Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1907-02-01
STREET CAR WRECK.
FATAL ACCIDENT occurs AT
SPOKANE SUNDAY night.
Motorman c. E. Nickerson KilIed-Ac-
cident Occurred in Northeastern
Part of city-Nickerson Said Brakes
Would Not Work-HeaVy Switch
Engine Struck Car Square in Center

Spokane, Jan. 28.-Motorman Nick
erson was fatally injured, every one of
the nine passengers aboard bruised
and cut, the bones of several fractured
and the street car completely demol-
ished when a Great Northern engine
Sunday night struck the westbound
Minnohaha street car No. 81 of the
Washington Water Power company.
The motorman died three hours later.
The accident occurred northwest of
loss Park. Great Northern switch en-
CINE No. 4NO was backing toward Hill
yard at the time and was going at a
speed of about s. miles an hour. ac-
cording to the statement of the crew.
The street car was carried a 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-
PIE 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 ccl!is
ion that the street car was reduced to
hindIing, the wonder being that
single person escaped alive.
Cyirg Man Makes Statement.
Q. E. Nickerson, formerly a fireman
On the Great Northern railroad and the
motorman of the Inflated car. made 4
statement to the crew of the car fol-
lowing his injury. He said:
Il want TO 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. ii
brew on the air and it wouldn't work.
then nut on the emergency brake but
4 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
of both 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:
WhistIed at Crossing.
81 didn't see the street car until We
struck it, as l 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.
AnbuIances 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 pole
instead of the failure of the air is the
explanation made by ]. 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 be Sill
ding some before it struck the cross
ing, although l cant be sure OF that.
AS the Great Northern engine came
along I saw the flash of the trolley |
wire, as if the pole had slid off, and
then the crash came. l started off at |
once for the place."
The railroad sent several score of |
men out to clear away the wreckage.
So badly broken up was the street car
that the remains of it were not re-
moved from the tracks until over three
hours after the wreck.
The switch engine. one of the heavy
type, was scarcely damaged by the inl-
pact, except for the fact that the
trucks of the tenGer were torn from,
its body.
ne Dead
c. E. Nickerson of 0628 Monroe
street, motorman, aged 25.
The injured passengers are:
Mrs. ]. R. Hegburg, aged so. of
Mead, Wash, badly injured about the
head and body.
Miss Fern Hegburg. aged 90, daugl:
Ter of Mrs. Hegburg. hands ard arms
cut.
Miss Leila Long, aged II. Emerald
avenue and c street, compound frac-
.ure of the right leg and internal in
uries.
Julia long, sister of Leila, aged 20.
back Injured and arms cut.