St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-02-04
THOSE IN CHARGE ERRED.
The Verdict Of the Coroner's Jury on
Nt: the Cable Accident.
NO BRAKES WERE APPLIED.
After Long Deliberation the Jury Sum-
~ marizes What It Has Found
Out.

) The verdict of the coroner's jury in
the cable car accident. which resulted
in the death of M. l.. Saunders, was
completed last night. The jury finished
hearing testimony Thursday night, and
last night at Albion flats to prepare the
verdict. After three hours of careful
consideration the following was an
nOunced:
We find that the deceased came to
his death from injuries received by the
overturning of car in which he was a
passenger kOn the st. Paul cable car
line, said accident occurring on the
heavy grade between Summit ave-
nue. on said line and point
on West Third street west Of Pleas
ant avenue.
After full and careful inquiry into
the causes leading to said accident as
the means at our disposal would per-
init, we have arrived at the following
conclusions:
First-That the piece of me: hanism
called the grip. which is used for at
taching the grip car to the cable when
in motion, either became entirely
detached from the cable or from some
unexplained cause ceased to act effect
ually upon it when the cars constituting
the train to which the accident occurred
had reached a point on the line not far
from that of the steep descent east of
Summit avenue.
Second-That no brakes were applied
to arrest the descent of the train after
it ceased to be controlled by the cable
until it had attained such velocity that
such brakes as were then applied were
Insufficient TO be effective
Third-That although the evidence
submitted to us indicates that the man in
charge of the grip earnestly attempted
to apply the automatic brake after
it was evident that the grip no
longer held ON the cable, we do not
feel fairly assured that in the excite
ment of the sudden emergency, and
with the slight experience he
CAD previously had in that service,
that he may not have failed to manipu-
late the lever in the proper manner, and
we are of the opinion that in any event
the automatic brake entirely failed to
operate on the wheels of the rear car.
FOurth-The evidence seems to us
conclusive that the hand-brakes were
not set OH the car, and that no
retarding force of any deScrip
ton was applied to that car during its
entire descent except as may have in
cidentally resulted from the pressure of
the grip car in front of it.
= Fifth-We are of the opinion that the
track brake attached to the grip car was
fully applied, but not until the heavily
loaded train had acquired such speed
that this single appliance was mad
equate to check its momentum on the
steep grade.
SiXth-From our own observation
inc, o,,I inf
tion as we have been able to
obtain, we are ratified that the equip
lment of the road upon which
this accident occurred will compare
favorably with that of other roads of
similar character located elsewhere,
and that the company owning it
have been earnest in their
ehdeavors to furnish their cars
with the best and most approved appli-
ance for. securing the safety of
passengers. We are, however,
strongly of the opinion that
the evidence submitted to us
shows conclusively that those in charge
Gof the operating of the road committed
Of trains, and especially of the grip car,
to persons having but a limited prac-
tfcal experience of the duties of their
Positions. - ''----s- 49,, -t--z-
90 D. A. MoNFoRT, Foreman.
49,. PETER BERKEY,
-i4 THAD c. JONES',
r. q. SwEENY,
A. p. WILKES,
F. p. BLAIR,
j. A. QUINN, Coroner.
A GRIP MAN FIRED.
ST said at the power house that Engi-
neer Wise knew that the accident on
the cable line was due to an inexperi-
enced man being at the grip, and that
he had been sent home before the in
quest ON that account. This was re-
DOrted tn Sunt Rarr and he diSnbarued