Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-10-27
GRAVEL WAGONS
ARE RESPONSIBLE
-
supt. R. E. Hunt Thinks They
Were Cause of Last Nights
Car Wreck.
STATEMENT OF OFFICIALS
TMcntS-Three Passengers Have a
Thrilling Experience on North
Salt Lake Car-Ten Hurt.

SuDt. Il. II. Hunt. Utah Light and
Railway company-It appears gravel
had been collecting on the track and
the shadow thrown by an arc light
close 10 the scene OF the accident,
kept the motornmn from seeing this.
am Of the impression the gravel was
spilled by wagons passing back and
fortI, over the tracks. The ear rode
II ear length on this and then the
trucks climbed The rails.
| Gen. Manager Wells-It may have
been that small boys, not realizing
! how grave I'M accident they might
cause. put rocks and gravel along the
inside edges of the rails. l prefer to
| think the dirt collected there because
OF sraycI-wagon traffic. however. New
G5-pound rails were laid on the line
! Just recently. There Is no blame on
| this score.
| All persons injured in last nights
street car accident are getting along
| splendidy and although many are in
bed today they will be out and around
as usual within a reasonable stretch
of time. The victims are:
G. w. Cannon, motorman, 23i north
! First West street; right ankle and
back sprained taken to l., d. S. hos
| pital. later sent home
| ili - d. w. INC. HsNtCDIlur tSDIll- anu
Third West streets; slight contusions
| and suffering from shock. Sent home.
Mrs. NJ. j. Grow. North Salt Lake;
head severely cut. sent home. Her In
| FAINT child escaped without so much as
a scratch.
Mary Molnaulst, Superior Addltlons
I North Salt Lake: scalp wound: sent
| home.
Rachael Rudy, 5ss west Second North
| street: confusion of scalp and wound
| III back sent home.
Edward Foster. North Salt Lake;
confusion of chest: sent home
G. P. Hansen, conductor. S27 east
! Fourth South street; confusion OF right
| lee: sent home.
J. Westburg. clara aud Midgey
streets; abrasion of knee: sent home
May Welsh, 46l west Fifth North
about body: sent home.
Peter 4. Anderson, S0T Minnesota
avenue. North Salt Lake; confusion Of
lower limbs; went home.
For unique and fortunate features
nothing has ever happened in local
street car history, so deserving of the
title. miracle" The car swung around
until at right angles with the tracks
fell on Its side. spanning City creek,
was splintered and twisted into mass
( sof debris, yet no one was injured seri-
ously.
|
salt Lake line; the exact scene of the
trouble was the intersection of North
Temple ana Second West streets The
cause Of the car jumping the tracks
was not known definitely until q careful
Investigation had been completed. No
one could offer a reasonable eNplana-
ton of the remarka BILE escape of pas
sengers and crew from death or fatal
iniuries however.
The car was going west when it left
the rails. Besides the motorman and
>conductor there We're % passengers
ished ringing up 10 cash and 10 ticket
fares. 1t was 6:42 O'Clock and dark.
This added to the horror of the affair
The splintering of wood, grinding Of
steel. tlnkling of smashed glass, ana
cries OF panic- atricken passengers as
The car pitched one way and then an
| other brought residents OF the neigh.
borhood to their doors.
They saw scene that made them
weak with fright. The car had
carecned from side to side as the
trucks left the rails and finally plow-
I ing into mud and dirt had stopped
suddenly The speed with which it
| had been going and the suddenness
| with which the fight was stopped
! threw the rear end in the air and
around square with the track. Then
! the whole thing settled on its side
to the accompaniment or hundred
| sounds of destruction and fright, All
| the lower half OF the car was smash
! ed in by the force of the fall trucks,
| tenders and vestibules were torn from
| the car and every brCakabie portion
was wrenched from its holdings and
| ground into SO much kindling and
| junk.
For few brief seconds there
| seemed to be 10 life under the wreck.
| Conductor Hanson was among the first
| of the victims to recover his senses.
loose he bagan tearing at the debris
| to let those inside the car who might
be alive, get out.
From beneath the shattered car
came the cries of a baby who made
itself heard above the cries and
shouts of the grown folks. This was
Mrs. Crows child. The mother had
protected it from injury by exposing
herself
| From n boarding house came a
half dozen men and several pedistrains
passing the spot at the time. rushed
to the rescue and AGAR door was
wrenched open. 4 rush for the open
followed wherein men pushed women
| aside in cowardly haste.
AS fast as the victims came out
they were assisted to neighborinG
homes. Hospital ambulances. the
police patrol. carriages and delivery
wagons were soon appearing and tax
ing the injured home and the more
badly hurt to the hospital.
A wrecking crew and outfit was on
the ground and worked all night to
get the debris removed and the track
cleared