The San Francisco call., 1906-06-12
CAR RUNS
AWAY ON
HILLSIDE
Three Passengers Manned
and Almost Drowned
in Wreck.
Broken Hydrant Sends a
Flood Of Water Upon
the Injured.
Curve at Masonic Avenue
and Page Scene Of
Accident.

| A runaway trolley car tndt enoed tts
mad flight by jumping tracks and crash
ing into telegraph pole and a hydrdnt
at Page street and Masonic avenue yes
terday afternoon seriously injured three
| passengers, and that they were not
| drowned was due TO their heroic rescue
/ by the Rev Fathers Collins and Hener-
| nan of st. Agnes Church; Patrick Led
dy, a workman in the employ OF the
| United Railroads, and John sullivan. ?
The injured were Miss agnes Can
non and Miss Rose Crosby, telephone
operators. who have been residing since
the fire at 5752 Mission street, and w.
| ]. Elliott of lioA fremont avenue.
The accident occurred shortly after
l o'clock and was a remarkable one in
many respects. The trolley car, which
was one of the latest design. was in
bound, its route being north on Ma
sonic avenue to Page street, where a
new curve mas recently been placed to
permit ears to head downtown over
Page street. There is a steep grade on
Masonic avenue from Haight, to Page.
and Motorman w. F. Nance soon found
that his brakes were Ineffective on .ac-
count OF the slippery condition of the
tracks. He shouted to the conductor,
A. L. Orear.. to put the rear brakes on.
Orear set the bra kes. but by this time
the car was fairly flying down the
grade and nothing would hold it. One
passenger, an unknown man. seeing the
danger, jumped from the car Miss
Cannon, Miss Crosby and Elliott were
inside the car, they being the only
other passengers 4
When the curve at Page street was
reached the runaway car left the
tracks, jumped several rails and crash
ing into the telegraph pole and hydrant
referred to toppled over on its side
The two young women and Elliott were
thrown violently, cut and bruised by
flying glass and 'pinioned in the wreck
age of seats. Then they were delused
with water. the broken hydrant send
ing a geyser-like stream into the car.
The trio OF injured passengers were
helpless. The water was rising abo,,t
tn IN and to add to their horror the
doors of the car had closed firmly when
1t toppled over and made them prison
erS
fire alarm was turned in from, box
os4' but before the firen1en arrived on
the scene Fathers Collins and Hefrer
nan .s VINO were coming out of St Agnes
ohurch on Page street. rushed to the
rescue They were Joined by Patrick
Leddy and John Sullivan. engineer of
the Scobie Memorial Sanitarium.
Iney climbed upon the car. broke
In the windows and were forced "a
cilmo inside in order to release the
pinioned passengers. They were all
drenched to the skin by the big strear,
OF water. and Leddy had HIS right hand
lacerated in assisting Elliott through
the window.
The injured were immediately re-
moved to the Park Emergency Hospital
Where they were attended by Drs.
Lawlor. Ragan and Morrissey Miss
cannon had a very severe laceration
over her right eye which required Ave
stitches. We al
about the right thigh and the doctors
fear that she may be Internally injured.
MISS Crosby received some bad cuts
about the face and has big lump on
the back Of her head.
Elliott suffeyed a fracture of one of
his fingers and was cut about the arms
by glass. Elliott was able to proceed
to his home without assistance. but the
young ladies were removed to their
homes in an ambulance. Motorman
Nance and Conductor Orear were IN
injured Il
Earthquakes and fire are bad
enough said Miss Cannon. -but /
thought the end of the world had surely
come when this crash happened.
realized that we were running down
hill very fast, but never for moment
thought the car was running away |
until / saw the conductor run to the
rear of Nhe car to put on the brakes |
Then the crash came. and was stunned |
so badly that / hardly realized what |
had happened. / guess the water that |
drenched and nearly drowned us re-
yived me, for ] recognized Father Col
Inns when he came TO our rescue. My |
brother is in st. Joseph's Hospital. and I
Miss Crosby and I were asking a gen.
tleman in the car what street we should |
get off at to reach that institution.
when the accident happened" -
ficc Car Lno Hrn ffs1y- on,
police force, while Miss Crosby is I
the daughter of retired Policeman
Patrick Crosby They both lived on
Tenth street before the fre. w. J. FL |
liott is secretary of the relief commit
tee of the Modern Woodmen of America. |