Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-29
c. v. SANDS IS KILLED
FrightfuI Automobile Accident
Near Paris.
sTEPsoN OF VANDERBILT
Overturns and Catches on
Fire.
CHAUFFEUR IS BADLY INJURED
Both Men Are Burned to Terrible
Oegree-Mrs. Sands and Children
There at End.

PARIS. July 3.-G. Winthrop Sands.
stepson Of W. K. Vanderbilt. was killed
in a frightful automobile accident which
occurred at o'clock this morning just
outside the grounds of Mr. Vanderbilts
beautiful country seat, the Chateau st.
Louis de Poissy. twenty miles from Paris.
Mr.. Sands was riding with the chauffeur
when the automobile. which was spinning
along at fairly high rate Of speed. left
the road and struck tree with terrific
force The car was overturned and Mr.
Sands and the chauffeur were pinned
under the wreckage.
The gasoline tank probably exploded. as
the wreck at once caught fire. As soon as
help arrived Mr.. Sands and the chauffeur
were extricated. but they had been hor-
ribly manned and burned. They were
carried into the chateau, where Mr.. Sands
died at 8 o'clock. The chauffeur Is still
alive, but his injuries probably will prove
fatal.
Was Just Arriving.
The Chateau St. Louis de Poissy Is Mr.
vanderbilt's country seat. and about
twenty miles from Paris. The accident
evidently occurred just as the automobile
was arriving at the chateau.
Mr. Sands mother, Mrs. Vanderbilt; his
stepfather and his brother were at the
chateau when the accident occurred. All
were overwhelmed with grief. Mrs Van
derbilt was almost distracted when the
torn and burned body Of her son was
borne tenderly indoors. 1t was evident
that he was thon past mortal aid and
he did not regain consciousness before his
appraised of the accident by telegraph.
George W. Vanderbilt is at Dinald. w.
X. Vanderbilt. jr.. Is at Aix-les- Bains.
Left Deauville at $50 AM.
Mr.. Sands left Deauville at half-past D
this morning to come up to Poissy. The
only other person in the car was the
chauffeur. Pickings. The pace was fast
all the way. Mr.. Sands was at the
wheel
When the accident occurred the auto
mobile had just reached the entrance to
the chateau grounds and was going at the
rate of sixty-two miles an hour. Suddenly
a tire flew of, the machine swerved.
plunged acros the road and struck
tree with such force that It was COM
pletely wrecked.
1t has been learned that the chauffeur
was not gravely hurt. His boots were lit
orally carbonized by the flames. but an
examination proved that the burns and in
juries to his body were slight.
Only a mass of twisted iron remains of
the automobile. which was converted
racer of 1O0-horsepower. Mr.. Sands
friends say he was an expert but reckless
driver.
Mrs. Sands at Chateau.
Mrs. Sands and her two children, the
youngest being only six weeks old. are
at the chateau. The Sands family was
preparing to move into an apartment
which they had just rented and fitted up
in the Avenue du Bots de BouloGne.
Contrary to the first reports. II Is now
said that Mr.. Sands retained conscious
ness to the end. He suffered terrible tor
lures from his burns and injuries before
death came.
News in New York.
NEW YORK. July 29.-News of the
accident to William K. Vanderbilt was
received with great regret in this city.
Mr. Vanderbilt is the senior member of
the Vanderbilt family and was for
many years closely associated with his
father. William H Vanderbilt, and his
brother Cornelius. in the management
of the New York Central and the other
railroads with which the family has been
identified for half a century.
All of the immediate relatives. includ-
ing William X. Vanderbilt, jr, are now
in Europe. The daughter. the Duchess
of Marlborough. whose marriage was
one of the most notable events Of New
York's social history, also Is in Europe.
The duchess spent several months in
New York and Newport last year. during
which time she visited her mother. Mrs.
o. H. p Belmont. The mother of the
duchess obtained a divorce from Mr.. Van
derbilt a number of years ago and was
married to o. H. P. Belmont. who died
recently Some years after the divorce
Mr. Vanderbilt married Mrs. Ann Harri-
man Rutherford, who is now with him in
France.