The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-03-07
FINE NO. IS SMASHED
The Electric Car Runs Into q Montana
Union Flat.
NO PASSENGERS INJURED
II All Happened at the Crossing
Below Town-A Young Man and
Girl Shaken Up-How Ii
Occurred.

The Anaconda Electric line vs.. the
Montana Union played a little game
yesterday morning which was some
thing like unto football or hack knife.
The elegant new car No. Is of the cleo
trio line and a fat car of the Mon
tana Union lined up against each other
and the electric car scored a touch
down in the first rush. going through
the center with a flying wedge. The
fiat car was cut in half and the entire
front of the electric car was destroyed
in the crash.
There were three passengers on the
motor, Gordon Place, the Standard
Office boy. Mary Maroney, little girl
living in Carroll and a gentleman
whose name is not known. All es-
capped without injury.
c. T. Park, the smotoneer, gives as
his story of the accident, which is
borne out by the passengers, that after
crossing the b.. A. & p. railroad track
he looked ahead. and the road was
clear. On the Montana Union track.
short distance away. there was a line
of fiat cars, but ample space between
them for the passing of his train. He
did not notice that an engine was at
tached TO them. He accordingly set his
lever and proceeded to collect his fares
inside the car. While doing so he no
ticed the fat cars closing the gap and
ne hurried forward and reversed the
current. This had no effect on the car,
which was on an incline and Slip
perry track, so he ran back through the
car, telling the passengers to jump.
The gentleman did so and Parks also.
Gordon Place, who was in the front
en- o. the car, started back but tripp d
and fell in the middle of the car floor.
The Maroney girl also fell down near
the rear door. When the car struck
they were shaken up but neither OF
them hurt. The boy had his lip cut
and bumped his head as he fell, but
that was all.
The electric car is new and one of
the latest and most modern of street
car rolling stock. 1t will carry more
than double the usual number of pas
sengers, and has double the capabili-
ties in speed, being provided with a
motor that will carry II at a rate Of
from Is to 20 miles per hour. That It
was unusually well built is evidenced
by the way IL came out of the collision.
The front end, as far back as the first
window light, is a total wreck of splin-
tiers and broken glass. The roof is in
tact and the steel frame on which the
woodwork set was unframed. The
framework was titled from the trucks
but was easily restored to position.
The fiat car, however, as stated, was
cut in twain in the middle and Is a
complete wreck. except as to the
trucks. A wrecking Grew cleared the
track in an hour. The most fortunate
thing about the affair Is that no one
was hurt. Had the accident happened
later In the day or earlier when the
car was filled with passengers as 1t
usually is, a disaster would have been
chronicled
Speaking OF possibilities, there is an
other matter which might appropriate
1y be mentioned here. 1t Is the custom
OF many boys, ranging in years from 7
TO 16. to steal rides on the electric line
cars. The trainmen are almost power
less TO keep them off the steps. The
lads, and even girls, cling to the ham
dies on the side of the cars and taunt
the man at the lever, whom they know
dares not leave his post. When II hap
pens on a long train there Is a con-
ductor the boys like no sport better
than to dodge about from platform to
platform, avoiding his efforts to put
them off. They often fall by the side
or the track as they hurriedly jump,
and sometimes are dragged while they
hang on behind. having lost their foot
Ding.
Some day, unless parents or authori-
ties interfere, there will be a terrible
accident, child crippled for life or
mangled under the wheels.