The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1907-11-04

The third and most serious street
car wreck that has occurred on the
Richmond city street car lines within
the past ten days, was that or TINS
morning when three cars, one city
and two iHerurbans crashed togeth-
er between the Country club and Earl
nam cemetery, west of the city All
were going west Wilson Langley.
fireman at Easthaven, and l.. Baker
an old man OF Milton, received the
most serious injuries. Langley was
taken to Reid hospital where he IS
suffering with a broken limb, bad
cuts and internal injuries. Baker had
his back badly bruised and sprained
He was later taken to his home at
Milton. Langley was just boarding the
city car when the accident happened.
Baker was passenger on the inter
urban Injuries Of the others, who
were either motormen or conductors
are not considered serious.
viii Make Investigation.
Indianapolis, Terre Haute & East
ern traction line officials will investi-
gate the wreck and the blame will be
fixed. There is a division of opinion
as to where the blame should be plac-
ed. Interurban mOtOrman Flower on
the passenger car, said the tracks
were SO slippery that he could not
control his train although he saw the
city car several hundred yards ahead
Motorman Riley Cook of the interur-
ban freight car corroborated Flowers
statement as to slippery tracks. Pas
senger Conductor J. c. Bledsoe, said
that Motorman Elmer Rhodes of the
Easthaven city car had stopped his
car to await the arrival Of Wilson
Langley, who was running to catch it..
Motorman Rhodes had not turn
ed on the lights at the Asylum Ave
nue. switch, that the interurban motor
men who were running their cars on
schedule time. might know that there
was a city car on the tracks between
the avenue and the car barns. The
stretch of track between the two
places Is considered the most danger
GUS of any surrounding Richmond and
for that reason electric signals are
used to prevent accident The whole
affair will be investigated thorough
1y.
Was Peculiar Wreck.
The wreck was most peculiar one
and is without precedent in electrical
railway operation in this section of
the country. The three cars that fig
ured in the wreck were all going in
the same direction. Motorman
Rhodes was in charge of the East
haven city car coming toward town
After he had passed the Country Cub
coming down a long hill, he heard the
signals of Wilson Langley, who was
running to catch the car, and Rhodes
brought his car to a halt a few feet
TO the east of the Clear Creek bridge
to await the arrival of Langley. There
is no official stop 1t this point
Langley had just stepped onto the
rear platform OF the city car. when
the crash came. He was completely
buried in the debris. His agonized
screams and groans sent a thrill of
horror through those near him. As
soon as the car was stopped. il Law
ing rolled up the track probably two
: hundred feet from the scene of the
collision by the forse with which it
was struck, Langley was picked up in
semi conscious condition and was
later taken 70 Reid hospital in the
city ambulance. That the man was
not killed outright is a marvel The
rear end of the street car was COM
pletely demolished While the front
end of the interurban car was badly
damaged. Langley's hat was found
inside the front vestibule OF the in
terurban car. Motorman Flower in
charge of the interurban stayed with
his car. and for more than four hand
red yards fought with the aid brakes.
In the endeayor to bring his car 10 a
stop Reverse power proved ineffec-
tive. He was thrown violently from
his seat when tie train crashed into
the city car. Flying glass cut his
neck and face.
BIedsoe's Forthouqht.
An unusual bit of forthought ON the
mart of Conductor J. c. Blcdsoe prob.