The Monmouth inquirer., 1922-06-22
Auto and Train Crash
Near AIIaire

der and two steel cars which were de-
rallied Friday morning at the West AL
laire grade crossing where a Philadel-
phia express train travelling at go miles
an hour, demolished a Cole touring car
killed one man and Injured several per
sons.
Jerome Rankin Stuart of Kansas
City, Mo-. age 10. West Point cadet
and son of a Kansas City dentist, was
the person killed. j ohm |. Harris, col
ored, of 27S West 18th street, New
York, said to be baseball player on
! the Lincoln Colored. Giants, which
played with the Meadowbrooks at
Lakewood Friday afternoon, suffered
injuries,
The slightly injured were.
Mrs. H. B. Foster Of Asbury Park,
shock; Alexander Waters of 36 West
| 136th street, New York, injured hip;
Samuel Mongin of 1870 West 132nd
street, New York, injured back d. l..
Me enry of Trenton bruises and inter
nal injuries and NJ j. Phillips of Phila-
delphia, injured left leg.
The overturned locomotive to which
Engineer William Griscon of Philadel-
phia, and the fireman stuck until it fell
over on its side, was righted and plac-
ed on the track last Traffic went thru
uninterrupted at oclochF Friday night.
As far as can be learned, Samuel
MaTvitz, a trackwalker, was the only
eve witness of the crash. with the ex-
ception of those figuring directly in it.
Marvitz was walking on the side of the
tracks and says he was within 25 feet of
the crossing when he saw the car head
ed for the crossing and the engine bear
ing down on it, but still some distance
away.
Il watched the car and the train and
suddenly realized that the driver OF the
car was trying to stop his machine and
couldn't. He was working feverishly
with the gears The locomotive blew
repeatedly | dropped my bag of tools
and ran toward the auto, shouting and
waving my arms. The car crept on and
came to stop on the tracks The driy
er shouted something to the girl with
him and she jumped out. The man
paused a few seconds, before he tried
to jump out, apparently trying to get
the machine started again. Then the
engine struck 1t.
Griscon, the engineer, said that he
saw the aur omobile with Stuart and
the girl when he was a considerable
distance away.
II blew my whistle many, many
times, and the driver of the car could
MT have helped hearing it, When saw
that he was trying to make the crossing
before me, threw on the air brakes. "
Miss Smethurst, VINO is the daughter
Of w, A. Smethurst of Farmlngdale,
whom Stuart was visiting. jumped just
before the fatal crash, which lifted the
auto obile bodily to the fender OF the
speeding express. throwing Stuart free
from the machine. The front pilot
wheels were pushed from the track by
the crash and bumped along the ties for
about 500 feet. Then these small wheels
rode along the outside of the rails OF a
switch at that point, derailing the loco
motive and with it the tender and
three cars. The rear car was not derail-
ed.
Stuart was a cadet at the United
States Military academy at West Point
and left the academy last Tuesday for
a furlough until Aug. %, the only one
he would receive in his four years at
West Point. He was born in Missouri
and was appointed to the academy two
years ago by Senator Reed. His full
name was jerome Rankin Stuart. lie
was in uniform when he was killed. he
was 10 years old and lived at 1896 Camp
bell street, Kansas City, Mo. He was
the son of DR.. Jerome M. Stuart,
dentist of Kansas City.
The passengers remained calm thru
out. Altho the coaches had plunged
info the soft ground and were careened
at precarious angles. the passengers
scrambled out in an orderly manner
and, under the direction of Conductor
John H. Duncan of Philadelphia, in
charge of the train, made search for
the possible injured
Duncan, as he ran from the wrecked
cars, made his way first to the locomo-
tive, which lay on its right side in the
cinders of the roadbed. There he found
both Engineer Driscom and the fire.
man unhurt and at their posts. They
had not jumped but had stuck to their
posts tho the train had plunged ahead
over 800 feet after hitting the automo-
bile.
Miss Smethurst said that she and
Stuart had been at Spring Lake bath
ing and were bound home. Stuart was
to take the II O'Clock Central train for
New York from Farmingdale. AS they
approached the crossing he saw the train
and attempted to apply the brakes.
They failed it was said. and the engine
stalled just as the car reached the
middle of the tracks.
He called to her to jump and as she
did so. Stuart was just on the running
board of his side of the car, trying to
follow his advice. The car was seven
passenger Cole and was the property
of Major w. A. Smethurst, the girls
father.
According to an unverified report.
Stuart and Miss Smethurst were to
have been married upon the compile
ton Of the formers course at West
Point in 1924
The body was removed to Bodine's
undtaking parlors at Asbury Park Sat
urday afternoon a detail of seven
West Point cadets arrived. They
guarded the body.
DIR. Stuart of Kansas City, was com
municated with and advised of
his sons death. He is due to arrive
Sunday afternoon at | o'clock
The military guard escorted the
body to the fathers home, leaving