Los Angeles herald., 1906-08-25
MOT0RMEN, SAVE
THE APPARATUS!
FIRE COMMISSION WANTS THE
COUNCIL TO ACT
Hope TO Have an Ordinances Adopted
to Prevent Collisions Between
Cars, Engines and Reels
Hereafter

The serious injuries received by three
members Of engine company No. last
Saturday when the engine was wrecked
by Main street car No. Sst promises to
result in drastic measures being taken
by the city to prevent such collisions
in future.
At the meeting of the fire commission
yesterday morning a committee was
appointed to confer with the city at
torney and see IL an ordinance could
not be found under which the city
prosecutor could bring action against
the motormen for damaging city prop
erty, and II not to have one framed
for future use.
1t is not desired to reach the heads
of the street railway system, as the
commission does not feel they are to
blame.
When a report of the fire chief was
received, giving an account of the ac-
cident, 1t drew strong words from Com
missioners Robinson and Schwamm.
Advises strenuoslty
"Some strenuous measures will have
to be taken by this commission in con-
junction with the city attorney to pre-
vent the street cars from tearing up
our fire engines and injuring members
OF the department" said Commissioner
Robinson.
"Why don't our police arrest the
motormen and lock them up when they
do these things?" asked Commissioner
Schwamm. "They are injuring the
city's property and killing and hurting
people every day. I've seen the police
arrest a man in an automobile for in
injuring a pedestrian, and I've seen
bicyclists arrested for running into
someone, but when 1t comes to arrest
ing a motorman for a similar offense,
why, the police can't see it that way.
Suggests Chains
"I'd like to be present when some
thing like this occurred. I'd pull that
motorman off his car and hold him
down with chains until he received his
proper punishment.
1.-THE trouble is every one is afraid of
the street car companies. They own
the town now and apparently try to
kill off everyone in it that they don't
like to have around. They are going
entirely too far and should be brought
up with round turn"
Its a question of ordinance" said
the mayor mildly. after Mr.. Schwamm's
fiery arraignment of the street car
companies. 'In order to arrest a mo-
torman the accuser must swear that
beyond question he was exceeding the
speed ordinance, which only Unite the
rate of street cars at the crossings"
Cannot Arrest
Cant we even arrest them when
they are killing our people?" in a tone
that plainly betokened his disgust of
such a state of affairs.
mo, not even when they are killing
our people" answered the mayor.
The accident that brought about the
discussion occurred last Saturday near
the corner of Twenty-fourth and Main
streets.
A Main street car struck the appara-
tus and dragged it twenty-seven feet.
Lieut.. B. w. Trowbridge had his legs
pinned between the dash and brake
rod and one of them was broken. He
received a number of bruises and cuts
ir addition. Driver e. H. Kicks was
thrown from his seat to the pavement
and sustained severe injuries, and
Hoseman c. H. Gridley was thrown
into the air, falling between the car
fender and hose wagon and was rolled
over and over until the car was
stopped. 1t was at first feared he had
received fatal injuries.