Custer County Republican. (Broken Bow, Neb.) 1882-1921, 1903-02-26
CUTS CAR IN TWO.
AgonlrinE Trolley Accident Al Newark, n. j.
Engine Hits II Spuareiy.

!
cut through trolley car crowded
with school children at the Clifton
avenue crossing Thursday. Eight OF
the children were killed and score
or more of them injured. The mo-
torman of the car, who stuck to his
post, will die, and the engineer Of the
express was 50 badly hurt that there
is little hope of his recovery.
Both the express and the trolley
were ON the steep grades going at
right angles. The express was sig
nailed and the crossing gates were
lowered. while the trolley car was
half way down the hill. The motor
man shut of the power and applied
the brakes, but almost Immediately
the car began to slip along the icy
rails.
1t gained tremendous momentum
and at the bottom of the hill crashed
| through the gates, directly In the
! track of the oncoming train. The To-
comotiye ploughcd its way through
the trolley, throwing the children In
every direction.
The accident happened within three
blocks of the high school building,
and in the car at the time were
nearly 100 pupils. AS many as thirty
Others had managed to throw them
selves from the car before the crash
came. The trolley was one Of the
specials which every day bring the
children to school. 1t had more than
its ordinary load Thursday, owing to
the cold. 1t contained every child
that could squeeze inside and others
stood on the rear platform. Because
this car had been so crowded many
who were waiting for it before the
hill was reached could not get on,
although some climbed on the front
platform with the motorman.
A score or more children were com
PEELED to walk, as they followed the
car afoot. They say that when the
car was still less than half way down
the hill the railroad gates began to
drop.
Peter Brady the motorman, prompt
ly shut off the power and applied the
brakes. The speed of the car was
checked, but it continued to move
slowly down the incline. There was
no thought of danger. Then it began
to move faster and faster.
The ice-covered rails offered no hold
for the wheels and although Brady
jammed his brake harder and then
swung in reverse, the momentum of
the car grew at every yard and the
car shot down toward the railroad.
When it was right at the gates the
express came into view. Warned by
the cries of those afoot and by theil
own sense of danger those on the
| platforms began to throw themselves
off into the snow, and as the car sped
!, along the few remaining feet toward
the rails perhaps one-third escaped
death injury in this way, but there
was no time for those within the cal
to do more than crush toward the
rear door.
+ The gates were swept aside and
before the cracking of the gates died
out came the crash. For thirty sec
onds before the air was filled with
/ frantic cries of those who saw death
daShing down upon them.
The wreck of the trolley car was
complete. The pilot of the engine
struck it almost in the center and
turned it partly around and then the
ponderous engine cut it in two. The
upper part of the trolley was reduced
to fragments under the drivers Of the
Il locomotive. One-half of the car was
thrown to one side and lay on tho
i tracks. The other section was hurled
some distance away. In every direc-
tion lay the injured and dead. The
engine was brought to standstil
and from the train and from near by
houses men rushed to the rescue. The
spectacle was appalling and many who
started to work had to give up un
nerved.
Within five minutes as many deat
bodies had been laid side by side il
the snow alongside the track. On,
of the bodies, that Of a girl, was found
block beyond. 1t had been carried
there on the pilot Of the engine
Load after load Of the injured wer
sent away in patrol wagons and am
balances. Within short time ther
was not an injured person near TIL
scene of the wreck and the dea,
were on their way to the morgue.