The Sun and the New York herald., 1920-09-13
7 DIE IN CRASH
AS AUTOMOBILE
JUMPS BRIDGE
Terrific Rain and Light
ming Storm Causes Driver
to Lose Control.
ONLY ONE IN CAR ALIVE
DR.. G. II. Mcclure, Bronx
Physician, and Three of
Family Victims
DOBBS FERRY ACCIDENT
Party Had Gone to Camp to
Get Boys for Opening Of
College.
DOBBS FERRY ACCIDENT

n lONk OlhCh Noullllk WI Wv W "
strange road. It's curtains tightly
drawn TO protect the eight occupants
from the driving torrents OF rnin shot
In helpless, Eigzag fashion at So'clock
yesterday morning down the DOCK
I'm road At Dobbs Ferry, crossed the
bridge over the New York Central
Railroad tracks, and then, unable to
make the sharp turn, tore through the
iron railing and dropped twenty-five
feet 10 the ground.
Seven persons were killed, their
bodies crushed In heap under the
automobile and tangled with the
wreckage, DR., George II, Mcclure, a
prominent physician, IS years old. OF
25l9 Creston avenue, The Bronx, was
driving the car. His body was broken
against the steering wheel and his
skull fractured.
The thunderstorm, said 10 have been
the worst that section had seen for
many years, made the roads all but
impossible. While the whole story OF
the wreck probably never will be
known, II is thought that the binding
rain, interspersed with flashes OF light
ming, made II impossible to control the
car.
The others killed were Mrs, Florence
Mcclure, wife OF DR. Mcclure, 40
d years old; George IL MCCLURE, Dr., his
aon, 16 years old, and his daughter
Mary MCGUIRE, IL years old John ].
Howley, IS, of 24S7 Valentine avenue,
The Bronx; his wife. Anna, SO years
old, and Edward Mulrooney. 15 years
old, son OF Police Lieutenant Edward
Mulrooney OF the West 1921 street
police station. Mrs. Howley was DR..
McGuire's sister. Howley had been an
inspector in the Bronx Building De-
partment for twenty years.
Wrong Turn Proved Fatal.
The party left The Bronx at o'clock
Saturday afternoon and went TO Orange
Lake. near Newburgh, to get George
Mcguire, 'Jr., and the Mulrooney boy,
who had been together all summer at
camp. The boys had beeh friends since
babyhood and were 10 enter Fordham
University this morning.
Returning from the lake DR.. MCGUIRE
drove through Main street, Dobbs Ferry.
and should have turned TO the left into
Livingston avenue, which would have
brought him into Broadway. Instead he
turned to the right on Dock Hill, short
street with a steep down grade leading
toward the river and the bridge over the
railroad tracks. There is an iron fence
five feet high on the bridge and at the
turn buttress, also fenced with an iron
rail. The car skidded along the bridge
10 the buttress and went over. tearing
oif fifty feet OF the heavy railing In its
fall
A party OF Tarrytown men who had
gene to the Dobbs Ferry station for
shelter when their automobile went dead
heard the crash. They ran out into the
storm and found the overturned car.
Harry Winston. one OF them. ran to the
station, broke window and telephoned
for the police and an ambulance.
Capt. Costello of the Dobbs Ferry po-
lice arrived with two patrolmen and
Eugene Baker, an undertaken OF Hast
ings. 1t took some time TO lift the car
and take out the bodies They were re-
moved to Bakers undertaking estab-
llshment, and later were removed. with
the permission OF Coroner George Engle
OF Yonkers to the undertaking rooms OF
Patrick C. Murphy, at S43 East Ford
ham road.
Only One Escaped Death.
Francis Mcclure, ~ years old, was
the only one Of the party who escaped
death, Although the curtains were
drawn he was thrown several feet from
the car clear OF the wreckage, His left
thigh was fractured and he was badly
bruised, but 1t was said at Dobbs Ferry
Hospital last night that he. would re-
cover. He is unable to tell anything OF
the accident and he does not know that
his family is dead.
A Mrs. Devlne, who lives near the
scene OF the accident, aided In the iden-
tihcation OF the bodies. Dr. Mcclure
was identified by papers In his pockets.
Mrs Devine recalled that he was
brother-in-law Of DR.. Edward p. Higgins
OF 473 East 145th street. DIR. Higgins
went to Dobbs Ferry and took charge
Of the bodies
News of the accident ran quickly
through The Bronx. where both the Nc
Guire and Howley families were well
known At each mass at the Church OF
Our lady of Mercy on Marion avenue
the Rev, Father Patrick Breslin told his
parishioners what had happened. There
were few persons who did not know at
least one of the party.
All day yesterday automobiles carried
crowds to see the fatal bridge. There
have been number OF minor accidents
at the place, due to the sharp turn and
'he steep grade.
The funerals will be held at 1880
o'clock Wednesday morning with a
requiem high mass at the Church OF Our
Lady Of Mercy. Three hearses brought
the bodies to The Bronx yesterday. and
Continued on Fourth Page