The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-08-23
DEADLY INCLINE.
Another Fatal Accident on the
Kansas City Cable Line.
Grip Failed to Work, and Car
Ran Away.
GRIPMAN WAS KILLED.
Runaway Train Struck Another
Near the Bottom
While Running at Speed Of $50
Miles an Hour.
Eleven Persons Hurt. Including
Francis Fischer Powers.

Francis Fischer Powers.
Kansas City, Aug. 23.-An Independ-
ence avenue cable train dashing down
the Ninth street incline leading to the
Union depot, at $40 O'Clock last night.
at speed approximating $50 miles an
hour, crashed into slowly moving red
cable train about 100 yards from the
foot of the incline, telescoping the rear
of the red train, which was lifted
clear of the tracks. killed one man,
William D. Taylor, the gripman of the
runaway train, and injured eleven per-
sons, passengers on the two trains. The
killed and injured:
KILLED.
w. D. TAYLOR, 514 East Thirty-first
street gripman.
INJURED.
Miss Margaret C. Lucitt, 1915 Union
avenue. bookbinder at public library.
proba BILE fracture of skull, internal in
juries, sprained back; may die.
Miss Ola Jorndt, 1910 East Tent.
street, trimmer for B. Adler & Co.; con-.
cussion at base of brain. internal in
turies, badly bruised about head and
shoulders: may die
Will Underhill, IA Locust street, chief
clerk for P. F. Collier & Son. internal
injuries.
G. H Warner, telegraph operator.
Memphis: three ribs broken and back
injured.
16OTRo WoDSCor, OF Nn1CagO, DdQlY
cut and bruised.
structor; head cut. hands. arms and
hips badly bruised. severe nervous
shock.
j. F. Merrill, Paola, Kas., lumber
dealer; right knee wrenched.
Albert Johnson, Tacoma. Wash; right
wrist injured.
]. E. Haak, 800 Nebraska avenue.
Kansas City. Kan, left knee wrenched.
n a HD<<
nue., porter at union depot, three ribs
broken.
Alfred Winkier, 62S Minnesota avenue.
Kansas City, Kan, left shoulder broken.
left knee cap dislocated, nose crushed.
body bruised
The grip of the Independence avenue
train evidently refused to release the
cable at the Penn street stop, and the
car was pulled over the summit of the
hill, the gripman, William D. Taylor,
striving meantime to force the grip to
release the rope. He worked the lever
from side to side and just after crossing
the summit and starting on the depot
incline, the grip dropped the rope or
failed to work.
The car shot down the hill at a tre-
mendous speed, leaving the conductor,
Arthur Paulsen. behind at the Penn
street signal box. Taylor worked his
lever and the brake but seemed unable
to get control of the car, which gained
in it's fearful momentum as it proceed
ed. The people residing either side
of Ninth street west of Penn mingled
startled screams with those of the pas
sengers and the gripman changed his
bell and shouted Justify to the trainmen
of the Ninth street train which was jus.
in front of him, urging them to release
the rope and dash down the incline
ahead of the runaway train.
The passengers of the train in front
quickly realized the danger and Joined
in the shouts and screams. Many
jumped from the train and others ran
from the rear to the forward car. Sew
eral of the passengers of the Independ-
ence avenue train jumped as the cars
sped down the incline. but a number
crashed together about 300 feet from the
entrance to tie terminal shed at the
depot. and Just as the forward cable
train had passed within the limits of the
steel girdered superstructure of the via
duct over the depot yards.
The crash came with terrific force the
grip car of the Independence avenue
train lifting the rear car of the Ninth
tracks SO that only the forward end
of this car touched the surface of the
vfaduct. The forward or grip car of
the Ninth street train was bumped from
the tracks and into the first of the up
right steel columns of the superstruc-
ture extending above the surface at
either side of the viaduct at this point
Ten feet back there was no steel col :
Superstructure other than wooden
railing. and the forward car of the
Ninth street train would almost Ger
tainly have been hurled into the rail-
road yards, 100 feet below, had the col
Hsion occurred second before it did.
The crash and shouts were heard by
people on the depot platform and in
Union avenue. from which and the
depot proper hundreds rushed to the
scene
The incline which has been the scene
OF fatal accidents before, is 800 yards
at Penn ana Natb at the top Of the
ing the railway station, descends at an
angle of forty-fve degrees to an elevated
going to and from the station. gripcar
tom of the incline and was being switch
ed to the opposite track preparatory to
could be- dozens fore Of ahls
crowded forward filling the seats and
clinging to the outside railing. Cars from
ter receiving bell signal but before the
way was cleared and this had been given
sden 5en'n fp appearsa at the a;pproach heavily
going railway trains at the depot. The
gripman had lost control of the car and
ing hurled down the steep hillside at
lightning speed: A panic ensued and
of the cars, turning over and over as they
struck the trestle work At the bottom of
score of men and women were stricken
with terror as they caught a glimpse of
the train dashing toward them In a wild
scramble 10 escape many were trampled
upon and several tainted. The race down
the incline lasted but minute, the train
striking the platform with a terrible
crash The grip car pushed the rear car
of the waiting train ahead of it against
the walls of the waiting room and rem
dered both into a mass of debris. When
the first excitement had passed, Gripman
Taylor was found dead. buried under the
wreckage, while two dozen persons. most