The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-10-12
Two Men Injured in Street Car
Accident at Seventh and Clay.
ALL. PAssENc GERS FRI c HTE 81 Ed
Those who Saw the Accident Resaro y
as Miraculous that Catastrophe was
Averted-Motorman 6rave'y
Stuck to His Post.

AS 4 result Of pair Of slippery uo1ieS
tracks, due to the hard doWnpou1 81.
rain, and a steep HILL ono OF na,N -
q impositions upon Richmond, car w. o.
on the Chestnut Hill ana Hlshlano
Park division Of the passenger alu
Power Company became uncomfortable
ehortiv before r o'clock last night. and
dashed into an open switch at the corner
CLAW and Seventh Streets The conduc-
tor. George w. Holder, OF Manchester,
and L. H Birdsong. well known type:
writer dealer, OF No. 90s East Main
street. were thrown from the rear
platform OF the coach with such force
that both were painfully injured
score or more other passengers were
badly frightened, while several were more
or less Jared.
That the accident did not assume the
proportions of catastrophe IS regaroeo
as remarkable by passengers ana WIZ.
nesses alike. for the car dashed around
the curve with the speed Of cannon
ball. The high guide rails at TINS point
is all that held the coach on the ralls'
ar otherwise there would have been a
calamity.
Fortunately the injuries sustained by
Conductor holder and Mr.. Birdsong are
slight. the former suffering from badly
bruised knee and an ugly cut on the
right hand. The latter is the more Sc
riously injured of the two. he was ZOE
a time rendered unconscious. but AFTER
receiving attention at the City Hospital
came around alright. He is now rest
ing easily at his residence. at the COT
ner Of Third Avenue and Alver Street,
Chestnut Hill.
Car No, 30 left the corner of Broad and
~. C.Ih n'r1onk headed
for Chestnut Hill and Hightland Park
On board were some twenty-five passen-
gers, the coach being comfortably filed.
Conductor George w. Holder was IN
charge. and Afotorman J. A. Perdue,
was at the brake. Birdsong, the only
passenger injured, was standing on the
rear platform. sheltering himself from
steady torrent of falling rain.
last after leaving Broad Street, Seventh
shows steep decline. beginning at Mar
shall and running a block or 50 TO the
north. From Broad to Clay the chestnut
Fiji and the Clay-Street cars operate on
the same set Of double tracks. When
CLAY street is rea ched the Chestnut Hill
cars continue on Seventh Street, but the
CLAW Street coaches turn into this tho
roughfare and the switch is constantly
being thrown first one way ard then the
other.
WHEELS SLID.
AS car No. so, burdened with its hu-
man freight, approached the switch mo-
tornan Perdue frightened the brake chain
thinking, of course. that the vehicle was
st;1l under his control and would come
to a stop before Clay Street was reached
But as the poles along the side OF the
thorouEhfare comm enced to fash By with
increased rapidity, he discovered that,
though scotched stock still, the wheels
we're sliding along the wet track. He
opened the sand valve, but this failed te
check the speed OF the car. Then, al
though he knew that it would be next tc
imrossible to avoid perhaps serious
accident, he stuck to his post and re,
ycrsed the current The effect was moi
noticeable, and the car was W N thu
open switch. With a jerk and jar tha'
vas fierce the coach plunged into tn,
curve. The passengers and conductor hae
had no warning as to their approaching
| IA niger. having failed to notice the alb
| normal speed of the car on account
the fast falling rain and the drawn cur
1ains 1t was all over in a minute.
into the switch and around the curv'
like lightning the car dashed Conducto
Holder and Mr.. Birdsong were pitched
headlong into the street, the latter beln:
! the first to go over the rail. He LANDED
some feet from the tracks and to all ap
rearances was dead He had been rem
| dered unconscious. sustaining an ugl.
wound on the head, from which bloc,
| flowed freely The conductor Jared bet
| ter, catching on his hands and knees
| The car was brought to q standstil
! after having moved down Clay Street TO
| halls a block or more. The passenger
alighted. and helping hands We're 500
| lending needed assistance to the injured
| The ambulance was hastily summone
and the two men were given medical al
tertion. Mr. Birdsong being carried t
/. the city hospital and Conductor olde
sent to his home in Manchester in a cal
The car proceeded to its destination
1 after delay of half or three-quarters o
an hour