Omaha daily bee., 1905-09-12
CAR FALLS TO STREET
CONTINUED from First Page)

were taken into custody. At a preliminary
hearing this afternoon all the men waived
examination.
Two versions of the cause of the wreck
were told to the coroner. One of these was
| that the switchman had set the tracks for
Sixth avenue train and when he saw hfs
mistake had attempted to recHfy it while
the train was on the curve, the change
throwing the second. third and fourth cars
off the track
The switchman, however, declares the
wrecked train had Sixth avenue signals set
and he expected it to slow down to take
the curve. Instead it maintained the speed
usual with Ninth avenue trains on the
direct line. "r rr
The curve at Fifty-third street is a sharp
one and is practically unbanked, according
to statements made today. 1t is intended
to be taken slowly and is not constructed
for higher rate of speed than six miles
an hour.
Conductors Statement.
Conductor Johnson this afternoon made a
detailed statement to Police Inspector
Flood. He said:
l was on the first platform of the second
car We had just left Thirty-ninth street
and were going at fair rate of speed as
1t is long run to Fiftieth street. The car
was pretty well crowded. There were a
number of men on the platform and I'm the
aisle of the second car There We're a
number of shop girls, who were laughing
When We reached the curve the first car
went on and the second and third cars
went together like jackknife, sticking
right up in the air and practically closing
against each other. In consequence, from
where / was on the front platform Of the
second car at the start l was dropped TO
the rear platform of the first car. Then
the second car dropped to the street
held N a no irpn nd
straight up in the air. l saw girls and
women climbing over the seats of the car
that they might escape.
Being an old railroader l pulled out my
watch and looked at it, II was exactly 7OS
a. m; The signals We're set wrong. That
! yellow, which is for a Sixth avenue train.
Bail was accepted for all the railroad
men under arrest late tonight.
Policeman Tells of Accident.
Policeman Edward Moran, who was in.
| Jured, was standing beneath the structure
when the accident happened, He leaped
when he heard the crash overhead and
escaped death.
Il turned around and saw the car coming
to the street." he said. 1T fell with a
crash on its forward end. The bottom
crashed and the sides shiyered and opened
out, The people were jamped forward,
holding to the straps and mixed up to-
gether.
When the sides broke out they were
scattered all over the street. These were
the lucky ones. Those who could not get
out were the worst injured.
Il saw there was awful work ahead so I
ran 70 Fifty-frst street and turned in an
alarm. Then sent in call for all the
ambulances and asked for police reserves.
LAS l ran back l called for help from
wagons Of all sorts. When l got back the
I I'D.
lifted them into grocery wagon, trucks
anything handy and hurried them to Roose-
welt hospital. Many Of them were women.
/ They had tainted and IL looked as If nearly
| all were dead
When the fremen came they began
dragging people out Of the car. The
further down they got into the mass of
/ humanity the slower the work became and
the more serious were the wounds Of
those rescued.
Finally axes had to be used to get
| the people from under the wreckage. At
that stage they began to pull out the
| dead"
| MOtOFman Assaulted.
The excitement among those in the de-
rallied cars on the structure as they real
lied what happened became intense.
In the forward car the men. deeming the
motorman was responsible for the wreck
| attacked him and tried to beat him He
| was dragged from his seat, but he
shouted for fair play and convinced the
| crowd that II was the switehman and not
i he that was responsible.
w. c. job lson, a passenger on the train,
| said Of the accident:
| l WAS sitting on the second car OF the
| train reading q paper when all Of a sud
l den the lights went out and everyone
/ was thrown 10 one side. The next thing
| | knew ! was thrown out OF the door and
| landed In the street striking against a
woman. This probably saved my life.
During the corOner's preliminary exam
nation, Conductor J. W. johnson said; 4.
4 Coroner. YOU can go up on the elevated
| road at FOFty-third street and Ninth ave-
i ~ and sec for yourself You will hnd
- iha sighal Is yellow and green. which