Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1930-01-30
Canyon Road
Claimed
Another Life
T.. w. TORI of Missoula
Killed When Car Slips
From Highway.
ICE SKIDS AUTO ON
TERRIFIC PLUNGE

E. w. TORI of Missoula, an auto
salesman, was killed Monday evening
when the car he was driving went of
the road about quarter OF mile
east of Mahoney Springs on the Lib
by-Troy road and tore down steep
incline some 400 feet on terrific
death plunge.
News of the accident was brought
to town and reported to Sheriff Baney
about 8 o'clock that evening by LIE
Roy Fitzpatrick and F. Fitzpatrick, line
men for the Interstate Utilities COM
pany. The men had attempted to 60
over the road that afternoon, cut
ting channels for their car where
the ice was most dangerous. Return
ing over the road that evening". they
saw the car lying below in an almost
inaccessible location.
Sheriff Baney and Undtrsheriff
Sperry left at once for the scene OF
the accident, going out by the Great
Northern track and working up the
steep and icy mountainside to where
the car and the dead body rested,
a task that was full of thrills and no
small degree Of danger for the res
cuers because of the snow and ice,
the steepness of the ascent and the
darkness.
The men found TORS body in q
terribly mangled condition The hea4
was SO crushed and torn that it was
beyond recognition.
The officers brought the remains
to the Gompf undertaking parlor and
later they were shipped to relatives
in Missoula. A hunting licenses found
in the dead mans effects showed that
he was SO years old. 1t is known that
he was married, as Sheriff Baney had
purchased a Franklin car from LOTT
last year and had met Mrs. lott
Torr was / representative OF the
Inter1nountain Motor company Of Mis-
soulA. c.
Tuesday afternoon Sheriff Baney
and Undersheriff Sperry again went
oue to the scene Of the tragedy tc
make q more careful examination O
the affair in the daylight. They fount
that water from springs had coatec
the highway with ice. Through tins
ice the telephone lineinen had GU
trenches for their car as they wen
over the road. Water had undoubted
ly filled these trenches and frozef
again before TORI came along. 1t wa
plainly evident from tracks that Tor
had got out of his car when he reached
this stretch Of ice and looked matter
over. 1t also appeared that he hat
ATTEMPTED to fasten the car with
log chain to small tree on the up
NH side of the road, and had thel
driven onto the ice-and plunged 7
his death. Sheriff Baney stated tina
the lev sheet slanted directly into tn
canyon and it was highly dangerou
for one even to walk across it. II
considered it utterly foolhardy tina
anyone should attempt to drive ca
across the place.
The car plunged down a stee
incline for about 200 feet. Tn
mountainside then takes pei
pendicular drop of about 40 Zee
Down this 40 foot drop the. plungln
car tore, rolled another couple OF nui
dred feet and came to rest uprigf
IN all four wheels with its rear en-
against a tree. TORS body was foun
about hundred feet from the car.
The auto, 1929 Franklin seda,1
was completely wrecked. The rad
ator. torn from the car, rests uprlgi
in the snow with 40 foot cedar pc
damned through it from the rel
side. Examination showed that pc,
was a standing green tree when u
care came plunging over the SIDE
the mountain, that the car impaled
self on this tree, ripped every bran'
off as though chopped with an a.
and broke the tree off about IL inch
from the ground. The stump whe
broken off is about 10 inches IN dlar
eter. Parts of the inside finish of t
car are hanging in the tops OF nea
by tree. The top of the car
practically gone, but the steel Il
rights are still standing, according
the officers report.
TORI left Renord Monday abo
1890 o'clock, reached Libby and tn
drove ON, attempting to make Irt
1t is said that TORI was well
uuainted with the road, having driv
over it several times, and that LIB
men advised him to be careful on Il
trip and to get out and examine
10 stretches before driving onto the