The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-06-29
TO DODGE TRUCK, HIT HYDRANT.
East Calais Motorist Was Immediately
DeIuged by Geyser.

n CONFUSION OF cars, IN Wnlcn Hgufeu
1918 Buick, owned and operated by Guy
Bancroft, an East Calais buttermaker,
and the +. d. Ladd Co.'S auto delivery
truck with Clyde Tracy at the wheel,
caused an auto accident last night that
had for its consequences one of the most
spectacular hydraulic effects ever wit
messed in Barre. Mr.. Bancroft was ac-
companied by his wife, and neither suf-
fered anything more serious than a thor
ough drenching. Tons and tons of water
cascading down into the car probably did
not tend to boost its intrinsic worth,
but the actual damage to the vital parts
was trivial, considering the fact that it
battered its way through hydrant and
a perpendicular gasoline pump, both of
which were anchored near the edge of
the sidewalk.
Occurring as it did in the rush hour of
suppertime, the accident and the water
performance that followed formed cy-
nosure for many eyes. That Mr. Ban
croft's car, in scaling the street curb
near the G. w. Averill block, should have
decapitated hydrant in such sure and
SNIlt Hiuuiiti DO W IDICc bntItlIOul d ltJ
of water 80 feet high seemed bizarre
enough, indeed, but there was to be an
anti-climax to the antics of the Buick,
for the machine, in completing its wild
career, swept from it's moorings newly
installed gasoline pump from the side
walk border and was threateningly head
ed for nearby telephone pole when it
stopped
In the instant that the car bowled
over the hydrant chamber, the valve was
released, and column of water six |
inches through at the barrel and any
where from foot to Is inches in diam |
eter as it neared the point of spraying
some 80 feet in the air shot forth con-
for upward of Is minutes. As |
the car ploughed its way into the gaso-
line pump, which ambitiously lowered |
high enough over the walk so that the
kids couldn't pluck from it's miniature
tower an electric light globe, it came to
a halt. Mr.. and Mrs. Bancroft beat
hasty retreat for cover, but not before
the jet of water had deluged them and
their belongings. Someone endeavored
to get in touch with the water depart
ment, and, after a brief season, Supt.
Frank 0. Lee and his assistant, A. B.
ionyo, went into the inundated area and
shut off the water. BY that time North
Main street on both sides had been con-
1erted into a torrent, but the intakes
Ilong the gutter furnished a sufficient
,utlet for the water, and none of the
easements contiguous to the scene were
looded.
In the aftermath of the cascading,
men issued forth to appraise the dam
&c. A sorry spectacle was the front of
he Buick, with one battered headlight,
bent fender and a jammed radiator, a
nut the car was able TO proceed under ,
Is own power to a garage. The gaso- ,
inc pump, device installed by c. w.
Averill & Co. only few days since, c
7as very much the worse for the acci- j
ent. Likewise the hydrant, although i,
9th dispensers can be restored. The
Apply report cannot be made concerning
he bundle of millinery which consti- 6
uted the bulk of the Bucks cargo. $
Lfter calling on her sister, who is in 7
he millinery business here, Mrs. Ban
roft had decided to take along carton
hats for the Calais trade. When the P
eyser began to get in its deadly work, $
ne hats were on the rear seat of the a
ir and directly under the jet. .
II must be admitted that stories of u
ow the accident came about seem TO v
ifer widely. Mrs. Bancroft says her
usband was driving slowly down the u
rect on the right side, when the ap ca
-osch of delivery truck was suddenly s.
,ted. Apparently the truck driver was p
wing to cut in ahead of the Buick, u
RS. Bancroft says, and 10 forfend an pl
,cident her husband made for the ex- q
enc right. In so doing he mounted the IL
rb although in Mrs. Bancroft's opin- W
n circumstances made such a move u
operative. What happeHed sfterward
as hard to recall. Mr.. Tracy, however, D
ates that he was ahead of the Buick de
ID was about to turn into the drive te
Nv between Averilrs and the old city at
ilding when, as he saws, entirely un- so
ralded BY the toot of a horn, the car
me out Of the rear TO his right He
ought there was room enough for the
r TO pass, but TO guard against a side
-iping. as he goes on to explain, he Pl
piled his brake and brought his car
a standstill. People who claim TO
We witnessed the accident from begin q.
lg to end say that both cars were on ai5
) right side Of the street and that il ~
ked as though the truck driver was GI
ending TO guide his car into the
rcvay. Most Of those who felt quail N,
10 say anything about the occurrence trr
re loath TO fN the responsibility on toa
her driver -