The herald., 1896-02-03
THE CAR JUMPED THE TRACK
People Went Flying Through
the Air
CLIFF HOUSE MOTOR WRECK
Many Passengers Sustain Severe Cuts
and Bruises or Sprains
OF the Seventy People on Board the UnEanage.
able Car Not One Was Fatal.
ly Injured

Associated Press Special Wire.
SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 2.-Twenty people
were more or less injured today by an acci-
dent on the new Sutro electric road running
to the Cliff house. A car loaded with about
eeventy-five people was bound in from the
beach and while descending from steep
grade, the motorman lost control of the
car and it plunged down at high rate of
speed. The car jumped the track and
plunged about fifty feet through the sand.
Those of the passengers who were outside
all jumped and they were the ones most
injured. Broken legs and ankles, bruises
and wounded scalps were numerous.
Simon Roshland, wealthy wool dealer,
had his left leg shattered. None of the
passengers were fatally hurt and the
wounded were quickly removed to their
homes.
AS it was the first pleasant Sunday in
weeks there was unusual rush of people to
the Cliff, and bright and early in the day
all the lines leading oceanward and par
ticularly Sutro's new road, were taxed to
their utmost capacity. The cara of the
Sutro line ran jammed full, carrying from
seventy to 100 passengers each. There
were fifteen cars in service and running
under four minutes headway. The car that
was wrecked was from tho baths bound
for this city at 80 D. m. with about sew
enty passengers on board. When Thirty
third avenue was reached the motorman
seemed to lose all control of the car. There
is heavy incline to Point Lobos avenue at
this point and the car went bounding down
the grade at a terrific rate of speed, some
of the spectators claiming that it was max
ing at least twenty-five miles an hour.
Where Thirty-third avenue intersects
Point Lobos avenue there is an abrupt
curve of the tracks of the road into the
latter thoroughfare. Around this the big
car with its living freight bounded unre-
strained, and when about the middle of
the curve it left the rails and went blowing
for distance of about fifty feet through
the sand and thin layer of macadam til at
had been laid by the company and then
came to O standstill.
many of those on the outside ends jumped
in an attempt to save themselves. AS the
car left the track 1t rocked and rolled to
one side as II about to turn completely
over.
The passengers who jumped from the
car landed heavily on the roadway and up
on the sand embankment about twenty
feet distant. All of them we're more OF
less seriously injured, sustaining bruises
GUS, spraiDs and broken limbs. There
were five women and children who went
flying through the air when they left the
car, having IS6t all ccntrcI or themselves
in their effort to avoid what they deemed
to be still greater danger should they re-
main on the unmanageabie car, which was
flying along the track.
The unfortunates, in their efforts to save
their lives by jumping. struck heavily OH
the ground and many of Them remained
unconscious until they were picked up and
removed to the car house of the company,
few rods away on Point Lobos avenue. {.
They were placed in the room in which
are the lockers of the employees of the road
and made as comfortable as the circum-
stances would permit. DR.. Petre, who
happened to be on the car, attended the
injured and soon had the unconscious re-
stored to consciousness and the minor in
juries dressed. One of the victims was
chant. He had been to the Cliff with his
family. He jumped from the car, and, in
striking the ground, shattered the bones of
one of his legs between the knee and ankle.