The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-01-03
M0T0RMAN MET HIS DEATH.


of his friend than about his own injuries
taking Loper's death very much TO heart
The unfortunate man was well liked bV
his fellow employees and the officers of
the company. and was popular with the
patrons of the line. He was a large fine
looking young fellow, about % years of
age, of pleasing manner and address and
had won the regard of the patrons of the
road by his unvarying courtesy. Regrets
We're expressed on all sides at his death
He was a man of temperate habits, had
never been known to be intoxicated while
on duty, and had an excellent record with
the company General Manager Lotion
spoke in the highest terms of him, and
expressed deep regret at his death. Lopez
had never had a serious accident before,
and was the last man, Mr.. Lotion said,
whom he would have expected to be in
volved in an accident.
Mr.. Lotion lives near the scene OF the
accident and was one of the first to ar
rive He pointed out to a Morning News
reporter later in the day that the marks
made by the wheels of the car showed
that it had left the rails exactly at the
point of the reverse curve and he was
satisfied that this was due TO the high rate
Of speed at which the car was running.
The car, Mr. Lotion SAID, had only bsen
out of the shops about three weeks, haV-
ing been given a thorough oVerhauling,
and was in first class condition. II is
equipped with patent cantilaver trucks.
which are considered the hest in the
country Apparently the ear was un n
jured aud when placed upon the racks in
the afternoon was removed 10 the shops
without difficulty. The car, though r OF
so heavy as the large open cars, has
weight of about 5000 pounds. From the
point where the wheels left the rails to
where the car stopped is ninety feet 1t
is probable that the trolley chung 70 the
wire for half that distance
The tremendous monsntum with whic
this weight was hurled from the track
was evidenced by the distsPee atGaYel7d.
and the fact that the, foIee. wa s 5sAffie LEM
to crush the granite curling and place
the entire truck upon the Sidewalk, which
projects outward at the street corner.
That the car did not crash into the corner
house is probably due to the fact that the
inside hand rail on the left hand side
caught against large syc-
amore tree ON the corner and
was pressed back against the body of the
car This job was so neatly done that IT.
was not observed until the scar on the
tree was noticed, the hand rail having
prevented any mark from being made on
the woodwork of the car.
. Hundreds of people visited the scene
during the day and witnessed the unusual
sight of street car planted squarely on
the sidewalk. The children of the Bar
nard Street School were the envy of all
the other chool children in town, as they
were able TO spend their entire recess time
at the spot.
Coroner Goette held an inquest over The
body of Lopez in the afternoon. The wit
nesses We're General Manager Lotion and
Master Machinist w. M. Owens of the
street railway company, and Mr. j. j.
Mcmahon, one of the injured passengers
The evidence of the street railway men
was to the effect that the car was in good
condition at the time of the accident and
that the track was also in good shape
Mr.. Lotion stated that from the position
in which the controller was found the car
must have been going at full speed when
it left the track. Mr.. Mcmahon testified
that the car was going al high rate of
speed The jury rendered verdict to the
effect that the deceased cameso his death
from fall from motor car No. II Of the
Savannah, Thunderbolt and Isle Of Hope
Railway; that the cause Of death was ac-
cidsnial and that it held the street rail-
3. ~ company blameless.
The motormans body was sent to Wal
terboro S. c., where his parents reside
Lopez has a brother who is a painter for
the street railway company. Conductor L.
b. Larissey of the Montgomery line ana
ex-Policeman Larissey are his uncles
While all the evidence seemed to show
that the accident was due TO fhe poor
judgment shown by the motorman in al
lowing his car to run past curve at full
speed, the fact that the street car tracks
are practically level with the pavement on
CASTOR street was commented upon by sew
eral of the visitors to the scene. This may
or may not have accounted in part for the
accident, but with the pavement frozen
hard it would not seem q difficult matter
for some obstruction on the inside of the
track to turn the wheels from the rails