River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1888-02-02
A RUNAWAY CAR.

The Man in Charge of a 81. Paul Grip
Car Loses Contrc- of 1t, and It Crashes
DowL Hill, Leaving the Track. and Is
Smashed 70 Pieces One Passenger
Killed and Eighteen I0jured.
ST PAUL. Mimi, Jan 2S-FOr months
topic OF vivid interest has been as 10 when
the st Anthony Hi line of cable-cars
would be opened, the hOrse-caTs being
quite inadequate to supply the rapid
Embarrassing pOpu alton in that part OF
the city SHOWS have covered the tracks,
and minor accidents haze caused re-
peated postponements, but yesterday the
cars first began to run with some regularity,
and the public was allowed to make use OF
them About halfway up the Third
street bill the line turns into Shell
by avenue at an obtuse angle, and
from this curve to the top of the hill
the grade is sleeper. probably one foot in
four Some days ago an experienced civil
engineer pointed out in a published inter
view the danger of locating a curve at the
bottom OF so long and steep an incline, but
the officers OF the road declared it perfectly
safe
At 1850 in the afternoon grip and pas
senger ear, both heavily loaded with passen-
gers, started down bhe hill 1t was in
charge OF Conductor North and Gripman
fore II left the end of the line. and seemed
in perfect order. but about midway down
the hill the grip faie to hold the cable.
and thetrain rushed down to the curve. on
reaching which it had attained speed of
twenty miles an hour. The grip-car did
not leave the track, but the passenger
coach whipped of, turned over, and was
dragged some distaace. Many OF the pas
sengers jumped of, but the majority OF
those in the closed Car could not do So and
all Of them, tw9nty or more, were more or
less hurt.
Gripman johnson saws: We were about
half way down the Shelby avenue hill " hen
the cars began u side The grip slipped
no, it didn't either; they Just ran away
don't know just why. At the corner they
rolled over / did my best to stop the cars
aud threw my weight on the grip, but
could not hold the cars At the curve on
Third street the CT went off and rolled
over and over"
The only fatality so far as known is that
of MeryIlle l. Saunders, assistant treasurer
of the Northwestern Fuel Company, who
was standing on the rear platform of the
passenger-car, and with another man
was thrown against a tree when the
car flew the track. He was horribly
crushed, and died soon after being taken
nome lie leaves a 1eInuy. Inc nOsDltaDle
residents of the neighborhood threw open
their houses to the injured, and police and
physicians were on the ground in few
minutes Those most seriously hurt were
as follows:
Louis Robert, of Dayton avenue lad, had
his left hand torn OF at the wrist the arm be-
ing badly mangled; Conductor Frank z. North
was badly cut about the face and hands with
broken glass, and perhaps hurt internally;
George Ii Watson. of Marshall avenue, was
seriously hurt in both legs below the knees;
c. 4. Baker had his hands and legs cut and
bruised; Miss Ada Kersten, OF Dayton ave
nue., was severely cut about the face;
Mrs. Charles Steele, OF North Washington
street. received internal INJURIES and was badly
cut; Bert Darrow, Of Selby avenue, is very
seriously hurt about the chest and has Sc
we're scalp wound; Mr.. Seney, corner of Dayton
and Virginia avenues, was cut with broken
glass and badly Shocked a. Bertram, OF West
Tenth street. was hurt about the head and had
his skull fractured; Henry Z. Smith, Of
Iglehart street, has severe scalp
wound from broken glass; A. T..
Smith and son were badly burned by
the car stove falling on them; Milton O. Brown,
a real-estate dealer, had his right arm hurt {;
Andrew Mason was badly cut on the head and
had his hands burned; f. j. Meyst, superin-
tendent OF Kellogg's printing office, had his
right knee shattered.
Miss Linda Thcrsen and Mrs. Don Seaman,
both of Milwaukee, we're in the car Miss
Thorsen was thrown against the stove and
wedged there by the body of a heavy man.
She is severely burned about the limbs and
body. Mrs. Seaman escaped with bad cut on
the face.