New-York tribune., 1911-01-18
DIR. v. !. FURNESS DIES
IN AUTO ACCIDENT
Drives His Machine Down Shaft
in Garage-It Turns Turtle
and CruSheS Him.
CAR SLIGHTLY INJURED
Young Harlem Physician Was
Attached to Three 1nstitu-
tions and a Member of
Many Organizations.
CAR SLIGHTLY INJURED
Many Organizations.

DR.. William J. FurnCss, Of No. loZ
West 131st street, met a shocking death
Yesterday afternoon in n garage at No,
154 to 100 West 12ith street His auto
mobile dropped through the elevator
shaft from the ground floor to the base
nent. crushing his back and killing him
instantly.
Men at the garage said that as Dr.
Furness was starting his car he prob
ably used the reverse instead Of the
speed lever and backed his car into the
empty shaft, where it dropped twenty
feet 70 the basement The car turned
turtle as it fell and landed with the
wheels upward. The levers were set
close together. it was said, and might
easily be mistaken.
Dr. Furness's automobile was kept on
the second floor of the garage, which Is
| one of the largest in Harlem. DR.. Fur
ness himself went UP to get 1t, and, sit
: ting in the driving seat, steered into the
elevator, which was in charge of the
regular operator, William Dobbins.
The lift descended to the ground floor
without incident, and Dr. Furness
steered his machine out Of IT safely. He
stopped a few feet away from the ele-
vator to adjust his wraps. Dobbins took
the lift up to the second floor again TO
bring down another car. and the guard
gate dropped automatically as the eleva-
tor ascended.
Tho Dnica Cf tLn cFrliOfnriOo nf tie
| guard gate aroused the attention Of the
employees in the office, which faces the
street and they just caught glimpse Of
a pair of hands thrown convulsively up
as the hood of the automobile disap-
peared in the elevator opening. A Sec
ond later there was a heavy crash,
which brought all the employees TO the
elevator shaft. Below they saw the
automobile with its wheels upward and
spinning in the air.
When the car was lifted the physician
was limp and lifeless. The men carried
his body to the Office and called in
Patrolman Gavigan, who sent for an
ambulance.
DR.. Langrock Of the Harlem Hospital.
who responded, said that besides a
broken back and other internal injuries
DR.. Furness was badly bruised about the
face and body An investigation will be
made by the Coroner
The car itself showed little effects of
the fall The tonneau was splintered in
places and the upholstering torn a little,
but the aggregate damage was slight.
Or. William J. Furness was a native Of
Ogdensburg, ~ Y, where he was born
thirty-nine years ago When young his
parents moved to Michigan. After re-
ceiving his early education in the pri-
vate schools there he entered the Uni
versity Of Michigan, from which institu-
tion he was graduated with the class Of
91. shortly afterward he came TO this
city. where he had been actively engaged
in the practice of his profession since.
DR.. Furness in 1903 married Miss Har-
rlet Vreeland, Of New York. who sur
wives him. He was member Of the
county and state medical societies, the
American Medico- Psychological Associa-
Al'ii hliA ~" uALlill4l u INiludll = lSldn0
Hospital. He was visiting surgeon of
st. Josephs Hospital and of the Harlem
Dispensary and assistant surgeon OF the
West Side German Dispensary.
DR.. Furness' body was removed to his
homo last night by permission OF the
Coroner. Mrs. VI. J. NJ. Vreeland, mother
OF Mrs. Furness, lives with the family.
Mrs Furness has been in Chicago for
several weeks visiting friends.
A telegram announcing that her hus-
band had been injured reached Mrs. Fur
ness just as she was informed that her
cat, Silver King. had won one Of the
biggest prizes in the Chicago cat show.
Mrs. Furness swooned. but was cared for
by friends, and last night she left Chi
cago for New York.