Los Angeles herald., 1910-08-10
RIDES ENGINE IN
WRECKED AUTO
Six Escape Death When a Salt
Lake Train Hits Machine
at Long Beach ..,,,,.....
Especial to The HERALD

LONG GEACH, Aug. 9.-The Salt
Lake passenger train due here at 4:SC
o'clock this afternoon struck Buick
automobile squarely in the middle,
splitting it in two, knocking out of the
vehicle a woman who was just climb
ing from the tonneau, and carried the
wrecked machine along for a block on
the pilot, right side up. In the tonneau
was 4-year-old hoy who escaped un-
injured, save for bruises on his head
Those In the automobile party were:
Walter H. Martin. owner and driver
a real estate man living at 424 LAS
First street.
w. e. Erwin, real estate man, living
at 416 Lime avenue.
Mrs. Frank w. Reitz, 945 East Twen-
tieth street, Los Angeles.
LaVerne Reitz, her 4-year-ofd son.
Mrs. A. L. Farmer, 7S6 washington
street, Los Angeles.
Milton Farmer, her son, aged years.
Mrs. Reitz and Mrs. Farmer, with
their children, are passing short time
in this city and have apartments In
West Fifth street. According to Mrs.
Reitz, they made a business trip to
Carroll Park, in the eastern part of
town, this afternoon, with the real es-
tate dealer, to look at property which
she owns in that locality. They de-
cided to return to town by way of Ana
helm street.
KNOWN AS BAD PLACE
AS the car approached California
avenue. along which the Salt Lake
tracks enter this city, Mrs. Reitz no.
ticed the big hedge which shuts off a
view Of the railroad track, and made
the remark: "Oh, here's that bad
place!"
The auto was moving slowly when 1t
started across the track. Just then
those in the machine saw the locomo-
tive a few rods away.
There's the train right on us!' .crleo
Mrs. Reitz, and at the same time Mar
tin. the driver, brought the car to a
dead stop and tried to reverse so as to
get back off the track. For some rea-
son he failed to do this, and as the
train was almost on them, the passen-
gers began jumping from the car. Er-
win seized the Farmer boy by one arm
and Ieaped from the track with him.
Mrs. Reitz tried to get her son out, put
could not do it, and just escaped being
seriously hurt herself. Farmer also at
teunted to rescue the Reitz child and
was knocked from the step of the auto
by the engine. Picking UP the broken
auto on the pilot, the train proceeded
several hundred IeeI, altuouSA thS Oh
gtneer had been trying to stop and had
thrown on the reverse.
BOY IN AUTO
Mrs. Reitz became hysterical with
terror when she realized that her little
boy was still in the automobile anu
expected to find him killed. When the
train was brought to a standstill, now
ever, the lad was found practically un.
hurt though his head was bruised ana
he was crying from fright.
Mrs. farmers right thumb was nrok- sod
en- bv her fall and her back was bruised.
Har clothing was torn and soiled by
her roll on the ground. No one else m
the party was injured. Leaving the
wrecked auto the members, of the par,
tv boarded the Salt Lake train ana
came to Pine avenue station, where Or.
L. A. Perce, company surgeon AZ
tended the injured. All members of the
party save Mrs. Reitz appeared reluct-
ant to talk about the accident Mrs;
Reitz is the wife of the proprietor or
the Los Angeles Mill and Lumber COM
pany.