Semi-weekly herald., 1914-07-02

below. Three women, dead, were half
suspended over a ledge. Two dead
men stared up at the oriental through
the haze below.
A living, moaning body sent feeble
cries for help.
His usually stolid face frozen in
horror, the Japanese ran to the near
est house.
His countenance spelled tragedy.
His words were curiously jumbled as
in his fright he strove to tell Of what
he had seen.
Swift automobiles bore a rescuing
party to the scene. Then the full hor-
ror was revealed.
Harry B. Baker, 643 West Forty
second place, Los Angeles, wireless
operator and driver of the car, lay
nearest the mass of wreckage that
had been an automobile. A smile had
frozen into a stare.
Side by side were the bodies of
Mrs. l.. M. Townsend, aged 55, OF
San Pedro and her daughter, Miss
Laura Townsend, 20, employed in the
San Pedro postoffice. 1t seemed as
though in death the young girl had
turned toward her mother for pro-
lection.
Miss Myrtle Brandon of Fallbrook
lay dead a little farther from the
wrecked machine. She had been kill
ed instantly.
Nearby was the body of Bryan
Clark, 16 years old, of 653 West For
ty-second place, Los Angeles, friend
and neighbor of Bakers, but whom
the police had been unable to identify
until late this afternoon.
Alone of the party of six, Percy
Townsend, wireless operator and chum
of Bakers, was alive. His moans
gave the sole sign of life in the trag-
edy that surrounded him.
Percy Townsend, the only survivor
of the tragedy, told in conscious mo.
ments at the San Pedro hospital to-
day how the accident happened.
Owe took the wrong road at Whites
Point" said Townsend, "and before
we realized our peril we were ovei
the precipice.
Harry Baker, who is a wireless
operator and lives in Los Angeles
came to our home at Point Firmir
about 8 o'clock last night in his faith.
er's new auto. He asked us to &c
out for a ride with him. We con,
sented."
ave started off-six of us in thu
machine. Besides Baker and myself
there were my mother, sister, Miss
Myrtle Brandon of Fallbrook, neal
San Diego, and Clark, friend of Ba
ker's, whom he brought with him il
the machine from Los Angeles.
1--WE started along the county roat
leading to Redondo. The machine wa.
humming along when we came to 1
branch road. One Of the roads endet
at the precipice. We took this roat
by mistake and did not discover oul
peril until too late.
1.-THE machine hurled itself int
space and turned over and over as i
crashed, with fearful velocity, to tn,
beach below.
1--WE were hurled out of the ma
chine and landed on small shelf O
ground about twenty feet above tn,
beach.
"It was about 9 o'clock last nigh
when we went over the cliff. wa
knocked unconscious. How long
lay there l do not know. How lon,
remained insensible l do not know
1t was dark.
II felt something move beneath me
1t was Baker. was lying acros
him. He was still alive.
~ began to shout for help. M.
shouts echoed back to me from tn
cliff-sides but no one heard.
~ could see the top of the preci
pice outlined against the sky and
could see the flash of AUTOMOBILE
headlights as they passed on tn
county road above.
81 shouted and screamed until
was hoarse, but no one heard. TIL
minutes seemed hours, the hour
stretched into eternities and no on
came, no one heard, though man,
merry parties passed in machine
above. The cliff killed my voice.
Daylight came at last. And the
the horror of it all came upon me
My mother, sister, Baker and Mis-
Brandon already were dead. Bryal
Clark, terribly injured, was still alive
again I shouted.
FINALLY a Japanese fisherman
reached my side. I begged him +
call help and he ran to give tn
alarm.
at seemed an age before help ar
rived. Before it came young Clarl
died. Baker himself had died in tn
night. called to him several time
in tho uiOht hut ha pnada mn ~