Los Angeles herald., 1907-06-10

and the heartrending shrieks of those
caught in the wreckage were heard all
over the valley, and instantly succor
for those pinned within the shattered
fragments of the car was at hand.
Woman Tried to Jump
Gwendolyn Burroughs. one of those
who met with death in the calamity,
was riding on the rear end of the car,
in the second seat on the side which
struck the ground. When the car left
the rails she started to jump, but be-
fore she had time to more. than rise
from a sitting posture the car lurchec
over on it's side and the young woman
was caught between the ground and the
heavy rail which runs along the roo1
of the trolley.
Her life was crushed out almost in
stantly, the heavy mass Of wood and
steel catching her across the abdomen
almost completely severing her body
and when help arrived few seconds
later all but feeble signs of life were
extinct.
Fred Vent, the other passenger to
meet death, was riding on the front end
of the car, in exactly the same relative
position as Miss Burroughs. He also
started to jump, and had half thrown
his body from the guard rail at the side
of the car when he was crushed to the
ground. His death was not instantane-
Gus, as when the rescuers endeavored to
drag him from his position three min
utes later he was still gasping for
breath, although unconscious.
The spot where the calamity occurred
Is unusually favorable to such an occur
renee. Although the curve is wide one
it is not embarked on either side to any
great degree, and the guard rails are
shallow in depth. The fiat surface Of
fers resistance to the centrifugal force
exerted by a flying car, and the low
f1anges on the car wheels could do but
little toward holding it on the rails.
Physician Sees Accident
One of the actual witnesses of the ac-
cident was DIR. e. P. Hilliker of 301
North Broadway, who turned into Colo
rado avenue from Central just as the
car left the rails. DIR. Hilliker and his
party Immediately left the automobile
In which they were riding and set
about the work of rescue, performing
yeoman service
Their first attention was to Miss Bur-
roughs, who lay pinned under the real
end of the car. Together with a score
accident occurred, DR.. Hilliker lifted the
car until the body Of the dead woman
could be taken from underneath.
Then the rescuers centered their ef-
forts on extricating Fred Vent from his
position In the front of the car, but 1t
was not until ten or fifteen minutes
after the body of Miss Burroughs was
removed that Vent could be taken out.
His body lay in such a position that it
was impossible to move it, and not until
the first band of workers had been re-
H.. Iax h To
the heavy car and pull the inanimate
form from underneath.
By the time they had done so Vent
had breathed his last, and nothing could
be done for him. The workers then
went about among the injured, and
getting those who were more badly hurt
out first soon had the car cleared of its
human freight.
On Honeymoon Trip
Carl Benz, who with his bride of few
weeks had been for a visit to Mr.. and
Mrs. Joe Ringaman at their beautiful
valley home on Sycamore avenue, was
among the twenty-five or thirty pas
sengers on the Inflated car, and that
neither he nor his wife was seriously
injured is due in no small measure to
his rare presence Of mind. When he
realized that the car was about to
overturn Benz jumped to his feet and
gra bbed hold of two hang on" straps,
placing his body between his wife and
the heavy seats on the opposite side of
the car Mrs. Benz was forced past
her husband by the fierce impact, but
her fall was broken and she struck he
tween two seats with comparative
Iessened force.
Mr.. Benz in speaking of the occur
renee said after we left the end of
the line the motorman apparently al
lowed his car to travel down the grad
uaI incline as fast as it's own weight
would allow. One or two stops were
made before we reached the curve, but
the car was travelling at frightful
rate of speed when the turn was near.
1t appeared to me that the motorman