The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-08-03
Among the Injured Were Several In
dianpOlis People on Their Way
to Bethany Park.
HARD TO FIX THE BLAME
ONE OF THE CARS DELAYED BY AN
L. & ". TRAIN.
The Injured Passengers Given Prompt
Medical ACCOMPLISHMENTS
ent on the Scene.


FRANK EASTERDAY, motorman, cut
and bruised (not seriously.)
r. III. ELLIS, conductor bruised slightly.
JOHN VALDERAUR, motorman, bruised
on body and limbs.
MRS. w. ]. QUICK, 2Olo North New Jer-
sey street, head cut and bruised.
MRS. ELISHA WENTWORTH, 2429
North Meridian street, head cut open and
severely shocked.
MRS. s. S. BRAGG, 3017 South Pleasant
street. neck and shoulder injured.
p. TAYLOR, Westfield, left arm cut.
DIR. JAMES E SPRINGER, 2O2S Central
avenue, face and heao cut.
HARVEY b. STOUT, 2236 North Pennsyl-
vania street, arms and limbs injured.
MRS. MARY STRAWBEN, Martinsville,
head cut
MYRTLE LEAGUE, Greenwood. limbs
and head cut.
DAVID BRITToN. whiteland, arm in
jured.
MISS BAILEY, Monrovia, shoulder bad
ly wrenched.
MRS w. J. GAINS, 2o1o North New Jer-
sey street, head and face cut.
Besides these there were number who
were injured in the accident in minor ways
but will experience little Inconvenience from
the wreck.
A collision resulting in the injury, slight
sons occurred yesterday morning shortly
after 10 o'clock on the Indianapolis & Mar
tinsville electric line. The accident hap
pened between Brooklyn and Mooresville
and most of the passengers were on the
way to Bethany Park, the Christian
sembly ground Although many who were
on the colliding cars will carry scars from
the wreck for some time, fortunately no
one was seriously hurt, with possibly the
exception of Motorman Frank Easterday
and Mrs. Elisha Wentworth, mother of
Mrs. Sam d. Pierson, of this city. Easter
daywa in the front of the car and received
the full force of the collision. He was
taken to Mooresville and attended by DR..
w. l.. Thompson, the physician for the
road, who said that his patient, while bad
ly hurt, was not in a critical condition.
Mrs. Wentworth, who is seventy years
old, was severely cut about the head and
badly shocked. She was taken to Bethany
Park, where Drs. Chauncey Dowden and
j. p. Z. Holland, of Bloomington, attended
her. The remaining members of the party
in the car received slight injuries, but none
is thought to be badly hurt. The direct
cause of the accident is not known, and
the general impression seems to be that it
was misunderstanding and the blame
cannot be placed on any of the train crew.
| The cars collided at the Newby farm
where there is a side track and it due
| to the failure of one of the cars to make
| the switch that the accident occurred. If
| the south-bound car had been ten seconds
| quicker the trouble would have been
averted.
DELAYED BY FREIGHT TRAIN.
Car No. LOG, in charge of Conductor Otto
| Mccall and Motorman John Valderaur, left
| Indianapolis at a. m, and when Moores-
| Vile was reached a freight train the
| |. & V. delayed the interurban several min
| utes. The representatives of the electric
! company claim the railroad is in the habit
OF obstructing the right of way at this
| point and that the delay was occasioned for
spite After Mooresville was passed the
| south-bound train started for Brooklyn,
with the intention of siding at Newby's.
| There was an effort to get the train dis
patcher who regulates the cars after leav-
| ing Mooresville, but the wire was in trouble
| and Car LOG went on.
While the south-bound car was making
| the Newly switch car No. 104, in charge
| of Conductor X. II. Ellis and Motorman
| Frank Easterday, having tried TO get in
/ communication with the train dispatcher
| for orders and not succeeding, started
speed On account of the switch where
| the collision occurred being at a curve, the
motormen of the two cars, the south bound,
| with ninety-five passengers, and the north
/ bound with three, could not see the ap-
| preaching danger until 200 feet apart. The
/ car from Indianapolis was running slowly
| and was just ready TO so on the side track
when the north bound, coming at high
rate, was sighted and the crash came. The
passengers on the south-bound car were
| struck before they realized what had hap
pened. and the car was badly demolished.
| The entire front vestibule was shattered,
| but Motorman Valderaur, who stuck TO his
| being slightly Jared. None of the occu-
pants of the north-bound car was injured,
| except Motorman Easterday.
AS soon as the men running the cars saw
| what was coming they reversed the power
| and stopped quickly possible. After
| the cars came. together there was a short
| period of pandemonium. Men and women
| were thrown in every direction. while some
| were pinned TO seats, unable to extricate
themselves without help. Every seat in the
| car that was struck was torn from its fast
| enings. The north-bound car hardly
| disabled, only a part of the front vestibule
showing the result of the collision.
a LUCKY ESCAPE.
The reason that the motorman of the car
! running slowly escaped being severely hurt
was on account of the position OF the cars
| when they met. yesterday, who was on the
fast car, attempted to jump when he saw
what had happened. which caused him TO
| be more severely injured. Directly after
| the accident the train crew of both cars
| began helping the passengers out of their
difficulty, and 1t was not long untIl those
who needed medical attention were in the
care of a physician. Some were taken to
| Mooresville, others 10 Bethany and few
| returned to the city
In regard TO the question of placing the
blame. the one conclusion, as before stated.
is that it was misunderstanding. both