Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-06-21
AIR MOTOR RUNS AWAY
Accident Results From Test Of New Motive
Power.
Wild Ride Down the louisiana Ave-
nue. Grade-Dineren3eo of 0pfnfon
as TO the Chuse.

speed made on backward run down the
Louisiana avenue grade, in front of the
Police Court, was remarkable in that no
death resulted. Near the foot of the hill
the heavy air struck one of the horse
cars, and the poor animals were all SCARED
and cut
The driver of the car remained at his
post and received several painful cuts
about the face, while Mrs. Coleman, the
Ior1st who was passenger on the car
rushed to the front platform and jumped
Fol tunately she was not struck by the car
although she was badly bruised and shaken
up, and had to be sent 10 her home, No
~ X street, in a cab.
1t was a few minutes before the hour of
noon wnen the exciting incident occurred
and several hundred people soon collects ed
ana scores of them sat in judgment upon
the motor, which bears the word "Rroad-
way w hile the officials say the motor
was operated to send the car down the HILL
pedestrians who witnessed the quick
descent thought that defects in the ma
ehlne eh had caused the trouble. Some of
those who were on the runaway vehicle
suddenly discovered that they had business
on the sidewalk. and they left the car in a
the hill. ''''' u
Alleged Violation OF ORDERS
The horse car was in charge of Driver w.
Strobert. and the collision it was stated
resulted from his failure. to keep his car
near the Center market terminus of the
line until the regular time of departure
superintendent Todd said he had given
such an order, because it was the inten-
.lon 10 nave the air power car make the
hill twice but he supposed there was some
misunderstanding about it,
HAD the horse car remained longer dis
tance behind, he said, there would have
AC 4 v,n0
boards of both cars were slightly broken
and the horses were injured. This was the
only damage sustained on the part of the
company, Mr.. Todd said and he thought
Mrs Coleman was not seriously injured.
She was scarcely able to walk when she
was assisted from the concrete pavement.
ana 1t was feared she might have received
internal injuries.
The officials Present.
On the car were Mr.. ]. H. Hoadley, presi-
dent of the Compressed Air Power Com
pany of New York; Superintendent Todd
Of the lexington and Soldiers Home rail-
road. and Engineer Mcfarland, who repre-
sents the District Commissioners
President Hoadley, spea king of the acci-
dent to a Star reporter said that grease on
the tracks had caused the accident and that
the air power had nothing to do with it.
The sides of the tracks on the curve and
part of the grade had beer creased he said
because of the long wheel base of the car,
and the passing of the horse cars over the
tracks had picked up the grease and scat
tered 1t over the tops of the rails. This
caused the slipping of the wheels and the
brakes failed to work on the steep part of
the hill.
On the way down the grade the car
gained momentum sufficiently to take it to
the level below, and 1t was impossible to
have prevented the accident. The presi-
dent said that when the car started out on
the trial trip it was intended to take the
Louisiana avenue hill twice. The first trip
up the hill, he said, was successful, the
curve having been reached without any
trouble, but the backing down the hill re-
suited in the disaster. Soon after the ac-
cident happened he said the car went up
the hill second time and made the curve
without any difficulty, and no more trouble
was experienced.
The force of the collision, the president
said. was so great that the iron in front of
the air bottles which is 5-S OF an inch thick,
was dented, and one of the bottles was
thrown from it's place. Still, he added, the
car was not disabled SO far as its air power
was concerned, and he was we'll satisfied
with the result. He said there were 1,3UO
pounds of air in the bottles at the time
the accident happened, and the fact that
there was not an explosion demonstrates
to his mind that such an occurrence can
not result from a collision. Only the hand
brakes were applied, he said.
Pedestrians as witnesses.
scores OIL pedestrians Witnessed tue acei-
dent, and those who spoke to a Star re-
porter SAID the car did not reach the top
of the hill the first time. 1t went only
about half. way up on the first trip. they
insisted, and they were under the impress
sion that the air had given out. AS the
motor went back down the hill several OF
them shouted to the driver of the horse
car to jump, but he only turned his horses
to one side and did not leave his place un-
til it. was too late. So great was the force
of the collision that the horse car was
thrown from the track.
Engineer Mcfarland, who represents the
District in the investigation of the COM
pressed air power, will probably make