The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-05-31

CAAE - can LINES.
The accident 10 Tie street car o.
Grant street bridge - nearly became .
most shocking disaster that Il may
have TIE eject Of compeiling stricser at
tentSon 70 the need OF care on the part
Of motormen.
We desire to avoid any intimstton
whatever Of m opinion upon The degree
Of blame attaching to any Of those who
might reasonably Be held responsible for
the accident. when the investigation
n over II win b time enough to COM
ment upon the facts. There IL . phase
Of the subject. howevss. which may be
treated independently Of the culpability
In the particular case.
In order to be perfectly fair we will
take the statement volunteered by the
motorman on the Grant street line as
m impartial version Of the affair a.
seen from his standpoint He says that
feet apart when he FIRST saw the train.
The engineer was leaning ont Of the cab
window, and the motorman pulled the
bell hard several times, giving him the
warning signal We would like to
know what WAS the object In warning
the train to stop. The motorman SAYS
that had the engineer paid attention to
the warning signal. and had put on the
emergency brakes the accident would
never have happened.
II there is any doubt as to whether
the car or the train should stop, II
should be removed very promptly by es-
tablishing the invariable rule that he
car In TO stop. Even II ii should be ar
ranged that train should stop when a
car was seen to- be approaching the
track. and the car should be supposed
to cross the railroad track at full speed.
We would regard II ~ an exceedingly
unwise arrangement. IL 1t Is difficult
to stop car on slippery rail. II would
be consider ably more 20 with a long
train The rule should be absolute that
a street car must come TO dead stop
before railroad crossing-and not 30
placed without touching. but far enough
apart TO be safe.
The motorman supplies the reason for
this himself. He says that the sand
would not work, and although he APP
Piled the brakes az hard as he could the
car slipped and went further than he
desired. This shows that allowance
should always be made for a possible
failure of the sand or brake to work.
tTstnG the accident. therefore. only as
an Illustration. We would apply 1t as a
to all motormen against the
chances they are too willing to take
With a dash and. II must be admitted.
with a dexterity that commands ad-
a street car will be swung
right up TO a crossing track or a pass
lng car or vehicle. sending a thrill Of
fear through the onlookers. The more
apparent that sensation Is. the more
the motorman accepts it
as tribute 70 his skill, filings around
his brake handle and sets the car OF
again.
This IL well enough. so long as the !
car Is under perfect control: but the
slipping OF cog. the siding OF a
wheel few inches beyond the distance
very trivial derangement
Of the machinery. would SEMI the car
and cause an accident which
might be confined In the number OF It's
victims. but would be serious enough 70
the person injured even II he were the
only one. The superintendent of street
car lines should be held responsible, II
that were possible, for any accident due
10 the absence of such rules as afford
ordinary protection against such acct
dents The motormen know the risks
they run. bat they become over-conf-
dent They are no worse than men In
other hazardous occupations. but they
are amenahle 10 reason and would not
willingly cause an injury. The real Of
fender II The manager Of stree; car
line who fails 20 instruct his men IN
such matters. and TO exact obedience
from thern.
CANAnAsS &rt n0nn NxESw