The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-10-20
J. O. Lamb Has Skull
Fractured in Morn
ing Accident.
NO PASSENGERS ABOARD
Brakes Did Not Work-Car
PlungeS Over a Bank
at Laurel.

-e~ 49, 49,
Another accident occurred on the City
and Suburban car line at Laurel. Nd,
shortly before o'clock this morning,
and as a result Conductor J. o. Lamb
viii probably die. He was thrown
against the iron back of a cushion seat,
and his skull was fractured
The injured conductor was brought TO
the Emergency Hospital, where il was
found that he was in a BTecarious con
dition and but little hope is entertained
for his recovery. He had not regained
consclousness at . o'clock this afternoon.
The. ear was badly damaged and it is
believed Motormau r. W. Brightman,
who had charge of the car would have
lost his life had he not jumped from the
platform when the car ran off the track
al Laurel and plunged down an en-
bankment- The car was No. 400, OF the
Maryland line.
No Passengers Aboard.
There were no passengers on the car
at the time OF the accident. Had there
been they would, in all likelihood. have
been killed, as the only man who was in
the car was painfully injured. Motor
man Brightman and Conductor Lamb
left the lexington car barn with the car
at $40 O'Clock this moIping. They ar
rived at the Laurel terminal ar 5,55
O'Clock. The cars are always stopped at
The intersection OF Sixth and Main
streets Laurel.
Brightmau has had tha first car the
majority OF the eighteen months that ne
has been employed by the company. and
has stopped hIs car at a safe distance
from the end of the rails. This morning.
he says the breaks did not work and he
could not reverse the current TO keep
The car from plunging down the hill He
reached the little waiting room at the
usual speed and then began winding the
brake crank iu order 20 bring the car TO
fuu stop. The chain did not wind
around the irod rod 10 which the han
ole is attached he says, and the car
slowly rolled past the usual stopping
place and crashed into the big oak pole
at the end OF the line used 10 hold up
the trolley wire.
Threw Controller Back.
When Brightman realized that he
could not set the brakes 10 work he
/ threw the controller back ana endeav-
ored 10 reverse the current The troll
/ ley had run or the end of the wire and
there was no current 10 be reversed.
I Seeing that he could not save the car
from crashing over the embankmeur
DE jumped TO the right and dived
I Through che open door OF the vestibule
The car tore up trees By the roots in
some Instances and in other cases il
snapped them of between the root and
The branches. The wheels sank deem
into the soft soil, and the front end was
buried about four feet above the trucks
In the dirt which was showed down by
the rear end OF the car when il ran or
the track. Every pane OF glass in the
car was broken and the electrical
mechanism underneath it was practical
When the car reached the end of the
line BrlEhImIu looked back and saw
Lamb counting his sheets OF car tickets.
The conductor was then standing be-
tween the door leading into the smok-
ers compartment in the rear OF the
car and the front door. He had his
head down and was 0bIIViOus Jf danger.
Did Not Know His Peril.
The door between the motormau and
the conductor was closed, and the mo-
tcrman did not have time to inform the
conductor OF his peril Brightman
tusged AT the brakes, but Lamb knew
nothing OF III, and was NOT aware that
anything was wrong until the front of
the car dropped over the brink of the
/ TreciDiCe and ng was thrown forward
/ The car sWerveI 10 the left and then
+ Lamb came I'm contact with the back Of
the seat TIe received a fracture which
started on JHa left side and extended fs
the TOP OF crown of his head The car
was almost perpendicular, ana ne rolled
from the rear 10 the front of the ear.
striking uis head against the bottom FIX
tlres OF tAe seats and the door at the
bottom.
Tt was believed chat he was dead. but
when his shirt was torn open ID was
E..r. lal