The San Francisco call., 1896-02-11
William Meadows Killed at
Clarendon Heights Yester-
day Morning.
WAS CoAsTING DOWN GRADE.
Empty Cars Used by the Graders
Jumped From the Track at a
Sudden Turn.

William Meadows was killed at Claren-
don Heights early yesterday morning.
The tract bounded by Eighteenth, STAN
yan, Ashbury and Carl streets, comprising
fourteen blocks. the property of Mrs. Pope,
has been for some time past in charge of
John w. Ferris, who has, contracted to
grade ths property and render it available
for residence purposes. Gravity cars are
used for transporting earth and gravel to
places where filling is needed, and Mr..
Ferris and his agents have frequently eau
toned the workmen against coasting down
the steep grades.
Shortly after Z o clock, work having Just
commenced, Meadows and a new man
named Woods started down the incline
with four empty cars. The cars were de-
scending at terrible rate OF speed, and
Woods, who was in charge of the front
brake, apprehe nding danger, endeavored
to slow up, pressing the weight of his
body against the brake and exerting his
entire strength. Noticing that his efforts
were unavailing, and that they were ap-
preaching a sharp curve in the track, he
shouted to Meadows, who was at the rear
brake:
'slow her up; there's going to be
troublel'
"Oh, let her CO." was Meadows only
answer, and the. cars sped on until the
curve was reached. R. J. Walton, one of
the workmen in charge of a scraper near
the curve, heard Woods warning shout,
and looking up saw the four cars give one
bound from the track and land in con-
fused heap several feet away. Woods was
thrown up into the air by the force of the
shock and landed with great violence upon
pile OF rock about twenty feet from the
track.
Meadows was under the disordered heap
of iron and splintered wood. The work
men near by hastened to the spot and
found the man insensible, his head being
crushed and battered in by one of the car
wheels, which still rested upon it. A man
was sent to the telephone station on STAN
yan street to summon an ambulance, while
others extrieated the inert form of Mead
ows from beneath the wrecked train.
At first it was believed that the man was
dead, but he was conveyed with all haste
to the Receiving Hospital. Without hav-
ing recovered consciousness the man died.
| He leaves a widow, a daughter and son,
| the last-named of whom arrived at the
Receiving Hospital few minutes after
his fathers remains had been taken TO the
Morgue. Then the young man returned
to the family residence, 1043 Mission
street, to tell his mother and sister of the
death.
Woods sustained a severe shock and a
! number of contusions and flesh wounds
He was able later in the day to return t4
his lodgings without assistance. When
| asked about the accident he said:
II can remember nothing except dread
| full moment of extreme nervous tension.
did not have time to be afraid of being
killed. In another moment l opened my
eyes and saw the other men about me. 1
didn't know how many bones l had
| broken, and moved my arms very gingerly
at first. 1 feel sore all over, but 1 am not
seriously injured. My escape was certainly
a wonderful one"
! Woods is a single man. and had been in
Mr.. Ferris employ only short time.
Meadows had been working with the
! graders for over year and was considered
an adept in the management OF cars and
other apparatus used in such work.
| Immediately after the accident Mr.. Fer
ris proceeded to examine the track. 1t was
found to be in good condition.
! L. Davidson, the superintendent, also
made an examination with the same re-
suit. 1t appears that the sad affair came
TO pass through the carelessness of the
two men, who were descending at rate
of speed utterly beyond that which pru-
dent workman would have allowed the
cars to attain.
| A little over a week ago Meadows and
! Woods met with what might have been a
similar accident, though through no fault
of theirs. Both men were on a train of
cars which were being hauled up the grade
when the cable broke. On that occasion
they were fortunate enough to stop the
cars before they could collide with the 9TH
ers at the foot of the incline.
4 Mission Scandal.