The San Francisco call., 1904-04-11
Terrible Disaster on Electric Line
in Santa Barbara.
Special Dispatch to The CALI

SANTA BARBARA, April 10.-A troll
ley car accident which resulted fatally
for five persons and in which nearly
thirty more were injured occurred this
morning near the Old Mission. a car
load Of worshipers returning from
church being dashed to the ground by
the overturning OF the car at sharp
curve.
At 11.50 o'clock a car carrying about
12o passengers got beyond the control
Of the motorman, and after mad race
down the steep grade, left the rails at
the second curve encountered. and
turned completely over, burying it's
load OF human freight beneath a mass
of splintered wood and twisted iron.
-Four persons were killed outright and
over a score were seriously injured.
One lived only a few hours.
The wreck was a frightful one and
several of the willing helpers who were
soon on the scene tainted at the shock
ing sight. The car was one of up-to-
date construction and thoroughly
equipped. IT was almost new. having
been on the road only about a week.
II was in charge of Victor Kelton. an
experienced motorman of good stand
ing with the company, and William
Newell, conductor. The car was as
large as any in use in the State and
similar to those generally operated for
long suburban trips. 1t was fitted with
air brakes, as we'll as the heavy ratchet
hand brakes.
DISASTER AT A CURVE.
The end of the street car line is stu
ated almost at the gates of the Mis-
sion, a steep hill extending for about
blpplrc n q Oh The grade
continues for another block and then
takes another sharp turn on to Garden
street. 1t was at this second curve
that the accident occurred.
An unusually large crowd was at
tending services at the Mission, the
occasion being the first mass said by
Father Florian Zettel who was or
over the crowd made a dash for the
car waiting at the top Of the grade,
and in moment il was loaded to the
steps, the passengers being crushed
against one another in the aisles.
The heavily laden car started and
had not gone block before il got be-
yond the control of the motorman. The
supposition is that he did not realize
the dangerous speed of the car until
it was too late to stop the headway At
the first curve the car lifted, but set
tied down again. but so great was the
speed that a dozen persons were
hurled of at the turn. IT was not un-
til this hair-raising turn was made
that the passengers, mostly women and
children, realized the danger, and a
panic at once began. The shrieking
women made frantic efforts to get to
the doors. Motorman Kelton applied
the full force of the air and locked the
wheels and Conductor Newell set the
hand brakes, but the heavy load and
the momentum caused the car TO slide
with unabated speed. As a last re-
course Kelton reversed the current,
but even this had no effect, whatever,
and almost before the passengers re-
allied it the car struck the second
curve and turned turtle. sliding on its
side into the curb and bringing up with
the roof against a telegraph pole.
The shock hurled every one on the
outside Of the car into the air and
when they struck the ground the car
itself slid over them, crushing and
grinding them under its weight. Those
inside the car were not badly hurt, the