The Anaconda standard., 1898-01-19
KNOCKED OFF A BRIDGE
A Street Car Strikes John Kelker
With Serious Results.
STORY TOLD BY O'CONNELL
The Motorman Tells How the Accident
Occurred-Kelker Was Thrown Into
the Stream Fears Are Enter
tanned for His Life.

The man who was struck by street
car at Carroll on Monday night is John
Eelker, and not Doyle. as was stated.
lie is still towering between life and
death, and there is il possibility of his
recovery. although the chances are great
~ against ii. lie was unconscious most of
yesterday, but toward evening he opened
his eyes and recognized his brother. Har-
ry keker.
The statement that appeared in brief
in the Standard yesterday morning is
correct in most particulars. The accident
occurred, however, not at che curve at
Gavin's corner mt Carroll but at "a curve
some 200 feet beyond that VIII o'Con-
nell, the motorman of the car that struck
kell<er, tells the following story of the
accident:
Il was the motorman of the car and
Frank Hammill was the conductor. The
car we were on was one of the big motors
We had no tralers. We left Anaconda at
about 1880 O'Clock in the evening. As is
our custom. we stopped at the corner of
Gavin's boarding house to let off pas
sengers. We had about dozen passen-
gers when We left this corner. From the
corner of Gayin's boarding house TO the
bridge. where the accident occurred, there
is an open space of about POO or $50 feet.
THE place where we struck kelker is
on a curve. and there is a trestle there
across Il small stream, Tho bridge Itself
forms the curve. The bridge is about l.
feet long and is about three feet above
the stream We were running slowly.
about as fast "A man would walk. or.
possibly, trifie faster. ] was using no
current. and had the ear well under con-
troll. When VIC struck the curve the light
of the headlight. instead of falling on the
track, showed on the open field to the
tt,yl,t . 1a-Lr h. 1ap1
Just as the entered upon the bridge
at the north end ] a man step upon
the other end of the trestlc. / shouted
and jumped upon the alarm bell at once.
At the same time ] put on the reverse
current full force. Just as the reverse
current began to take effect we collide d
with the man. When ! first shouted to
the man he seemed to lose his head and
he apparently made jump directly to-
ward my ear. My car stopped within a
space of IL feet. If he had not been ex-
cited he could easily have jumped off
the trestle. as it is only about three feet
high and the water is very shallow.
II do not think the car struck kclker
! in the head 1t seemed to catch him i'll the
! left side lie was lying in the water when
went down to pick him up. The bot
tom of the creek is rocky and he may
| have been hurt by falling upon "A rock,
but as to that am not sure. We took him
to Gavin's boarding house and man
named Nolan went off for the ambulance.
We tried to give him some brandy, but
! he could not swallow il. He was uncon-
scious when we took him out OF the
| stream and remained so.
O'Connell has been running cars off and
on for about three years. and is cousid-
| cred to be a very careful motorman. kei-
| ker is an employe of the lower works
! boiler rooms. and is unmarried. He has a
| brother, Henry kelker, who lives al Car
| roll.