1924 Bus Crash at the Bottom of Patrick Hill

Image of clipping and comments courtesy of Rene M. Elliott

Nov. 3, 1924 New Berlin Gazette sharing an excerpt from the Morris Chronicle. The old state rt 23 curved sharply upstream by Gaughan's at the foot of Patrick Hill and was the scene of many accidents before the 1935 reconstruction straightened the road. Of course at this time most vehicles and buses still had a wood body frame with canvas roof, instead of a one piece steel stamping (which required a house size hydraulic press they developed by the mid 1930s). Steering wheels often were made with steel spokes fastened to a wooden rim, and sounds like it broke apart. The workers probably still were expected to work that day. By this time (1924) the rt 51 state road should have been progressing north through Garrattsville.

Looking for more coverage of this accident I found the attached article in column 2 of the Cooperstown, NY, Otsego Farmer & Republican for November 14, 1924 where Clarence Pickens was fined $50 for reckless driving. I wonder who paid for the injuries to the men and the damages to the bus.