St. Paul daily globe., 1888-01-28
Aside TO DEATH
A Train Of the Cable Line
Slides Down the Selby
Avenue Grade.
The Grip Would Not Hold and
at Full Speed a Wreck
EnSued.
Il. L. Saunders, a Well Known
st. Paul Man, Receives
Fatal Injuries,
And More Than Twenty Others
Suffered Injuries More or
Less Severe.
Talks With Eye Witnesses on
the Circumstances of the
Wreck.
Officials Do Not Go on Record
on the Cause of the Ae-
cident.

close IN the wake or the cable car line.
Yesterday, when the people along the
line were congratulating themselves on
the fact that it had at last been put in
successful operation, and that cheap
and rapid transportation had at last
been secured, a terrible accident came,
In which one man was killed, two or
three seriously injured, and twenty or
more badly cut and bruised.
This accident happened on the sharp
grade leading from West Third street
to Selby avenue. The cable line runs
up West Third as far as College avenue,
where it turns at an angle of not less
than 90 degrees and runs straight up
asteepIincline to the endof Selby avenue.
This incline is about 500 feet long, per-
fectly straight, and steep enough for the
most YentureSOme tobOgganer to coast
Oh.
And right at the junction of these two
inclineS occurred the dreadful accident
OF yesterday afternoon.
At 1:45 train, consisting of grip
car and passenger coach, left the
Selby avenue power house for the re-
turn trip into the business portion of
the city. At this hour the cars are all
crowded every day, but yesterday it was
worse than ever before, and when the
top of the Selby avenue incline was
reached, the
GRIP CAR WAS LOADED,
the seats in the passenger coach were
filed, and full half dozen people were
standing up in the middle of the coach.
The train started down the incline, the
grip slipped, the automatic brakes
didn't work ,and the train with its cargo
dashed down those 500 feet with light
ming speed. West Third street and the
curve were reached in almost no time,
the grip car rounded it safely,
but the passenger coach was too heavily
loaded and over it went on the left side.
The momentum of the train was so
great that it slid along on its side full
100 feet before stopping. Inside the car
was struggling mass of humanity piled
mp in an undiStinguiShable mass. The
windows were all broken, heads, arms
hands and all the upper eXtremitieS
were bruised and cut in shocking
manner. Indeed the left hand of Louis
Robert, boy of about fifteen years,
was picked up on the street a few
moments afterward, with glove on,
cut squarely off right above the wrist.
The stove, too, got in its deadly work,
and dozen were more or less burned
before they could be eXtricated from the
wreck. Tho car filled with smoke be-
fore the door of the coach could be
opened. And ven then the occupants
were heaped and piled up in such way
that it was almost impossible to pull
them out. The cause of the trouble
was the sharp curve. and not the grade,
for had the incline been straight the
train would have gone down like light
ming, but would not have tipped or
jumped the track.
THE INJURED.
The full list of those who were in
jured follows:
NJ. L. SAUNDERS, o5S Dayton avenue.
had his skull fractured and three ribs broken
He died half hour later. Mr.. Saunders was
the assistant treasurer of the Northwestern
Fuel company.
LOUIS ROBERT, 452 Dayton avenue, had his
left hand torn off and his arm badly bruised.
He was removed TO 81. Josephs hospital.
FRANK NORTH the conductor of the train
was severely injured about the head and
face. He was resting quite easy last evening,
Martin street.
A. L. DARRow, of 26S Selby avenue. was
Cut about the head and chest
ANDREW NILSSON had his hands badly cut
A BERTRAM, cigar manufacturer at SO
West Third street, was injured about the
head and shoulders.
@. \. BARKER, real estate dealer, had his
clothing burned, and was bruised quite Sc
verely about his head and body. His hands,
TOO, were badly cut.
MRS. CHARLES S. STEELE, JR., 337 North
Washington, face burned, nose broken. and
internal injuries.
MRS SIEMAN, Milwaukee, Wis, severely
bruised about the head and face
MISS TH0RsEN, Milwaukee, left side badly
bruised and burned.
GEORGE II. WATSON, of 534 Marshall ave
nue., was bruised quite severely.
F. ii. HAINERT, druggist corner Selby and
Western, had his hand badly bruised.
j. +. GERLICH, wrist and knee bruised and
burnt badly.
F. S HILTON of North st. Paul, had his
hand cut and clothes badly burned
FRANK p. BLAIR, 73 College avenue, had q
finger mashed.
j. A. STURTEvANT, North st. Paul, was
badly bruised and burned.
Miss ADA kERsTEN, 622 Dayton avenue
badly cut about the face and hands.
SOPHIA GROUP, of 632 Dayton avenue
slight cuts on her hands and badly shaker
up.
THEo F. SMITH, 593 Iglehart street. wa
shaken up in good shape.
Mr.. SENEY, Dayton avenue, cut by th
broken glass and severely shocked.
T. j. STEENSTRA, 1872 Virginia avenue
was cut about the hands and face.
A. W. YALLoP, 224 Arundel, slightly in
jured.
printing Office, had his right leg broken. MI
Meyst lives at 134 Grotto street.
ADDISON 7. SMITH, of Donaldson, Ogden
Co. was badly burned.
HENRY E. SMITH and his younger brother
sons OF A. +. Smith, were slightly injured.
THEY WERE CARED FOR.
When it became known that an acci
dent had occurred willing hands cam
soon to the rescue, and the wounded
were taken from the wreck and ten
derly cared for. The residences of Dr.
Briggs and James Murnane, S01 and so
West Third street, were converted int
temporary hospitals, and the good la
dies of these houses did noble servc
in ministering to the sufferings of thos
who were brought within their doors
Messages were Immediately sent fo
physicians. who arrived in short time