The Marietta journal. (Marietta, Ga.) 1918-1944, 1919-08-15
THREE PEOPLE KILLED
AS TRAIN HITS AUTO
Family of Six in Auto Smash-up With
Train. Three Dead, Three
Seriously Injured

Two persons were killed instantly
and one since died of wounds while
three others are more or less serl-
ously injured as the result of colli-
sion of their automobile with pas
senger train on the L. & N. railroad
in Cherokee county near Canton on
Sunday morning.
The dead are Mrs. Charles West
brooks, age Al, Aurelia Westbrooks,
age IA, who were instantly killed un-
der the wheels of the train, and Min
ME Westbrooks, age II, who died OF
her injuries on Wednesday evening
at seven o'clock in local sanitarium
in Marietta.
The other injured persons are HUI
bert Westbrooks, age z, seriously
wounded, and Newton Westbrooks,
age II, and Glenn Westbrooks, age
10, wounded slightly. The boys are
still in DIR. Nolan's sanitariuni and
are recovering rapidly.
The mother and five children were
going to Lathamville, about ten miles
from Canton, this morning just after
the Louisville and Nashville train
was due at Canton. They apparently
did not see the train until they were
on the tracks and were seen to stop
the car dead still. 1t is stated stated
that a high bank prevented either
the driver of the car or the engi-
neer from seeing each other. The
train which was going at moderate
rate of speed could not be stopped IN
time to avoid hitting the car and
struck it squarely, hurting the car
over 100 feet and killing and mang-
ling the bodies of the mother and one
daughter.
The engine which struck the car
was Immediately uncoupled from the
rest of the train and the injured per-
sons placed on cots and rushed back
here to DIR. Nolan's sanitarium, reach
ing here about 1920 o'clock.
According to reports of the sensa-
tional event from Canton, a great
crowd Immediately gathered at the
scene of the accident in order to rem
der all the aid possible to the in
jured ones. Many women were said
to have tainted at sight of the scene
and the mangled bodies and one mar
completely collapsed while helping
place the bodies in a box car for re-
moval to Marietta.
When the father was notified OF
the catastrophe he made record
run to the scene of the accident by
automobile and his abject suffering
at the sight of his bloody and man.
gled family was sufficient to play on
the heartstrings of the large gathering
of sympathetic friends.
The bodies of Mrs. Westbrooks, and
her daughter were detained at Canton
and taken to a local undertaking es-
Establishment there for burial later.
The Westbrooks form one of the
most prominent and best known fami-
lies in North Georgia and there was
constant stream of friends coming
to Marietta Sunday to inquire of their
conditions and to offer any possible
assistance.
The engineer is said to have seen
the auto balk at the crossing, but
was unable to stop the train before
the accident occurred. No blame has
been attached to him in any way in
connection with the accident.
The Westbrooks have a farm in
the eastern part of Cherokee county,
about twelve miles from Waleska.
During the past year they had moved
to Waleska in order that the chill
dren might attend Rhinehardt Col
lege at that place. During the plant
ing season the father was remaining
on his farm and Sunday morning the
mother and five children started off
in their auto, taking dinner with
them and had planned to bring the
father home with them in the after
noon.
They had to make the trip by
way of Canton and it was there that
the accident took place.
The road to Canton, going north,
just after crossing the Hiawassee
river, comes Immediately on the rail-
road, which crosses the road from a
blind on either side. 1t is presumed
that the Westbrooks did not see the
train until they were on the track
and the driver in the excitement
killed the motor on the tracks and
was unable to get the car started
again in time to clear the tracks be-
fore the oncoming train hit them.