The Wilmington daily Republican., 1899-07-05
HEAD ON
COLLISION.
Fourteen Persons Severely
Injured at Bellevue
Yesterday.

Fourteen persons were seriously Injured
by head on collision OF two trolley cars
on the Wilmington and C4ester Electric
Railway at Bellevue ysstefday
JOHN of YEA GAMEisprNGfR, a1si No. sass
Reese street. PhnadophlaS :injured in lef!
MRS. JOHN GAMERDINGER, No.
1880 Reese street. Philadelphia; nose brok-
en, confusion Of both eyelids, fraci ured
right arm at forearm.
l62O Iioga rect, Phlladelphia; confusion
Of right arm.
B. FRANK WALLER. No. 1Ol5 Chest.
nut street, Philadelphia shock.
MRS. b. FRANK WALLER, No. 1915
Chestnut street, Philadelphia; shock and
MIS- BESSIE COLLINS, No. 100
Potter street, Chestor; confusion Of hip
and shock.
MIS-. LOUISA COLLINS, mother of
the preceding, light arm injured at elbow
FRANK E. ROBERTS, oolored, Clay
mont; left leg broken.
MRS. SANFORD MOWBRAY. Parks.
burg Pa; confusion Of right eye and
shock, stomach and left knee injured.
MISS SUSIE M'SHANE Trainors;
coniusion Of hip and shock.
SARAH JEFFERSON, colored, No. S33
Van Buren, street, Wilmington; disloca-
tiol Of right foot and confusion OF back.
MISS MARY MINTIRE, Trainors;
FRANK D. LONG, No. 1859 North
Twelfth street, Philadelphia, left knee
md right leg injured.
T.. SPEAKMAN, Chester; Injured In
stomach.
The scene of the accident was between
at Bellevue. No 3O5 q closed car was
Ches' cr-bound. and car No. rs, an open
one was coming towards Wilmington.
The curve prevented view Of tho track
for a considerable distance. The cars were
running at a lively rate of speed when
suddenly they came In sight OF each other.
The cars were loaded with passengers.
and there was panic tho motormen
shouting to tine passengers to jump, and
most Of them wildly scrambled and leap
cd from the cars Several OF the passengers
rolled down high embankment, while
others who remained on the cars were toss
ed in all directions, when the two cars
crashed together
The mot0rmon stuck to their posts, and
Motorman Speakman was struck by tho
swl Gh box and pinned to his car, Neither
car loft the track, but they were Joined to.
gether so tightly that it was necessary to
use the wrecking car to get them apart.
Boh conductor, who also stayed On tho
cars, were not injured The cars were In
charge Of Chester crews, No. 305 having
John Kennari as conductor and E. Speak.
man; moterman Owen Farley was con-
ductor andGeorge Smith motorman Of the
other car.
The injured persons were taken to the
summer residence of Chief Justice Chas
H. LoreI IN tho neighborhood. where thoy
stayed until the arrival of q special car
from Wilmington in charge Of Superin-
tendent Harvey b. Vandegrift with DR..
f, G. Shortlidge. when they were taken to
Delaware Hospital.
Tho escape of Mrs Mowbray and her 1S-
mon'h-old child was remarkable The
baby was sleeping in its mothers arms
when Mrs. Mowbray loaped from the car.
Mrs. Mowbray said: ~ was sitting with
Raymond asleepin my arms when heard
cry from the motorman: Jump! At the
same time there was q scream and sOme-
one shouted: oh collision! Every
body began to jump, and Ut course jump
ed with them.
was on tho car coming towards WILL
mington and did not SEQ the other car un-
til the motorman warned us. l surely
show. Ifell heavily on the top of the baby,
hut the child never evon cried was not
unconscious and yet felt l was going to
faint every minute"
While Mrs. Mowbray's wounds were
being dressed at the Delaware Hospital,
little Raymond played about the floor ap-
rarontly none the worse for the experiences.
Albert Kicks, Of Parksburg, who was
travelling in party with Mrs Mowbray.
said: Il did not know of the danger until
heard some one-I think 1t was the motor
Jump for your life!' Every
body screamed and turned around to az.
sist Mrs. Mowbray. but she had jumped.
l remained on the car and was not
scratched. 1t was a bad place for j ump-
ing"
Mrs Jefferson the colo.ed woman, was
injured in II peculiar way. Whom someone
that tho cars were going to-
gether, she ran toward the front door of
the car, and made al effort to got off, but
she was pinned in with tho motorman,
tho front gates of the car berg locked and
licr getting off as she intondod.
Most of those who wcro injured wore on
the opeE car. The only people on this car
who were injured whilo they remained
seated were Mrs. and Miss Collins Mrs.
Jefferson, the colored woman, and Motor
man Speakman, wero the only persons ir-
jured on the northbound car. This prob
ably is dlo to the car being u box car and
Tho passengers not heing able to $50 that
the collision was coming, which prevent
Cd them from jumping
Last evening only four Of tho injured
were at the Delaware Hospital. Mrs. Mary
Frank L Roberts, Sarah
jefferson and Miss Mary Mcintyre. 1t was
stated that all were doing we'll and in no
immediate danger. except Mrs. Gamer
dlngor who as she is u years DID, is re-
gnrded as being In serious condition.
Speakman, the n jlred motorman, was
ent to his homo in Chester, whilo Mr.. and
Mrs. Collins and Mr.. Long were sent to
their homes in Philadelphia. During tho
John Gamcrdiuger, Mrs Col |
Iins, Miss Collins, Miss Wagner, Mrs. |
and Miss McShano also recov-
erod sufficiently to bo taken to their homes.
The road is II single track line, with |
switches probably mile apart. A series
Of signal boxes a,e used by the company,
and it Is rersumed thGt one OF the motor
men attempted to steal n SWITCH that Is |
10 run further than ho should under the |
rules, and was thus caught by tho other |
ear Neither motorman saw tho other car
lntil it was too late to stop.
As soon as pU slbla word was semitic this |
,ity, and the company agents started |
)ut to the relief. The road was blocked
or nearly two hours, but the traffic dur
ng tho day did not fall of any as result.
Il is thought number of persons other
han those named were bruised, but made
10 report Of their injuries. o..