New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-02-17
RIM DOJTN BY 4 TROLLEl-CAR
,or-p PERSONS STRUCK WITHIN AN
HOUR.

ALL or THEM CARRIED SEVERAL FEET
EFT 80 ONE OF THEM INJuKED-Ex-
rrnlMEXriNG WITH \ FENDER.
IN css than one hour four persons were run
dow, bv a trolcy-car NJ Roseville y. j.. yester-
d,v morning In no case could the car be stopped
u.,l tho victim had been carried along the ground
n distance Of from twenty 70 hfty feet. the ear
,,,,.f,r M the rate Of about four miles an hour
II all happcncd near the stables of the New-Jersey
Traction Company. and three Of the men were EN-
moves Of that concern The hrst one was young
r-,shu, an who was struck while standing pet"ee"
o., rails with his back TO the car few minutes
later Samuel A. Darrach who was stretched across
Nv tracks As II he had fallen there was struck by
IA. car and when his friends lifted him from uder
.ha car ne and the young Ir!shman gave &c
tailed account about how 1t feels to be run over
bv n car which has the Patent Duplex saIe'y
Fender .,.u
The fender and what Il can 10 toward preventing
lss of lie was exhibited by the inventors. Samuel
\ u,rroch and Or. /. l.. Seaman. The apparatus
consists Of q light frame made OF steel pipe sup
portlue a gang OF springs arranged IN the form Vi u
sofa which extends me iuli width 81 the front o'
The ca It IS automatic in It's action ana also
under the control oil the HO'VIl'u' VIM - az
, charge OF the car.
The elasticity of the springs insures an easy blow
q, any victim who chances TO come in contact with
IT, and the springs themselves form an elastic seat
mon which the individual may fall and secure
protection from striking any part OF the 'front.' OF
the car II the individual is overtaken while lying
imam the track the sofa spring seat giides over
the body the sofa being hinged at the point OF its
attachment to the car and so balanced tnat
slight weight rests the person passing under H.
This elevation OF the sofa over the pody oi "'e
victim Hhorates sort OF spring shovel Which eN-
tends the entire width OF the track ana IS uhuer
the front OF the car. This shovel has some peculiar
mas re
the victim ON falling it is automatically locked
and it's elasticity permits it to glide easily under
any obstruction that may be on the track In 'front.'
OF IT, and at the same time it adapts itself to any
inequalities in the surface Of the street
The inventor claims the following points for MS
fender: II is automatic in its action and lnde-
pendent OF the motorman II provides fuH protection
from a hard blow conclusion from the front emu
side Of the track where he may be exposed 10
passing vehicles, and altosether II Is so alrahsgH
that being run down by cable or trolley car VIII
be connected with positively no danger. 49,,
At yesterdays exhibition one man stood IN tne
path OF the ,lr On the front platform with the
motorman stood a newspaper man, and rs the car
ncared the victim the reporter, though Dent on see
ing all instnctlye.y turned away. \ moment later
the man was struck. tel 10 the soft spring SOFA
and not only was ne uninlured but ne never tof Il
moment stopped smoking his pipe Then the same
man threw hmse;f on the ground before the APP
pleasant" said one OF the spectators and difficult
as 1t may be- to most men TO look pleasant under
for being run over.
To demonstrate the workings OF the fender a
dummy WAS placed on the track In all possible
positions and in every Instance the stuffed
man either thrown on the sofa scooped up
by the shovel under the sofa. and in did
his contact with the jeOpardIze his stufiins
The perfect faith with which Mr. Darrach regards
the fender inspires others with belief IN its efficacy
Mr.. Darrach lies down the track and allows
n car 10 run over him with a coo,ness and uncon-
Germ which to some look like foolhardiness.
In speaking OF his first experiment with the fender
Mr.. Darrach says: Il had the same fender which
you see here. and had placed a dummy before II
In many positions. and always with good results
wanted man. real man. to lie down In front
or a ear and be picked up, or TO stand up and
De Knocked down by the thing. | knew 1t would
not hurt any one who tried II. but offered any
who would take the job s. tumble. but could
ger no victim. Then had my son through the
motions OF being run down and fattened out by
car had him pose also FOR one turnover after
failing to the ground The fender did its work a.
knew 1t would, and now, since the me
ana my son take turns at being run over. voun-
teers are at discount"
Dr. l.. l.. Seaman, who Is In part responsible for
the fender. says: II the run over in front
or Palmer's Theatre. He knocked down and
dragged along until he was one-quarter filed away
II the car which threw him." he added, had been
provided with one OF our tenders. the man would
have escaped with slight brulse."