The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-10-11

Ct 1he car on either side
FveryThing went vel until Mot0rrnaa
IaRrson tried 70 slow up for the switch
- Howard avenue. about ten rods Up
from ;he curve. When he attempted 70
ryt on the brake Re was thirty Or thirty
Eve feet from the switch. After Be had
taken a turn or two in The brake he no.
tgced that something was wrong and m
rqeafateiv slEnaisd Conductor RoDlnson %
uut On the brake az The rear en0 OF tae
car In fact be signaied twice within
few seconds Robinson answered, out
discovered that the brake did mt work
The car had commenced 70 gain nloFnca-
turn ~ this time. and Motorulan lawson
thought he could hold II By reversing ne
current He tried this scheme instantly,
but the moment the trolley arm struck
the wire that forms part Of the switch Il
jumped the wire.
This left the car free 70 run and 4 TOOK
advantage OF The situation. The weight OF
the car atseiS increased By that Of twenty
eight people. gave momentum that can
b. appreciated rs those who nave knoNI-
edge OF such problems WITH every turn OF
the wheels the momentum Increased, ana
although there was not more than eight
roas between the switch and ihe curve, tne
speed acquired was considerable.
Motornan Lawson and Conductor ROOM
son stood 10 their posts OF duty without
ninchlng. but K was Roolns0n's misfortune
90 Be struck IN the side BY the handle OF
The brake, which he was trying 70 operate
a sharp pain went through his BODY. Due
stiIl he stuck to the car the passengers
realized that something out Of me usual
had happe ned. and while some only cluns
20 their seats and pressed more hrnly
against their nelghbors others rose up ana
commenced moving toward the rear door.
One man on the rear platform Jumped or
and was all right Peter Pirret jumped
= 4a Frr > naI- md n
door Ia time 70 reach the ground safely
before the car struck the curve. A lady
rose and was about TO rush 10 the door
when she was restrained by q man. said 10
be an empIoye Of the Madison street cable
Foe-i. He cautioned her about The danger.
and Just a. this moment the car reached
the curve. There was iolting. q sNaying,
"a grinding aud the front wheels had jump
ed ths track Straight down Howard ave-
nue. went the big car, raising a racket that
could be heard for TWO or three blocks
The hind truck struck the curve hesitated
and then ground its way aloag over the
ties and rail- protectors. inside the car in
tense bat subdued excitement re.saej.
one and all expected 10 be killed or maSned
for llfe. There was no escape. however,
from the terrible situation. The car reached
the edge OF the embankment and shot
straight out. Then Us weight tipped II
downward and It weIt with start and
shove thar sent shudders through the pen
ned up passengers. The woman with the
little baby wedged herself tightly IN a cor
ner and 0cld baby close up 10 her bosom.
Another moment and The car struck the old
fiat bottom that had gone over the same
route a few days ago. There was sudden
shock felt throughout the entire length or
the big car. There was a grinding Of wood,
a rubbing OF iron and large number of
the twenty-six passengers found resting
MA 80 E.ss1 Of fNa cas- tbftEx
slid the car after it's contact with the fat
and buried its nose ia the soft earth. The
passengers received another jar. a shake
up and a shove forward into closer quar-
tiers. The glass in the front windows was
smashed into splinters which went in all
directions among the men and women.
There was q wild scramble 10 get out Of the
pile. Il was worse than a football mix-up.
and there was more Of 1t. Bad as IL was,
x would have been even worse IL the car
bad taken q notion 20 topple over. Strange
10 say. that big mass Of wood and glass
and heavy iron stood straight UP, as much
rs 30 say: Slightly knocked out but SIN
in the ring.
There was a Wild scramble to get out OF
the car and then came the excitement.
aleu and women came out of the car look
ing as il they had been rolled and tumblsd
about regardless. Pretty bonnets were
crumpied and out OF shape. Handsome
dresses were all askaw. II man had his
hat he was IN luck. and II he found Ii with
out rushing around like a chicken with its
head of he was In great luck. In the midst
Of an the excitement the little woman with
baby in arms was as calm as II nothing
had happened. She emerged from the car
holding the little fellow up and danced
him up ard down 20 assure him that there
was no danger 10 mamma or baby.
All sorts Of sights greeted the eyes Of
gg-h "A hff na of 10 4.aF-t
dent a few minutes after II had taken
place one woman who had been cut on
the face by flying glass was eiiuging Wild
ly To her husbands neck She had for
gotten all about her own injuries, and could
not come 10 "a realization that her husband
Was NOT killed or mighty near It. People
were lmpiug around nursing their shins
og putting q hand 70 a black eve. TO lend
"a little romance 10 the condition OF affairs.
one woman tainted and was promptly
picked up ana carried TO the residence Of
W r. Bow. where she soon came around
si rsbt.
man named Robbie thought his leg
was broken, but from subsequent develop
ments So appeared chat be- had not recsiv-
81 more tat8 a hard knock ou the knee.
Conductor Robinson EWped % his home
three blocks away. and Was attended later
in Che day hy pr r. =. Palmer who said
thl- be had q broken rio. The report about
Mrs. Fit)or Denny having had her leg
broken became quite general but Il was
EAe many 81 ths other reports that were
spread around the ci!y after she accident
became generally known. - Hegqulst. of
Kingston WAC was ou tae ear. laughed
when asked about "a broken lex and said
that he simply got "a siight car on the left
hand and a slEhtiy bruised leg.
Nr. Eatbta W8a was report d badly
hurt. went from she accident 20 the New
fa~8aDd hotel and thCu took the first