The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1900-06-13
DAZZLING LIGHT.
illumination of Car That Has Been
Short-Circiited.

Electricity played a queer prank on a
Northern Central car the other nlsnL
TO lookers-on at a safe distance 1t was
merely remarkable display the like
Of which as never before seen IN ST.
Louis. To those on tho car it had many
elements of tragedy.
One man narrowly escaped death oy
fire and others Of the passengers may
have been injured in the panic that fol-
lowed. Even the officials Of the United
Railways Company nave not yet ar
rived at he exact extent Of the damage
done.
The cars on the Northern Central line
are the Oldest in the service. Their fus-
es burn out freuently, but that nights
occurrence was the raost serious acci-
dent Of the kind that has yet occurred.
At $50 o'clock a car was rounding the
sharp grade curve at Thomas
street and Leftingwell avenue. It was
half filled with passengers.
Suddenly there was grinding noise.
which deafened those in the car ana
awakened residents in the neighbor-
hood. The car came to a sudden stop.
What followed is told by an eye-wit-
ness. who was attracted to his window
by the unusual sound.
when I looked OUT he said, "the
street was lit up for several blocks an
If powerful searchlight had been
turned into it. The brilliancy all radia-
ted from the car, which I at first
thought was on fire. I could see the
car distinctly. It seemed a shadowy
form, seen through halo of light. The
outer edge Of this light was brilliant,
dazzling white, but the inner portion,
the nucleus, as it were, nearest the car,
was the deep red Of a consuming blaze.
with the first play Of the flames I
heard passengers in the car cry out
in alarm. Two young men jumped
through a window and the other pas
sengers rushed for the back door. 1
saw man leap from the rear platform
with his coat smoking. He pulled the
garment off as he left the car.
''The illumination could be seen at a
great distance, apparently for people
come focling from blocks around to
see the illuminated car. Most Of them
walked home. Another car pushed the
disabled one to the Sheds"
Investigation Saturday morning
showed that the accident was one Of .
number Of electrical freaks caused by
the recent damp weather. At the power
house of the Northern Central line it
was said that the current had become
short-circuited. This meant that the
current on coming from the wires, in
stead Of going through the controller
on the front platform operated by the
motorman, went through the one on
the rear platform. Unable to get into
the motors by that route it passed out
again and sought the nearest route to
the rails. This was by way Of the met
al work about the sides and roof OF
the car.
On its journey around the car a por-
ton OF the current escaped into the
moist atmosphere, causing the appear
ance Of halo. Enough Of the current
went through the controller and the
motors to burn them out, which caused
the red light Of consuming flames It
was the burning out Of the controller
that ignited the coat Of the man who
stood near it on the rear platform
Street railway men agreed that the ac-
cident was a most unusual one.-St
Louis Post Dispatch.