The San Francisco call., 1907-06-18
CARS CRASH TOGETHER,
ON A SOAPED TRACK
Lives of Many Passengers
Are Endangered by
MiScreants
MAN SEVERELY HURT
Disaster Narrowly Escaped
on Steep Grade in
Ellis Street

The soaping of the tracks on the
steep grade in Ellis street between Oc-
tavia and Laguna caused 4 collision be-
tween Two cars at $50 o'clock last
night that might easily have resulted
IN death TO many passengers. Good for-
tune intervened. and the only one hurt
was John Adams. a cook, living at
Eighth and Mission streets, who sus-
tained a broken arm and was painfully
cut by flying glass.
Car 1887. east bound, with Motorman
II. Z. Thompson at the controller, was
closely followed up the hill by car 1SlS'
which was IN charge OF j. Costello anG
/. Younger. The darkness prevented
the motorman from seeing that the
rails were soaped. A crowd had gath
cred TO await developments, and fearing
trouble on seeing it Motorman Thomp-
son turned on the full current. His car
nearly reached the top of the hill be-
tore the wheels began to whirr on the
slippery steel He immediately applied
The brakes, but the car started TO slide
with gripped wheels down the grade,
gaining momentum as it went Car 1913
had meantime begun the ascent. There
was no averting a collision, and with a
great crash the two came together al
the foot of the hill. The rear end of
one car and the front of the other were
demolished. Glass flew in all direc-
tions, and amid the derisive cries Of
the mob which had gathered the panic
stricken passengers jumped to the
ground
Adams. who was seated on the rear
end Of 1897, waited too long. The caG
was going too fast for him to jumr
with safety and he was severely in
jured-
A riot call was sent in and the am
bulance summoned. The police arrived
none too soon. Already the crowd was
threatening the crews and passengers
but il was frightened off by the ap-
pesrance of the posse. Adams w9s
taken to the emergency hospital
Under the protection of the patrol
men the crews sanded the rails from
the bottom of the hill TO the top, and
after several efforts, with the crowd
hootiEsg at them. succeeded in nego-
tiatiTSs the grade with their disabled
cars.
Thornwen Mutually took a personal
interest IN the disaster and secured
pieces OF the soap which had been used
10 grease the tracks. These were
turned over TO the police.
A similar effort to endanger cars and
passeng gers was made in the mornin9
IN Fillmore street on the grades at the
north end Oil was poured down the
rails and trickled to the bottom of the
hill. The motOrman on the first north
bound car detected the oil and sanded
the tracks before he tried TO climb the
hill
A car ran into a sand wagon driven
by Andrew Harrigan late last night in
Mission street between Highland and
RichIand avenues. The impact threw
the teamster from his seat and his
right leg was broken. He was taken to
his home at 2154 Market street. He
uorman. The latter was arrested and
booked for battery. but released on
bail supplied by the United Railroads.
At several points along the lines Of
the railroad there were attacks on cars
by small crowds of hoodlums armed
with brickbats. One Of those struck
was a woman who refused to give her
name No acts Of violence were re-
ported in the Richmond district
In accordance with the plan adopted
at Sundays meeting of the carmen
squads of pickets were stationed along
the streets yesterday to keep watch
on the cars and to take the names OF
the passengers riding on them The
system of pickets, while not yet per
fected in organization, was extended
TO every line
o. A. Tveitmoe, who spoke at the
meeting of the carmen's union on Sun
day, denies the report that he said he
would wade through rivers of blood
to strengthen unionism." In regard &C
the matter he made the following state
Tnent yesterday:
The report of my speech, az pub
Iished in q newspaper this morning
was absolutely false and withoufsfoun-
dation. In fact, no statement such as
was reported was made by me or any
other speaker who addressed the meet.
ing, which was attended by over 1,50t
carmen and members of the genera
campaign strike committee. We dis
cussed questions Of finance and told
how the money was safely guarded anC
how il would be distributed in strike
benefits
IN the downtown districts and par
ticularly in Market street the pickets
were not active. In Market street they
were stationed in pairs, blocks apart
and to all appearances they confined
their efforts 10 a systematic checking
Of the cars and their crews only.