The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-05-24

for the collision of train of freight
cars, pushed by a Northern Pacific
switch engine and an east-bound in
terurban car on the grade crossing at
University avenue Sc at 9:40 a. m.
to-day.
One man was killed. several others
injured and the car almost dsmN-
ished.
The switch engine, In charge Of Will
liam Smiley, engineer, had just pulled
across the street crossing and the
gates were raised to allow the street
car to pass. Engineer Smiley mistook
q motion of Thomas Owens, one Of
the sWitchmen, for signal to back
UP and reversed his engine. At the
same time the street car conductor,
Levi Anderson, signalled his driver to
go ahead. The car reached the rail-
road tracks just as the driver saw the
approaching train. He reversed his
motor, but was too late, and an, in
slant later the train struck the car,
throwing the car from its trucks and
killed. The train backed nearly
car length before 1t stopped.
AS soon as the train came to
standstill the foreman Of the switch
Ing crew, Oliver Conner, ordered it to
go ahead so as to clear the crossing.
The train crew then devoted It's atten-
ton to removing the body Of the dead
man and to releasing the imprisoned
passengers Deputy Coroner H. G.
irvine was notified and a wagonload
of plain clothes men were sent from
police headquarters 20 investigate.
Statements were taken from the train
crew, the gateman, the street car crew
and others who saw the accident, but
no arrests were made.
The Trainmen's Stories.
Engineer William Smiley who lives
I.,t, y, al IN
story to T h a as follows:
1--WE had just crossed the street car
tracks and were about to set some
cars on the east switch. I had pulled
up 50 that the. last car In the train
was about one and a-haf lengths
above the crossing. Thomas Owens,
one of the switchmen, dropped off the
rear car as we passed the switch and
gave me the signal to stop. He
turned the switch and I thought sig
nailed me to back up. I reversed the
engine and did not know that any,
thing was wrong until the fireman
cried that we were striking the street
car. I set the brakes, but the train
went nearly q car length before it
stopped. 1 was on the right side Of
the engine and did not see the car I'M
til after the collision.
George Nee, 1928 University avenue
NE, the fireman, told his story as fol-
lows:
IT was on the left side Of the en-
CINE and did not see any signals. I
looked out Of the window and the
street car was standing ready to cross.
The engineer began to back up and I
looked out Of the window again. I
saw the street car standing on the
tracks about yard from the rear end
of our train. cried to the engineer
to stop the train, but the collision &C.
CURED before he did so.''
"No Signal" Says Owens.
Thomas Owens, 1908 Fifth avenue
N, the sw1tchman whose movement
was mistaken by Smiley as signal tic
back up, declares that he made nc
such signal
II dropped off the train as we came
to the SWITCH" said Owens, land The
train stopped on the crossing. spoke
to the gateman ana said that I would
let the street car cross. I signalet
the engineer to go ahead, and wher
he was about one-and-a-half cal
lengths from the crossing 1 signale(
him to stop. then threw the switch
and when I looked around again
saw him backing up at a good rat,
of speed. I was Mortified to see tn,
street car on the tracks and signalet
the engineer to stop. He did no
see me at first, I guess, and the col
the train. He Is mistaken about m,
giving a 'back-up' signal
OWENS story Is borne out by c
il. Covyeow, Thirty-eighth avenu
NE and Main street, another switch
man, and by Thomas Klein, 1913 Uni
versity avenue, the gateman statione
at the crossing.
Street Car Crews Account.
The street car men, in charge of tn
wrecked car, insist that they were no
to blame for the accident. Levi An
derson, ITO Raymond avenue, st. An
thony Park, says:
when we came up to the crossin
the gates were down and we waite
for the freight train to pass. got OF
and went ahead to flag the car owe
The crossing. The train pulled u
above the crossing, the gateman raise
the gates, and I signaled the ca
across. I paid little attention to tn
train, but just as the car was crossing
saw the train backing up.
signaled the driver to stop the car, bu
just as I did so he saw the train him
Self and reversed his car and put o
the air. The car came to a standstil
and just as it did, the train struck
and turned it over on the side.
did not suspect any danger, for whe
the gates were UP we had the right c
way
Alexander Alickson, As Hunt stree
st. Anthony Park, driver of the cal
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