St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-07-07
A THRILLING SLIDE.
Startling Experiences of a
Crowd on a Grand Ave-
nue. Car. 1.s,
With a Broken Brake, 1t
Dashes Down Oakland - |!
Hill - s7n. q |;
-, ,s=II |
And Crashes Into q -oiCaf
Standing on Ramsey 81 |
Street. 4!a
sN.- 1910 4. I
Seven Passengers ,, Bruise d
80. ana Three Seriously I |
Damaged |

treated:to most thrilling and exciting
ride last evening. which will long ,be;re-
membered by. each. and every one of
them. The ear left the end of the line
at Gfoyeland Park, and when it reached
Dale street the register showed. forty
six passengers. A large number of the
occupants of the car were ladies, aud
the front and rear platforms were
crowded with meD. AT Dale street the
motoneer found the brake would
not work, and as the line from that
point consists of series of grades,
some of them very, steep he realized at
once the seriousness of the situation.
By the time the car reached the steep
grade near Crocus hill the passengers
became. aware that the car was not
under the control rf the mOtoneer. The
male passengers began to leap from the
platforms at both ends of the car, while
the women screamed and shrieked.
The speed of the car increased at every
foot, and. TO make matters worse,
the motOneer was pushed from the
font platform by the passengers who
surged from the inside of the car. The
conductor jumped from the rear plat
form, at least SO the passengers say, and
the car now running at almost lightning
speed, without check of any kind,
seemed to. hardly touch the track.
Down Oakland avenue it went, and
pedestrians who saw it shoot past held
their breath as it rounded the curves on
Ramsey street. Fortunately for the
terrified occupants the car did not jump
the track at the curve. Near the corner
OF Leech all extra car on the Mississippi
street line WAS being switched, prepare
tory to startingOn a trip. The moto-
neer of the Mississippi street car heard
the noise made by the runoway car, and
with great presence of mind reversed
the electric power, sci his brake and
jumped from the car.
The Runaway Car
struck the empty car at Leech street,
but SO great was the speed that both
cars were carried nearly three blocks,
not stopping until Sherman and West
Seventh street was reached. The 0ccu-
pants of the car were assisted to afight
and number sent home in carriages.
The passengers who Staid OH the car
were not injured beyond bad shaking
up. The lady passengers were BADLY
frightened, several of them being so
Frustrated that it WAS necessary to call
medical attendance.
No information regarding the accident
could be obtained at the offices of the
street car company. Supt. Sloan, said
full particulars could not be given nntii
this morning. He had heard three per-
sons had been injured, but who they
were or how badly he was unable to
say. esk-
William Richter. motoneer on the car,
said he tried the brake at Dale street
and found it would not work. He nade
two or three attempts to make it work,
but there was something wrong. He
gave the conductor the signal to take
the trolley fiom the wire, which was
done. The weight OF the car after tine
current was turned off. he said., was
SO great and the grade SO steep that it
commenced to gain speed, and, the pas
SengerS crowding to the platform, car
ried him with them to the ground. He
was badly bruised, and his clothes torn,
but claimed he was not badly hurt.
Richter says he has been employed as
motoneer for eight months. and it was
no fault of his that caused the accident.
Conductor Swanson was not seen. but
the passengers claim he jumped from
the Car at the top of the steep grade on
Oakland avenue.
The Injured.
The only persons injured, as far as
could be learned, were five of the pas
sengers. who jumped from the car on
Oakland avenue. The one most seri-
ously hurt was John Johnson, who lives
at 362 Lafond street. johnson, who had
been with II. Hendrickson out to
Shadow falls, occupied scat in the
rear end of the car. He and Hendrickson
became alarmed at the rapid speed of
the car and, after the conductor jumped,
concluded it was time for him to go.
In jumping he struck on his head and
sustained a conclusion of the brain, be-
sides other internal injuries. he was
in an unconscious condition up to late
hour.
d. Hendrlckson. a tailor residing at
1914 Sherburne avenue, who accom-
panied johnson, and jumped at the
same time, was more fortunate, escap-
ing with diSlocatiOn of the left Shout
der and bruised face.
John Peterson, a laborer living at $50
Sherburne avenue, was one of the first
to leave the car. The physicians report
his right limb and back sprained and
his face bruised. c. Johnson and J.
johnson, laborerS living at 965 Rice
street, jumped fiOm the car when about
quarter way down the nill on Oakland
avenue, and both received slight cuts
about the head.
All of the injured were taken to their
homes by the Rondo street patrol
wagon. Drs. Sweeny, Martell and the
claim agent of the railroad company
visited those injured last night Dr..
Sweeny reported the five are. not Sc
riously injured, although he could not
tell definitely as to the result of John
Johnson's injuries.
The man in charge of the barn at
Ramsey street could not tell, at least he
said he couldn't, whether the brake on
the car was out of order,-as the moto-
neer claimed, or not. He said ne had not
made any examination of the car, and
couldn't say just when he would. boc&
Four more persons were reported late
last night as having been injured bV
jumping from the car. The additional
list includes j. Peterson, 50I Sencoe
street, finger crushed; William Clum,
GA L'Orient street, flesh wounds; A.
Johnson, $40 North street, severely
bruised; J.Johnson, ga L'Orient street,
bruised. s2ib !,
" Ss1r
WITH WILLFUL MURDER
a3ob I,