St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-02-17
n atBsaEE6etVV OAVV6es
Breaking Of a Grip on Selby
Hill Gives Passengers a
Sensation.
Down the Incline Speeds the
Car, But 1t Ends in Fright
Alone.
Senator Donnelly Prepares a
100000 Suit Against the
Pioneer.
Deaths Car Strikes Down
Two Prominent Citizens
of st. Paul.

An accident occurred yesterday morn
ing at o'clock on the Selby avenue
cable line, which, but for the courage
and prompt action of the train crew,
would have resulted in death to at least
some of the passengers crowding the
grip and train cars. There were thirty
people on the train when it reached the
apex of the grade at Selby and Summit.
There was the usual stop, and the
people who watched the extra brake
man get aboard and give the brake
wheels couple of yanks to
test their order thought littl e
enough about danger. Then the
bell rang and the ponderous
cars slid noiselessly over the edge Of the
hill. No one was alarmed at the posi-
bility OF accident. OF course not. Didn't
they ali come up and down that hill two
or three times day? Dangerl Pshaw
Judge Macdonald was Oh the grip car
talking finance to Capt. Braden.
Suddenly there was crash. The
grip handle flew back with unwonted
suddenness, and Gripman Frost after a
couple of frantic efforts to regain con-
troll of the train signaled for brakes.
Gentlemen" he said, turning to his
passengers on the grip, "Gentlemen, the
train is running away; jump off"
what is the matter?' asked half a
dozen people in breath.
Broken grip" briefly responded the
gripman. ''It the brakes work we are
all right. Don't try to jump now, we
are going too fast"
simultaneously with the breaking of
the grip, two brakemen jumped at the
wheels and twisted for dear life. In
ten seconds every wheel in the train
was blocked. There was mOmentary
slackening of speed, then the train
began to slide on the frosty rails, and in
a few seconds was going down the steep
incline at terrific rate.
Conductor Wright made his way to
the door of the coach, in which a dozen
ladies were screaming with fright.
Raising his voice above the din he called
out:
The train is safe. Every one hang
on; we shall not leave the track"
This assurance, however, did not in
spire confidence in the lady passengers.
They huddled together in the trailer,
their faces blanched and horror-strick
en-, expecting to meet death at the
curve
Faster and faster flew the train.
Sparks shot from the rails IN stream,
SO intense was the friction. Halfway
down the speed was something like
twenty miles all hour, and not wheel
turning.
Give 'em HI" yelled the con-
ductor meaning the brakes.
They're chock abIock," was the quiet
reply.
Faster, faster, faster-and the curve
close at hand.
Hang on for your lives" yelled
Gripman Frost.
Hang on for your lives" reiterated
Conductor Wright in the rear.
There was wild plunge as the grip
car struck the turn, couple of soul
freezing lurehes to leeward, chorus of
wells and screams blending in an in
harmonious wall. as men and women
alike thought the end of all things ma
terial was at hand, and then-smooth
sailing. The grip car had taken that
curve without mistake, the trailer had
miraculously followed suit, and the
danger was past.
Down Third street went the train,
faster by four times than ever cable
train traversed it before, but the people
ooOoAU WCAO 90 HoPPJ &" AOo 90 oiy vi
earth. Women Wept tears of joy and
thankfulneSs on other women'S breasts,
pausing between sobs to adjust disar-
arranged costumes. Men pulled up their
coat collars and tried to look aS though
they hadn't been scared at all.
''CloSe CALL" yentured Claiming Sea-
bury TO an old gent across the way, who
had hung on with his teeth, hands and
eyelids, and was surprised to find him
self with whole skin.
I'D close" was the terse response.
''It's treat to be alive"
Among the passengers on the train
were Mrs. Rundlett, Mrs. KratZenberg,
Mrs. II. IL. Lowe, Mrs. De Wart, mss
Mamie Fuller, Miss Lyons, Judge Nc
Donald, Judge Brill, &. W. Myers,
George W. Fuller, II. D. Matthews.
Charming Seabury, Land Commissioner
Braden, OF the Great Northern; Walter
Wyand, of the Michigan Central,
and S. S. Stokes. The latter
gentleman was slightly cut. but
all the passengers escaped serious in
jury. Judge Mcdonald jumped from
the car and rolled down hill for some
distance, locked arms with 200-pound
visitor from New York, but both of
them came up standing without the loss
of even tops'l.
The clamp brake, which grips the
rails OH both sides, saved the lives of the
passengers on the train. Both the grip
man and conductor exhibited great
nerve and promptitude IN dealing with
the situation.