The San Francisco call., 1901-10-22
SWITCHES FAIL
To WORK RIGHT
Two Serious Collisions
Occur Between EleC-
trio Cars.
Passengers Are Injured in
a Number of Minor
Accidents.

Collisions between electric cars occurred
IN two different sections Of the city yes
terday morning and evening through the
failure of electrically operated switches to
work. The morning accident occurred at
Eighteenth and Kentucky streets and that
OF the evening at Kearny and Broadway.
Besides these there were number OF
minor accidents
An open switch at the corner of Eight
eenth and Kentucky streets caused the
hrst accident on the lines of the Market
street Railway Company conVerglng at
that point. A number of men employed
IN the Potrero were on the cars. Car 9o2
in charge of Motorman j. Leach, and
car 9S3, in charge of MOtorman L. Is.
Greenwald, collided
Many of the passengers jumped off in
but several were injured. William Morton
OF $40 Fifty ninth street, Oakland, re-
celVed number of bruises about his legs,
besides possible internal injuries Ernest
Reith, a carpenter, living at 1922 Clara
street had his spine injured. Gus Web
per, aged 16, riveter at the Union iron
Works, was bruised about the hips and
legs. After temporary treatment the in
| Jured We're removed to the Railroad Hos
pital. Traffic was delayed for some time
as the cars were badly demolished.
His Leg Fractured.
James Bohn, IS years of age, residing at
81 CroclSer street, sustained a fractured
leg while attempting to ahght from a
HoWard-street car at the corner of TWen-
ty-fourth street. 1t is thought he may
have sustained internal injuries besides.
He was treated at the City and County
Michael McGinniss 4O7 Fifth street,
while riding on a FOlsom-street car was
squeezed between the seat and the rear
to clear the track, but the horses backed
and the car bumped into the truck as the
motorman started. McGinniss was sent
to the Receiving Hospital His left side
had also sustained internal injuries.
a head-on collision, due to an open
switch, occurred last night between two
cars of the Mission and North Beach
lines at Broadway and Kearny street.
= Marks. a laborer living at 125 Bay
street, who was passenger on the North
Beach car, was hurled from his seat and
severely injured. A woman whose name
IS said to be Mrs. Kane was also hurt.
She was sitting on the dummy of the
car holding her baby in her, arms when
her seat but bravely held on to her help
less offspring. Several eyewitnesses to
the accident say that the woman was
knocked down and considerably bruised.
Picks UP Child and Leaves.
Immediately after regaining her feet,
they claim, she picked up her child, which
was bleeding from an ugly cut over the
eye, and at once left the scene. Up to a
late hour last night the police were una
BILE to locate her.
It seems that the North Beach car
stopped at Keany street and Broadway
to allow the incoming car to pass 1t
stood close to the switch, which had been
left open. The motorman OF the other
car, not knowing that the switch was
open, started to turn into Kearny street
AS the car struck the switch 1t ran on to
the other track and crashed into the car
which was waiting for II 10 pass. The
windows of both cars were badly shat
tered.
That no other passengers were injured
seems miraculous. There were at least a
half-dozen people on each car when the
collision occurred. but many OF them
jumped In time to save themselves from
being hurt On account Of the accident
traffic on both lines was delayed for about
twenty minutes