The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-02-16

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jured, and seven other young men
and women more or less hurt. was
the tragic termination last evening of
a sleighing party.
1t was caused by the engine of the
pay train on the Rio Grande Western
road, running as the first section of
train No. 3, westbound, striking the
sleigh, which was filed with young peO-
pie, who were out enjoying the first fine
sleighing of the season.
The scene of the accident was on
Eighth South street, where that thor
Oughfare crosses the Rio Grande
tracks. 1t occurred at 1915 O'Clock.
The fatality was that of Miss Pearl
Qualls, the daughter of William Qualls,
confectioner, at $50 South State street,
with residence at 216 Navajo street
Her skull was crushed, as though
struck from behind by some portion
of the engine. One or two slight
scratches married the young girls face,
while here and there on her body were
TO be found a few bruises. She lived
about ten minutes, dying after being
put on the train to be taken to the hos
pitaI.
AS quickly as possible Drs. Critchlow
and Bascom were sent TO the scene OF
the accident. and they did everything
those who were injured Two of them,
Hubert Fullmer and his sister, were
sent home in carriages after they had
been brought to the city on the pay
train with the dead and other injured.
Their injuries consisted Of Sign
bruises and cuts. of not sufficient seri-
BUSINESS to warrant their being sent to
a hospital
Four of the other wounded. including
the driver of the sleigh, were taken to
st. Marks hospital, where their broken
bones were set and their cuts sewed up.
The second ambulance took the re-
naming three to the Holy Cross hos
pital. where their wounds wer
stitched and their bruises attended to.
The remains of Miss Qualls were sent
to Evans undertaking rooms, where
they are now.
Taken by Surprise.
At 3 o'clock this morning scarcely a
member of the party, all of whom
We're more or less injured. could give
any account of the accident. The first
that several of them knew that any
thing had happened was when they re-
gained their shattered senses at the
hospitals. fun an hour and half after
the engine ran into them.
The party consisted of nine young
men and women living in the western
part Of the city. who had hired team
and a sleigh to enjoy the first heavy
snow of the season. As the night was
a bitter cold one. one of the coolest of
the winter. the bed of the sleigh was
well filed with blankets and robes 10
keep the occupants warm.
AS the evening progressed the young
people began to feel the cold, and to
better protect themselves from the ele-
ments, wrapped blankets and shawls and
scarfs around their heads and faces.
In that bundled-up condition they were
unable to hear any sound excepting the
indistinct tinkling of the bells on the
horses and the shouts Of their COM
panions.
For that reason there was not a
member of the party who could tell at
an early hour this morning whether the
engineer of the pay train sounded his
whistle as he approached the crossing
or whether the fireman was ringing his
bell, as he should have done.
View is Distracted.
The party was driving toward the
west side of the city. Their course
took them west on Eighth South street,
past the cement works, which stand on
the south side of Eighth South street,
a the railroad crossing. The plant
stands so close to the tracks that it is
impossible for a driver to see down the
tracks until he is practically upon
them.
All unconscious of the rapidly APP
preaching engine and pay car, Arthur
Holmes, who acted as driver, started to
drive upon the tracks. The train was
nearly upon them before they noticed
it. The driver tried to check the horses,
but they plunged ahead, frightened.
The animals had hardly cleared the
western rails, leaving the main body
OF the sleigh in the center of the
tracks. before the headlight of the en-
CINE shOne out brightly on the snow as
the monster rounded slight curve Just
south of the cement plant.
In an instant the locomotive, with
a crash. struck the sleigh laden with
its human freight.
In an instant the air was pierced
with the cries and shrieks of the
young people. The impact was such as
to completely demolish the vehicle and
throw it's broken and splintered por-
tions in all directions. And at the
same time the ten young men and-wo-
men. were tossed in as many directions
falling into the snow
The horses, freed from the sleigh by
the breaking of the harness. dis
appeared in the darkness, running al
their utmost speed west on Eighth
South street. soon becoming lost &c
sight in the darkness. They were found
later some distance from the scene.
In the meantime the engineer of the
pay train had stopped his locomotive
and had backed up to the crossing. ne
and his fireman alighted from their
cab and rushed to the assistance Of the
injured And at The same time the oc-
cupants of the car, learning that some