
Fractured Leg-Were Riding with
James II. White Of Meriden.

I
Fractured Leg-were Riding with
James II. White OF Meriden.
Two Bnttleboro men, Luther ii. Rar-
her and Ira 4. Burnett, wcrc seriously
injured in an automobile accident which
occurred Monday afternoon IN Berlin,
4 Conn. In the Winton touring car oi
James II. White, formerly Of this town,
they were making the trip from Merden
20 Hartford when an accident 10 the
steering gear of the machine caused II TO
yecr suddenly into ditch and turn tur
tie, throwing out all OF the occupants.
Mr. Barber suffered several broken nbs
and a fractured lung and was at inst
thought TO be- critically hurt. Later re-
ports from him, however. indicate that
he is making good progress toward ne
coyery. MIR. Burnett sustained com.
pound fracture OF the right leg near the
ankle Mr. White himself escaped with
severe shaking, but his chauffeur was
bruised about the head. News OF the ac.
cident was received in Brattleboro Mon.
day night in telephone message from
| Mr.. White and Mr. Barber LETT on the
early train the following morning Tor
Berlin.
The Meriden Journal Of Tuesday after.
noon gives the following account OF the
accident
Luther II. Barber and Ira Burnett, both
Of Brattleboro. VT, who were so serious
Is injured in the accident 10 James ii.
Whites automobile yesterday afternoon
at Berlin. were resting quite comfortably
today and the physicians believe that
both men will recover. Mr.. Barber was
the more seriously hurt, as two OF his
ribs were fractured and his left lung
punctured. Mr.. Burnetts right leg was
badly broken at the ankle. the bone pro-
truding two or three inches. Mr.. Barber
is at the home of Dr. w. W. Christian
in Berlin and Mr.. Burnett is a patient
at the Meriden hospital.
As far as can be learned the accident
was due to defective steering gear, as 1t
had been previously causing some trouble.
The locking OF this gear undoubtedly
caused the chauffeur to lose control and
the car crashed through fence and went
into ditch The chauffeur, Edward
Ives, was cut somewhat about the head,
but Mr. White, who is president OF the
Wilcox & White company, escaped with
out scratch.
The accident occurred about $3.50 on
the straight stretch OF road close to the
fair grounds in Berlin. Mr.. White was
taking his guests to Hartford where they
were to take the train for Brattleboro.
When Ives found the car could not be
steered he shut off the power and ap-
piled the brakes but il was too late to
save il as the machine yeered suddenly
to the right and dashed through the fence
and into the ditch which was about SIX
feet deep, turning over on its right side.
The top was up on the car and MU. Bar
ber who was riding in the tOnneau with
Mr., White was pinned under the machine.
The irons supporting the top also pinned,
down Mr.. Burnett. who was riding with
the driver. The glass front probably cut
Ives head but he quickly recovered and
went to the assistance of the passengers,
helping Mr. White and with the assistance
of o man who was near got the two bad
ly injured ones out on the grass.
A very few minutes after the accident
happened Attorney ii. L. King came
along in his machine with Mayor Reilly
and 4. b. Whitney, on their way to New
Britain and rendered first aid. Dr.
Christian was secured and the New Brit
ain ambulance telephoned for to take the
sufferers to the Meriden hospital. Word
was also sent to Meriden and +. G. White
hurried to the scene in his Corbin car.
As soon as DR.. Christian had bound up
Mr.. Burnetts leg he was brought TO the
Meriden hospital in f. c. Whites car,
here DR.. Bradstreet and DR.. Smith re-
duced the fracture.
BY the time that Mr.. Barber was placed
in the ambulance his pulse was SO weak
that the physician did not dare take him
further than DR.. Christians house, near
by, where he is still resting. DR.. Christian
and DR.. Irving. of New Britain, made an
examination of the patient and found
him very weak so that his recovery was
despaired of last night but today he was
much better and the medical men had
considerable hope. Mr.. White remained
with his friend in Berlin all the after
noon and telegraphed for the patients
wife and daughter. ~
The car was taken out by the CorDlh
company of New Britain and the dam
ages found to be less than was imagined,
as the engine and chassis escaped a seri-
Gus smash. 1t is the Winton car which
Mr.. White purchased last year and Ed,
ward Ives, the chauffeur, is considered
a most competent driver, who never
speeds and takes few chances. Mr.:
White believes the trouble was caused
entirely by the defect in the steering
apparatus, as the car was travelling less
than twenty miles an hour.
Mr.. Burnett acted in the gamest pos
sible manner, and in spite of his bad IN
Jury and the intense pain he suffered ne
never made any conpialht irohi 1he 'ns
moment the accident occurred. His
philosophical way of taking the affair,
will, the surgeons believe, hasten his re-
Mr.. Barber is the Brattleboro agent
for the Wilcox & White company and
Mr.. Burnett is particular friend. Mr.
Barber and Mr.. White were fellow en-
ployes at the Estey Organ works years
ago and friends of long standing.
News received this morning. indicates a
serious turn in the condition Of Mr..
Barber. He was taken to the Meriden
CITY hospital Wednesday and the change
did not prove favorable. He is suffering
with an acute attack of pneumonia IN ad-
dtion to his injuries and it seems TO De
Of much doubt. Mr.. Burnett is doing
as well as possible, no new features de-
| % -: - Il rooms certain that he