The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1906-08-27

Rounds OF 70 Broad street was also sum-
nored.
The most coherent story OF the accident
from any member OF the party was given
by Mayor Samuel Fregeau. Rock Island,
Canada. brother OF the dead inspector.
who had formed one OF the auto party
1--WE were approaching the crossing,
when the nagman sngnalled from quite
a distance" he said. I'VE stopped the ma
chine.
Just ac a car crossed the way from
Providence the fagman signalled again.
We thought IL meant 10 go ahead. We
started up, having hardly any speed, and
were barely moving over the crossing
when the car came up in the direction OF
Providence.
Il saw the car coming and shouted
| 10 the chauffeur. We were one the cross
| ing. however. and could not stop the ma
chine.
"The next thing knew the car struck
us pulled US along 70 feet or so. when II
stopped, and all OF us except those on
the front seat were thrown out back
wards
1--WE landed on the tracks and was
| badly shaken up
Mrs Fregeau said that the hagman at
| the crossing motioned for them TO cross
| by a peculiar wave OF the flag. She rec
| ognized that this motion might have also
| been understood by the motorman as
signal 10 pass the crossing. as the car
! made no stop until after IL had come in
contact with the auto.
! Mayor Fregeau. Just as soon as his In
| iuries could be treated. hurried 10 Fall
| River 10 deliver important papers 10 Mar
shal Hilliard. chief OF police, as his broth
| er's first thought had been OF the papers
| in his pocket The mayor then returned
| 70 this city where he was interviewed
concerning the cause OF the accident.
other eyewitnesses differed in detil only
! Domenico Olinero. the crossing tender
said he stopped the machine 20 permit the
| passage OF the two Rocky Point cars
| and that after these had gone by. waved
| a flag warning TO the automobile that an
other car was approaching from the op-
| poslte direction.
This warning, he said. they did not
| heed. pressing forward. the machine
| striking him and inflicting a slight wound
which he showed in corroboration Of his
story. The machine started, went across
| he told the medical eXamlner,( despite
! his warning.
James Washington OF 81 Potter avenue
was walking toward the track. looking
! directly at the machine and about 100
| feet from II when the collision came. He
said he saw the aagman standing on the
| track after the Rocky Point car had
passed. and saw him waving his flag. but
! whether as a signal for the automobile
to cross the tracks or to stop he could
not tell
James b. Morse. who lives on Waite
| avenue. on the outskirts OF Edgewood
was close beside the track on the west
side. He says that he saw the crossing
| tender cross the tracks, standing on that
| side and stopping the automobile until
the Rocky Point cars had passed. Then
| the tender waved his flag and the auto
| mobile started forward Just as the But
| tonwoods car came on at high speed.
The Buttonwoods car whistled for the
| crossing. but the boy thought no one saw
| this car. Then came the crash. the rear
scat separating from the machine and In
| spector Fregeau being thrown with his
| back and legs under the wreck. The boy
| says he saw the hagman wave his flag
parallel with the road and nnt-up- and
down the tracks after the Rocky Point
car had passed. but he would not have
thought II an invitation TO start the ma
| chine forward.
Traffic over the line was interrupted
| for hours as a result OF the collision
| schedules of all cars bound beyond the
| crossing being dsarranged TO the great
| inconvenience of thousands OF visitors TO
Rocky Point and other points on the east
! shore.
The auto was a complete wreck. The
back part OF the machine, including the
| tonneau. broke off from the front when
the collision came, and this probably
| saved the lives Of the women OF the party
/ who were In the rear seat.
| The left front step OF the car was
| smashed, the switch bar was bent at right
! angles underneath and some OF the under
braces were bent by the force OF the coll
lision, but the car was not disabled.
|
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