News Article

Bald Hill road on the east side of Hemlock lake was the scene of the auto accident that killed Warren Slout of Rochester on 28 July 1915. Photo by Erwin Wemett.

The Bald Hill road on the east side of Hemlock lake was the scene of a serious automobile accident about eleven o’clock Wednesday morning, when Warren A. Slout of Rochester was killed, and G. W. Cobb of Montclair, N.J., general manager of the American Can Company, and H. L. Cannon, president of the H. P. Cannon Company of Bridgeville, Del., were injured.

Five big Cadillac cars containing five passengers each, representatives and members of canning companies in the east, were on their way from Rochester inspecting the canneries and pea farms between there and Wayland. Slout, whose parents formerly lived in Canadice, was driving the first car, which, like the others was the property of the Rochester Taxicab Company. A high rate of speed was being maintained in order to make a steep grade. As the car shot over the summit of the hill, a hole in the road was seen just ahead, hidden up to this time. Because of the rapidity with which the car was moving and the nearness of the hole, it was impossible to slow down enough to pass over it easily. Slout turned quickly to the left to avoid it entirely, but the wheels went out too far and carried the car into the ditch. An endeavor was made to guide the car back into the road, but this was impossible under the circumstances, and after running in the ditch for a distance of a hundred feet, it veered to one side, turned over twice, and righted itself, heading toward the north, with nothing broken except the wind shield.

Slout’s death was instantaneous, due to a broken neck and crushed skull. The other men in the car were thrown out, and two of them were fortunate enough to escape with only a few bruises.

It is considered marvelous that Mr. Cobb, who sat with the driver, was not killed; he was picked up in a half-conscious state, but his condition was not considered serious. Mr. Cannon received a slight fracture of his right leg, though the injury will not be permanent.

Mr. Cobb and Mr. Cannon were taken immediately to the office of Dr. Mills in Hemlock, who accompanied the men to Rochester after he had administered aid. They were taken to the General hospital.

Slout leaves a wife and a little daughter about a year and a half old, who are spending the summer at Honeoye Falls. He had stopped there to visit with them for a few minutes just an hour or so before the accident occurred.