Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1918-05-10
TWO KILLED AND THREE IN
JURED IN AUTO ACCIDENTS
Ralph Smith and Vaneda Brown Killed at Rail
road Crossing Companions Slightly In
jured-0rSon Nicholson Badly Injured.

Inc most depiOrable accident
which the Examiner has ever been
called upon to chronicle, occurred
last Sunday night shortly after 10
o'clock at the Main street crossing of
the Short Line railroad in this city
The particulars of the terrible affair,
which resulted in the death of Ralph
Smith and Voneda Brown. are sub
stantially as follows:
Ralph Smith and Ernest Gardner
OF Fish Haven, in company with Van
eda Brown and Edna Bum of La
mark, were coming into town in an
automobile which was being driven
by young Gardner, Miss Bum being
in the front seat with him. Before
approaching the railroad tracks
Gardner slowed the auto down to a
speed of about five miles an hour.
The auto had crossed several Of the
railroad tracks and was close To
track No. g., which formerly was the
old main line track, when he OBJ
served freight cars approaching from
the south. About this time the
night watchman signalled for Gard
ner to stop, but being so close to the
track Gardner evidently thought he
could get across before the freight
cars recahed the crossing, and placed
his foot on the accellerator. The
auto lurched ahead and was about
half way across the track, when
struck by the freight cars. The auto
was showed by the cars until it was
off the planks at the crossing, when
1t turned over and was crushed be-
meath the cars and dragged for dis
tance of over 100 feet.
When the switch crew saw that
collision could not be avoided, they
gave violent signals for the engineer
to stop the train, which he did as
quickly as possible, but not until af-
ter the freight car had been derailed,
and the trucks wrenched from 1t.
Just how Young Gardner and Miss
Bum escaped with only minor in
juries is nothing less than a miracle.
Miss Brown received injuries,
which resulted in instant death. Her
neck was broken and her left leg was
mangled and broken above the knee.
Her body was also badly bruised.
Both of Ralph Smiths legs we're
broken and mangIed-the left leg be-
low the knee and the right above
the knee. He also sustained cuts
and bruises. He was hurridly con-
veyed to the Lynn hospital, where
the mangled limbs were amputated
and everything possible was done to
save his life. He regained conscious
ness after the amputations were per-
formed, and although suffering In
tensely from the shock and with pain
his mind was quite clear until few
minutes before he died, which was at
S:45 Monday morning.
His body and that of Miss Brown
were taken to the Vincent undertake
ing establishment. where they were
properly prepared for burial.
The parents OF the four young
people were notified that night OF the
terrible affair and they came to
Montpelier as quickly as they could
get here by autos.
Coroner I. w. Lynn empanelled 4
Jury Monday morning and that after
noon an inquest was conducted at the
city hall.
The jury. after hearing all II the
evidence obtainable, returned the fol-
lowing verdict:
I'VE, the cOroner's jury in the
case of the death OF Ralph Smith
and Veneda Brown, find that
they came to their deaths by
collision between the automobile
in which they were riding and
moving box car on the o. 8. L.
railroad at the depot street
crossing"
The automobile which was demoi
ished belonged 70 J. L. Gardner o.
Fish Haven. who had bought It only
about three weeks ago. His son. Err
nest who was driving it. is 90 year
ef are. He has driven autos for th'
past Ewo years. and was an extremel!
careful driver.
His companion. Miss Edna Bum
is tlaa daughter of Mr. and Mrs Johl
BunA OF Lanark. and is 16 years o
age. Both she and goung Gardne
sustained only slight injuries. thee