Los Angeles herald., 1905-11-14
DERA|LED CAR
ENDANGERS LIFE
CoLEGR0vE PASSENGERS ARE
lMPERlLED
Rails Spread and Big Electric Crashes
Across Bridge on the crosstles.
Motorman Sticks 6raveIy
to His Post

Passengers on outward bound Cole
grove car No. 1913 on the Los Angeles
Pacific line, which left the Fourth
street station at 715 Sunday evening,
are congratulatlng themselves on their
escape from serious injury, IL not
death.
The rails spread and the trucks OF
the big electric car struck the cross
ties at q point n few feet before the
car reached the small bridge just west
of Ivanhoe junction.
Fortunately, the motorman had
checked his car on the down grade,
so that when the truck was derailed
the coach ran but a few yards before
stopping.
The few seconds during which the
wheels were humping over the ties
were fraught with great anxiety to the
passengers. There were but few
patrons on board the car, and the time
was too brief for them to become
panic stricken and attempt to jump.
This is the third time cars have been
derailed at that point About two
years ago this bridge was the scene
of an accident in which one woman
lost her life and others were injured.
Motorman Shows Bravery
The second derailment occurred less
than a year ago, and on that occasion,
as on Sunday night, the derailed car
ran across the bridge on the sleepers.
| The deep serrations made by the
| flanges of the car wheels on the occa-
sion of both accidents can be plainly
seen.
A passenger who was on the derailed
electric Sunday night said he felt GER
tain the car was going to plunge from
the bridge.
"The motorman's coolness and
bravery were all that saved u.s." said
the passenger. ''IIe stood there and
applied his air brakes and reversed
the controller while the trucks bumped
over those ties, threatening every sec
ond to plunge us off twenty foot
embankment or through that little
wooden bridge.
IT wouldn't have blamed him IL he
had Jumped. His life would have been
sacrificed If the car had turned turtle,
which 1t might easily have done.
The conductor also stuck to his
post, though there was really moth
ing for him to do. The car ran about
forty feet, but stopped Just after the
truck cleared the bridge"
A railroad man who has had many
years of experience examined the
bridge at the scene of the accident.
GuardraII Is SpIintered
He said last night: "It is almost a
miracle that the car did not plunge
off the bridge"
"The scars on the bridge ties and
guard rail tell the story" he continued.
1.-The bridge is a wooden affair and the
guard rail Is also of wood. It's won
der the wheels didn't ride the guard
rail-"
But the guard rail was sufficient
to keep the wheels from running off
the end of the bridge ties was it not?"
suggested a man who was listening
to the conversation.
Eyes, and that's the remarkable
thing about it," said the railroad man.
IT examined the guard rail Monday
afternoon and found 1t held to the ties
by four bolts. The nuts on three of
these bolts are not tightened. The only
one that is tight is on the bolt at the
end where the guard rail resisted the
impact of the wheel Sunday night.
The guard rail at that end Is splint-
cred and shows evidence of the strain
it withstood."
do you consider the bridge safe?"
was asked.
GO out and look at 1t YOURSELF"
was the railroad mans reply. "Stay
there and watch it when a car goes
across it."
superintendent T. r. Gabel of the
Los Angeles-Pacific said last night:
"I have not heard of any accident
Nothing of the sort has been report
ed. So far as I know, the bridges are
all in good condition"