The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-09-05
STREET CAR
HIT HEARSE
Funeral Collision
at Railway
Station.
Pallbearer Injured by
the Overturning
Vehicle.
Coffin Broken But New One
Was Secured and Burial
Services Finished.

AS the procession for the funeral OF
the wife of Frank Joseph, of Quarry
and Alapai streets. was nearing the
railway station early yesterday after
noon a distressing accident occurred.
The hearse was in collision with a
Rapid Transit car and was smashed
up. while the coffin containing Mrs.
Joseph's remains was reduced to kim
ding wood, although the body was not
greatly disturbed. The driver of the
hearse, August Perry, was thrown from
his seat and is said to have been
slightly injured, and Antoine Medeiros
Jr.. pallbearer. was hit by the over
turning hearse and cut about the head.
other pallbearers had narrow escapes.
A new coffin was hastily procured and
the remains were taken to the Pearl
city cemetery by a later train.
According to j. P. Rego Jr., one of
the pallbearers, the funeral possession
was moving down Aala lane, from
Beretania street to the Railway sta
ton on King street, at about two
o'clock yesterday afternoon 1t had
been intended to ship the remains by
the 2:15 train to Pearl City. The funeral
procession was made up OF a hack,
carrying the priest. two lines of men,
the hearse, with pallbearers walking
on either side of it, and following this
a number of carriages containing
mourners and friends of the deceased.
To reach the railway station from
Aala lane the procession had to cross
King street, which contains both the
Kalihi and Liliha street tracks of the
Rapid Transit. The Liliha street tracks
are on the mauka side of the street and
at the time the funeral was passing
through Aala lane car No. 20 of the
Liliha street line was coming toward
the city from Liliha street.
Rego states that the hack occupied
by the priest and two lines of men
had passed across the tracks. He was
walking with the other pallbearers be-
side the hearse and as the hearse was
just crossing the tracks they noticed
the Rapid Transit car coming toward
them. He says the palIbearers realized
that a collision might occur and shout
ed to thu driver of the hearse, August
Ferry, to hurry, while others shouted
for the car to stop to allow the process
sion to pass. He says the car was too
close. however, and it was realized that
the hearse would be hit by the car.
The driver, Rego says, excitedly tried
to get his horses across and the pail
bearers on the Eva side of the hearse,
who could see the approaching car,
ran out of the way. The car hit the
rear wheel of the hearse and in
twinkling had turned it completely
over, throwing the driver from his seat,
pulling down one of the horses and
breaking the plate glass sides OF the
1earse AS the hearse went over 1t
lit paIlbearer Antoine Medeiros and
urned the coffin over, breaking off all
he walls of the coffin.
Patrick Rego, another pallbearer, got
he body out of the wrecked hearse, !
.arrying it on the bottom board of the
.offin Willing hands Immediately took
he body into one of the waiting rooms
# the station and it was laid out there
o await the arrival of another coffin, .
While many Portuguese women and |
children gathered around the body in |
he waiting room.
Outside in the street there was trem- !
ndous excitement. Men. women ana
hildren to the number of four or five |
thousand, it is said, gathered at the
Gene of the accident within a few |
For a few minutes there
eemed to be danger that the Portu-
uese would do bodily harm to the con-
uctor and motorman Of car 20. but the :,
olice were teIephoned for and soon re-
tored order. The motorman removed
he bent fender of his car, secured the
ames of the injured and witnesses to
he accident, and with one of the in
AIRED men proceeded on his way. The
roken hearse was Immediately remov-
a from the street although plenty OF
roken plate glass remained there for
ome time.
c. E. Williams. father of Henry VIII
ans, had charge of the funeral. He
cted promptly and within a few min
ties had q handsome new coffin at the