The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-08-24
WILD CAT TROLLEY
One Hundred and Twenty
People Rush Town a
MeuntainSide.
BRAKES FAILED TO WORK
Marvellous Escapes of the Over
crowded People-Three
Badly Hurt.

FREDERICK, Nd, Aug. "a, 1S96--one
hundred and twenty persons had a fear
full ride down the Catoctin mountain
grade in a trolley car which was beyond
the motorman's control, last night. AL
MERGERS Curve, the car jumped the track
and went down an embankment. turning
over on its side with a crash, and final
~ coming to a stop against a fence. The
passengers had a marvellous escape; no
one was Killed and but three were Sc
riously injured. Necessarily all the occu-
pants Of the car were more or less bruis-
ed and cut, and thirty of them reported
some pronounced injury.
The new electric railway between Fred
erick and Braddock Heights. at the top
Of the Catoctin mountain. was opened
for traffic last Monday. Everything work
ed smoothly until last night. Open car
No. 10, with a seating capacity of As, but
with the aisles and platform crowded I'M
til 11e passengers and a few company
employees, were crowded thereon started
from the top of the mountain about half
mast six. Few of those. on board had ever
witnessed such a scene of nature as the
view of the heights presented with a
setting radiant sun.
Scarcely had the car started down the
mountain with its human freight when
the motorman lost control of it. Quickly
as possible four men manned and APP
piled the brakes. but unfortunately the
rear brakes failed to make connections
and onward sped the car, propelled by its
every second. AS the car flew onward it
attained a speed of at least fifty miles
an hour, according to the statement of
Motorman Mantz.
The shrieking of the passengers added
to the horror of the situation. Among
the passengers We're old and young,
mothers and fathers with happy little
children on their laps, and a few parents
held babies in their arms. Seats creaked
and broke down. The glass in the doors
was broken and fell with a crash Hats
were whirled from the heads of the pas
sengers, and every moment the danger in
creased.
A mile from the summit a trestling
four hundred feet long and 4 feet high,
spanning a ~ravine, was to be crossed.
Those on board of the car who knew of
1t turned white with fear and clinched
their teeth with determination. I'VE will
go oyer that for sure" they cried. eve
will all be killed But down and over
the dangerous point the flying car sped,
anticipated disaster below. The expert
ence of those on board during those mo-
ments of suspense and trepidation sur
passed description. With terror staring
them in the face they could do naught
to save themselves or others. Men, women
and children, too frightened almost to
scream, chung to the posts at the sides
of the car or to one another and prayed
beneath their breath.
The car went on at full speed until it
struck MERGERS Curve, which was too
sharp for the car going at such Roadway
to round safely. AS the car struck the
curve it jumped the track and ran about
100 yards or the cross ties. This impeded
its progress very materially. The wheels
ploughed through the ties and ground un-
til it tumbled down an embankment
which fortunately was only about seven
feet deep. The car went over on its side
with a crash and almost stood on its ton.
A fence nearby prevented it from going
entirely over.
The groans and screams of the frighten-
ed and injured men, women and children
were fearful, but at such a speed as the
car is said to have been running it is
miraculous that every person on board
was not Killed. The car was almost a
complete mass of fragments, heavy iron
bars were twisted. the woodwork smash
ed, the roof jambed in and the seats
broken into kindling. All those who were
hurt to any extent are residents of Fred
erick.
The news of the accident quickly spread
in this city and hundreds drove or walked
out to the wreck and on every face was
a mark Of anxiety or dread lest some
loved one was badly injured or dead.
Every farmer in the vicinity threw his
house open for the use of the injured and
as the u~nfortunates were carried out they
were tenderly taken over to porches and