Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-10-14
A NARROW ESCAPE.
An Exciting Incident Saturday
Evening.

| @ross Snreiessnees Or an Engineer
Almost Results Disastr ousIy at the
root OF Twenty Fourth street---A
collision.
| A collision between G, B. & Q. To-
connective and q street car &C CURED at the
foot of Twenty>fourth street at $50 Sat-
urday evening. which by the merest acct.
dent In the world-indeed il seemed
through marvellous interver ton OF so me
kind-it did not result dsastr ously. From
what could be seen by an ARGUS repre~
sentative. who was a pssse niger on the
car. and what could be les rned after
ward. the casualty was ent rely due to
inexcusable carelessness on IL part of the
locomotive engineer. The crossing was
blocked to permit some switching to be
done; car bound for Davenport was
waiting on the south side. and behind
II buggy, while a car coming into Rock
Island WAS waiting close To he bridge.
both being a safe distance from the
tracks. Engine 1854 of the g., B. & O.
Ed. Dempsey driver, came I'D on the
Burlington track with four cars At
tached. ran up to the switch, short
distance above the crossing and
dropped back onto oae of the Rock
Island tracks. and ran down in to the lower
yards OF the latter company. Wien the
locomotive had gotten abou. four car
lengths away from the crossing Chas. H.
Edgecomb. who Is the street car COM
pany's Waterman at the junction and who
was standing rs nearly the m ddle of the
crossing of the different tracks "a he
could well be, gave the signal to the cars
IN waiting on each side to start. The car
and the vehicle on the south eide crossed
10 ssfety and the car coming from Daven.
port. driven by Herman Jacobs, got under
good Roadway and was down as far as
the guard house, when the driver and all
on board as well as Guard Kelly and
Waterman Edgecomb were surprised TO
see the locomotive start up. Guard Kelly
nrst hsllowed to the Car driver, who put
on his brakes aud did all be could to
stop, but it was too late, and hen Kelly.
as well as Wstchmsn Edgecomb b, screamed
to the locomotive engineer, but the
man in the cab paid no attent on, and to
the horror of sill witnesses the Locomotive
and the car approached each other. The
engine was moving very SLOWLY, but fast
enough, as all could see to catch the car
before it could clear the crossing, and the
car was moving so rapidly that it was
plainly apparent it would be impossible
to stop it before it reached the crossing.
realization OF all these circumstances
shot through the minds of every
one witnessing the approaching collision,
except perhaps the engineer. in an in.
slant. yet the whole thing was over so
quickly that no one had time to leave the
Car, until the danger was practically
passed. Seeing that the engineer was
not going to stop. Guard Kelly and
Wstchman Edgecomb got hold OF the
Car. and by pushing back brought it to a
stop just as it reached the track of the
approaching engine, the dashbo ard OF the
car being scratched by the locomotive.
which also stopped as the front end ex,
tended over the car track.
Then 1t was that the Passengers
first left the car. though wo-
man from Moline had become historical |
with fear, and had given way to series
OF Salvation army walls. THIS woman
lost her sense of reason entirely, and |
through her actions another LADY passens
ger sustained a severe foot sprain.
The horse attached to the car, which |
had been brought face to face with the
locomotive, became frantic, and notwith.
standing that the driver manifested won
derful grit aud heroism in sticking to his
break, turned the car completely around |
on the tracks, and started bacl. with it
toward the bridge, before the plucky
driver could get control of it.
Guard Kelly displayed not only a spirit
OF bravery but OF self-possessIou as did
Watchmsn Edgecomb, and it was due to
the work of these men that a terrible
calamity did not occur. The lat er states
that after the engine had backed down
into the yards Engineer Dempsey said,
'1et the cars over" and he accordingly
gave the signal to the drivers. But the
engineer claims that he did OF know
there was car waiting on the )rth side
of the track. This does not excuse him
as he could not have been on the lookout
without seeing the efforts Of the guard
and Waterman to attract his attention.
Furthermore he should have salts led him,
self as to both sides of the track before
starting up; he was, to say tie least,
guilty Of gross carelessness, and pub
lie safety as well as tie well
known considerste disposition of the
Burlington road for public interests
demand that he be made an example Of.
The accident illustrates the in perstive
need OF the much talked of viaduct. and
further that until such time as The via
duct is built, If only until next spring.
gates should be provided. While probs-
bly, nothing but care on the part of the
engineer could have prevented this acci-
dent, gates would in the great me jority Of
cases avert danger, and they might in
this case had they been erected close to
the track
A Savings Bank.
MIR. Geo. G. Newman, of Des Moines,