Ford Car Saves Lives at Kelso
Quick change control pulls near victims out of the falling bridge

The Oregon Statesman
Sunday February 18, 1923

Caught on the falling draw of the Kelso bridge over the Cowlitz river at Kelso Washington, when this structure collapsed with a loss of life variously estimated at from 23 to more than 40, C. H. Raines of Portland, saved his own life and those of the four men in the Ford Sedan he was driving, through the quick and positive action of the Ford low speed control. As the draws were lowered, just before the accident which resulted in the staggering loss of lives, Mr. Raines approached the bridge immediately ahead of a huge truck carrying a load of workmen, all of whom lost their lives when the truck was thrown into the river. 

Just as the bridge was opened for traffic he shot ahead and had crossed the first half of the draw when the bridge started to give way. Feeling the sudden sag he glanced hurriedly over his shoulder to see the section immediately back of him dropping into the river. The car he was driving was on the lower end of the second section of the draw which had just started to drop as, the bridge gave way. 

Any time lost in changing from high into low speed meant that he would be pitched into the torrent below. If the change could be made quickly enough the power of the motor might be sufficient to carry him up the dropping section he was on. Although he had not driven a Ford for nearly two years, Mr. Raines maintained his composure and put his car into low speed simply by pushing down on the low speed pedal. 

It responded immediately. Directly ahead of the Ford was a large touring car in which the driver was desperately striving to jam his speed controls from intermediate into low. Determined to not stop, regardless of what might happen, Mr. Raines pushed the larger car, with his own motor operating at its fullest power of efficiency. The added impetus given to the car ahead through the shock of the collision was enough to enable it to go ahead on intermediate and the driver of the larger car, after the two had reached safety on the end of the bridge which did not fall, credited the collision with having saving his car as well.

In speaking of escape, Mr. Raines says; "Just before we reached the bridge we were behind the truck which fell in together with several other cars. At first I decided to stay back of it and then I changed my mind and drove ahead. Had I remained behind the truck as it came onto the bridge I probably would have suffered the same fate as the workmen, all of whom were lost. I never knew now much I liked the Ford system of speed control until I felt low speed take me up the slope of the falling draw." 

"After I realized that I was safe and glanced back to see the wreckage and the struggling people caught in the collapse, the closeness of my own peril was forcibly brought to me. My car was the last one on the section of the draw on which I was caught when the accident took place. All the cars on the draw in back of me were hurtled into the river for they were caught on the down slope rather than the up."