The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1922-07-14
THREE LOSE LIVES
AS AUTO PLUNCES
INTO RESERVES; !;
Car Crashes Through Fence Into
20 Feet of Water
TWO OUT OF FIVE SURVIVE
Overseas Veteran With Only
One Leg Assists in Rescue
of Girl
TWO OUT OF FIVE SURVIVE

10, of 2115 Seventh Avenue, and hel
two daughters, Carrie. aged %, ant
Rosa, aged l8, we're drowned
shortly before s o'clock last night
when all automobile driven by Mrs
Morsello's son, Theodore, turned
from the Oakwood Avenue road
crashed through picket fence and
plunged into twenty feet of water in
the Oakwood Reservoir.
The driver rose to the surface and
was able to save himself and Miss
Anna Nally, Of 2121 Seventh Avenue,
a friend of the family, who was rid.
ing in the front seat with him. In
the rescue of Miss Nally, Morsello
was materially aided by Sylvester
Rowland, an overseas veteran. who
despite the handicap OF having lost
leg in the service OF his country,
dived into the wate- without disrob.
ing and helped Morsello to bring the
girl ashore.
The machine, a Ford touring car.
was driven thirty.fve feet out in the
water. The body of the mother was
caught in the machine and was sub.
sequently released by Captain NJ. J..
b. McDonagh of the Red Cross Life
Saving Corps and Sports Editor of
the Troy Record The bodies of the
daughters were recovered by crap
pling irons.
The accident is one of the sddest
that has occurred in this locality in
many years. According to the story
told by Mr.. Morsello, operator OF the
machine, he had taken his mother,
two sisters and Miss Nally for a
short ride. He said that as he was pro
ceeding north on Oakwood Avenue
he endeavored to turn to the right
in order to let pass another auto
coming in the opposite direction and
IN so doing his machine mounted the
curb and plunged over the embank.
ment and out into the water.
Mr.. Morsello said that as far as he
could remember Miss Nally and one
OF his sisters came to the surface.
He said that he could swim a little
himself He reached out both hands
and grabbed hold of Miss Nally with
one and his sister with the other.
The strain was too great, however.
and in the struggle he lost hold of
his sisters hand and she sank out of
sight.
Mr., Rowland an overseas veteran
of the late World War, wounded in
action in such a way as to necessi.
tate the amputating of one of his
legs, was coming along the road
when the accident occurred He ran
to the side of the reservoir and with.
out waiting to shed his clothing
jumped into the water and assisted
Mr. Morsello in the rescue of Miss
Naliy Howland stated had he been
a little earlier he could have saved
the life of Morsello's sister
Howland and Morsello spread the
alarm and the physicians. nurses,
ambulance. firemen, police and State
troopers were soon on the scene.
Rescue parties were Immediately
formed and efforts were made to To-
cate the bodies. A telephone call
was received by Fire Chief Cornelius
A. Casey for the pulmotor and he
made a hurried trip to the scene.
Capt NJ. J. B. McDonagh was
among the first to reach The reservoir
and within two minutes of his arri-
val he succeeded in bringing Mrs.
Morsello to the surface. He then
fastened large rope to the auto
at least twenty feet under.
water and assisted by the large
crowd that collected pulled the ma.
cline from the water.
However, there were no bodies in
the machine. Fire Chief Casey then
suggested that graphing irons
would be about the next best thing
possible and boat was obtained
together with set of the irons.
Chief Casey and Mr. McDonagh
worked there for about an hour and
a haf and finally succeeding in get
ting the bodies of the two girls. The
first girl brought to shore was Rosa.
She had been in the water about an
hour and ten minutes. Her sister
was located about an hour and a i
half after the accident