Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1907-02-02
FATAL ACCIDENT occurs AT
SPOKANE SUNDAY night.
Motorn,an c. E. Nickerson killed-Ac-
cldent Occurred In Northeastern
Part of City-Nickerson Said Brakes
Would Not Work-Heavy Switch
Engine Struck Car Square in Center.

GISOu Was ldldllJ AhJdi WI WIZ 49, -
the nine passengers aboard bruised
and cut, the bones of several fractured
and the street car completely demol-
ished when Great Northern engine
Sunday night struck the westbound
Minnehaha street car No. 81 of the
Washington Water Power company.
The motorman died three hours later.
The accident occurred northwest Of
Toss Park. Great Northern switch en-
CINE No. 4pO was backing toward Hill
yard at the time and was going at
speed of about Is miles an hour. ac-
cording to the statement of the crew.
The street car was carried distance
of from $50 to 200 feet along the track
and was completely demolished.
AS soon as the extent of the catas-
trophe became known, dozens of peo-
ple living in nearby houses swarmed
over the tracks and began at once to
assist the injured passengers from the
wreckage. The most seriously hurt
were taken into the homes near by
So great was the force of the collis
ion that the street car was reduced to
kindling, the wonder being that a
single person escaped alive.
Cyrg Man Makes Statement.
Q. E. Nickerson, formerly a fireman
en- the Great Northern railroad and the
motorman of the Inflated car, made
statement to the crew of the car fol-
lowing his injury. He said:
Il want 10 make a statement before
die. The trouble was that the air
wouldn't work. | want you men to ex-
plain that. We were sliding along the
tack when l saw the engine ahead
brew on the air and it wouldn't work
then put on the emergency brake but
!: was too late"
Nickerson died three hours later at
st. Luke's hospital.
The point at which the wreck oc-
Cured Is unobstructed for a distance
OF many hundred feet from both
tracks. The snow and the moonlight
made the crossing visible to the crews
OI DOM cars
John Lee of Is Ferry avenue the en-
gineer on the switch engine. declared
that he blew his whistle according to
regulation before coming to the cross
ing. Said he:
Whistled at CROSSING.
81 didn't see the street car until We 4
struck 1t, as was not looking that
way. We were going about 10 or Is
miles an hour. l whistled at the cross
ing"
Lee was not injured, nor was the
fireman Of the engine, Frank Manni-
gan, OF Hillyard. Both men, after the
collision, assisted the injured.
AmbuIances at Wreck.
Three ambulances arrived about an
hour following the accident, In which
the most seriously hurt Of the passen
gers were taken to the. hospital.
That the accident may have been
iue to the slipping of The trolley mole
instead of the failure of the air is the
explanation made by J. R. Yarrow of
sapphire avenue and F street. Mr.. Var
row was outside of his house at The
time OF the accident and witnessed the
collision from a distance.
Pole May Have Slipped.
Il was standing in my yard" said
he, when l saw the street car come
down the track. 1t seemed to he sli-
ding some before it struck the cross
ing, although l can't be sure o. that
AS the Great Northern engine came
along saw the flash of the trolley
wire, as if the pole had slid off. and
then the crash came. | started off at
once for the place"
The railroad sent several scora of
men out to clear away the wreckage
30 Dadly broken up was the street car
that the remains of it were not re-
moved IRON the tracks until over three
hours after the wreck.
The switch engine. one of the heavy
type, was scarcely damaged by the i'm.
pact, except for the fact that the
trucks OF the tenGer were torn from,
its body.
c. E. Nickerson of o62S Monroe
street, motorman, aged %.
Inc injured passengers are:
MIS-. j.: K. Hegburg, aged so, of
Mead, Wash, badly injured about the
head and body.
MSS Fern Hegburg, aged %. dsugs.
ter OF Mrs. IIegburg, hands and arms
cut.
Miss Leila Long, aged II. Emerald
avenue and c street, compound frac-
ture OF the right leg and internal In
juries.
'''''a long sister of Leila, aged 20,
back Injured and arms cut