The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1914-01-23
aFR|CHTHUL ACCIDENT
: TO VIM. H0UGHT0N
LEG CRUSHED WHEN SWITCH EN-
CINE STRIKES MOTOR CAR
Was One of Party of Four SOY Rid
ers," Whose Sport Was Brought
to Sad Ending

A very distressing accident took place
about three miles north of town, Sun
day night at seven o'clock, when, a
gasoline driven car belonging to the
Clio section Of the p. M. railroad was
struck and wrecked by south bound
switch engine. Those who had been
riding on the car at the time of the ac-
cident were VIM Marlin, Clint Stevens,
VIM. Dyball and VIM. Houghton, of
whom the latter only received serious
injuries.
1t is said that these men had been to
!. Bridgeport during the evening, after
ward returning to Clio, and perhaps go
ing further south, following which they
again started north and met the engine
which was running backward. The
tail light on locomotive is small, and
while the men are said to have seen it,
they mistook it for lantern in the
hands of some one walking along the
track. When, finallv, they discovered
the difference, they made an effort to
get the section car off the track and
were thus engaged when the engine
struck them. Meanwhile the engine
had slowed down and did not strike the
car with as much force as though 1t
had been running at ordinary speed,
otherwise the results might have been
much more serious.
1t appears that the section car had
been partially gotten off the track, only
the hind wheels remaining, when the
engine struck, and Mr.. Houghton, who
was assisting at the end farthest from
the engine, had the car thrust/upon
him, One other member of the party
was thrown "a considerable distance,
J though not much hurt, but Mr.. Hough-
toms injuries were at once discovered
to be of very serious character.
The momentum of be 0u'ne carried
it quite distance beyy1nIs the point
where the accident occurred, but twas
at once brought back, the injured man
and other members of the party taken
,oboard and brought to Clio.
DIR. B. F. Goodfellow, having been
notified by phone, met the party here
and Mr.. Houghton was taken to the
home of his mother. where temporary
medical attention was given to his in
juries. These, as has been stated, were
found to be very serious, the bones of
the right leg below the knee were bad
ly crushed anb had been thrust through
the flesh and skin. Recognizing the
need of the most prompt and effectual
attention, the injured man was put
aboard the 3:45 train Monday morning,
and taken to Hurley hospital at Flint.
) There, we understand his leg has been
placed in plaster cast and several
days must elapse before it will be
known as to whether amputation will
be necessary.
Mr.. Houghton's many friends in Clio,
add those of his family. will join in the
sincere hope that this latter alternative
may be avoided and that he may make
speedy and complete recovery.
Strange to say, the section car was
not greatly damaged, few dollars COW
ering the actual loss in that respect.
AS a result of the accident, however,
we understand the section foreman has
resigned his position, and one member
of his crew has beeu discharged, and a
detective of the p. M. Ry. has been in
this vicinity investigating the circum-
stances of the occurrence. =
Lster-W We have been informed that
an x-ray examination of Mr.. Hough-
tons injured leg has been made and
z that the doctors at the hospital are
quite hopeful regarding it.
d M