The Savannah morning news., 1904-03-27
BLINDING FLASH
CAUSED PANIC
RUSHED FROM TROLLEY CAR.
-FOUR INJURED, AND MISS LULU
MATTHEW'S WILL PROBABLY DIE.

NFAEc over G' * W. 6eAr Car ON kSWSt
Broad Snapped Late and the Pas-
sengers on Car Were Frightened
by the Flash and RepOrt-TNvO
Young Ladies' Among the Injured.
All the Passengers Were Terror
Stricken and Fled From Rapidly
Moving Car Except Two and
They Were Unburt.
Through the breaking of a trolley
wire over E. G. w. belt car No. at
Taylor and East Broad streets late
yesterday afternoon, there was a panic
Rmong the passengers and four were
injured, one fatally.
Another may die, though the doctors
cay his injuries are not necessarily
fatal
Miss Lula Matthews, of No. 521 LIB
erty street east had her skull frac-
dured. She was carried to st. Jo-
seph's Hospital in an unconscious con-
dition, bleeding profusely from the
wound in the back of her head and
from the ears. AT a late hour she
no hope is entertained for her recov-
cry.
Miss Belle Eaddy, her companion, also
of No. 521 Liberty street, east. was
thrown to the ground and badly
bruised. There is a scar lengthwise on
her forehead, where her head struck
the pavement, and her right arm and
hips were badly bruised. Miss Eady
was sent to her home in a cab imme-
ries are painful, but not serious.
Frank Roberts, a negro laborer in
the employ Of the Seaboard Air Line,
who lives at No. 664 West Boundary
street, received several ugly scalp
wounds. He is also badly bruised
on his left side, and is thought to have
received internal injuries. His condi-
ton is serious, but he has chance
for recovery. He was carried to the
Georgia Inflrmary.
A negro woman was also hurt.
Her arm was sprained and
she was bruised about the head. She
Geft in a cab Immediately after the
accident and could not be located.
There were only two other pas
sengers on the car. They kept their
seats and were uninjured.
Trolley Wire snapped.
The car was going north in
charge of Conductor L. Z. Sims
and Motorman w. H. Futch. The
car was between Taylor and Gordon
streets when the trolley wire overhead
snapped. There was a flash, and the
passengers thought the whole car was
ablaze, and made a rush to get off.
Conductor Sims caught Miss Mat
thews and tried to prevent her jump
ing, but she broke away from him.
The passengers were scattered along
the street as they fell, though all but
Miss Matthews and Roberts were soon
on their feet. A large crowd soon
gathered. Both ambulances white and
colored, were sent for and the two per-
sons seriously injured were taken to
the hospitals.
The car was out of service for thir-
fy-seven minutes by reason of the ac-
cident. The trolley wire was repaired
within that time, and the schedule was
then resumed. There was no injury
to the car.
Miss Matthews and Miss Eaddy are
both employed at Warehouses; fac
tory. Miss Eaddy is a daughter of
Mr.. and Mrs. S. l.. Eaddy, of No.
521 Liberty street. east. Miss Mat
thews is an orphan girl from South
Carolina. She boards with the Eaddy
family, and the two girls work to-
gether. They were returning from work
when the accident occurred.
Story of Victim.
Miss Eaddy was seen at her home
and told what she could of the acci-
dent.
The wire popped, and there was fire
all around" she said, still somewhat
excited from her experience. After
the wire popped and the fire appeared
] don't know exactly what all hap
pened. 1 tried to get out of the back
door and couldn't. l went to the front
door and got out that way. / don't
know anything about what happened,
except that the wire broke and curled
all up
Miss Eaddy says she does not re-
member seeing Miss Matthews, her
companion, at all until after it was all
over. Miss Matthews was then laying
unconscious on the pavement. and
people We're making efforts to restore
her by bathing her face with water.
81 didn't see any one after the wire
popped, except the motorman," she
said, land / don't know how / got by
him.
The report that was heard was the
breaking out of the circuit. After the
writhing, live trolley wire struck the
tracks, the circuit on which the car
was moving was dead" There is an
arrangement whereby the circuit is
knocked out whenever a trolley wire
gets down. and comes in contact with
the tracks. After the wire hit the
tracks it was harmless.
When the wire broke the car was
moving rapidly. The live wire struck
the conductor across tine wrist and
burned him slightly. There was
Hash from the wire that led the pas
sengers to believe the car was on fire.
and this was followed by a report
when the wire struck the track.
Two negroes who remained in the
car escaped injury.