The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-07-26
HURLED FROM A CAR
MOTORMAN CAPERS STRUCK BY A
TROLLEY WIRE POLE.
THROWN FROM RUNNING BOARD
INTO DITCH NEAR THE AVON
DALE RIFLE RANGE.

Was working His Way Alongside of
Crowded Car when He Was
Struck by a Leaning PoIe-Picked
Up Unconscious by the Side of the
Track and Brought to the City In
the Laps of Pnssengers-An Exam
inntion Mt the savannah Hospital
Did Not Reveal Fatal InJuries-A
Dozen Passengers Saw the Acct
dent and Thought the MOtOrman
Killed.
Extra Motorman J. L. Capers of the
Savannah, Thunderbolt and Isle If
Hope Railway, came near being killed
last night by being thrown from his
car near the Avondale Rifle Range.
While working his way along the run
ming board of a crowded car, he was
struck by a trolley wire pole and
thrown to the track. A trailer was
attached to the car, and by the merest
chance he escaped being crushed be-
meath it.
AS soon as the car could be stopped
a dozen passengers sprang off and ran
back to where the accident occurred.
Capers was lying doubled up in a heap
in the sand a few inches outside
of the rails. and unconscious. An
other car was following the two ahead
and by its headlight the passengers
who found the injured motorman, lift
ed him up and carried him to the rear
platform. He was placed in the laps
of three or four men, and in that way
was brought as far as the Gwnnett
street car sheds. There an extra car
was run out and the motorman was
lifted into it and taken to the office
of DR.. w. w. Owens, surgeon for the
railway company, on Liberty street.
The police ambulance was at once
summoned, and after a hurried exami-
nation the man was taken to the Sa-
vannah Hospital.
He was unconscious from the mo-
ment he was struck until he was re-
moved to the special car at the Gwin-
nett street sheds. He was unable at
any time to explain the accident A
dozen or more passengers saw it,
though, heard the blow as the
mans body struck the leaning pole and
saw him hurled from the footboard to
the track.
The car was crowded and late when
it left Thunderbolt at 10:45 o'clock, and
was running at full speed. Two or
three passengers were standing on the
running board and holding on to the
seats. Capers was working his way
from the rear platform forward, and
was passing around these passengers
when he was struck. A double track
has been laid east of the golf
links, and the trolley wire poles are
close to the crossties at the edge of
the roads right-of-w way. Had Capers
not been passing outside of the passen-
gers on the running board the accident
would probably not have occurred.
After the motorman had been taken
to the hospital an examination was
made by Drs. Owens and Jones. Dr.
owens said that the man appeared to
have been struck on the shoulders.
There were no injuries about his head
and so far as could be told no bones
were broken and there no evidences of
internal injury. The shock was severe
Until further examination the nature
of the mans injuries will not be
determined.
Capers begged not to be taken to the
hospital, but wanted his brother noti-
fled so that he could be moved to his
home. He is young man, evidently
not over % years of age, and boarded
at Drayton and Gordon streets.