Iberia County Louisiana Archives Obituaries.....Suberbielle, Henry Edmond May 29, 1906
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New Iberia Enterprise and Independent Observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, June 02, 1906, Image 2

A DEPLORABLE ACCIDENT.

Our community was greatly shocked, indeed almost paralyzed last Wednesday night 
by the heartrending report from New Orleans that Mr. Henry E. Suberbielle had 
been killed in an accident at Athletic Park while riding the "loop the loop" 
transit. Below we publish the account of the accident from the Picayune.

Henry E. Suberbielle was a native of this parish, raised and educated here. As 
a boy he gave promise of great usefullness (sic) which was fully verified in 
his manhood. Although but 26 years of age Mr. Suberbielle had already attained 
the position of old veterans in business circles, where he was recognized as a 
man of rare qualities of head and heart. At the time of his death he held the 
responsible post of Cashier of the State National Bank of our City. He was 
enterprising and progressive and was on a trip at the time of his death to 
complete a large industrial deal. His loss to the community is irreparable. He 
leave a young wife and child, and mother Mrs. Mathilda Suberbielle, and several 
brothers and sisters to mourn his untimely end and who cannot yet realize the 
terrible calamity that has befallen them. The remains were brought to this city 
on the noon train Thursday. The funeral obsequies were held at St. Peter's 
Catholic Church, Fathers Jouan, Boullard and and (sic) Van Hoven officiating. 
The large church was crowded to the doors and the sidewalk filled with the 
friends of the young and honored citizen who deplore his loss. To the grief 
stricken wife and relatives the Enterprise offers its sincere sympathy.

"There was a terrible accident at Athletic Park last night, and as a result of 
a loop-the-loop car leaving its tracks one man is dead while three others are 
badly injured.

Henry Suberbielle, aged 27 years, Cashier of the State National Bank of New 
Iberia, La., was killed.

A. F. Bush, exporter, of Galveston, Tex., suffered contusions about the head.

John J. Labarthe, a real estate dealer, of Galveston, had two ribs on the right 
side broken and his right collar bone injured.

With quite a crowd at the popular summer resort and merriment at almost every 
turn in the big grounds, it took some seconds to get the news around that there 
was a fatal accident on the loop-the-loop, which is built against the southern 
side of the park. After the story got to most of the ears there was a rush 
toward the place, but the police and special park officers had to keep the 
crowd back while physicians labored with the injured and volunteers took charge 
of the unfortunate Mr. Suberbielle.

As near as the majority can fix it, the accident occurred about 9:25 o'clock 
last night, but no one could be found who could give a convincing explanation 
of the cause of the car leaving the tracks.

Even Joe West, who worked the lever at the summit of the loop-the-loop 
structure, shrugged his shoulders and said he could not give a reason.

Nor could Dan Horn, who is said to have given the car the shove which sent it 
on its terrible run, and when the hunt was started by interviewers to find him 
he seemed to have gotten lost in the crowd.

For some time back the loop-the-loop was in operation as one of the amusements 
at the Athletic Park, and thousands of people since the opening of the summer 
season, have enjoyed the rides. Cars with heavy wheels, which resemble and work 
similar to the roller-coaster carriages, were used and sent over the tracks, 
which go up and down and make a loop just when half of the distance is reached. 
Looking at the structure and seeing the loop made many decline the sport, but 
many more daring like the thrilling sensation and patronized the contrivance.

Messrs. Bush and Labarthe, who came in from Galveston on Sunday to enjoy a 
rest, with Mrs. Bush, who is a sister of Mr. Labarthe, were at the Athletic 
Park last night, with her child. Of the others who sought a little recreation 
at the same place were Messrs. Suberbielle and Henshaw. After having amused 
themselves at different attractions they decided to visit the loop-the loop.

The barkers cried out for customers, and it happened that Messrs. Bush and 
Labarthe, as well as Messrs. Suberbielle and Henshaw, responded to the 
invitations, and the four men went up the stairs to the starting point [at this 
point in the article, the page was torn and then merged back together, but the 
merge overlaps with the article, so I will type it best as I can]. *which was 
in use was **** track. Messrs. Bush *** took the second *** ile Messrs. 
Suber***** aw took the first. d the brother-in- **** ch other, without regard 
to the New Iberians who were their companions in the car, and who talked of 
affairs of their own.

