The San Francisco call., 1904-04-22
Cable Dummy Of the Lar
kin Street Line Crashes
With Terrific Force Into
a Big Electric Vehicle
ONE OF PASSENGERS
is BADLY INJURED
Intense Excitement Caused
by the Accident and Big
Crowd of Excited Citizens
Block the ThOroughfares

More than a score of persons miracu-
! lously escaped instant death in col
lision last evening between car 1914
of the Ellis and O'Farrell street cleo
/ trio line and dummy 2S of the Polk
and Larkin street cable line at Ellis
and Larkin streets. AS it was. one
man had his foot crushed and another
man and a woman we're severely
shaken UP.
The collision occurred at $50 o'clock.
The Larkin street dummy crashed
headlong into the center of the Ellis
street vehicle. Both cars were crowd
ed. The accident was probably due
to defective brakes on the cable car,
for according to statements made by
the gripman and eyewitnesses, the for
mer did his best to stop his car, but
the brakes refused to work and the
collision followed. The injured are:
David Robinson, 1896 Webster street,
compound fracture of the right ankle;
Frank Johnson, 1913 Baker street and
Edna Courier, 1876 Larkin street, both
shaken up; all passengers on the Lar
kin street car.
Intense excitement was caused by the
accident and a few minutes after the
crash the streets were lined with peo-
pie. Fully 1000 gathered on the scene.
Patrolmen were dispatched from all
parts of the city and the large squad
of reserve officers was kept busy for
an hour keeping back the crowds. A
detachment of the Signal corps of the
National Guard happened along short
1y after the accident and did good
work in keeping order.
The Ellis street car was on it's way
down town and carried fully 100 pas
sengers. The Larkin street car was
south bound and was loaded with peo-
pie on their way to the drill of the
knights Templar at the Mechanics
Pavilion. 1t is estimated that at least
$50 persons were on the car at the
time. Many were thrown to the ground
and others saved themselves by jump
ing before the crash came.a
CARS COME TOGETHER.
According to the best information,
the accident was not the result of neg
ligence. The Ellis street car stopped
at the west side of the crossing,
the company The Larkin street
car was approaching at a rapid
rate of speed Motorman Van
Eman of the electric car was signaled
by the conductor to go ahead, but as
he started some one shouted that there
was a woman trying to board the car
The motorman applied the air brakes,
brought the big vehicle to a standstil
and allowed the woman to get aboard
He started the car in motion again
and, glancing to his left, saw the Lar
kin street car bearing down on him
and but a few feet away.
Van Eman at once applied the cur
rent in an endeavor to pass the cross
ing and avoid collision, but he was
too late, for the approaching car struck
the electric car nearly in the middle.
Van Eman then tried to start his car
again and get out of the way, but it
was closely wedged in and would not
move.
All the passengers of the Ellis street
car managed to escape when the crash
came. Some were thrown to the
ground. but escaped injury. When
they realized that no one on their car
tric car turned their attention to those
on the cable car.
Johnson, Robinson and Miss Cour-
rier, the three injured passengers on
the cable car, were pinned down under
the wreckage and it was fully half an
hour before they were taken from
their perilous positions. All were bad
ly frightened and made frantic efforts
to release themselves, but were held
fast by the debris.
ATTEMPTS TO PASS TRACKS.
Two fire alarms were turned in and
trucks 3, 4 and 10 hastened to the scene
of the collision, and began the work of
releasing the three injured passengers,
but before these were finally taken from
their places of Imprisonment 1t was
necessary to cut away the platform of
the car.
Motorman ]. e. Van Eman, in charge
of the electric car, made the following
statement:
I'VE were on time and l came to
full stop at the west side of the cross
ing The shades were drawn and