Gerald Edwards (died 1942)

EDWARDS, GOMBERT

Posted By: Sharon Elijah (email)
Date: 5/29/2020 at 08:19:08

28 May 1942 - The Anamosa Journal

ONSLOW--Gerald Edwards, 23, was killed instantly Monday about 12:30 a.m. when his Ford V-8 coupe and a truck trailer sideswiped three miles southeast of Anamosa on highway No. 64.

Richard Schmidt, Onslow, who was riding with Edwards miraculously escaped fatal injuries despite the demolished condition of the coupe. Schmidt escaped with of several teeth, and a severe case of concussion. Schmidt was reported as somewhat improved at Mercy hospital Tuesday evening.

Alvin Pierce, Tipton, driver of the truck and trailer of the H. Werling Co., Tipton, escaped with singed hair and eyebrows and a burn on his leg when his truck caught on fire.

Truck-coupe crash was made spectacular when the coupe struck the auxiliary gasoline tank carried behind the cab causing an explosion which scattered burning gasoline over the truck rack and its cargo of 83 hogs, valued at more than $3,000. Flames soared higher than the high voltage electric light wires running along the highway threatening to sever wires and add to the damage.

Odor of burning hogs with their terrified screaming and intense heat of the fire added to the con night accident. Crash threw hogs on the top deck out of the carrier onto the pavement. Other hogs were dumped out onto the pavement in an effort to save them from the fire. Men from the trucking company had rounded up 57 head late Monday afternoon after the hogs had scattered as far as the Cottonwood schoolhouse.

Edwards died of a crushed skull when the rack of the trailer sheared the top off the coupe.

Coupe and truck first met when their left front fenders hit, coupe then slid past the cab striking the auxiliary gasoline tank and hitting the box of the truck. Car was demolished with three tires which did not blow out about the only thing of value other than junk.

Truck's trailer was unhitched, but the box on the truck was burned and the truck was ruined by fire when the motor and frame were warped by intense heat of the gasoline fed fire. Radiator grille and foglights are about all of value other than junk which remain of the truck.

Sheriff Henry Eichhorn was called to the accident which tied up traffic for several hours. Anamosa Rural Fire association truck was summoned to the scene to extinguish flames before high voltage electric lines were severed.

Sheriff Eichhorn was investigating reports which alleged the left front tire of the truck blew out just as it came out of the curve at the Arthur White corner. Truck was enroute to a packing house at Madison, Wisc., with its 20,000 pound load when the accident occurred. Edwards and Schmidt were headed for Onslow.

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Gerald Edwards, 23, who was killed in an accident east of Anamosa Monday morning, was buried Tuesday afternoon. Service was held at 2 p.m. at the home of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Arch Edwards, and 2:30 p.m. at the Presbyterian church in Onslow. Rev. F. G. Tyrrell, Center Junction, read the service. Burial was in South Mineral cemetery.

Gerald had attended Wyoming high school. He was unmarried. He is survived by his parents, one sister, Mrs. Jess Gombert, Onslow, and one brother, Dale, at home.