Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-14
HEAD-0N COLLISION
Cars Meet on Washington and
Rockville Electric Line.
TEN PASSENGERS INJURED
Heavy Fog and Disobedience Of
Orders Alleged as Cause.
/ CAR GOING AT LIVELY SPEED
Motorman Jump When They Find
Collision notwithstanding
of the Injured.
/ CAR GOING AT LIVELY SPEED

Disobedience of orders and dense fog.
officials of the Washington and Rockville
| electric road say. contributed to a head
on collision that occurred near Offutt sta
| ton. about four miles south of Rockville,
| shortly after $50 o'clock last evening.
One car was making fairly good speed
and the other was running at about ten
miles an hour when the collision occur
red, and the only thing which prevented
one and possibly both motormen from
being killed was the fact that they jump
ed from their cars just before the We
| hicles came together. One of the men
rolled down an embankment and was
| slightly hurt, but the other managed to
escape injury.
| Both cars were badly damaged and
traffic on the road was tied up, no cars
passing between Rockville and the point
where the accident occurred until this
| morning. Officials of the road hurried to
| the scene of the accident on a special car
and had the injured persons cared for,
sending several of them to this city to be
| treated at the Georgetown University
| Hospital while others were conveyed to
! their homes.
| This accident, it is stated. was the first
| serious one that has occurred on the rail-
| way since its construction ten years ago.
| Residents of Rockville who wanted to get
home late in the night had to go on the
| steam road or ride in a stage from Onutt
station to the terminus of the electric
road Persons living this side of the
scene of the accident were provided with
| cars on schedule time.
Alleged Imperfect Signal.
| Ii was believed by persons about the
| scene of the wreck last night that the
accident was due to an impe rfect signal
at the transformer station about mile
from the scene of the accident. and II
| was reported that the conductor of one
dition. Officials of the company. howe yer.
assert that the condition of the signal
had nothing to do with the accident.
The cars which left Washington and
the ones that figured in the collision.
Mr. and Mrs George Smith were seriously
bruised; Mr.. Harry d. Monatt was also
pair fully hurt. and Messrs. Brooke Ed
mOQStOn,
jamin Lenovitz and William H. Bladen
received more or less painful cuts and
bruises, and Miss May Smith. daughter Of
W. a. Smith of Rockville. sustained in
juries to her back. Conductor Paxton OF
the south-bOund car was also slightly hurt.
OF the injured all but Conductor Pax
ton and Benjamin LenOvitz are residents
of Rockville. Lenovitz is proprietor OF a
hotel on NJ street. this city: The car
north bound was in charge of Conductor
Trotter and Motorman Little. and the
south bound car was being run by Con-
ductor Paxton and Motorman Bladen.
Pinned Beneath Debris.
Mr.. and Mrs Smith were occupying a
front seat In the north-bound car and
were pinned beneath the debris. where
they remained several minutes before be-
ing liberated Mrs. Smith sustained nu-
merous Commissions and bruises and suf-
fered very greatly from shock. 1t is
feared that she was also injured In
terrally Mr.. Smith was not so BADLY
hurt although his injuries are painful
bn' not dangerous.
Mr. Moffatt ustained fracture of the
jaw bone. lost several teeth and received
a painful injury to one wrist. The in
! iuries Of the others consist Of nothing
more serious than cuts from flying glass
| and slight bruises.
| Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Mr.. Edmondston
| and Mr.. Lenovitz were taken to George
| town University Hospital. After having
| their injuries dressed Lenovitz and Ed
mondston were able to leave the institu-
| tion Moffatt was taken to his home and
received immediate medical attention and
| is understood to be getting along all
| right The others were all able to pro-
coed to their homes.
Where the Collision Occurred.
The collision occurred near the foot of
a rather steep grade. South-bound cars
make a practice of running down this in
| cline at high speed and the stretch has
| come to be known as the race course"
| At the time of the accident. as stated,
| the south-bound car is said to have been
running at q pretty lively clip. while the
| other car, which was blowing up the
| hill is understood to have been moving
| rather slowly. Owing to the heavy fog.
which was particularly impenetrable
| where the cars came together because of
] men were unable to see more than 100
| feet ahead of them and neither discovered
| the approach of the other until the two
cars were nearly upon each other. Both
| men promptly reversed their cars and
| an instant before the crash came jumped
| for their lives. landing on their feet.
| Mr.. and Mrs. George Smith. who were
| at first thought to be seriously injured.
| are today reported to be improving. When
| the surgeons at the hospital examined the
patients last night it was supposed they
were suffering internal injuries. but it
| was stated today that they were suffer-
| ing from bruises only. and their speedy
| recovery is anticipated.
|
TO BUILD CARS SOON.
| Cor%ar Notor Car Gornnonv uurrv