Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-07-22
COLLISION OF COASTER CARS
Accident at River View Last Night on the
Gravity Railroad.
Miss Nellie Myer, a Clerk in the Life
Saving Service, Had Her Skull
Shattered-Others Injured.

Miss Nellie Myer, twenty-five years old. a
clerk in the life-saving bureau of the Treas
ury Department, and residing with her
two aunts at No. 11S r street northwest,
is lying at the Emergency Hospital in a
precarious condition. She is suffering from
a depressed fracture of the front of the
skull with linear and radiatng fractures
extending from it, comprising a virtual
SCATTERING of the front part of her skull.
Her nose is also broken. Despite her terri
BILE injuries, which were received at River
View about O'Clock last night in a COLI
sion between two roller coaster cars on
one of which she riding, Miss Myer
was resting easily today, and the chance.
of recovery were in her favor.
1t was the first serious accident that has
ever happened at River View during the
thirteen years the present management has
been in charge
There was a large crowd at the resort
III attendance upon the annual excursion
of the Maccabees, and the day and evening
had been altogether enjoyable until the I'M
fortunate accident occurred. The roller
coaster had been particularly well patron
lied and everything had run smoothly and
safely. The contrivance is so constructed
with two tracks parallel to each other tina [
when one car is going down one track the
other car is ascending the other. By some
inexplicable error car which had run to
the terminus opposite the starting point
which it had come Midway between the
termini of the coaster it met the other
Both were loaded with passengers and
were going at high speed when they
crashed together with terrible force. There
was a chorus of affrighted shrieks when
the passengers saw collision was inevita-
BILE.
When the cars came together the passen-
gers We're thrown into a struggling mass
among the broken timbers of the wreck
that resulted.
How They Were Injured.
Upon the front seat of one car were Miss
Meyer and Mr. William G. Palmer of No.
1902 o street northwest. On the front seat
of the other car was Mrs. Annie NJ Lausch
of No. 513 18th street northwest AS the
cars swiftly approached each other the two
women lowered their heads and were
thrown against each other with tremendous
fierce. Miss Meyer was injured as stated
above and Mrs. Lausch received a severe
shock and several cuts and bruises.
The others injured were b. f. Redmond
of No. GIG 0 street northwest, sprain of
tendons of left leg; Mrs A. Harner of No.
lib G. street northwest, shocked and
bruised; Joe Wander. Myrtle street north
east, slightly injured; Miss Nellie Smith,
400 K street bruises; William Cookson,
Company X, 4th Artillery, Fort Myer, bad
ly bruised; Miss Fannie Singer, 1902 18th
street northwest, slightly hurt. Several
others received bruises and cuts, painful
but not serious.
Medical attention was given to the suf-
ferers at River View by Drs. j. c. Tappan,
]. p. Grant, J. S. Arnold and Frank X
koonca. and word was sent to the Emer-
gency Hospital by way of Fort Washing
ton and Fort Myer to send the ambulance
to meet the steamer Samuel ]. Pentz at the
wharf. Capt Randall eXerted every effort
to see that the injured We're made as COM
Portable as possible and was greatly shock
ed at the accident. Upon arriving at
Washington, Miss Meyer and Mr.. Redmond
were taken to the Emergency Hospital and
Mrs. Lausch and Mrs. Harner conveyed to
their homes The others Were able, with
assistance, to proceed to their homes on
the street cars.