The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-04-25
SEVENTH STREET ELECTRIC AND
NORTH ST. PAUL MOTOR IN
COLLISION.
EACH WAS MAKING A SWITCH.
AN ATTEMPT TO REVERSE THE
CURRENT BLEW OUT A
FUSE.
CARS THEN CRASHED TOGETHER.
Michael Larkfn ana MOtOneer Matt
son Supposed to be Most Sc
riOusIy Injured.

An East Seventh street electric car
and a North st. Paul motor met N
a head-end collision at the Y terminus
Of both lines. on East Seventh street,
between Duluth and Atlantic streets,
shortly before o'clock last evening,
badly wrecking the vestibules of both
coaches and injuring five persons. The
injured are:
Michael Larkin, North st. Paul, right leg
hurt and knee cap broken.
Mrs Mary Larkin, North st. Paul, slightly
injured about the breast.
Mrs. Matthias McDonough, 6O9 Sims street,
bruised about body and shoulder hurt; not
Serious.
John Tschannerl, Harvester avenue, face
and hand cut by broken glass.
Motoneer Mattson, right leg crushed; PROB
ably broken.
The accident occurred while both cars
were endeavoring to make the switch
for return trips The North st. Paul
motor had just started to leave the
main track when it was seen that the
East Seventh street electric car was
beyond control and bearing down upon
the other car at a rapid rate. Botn
motormen tried to reverse the current,
and in doing so the fuse Of a circuit
breaker 100 feet from the switch was
blown ou,, leaving both cars without
motive power. This left the North 81.
Paul motor standing still, while the
momentum of the electric car carried 1t
forward with a speed which the breaks
seemed unable to stop. The cars came
together with a crash and the grinding
Of timbers and breaking glass attract
ed a large crowd at once to the scene
of the accident. The passengers knew
nothing Of their danger until it had
passed, but rushed out Of the cars in
confusion. No one on the North St.
Paul motor was injured except Mr..
Tschannerl, whose face was scratched
and wrist cut by flying bits Of glass.
The force Of the collision was such
as to telescope the two cars, though
the size and weight Of the motor in a
measure kept it from being as badly
damaged as the electric car, which was
partly telescoped under the larger
coach. The vestibule Of the electric
car was smashed to bits and every
window in the coach broken, while the
slanting blow which it struck the mo-
tor broke several supports of it's vesti-
bule and likewise a number Of it's Win
dows So great was the force of the
electric car was driven some feet I'M
der the motor, breaking it's front trucks
and ramming them almost to the rear
Of the coach.
Each Of the injured persons man
aged to leave the electric car, though
Motoneer Mattson had some trouble
in doing so, as he was Wedged in by
the broken timbers of the vestibule
Mr.. LarIin was carried into Hopkins
confectionery store, in front of which
the accident occurred, and Mrs Nc
Donough was taken to the residence
Of Nicholas Wilder, near by. Mrs.
Mary Larkin and her daughter-in-law,
the wife of the injured man, were able
to walk into the confectionery store
though the elderly woman complained
Of pains in her chest. The women
were inside the car, while Larkin had
been standing on the rear platform
Of the electric car when the collision
occurred. He was thrown against the
door frame, striking one knee.
Motoneer Mattson was also carried
into house near the accident and
carriages summoned to take the in
iured to the Office Of Dr. RObillard
the physician of the city railway COM
pany. living in the vicinity. Dr. Robil-
lard rendered the injured persons
speedy attendance, after which they
were removed to their homes. The
physician stated last evening that Lar
kin and Motoneer Mattson were the
only ones seriously hurt, and that their
injuries were not dangerous.
The blame for the accident is diff
ficult to place. 1t is claimed by the
North ST. Paul motorman, Charles
EngstrOm, and Conductor Combs, that
their car is entitled to the right of
way at the Y and that the electric
cars always stop until they have made
the switch. On the other hand the
city railway operators claim there is
no rule about running on to the Y
and that whichever car reaches the
switch first is entitled to right of way.
MOtOrman EngstrOm claims that if
MOtOneer Mattson had not reversed
his current and blown out the circuit
breaker the accident might have been
avoided, as he could then have backed
his coach out of danger. As il was
his wire was dead" and as the brake
on the electric car proved inefficient,
he could do nothing but wait for the
crash. The cars were in sight of each
other long enough for either train to
have stopped had it been thought that
the other was DESTROYS of making the
switch. The North st. Paul crew
claim that their car was almost at a
stop when the collision occurred. There
were fifteen passengers on the North
St. Paul coach and twelve on the cleo
trio car. whom it is believed had a
fortunate escape from injury by rea-
son of the fact that the motor had al
ready left the main track on the Y
and did not meet the electric car full
head on, but struck it at an angle.
Special Sale of Shrubbery and Trees.
Monday and Tuesday, May & Co., Is and q
West Fifth street, will sell at very .Ow prices
an assortment Of hardy shrubs, roses and
| Al