When West was ready and the four riders were well seated in the car, the shove 
was given to the conveyance by Horn, so they say, and the run began. The car 
went down the first incline, up then, and down again, turned the first curve 
and headed for the loop. The loop was made safely. The speed of the car was 
great. Whether or not the great weight in the car gave it greater speed is hard 
to say, but after running out the loop it dashed up the incline and was ready 
to carry itself down into another dip of the structure when the CAR LEFT THE 
TRACKS. It jumped towards the south and fell close to a small building which is 
used for stores, and the four men went to the ground with the conveyance. The 
car was upturned. Messrs. Suberbielle and Henshaw were pitched out into open, 
so to speak, while Messrs. Bush and Labarthe were held by the car. In falling 
Mr. Suberbielle was thrown against the broken stand of an iron table and the 
edges, some believe, caused the great ugly cuts about his neck. But the fatal 
injuries were about the head and neck, the skull being fractured in many 
places, and the neck being cut and the backbone broken.

Mr. Henshaw, luckily, was not pinned down by the weight, and he wriggled out 
into the open, and his cried, as well as the groans of Messrs. Bush and 
Labarthe, were heard by several men close by.

West, who was up at the summit heard the crash. He knew something had gone 
wrong, and and (sic) looking over the sweep of trestle work he saw that the car 
was gone. With others who had worked with him. West rushed down to the ground 
and hurried over to where the car was.

Perhaps the first man to reach the unfortunate party who suffered from the 
accident was William Campbell, of Lafayette Street, opposite the City Hall, a 
worker at the Stein stand. He tried to pull the car off of the men who were 
pinned beneath its weight. While he was tugging at the heavy vehicle West and 
others came up and soon the car was pushed to one side and Messrs. Bush and 
Labarthe were freed.

Runners called for physicians, and Dr. Homer Dupuy lost no time in getting to 
the side of the injured. Men had lifted the form of Mr. Suberbielle, and Dr. 
Dupuy saw that there was no helping him. He was dead. In looking at the 
countenance of the New Iberia banker, Dr. Dupuy recognized the dead man as an 
old friend, for the physician came from the prosperous little town. Turning 
sadly to the injured, Dr. Dupuy gave them every attention, and Policeman 
Clifton, who, as well as the special officers of the park and park workers, did 
all that could be asked, summoned an ambulance.

Messrs. Bush and Labarthe stated that they were anxious to go to the hospital, 
and Mrs. Bush, who had gotten word of the accident and had rushed to the aid of 
her husband and brother, showed a similar anxiety, and when the ambulance 
reached the park the brothers-in-law were placed in the van and were conveyed 
to the institution. Mr. Henshaw was cared for by Dr. Dupuy, who summoned a 
private ambulance and escorted his patient to the New Orleans Sanitarium.

The police of the park, who were re-enforced by Detectives Schultz and Special 
Officer Griffin and Corporal Boyard, removed the body of Mr. Suberbille back of 
the Katzenjamer amusement place and sent the remains to the morgue.

In trying to find the cause of the accident, inquiries were made for the 
manager or the superintendent of the Loop-the Loop, but seemingly there is no 
such a position, and no particular representative of the operators of the 
concern could be discovered. West said he did not even know the men who worked 
with him last night. All were new save himself, and he was unable to tell the 
names of the others. He said that he had the car on the tracks all evening and 
did not use any other conveyance. It carried passengers throughout the run and 
there was no accident, and besides two trips before the one which was taken 
with such results. West sisd (sic) he greased the car and made sure that it was 
in good condition. In speaking of the cars, he said that besides the four 
wheels at the bottom of the carriage there is a wheel on either side of the 
car, running up high and fitted to other rails. How it happened that the car 
left the tracks he could not say. Some evenings ago there was an accident to a 
car, one of the wheels going off its axle. This accident happened in the loop, 
but the car came out of the loop and went up the incline where it stopped 
without any serious results. A young man named Weeden, who sold tickets, 
remarked that the car in which the unfortunate party were hurt was the one 
which had been in operation throughout the evening and he had taken several 
rides in it and no accident occurred. He knew that one of the men had greased 
and cared for the car several trips before the accident. When the car left the 
tracks Weeden was in a position where he could see nothing of the occurrence.

