St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-05-26
Henry Gardner, Of De Soto,
Wisconsin, Crushed to a..
Death. no. a.
He Attempted With Fatal Re,
suit to Board a Moving b
Train. III
o.
A Gripman Who Saw Nothing
But Selby Avenue s.
Hill.


crushed beneath the wheels of train
on the cable line. Gardner arrived in
st. Paul Thursday night from De Soto,
Wis, of which place he is a well-to-do
and prominent resident. on visit
to friend living at $50 Wabasha
street. Yesterday afternoon he and
his friend went out to walk. Naturally
they turned their steps toward st. An
thony hill, and Gardner, having Toasted
his eyes viewing the palatial residences
situate in that aristOcratic locality, pro-
posed to his companion that instead of
walking back home they ride down town
on the cable line, which to him was
a decided novelty. Having reached the
junction of Summit and Selby avenues
and there being no train in sight, the
couple stood in the roadway near the
tracks and within few feet of the curb
the southwest corner of the inter
secting thOrOughfares. Presently a
train approached, and although it I'M
doubtedly should have been stopped to
permit of the embarkation of the two
prospective passengers, there was no
perceptible slackening of its speed.
As the train, which consisted of Grip
No. 10 and Coach No. IA, Conductor
Woodward, came abreast of the two
men, each reached forward and grasped
the arm rests Of the seats of the grip,
preparatory to swinging themselves
aboard. Such rapid transit, however,
proved disastrous to Gardner. Being
an old man, probably siXty-fve years of
age, his clutch was not as tenacious as
that of his companion. The latter sue
ceeded in getting on the grip, but the
elder man
SLIPPED HIS HOLD
and fell beside the rapidly moving grip.
In falling he was drawn by the motion
of the train close to the fender beneath
the long board which serves as a step
to the grip. First on his side, then on
his back he was dragged halfway across
Summit avenue. A shout went
up from the passengers on the grip,
and although the gripman. No. 9,
must have seen Gardner fall and been
conscious Of the fact that the DOOR man
must be inevitably be seriously if
not fatally injured, he made no effort to
stop the train. He stood stock still, and
the shouts of the excited passengers
were in vain. BY this time Gardner had
been dragged fully twenty feet Then the
grip slipped past his PROSTATE form, and
he fell fiat on the outer rail. In an in
slant the forward wheels of the coach
caught his lower limbs. He was drawn
under them and dragged few feet
nearer the brink of the hill. Now he
was lying across the rail, and the front
WHEELS PASSED OVER HIM
directly across his hip and abdomen.
Gardner shrieked with pain as the
wheels of the heavily loaded coach
ground into his flesh. Before the rear
truck came up to where he lay he rolled
Oft the rail, and the train passed on and
disappeared over the brow of the hill.
a dozen or more persons, including re-
porter for the GLOBE, were wit.
neSSeS of the sickening affair. They
at once rushed to where Gardner lay,
writing in agony and unable to articu-
late. His clothes were torn in shredS,
and from his limbs great patches of skin
had been removed by contact with the
pavement and the wheels of the coach.
He was raised and carried to the grounds
OF a. III. Wilder, and summons sent to
the ROndo Street station for the patrol
wagon.
For minute or two after his fright
full experience, Gardner retained con-
seriousness. His eyes were fixed in
CLASSY stare and he pressed both hands
on his abdomen, indicating that his in
juries were more than superficial. AS
his body was racked with pain
his legs were several times
drawn up convulsively until his
knees and chin nearly met. Then
as the pain became greater he sunk
into inSenSibility, and although dill
gent efforts were made to revive him,
they were unsuccessful. First his face
would be Sutfused with a deep flush,
then he would suddenly become pale as
death, and again his countenance would
assume pale green hue. The ar
rival of the patrol wagon put
an end to the attempts of the
crowd, which by this time had swelled
to about 100, to restore Gardner to con-
sciousness. He was lifted into the
vehicle and conveyed to st. Joseph's
hospital. DR.. Wheaton was called and
did all that medical skill could do for
Gardner, who fingered unconscious
until o'clock.
WHEN HE DIED,
as the result of his injuries. kilograms
were sent last night to the relatives of
Gardner at De Soto, notifying them of
the sad termination of his pleasure trip
to st. Paul and requesting instructions
as to what should be done with the
body. Some of them are expected to
arrive to-day and arrange for conveying
the remains to De Soto An inquest
VIII probably be held.
The train which ran over Gardner was
not stopped by the conductor until it
reached Oak street. When the signal
was given, the gripman jerked back
the lever and his train came to stand
still. AS the passengers bolted back up
the hill to learn the extent of the
mans injuries, the patrol wagon
came and took him away.
The conductor, however, arrived at
the scene of the accident in time
to discover that Gardner was seriously
hurt. Then, as he saw that the stoppage
of his train had resulted in blockade
of the line. he trotted back to his post
and gave the signal to start to the grip
man, who, when Intercepted on the
subject of the accident, said: "Talk to
the conductor. He knows all about it,
Although Gardner had no right to at
tempt to get on the train while it was
in motion, and by so doing contributed
to the mishap that befell him, there is
little reason to doubt that the gripman
was fully as careless as the victim in
not making at least an effort to stop the
train. Had he been as anxious to stop
1t as he apparently was to get it over
the hill he probably would have sue
ceeded. In like measure.
The accident shows also the necessity
of at once equipping the coaches on the
cable line, as are the grips, with fend-
erS. As it is, a man falling beside the
grip escapes its wheels only to be
ground under those of the coach at
tached. The wheels of the coaches on
the cable lines in Chicago and else
where are well protected with tenders,
which prevent even the smallest animal
from crawling under the cars. The pa
irons of the cable line in this city are
entitled to like protection.
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