The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1906-06-04
Seven ARE killed
in TROLLEY accident
SHOCKING DISASTER no HAPPY
PARTY RETURNING FROM
OUTING.

Heavy Car Jumps Track at Sharp
Curve Near PrOvidence-Turns Over
ON Its Side and PiniOns Victims I'm
der It--score Seriously and Another
Score Slightly Injured-MOtOrman an
Experienced Man but Unfamiliar
with the Particular Line He Was
Running On.
Providence, r. T., June 5.-Eleven per-
sons are dead, a score seriously, and
another score slightly, injured, as the
result of the overturning of a crowded
electric car at Moore's corner in East
Providence early this morning. More
than 100 young men and women who
had been passing the evening at Cres-
cent park, pleasure resort on the
Providence river, six miles below this
city, were on a chartered car returning
ITO their homes in this city, Olneyville
and Thornton. 1t is believed that two
of the injured will die, The dead;
George Atcherson, twenty years,
Thornton, r.. I.
Edward E. Brennan, eighteen years,
Cranston, r. /.
Alice F'rabklin, seventeen years,
Thornton.
Bnrico Gamboni, twenty-three years,
Thornton.
John Gavin, twenty years. Provi-
dencc.
Angelo Germann, thirty years, Thorn
ton.
Gustave Guertin, twenty-five years,
Olneyvilc.
William W. Luther, twenty-seven
years, Providence.
Bertha M. Kelley, eighteen years,
Thornton.
John Schneider, nineteen years, Oh
neyville, R. I.
Ethel Whitley, nineteen years, Prov
idence.
The wreck occurred on the Suburban
line Of the Rhode Island company, a
corporation that controls practically all
the street railway lines in the state.
The motorman in charge of the car, w.
.. Laucher Of Olneyville, although ex-
perienced in his calling, was unfamiliar
with the road, over which he was trav-
cling for the first time. Laucher was
put in charge of the car at the solicit
tation of the passengers, members of a
Catholic society," which had been to
Crescent park for an outing. The car,
an open one of heavy build, was crowd
ed with young men and women. The
members Of the party were singing
gaily as the car sped along towards
Moore's corner, where Warren and
Pawtucket avenue cross. This corner
is midway between Providence and
Riverside, and Is about six miles dis
tant from the city.
At Moore's corner the track curves
sharply at the foot Of a long, but not
particularly heavy grade. Fog prevent
ed clear view of the road ahead, and
an electric lamp at the corner is said to
have been hardly visible at O'Clock
this morning, the hour at which the ac-
cident happened. The motorman, unable
to see far in front of the car and un-
aware of the sarp curve below, allowed
the car to coast rapidly down the hill.
The first intimation of an accident
was when the motorman felt the car
swing into the curve. Realizing the
peril he applied the brakes anr reversed
the power In an affort to prevent an
accident. The weight of a number of
men on the running board and the mo-
mentum sufficed to derail the great car
and throw it into the road twenty feet
from the track, where 1t fell on it's side
between a tree and guide post.
Seven of the passengers were pinion-
ed beneath the car and instantly killed.
The shrieks and groans of other pas
sengers gave evidence of terrible in
juries.
Immediately those who escaped with
little or no injury began the work of
rescue. Within a few moments large
3oist lying within a nearby dooryard
was utilized as lever pile of stones
forming fulcrum, and the car was
raised from the ground just enough to
permit the escape Of its imprisoned
passengers. Two persons had succeed
ed in escaping when the joist broke
under the weight of the car, and the
heavy vehicle fell back to the ground
pinioning two passengers beneath its
weight and killing them instantly.
The rescuers again raised the car
from the ground, and, by building a
pile of heavy stone, kept it in posi-
ton while the dead and injured were
removed.
The news of the accident spread rap
idly through Olneyville and Thornton,
and relatives and friends 1ocked to the
scene, fearing the worst on account of
the exaggerated rumors.
Motorman Laucher was not arrested.
The police authorities said that the
1notorman was not guilty of negligence
in their opinion, inasrnuch as he was
unfamiliar with the line, and did not
know of the curve The car was in
charge of Conductor Joseph McQuaide,
who received serious injuries.
Fighting in Morocco.