The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1909-01-23

victims. Since the whiE wagon be-
came the plaything and the mania OF
the rich It is estimated that about lot
members Of millionaire families have
met with violent death In automobile
accidents.
1t has been eight years since Count
Caheen D'Anvers was instantly killed
by his machine striking a tree along
q country road in France. and he was
the FIRST of . long roster of titled vic
Tins. Baron Won Bleichroeder col
lided with q stone cart near Cologne
while his car was going 60 miles an
hour. The machine upset. and the ma
chinery continuing to work. pounded
the victim to death. Count Zborowski
and Baron de Pallange were hurled
against stone wall during a race
near Nice, France, in 1908. Marquis
DAudiffret-P asquier was fatally in
jursd shortly afterward when
bursting tire overturned his machine.
Count Thiexy was another titled
French victim. His machine swerved
while he was going down hill at Les
Champes, and he was dashed against
stone wall. He died within two
hours.
There have been many notable
American victims of the automobile
tragedy.
Mr.. and Mrs. Charles L. Fair were
both instantly killed near Saint Agu-
lin, France, in 1902. The tire burst
and the machine struck tree while it
was going at speed OF 60 miles an
hour. Their chauffeur was driven In
sane by the shock.
Mrs. William M. Stewart, wife Of
former United States Senator Stewart.
was killed at Alameda, Cal.
One of the most tragic of Ameri-
can automobile accidents was that in
which Mrs. William A. Westphal re-
ceived injuries which caused her death
within a few hours. She was In the
car with William R. Standberry, rich
silk manufacturer, who ran his ma
chine into horse and wagon in Dun
ellen, N. j., in 1905. Mrs. Stsndberry
committed suicide because of the rev.
Citations made by the accident, and
her husband died. nervous wreck,
within q few months.
vlnson WaIsh's Tragic End.
vinson Walsh. son Of the mining
king, was killed while speeding near
Newport in the summer Of 1905. His
sister, Miss Evelyn Walsh. and Mrs.
James L. Kernochan were seriously In
jured. Harry Oelrichs and Herbert
Pell also received injuries in the same
accident, which was caused by the
machine dashing through the wooden
railing of bridge into a stream.
After this accident Miss Walsh. now
Mrs. Mclean, was for time too much
shocked to look at an auto without
trembling, but when she had recovered
her nerve somewhat her father had
built for her an "invalid's car" which
was one Of the most luxurious ever
built.
United States District Attorney
Baker of Washington while automo-
bling with his bride In New York
state in August of this year. plunged
over a 300-foot precipice. The ma
chine. after turning three somesaults
in the air lodged in tree top. and al
though they were severely injured the
occupants of the car escaped death by
what seemed to be q miracle.
The automobile age is full Of stirring
romance, adventure and tragedy. 1t 10
a more eventful age than the age of
chivalry. more picturesque than the
crusades. more extravagant than the
age of Nero. more given to folly than
Babylon. We are right in the midst
Of 1t, and the whirr Of the machine
is 50 confusing that we cannot realize
how picturesque 1t is. But the his
torian of the future will write us
down as being swifter than our own
whix wagons.