The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1909-06-10
Miss Avis Quinn, Formerly Of Ke.
nosha, Has Narrow Escape
From Death in Chicago
RUNS ONTO MOVING BRIDGE
Brake Fails to Work and Only Presence
of Mind Of Bridge Tender Saves
Party From Dashing
Into the River

4hlSo 4hdi avis Vulnu, UduSHtOl "
James Quinn, formerly general man
lager of the Sterling Bicycle Works, and
Ia young woman widely known in Ke
.nosha, were seriously injured in al
automobile accident Friday night il
FChicago. Miss Quinn, who now lives
at Oak Park, was out in car owned
by G.. s. Wegener, a neighbor of the
Quinn family in Oak Park. Mr.. and
| Mrs. Wegener, who are well known tt
fmaay Kenosha people and H. A. Rus
sell Of Los Angeles, CAL, were the other
passengers in the car.
The accident occurred at the Jack
son Boulevard bridge and the cal
broke through the safety chains and
went onto the swinging bridge while
it was being moved to permit boat
to pass. Fortunately none Of the mem
bers of. the party was killed, but al
of them were thrown from the car
Miss Quinn escaped with bad scalI
wound and confusion over the left
eye. All of the injured people were
taken to ST.. Lukes hospital.
But for the presence of mind of w
D. Haight, night bridgetender, the au
tomobile with its occupants would have
gone into the river. From the bridge
lever, Haight saw the machine dash
through the chain, and from the way
the machine wabbled from side to side
he knew it was beyond the control OF
the driver.
| He stopped the swinging of the bridge
and quickly turned it back to position
Had he failed to DO this the auto must
have gone into the river off the swing
ing structure.
While the electric gong was sounding
Tits danger signal Policeman Robert
Lind pulled the safety chain across the
Eapproach to the structure, blocking the
street. His hand still clutched the
chain as the Wegener machine rushed
upon the bridge, smashing the linked
barrier.
Wegener and his party were on theil
way to the Illinois theater.
Those who saw the Wegener machine
lapproach the bridge say it was going
| at high speed. Owing to the wet, slip
perry condition Of the street, which is
on an incline, Mr.. Wegener was unable
to stop the auto.
AS the machine tore through the safe
Ety chain the glass wind shield was
Fsmashed and the particles struck the
occupants in the face. Mr.. Wegene,
was nearly blinded by blood that trick.
led from the cuts on his forehead, and
this acted as further handicap in his
Ieffort to guide the machine.
The auto swerved to the left and ran
into girder, bending the axle and
breaking the front wheel Mrs. Wege
ner and Miss Quinn were screaming as
the disabled car sped aross the bridge
which they observed was swinging.
When the automobile reached the
east end of the bridge the span was
back in position Mr.. Wegener was
making heroic efforts to guide the auto
but the steering apparatus would not
respond. He chung to the wheel until
the car smashed into girder ten feet
Efrem the east end, throwing him out.
Like fash the auto shot across the
Bridge, knocking down the danger sig
nal, and kept on until it was stopped
by the stone curbing at the north side
Of the street.
Policeman Lind called for two patrol
wagons to remove the injured persons
to the hospital, On the way Mr.. Wege-
ner told the wagonman that something
was wrong with his brake as he ap-
preached the bridge. He saw the dan
ger signal and also heard the gong, but
for some inexplicable reason, he says,
he was unable to stop.
Finding himself upon the swinging
bridge he attempted to steer the car
across, but on account Of the broken
axle had difficulty in keeping the ma
cnlne in straight course.
l
A report from the hospital this morn
ing said that the injured were in no
danger. All of them, however, will be
laid up for some time