The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1922-09-08
Miraculous Es-
cape From Death

| III there ever was a providential
warning against one of the present
day extravagances, it seems to have
been that Of the miraculous escape
from death about 5 o'clock Sunday
evening, Of six local young ladies
while they were engaged in Joy
riding at rate of speed which
can never be safe, even over hard
surfaced roads, and with a steady
driver, of six local young ladies'.
But the aforesaid girls are very
much like unto all the younger
generation, as well as many of the
older generation, in that they love to
step on the gas" and enjoy the exhil-
Grafton that comes from high speed.
It is said that the good old Essex car,
in which they were riding, was NOV
ing upwards of forty miles when the
accident happened. And from the ap-
pearance of the manned and crippled
car, after the experience, it seems
that feature was not all overestimated.
Miss Louise Lang, daughter of Mr..
and Mrs. W. R. Lang, had gathered in
her fathers Essex, five girl compan-
ions, and when the accident happened
they were going east on the Ste. Gen.
ve-Fredericktown road, about half
mile east Of the court house. While
there were chuck holes in the road ov-
er which they were passing, neverthe-
less the car had attained high rate
Of speed, and Miss Louise, who was
driving, failed to realize that she was
on the brink of disaster until the
whole terrible experience was over.
Grass growing along that side of the
street acts as a kind of veil to hide a
small ditch, which was filed with wa
ter at the time, though the street,
which is rocked, bore no indication of
excessive moisture. Thus a matter of
six inches into the grassy border
would mean disaster to such a rapidly
moving vehicle.
1t has been stated that the driver,
apparently unmindful of all but the
joy of the moment, had slightly turned
her head to her companions to an
nounce the mileage they were making,
when the car wheels went into the
ditch, and the car made several rap
i'd gyrations into barbed wire fence,
demolishing several post lengths of
that obstruction as though it had new
er been there. During this altogether
exciting part of their experience, the
girls practically lost consciousness
and are unable to tell what happened.
But when rescurers arrived. they were
indeed pitiable sight to look upon,
in badly smashed car, all wound
round with barbed wire, and the
bodies of the girls tangled up in the
debris, some apparently lifeless.
But, praise the Lord for His truly
wonderful mercies, when the girls had
been finally extricated from the chaos,
it was found that all of them We're
still alive, and as the inspection pro-
cedeed the fact was developed that
none of them were fatally injured, for
which earnest thanks are due loving
and merciful Savior. The poor old
Essex, which had never failed or re-
fused to perform any task set for it,
bore the brunt of the damage, and it,
too, presented a pitiable sight. What
remained of its top had to be torn
away in order to extricate it's late oc-
But workmen employed in
rebuilding promise that it, too, will
soon appear again, practically good
as new.
The girls who passed through that
frightful and appalling accident, to-
gether with their injuries, are as fol-
lows: Miss Mildred Graves, perhaps
the most serious injured, had piece
of the top bow pressed through her
upper right. leg, causing an ugly and
Jagged wound; also other bruises.
Miss Helen Graves, nose badly cut,
probably from glass of windshield, and
a number of other bruises.
Miss Kathleen McAtee sustained a
number of painful bruises and Sc
we're shock.
Miss Ina Evans sustained some
heavy bruises and most of her clothes
were stripped from her.
Miss Eula Bugg's right side was
badly bruised and her right ankle
painfully wrenched.
Miss Louise Lang sustained some
deep and wide scalp wounds from the
wind shield, also painful bruises.
Strange to say that not single
bone was broken in that frightful
plunge, which will doubtless remain
long in the minds of the participants
as a warning against reckless auto
driving.