The Goldfield news and weekly tribune. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1911-1947, 1914-06-13
-FOUR PROMINENT CITIZENS
KILLED IN AUTO ACCIDENT

DR.. E. A. Wheeler. Cyrus Rice,
Daniel Falvey and Herman Krieger,
four prominent citizens of Goldfeld,
are dead as a result of an automobile
accident at 1:40 Tuesday morning
on the lower road to Tonopah about
eleven miles from Goldfeld. DR..
Wheeler, the owner and driver of the
car, and Falvey were killed almost
instantly. Rice died at 5 a. m. and
Krieger at 1905 o'clock at st.
Mary's hospital in this camp, to
which they were removed following
the accident. Louis Bannister, the
fifth occupant of the machine, es-
capped with only slight injuries. The
car was travelling at the time of the
accident, according to Bannister, at
the rate of not less than fifty miles
an hour.
DR.. Wheeler's chest was crush
ed, six ribs in the immediate vicinity
of his heart were broken and his left
shoulder was fractured. Falvey's
neck was broken at the base Of the
skull, which was also fractured. The
death of Krieger was due to a frac-
ture of the skull near the right ear.
His jawbone was broken in several
places, as were also the bones of the
upper portion of his face. Rice sue
cumbed to internal injuries to the
left side of his back and his abdo-
men.
Cause of Accident
The horrible accident was due pri-
marily to a disabled automobile, be-
longing to Ernest Weyle, a local
photographer, being left partly in the
road Sunday afternoon, following the
breaking of the steering apparatus
and the consequent bending of the
front axle. The victims of the
tragedy, together with about seventy
five other members of Mckinley
lodge, No. 26. Knights of Pythias,
travelling in fourteen automobiles in
all, were returning to Goldfield from
a visit to the Tonopah lodge of the
order. Going to the silver camp, all
of the automobiles safely passed the
disabled machine, the left hind wheel
of which was obstructing the road
for about a foot and a half on the
right or east side.
Approaching the disabled machine
on the return trip, DR.. Wheeler, ac-
cording to Bannister, attempted to
turn out of the road. The front
wheels of his car successfully climbed
the slight rise on the side of the road
but the zeal wheels dragged along
the rut for a distance of about 175
feet, after passing the disabled car.
DR.. Wheeler endeavored to right his
car with all his might but was unable
to do so. Suddenly the rear wheels
mounted the rut and the car plunged
a distance of twenty-five feet from
the road. The left front wheel sank
into the ground and the car turned
over on it's right side.
Falvey, who was sitting in the lap
thrown and his head was caught by
the outside of the woodwork of the
right front seat. The rest of his body
fell clear of the machine. DR.. Wheeler
was thrown against the steering
wheel and his body fell under 1t n
on top of Falvey's body. Rice fell
from the right rumle seat and was
piniOned on the ground face down
with the hub of the left rear wheel
resting on the left side of his back.
,Krieger, who was OCCUPYING the left
front seat, was thrown about twenty
five feet from the car, striking on his
face. Bannister, who escaped with
slight injuries and was in the left
rumble seat, was also thrown about
twenty-five feet, landing in the sage
brush. He vas dazed by the fall and
for an instant was unable to obtain
his bearing.
Begged Assistance
When he had recovered his senses,
Bannister heard the groans of Rice,
who begged him to- lift the car from
his body. Bannister endeavored to
do so but to no avail. Krieger, ac-
cording to Bannister, was then walk.
ing around searching for his eye
glasses on the ground. Within about
ten minutes a car, driven by William
Stevens and containing four or five
other men, arrived on the scene,
quickly followed by other machines.
All of the occupants of the cars join
ed in lifting the machine from
the bodies of DR.. Wheeler, Rice and
Falvey. The body of DR.. Wheeler
was placed in the a of Milton M.
Detch and that of Falvey in the ma
chine of Rodney McKeon and both
brought to camp. Rice and Krieger
were placed in the a of William
Stevens and rushed to st. Mary's hos
pital, where they were attended by
Drs. Mccarthy and Turner and made
as comfortable as possible. Bannister,
who was slightly scratched about the
face and suffered a wrenched back,
woc hrOu0ht IN town in the car OF