Los Angeles herald., 1905-12-25
JUDGE D. K. TRASK
NARROWLY ESCAPES
DEATH IN COLLISION

The runaway car was seen by many
people on the streets. Presiding Judge
d. X. TraSk of the superior court barely
escaped death as he crossed but n sec
ond before the roaring monster dashed
by.
Richard Garvey, jr. and several of
his friends were standing at Second
and Broadway as the car swept past
and they were among the first to reach
the scene of the accident.
II heard the car coming" said Gar.
vey, land the moment looked UP l
saw what was the trouble. The motor
man of West Seventh street car
seemed to hear the roar at the same
moment and with desperate energy he
threw off the brakes and brought his
car to a standstill before it reached
the tracks in the path of the run
away.
THE suction was something fearful
as the car with all lights lit whizzed
down. took the tracks at Second and
Broadway in a single bound and dashed
on to destruction.
IT managed to board the runaway
among the first. The floor of that and
of the other car had been broken in
and some of the people were down on
the trucks. We carried several to the
drug store but most of them We're
either unconscious or screaming fran
tically.
THE interior of both cars looked like
shambles and every window and all
the seats were battered and twisted"
All Still as Death
II boarded the Hollywood car near
the hotel in that city yesterday after
noon.'' said F. w. Downer, one of the
victims. when we reached Second
and Spring streets 1 was sitting and
because of the crowd | could not see
or hear what was going on. Suddenly
heard great noise and then the
people seemed to be shocked with terror,
for all of them seemed to Stiffen.
"Of course 1 couldn't see what was
going on, so I looked at them for IL
second; then came a terrific crash and
1 felt the car leap from the tracks and
stagger and we went down in darkness.
For just moment there was not
sound in that car and it seemed as If
every one had been killed outright, then
a little girl shrieked and Immediately
there came one wild yell of terror and
fright and felt the people piled above
me begin to kick and struggle and then
there was more screaming. / was
caught between two seats and my back
badly bruised and several minor cuts
inflicted.
Helpers over-anxious
But the trouble seemed to be that
everyone wanted to help. Men and wo-
men pounded at the windows above us
and broke them in. If they had waited
a moment we would have been able to
get out through the doors, but they
broke the windows and many of us were
cut by glass in that way. ] managed
to help several people ont through the
windows and the inside of the car
looked like shambles before we got
them all out. I think that more peo-
pie on the Hollywood car We're hurt
than on either of the other two cars"
j. w. Berrera was one of the occu-
pants of the runaway car who escaped
with light injuries.
II was on the runaway car and we
certainly came some" said Berrera.
The car seemed to be pretty we'll filed
and | and my friend were standing
on the back platform. There We're
several people on the front platform
and number on the rear, but most
of the people seemed to he inside.
we were all right until we turned
the hill and had nearly reached Hill
street on the down slide, when some-
thing seemed to give way. In a flash
we were going down that hill like
lightning, but ] think we must have
been nearly half way down before peo-
pie seemed to realize what was hap
lyzed with fear, when some on the In
side attempted to rise and at the same
time they started to shrek"
Was Terrible Experience
p. Bruno, 422 California street. was
badly bruised about the legs and back
and suffered a severe cash in the tenn
pie as result of the flying glass
After being treated in the drug store
he was taken TO his home in car,
riage, and while awaiting the DOCTOR
told of the accident.
"It was the most terrible experience
l ever passed through said Mr. Bruno.
II had just taken a seat in the car
which was standing on Second street