The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1914-07-20
TEN IN AUTOS
PERILOUS ROLL
u,-,,'s ''''... s....
Not Onc~seriously Hurt as
Vehicle Turned Turtle
Down Bank
LANDING BOTTOM UP
PARTLY IN RIVER
William Mckenzie and Fam
lily and William DON
ahue and Family

! In passing the automobile of John Dow
OF Williamstown, the machine Of Will
liam Mckenzie of Websterville contain
ling 10 persons was precipitated down
| To- foot bank and landed bottom up part
lly supported by large birch tree, at
narrow curve between the Smith stock
| farm and the Gale farm on the Williams
| town road yesterday afternoon and al
| though the machine was badly smashed
not one of the half-score of people was
seriously injured. To the fact that the
top was up is ascribed the remarkable
escape, as the top caught the occupants
and sheltered them from contact with
trees or from landing in two feet OF wa
ter.
The occupants of the ear were Mr.. and
Mrs. Mckenzie and their two children,
Edward. aged 10 months, and Vincent,
aged five months, and Alr. and Mrs. Will
liam Donohue of Websterville and their
-four children. William, Madeline, Mildred
and Mary, whose ages range from babe
about one year to five years old. They
were bound for Williamstown gulf for
a picnic lunch and to spend the remain
der of the dav. Mr. Mckenzie was driv-
ing and with him on the front seat was
Mr. Donahue, holding the formers boy,
Edward
At the spot where the accident oc-
CURED the turn to the right going south
ward is blind with bushes obseuring the
approach and with the further danger OF
a narrow road, into which the Stevens
branch has eaten to such an extent as
to make the bank unstable. The Nc
Kenzie car was not proceeding rapidly,
nor was the Dow car coming from VIII
Jamestown; and the two drivers nege-
tiated the narrow passing successfully.
However, the road was so narrow that
Mr. Mckenzie was forced to run near
the edge and the bank seemed to sink
beneath the right wheels and although
tile driver made efforts to turn back onto
solid ground, the wheels had gone so far
down that such move was impossible.
Then, realizing that he could not get
back. the driver set both the emergency
and the foot brakes and brought the car
to a complete stop, the vehicle mean
while sliding until ii turned turtle.
But nine of the passengers went down
as Mr.. Donahue by a quick movement
had thrown Edward Mckenzie into the
road so that the youngster landed un-
harmed and was the only person visible
when Mr. Dow stopped his machine and
went back to the scene. Mr.. Dow and
his two bows at once went to the rescue
Of the imprisoned nine as they lay cooped
in the top OF the overturned car. The
two women and five children were taken
out promptly' and although they were
unneryed by their expert
ence not one of them appeared to be
much the worse, except that Mrs. Dono
hue complained of pain in her back.
Mr.. Donohue climbed ont into two feet
of water and Mr. Mckenzie was hemmed
in bv the steering wheel and windshield
SO that he had to be assisted out, the
lower part of the shield being broken in
his rescue, the upper glass having been
broken as the car went down the bank
Both Mr.. Mckenzie and Mr.. Donohue
seemed to have been as fortunate a.
those in the rear seat as regards injuries.
But while the parts of the machine
had thus helped to protect the occupants
from serious harm, the car itself was
considerably wrecked. 1t is 1914 Over
land. purchased by Mr.. Mckenzie about
the first of June TIL top was broken
and bent in< the windshield was
mashed; the right mudgtard was twist
I'd; one headlight was smashed the ra-
iiator was displaced so that it leaks,
and the body of the machine was
scratched and dented.
IL took about three hours to get the
vehicle back in the road and the opera
tion was watched by the occupants of
, long line of vehicles which had been
lalted when tackle block ropes were
strung across the road. BY means of
he tackle the machine was righted and
,ut on blocking and later hauled up the
,ank. its hood having been partially
and its rear resting against
he birch tree when the operation was
,tarted.
When the car was restored to the road
{ was found that the gasoline had all
eaked out OF the tank so that the ma
.hine could not for that reason be run 10
his citv. so il was towed in by Mark
1utler. who had been summoned from
he Palace garage. II WAS thought. how
yer. that the engine had not been dam
.ced bv the roll down the bank
Mr.. Dow meanwhile had carried the
women and children of the wrecked auto
n their homes in Webstcrvlle and. be
ides. did everything possible TO assist.
.Tr. Mckenzie does not blame him in the
east for the accident. saying that Mr..
low rave him half the road The place
: in the town Of Nipiamstown. Mr.
Mckenzie Il a foreman az the quarry Of
he Barre Gani,e & Quarry Co. and Mr.
Donohue is employed by the same con
ern.