The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1890-08-10


line was put in operation, the first of the
kind in Washington, Since that time therehave
been number of accidents on the road and an
impression is growing that the cable system is
especially dangerous to life and limb In view
of this it may be well to give list of the acci-
dents which have occurred as they were reported
in the papers from day to day. There have been
just eighteen accidents, as follows:
May 5-Benjamin F. Warner attempted to
get off the car in motion and was thrown down
and hurt
May 6-George Stevens, white boy, fell
from the car while stealing ride and was
severely bruised.
May CHARLES Ewald a seven-year old white
boy, while stealing ride fell from the car.
May 14-This accident was a collision of one
of the cable-cars with street-car passing on
the Avenue No one was hurt, and the grip
man Of the cable-car was discharged.
May 25-Benjamin Grant, colored man, at
tempted to board one car crossing in front of
another, which knocked him down and severely
injured him.
June John Swami attempted to steal ride
and was severely bruised by fall from the
June IA coach in crossing the track of q car
was run into because of slowness on the part
of the driver, and the horses ran away, throw
ing the driver out, somewhat injuring him.
June la hack-drivers horses ran away and
crashed into the front of a cable-car, and a
horses leg was broken.
June 11-George Whitney, in an attempt to
steal ride, fell off the car and was severely
bruised.
June 16-N. F. White was driving wagon
and didn't use ordinary precautions in getting
out of the way of an approaching and his
wagon was wrecked. He has since brought suit
for $780,
Mary Staunton couldn't get seat The car
started up suddenly, she fell off, and received
severe cuts and bruises about the head.
June 30-Cornelius Fester, an old man, didn't
tI,a TO- e%,,, 1,o,J
warned him, and he fell and was injured.
July THE horses attached to the carriage
of A. Leo Knott were frightened by the gong
of grip-car and ran away. Mr.. Knott jerked
the rein just in time to wheel the horses in front
of an approaching car and the carriage was
upset
! July ~ -YyEl,atn P capgasy St-ove Ssg6r
in front oil Il glfp-car in motion and was run
into but not seriously hurt.
July IA cable-car ran into a stone wagon
August 1-George HI. Rhodes, man of sixty
one, got off the at the Avenue junction
while the car was in motion and was run down
by n second car. This was the only really Sc
we're accident recorded.
August 2-James Smith, a negro, attempted
to board car in motion and was thrown down
and injured
rioe, and closes this tale of woe with broken
arm.
This list of accidents was made directly from
the reports appearing in the daily papers In
VI,
acknowledgement that the accidents were not the
fault of the railroad company. The company
has adopted set of rules from those of older
roads, and they cover every point by reason of
neglect of which accidents might happen. The
number of accidents in other cities where cable
cars are in operation is said to be much larger
in proportion in nearly every case than in Wash
ington.
and Georgetown Railroad, in speaking of the
contemplated charge of stoppage from the far
to the near side of the street, said:
The matter lies entirely with the District
authorities. There is Il municipal regulation re-
quiring all street-cars to stop the far side of
the street. 1t has been suggested that there
would be less likelihood of accidents at street
crossings if we would stop on the near side, and
II the authorities Will grant us that privilege we
shall be glad to adopt what appears to be an ad-
Vantageors idea. Our policy is to accept all
suggestions, and to do all we possibly can to
please orr patrons and improve the utility and
safety of the cablecar system. 1t is the sys-
tom for Washington and we intend to intro
duce it over our entire line as soon as it can
possibly be done. We have never run cable
roads before and are only too glad to learn.
We have adopted the rules and regulations of
other companies of cities in which it has been
successfully tried, and think, ON the whole, we
have made a success of the experiment in Wash
ington.
"As for tlagmen, | have inquired into the sub
| ject and learn that tlagmen are never placed at
| ordinary crossings. In Kansas City they place
fagman at the crossing of one cable with an
| other in order to warn the gripmen of ap-
| preaching cars. At other places flagman
would be of no service, and at presenC we have
no intention of placing any at such crossings.
| At the Avenue junction there have been but
| two accidents, one collision with a wagon, the
| second that of Mr., Rhodes, who was Knocked
! down by second car, This could have oc-
Cured anywhere else just as we'll. Our grip
men hay orders to slow down to half speed at
the Avenue crossing. and special precautions
| are taken at that point.
"Ihere is some complaint, | believe, that we
run too fast. | was just speaking to a gentle
man from Kansas City, and he tells me that in
| that city they run at twelve and half miles an
| hour Here we run at seven miles only, and
| half speed in some pla es.'
"When will the Avenue cable line probably
| be finished?"
"The bill passed by Congress ON Wednesday
makes it obligatory that we have it completed
| within two years from that date. We shall go
| to work on it Immediately and will probably be
at work on it the greater portion of that time.
| Our contracts will be made very shortly, efter
which work will rapidly proceed. 1t costs one
hundred thousand dollars per mile, single
| track
One of the finest and best brands of beer
! manufactured is the Vannhauser, which IS bot
| tied and sold By Mr.. Herman Benzler, 983 u
| street Family orders are made speciality. Or