The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1906-06-08
HIGH SPEED Of
CAR WAS NOTED
BY WITNESS

S Babcock into the electric car fatality
at Moores Corners. East Providelce.
early Sunday morning. was adjourned
yesterday. after five witnesses had testi-
fed. 10 next Monday. when some of those
who were on the ill-fated car will be put
on the stand.
Those who testified yesterday did not
see the car when IL left the track. but
all were at the scene OF the accident
within few minutes after the car top
pied over. some having seen the car de-
scending the hill at considerable speed
and others having been aroused by shrieks
OF the victims caught in the accident.
Theae points were brought out in yes
terday's testimony:
The car descended the hill at high
rate OF speed.
No night signal to slacken speed was
displayed for the guidance OF the motor
man.
The arc light at Moore's Corners was
burning
The rails were damp.
The atmosphere was cloudy or foggy.
The motorman said he was unfamiliar
with the road.
A stone was wedged beside one of the
rails.
People were standing on the right hand
running board on the side OF the car
which struck the ground
The king-bolt uniting the truck and
body OF the car might have been defec-
tive.
One of the witnesses. James Brown. an
exprecsman, declares that he locke a
from his window shortly after midnight
and saw the car coming at a high rate
a A.
appreciably as 1t passed the top OF the
hill.
Witness said the night was pretty clear,
though It clouded up some toward 2
o'clock. He could see the electric light
at the corner and IL was burning. Wit
ness saw stone wedged into the groove
OF the rail.
OFFICER Samuel A. Hunter said the night
was thick. damp and foggy, the rails
were slippery early I'm the evening. and
the lightwas low when he arrived on
the scene, a few minutes after the acci-
dent.
He thought the car put out the light
when IL hit the pole after leaving the
rails. He said the motorman said the light
was dim that he did not know the road
and that he had never been over IL before.
This latter statement. however has
been contradicted by Vice Pres. Albert
l.
DEMOCRAT.
The accident victims who remain at the
Rhode Island hospital are reported get
ting along nicely" one Pasquale Di Sa-
bato, having been discharged last even
ing.
Yesterdays witnesses were George T.
Dale Jr., Harry V. Cady and James
Brown, who live near the scene of the
disaster; Seth Wood. whose home is at
the corner OF Pawtucket and Warren
avenues and into whose house many OF
the injured were taken. and officer Sam
uel A. Hunter. on whose post the acci-
dent occurred, and who was called to the
scene by the cries OF the victims.
In addition to the testimony reported In
yesterdays issue. Police officer Samuel
A. Hunter testified that he arrived on the
scene between 1888 and i2;35 In answer
TO questions he said:
ut was a thick night, damp and foggy,
although when / reached there IL had
lightened UP considerably. / did not know
the conditions Of the rails at the time of
the accident although early In the even
ing | had seen the cars slipping at
Moore's Corners because OF the moisture
on the rails.
'Srhe light at the corner seemed to be
out. but upon investigation I found that
II was not completely out, / kicked the
pole and repeated the process six or seven
times.
"The car was lying parallel TO Warren
avenue about two feet from the track,
with the rear part broken off and the
windows broken. The forward truck was
Just forward OF the front end OF the car,
where It appeared to have rebounded af-
ter striking the tree. The rear truck was
35 or 40 feet back down Pawtucket avenue
in lot about 12 feet from the track.
THE motorman was crying and saying
he did not mean to do II. He was saying
that II he was a drinking man there
might have been some excuse. / smelled
OF his breath and could detect no evidence
OF liquor. The motorman claimed he
did not know the road and that he had
never been over II before and that the
light was dim. In all probability when
the car hit the pole and broke the bonnet
off, II put out the light.
AT the time of the accident the fog
would not have interfered with seeing a
man 100 yards away. The moon was shin
ing dimly at times and at other times was
obscured. At 1880 1t was obscured and
the fog was shifting. thick in some places
and thin In others. Within the radius OF
a light for about $50 feet one could see
very well. The conductor was apparent
ly unconscious when l saw him."
Seth Wood to whose house at Moore's
Corners many OF the victims were taken.
testified that he was awakened about 1890
by the cries OF those in the wreck. He
dressed and went 10 the car, which was
turned over near the track. He did not
notice whether the arc light was burning
or not. There was some fog. but he did
not notice whether the moon was shining.
The rails were damp, but he saw no OBJ
structions on the track He didn't see a
stone that had been picked up by others
from the groove I'm the outer rail- at the
curve lie heard IL said that another
car had passed over the spot before the
stone was found. lie did not hear either
the conductor or the motorman say any
thing about the cause OF the accident.
When he arrived several persons were
under the car and others were stretched
out on the grass or running about In
confusion. lie estimated the distance
from the track TO the electric light pole
struck by the car at about seven feet
He thought he was the first person TO
arrive after the accident. He did not see
anyone Kick the post.
Henry V. Cady OF 10 Wnsor street was