Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-08-31
ELECTRIC CARS RAPID RUN.
Dashes Down Grade Into a Switch and
Jumps the Track.
Accident Happens ON Brightvvood
MOtOrman Slightly Hurt.

A car on the Brightwood electric road
ran away, crashed into a switch and jump
ed the track at S:25 o'clock last night.
One lady passenger and two little children
were injured, while several of the male
passengers were cut by broken glass and
received sundry bruises when the car left
the rails. The accident occurred at the
junction, where the Brightwood cars con-
meet with those for Glen Sligo, and but a
short distance from the terminus Of the
line at Takoma Park Had it not been for
the fact that the car was going at a COM
paratively slow rate of speed at the time,
1t might have resulted in the killing of a
score of people and the injuring Of as
many more.
Up to a late hour this afternoon the
cause of the accident had not been definite
ly determined by the company officials. An
examination has been in progress since
carly this morning, in addition to the in
spection made yesterday. The opinion is
expressed, however. that the brakes on
the car were SO worn as to be incapable of
holding the and it's heavy load of pas
sengers.
The runaway car was a long, double-seat-
ed one. such used for conveying
passengers on what is known as the For
est Glen branch of the road. Car No. 2,
Boundary about g o'clock and was soon
loaded to its fullest capacity. At the time
of the accident there were between 80 and
100 passengers aboard. according to Con-
ductor William w. Morrison, who was in
charge of the car. Car No. Al, which had
preceded the wrecked car but few min
utes, unloaded a large number of passen-
gers at the junction of the. Brightwood
road, where the cars branch off for Ia
koma Park. This addition to the large
number of passengers crowded on car No.
made the load unusually heavy one
at that time in the evening. Most of the
passengers were on their way to the big
tournament at Glen Sligo and had but
short distance to go before again changing
cars.
Car Starts Suddenly.
The signal of 1.-TWO bells" was given after
all of the passengers were aboard at the
junction, and the car, with its heavy load,
slowly passed up the incline to the Piney
Branch road, which crosses at the top.
Motorman Charles F. Lindsay threw off
the current and applied the brakes imme
diately after passing the crossing. The
car was then moving at a rate of speed
not more than three and a half or four
miles an hour. With the brakes on the
motorman almost brought the car to
standstill about half way down the incline,
when it gave a sudden jump forward and
started down the grade. At the same in
slant the trolley left the wire and every
thing was in darkness. The motorman i'm
mediately gave the danger signal and
threw his entire weight against the brake
in an attempt to check the progress of the
car.
By this time the car had crashed into the
switch, and after following the rails but
few feet jumped the track. All of the
wheels left the track and, cutting into the
EARTH embedded themselves in the sleepers
of the roadbed. The passengers were by
this time screaming and endeavoring to es-
cape
AS soon as the car came to a standstill
the male portion of the passengers pro-
ceeded to look after the ladies and children
who were still aboard. The gate on the
inner platform on the front had been COM
pletely torn from it's hinges and awarded
ample room to get the passengers out The
two little children of Mrs. Morgan were
the first to be handed out and were found
to be but slightly injured, according to
statements made by their mother. They
were badly frightened. A Miss Coleman
also received slight Injuries to her left arm.
MOtOrman Injured, but PIucky.
When the crash came Motorman Lindsay
was braced against the wheel brakes and
was thrown forward very heavily against
the front dash. He received painful injur
les on the right side of his body. He stuck
to his post however and was among the
last to leave the car. Conductor Morrison
was thrown from the car when 1t struck
the curve. He was making his way to get
at the trolley wheel on the wire when the
three bells were rung by the motorman.
The front and rear platforms of the car
were crowded to the fullest capacity. Sew
eral of the male passengers climbed up on
the bumper on the rear dash and hung to
the roof Even had there been no one on
the bumper it would have been impossible
to operate the brake on the rear platform,
owing to the crowded condition of the
platform. The motorman had the front
brake as fast as it could be made, and 1t
was checked from the floor of the Platform,
but 1t was not possible to stop the car with
this one brake.
Injured Passengers Cared For.
The injured passengers were assisted to
the gypsy camp located in the vicinity of
the accident and they were cared for there
until the arrival of the car from Washing
ton. A number of the other passengers re-
turned TO the city instead of witnessing
the closing moments of the tourney at
Glen Sligo, which they did upon the ar
rival of the car.
The 'hurry-up'' wagon of the Brightwood
road reached the scene of the accident at
0 o'clock and the broken parts of the car
were gathered together and conveyed to
the car shed at Brightwood.
1t is understood no blame is attached to
the lnotorman or conductor. The brakes
were found to be clamped tightly against
the Car WHttiS n Tie
front platform, it is said, prevented the
brake from tightening its hold upon the
car Wheels Upon examination it was found
that the brake was wedged against this
beam, and owing to the WORKOUT condition
of that portion of the brake which comes
in contact with the wheels it was impossi-
BILE to clamp it tighter than 1t was.
Conductor Morrison took the names of q
number of passengers and then turned his
attention to the ladies who had taken
seats in the gypsy camp. With the assist
ance of number of citizens of Takoma
everybody was well cared for and the
greater number of the passengers who were
on the car continued to Glen sligo.
Almost directly in front of the car and