Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-10-20
GRIPS IN A WRECK
csu Tangled Up and Badly
Damaged.
NO PERSON BADLY INJURED
The Grip C~sEht ts shs Csbs~ ard fse-
fsse IA CosiS ne ttri~.~esi foar
Train. Coissard-
NO PERSON BADLY INJURED

strect cars were piled up 10 q heap
shorty after ten o'clock today st fifth
assnie ami Washington street sDd the
surprising thing about the secidsnt Was
that not one II the several scores " pas
ssngers. men. women and children. we're
inIurc,l Never before have tho street
ears been pilsd np IN such an indiscrim-
mate manner. BeyoEd q fos broken
windows ia D.sikion street car. dsm
aged grip and several platforms aud
couplers demolished. the xr>ck Vas not
q sexious one 10 the cable coa,pany.
Ii O. aid not have been sseftcd While
slowly Assembling the Washington street
tunnel gssdc oripman William Ward.
No. I'll. sho lad charge of grlpcar ~
and the Madison street tram. felt his
leser rattle IN lively manner. Before
he could release the spring and Olson
gage the grip from the cable. the
projecting strands Of the rope had
become firmly wcdged IA the jaws
Of the grip and the train Was carried
irresistably onward Ward set his
brakes and cried out 90 the passengers
that he could not stop the train. Up
from the tunnels entrance the train
dashed. directly toward long line OF
trains that were slowly wending their
way along the congested loop. Another
Madison street train VAS immediately "a
front Of Ward's and the gripman was
powericss 10 prevent collision.
Get Yoar Passengers Out
my grip is caught Set your brakes
and GET your passengers ont cried
Ward, aud the Aeyt instant No. 92s
crashed into the rear ot the next train,
severely battering the platform Of the
Ogden avenue car No. Its. BY this
time Ofiice- isloom, who WAS stationed az
the Nranks.n street corner, realized the
situ alton and he ran alongside Of the
moving trains 10 assist the passengers ln
aligh,ing. A Milwaukee avenue train
that hsd just stopped awaiting the sig
nal of the starter 70 continue around the
curve on Fifth avenue. was next caught
10y the Madison street car that Was
being pushed along by tiriDman Wards
train. THIS train OF three cars wac
forced To join la the procession. The
cars began 10 creak ominously and as
the conductors cried out Ia the pas
sengers 10 keep order aud leave the cars
one by one. panic seized the &c
cupants. All wanted 10 leap from the
cars al once Windows were demolished
10y canes an9 umbrellas and the chill.
dren swarmed out IL them like so many
gophers from an inundated burrow.
Three trains were now in the procession
and when they struck the fourth.
Madison street train Just around the
curve on Fifth avenue. the pHralleio-
gram Of forces deraiied several of tho
cars and pilei two almost upon iae
roofs Of some others.
Women Crnzed With Fright
The screams Of the imprisoned pas
sengers. together with the sounds Of the
crash. attracted great crowd. Officers
Nicholas Flanagan and Gus Hoffman
rushed into the snarl of cars and assisted
in drawing the passengers from the cars
just as the Division street trailer. No.
1900. mounted the roof of the Miiwaukee
avenue grip. No. SO. woman with a
baby in her arms attempted Ia Jump
over the rear gate. Officer Flanagan
although fearing that the car woait
topt,le over upon him. rushed up. tore
the gate from its fasteniugs and dragged
mother and child TO place Of safety.
The cars continued 20 twist aud turn
and writhe. not unlike great boa con.
uItii AUt Itttt fttNAHt Att'aHtNt
from the grip of ear No. g.s Almost
Immediately the engineer at The power
house al Jefferson and " aehingtOn
streets stopped the machinery.
The work az getting the passengers
out % the cars was over and calls were
sent for the repair wagons. \ great
multitude II people poured out OF tho
surrounding buildings aud from all ia
rcctiors attracted by the crash and we're
prcpafcl TO drag out the dead and In
iured. They we're saved ihis duty A
little boy. whcse name could not be
learned. had received some ugly gsshcs
from the brokcd glass of "A car window
bat ks hurried away and Ras loef 10 the
crowd. No other Injured person could
be found
Gripman Mari's StoF,.
Csripman Ward. after he had assisted
in clearing the tracks. said. II no1eed
while coming ihroagh tho turnel that
tie grip had become fastened g. the
cable. probably yfeason of q PROJECTING
strand AZ splice. and w.as unable 90
lizeuaage the grip 3 collision
with the cars ahead ~ noe could
not i,c avofte,i unless they continued 10
interrupted around the leop Nhen i
raw tin tain ahead q ne Siena'ng sfll
/ shouted out 10 tho condn Tor 4 set
toe brakes. ,hinsing The sheck would
reieaec ms Efip. IL didn't. and I've o.
suit was the cars we're detailed - The
curvr
Oifcer Nl.nnacan. who assisted Ia
taking about twenty i've rhsiaren out ~
the windows. said that b q a. foftuuair
that thc sree,i - tac cable vas very
si4v a haa plenty - f.me - yak
nlonesid- the carr ara with thc ether
oflicera and conductors take The people
~ \ great mnuy children bound
far the faif we're ahoarll bat fort
unaiei, all got oct without inlpFy. 50
one time. sfiie ! aHe sssistinE terror
stricken mother - aisght ffam car
that appeared a. he irving - cfs1i ppna
the food e a gflposf. eas ffightened
Hal mol the ratir stopped = woul3 have
totpiesi over ufon eegtrai people"