, 1892-09-01
A RUNAWAY CAR.
The New Open Car Collides With
No. / on Main Street.

The Brake Beam and Reversing
- cable Break and ali Control
LOst-EmpIOyese Jump Collision
with the woodruff Building.
The breaking of the brake-beam and the
reversing cable caused the new open car,
No. 5, of the electric railway, to run away
at IL :25 today. The car dashed down Main
street, collided at Fourth with No. l. and
both cars went crashing into the front Of
the Woodruff building. The collision
caused a terrible crash, but fortunately no
body was injured. The cars, which were
daddy damaged, were taken to the car
depot at Chestnut and Fifth streets for re-
pairs.
From the stories told by the motormen,
the accident was purely unavoidable and
the members of the company, while they
regret the accident, feel gratihed that no
body was injured. It seems that No. 5,
the open car, had slowed up at Fifteenth
street to let a passenger of, when the lever
snapped in two An effort was then made
to reverse, but without success. All con-
troll of the car was lost and the men had to
jump for safety. e. G. Mcdonald, COVER
nor Ferry's private secretary, who was the
only passenger, jumped without difficulty.
H. HedriCk was the mOtOrman, r. Q.
Reynolds the conductor, and R. Hughes,
an attache of the Thompson Houston COM
pany, was also on the car along
with Superintendent Eugene Maxwell
Of the latter company When they
found there was no hope for stopping it.
each man jumped, and by the time the cal
had reached the Olympia hotel there was
not a soul on it. The word was passed
along the street to clear the track, anC
nothing happened until Fourth street wai
reached. Here car No. 1, in charge o.
MOtorman J. L. Anderson, had Just turned
onto Main street. He had COTTON as far a.
the First National bank before he realized
what was coming. He then reversed hi
car, intending to go back up Fourth street
and let the runaway car continue dOWl
Main street. But in the excitement, will
everybody yelling, the switch was s,
turned that car No. 1 went down Mail
street, and No. 8, the runaway, fol
lowed at a terrific speed. Anderson hat
meanwhile warned three passengers in hi
car. who alighted easily. No. struck No
/ near the alley between Third and Fourth
The distractions and dirt where the seWe
had been built caused the cars to jun
the track and here the real damage fol
lowed. When the crash came the from
part OF NO. L was uIleu INTO the air, an
headed for the plate glass window il
Charles Burrs cigar store. In the collision
the rear platform of No. 1 was demolished
and both cars locked together. When
first struck the Woodruff building it CO.
lided with one of the large brick column
on the left of the entrance. The shock wa
so great that the car rebOunded and agai
went forward, lodging on the right-han
column. In the first crash it knocked
the whole frame work of the larg
bulk window in front of Burr's store fo
eight inches and the fact that the glass wa
not broken was almost a miracle. The ei
cape of O'ConnOr's window was Just as ma
row. Both cars lodged on the sidewalks
The glass in the doors of car No. 1, wa
badly broken. The front and rear platform
were demolished, and the ironwOrk badl
twisted and broken. 1t took two bl
horses and the assistance Of several men {
extricate the cars. The electric currer
was turned off Immediately when the acc
dent occurred. The loss will reach sever,
hundred dollars, which will probably ia
10 the constructing company, as the roa
has not yet been turned over to the 0lympi
Light & Power company. Car number
which had been undergoing repairs, wa
brought into service this afternoon.