The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1911-06-22
FATAL END TO
GAY AUTO TRIP
Three Others Seriously Hurt-To
Add to the Horror of the Acct
dent, the Car Caught Fire.
Scores Viewed the
Tragedy.

WASHINGTON, ID. c. Special
Death wrote the closing chapter of a
gay auto party in Rosslyn Sunday
night when a speeding trolley car
battered the machine into shape
less heap and pinned two of its oc
cupants beneath il.
one dead, ono dying and three Sc
riously hurt is the result. Car No.
10. of the Great Falls and old Do
miniOn Railroad struck the automO-
bile at the near corner of the Old
Dominion line freight house. The ma
chine was dragged for more than fifty
yards. held two men in a viseliNe
grip when overturned, and to cap the
horror of the disaster, finally caught
fire. The accident occurred at S:45
O'Clock.
Harry Mitchell. thirty-seven years
old, of Glencar!yn, Va, died of frac-
tured skull, internal injuries and
Rurns; was owner Of the automobile.
~ winter he lived in Washington, at
~ Street. Northwest.
VI Kitchens thirty years old,
fter Of Troop g, Fifteenth Cav
Eauoned at Fort Myer. prob
}Ioi.y injured, with conclusion
p. ], IN arms broken and in
,rmal iDJUr.,s. He is at Georgetown
University Hospital
Roscoe Castor, twenty-five years
old. corporal Troop g, sprained wrist
and bruises.
Private Williamson. twenty-four
years Old. of the Hospital Corps, Eff
teenth Cavalry. minor bruises
Waiter liulcry. eighteen years old,
of Cherrydale. lacerated scalp, bruises
on leg.
Too Fast To Stop.
The setting Of the tragedy was dra-
matte. Gathering momentum to climb
a steep hill across the track, the au-
tomobne shot into sight from the rear
of the freight house with some speed.
Car no. 10 was laundering along not
fifteen yards away at rate of speed
estimated at twenty-five miles an hour.
The crash came before MOtorman
Charles Crue had reversed his control
Ter an inch
The tonneau Crunched and cracked
beneath the blow; steel snapped and
groaned, and the body Of Castor, who
was sitting in the rear of the machine,
was catapulted twenty feet across the
roadway. The trolley car almost re
coiled from the crash and then smash
ed into the auto once more with re-
neWod fury. The automobile was drag
ged along. Crumpled up, broken into
a tangled mass-Nith two men secure
1y pinned below il when the car was
stopped.
Men cried out in horror and women
tainted at the scene. The car was
packed with returning eNcurSiOniStS.
and they poured out TO the rescue.
Kitchens was easily eNtriCatcd from
the wreck. His injuries will prove IA
tai. But Mitchell. imprisoned in the
steering gear, with the steel twisted
and coiled about his limbs, was held
in a grip that defied all efforts of the
rescuers. They labored for more Than
an hour, when the tragedy was turned
into a holocaust.
1t had been growing dark, and a
spectator brought a torch out from
the freight house. He took it close
to the gasoline tank Of the car, and
a terrific explosion followed. Flames
enveloped the wreck Of the machine
and licked around the body of Nit
cheu. Brave men turned their heads
from the scene. A bucket brigade
was organized and water was splash
ed upon the flames as the whistle Of
the packing house called cut in sum-
mons to the fire department.
When MitchelIs body was finally
extricated il was taken to ]. +.
Birch's Sons undertaking rooms, at
3O34 NJ Street. Northwest. His father.
NJ. g. Mitchell. a wholesale timer,
living at 1925 X Street, Northwest,
arrived before the BODY was eXtri-
Gated from the wreck. lie desperate
ly fought to be allowed to see his
sons body. but his friends held him
away. The body was frightfully dis
figured.
Kitchens was taken to Georgetown
University Hospital. and was not eX-
pected to survive the night.