New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-07-03
W.K. VanderbiIt'S StepSon Dies
After Being Taken from Un-
der Wrecked Car on
Long Island Road.
End LIKE HIS BROTHERS.
Accident Caused by Tire Blow
out in Turning to Escape Col
lision-Wife Hurries to
Scene-Many Trage-
dies in Family.

southampton, Long Island. July 3
William X. Vanderbilt. and whose
brother, C. winthrop Sands, was killed
IN an automobile accident in France
FIVE years ago, had his life crushed out
when a forward tire of the racing car
in which he was speeding along the
South Country Road tonight blew out
throwing the machine bottom up.
Mr. Sands fell under the automobile,
which broke almost every bone in his
bodv. He died within a few minutes.
The Old Mill Road. the principal ave-
rpe of travel between this place and
Westhampton Beach. was crowded with
automobiles when Sands came along
tho South Country Road on his way
from Manhattan. Although the speed
ometer-examined Immediately after
the fatality-showed that at some time
m The trip he had been travelling al
seventy miles an hour, his rate of travel
was considerably under that when ne
reached the intersection of the Old MIL
Road into which he turned.
He had slackened speed TO make the
.ornsr and was Just about to straight
IN out again when he again swerved
from his course to dodge past the car
Of Horace s. Rumsey, OF the HoWeii
House. Westhampton Beach.
As Sands threw the steering wheel
over the rear Of the machine skidded
on the oily road and front tire blew
ont The automobile went over so SUD
denly that the young man had no time
10 lump or even to get free OF the
steering mechanism, and the automo-
hile wheels in the air. swept Forward
for a distance of fifty yards on the
roadway with Sands under 1t. Ihe
steering shaft embedded itself in his
chest. puncturing the lungs. and the
right side of his face was crushed.
The axnlosion of the tire was heard
for a long distance. and scores OF per
sons in automobiles raced to the scene
~ the accident. AS soon as the car
was lifted IL was found that Sands was
injured beyond recovery. He seemed %
realize he was close TO death. and sun
retained sufficient consciousness 10
wbisper his name and ask the physi-
clans to break the news 10 his wife as
gently as possible.
Mrs. Sands was at their summer cot
tage at Southampton when word OF the
accident came. She made the eighteen
mile trip in the next twenty minutes
but arrived too late TO see her husband
alive. He had been carried to the
porch Of a house, where he died Ac-
cording to his wife's wish the body was
taken 10 an undertaker's establishment
and later sent to New York by special
train.
Samuel Stevens Sands was son OF
Mrs. William K. Vanderbilt by for
mer marriage. and was the third OF
that name. His grandfather was a
prominent banker, and on his mother
side he was related to the late Oliver
Hartman. He married Miss Gertrude
Sheldon, daughter Of Mr.. and Mrs.
George r. Sheldon, Of No. "a East 3Sth
street, in May, 1910. Mrs. Sands is
fine horsewoman, and the couple had
many interests in common.
Last nights accident makes the third
death by violence in the Sands family.
Samuel Stevens Sands, jr., died twenty
years ago from injuries received in a
fall in the hunting field, and @. Win
throp Sands was killed by his auto
mobile near the Vanderbilt chateau In
France five years ago Samuel Stevens
Sands had a town house at No. 40 East
SOD street.