The morning call., 1894-04-03

Kearny streets to watch the fremen at
work on an ugly blaze in Qu0ng Hops
broom factory, which caused an alarm to
be sounded few minutes before.
The thrOng stood as If electrified. gain e
at the approaching vehicle with Its blazing
headlight. its tranLically struggling brake
man and its terrOr-Srcken 0ccupan is.
Down it came like shot out of catapult,
and from thousand Threats there rose
hoarSe roar of warning. People below
Dupont street bethought themselves of
their own safety and stampeded for the
doorwayS and narrow entrances of the
houses. But those up on the level in the
blaze of the big lantern were riveted where
they stood.
To multiply dangers hose wagon was
standing on Dupont street with the horses
swung across the track. 1t had just come
TO take up hose. and was the obstacle
which mad brought No. 500 to standStill.
But when the driver saw the runaway he
pulled his team around, and he was just in
time.
The descending car struck the station
airy one a terrific blow and sent it across
the street in spite of the brakes. which
had been set hard down. The end of the
tongue of The hose wagon, raised high by
the rearing horses, grazed the head of
Miss Kate Plunkett of 5l6 Central avenue.
who was on the south side of the unman-
ageable dummy. 1t was haiTbreadth es-
cape for her.
At the moment OF contact Luke Morgan,
letter-carrier, living at CPS Franklin street.
was standing on the rear platform OF No.
509 The dummy Of the other car crushed
through the guards aud rode up on the
platform. Morgan was caught between
the two and severely injured.
The gripman of Ne. 500 remained at his
post and the resistance afforded by his
brakes stopped both cars before they had
regained i'm petus on the next descent.
On twinkling the crowd pressed
around, but was quickly cleared by the
policemen guarding the fire lines. Pas
sengers on the cars disappeared as il by
magic-those who were not too seriously
disabled to do so. Luckily there were not
more than dozen of them all told. De-
tectve Hogan stepped off No. 500 and
limped away sufficiently amused with his
tOb0ggan slide.
Miss Plunkett, who had so bravely kept
her seat on the dummy, was unhurt save
for wrench OF the arm. but she was so
weak she could not stand and was taken
into Chinese store on the corner.
c. A. Doeing. Journalist, living at IA
Albion avenue, jumped or fell off the re-
calcitrant dummy just before the collision.
He slid over the cobbles and was stopped
by friendly lampDost on the corner.
Miss Mary Dillon of 80 Mason street
was affected with Mysteries and was led
away by policeman. Other bruised and
terrified passengers carried away their all
ments without assistance.
Morgan and Doeing were taken to the
Receiving Hospital in a patrol wagon.
The former had sustained severe injury
to the left thigh and his left foot was
badly crushed. The surgeons found it
necessary TO amputate the great toe. He
was also cut about the face and head.
Doeng's injuries consisted of Commissions
of The face, skinned elbow and los of
bruises and abrasioDS On various parts Of
the body.
But after all there were no deaths. 1t is
almost miraculous that there were none,
and there seems to be no one to thank for
the fact but the gripman of No. 800 His
heroic efforts at the brake somewhat
leSsened the speed of the car before it
struck its predecessor, and 1t may be that
this averted worse smash up. But his
achievement is dismissed by the state
ment that he had no business to attempt
to descend the hllIsbefore the car in ad-
vance had passed Dupont street. There
Is a rule against this in the regulations of
the company
What caused the runaway the public is
left to guess. When an attempt was made
to learn the precise cause. A. j. Pray, re-
ceiver at the Mas0D-street works, forbade
the grlpmen ana conductors 10 tell. lie
would not permit them to tell their names.
II am one of the company" said the
young man. initiating his chest out Of all
proportion to his otherwise diminutivs
stature, "and no information shall be
given reporters" and the trainmen obeyed
him. At the power-house the names we're
also withheld. 1t is known. however. that
the brakes for some reason refused to
work until the car had almost reached the
foot of the decline.
Car 500 left the track, and was with diff
Guilty rsI laced. The dummy was badly
smashed up. The road resumed operations
an hour after the accident.
Detective Bob Hogan was treated by
DIR. Stanton for a badly sprained knee,
wEich may lay him up for some time.
The name of the conductor was K. C.
Morrison. and that Of the gripman John
+. O'Brien.
Ruined Through Others