The Washington herald., 1913-07-13

Washington has a hoodoo zone Many
are not aware of the fact, but never
theless 1t exists. 1t is not a very diff
cult idea to conceive. No imagination is
necessary: all that is required is a men,
DRY alive to the activities of the past
few months.
This zone has a picturesque location.
and the picturesqueness is what makes
il a hoodoo. 1t is none other than that
territory along the Upper Potomac be-
tween the Chain Bridge and Cabin John.
All sorts of strange things take place
in this fatal zone-suicides. murders,
drownngs. fist fights. motorcycle acct
dents, automobile collisions. and what
not. Almost midway in the zone is
Glen Echo And in passing. it must be
remembered thai there was a time not
long ago when the people of that little
community thought sure enough they
were living in hOodoo zone-those were
the days when Witkowski was Mayor.
Four Accidents Occur.
During the last month as many as four
fatal happenings have been staged in
the zone. in addition to numerous other
spOoky occurrences that came near being
Calamitous. One of the first events was
the suicide of Miss Edna L. Turnburke.
twenty-three years Of age. of 400 p Street
Northwest. a teacher in the Ludlow
School. Miss Turnburke jumped to her
=ath from Chain Bridge into the turbu-
.:nt waters that surge with Humorous
Toar among the rocks that jut up on
very hand at this particular point. 1t
Has several days before her body was
covered. This suicide took place June
mot a month ago.
Another hoOdoo event took place on the
light of the Fourth of July. when Bcr-
ard Sherwood, nineteen years of age,
SIS Twenty-siNth Street Northwest.
while speeding along Conduit Road near
:ahin John Bridge on his motorcycle. col
.ided with a buggy driven BY Mrs. Rich
.srd Saunders. of Potomac. Md. Sher-
Eood died from his injuries the following
lay at the Georgetown University Hos
9ital 1t is said that he and boy friend
1T the time of the accident were joy
'iding. each having a girl acquaintance
2erChed behind on the motorcycles.
Then there was a conductor killed on
tie Cabin John line not long ago. He
vas walking along the running board
collecting fares, when suddenly he lost
his balance.
Some time later an automobile weni
over an embankment while driving alonS
Conduit Road at high rate of speed,
the occupants miracuIOusly escaping in
jury.
One of the most tragic of all the
hoOdoG events occurred Thursday night
Wntn MISS cara +. ward. nineteen Years
of age, of 81 | Street Northeast. was
drowned while canoeing near Cabin John
Bridge with her escort, George Emmert.
twenty years of age, of 509 Ma massachusetts,
Avenue the canoe was on the Chesa-
peake and Potomac Canal near the
bridge, when suddenly from out the
darkness there doomed a gigantic canal
boat, bearing rapidly down upon the little
craft In her fright. Miss Ward jumped
from the canoe and was drowned.
Record of Tragedies.
Certainly this zone is a hoodoo ter
ritory. The records of the past few
years will reveal several murders, sew
eral suicides, numerous drownings, and
countless accidents that have taken
place in this stretch along the river
betw cen the two bridges.
One explanation has been offered for |
the unusually large number of acct |
dents that occur along the Conduit
Road near Cabin John. The highway
at this point is exceedingly dark, and |
because of this quality has become |
popular with lovers possessing auto |
mobiles and motorcycles. 1t is said |
that the Automobiles frequently are |
so busy hugging and caressing their |
lady loves that they become totally |
oblIvious of the fact that they are /
speeding along at a fearful rate. Then |
comes the crash.