The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1920-05-28
FATAL RAILROAD
ACCIDENT


Oroville for Spokane last Friday
morning. in charge of Conductor
U'Ren and Engineer Morarity, struck
Ford truck containing man named
Snodgrass, his wife and two young
children at crossing within the linn
its of Chewelah. The twO-year-old girl
was killed outright, Snodgrass was SO
seriously injured that he died the next
day and the mother and 7-year-old
son were very seriously injured, but
will survive. AS the train was pulling
In to Chewelah-nOt out of the town,
as published in the Spokane papers
the engineer noticed the truck within
few feet of the road standing still.
Just before the train reached the spot
the truck suddenly shot forward in
front of the engine and was struck.
Whether the man thought that he
could make the crossing ahead of the
train in time. or whether he lost his
head and stepped on the throttle, can
never be known. Anyhow, the car shot
ahead, the engine hit the car and the
fatalities resulted. Somehow, people
seem unable to learn by cruel exper-
ience that safety at railroad crossings
rests in using precaution and common
sense. Nine times out Of ten railroad
crossing accidents occur through the
reckless carlessness OF the victims,
and yet, let fatal accident happen
and no matter how plain the evidence
;e, hot hou
avoided had common, ordinary care
been exercised on the part of the
sufferers the public jumps upon the
railroad and the company is almost
invariably assessed for heavy dam
ages. A vast amount Of suffering and
sorrow could be avoided If people
would use just little judgment at
railroad crossings. But what's the use.
Avoidable accidents with fatal termin-
alton take place every day. People
will not learn by experience. Advice
to exercise caution is sneered at. So
has it always been; so will it ever be.
The Spokesman-Review has the fol-
lowing account of the Chewelah acci-
dent:
"CHEWELAH, Wash, May 21.-As
the result of attempting to cross in
front of a southbound Great Northern
passenger train here this afternoon,
Walter Snodgrass, q farmer living in
this vicinity, is in the hospital at VAL
ley with a fractured skull and is not
expected to live; his wife and boy,
age Z, are suffering painful injuries,
and his 2-year-old girl is dead.
"Mr. Snodgrass and the members of
his family were driving to town in IA
Ford truck loaded with firewood, but
was unable to see the train, which
was just leaving Chewelah station, be-
cause of small house near the road
and the railway. This house also OBJ
structed the engineers view of the
road at that point and he did not see
the approaching truck in time to stop
his train.
"The truck was turned completely
around by the collision and Mr.. Snod-
grass was hurled about so feet one
way and his wife so feet the other.
The girl baby was caught by the COW
catcher and dragged about 100 feet
under the train to a trestle, where the
body was dropped, with one arm and
two legs cut off and otherwise mangled.
Mrs. Snodgrass and the boy were
removed to the Chewelah hospital, and
it is said they will recover. Mr.. Snod-
grass was taken on the train to the
hospital at Valley, the next station
south, and at late hour tonight 1t
was feared that he would not live un-
til morning.
"The train was going at fair rate
of speed, but was stopped after the
collision before it had gone its own
length. passengers in the rear coach
having a clear view of the wrecked
automobile on the roadway.
ut Is said that some boys who saw
the danger into which Mr.. Snodgrass
was driving, yelled at him, but he ap-
parently did not realize what they
were trying to tell him and drove
right on the truck"