The San Francisco call., 1897-09-10

cut on right temple and bruises on the
arms and side.
NJ. Tresch, years old, cut and bruised
right side of face
Mrs. Theresa Carroll, 229 Seventh
street, cut on right temple.
William Manning, 1928 Market street,
cut on left arm and bruises on the
right side.
Henry Peters, San Francisco Stock
Brewery, hips bruised.
Fred O'NeiI, las Jessie street, se-
we're cut on right temple.
Evidently the day of m iraclcs has not
passed, for more than twenty people are
living at the present time who have
escaped a tragic death in an almost unac-
countable manner.
At 8 o clock last evening car 658 of the
Bryant-street line started on a wild run
down Mission street. which ended with a
collision with Tar 1924 OF the Mission
street line.
When the car returning from Ingleside
| had reached College Hill, near Holly
Park, the fuse or connection which carries
| the electricity TO the motors from the
overhead wires, suddenly burned out,
| leaving nothing with which to control the
/ car except the brakes, and they, as usual.
were found wanting when most needed.
The car was under the direction and
! supervision of Conductor Thomas M.
! Gibb and Motorman A. Brown, and
/ though the efforts of the motorman to
check the mad flight OF the car were in
vain, but praise is due him for the manner
! in which he kept the passengers under
! n
of the bell which poss bly, saved
the lives of many people who were stand
| ing on the terminus of TIVE wenty-nin:h and
Mission streets. The conductor who
seemed to have completely lost his head,
| iumred from the car at the first oppor-
tunity and luckily picked a soft place at
Nineteenth street for bis landing point
When the fuse burned out, the lishts in
the car were extinguished and the fright
ened passengers were left IN total dark
ness. With frightful speed the car started
down the steep hill, and those who were
on board were almost paralyZed through
fright and awaited the end of the mad
dened fight, which seemed could only
terminate in death.
On they few past Twenty-sixth street,
and yet the car did not seem to slacken its
speed. The brakes were applied. or at
least an attemp pit was m ade to apply them,
but they refused 10 work. The speed
seemed TO increase as 1T turned into Mis-
sion street. Bounding and rocking as a
ship at sea in a storm, the car with its
human freight sped on.
As the car neared the crossing of the
San Jose railroad track people who were
on the street stopped and looked in hor-
ror, for it seemed inevitable that The run
away would reach the crossing just In
| time to collide with freight train which
was rapidly approaching.
narrower tsCaDe was witnessed
| for within one second after the electric
car had crossed the track the pouderous
| freight went screa ming by. and those who
had been watching breathed a sigh of re-
| lief, but only for moment.
1t was now seen that the car was beyond
! control, and was doomed to dash into the
| car preceding il. Conductor Waugh of
car 1924 turned and saw the danger and
Immediately ordered his car TO be run at
full speed.
At this point of the affair the runaway,
which had developed into race almost
for life, was followed by another car at
| full speed with Sergeant Campbell and
Officer Edner on board who had seen the
car star. on its wild run and were follow
ing to be in ct the finish and give what
assistance would be needed when the in
evtaple crash should come.
On they went. Nineteenth street was
passed and Eighteenth seemed TO be
reached in second. Then came the
crash. People on the cars started 10 jump
Just before the cars met, and the street
seemed to be mass of seething, mad.
dened human beings, all endeavoring 10
save their own lives.
As the cars struck many were thrown
for rcibly to the ground. and the sound of
breaking glass rendered the scene even