The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-12-25

Seriously Hurt.
Car No on the Madison street cable
road celebrated Christmas eve by run
ming away with Conductor Quinlan, Grip
man Freeman and a load OF passengers
variously estimated from thirty-ftve 70
fifty. II was wild race after the dies or
the grip gave way just as the car was
passing up over the brink or the hill AT
Third avenue and peonle who stood at
the crossings on Second avenue and First
avenue thought a nPrt
ing down the hill. Sparks few from the
rails with dazzling brtilianey. ana u e
passengers inside the car had had their
viii they would have been leaping through
the sparks like so many demons trying TO
escape the fortunes of hades. Strange as
X may seem. the ear ran its course oack-
ward from Third avenue down to the alley
between First and Western avenues ana
stopped right side up. even IL il did lose
its grip. actually and metaphorically, and
not a person was seriously injured. After
diligent search last night a Post-lntelil-
gencer reporter managed 10 ind john
Dick, a storekeeper. who complained that
his leg had been hurt when he jumped
from the car. Dick had been out before
Christmas. 1t was also said that one
woman sustained slight injuries The
name OF the woman or facts that tended
TO sustain the story could not be found
If there were any other people injured
they disappeared quickly and did not nave
to call for police assistance.
1t is almost inconceivable that such an
affair should have terminated so fortu-
nately. Many prominent people or the
city. who were on the scene a short time
after the car ran away. and who had an
opportunity to see the workmen trying TO
remove the big grip from the cable slot
at the First avenue crossing, the trucks
that had been torn away from their fas-
Jennings and the car Itself stiI erect on
the track. said that they could rot I'M
derstand how Christmas eve had witness
ed so close an approach to disaster and
yet escaped with nothing more than SEN
sational free ride for a lot OF Seattie's good
people.
Judging from the interviews given to
Post-InseNigencer reporter by different
people who saw the affair, and from the
actual Outcome, great credit Is due Grip
man Freeman and Conductor Quinlan for
the manly manner in which they stuck
to their posts in the face of imminent dan
ger IL is to 'he regretted that the young
man who had the nerve TO stand al Con-
dUctor Quinlans side throughout the ter
rihle ride and do all in HIS power to press
the brake closer, was so modest as to
walk away without giving anyone a chance
10 learn his identity. His act was of the
heroic kind.
The car left the turntable at the west
end of the line at 912 o'clock. At the
First avenue crossing quite a number of
passengers were taken on board. AT the
Second avenue crossing there was a stili
larger crowd. Conductor QuInian thinks
that he had about sixty people aboard
when he gave the bell TO climb the steep
hill between Second and Third avenues.
The start was made all right but when
q distance Of about sixty feet had been
passed the grip seemed to lose its hold,
and despite the strenuous efforts of Free
man. he felt the car going slowly back.
He put on his break and let her down as
easily as possible The crowd did not
think anything Of that. II IS not extra
ordinary for cable car TO back down
few feet once In while just as the start
up a steep hill IS commenced.
Once more Freeman squared himself
and closed on the rome The car responded
and moved up the hill This time II went
about twenty feet and then backed down.
Freeman SAYS that before he made the
next attempt he told the people TO get off.
In this statement he Is corroborated by z.
A. Snodel. who lives at the corner OF
Twenty-frst avenue and East Thomas
street.
Some Of the passengers did not Ike 10
risk the next attempt to climb the hill
and got off. There was still a good load
left when Conductor QUinlan gave two
bells once more Freeman threw his
weight back and the dies OF the heavy grip
embraced the rope. II looked as IL the
grip was firm and that the steep grade
would be made all right AS the car ap
preached the brink OF the hill It's speed
diminished. Freeman worked like .
Trojan with the srip, trying TO make Is
hold. lie could feel the slackening mo-
mentum. and realized what f. meant to
make the run backwards 10 the bottom OF
the hEi. and perhaus-well he did not
have time to go further.
Just as the car reached the pivotal point
the grip gave up the fight and then It be-
came matter OF life and death. Free
man pressed down The breaks on the front
end OF the car and Conductor ouInlan ala
the same at the rear The weight Of the
car with the added weight Of its passen-
gers produced a momentum that the
Gy axes could not overcome The car sped
down the hiii like a wild demon. splitting
out sparks OF Ere in It's headlonr race
The passengers inside the ear BEGAN
frightened and tried 20 get olIf Conduc-
tor Quinlau stopped the stampede by
c.inging 20 the door. while the young man.
previously mentioned went 20 his aSgs=
anee or the brakes. When the car struck
Second avenue fhere was a crash au3 a
e-tttRff hk 14iatAH ttAa+ AAEttF started the
beho57eTs. a moment. and the car was
speeding across Second avenue eager to
plunge down the second his. While TIE car
was passing over Second avenue the brakes
checked It's speed somewhat 80 the race
down TIE hsi3 % First avenue was not al
an Increased rase q speed Sparks. how
ever. were stfl flying and before First av-
eEue was rea ~aed things were looking
s4ua-ir. j. some good piece 81 fortune dfd
not furu up. where was tEe wild run going
10 end2 Just az the intersection 81 the
Madison street and First avenue cables
me Dig handle OF the grip disappeared
through the Hcor. ire trucks % the front
end. now back. we're town away. and sglli
the car sped on 5ut az a greatly reduced
rate u speed dowa the Iolerate incline
- tha terminal az Western avenue Half
say Gown % Western avenue the car sud
denly came 20 a halt ard strange 10 say,
remained right side ~. Then the passen-
gers got our IN a hurry and n less than
minute tnsre were hundreds OF people
on IRE streets The car was taken of
tse track and after considerable work the
grip was gotten out Of the slot. II stood
upright tast IS + had been ysukea out Of
fne car. One 81 the d3es had split and the
other lad worn d0~a or the edge.