Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-09-23
Augusta Physicians Have
Narrow Escape Tuesday
In Auto Accident While Re-
turning from Trip TO Belgrade.
Vim. J. skehan Badly Injured
Wednesday in a Racing Car.

! SuHtd DllN SlCitilS. DTS. Wellington
Johnson, G. r. Campbell. w. H Harris
and G. a. Coombs, while on the way
from Belgrade to this city TUESDAY,
| night, and which caused the car to
swerve from the road into the gutter
and collide with tree, the party had
d narrow escape from death and each
member received injuries of a greater
or less serious nature. The car was
partially wrecked
The scene of the accident was what
is known as the Cottle hill, about six
miles from Augusta and on the road
leading from the Prescott farm in
| Manchester to Belgrade, it being the
route generally taken by automobile
parties in going from Augusta to that
town. The party of physicians had
been out to Belgrade to supper at The
Belgrade. and We're returning nome.
| AS nearly as could be judged tn"
| accident happened at about Ills. The
tire burst soon after the car had start
ed down the hill. causing the car to
| swerve to one side and soon after
reaching the gutter to strike small
| elm tree with such force that the car
| was wrecked and the occupants thrown
| out.
| Although no one was stunned all
were daZed by the force of the shock.
but they quickly recovered and hasty
| examination was made of the different
members to determine the extent of
| their injuries. DR.. Johnson was found
to be the most seriously injured. He
had evidently struck heavily on on"
side and in such way that the bone
of the left arm was broken in two
places between the elbow and shoulder,
and the shoulder was dislOcated Dr..
| Harris was found to have sustained Il
severe injury to the back.
DR.. Sturtevant who was driving the
| car at the time OF the accident. had
| been thrown against the steering
wheel, was suffering from a confusion
| of the chest, and also had both thumbs
dislocated. DIR. Campbell sustained an
| injury to the right ankle and some
bruises about the body, while DR..
Coombs suffered some by having his
right arm Wrenched and the skin
scraped from his left leg.
| DR.. COombs and DR.. Campbell made
their way to the house OF a Mr.. Cottlc
! not far from the scene of the accident,
and that gentleman after hitching up
| his team carried DR.. Sturtevant about
| three miles in order to get on the
| telephone line and send a relief call 70
| Augusta, which was responded to by
| Percy V Hill with his ear and Fred
Guggenheimer with the car owned by
| EX-Gov. Hill. Meanwhile the most
seriously injured members of the party
were being made as comfortable as
possible by the other members and on
the arrival of the two cars mentioned
it did not take long to get them ready
for the journey home. The party ar
rived in Augusta at about $50 yester-
day morning.
The injured ones were looked after
by the other members of the party.
Dr. johnson was first taken home,
where he was etheriZed and the frac-
lures and dislocation of his arm reduc :
ed, and then Dr. Sturtevant was given
necessary attention and made as COM
Portable as possible. DR.. Harris was
taken to the Augusta General hospital
and the other members of the party
| were able to go to their homes.
The report received last evening con-
corning the condition of the different
members was that they were as COM
| Portable as could be expected. Dr.
| Johnson. VINO is lIie flbSI StIlOuSit III
| iured, was as would be expected, SUI
| fering some pain from his arm. and al
so complained OF pain in the back. Dr.
Harris was up during portion of the
| day but later went back to bed. DR..
| Sturtevant was reported to be more
| comfortable and it was not thought at
| that time that serious results would
| follow. Drs. Campbell and CoomDs
| were still lame as the result of their
| unpleasant experience but were able
| to be about to some extent
Alderman William ]. Skehan had mar
row escape from death Wednesday noon
| in an automobile accident. The machine
which he was driving, 30-horsepower
stock Buick. skidded in front of the State
House. smashed through the fence on the
| cast side of State street and went down
over the bank a distance of 80 feet. AL
derman Skehan went down with the ma
chine and his left foot catching between
| the wheels he was dragged under the au-
tomobile. Charles Gilman of Waterville.
| the owner of the machine, and p NJ.
Greenleaf of this city, who were with
| him in the machine. We're thrown from
the car near the Electric Road track and
escaped without serious injury.
| Mr.. Skehans companions rushed down
the bank expecting to find him mangled
| and lifeless under the machine, and were
greatly surprised to find him extricatins
| himself from under the wheels without
assistance He appeared to be suffering
much pain however, and 1t could be seen
| that the left foot was badly bruised and
crushed. He was taken to the Augusta
CITY hospital in the automobile of .. f.
Morris and his injuries at once attended
Ito.
| The automobile was to have taken part
in the races at the county fair. had been
tried out on the track during the tore
noon and was returning down State street
lwhen a soft place in the road was crossed
and the hind wheels skidded. The ma
cline came very near colliding with Mr..
lLawrence's automobile before it plunged
down the bank.
The Skehan automobile was not so Sc
riously damaged but that it can be re-
haired at small cost The gasoline tank
was knocked off. the spark coil twisted
land the steering wheel broken.
yfriy1 racing