Telegram-herald., 1891-08-28
INPALED ON A GAS PIPE.
Samuel Wexlsr's Peculiar and
Possibly Fatal Accident.
4 CABLE CAR RAN DOWN MACON
And Drives IN Inch 0as
Pipe fhreugh the Iron Dash Board
81 the Grip-Car and Into
Passengers Grofs

today between a Milwaukee-ay grip
car and q wagon owned by Crane
Bros, Samuel Wexler, OF 1912 Mil
waukee-ave., was impaied on an iron
pipe which passed almost through his
body. He was taken TO st. Eliza
beth's hospital. where he lies suffering
excrutiating agony. Should he re-
cover, which Is very doubtful, he will
be cripple for life.
The accident was peculiar and indi-
Gates great carelessness on the part OF
some one. About $50 O'Clock this
morning James Cherry, a teamster
employed by Crane Bros, stated from
the firms works at Desplaines
and Lake-sts., to ship a load
of iron gas pipes. According
10 his story he had gone
south as far as midway between Lake
and Randolph-sts. when he found far
ther progress blocked temporarily by
other teams. He stopped his team
directly on the west cable track wait
ing for the wagons ahead of him to
move. A few minutes later grip car
$50 OF the Milwaukee-ave. line, south
bound, came rumbling and rafting
down the southern incline OF the Des-
plaines-st. viaduct. Although the
wagon on the track could have been
seen by the gripman from the time he
Aeft the top of the viaduct, he made
no apparent effort TO stop his train
but plunged forward until the wagon
and grip car collided. There was a
rushing noise, a shrek OF pain ana
agony from a man on the front seat
of the grip, and a cry OF horror from
the bystanders. The grip car stop
ped and a dozen men sprang lor-
ward to see what had happened. They
found Samuel Wexler pinned to the
seat he had occupied by end OF an
inch and O. quarter iron pipe. Inc
blood gushed In a stream from the
rent in his clothing.
Willing hands endeavOred to lift him
from the tar, but could not. He was
held too tightly by the iron. The grip
car was pushed back. The men nearts st
the injured passenger almost tainted
at the Grewsome sight before them.
The threaded end of the pipe had
buried itself to the depth OF several
inches in Wexler's groin. Gently as 1T
might be the pipe was withdrawn from
the bloody burrow it had dug. To
the threads cut on it adhered rag
ments OF skin and flesh and bit OF
hair all blood soaked.
Wexler was carried into Crane Bros
office ON Desplaines-st., near Lake. A
messenger was sent to the nearest
engine house for assistance and was
~ 20 % 70 ho cfa
Another messenger ran to the cable
power house at Jefferson and Wash
ingtonsts., and he also was told by
the persons he saw there to appeal to
the police. Then some one went to
the Desplaines-st. police station
whence a call for the police ambulance
was sent to the Chicago-ave. station.
Meanwhile Wexler was suffering awful
torture. Finally the ambulance ar
rived and he was taken to st. Eliza
beth's Hospital. The physicians there
say the MANS hip joint is hurt and
part OF the most sensitive portion OF
his body is torn away.
Although the accident seemed to
have been due 10 gross negligence
the police attached no significance to
the affair. No arrests were made and
the officers at the West Ckicago-ave.
station did not know the name OF the
gripman or the number OF the car.
They reported the injury as slight
flesh wound. Blame for the accident
seems to lie mainly on the gripman,
unless he has the excuse of inefficient
brakes. Cherry, the driver OF the
wagon, says that his team stood on
the track some four or five minutes
without moving and that the gripman
could not help having seen that the
track was blocked. Cherry claims
he was not Intentionally obstsuct-
ing the street, but the men who saw
the accident think he could have pulled
TO one side and allowed the cable car
20 pass had he so desired When told
OF the accident the telephone operator
ut the West Chicago Avenue Station
said the matter would be investigated
and II necessary a warrant would be
sworn out for the arrest OF the grip
man. whose name was unknown, "be-
cause the officer did not have time to
find it out" said the operator.
The tremendous force with which
the vehicles collided may be inferred
from the fact that the pipe project
ing from the rear of Cherry's wagon
pierced the iron dashboard OF the