Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1899-07-22

ACCIDENT ATT RIVER lew - w
cars. crowded with passengers, met IN
head-on collision on the gravity road or
roller coaster at River View. about 9
o'clock last night. The accident was
due to the failure 10 work Of the switch
used in transferring cars from the out
going to theiDcoming track. Both cars
we're badly wrecked and the passengers
hurled into the air. All the passergAls
we're more or less seriously injured and
one will undoubtedly die. The most
seriously injured is Miss Nellie Meyer,
twenty wears old, of Washington. Her
skull Is fractured and depressed at the
forehead. Her face is badly bruised
aud she has several injuries about the
body. The physicians ~ the Ener
seucy Hospital express the opinion
tnat the il iuries are fatal. The others
injured are Thomas Hicks. severe con-
Ju,ions Of both legs; B. F. Redmond,
confusion of the lett leg, and Mrs. Mel
he L4uscn, confusion AMI lsceratlon OF
tue scalp. lips cut, and confusion OF the
left leg. None Of these is seriously IN
'ured. The collision of the cars occur
red at a point about midway on the
zrayitC road. The car containing Miss
Never, Hicks and Redmond had made
She trip from the starting point
TO the opposite end and was return.
ing when it collided with a car.
coming from the starting point. Inc
returning Cur bal, by mistake or fall
ure OF the switch. been shifted on the
wrong track The mistake Was net
discovered until the car was 10 motion.
The passengers then realized their dan
ger and called to the man in charge OF
the car to check it, but his efforts fall
cd. Just as the car gained the summit
Of one Of the sleeper declines and start
ed down the sleeper incline the car
coming 10 the opposite direction was
noticed approaching at full speed.
Ineir were shr eks and grosna, eau ed
by the anticipated calamity, and in an
Instant the carr crashed together Miss
Never was seated on the first seat OF
the returning Car in company with
William J. Palmer. Mrs. Lauscb occu-
pied the front seat on the other car.
When the cars struck the women low
cred their heads and where hurled
head 6rst against each other with ter
ri6c force Both were rendered I'M
conscious. Kicks occupied the left SIDE
OF The second seat, while Redmond was
seated on the left side OF the
;nird seat of the returning car.
They were thrown out and iDjur
ed as described. The other passengers
on both cars we're badly shaken up and
bruised, but none OF them required at
tention. Captain Randall hastily got
Che steamer under way, and when Il
arrived at this place telephoned TO
Washington to have the Emergency
Hospital ambulance meet the boat at
ihe wharf. When the boat arrived
Allss Myer and Redmond were taken to
tne hospital An examination at the
hospital showed that an operation was
p last resort to save Miss Myers life
She was then conscious and though sui
terine greatly, begged the PHYSICAL
not 10 remove her hair or to open hei
head. The necessity of the operation
was explained to the young woman
hut shs was obdurste. Finally the OPP.
GRAFTON was performed 1t showed
ihat the skull hsd been fractured
aud inst the fracture extended
backward nearly to tbs base
The injury is most serious, and it ie DOT
expected that the young woman will
live many hours. Her relatives were
notified by telephone and arrived al
tSe hospital shortly after the operstior
was begun. The doctors say that sh'
- getting on much better than they
expected.