Chittenango, NY Auto Wreck, Aug 1912

TWO ARE HURT, ONE FATALLY, IN AUTO ACCIDENT

Charles B. Hormel and Mrs. Frank Tracy Thrown From Car Near Chittenango.

HORMEL DIES OF INJURIES

Machine Strikes a Post at Side of Road While Descending Hill at High Speed--Driver Is Crushed Against Steering Wheel---Both Victims Prominent Socially.

The turns in the State road east of Chittenango which have always been a peril to motorists driving at high speed, caused the wreck of Charles B. Hormel's car a little after 10 o'clock last night, and the death of Mr. Hormel two hours later. Mrs. Frank Tracy of No.1019 James street, who was riding with Mr. Hormel to Utica on her way to the Adirondacks, was badly bruised and shaken up, but received no serious injury.

Mr. Hormel was driving at high speed. At the foot of a little hill a mile and a half east of Chittneango he rounded a turn. The lights of another car flashed upon him. He swerved to the right, and a post at the roadside caught the axle of his right front wheel.

Awakened by Crash.

Those who were awake in the house near the spot heard the horns of both machines short frantic warnings, and then the crash.

They found the Hormel car at right angles to the road, a few yards beyond the post. Both right wheels had been torn off. The car seemed to have swung too wide on the curve so that the front right wheel struck the post. The car scraped along the point until the rear right wheel came in contact with it. Then the rear of the car was thrown around in a wide curve until the car was at right angles with front headed toward the side of the road where the post was situated.

A few feet from the car lay Hormel and Mrs. Tracy face downward. They had evidently been thrown from the car when it first struck the post, for the car stopped at a point beyond where they lay in the road.

Neighbors carried them into the nearest house, the home of Duane Russell. Dr. J. R. Eaton of Chittenango was sent for and saw at a glance the Mr. Hormel was mortally injured. The right side of his chest had been crushed in against the steering wheel. Before Dr. Eaton arrived Mrs.Tracy had recovered consciousness.

Dr. Eaton telephone to Syracuse for Dr. John Van Duyn, who was Mr. Hormel's physician. Dr. Van Duyn called up Charles S. Tracy and told him the news. Dr. Van Duyn's own car was out of commission. Mr. Tracy immediately picked up Dr. Van Duyn with his car and rushed him to the scene of the accident.

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