The San Francisco call., 1905-02-13
FrdnkKGttlenan.
Vefu Low and
Mdu Not Live.
SKULL FRACTURED
Railroad Offers
Coin to Several
Of the Manned

An overcrowded car on the Sutro
Electric line jumped the track at the
Parker avenue and California street
curve yesterday afternoon and caused
injury to thirteen persons, one of
whom, Frank Kettleman, a bookkeeper
for Sperry & Co.'S flour mill at
Stockton. may die. Mrs. Kettle
man, who WaS-Seated beside her huS-
band when the accident occurred, was
thrown from the car and struck on her
head. She is among those seriously in
jured. The other eleven passengers
were pitched violently from the outside
seats or thrown against the doors of
the car. In an instant there was a
panic and women struggled with men
to clear themselves of the mass of
shrieking wounded and hysterical
women.
fortunately the Children's Hospital
is diagonally across the street from the
scene of the accident. and the hospital
attendants were quickly summoned to
render assistance to the injured With
the help of the unhurt passengers the
wounded were removed to the hospital,
where they received medical attention.
kettleman was suffering from a frac-
tured skull and sstrrnaf injuries and
it was at first tneaght that he had
been killed outright. His wife was
found lying beside him unconscious and
near her was c. S. Holmes, who had
accompanied the Kettlemans on pros
pective trip to the park. Holmes was
cut over the right eye and stunned by
the blow.
Miss Mary Doyle and Mrs Morris
Greenberg were senseless. The former
on recovering said that she knew moth
ing of what had happened from the
time the curve was struck until she
found herself in the hospital Mrs.
Burgoyne was able to take care of her.
self, although suffering from painful
bruises.
Mrs ]. B. Day and her daughter, after
being treated for slight bruises, re-
turned to their home on Howard street
on the next inbound car, as did M. A.
Sheets, who lives at the new Western
Hotel, and two men who refused to
give their names.
CAR AT HIGH SPEED.
The motorman Of the unlucky car
was O. H. Pike. He was bringing his
car down the grade toward Parker ave-
nue. on the westward trip. According
to his official time this was at 1852 p.
M, the time he was due at Parker
avenue or thereabouts. He says that
he was not going very fast" This
statement, however, is contradicted by
witnesses who saw the car approaching
the curve at a great speed. The car
was one of the large double -ender
Sutro motors and was filled with pas
sengers, many of whom were hanging
on the outside and maintaining a pre-
carious foothold on the steps.
Conductor H. r. Poland was at the
rear end of the car and did not notice
that the conveyance was going faster
than is customary on approaching the
| curve. Pike must have lost control of
| the brakes when about half way down
| the grade on account of the unusual
weight Of human freight. According to
/ a lad named Eddie Folk, who saw the
car approaching Parker avenue, it sud-
| denly shot downward as if released
| from the hold of the brakes and In a
| few seconds was over the tracks and
plunging along on the rough roadbed
| of California street.
] That the car must have been running
| at a high rate Of speed is made evil
dent by the marks of the wheels shown
| for a distance Of twenty feet in the
roadway The car ran its length over
| the curve, plowed into the sand and
| came to a sudden stop several yards
clear Of the rails. A wrecking crew
| from the United Railroad shops had
/ considerable difficulty getting it back
! back to the Fillmore street barns. The
car was not greatly damaged.
SETTLING WITH THE INJURED.
While the nurses and doctors at the
Children's Hospital were helping the
wounded to the wards, Policemen Wis
kotchiIl and Fulwider of the O'Far-
rell-street station, who were on duty
AT California street and Presidio ave-
nue., and Mounted Patrolman Mum
were Informed Of the accident and i'm
mediately reported at the hospital and
placed Motorman Pike under arrest,
bending instructions from headquar-
! ters. Detectives Dinan and Coleman
!: were sent out by the central office and
allowed Pike to go. In the meantime
DR.. McElroy and a corps of railroad
J surgeons arrived and with them came
several inspectors for the railroad,
who took it upon themselves to give
:! orders that no one should be allowed
!, 70 see the wounded. They were about
with documents attempting to get the
injured persons to make cash settle
rnents even before the bandages were
| on their wounds.
Mr.. and Mrs. Morris Greenberg were
offered 81 as balm for their injuries
Being ignorant that the law In such
matters would protect them in civil
suit for damages, they finally accepted
IS15 and departed after signing an
agreement of some kind protecting the
railroad. One of the inspectors was
exceedingly impudent.
Among the principal witnesses who
! were found by the police were: J. C,