Los Angeles herald., 1907-11-01
M0TORMEN AVER ACCIDENTS
ARE LIKELY ANY TIME
ALL INJURED ARE ON WAY TO
RECOVERY
Company Officials Place Entire Blame
for Thursday Evenings Tragedy on
Motormarf ReynoIds-Dr.
Week Not Hurt


used on the cars which operate up and
down the hills on the Second street line
are far from being efficient, and that an
accident which may prove fatal to many
passengers may occur at any time.
This statement was made to a repre-
sentative of The Herald by street railway
employees during a personal examination
of the methods customarily employed by
them when approaching and descending
the Second street hill, at the foot of which
the frightful mishap of Thursday evening
occurred. 4u
All Injured viii Recover
All the injured in the collision are i'm
proving, and 1t is not thought any of
them will die as the result of their in
juries.
Thomas M. Smith, the most seriously
injured. is at his home, 1015 Sunset boule-
ward, and will be kept confined to his bed
there for some time. His right hip was
dislocated and he received other serious
injuries.
Among those reported hurt by the acci-
dent was DR.. ]. D. Van Week of 1251A
South Spring street. DR.. Van Week was
not on either car, but was standing few
feet away. He was one of the first to
reach the injured and rendered them great
assistance. Many of DR.. Van Weeks
friends who saw him at the time feared
he had ben injured and all yesterday his
telephone was kept busy by anxious
friends who sought to learn his condition.
IT didn't know I had SO many friends.
but they have bobbed up by the hun
dreds," said Dr. Van Week last night.
"They all wished to know if I was going
to survive. I'll pull through all right,
and I wish The Herald would tell my
friends that I am not hurt"
Say Reynolds Is Responsible
Officials of the Los Angeles Street Rail-
way company are confident Motorman F.
w. Reynolds, the man in charge of the
West Second street car, was responsible
for theNwreck. They say the brakes of
the car were in good working order, and
in proof point to the fact that the car
which caused the damage was run over
the line of the company yesterday.
In an interview soon after the accident
Wednesday night Motorman Reynolds
stated he had tested the brakes of his car
at First and Olive streets before be-
ginning the trip down the hill, and that
they were all in excellent working order.
Reynolds stated he made this test in
accordance with instructions given to mo-
tormen by the company to test his brakes
at that point on each trip.
Testing the Brakes
Yesterday Herald reporter went to
First and Olive streets, where he boarded
car No. 1923 on the West Second street line.
A short distance from Second street, and
while the car was still on the level the
motorman applied the brakes, bringing
the car to a stop. This is the method
used by the street car men in testing the
brakes.
When the conductor gave the signal for
IL f@vsTrn ffIrsT nd
his controller UP a notch or two and the
car moved ahead. The motorman then
turned his controller handle back, which
cut off the current. This is necessary in
order to convert the motors into dynamos
which generate the current for the cleo
tric shoe brakes These brakes were used
freely on the trip down to Hill street.
(which brake was it that would not
work for Reynolds last night?" asked tho
reporter.
IT can't imagine which brake he was
trying to work." replied the motorman.
"Well, he said something about an air
brake. Which is the air brake?"
No Air Brakes on Car
1--WE amt got no air brakes on these
cars. All we got is the electric brakes,
and don't know nothin' about them.
'Say, who are you--a reporter?" queried
the motorman, looking Dlt Irlsnteneu.
Eyes, and / would like to find out ex-
actIy how the accident occurred" said the
newsgatherer.
''Well, amt got no questions to an
swer, and you better go up to the shop,
an If they got anythin' to tell you. they'll
tell you. I don't know nothin'. You
newspaper fellers don't do us no good
no how; and you don't get no information
from me-" And with this remark the mo-
torman of car No. 1913 hurriedly left his
car at the terminal and walked around to
the rear end.