The evening times., 1898-07-12
THE WRECK At H|LLsOALE
Inquiry Into the Accident Re-
sumed by Coroner Carr.
TE TIMoNY OF WITNESSES
Declare They Heard tho
Brake Chain Part and Saw the
MotOrman Jump From the Run
away Car-AbOut One Hundred and
Fifty Ps rs0ns Were ON Board.

The jury of inquest this morning re-
sumed the inquiry into the death of
Franklin7,C. iHOsmer. who was killed in
the railway accident near Anacostia SUM-
day night. g.
George Carter. a young man who was
passenger said he heard the brake
chain snap. and saw the motorman
jump Immediately from the car. There
were l40 10 $50 persons on the car. They
were standing between the seats and on
the dashboard and foOtways.'
James Shearer. a machinist. who was
on the third seat of the car. said the car
was going SO fast that if the brake had
been in order no human being could
have stopped it, He heard the bell ring
three times, and the conductor started
for the rear brake.
Arthur Marks, l1O9 Fifth Street south
east. said: THE car ran all right to the
top of the hill. The motorman did not
slacken up until he was at the brow of
the hill. / jumped off about half way
down the hill. and the motorman did SO
at the same time. 1 was sitting on the
front seat"
George Thorpe said he heard the chain
snap. The car was running at the rate Of
fifteen or twenty miles an hour on the
level stretch He said: ~ heard the
motorman shout that the chain was
broken and then he went through the
air. followed him.
I-harles A. Cooper, Sl9 Sixth Street
southwest. said he saw the motorman
iuma of.
b. II. White. Congress Heights, said
he knew nothing OF the accident. He is
a former employe of the Capital Rail-
way Company. He said that to reverse
the current going at a speed of twenty
five miles an hour would not start the
car backward.
Mr.. White was asked about the use of
auxiliary brake chains, and replied that
they were used on the Metropolitan line.
but not on the Capital Railway. The sin
gle chain used by the latter company. he
testified. was thicker than those in gen.
eral use.
George r. Jackson. Fourth and n
Streets southeast. said he was on the seat
near the motorman. 1t seemed that the
brake was not working and some remarks
were made about the chain breaking.
The motorman remarked: If the chain
does break you had better jump. He had
hardly said this when IL snapped. Half
| way down the hill the motorman shout
ed TO jump. and he leaped out. l did SO
at the same time.
While we were coming toward the hill
ii was noticed that the brake did not act.
and I heard the motorman say. This old
brake amt no good, anyway
Mr.. Jackson said he had worked on
electric lines in Baltimore. He said most
roads had what is known as a track
brake. He thought that il the motor
man had reversed the current the moment
the chain snapped he might have gained
control of the car.
Jefferson ID. Newton was the next wit
ness. He said he saw the chain the
night of the accident. II was broken.
What caused IL to break?" he was
asked. We'll. it was considerably worn"
rs that the chain?" asked Coroner
Carr. exhibiting a chain.
Yes, sir. l remarked that night that
IL was not strong enough TO use on a car
with such. a heavy load. and with no
safety chain on track brake
The cordner's jury returned a verdict
that Frank G. Hosmer died at Providence
Hospital July 10 from Injuries received
in an accident on the Capital Railway
Company, in Anacostia, d. c.. July 10.
1898, in which icar No. ran down the
Asylum Hill and was wrecked by the
breaking Of a brake chain.
We believe that this accident would
have been prevented IL the cars of this
line had been provided with secondary
or safety brakes. and we recommend
that the Commissioners of the District
of Columbia use every means at their
disposal to bring about the use of eff
cient safety brakes on all street cars op-
Grazing inlthe kDistrict of Columbia and
to have appointed by Congress an in
spector, whoseEduty II shall be to exam
inc all steam and street railway cars.
crossings and appliances as TO their safe
ty and compliance with the law. and
report thereon to the proper authorities"
''eWe also recommend that some law or
rls.sf l,a tod nOai var
crowding of cars and that this be done
Immediately and we recommend all mo-
tormen to be more fully instructed in the
running of their cars