New-York tribune., 1906-06-25
WRECK ON TEST TRIP.
Continued from f,rss paga

Puse happened to be standing at the foot of the
mountain and they were invited in for the first
trip In Car 1O2 Quayle took hold of the con-
troller with Flood behind him to explain the
workings of the brake, and Sivers and Marth
also were on the platform. AS the car went ur
the hill Flood had it stopped at intervals and the
emergency brake applied. The purpose of this
brake is not TO stop the when it is in notion
but to hold it after it has been stopped by the
ordinary brakes. It consists of a tongue which
touches the track under the front wheels. serv-
ing double purpose of blocking the wheels and
applying friction directly TO the surface of the
rails.
EMERGENCY BRAKE FAILS.
The brake worked all right until the car
reached a deep cut at the summit of the noun
tain. where there is the steepest grade. Here the
car started to go back, slowly at first and then
the emergency brake gripped the track and
slipped off with a series of kangaroo jumps
which madesQuayle reverse the controller. In
an instant Quayle realized that the had got
away from him and shouted My God! she's got
away from me! I can't stop herr The car
gained frightful speed in a few hundred feet
and the men in it began 10 jump for their lives.
Sivers and Marth jumped off first the former
landing in q clump of bushes, while Marth fell
on the stone ballast and received some bad cuts
Burns and Bernius jumped at Gregory avenue
which is half way down the mountain. leaping
off from the rear platform. Bernius was hurled
into a field, lacerating his scalp and skinning
his legs from the hips to the knees. Burns, who
jumped from the opposite side, fell on his face
and ploughed across the roadway, his head fetch
ing up with a smash against the little station
Of the old trolley road ar Gregory avenue. crush
ing his skull. He was alive when picked up
r1e r1,OX
right behind him. fell on the ballast and was un-
conscious when picked up. Peterson was finally
left alone on the car. He stayed the plat
form, holding fast TO the rail the dashed
down the tracks. He says he preferred taking
his chances Of being killed outright at the foot
OF the road TO a lingering and painful death
from injuries he might run from jumping.
At the foot of the hill the other was
standing and the runaway crashed into it, lift
ing II ten feet in the air and tossing it into
a lot adjoining the hotel of Frank D DAllesandro
where il travelled fifty feet and settled TO the
ground a complete wreck The runaway car
stopped in the middle of Valley Road in condl-
ton fit for the scrap heap The repair wagon
of the Public Service Corporation was standlng
at the foot of the track. but the driver saw his
peril and whipped up his horses. getting out OF
the way just in time.
Chief of Police Bamford and Detective Nc
Donough prevented the Public Service wrecking
crew from removing the debris and took Marth
and Sivers into custody. They were held dur
ing the investigation, but were not placed under
arrest 1t developed that there was no sand In
The sandbox Of the car, which might have pre-
vented the wheels from slipping.
President Frank Brewer of the traction COM
pany said that every effort had been made to
make the road safe, that Quayle had no bust
ness 10 run the car, and that instructions had
been given that only Sivers and Marth were to
run it. H said the Public Service employees mad
no right to take up the car.