The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-04-09
ONE PROBLEM OF CITY LIFE
How to Ride on Electric Cars Without
Danger to Life and Limb.
People Are Beginning to Learn that Death
Rides with the MISUNDERSTANDING Off
at the Wrong Time. and Wrong Way.

Tho great problems of city life to be
solved by the multitudes are many and suf-
fieiently ~vexing. as the majority of people
will bear witness. but none seems to be
moro formidable than the street-car quos-
ton. or. in other words. how to get on and
off this modern street vehicle the most
gracefully, and In the safest mi Upon
this subject u variety of opinions are en-
tertained. in fact nearly everybody holds q
different view, and demonstrates the same
daily. As the street car comes laundering
down or up q tho~roughfare on wings of
lightning. it 10 an object that might have
been. in other times. the source of some con-
sternation. but. at present. its dangers are
ignored. and even defed by small boys, who
leap at it as they might leap ct q feather
bed, forgetting how very unfrIend-
~ q fury Is Gagged within its
bowels. So long as a machine is
feared. 1t does little damage to humanity.
but 80 soon as it is ignored its work of de.
straction. known as casualties. begins.
Since the city decided in favor of rapid
transit there have been o great number of
accidents on the llinois-stree and Col
lege-avenue lines. for the most part caused
by either an ignorance of the dangers at
tending q vehicle charged with electricity
or q partial, If not a total. disregard for
them. There have been very few accidents
that might not have been avoided had the
street car been gwen credit for its full
capacity for doing damage to life and prop
erty. Some times THE disregard was the
attribute of the motorman. and sometimes
of the person hurt. but from whichever
source 1t came the result was the same.
One of the deficient faculties Of men
seems to be q lack of the power to count
the Odds which are against them. when It
an electric street car. A man on q car de-
eires. perhaps. TO get OFT on the north side
of q cross street, when coming sonth on an
1llinOis-street car. He is in something of
a hurry, and will jump OF the car as it
passes the north side of the street. instead
of waiting until 1t stops on the south side.
BY doing so he gains perhaps seven Sec
onds of time, and once In every one thou
sand times. 1t IS fair to say. loses perhaps o
limb, may be sprains o JOINT, or gives him
self q jolt that results disastrously inter
Dslly. 1t Ia. therefore. a fact that the odds
are against such indiscretiOn very largely,
IS be has what might be termed no.
thing to gain. and everything 20 lose,
and no sensible man will GO into
o game of hat kind. 1t is the same propo-
sition. with many more odds against II man.
who jumps on u car from the opposite side
of the street from which it stops.
1t Is, it not an amusing fact, q very curl
ous one. that most people enjoy q little dam
ger. In some the passion Is a disease; in
small children it is often evinced TO the
most alarming degree. Why do men walk
tight OpesH This passion may, to a certain
extent. he pardonable. but the passion
which draws men to witness those per-
formances. which may result disastronsly
to life or limb, with no danger accruing
to them as spectators. is deplorable. 1t is
snch q passion and patronage that encour-
ages the former. 1t seems to be q source of
exquisite pleasure for some people to eXhlbit
their disregard for danger by Jumping on
cars going at q terrific speed. which is cer-
tainly an abnormal propensity.
1t required some time for the inhabitants
of Q city to become educated up to q proper
understanding of the dangers of the
electric cars. especially when going at full
speed. For q long while after electricity
was first put In on Illinois street. people
driving dared too much, and q number
paid for their daring dearly indeed. At
last, however. the sound of the gong came
TO be q needed note of warning. and the
casualties OF this kind are much less than
they were a year OF so ago. Whenever an
accident happened it used TO be generally
remarked: "Oh. we'll. the people want
rapid transit. ana they must learn what
the requirements OF such service are. IL
street cars must run fast people must get
ont of their way and let them 60 fast or
take the consequences" Conclusions OF q
similar nature, IL seems. were reached by
the majority of the citizens of the city, and
the education has progressed admirably.
1t is at present pretty thoroughly under
stood that death rides with the mOtormen.
and that very grim ultlmatum Is respected.
One of the great dangers of getting Off
the electric cars 10 the danger of running
into a car coming from the opposite direc-
tion. when darting behind the stopping car
TO cross the street. There are doubtless
few people in the city who have not at
some time or other narrowly escaped dam
ger from this source, even though none have
been INJURED 80 far In this way. People
partially deaf. who cannot hear the Yong
of the approaching car are very liable to
| accidents, if not always cautious. In wet
weather. when the streets. and espe-
ciaily the asphalt streets. are slip
perry. there is considerable danger
in getting off the cars on account
of the conductors not stopping the cars
when only one man il TO get out. A man
would generally be- carried q block or
moro before he could get off If he did not
jump; this is especially the case on late cars
out. The danger Is also great IN getting
! upon a moving car when a trailer is at
tached. as a slip means death sometimes.
Sucb results may follow when the car 10 go
| ing very slowly. as was the case at the cor
| uer Of Pennsylvania and Market streets