Dr. Ramsay’s Buick Is Overturned in Darkness Between New Brunswick and Metuchen.
TWO TAKEN TO CITY HOSPITAL
Mrs. Ramsay and Chauffeur Conquest Brought Here-Miss Brennan, of Metuchen, Taken Home.
Mrs. Ramsay, wife of Dr. William E. Ramsay, and Alexander Conquest, proprietor of the Packer House garage, are in the city hospital at the result of an automobile accident between Metuchen and New Brunswick about 6 o’clock last night. Miss Olive Virginia Brennan, a niece of Col. C. C. Weber, of Metuchen, who wae also badly Injured, wag removed to her home.
As a result of the accident Mrs. Ramsay has a broken collar bone and is suffering from shock, but her injuries are not regarded as serious. Mr. Conquest has a slight concussion of the brain and is bruised about the body. The latter, when seen by a reporter this morning, said that his head hurt him and there was a soreness all over his legs, and his back pained him considerably.
The accident happened about 300 yards east of The Hotel Pines, of which Peter Feller Is proprietor. At 6 o’clock last night Mrs. Ramsay, with Mr. Conquest on the seat beside her, and Miss Brennan on the rumble seat behind, passed the hotel at only a fair rate of speed. Mrs. Ramsay was running the machine and, when about 300 yards past the place, she saw two wagons coming toward her. As she tried to pass them the first horse started across the road and she, becoming excited, attempted to turn to the other side. Control of the machine was lost for a moment, and before Mr. Conquest could take the wheel the car had crashed Into the wagon. The collision caused the machine, which was Dr. Ramsay’s Buick runabout, to turn turtle. Mrs. Ramsay was pinned under the car with part of it on her chest, while Conquest and Miss Brennan were hurled clear of It to the road.
Landed at Roadside.
Mr. Conquest landed on his head and was rendered unconscious, while Miss Brennan struck the hard macadam full on her face, ten feet from the auto.
The vehicle which was struck by the auto was a peddler’s wagon from New Brunswick. The driver was a boy about fourteen years old and it is said that he was asleep. Another report was that he became excited and drove into the machine. The wagon was demolished and hurled to the side of the road, but the driver and horse were uninjured. The accident freed the horse, which ran all the way to New Brunswick. The second wagon was also that of a peddler and bound for New Brunswick, and was driven by the owner, Philip Levine. Mr. Levlne, when he realized what had occurred, managed to raise the auto and drag Mrs. Ramsay from beneath. He placed her in his wagon and drove to the hotel, where, with the aid of Mrs. Feller and her daughter, the injured woman was taken Inside. Mrs. Ramsay was conscious and directed the movements of the first aid worker.
Driving back to the scene of the accident, Levine picked up Mr. Conquest and Miss Brennan, both of whom were unconscious, and placed them in his rig. In the meantime Mr. Feller’s hired man had learned of the accident and helped Mr. Levine in the rescue-work. They were then taken to the hotel and placed in the parlor, where efforts were made to revive them until the arrival of Dr. Alfred E. Ellis, of Metuchen, who had been sent for by Mrs. Feller.
At the request of Mrs. Ramsay, Dr. J. G. Wilson, of this city, was asked to come to the hotel as quickly as possible. Dr. Wilson’s machine was out of order so he tried to secure one at the Packer House garage. Finally, in Joseph E. Stricker’s Mitchell roadster, the doctor, with Arthur Conquest, a brother of one of the injured, as chauffeur, started for the place shortly before 7 o’clock. On the way to the hotel someone stopped Dr. Wilson and told him that two of the injured were dead, which made the rest of the ride far from pleasant.
Brought to This City.
C. A. Sexton learned of the accident shortly after Dr. Wilson had been notified and, with William M. Floersch, hurried, to the scene in the former’s Overland car. Mr. Conquest was brought to the local hospital in Mr. Sexton’s automobile, and the city ambulance was sent after Mrs. Ramsay.
Miss Brennan suffered intensely, her face being so badly bruised that she was almost unrecognizable. At first it was not thought advisable to move her, but later she was taken to her home. From her appearance she must have slid several feet on her face along the macadam. Mr. Weber said this morning that the doctors feared that his niece had concussion of the brain, as she was now in a semi-conscious state.
The auto was badly damaged and one of the wheels was knocked off. Later in the evening it was placed on a wagon by W. Rule, of Metuchen, and taken to John Almond’s garage in that place.
“The Pines,” near where the accident happened, is «bout one-and-a half miles from Metuchen and about four miles from New Brunswick, the road being known as Middlesex avenue.
Mr. Conquest’s Story.
Alexander Conquest, the chauffeur, when seen in the hospital this morning, said that he could not remember very clearly the details of the accident. As near as he can remember, the accident happened about 5:30 or 5:45 o’clock. “Mrs. Ramsay and I,” he said, “left Perth Amboy shortly after 2 o’clock yesterday afternoon in the doctor’s machine. Before going south on his hunting trip, Dr. Ramsay told me to take Mrs. Ramsay out and give her a few lessons on the road, and I had been doing so. Yesterday she took the wheel at the top of the hospital hill and ran the car cleverly to Metuchen, where Miss Brennan joined us. We then went to Bound Brook to call on Mr. and Mrs. Edward Radel. Later we left for New Brunswick and were on our way from New Brunswick to this city when the accident occurred. Mrs. Ramsay had run the car all the way,” Mr. Conquest told the reporter, “and, as she did it so well, I had confidence in her and did not fear an accident. Suddenly I saw a wagon ahead. Whether it was coming or going I do not know, but I remember that Mrs. Ramsay made an attempt to pass it, when the rig seemed to cross our path. I tried to take the wheel as, not being in the driver’s seat, it was impossible for me to stop the car, but seeing that a collision was inevitable, I pulled Mrs. Ramsay out of the seat. I did this as I was afraid that the wheel might break and hurt her. That is all I remember and everything became black an instant later. I know I must have been unconscious for a long time for, when I did come to, my head hurt. I believe that my heavy fur coat, which was torn in the crash, saved my life. Yesterday was not the first time that Mrs. Ramsay ran the car over these same roads, and she did It perfectly until the accident occurred.”
Dr. Ramsay _ arrived home with Henry W. Jones this morning from the South, where they have been on a hunting trip. The first news that the doctor received was about the accident and his wife’s condition, and he hurried to the hospital. Mrs. Thomas Conquest visited her son at the Institution this morning and several of Mrs. Ramsay’s friends called on her.
Dr. Ramsay said that his wife will be laid up for about six weeks, but Conquest, it is expected, will be around In a few days.
Perth Amboy Evening News, Perth Amboy, NJ, January 8, 1909