Los Angeles herald., 1906-04-29
FIRST STREET CARS
CRASH At BRIDGE
BOYLE HEIGHTS MOTOR HITS
SALT LAKE COACH
Crew Jump, Woman Is Hurt and An
other Swoons for Joy at Seeing
Her Daughter Emerge From
Wreck In Safety

Boyle Heights car No. 264 crashed
into Salt Lake depot car No! 155 at a
switch beyond the bridge on East First
street yesterday afternoon at o'clock,
badly wrecking both cars. Fortu-
nately no one was seriously injured,
although one woman was Frustrated
by the shock and one of the car crew
was bruised.
According to eyewitnesses, the Boyle
Heights car, city bound, was travelling
at a terrific rate of speed. The Salt
Lake depot car was turning on the
switch and there were no passengers
on board. Back Of it were several cars
waiting for the forward coach to
switch back on the westbound track.
Just then the Boyle Heights car, in
charge of Conductor w. P. Nichols and
w. e. McCabe, apparently without
warning, crashed into the almost sta
tionary depot car hurling it over on
It's side and smashing woodwork and
window glass on both cars.
Crew Jumps in Time
Motorman C. o. Cage and Conductor
W. S. Wolf jumped from the depot car
just in time and escaped injury.
Motorman McCabe of the other car
was struck by flying glass and hurled
from his position by the force of the
collision.
There were few passengers on board
the Boyle Heights car, and with one
exception all escaped injury beyond
severe shaking up and nervous shock.
Mrs. Thomas Hyans, living at 1927
East Second street. was badly cut by
glass and suffered from bruises and
nervous shock. She was taken into a
nearby store and given restoratives.
Her husband arrived some time after
the accident and assisted her to her
home.
One of the sensational features was
the collapse of Mrs. John Stevenson,
wife of a former policeman, living at
129h Anderson street.
Swoons at the Sight
She was waiting on her front porch
for her daughter Matte to come from
the city. She saw the cars crash to-
gether, apparently causing fearful in
juries, and with a mothers love upper
most in her heart, ran down the street
to see if Matte had been hurt. The
girl had just alighted from the depot
car before the collision and ran to
meet her mother. Mrs. Stevenson
clasped her arms about her daughters
neck and fell in a swoon. She was
carried to her home and soon revived.
Patrolman W. F. Cooper was at his
box at the bridge when the cars came
together and instantly telephoned to
headquarters for an ambulance.
He then ran to the scene of the acci-
dent and rendered invaluable aid In
soothing frightened passengers and
advising the somewhat confused car
crews.
II expected that there would be a
number of injured in the collision" F"
said the officer. From where 1 stood
saw the city-bound car come down fly
ing and smash into the other car. l at
once sent for the wagon, for 1t seemed
certain that there would be number
of injured"
Naturally each motorman laid the
blame on the other.
Motorman McCabe at first refused to
give his name, and said that too much
was printed in the papers about street
car accidents. At last he unbent and
volunteered the statement that his car
had the right of way, and that the
other motorman was in error in rum
ming his car across the switch when
he could see the Boyle Heights car
approaching.
Motorman Cage of the depot car said:
'I am an extra motorman. I was
simply crossing the switch when the
other car ran into me. / did not see
It coming until 1t hit me-"
Speeding Is Customary
From queries put to dozen or more
persons living in the vicinity of the
accident, it was learned that the Boyle
Heights cars made a practice of ''mak-
ing up time" on the flats, and frequent
ly went thirty miles an hour along the
street, in violation of the city ordi-
nance.
f.. Daken, grocer at 1147 East First
street, said "I have watched these
cars for long time. have seen them
rush at terrific rate of speed and
there have been a number of COM
plants from people living around here.
Several children have narrowly escaped
death under the wheels, and it has been
a common saying that there would be
an accident here because of the reck.
less speeding at this point"
AS a matter Of fact there was an ac-
cident at almost the same spot about
year ago and several persons were in
jured.
Blocks the Line
The accident blocked the line for
more than an hour. On number of
the cars were little children returning
from the Sunday school festival, and II
one of these cars had been in the COL
lsion the loss of life might have been
appalling.
A wrecking crew was sent to the
scene and both cars were taken to the
repair shop The frame work, win
dows and trucks were all damaged and
the cars put entirely out of commits
sion.