Those who were close and went to the assistance of the injured men, knew 
nothing concerning the accident, and the men who were hurt could hardly tell 
anything about the matter.

When Mr. Taylor, of the Athletic Park management, was asked for some 
representative of the loop-the-loop, he remarked that the concern was 
controlled by a company most of whom are located in St. Louis. There had been a 
superintendent in the early opening days of the park, but the man left, and 
since then several other men have filled his position, but because of 
incompetency or other causes the park management insisted on dismissals of the 
parties sent to replace the original superintendent.

From what could be learned the company controlling the loop the loop is the 
Beecher Construction Company, of New York. The directing head here, if there 
was any, was not found, and it was mentioned by some that there was no direct 
boss over the amusement concern.

In the hospital Mr. Labarthe was examined, and the surgeons found that two of 
his ribs had been broken and the right collarbone had suffered a similar ingury 
(sic).

"I do not know how the accident happened," he said. "It was all so quick. I was 
with my brother-in-law, Mr. Busg, and we were riding with two other gentlemen 
whom I did not know. One of them was killed. Poor fellow. I. could not tell you 
whether I fell out of the carriage or not."

Mr. Bush was only suffering from contusions, and the surgeons told him that he 
could leave the hospital after his hurts were dressed.

"The whole thing occurred so quickly," said the gentleman, "that I could not 
give a good account of it. What caused the accident I cannot say. When the car 
left the track Mr. Labarthe and myself were under it. That is about all I 
know."

When the body of Mr. Suberbielle was conveyed to the morgue quite a number of 
prominent men called to offer their services in taking charge of the remains. 
Mr. Girault, assistant cashier of the Hibernia Bank and Trust Company, was one 
of the gentlemen. He communicated with friends of the unfortunate young banker 
and learned that Dr. Dupuy had sent notice to Mr. Suberbielle's relatives in 
New Iberia, and the physician would take charge of the remains until the 
relatives reached here.

Harold Henshaw, one of the victims of the accident, was immediately conveyed to 
the New Orleans Sanitarium, after having been attended to by Dr. Homer Dupuy 
and was placed in one of the private rooms on the second floor. He is a young 
planter of Iberia Parish, about 23 years of age, tall, well-built and of 
vigorous constitution. His injuries do not seem to be severe or serious, 
consisting of external hurts, mainly contusions of the chest, arms and sides. 
The shock of his fall was very sudden and sharp, and, in consequence, he was 
left in a dazed condition, though entirely conscious. The physicians at the 
Sanitarium would not permit him to talk, as they said he must have several 
hours of absolute quiet to regain his normal composure. Mr. Henshaw appeared to 
suffer more from mental strain, owing to the terrible misfortune that befell 
Mr. Suberbielle, who was killed so quickly and horribly before his eyes, than 
from his own personal injuries.

Dr. Homer Dupuy, who was near Mr. Henshaw, said that the young planter will 
soon recover.

Dr. Dupuy gave first aid to the injured on the scene of the disaster. He was in 
the Casino when he heard a great outcry, and some one shouted for a doctor, as 
several people had been hurt.

"I hastened to the assistance of theinjured," said Dr. Dupuy, "and when I came 
near the dismantled car I saw several people lying down, some groaning, others 
rolling about as if badly hurt, and one man quite still. I examined the man who 
was lying so quiet, and saw that he was dead. I recognized Mr. Suberbielle, a 
friend of mine from New Iberia, as I am a native of that town, and came thence 
to this city to practice medicine. Then I turned my attention to the wounded, 
and helped to bandage and to relieve two or three of them. I assured them that 
they were not badly hurt. Some one then mentioned the name Henshaw, and I 
looked about and recognized Harold Henshaw, a good friend of mine also lying 
down, and seeming to be seriously hurt, I quickly approached and examined him. 
I found that he was suffering more from shock than from any bodily injury, and 
I had him placed in a carriage and I took him to the Sanitarium."

An incident showing the workings of fate is told in connection with the affair. 
Messrs. Suberbielle and Henshaw dined together and were at the Cosmopolitan 
Hotel cigar stand, with other friends, discussing plans for the evening. The 
party decided to go and see the fireworks, and left after the verdict was 
reached. The Iberians changed their minds in the next few moments, and the car 
they took bore them to the fatal scene.


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