Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1902-09-11
A NARROW ESCAPE
The Presidents LanSlau Meets
With Disaster.
An Electric Car Dashes Into It-Wr.
RoOsevelt's Head Cut - william
Craig, of the Secret Service,
KilIed-Secretary COrteI-
you Slightly Injured.

Pittsfeld, Mass, Sept. 4.-The presi-
dent of the United States escaped
tragic death by only a few feet in
collision between his carriage and an
electric street car in this city We'd
nesday, while one of his most trusted
guards, Secret Service Agent William
Craig, was instantly killed, and David
j. Pratt, of Dalton, who was guiding
the horses attached to the vehicle,
was seriously injured. President
Roosevelt himself was badly shaken
up, but received only a slight facial
bruise.
Secretary Cortelyou, who occupied
! a seat directly opposite the chief
executive in the landau, sustained a
minor wound on the back of the head,
and Gov. Crane. who sat beside the
president, eXtricated himself from the
wreck practically without a scratch.
The carriage was demolished by the
impact of the rapidly moving car and
thew heel horse on the side nearest
the car was killed outright. The crew
and passengers of the car escaped in"
jury.
The president and party were driv.
ing from this city to Lenox, through
South street, one of the principal
thoroughfares of Fittsfield, which
was lined with cheering people, and
the catastrophe occurred in the plain
view of hundreds.
The trolley car approached the
road crossing under good head Of
speed with gong changing just as the
driver of the presidents carriage
turned his leaders to cross the tracks.
On each side of the chief executives
carriage rode two mounted troopers
of the local cavalry company and the
horsemen on the left of the landau
had turned on to the track with the
trolley car Immediately behind them,
though some yards distant.
Alarmed by the changing gong, they
both turned IN their saddles and
waved vigorously to the motorman to
stop his car. Almost at the same in
stant Gov. Crane rose to his feet and
motioned to the motorman. The lat
ter tried to stop his ear, but it was
too late. The horsemen managed to
get the frightened animals out of the
way just in time and the car struck
the rear wheel of the carriage on the
left side and ploughed through to the
front wheel of the vehicle. which re-
ceived the full force of the blow.
The carriage was upset and one
horse fell dead on che tracks. The
other three powerful grays attached
to the vehicle started to run and
dragged by them and pushed by the
force of the car, the wrecked car
riage was moved 80 or 40 feet. Agent
Craig fell from his seat in front of
the car and it passed completely over
his body. Driver Pratt, in falling,
struck the dead horse Immediately in
front of him and rolled off clear of
the car, thus escaping a similar fate.
President Roosevelt, Gov. Crane and
Secretary Cortelyou were thrown to-
gether in the bottom of their car
riage.
No one on the car seems to be able
to explain how the accident happened.
Even the motormen and persons on
the front seat are apparently unable
to tell why it was not avoided. 1t is
claimed that Driver Piatt turned to
cross the track sooner than teams
ordinarily make the turn, but this
he was forced to do because his team
of four horses required more room
and the two troopers on the right |
of the carriage also needed space To
get through.
Motorman Madden and Conductor
Kelly remained in the station house
from 10 a. m., when they were ar
rested, until 6:2O last evening, when |
bail was furnished. The charges |
against them are manslaughter. Bail |
for the motorman of $1,000 was fur
nished by his brother and p. II. polan, |
manager of the Pittsfeld Street Rail-
way Co. Kelly was bailed in the sum
of $500 by Mr.. Dolan.
Boston, Sept. 5.-Some new facts OF
interest bearing upon the accident to
the presidents party at Pittsfeld
were given by John Il. Crane, secre-
tary to Gov. Crane, who was in the
third carriage behind that occupied
by the president, and who saw the
accident. Mr.. Smith returned to the
state house yesterday and his story
carries with it considerable weight,
as he is veteran newspaper man,
accustomed to making close observa-
tion of incidents. lie says that in his
Judgment the car was going about 20
miles an hour. He said that there
were no shrieks or yells at the mo-
ment of collision and the silence was