Waterbury Democrat., 1903-01-27

A most serious accident occurred on the trolley system last evening. It was the result of allowing new men to run cars over tracks they are unac. quainted with.
 A car was derailed at McConnelPs curve as it was going to Watervilie, taken completely off the tracks, so that all efforts on the part of the wrecking crew were unable to replace it owing to one of the axles getting smashed. The authority quoted in yesterdays Democrat saying that the company will undertake to wear out the strike intimated that the under. taking may be surrounded with some difficulty. He did not expect much trouble, however. He said he would not be surprised if some of the com pany's present employees were roughly handled some night and if the com pany's property was attacked. Nc Councils curve, where it happened, is lonely part of the line. The strikers are not connected with the in cident in any manner, except that the strike is held responsible for all such acts now. The men in charge of the car say there were stones on the track, and that the derailnent of the car was the result But there is another side to the affair. People who live in the neighborhood remarked that the car was running at n very rapid rate. McConnell's $ curve is one of the sharp est bends in the whole twelve miles of road in this district of the com. pany's lines. The WaterviFe track. to make the best of it, is nothing less than series of curves and bends and the wonder is that cars do not run of the tracks more often. Those who saw the car in question said it would surely run off the track, it was run, ming so fast. and the next thing they heard was that their. words had come true. Only a few cars had gone through when the accident occurred 1t takes more than half dozen trips over that line for motornran or con ductor to become acquainted with its curves. is what some of those who worked on that line say. They also say that while the company's officers know their own business better than anyone else, presumably, it was hard ly right to allow practical stranger to take a car with passengers to Wa terviIle. But fortunately there were no passengers in this one, nor were there in any of the others which haG gone before it. Had there been, they would have been considerably jarred The car was running at such speed that it was taken completely off the .J ii. back again because the jar it received broke the front axle. MT Sewell wai on the scene almost immediately ant he saw that the car was practically ; wreck. The wrecking car was sen for and dragged the wrecked car u the barn. 1t was the hardest night work since the strike began. Had tn, act been the work of professional ca wreekers it could not have been nor, successful.
 The company began a night schedult on the Watervflle line last night ant an early morning car was started thi morning. They did very little business however.
 The strikers busses did grea business this noon. There were larg' crowds on Exchange place when the. drove through and it was though that many would take advantage O the situation to ride home on the cars But there was no apparent increase Il the passenger traffic. The first Du that passed through Exchange plac' was loaded with watch shop bellies laughing, shouting and waving hand kerchiefs. They were evidently hay inc a great time. The bus was on run ners and it carried the merriest loat that has been seen in this city thi winter. Half a dozen busses, some o1 wheels. and some on runners passes through Exchange place going in al directions. Every one of them wa loaded which plainly showed how tn peopIe feel about the strike, for tn cars. notwithstanding their vast su periority. were all empty. exceptin one Or two which contained the bosse from the various factories The strik CTS are satisfied with the success wit the busses. They are not running them for financial gain. In fact the cannot make them pay. But so lon as they do not lose on them they vii accommodate the people. They hay hired another lot of them so that
 etilI larger number can be accommoda1 ed tomorrow. The strikers have COT cIuded they might as we'll try an Oblige the people who have refraine from riding on the cars, as to walk tn streets the whole day long They go their days pay anyhow and will cor tinue to do So until the strike is ended