The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-09-20
From SATURDAYS Daily.

From SATURDAYS Daily.
An automobile containing five
persons plunged down the Belgrade
hill, a distance of a hundred and
ten feet, shortly before five o'clock
yesterday afternoon, seriously injuring
one of the occupants, two painfully,
one slightly and the fifth escaped
without a scratch by jumping when
the care started on it's rapid down.
ward course. The accident happened
about mile out from North Man
kato. 1t certainly was miraculous
escape for the autoists. The car
| turned turtle four times while max
ing its rapid descent, and that the
; four persons who remained in the
car were not killed is a wonder
Their escape from death or more
is due to the fact that the top of
the auto was up. The injured are
Mr.. and Mrs. Claus A. G. Roust,
Walden Roust and Mrs. w. A. Scott.
Mr.. Scott escaped by jumping from
the car.
Attempted to Pass a Team.
The party was returning to their
homes in Belgrade, having spent
the day attending the fair in this
city. Walden Roust was driving
an Overland auto which is owned
by his father, c. G. Roust. No
trouble was experienced until the
hill was reached When about half
way up the steep incline the party
overlook team and attempted to
pass it. The hill, which is dam
gerous one at best. was in very Slip
perry condition, due to rain, which did
not warrant driver taking any
chances. Walden Roust, who was driv
ing the car, turned out to pass the
team, when the car skidded and dashed
down an embankment of at least
one hundred and ten feet. The hill
was bare of trees and shrubs, and the
fall Of the car happened so quickly
the sensation they felt when going
down in the machine.
Story of the Accident.
w. A. Scott, the only one of the
party who escaped injury, told this
story of the accident. ....r /
eve were going up the hill very
slowly and tried to pass a team.
Walden Roust and I were in the
front seat and Mr. Roust and the
two ladies were in the back seat.
Just as we turned out the car
skidded and went over the embank- |
ment. / think it must have turned
over about four times as near as |
can tell, and it hit the ground only
as it turned. ..... s...
''As soon as ] realized that we
were going over | tried to open the
back door on my side of the car. | /
did not get the door open, however, /
but | jumped out The other pas /
sengers in the car must have re-
manned in until it was very near
the bottom. When / reached the |
car after it's descent l found Mrs.
Scott laying right by it's side. Mr.. !
Roust, the elder, was about rod
away. | should Judge that he was
thrown out at about the third turn
of the car. Mrs. Roust and her son
lay little farther from the car.
when the automobile landed at
the bottom of the hill it was right
side up and standing on it's wheels
as if nothing had happened and
none of the occupants were under it. .
They had all been thrown away
from the automobile. / ran down
the hill as soon as l could gain my l.
feet and Len Burrill, who was
driving a car down the hill observed
what had happened and came to the
assistance of the injured. Mr. Bur-
ril said that he had stopped his car
because he felt sure that we could
never pass the team and could only
wait for the accident to happen"
AS soon as possible, Mr.. Burrill
notified DR.. w. A. Beach of the ac-
cident. He FASTENED, to the scene,
hastily examined the injured and
had them removed to Emmanuel hos.
pital where a more minute examina.
ton of the injuries were made by
aim.
The elder Mr.. Roust is the most
injured. 1t is feared that
ne is suffering from injuries to the
kidney. He stated to DR.. Beach
hat he believed that he had been
doubled up twice under the auto.
LAST night he was suffering consid-
cradle pain in the region of the
kidney. {,
Car Is Damaged.
The car has been driven about ,
hree months. In the accident of /;
ate yesterday it was badly damaged. :