Jasper County Democrat, Volume 15, Number 62, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 November 1912 — A Lucky Automobile Smash up. [ARTICLE]

A Lucky Automobile Smash up.

Friday evening while returning from the box cocial southeast of town, Victor Hoover, driving his father’s Ford car, in which were Lawrence Halleck and Miss Winona McFarland of Fair Oakg, and Miss Grace Peyton and Leslie Pollard of Rensselaer, the failure of the lights to work and the decision of the driver to try to get to town without them, after several unsuccessful attempts were made to remedy the defects, resulted in a rear end collission near the ball park, when the machine, going at perhaps fifteen miles an hour struck a single buggy occupied by Leslie and Charlie Lowman and Misses Belle Phares and Grace Avis, who were also returning from the box social. The rig was almost a complete wreck, and the occupants were luckily thrown free from the buggy and landed in the ditch unhurt except for a bad shaking up and a few minor bruises. The horses took fright and, the buggy tongue having parted at the first onslaught, thus freeing the team, ran into town where they were caught and put *n the Kanne barn. The machine was damaged to the extent of a broken front axle, badly smashed lamps and a punctured raidator.

Considering the force of the impact it is indeed a miraculous escape on the. part of the occupants of the buggy from serious injury.