The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-08-09
RUNAWAY CAR
ON MULBERRY HILL
FIVE PASSENGERS INJURED
BUT NONE DANGEROUSLY.
Motorman Could Not Control the Car
and Spill Occurred at the Curve
on the Corner of Jefferson Avenue.
The Injured Included Three Men,
One Woman and a Child--Company
officials Refuse to Give Any De-
tails of the Accident.

Probably one of the most exciting
accidents which has taken place since
| the introduction of the trolley system
in this city was that of last evening at
the corner Of Mulberry street and JEFF
| ferson avenue. caused by runaway
| car. A great variety of opinions are
| offered by those who were on the scene,
| some declaring that the rails were so
| slippery as to render the brakes USE
| less. while others state that the motor
man was ratified and lost control of
| the car.
About $50 o'clock runaway car
came into the switch between Madison
and Jefferson aenues and turned the
| Jefferson avenue corner safely and
while one or two men jumped off, no
one was injured. Fifteen minutes later
| the residents in the vicinity were
| startled by an unusual racket and be-
| held another car running wild, al
| though some assert that it did not ap-
| pear to be going at such a high rate
| of speed that it could not have been
| controlled.
| As the second car struck the curve
| leading to jefferson avenue the passen-
| gers were violently shaken and several
men who had stepped to the foot rail
| were thrown to the pavement In
| moment. amid pandemonium of
| screams and sobs, the men were seen
| scattered about near the curve on the
| corner and a few rods down jefferson
| avenue two women and one or two
| children were seen lying in a pool Of
blood near the rail. The car was
| stopped near Linden street. Some Of
the sufferers were picked up and taken
to the residence of A. j. Casey, where
kind hands attended to their needs.
| The Lackawanna hospital ambulance
soon arrived, but the injured ones re-
fused to be taken to the hospital. A
carriage was called from Flynn Bros.
and Mrs. Catherine L. Smith and her
niece, Hattie Rinker, of Wilkes Barre,
were removed to 1916 Luzerne street.
Among the others injured were P. j.
| Honan. the tailor; Harry White. letter
| carrier and James Feeney, policeman.
None of them was dangerously in
| jured. though their hurts were numer-
Gus and painful.
Later in the evening p. w. Gallagher
and a number of officials of the Scran-
ton Railway company visited the scene
and held a protracted conference over
|
any information whatsoever. As much
was gained on inquiry at the Dispatch
ers office and among the employees.
Everyone approached said he knsw
nothing about the accident beyond the
bare fact that it had occurred.
Mrs Smith, her neice and another
woman and two children. all of the
same party, jumped after the car
rounded the corner. Mrs. Smith and
her neice were removed to the Smith
residence at 1916 LuZerne street, where
their injuries were cared for by DR..
| Heermans. Mrs. Smith is badly bruis-
ed and shaken up. The right side of
her face is cut and the skin scraped
off. No bones We're broken and there
are apparently no internal injuries.
She is about "a years of age and is suf-
fering from the shock.
The niece is only 6 years old. Her
right thigh is badly bruised and other
minor bruises exist. 1t is impossible
TO tell whether there are internal in
Juries as the child is very nervous from
the shock.
With Mrs Smith were Raymond
Rinker, brother of Hattie, and anoth-
er niece, Miss Gertrude Jones, of Tay-
lor. They were not injured, though
somewhat bruised. Their escape from
being thrown out on the curve was due
in large measure to Miss Jones' pres
ence of mind. Seeing that they were
approaching the curve, she braced her.
self and clung TO Raymond who sat on
the outside. AS it was, they were both
thrown onto the step and jumped later
Letter Carrier Whites injury con-
sisted of bruised head. He was not
one of those who jumped or were
thrown but received his injury by
humping against one of the car posts
Patrolman Feeney's shoulder was bad
ly wrerched.
Tailor Honan's injuries, the street
car men are credited with saying, were
sustained in jumping, He left imme-
diataly for his home and the nature
of his hurts could not be learned. AL
of those who were injured and some
who were not had their clothing badly
! torn. Several whose names were moi
learned received sundry scratches and
bruises.
Conductor Rozelle and Motormar
Akers were IN charge of the car. Con
troll of it was lost before it reached
Madison avenue, a block away from
the curve. A light rain had fallen anC
gives credence to the statement of
Jefferson avenue resident who sale
Motorman Akers ascribei the acciden
to the failure of the sand apparatus
to work.