Los Angeles herald., 1906-10-14
DEFECTIVE BRAKE
CAUSES DEATHS
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attorney would take up most of any
judgment you might win. I am agent
for the company. Sign here, and I
will give you hundred dollars and
That worked in some cases where
a Mexican or an extremely poor man
or woman was dealt with, but all who
had any possible chance to fight a
case refused even to give their names
to the claim agents.
Yesterday, when information was
sought by anxious relatives at the
Pacific Electric building where many
of the victims had been taken, they
were met with rebuff and no inforIna-
ton was given. In the temporary
hospital rooms of the company the
examinations were made by company
physicians and the relatives were left
in doubt as to the extent of injuries
of their loved ones until the claim
agents had chance to get In their
work. "a
Requests from newspaper men for
names of victims so that the public
might know of the accident were met
with cold reception by physicians and
officials. Many employees practically
admitted that they had been instruct
ed to conceal the details of the acci-
dent as well as the names Of the in
jured. A petition to the claim agents
department. brought forth an uncalled
for humor on the part of the railway
officials. -
Copy Papers List
3 They had been requested to give up
the names of the injured, and Depart
ing from their usual rule they prom
ised to give out a list in the afternoon.
In the Afternoon they did give out a
list Of injured, but by comparison 1t
was learned that the list had evidently
been copied from evening papers lists,
for trivial mistakes in the spelling of
names appeared In both lists.
According to the statement of one
police officer, he placed five badly in
jured men aboard a car and ordered
the car to go to First and Broadway,
where the patients could be rushed to
medical attention at the receiving hos
pital At Temple street, according to
his statements an inspector boarded
the car and ordered the car to pro-
ceed to the company's offices and nos
pital at the Pacific Electric building,
where the victims could be Interviewed
by the claim agents
The officer did not fully appreciate
his authority and allowed the car with
its suffering freight to be slowly taken
the network of city traffic to
the company's Offices
The wreck occurred at o'clock yes
terday mornin" just east Of Macy ana
Bridge streets. Time after time it has
been petitioned that the dangerous
stretch of track on Brooklyn avenue
be patched up or fixed. In the center
Of steep grade on Brooklyn av enue
the tracks. SO arranged because of the
construction OF the street, curve and
twist in what Is known as the goose
neck curve, while below is a full curve.
Car is Crowded
Yesterday morning car 11S westbound
and crowded with early morning pas
sengers. topped the incline. There Were
about sixty passengers registered and
both platforms were crowded and all
standing room taken.
MotorInan H. G. Bowders, a veteran
and ono OF the most careful men on the
run, was In charge of the car, while
the conductor was q new man, having
been at work only q few days.
The car had scarcely topped the
grade before the motorman saw that
was wrong. He threw on the
air bra Ike only to,find 1t useless, for one
OF the brake shoes mad broken Off and
the air apparatus was useless with
out It.
In desperation the motorman re-
versed. but at that moment the trolley
left the wire and the car started down
the hill, lurchlng.
Look out, boys. and don't get panic
stricken" called Bowders as he re-
leased the emergency brake and threw
his weight against tt In an effort to