The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-01-11
A NOVEL ACCIDENT.
A Horse Car Brake Gives Way and
Wrecks the Car.
TIE CAR CATCHES EREBUT THE
PASSENGERS ARE RESCUED.
All Escape without Broken Limbs,

Last evening the Deering sleigh-car left the
corner OF Preble and Congress streets on its
regular time, 715 O'Clock. The car was driven
oy Driver Witham and was under the charge
OF Conductor Kennedy. The car was well
hiled with passengers but the Superintendent
says 1t was the lightest trip of the afternoon.
There were three horses on; the span and
ieaoef. When the car reached the agricultural.
warehouse tie conductor left his seat by the
driver and stepped on the platform that runs
along the outside of the Car on the side. TO
manage the brake. Just below Roses stable
the brake broke. The street was sIippery as
glass, and the down grade at that point, is very
steep. The turn into Portland street, under
any circumstances, is an awkward one, but in
the present condition of the street exceed ingly
difhcuit even with brake. The horses turn
ed as usual into Portland street, and the
sleigh, which had acquired great impetus,
sieweo with terrible force, striking the lamp
post at the westerly corner of the two streets.
Inc post probably prevented worse accident
than otherwise would have happened If the
car had struck Mr.. Boothby's house close by.
AS 1t was the concussion broke off the lamn-
post at the groand, threw the car over across
the wide sidewalk, where it smashed to pieces
Mr.. Boothby's front fence, and fell on it's side,
smashed all the windows to pieces, upset the
stove and broke the covering over the kerosene
light.
The accident at once called forth a swarm of
people to the rescue. Several pulled cut the
stove, bat not before the straw in the bottom
OF the car was in flames. Officer Merrill put
ont the lamp, and Capt. B. A. Norton of the
infantry procured bucket OF water as quickly
as possible and put out the flames. Others
proceeded to pull the passengers out from the
car, which was loaded with people bound for
Deering to attend wedding. The scene was
exciting enough. The horses had luckily
broken loose, SO that the car was not dragged,
and were quickly recaptured, hut the blazing
car, the means and cries of the passengers, and
the throng of people working with will made
q picture long to be rem embered. The oc-
cupants OF the car assisted by kicking off the
roof.
Expecting that many of the passengers were
seriously injured doctors were telephoned for
from G. I'll. Guppy & Co.'s store, and DIR. vose
quickly responded
Fortunately the injuries OF the participants
In the accident chiefly confined to
bruises and cuts. No bones we're broken.
The most seriously hurt were probably
Or. j. P. Weston, principal of West
brook Seminary and Mrs. Weston. The latter
had one shoulder and her back badly
sprained and was bruised all over. She
also received a serious cut over and narrosly
escaped losing the right eye. DR.. Yves
ton was also seriously bruised and strained and
received scalp wound. DIR Vose said il would
be some time before they would be able to
leave their house. They were taken into Mr..
Boothoys where their wounds were dressed
and then they were taken to their home in
Deering ia hack. Two other ladies, both
middle-aged, were also taken into Mr.. Booth
by's, somewhat cut and bruised. The names
were given as Mrs. Holden and Mrs. Dow.
There was an aged lady whose name we failed
TO gee, who had bad scalp wound. Miss
Snow Of Deering went into Mr.. Morrill's con-
fectionery store close by, with bad scalp
wound Mr.. Ed. Williams of this CITY, who
was on his way cut to Deering, was stunned
for moment by the conoussion and received
scraped chin. A Mr.. Dow was cut on the
head. A lady had her hair singed badly. The
conductor hal wonderful escape from serious
injury. The car fell over on him and, at the
same time, the fence must have protected him
in some way fer after he was pulled out and
taken to DR., Warren's, on Brown street, it
was found that he had escaped with only bad
ly sprained left elbow, a spraned thumb of the
right hand, terribly bruised right cheek, and
more or leeS bruised legs Some ~ the naesa,.
gers after they rallied from the shock took
carriages homo to Deering and others waited
for the next Car. The wrecked car-sleigh was
dragged off later to the compaDy's shops
Probably the passengers will feel worse today
than they did last night.
cat-sleigh for Deering. that LETT at--es
about $50 p. m, broke part of its gear at the
same spot the first accident occurred.