The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-10-05
FOUR LOSTLIVES
Tn AUTO PLUNGE
Three South Barre People
and One Corinth Girl
the Victims
CAR WENT OFF BRIDGE
NEAR NO. RANDOLPH
Two Others in the Machine
Managed to Save
Themselves

Four persons lost their lives and two
were quite badly injured late last night,
when South Barre automobile, owned
by J. F. Spencer, crashed through the
railing Of bridge near North Randolph
and into the brook at point where the
water attains depth of four feet.
The Dead.
ALLISON SPENCER, aged 43, South
Barre
HAROLD SPENCER, aged 25, South
Barre
RUBY WILSON, aged 10, Corinth.
LEON SPENCER aged 8, South Barre.
The Injured.
MRS. GEORGE II. WILSON, Corinth.
PRIVATE FRED C0MSToCK, Camp
Devens.
The four bodies were brought to Barre
at o'clock this morning and removed to
the undertaking establishment of B. w.
Hooker 4 Co. Later Mrs. Wilson and
Private Comstock were taken to South
Barre. Neither was fatally injured, al
though they came within inches OF death
in the water before they were rescued. A
post mortem examination Of the remains,
made at North Randolph by the doctor
who was called soon after the accident,
indicates that at least three of the VIC
tins died from drowning. Allison Spencer
sustained a bad bruise on the head,
which might have caused death. in the
opinion of the doctor. Harold Spencer 5
body did not disclose any visible injuries
and he is thought to have been drowned.
The Wilson girl and the little Spencer
boy probably were drowned, although
there were bruises to be seen on their
bodies.
Probably the>only member OF the party
who could have explained the accident is
dead. Allison Spencer was driving his
fathers automobile, and the party, hav-
ing stopped briefly in Williamstown, had
proceeded farther down the road for a
ride Near the bridge where the accident
occurred is slight bend in the highway,
According to rather incoherent stories
told the survivors, the car shot down the
road and onto the bridge. Apparently
something went wrong with the steering
gear, for the car, Ford, swerved sharply
toward the side of the structure and then
pitched through the railing.
Allison Spencer, his son, Leon, and Har-
old Spencer were found under the car.
Mrs. Wilson and Private Comstock were
able to reach the bank, but the Wilson
child's body was found under water. Help
was secured from the home of j. Dix
Camp, nearby, and before long others
living in the neighborhood were on the
scene. After learning that four members
of the party were beyond help, the doctor
turned his attention to the survivors.
Both were semi.unconscious, but they
were revived before the journey to South
Barre was undertaken.
Allison Spencer, son of J. Philip
Spencer, was employed in the William
Milne Granite Co.'s plant He is sur
vived by his parents, his wife and four
children. Two weeks ago the family had
the misfortune to lose their household
goods in fire which consumed the house
occupied by them in South Barre. Two
of the children surviving are older than
Leon Spencer, the son who died in the
accident.
Harold Spencer, son of Herman M
Spencer of South Barre, was born in
that village in 1893. He was married and
leaves his wife and an infant son. He
was employed by Z. G. Glysson as a
bedsetter.
Ruby Wilson was born in Corinth in
1908. With her mother and father shc
had been visiting South Barre relatives
Besides her parents, she leaves two broth.
ers and two sisters. Her mother, nearly
frantic with grief over the loss of her
child and her own terrible experience
was reported to-day to be in critical
condition.
Private Comstock is a South Barre boy
who has been passing a furlough at
home He was to have returned to Camp
Devens to-day, and the little auto ride
which led up to the accident was planned
in his honor.