Watertown, NY Train Wreck

September 1927

THREE KILLED, ONE HURT IN AUTOMOBILE WRECK

BRAYTON LADD, Cape Vincent Merchant, and Family Struck by Train at Watertown – Mother Dies Instantly; Owner of Car and Father Succumb at Hospital, and Wife is Critically Injured.

BRAYTON LADD, a well known Cape Vincent merchant, and his mother were killed, and his wife and father were seriously injured Sunday when his automobile was struck at the Massey street crossing in Watertown by train No. 7 from Syracuse to Massena Springs. The dead:
BRAYTON LADD, clothier; died in hospital.
MRS. MARSHALL LADD, mother of BRAYTON; instantly killed.
MARSHALL LADD, father; died in hospital.

The injured:
MRS. HELEN CLARK LADD, wrenched ankle, body bruises and probable internal injuries.

Had Started on Family Picnic.
The family left their home at Sulphur Springs Sunday morning with lunch baskets packed and otherwise prepared to spend the day at Pine Plains camp. They had reached the Massey street crossing, one-half mile within the Watertown city limits, where they were held up by a westbound freight train.

This train was cut in two for them to pass and they had gone on the eastbound track on signal from a brakeman when they were struck.

The pilot of the engine caught the auto in the middle and carried it 1,200 feet before stopping. MRS. MARSHALL LADD was hurled from the car by the first impact and was instantly killed.

Gasoline Tank Explodes.
About 850 feet from the scene of the collision and while yet on the pilot of the moving engine the gasoline tank of the auto exploded, hurling the elder MR. LADD from the car to the right of the train and MRS. BRAYTON LADD to the west side of the track and between the freight and passenger trains.

BRAYTON LADD was carried 350 feet farther until the train was brought to a stop and the car removed from the pilot of the engine.

W. SCOTT MATTRAW, witness of the accident, took BRAYTON LADD to the City hospital, where he lived for two hours. He suffered internal injuries and burns and bruises about the head.

Condition of the Injured.
MARSHALL LADD and MRS. HELEN LADD were taken to the Sisters' Hospital, where it was found that MR. LADD was suffering from internal injuries and severe burns. He died at 11:30 a. m., Monday. MRS. BRAYTON LADD, who received the slightest injuries is suffering with a wrenched ankle and body bruises and it is feared she is injured internally. It is believed she may recover.

That the heat from the burning gasoline was intense is shown by the fact that all inflamable [sic] material about the car, with the exception of the rear cushion and lunch baskets, which were hurled from the car by the explosion, were burned. Small scraps of melted aluminum were picked up about the scene of the accident by the curious crowd that gathered as soon as news of the wreck reached the center of the city.

Car Badly Wrecked.
The only thing about the car that was not destroyed was the clock on the dash. This was removed from the dash and was found to be running perfectly.

MR. MATTRAW, who is manager of the City opera house, sat in his car on the opposite side of the track from the LADD car when the brakeman motioned for him to cross through the open freight train. MR. MATTRAW was about to proceed when he saw No. 7 approaching and stopped his car just in time to save it being hit, but did not see the LADD car in time to shout a warning.

Lowville Journal & Republican New York 1917-09-27

Submitted & transcribed by Stu Beitler  Thank you, Stu!

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