Weekly Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1908-1909, 1908-08-14
TERRIBLE CRASH OF TROLLEYS.
Details of Disaster in Which Forty at
Least Were Hurt

PIQUA, O., Aug. 11.-Four persons
were killed and nearly forty others Were
injured, several of whom are not eX-
pected to survive, when two limited
suburban electric cars of the Western
Ohio Traction company collided at a
sharp curve a few miles north of here
last night The dead:
W. BAILEY, WILLIAM, car Inspector
KEHOE, JAMES, clerk at the National
Cash Register works, Dayton, q.
ROBERTSON, GEORGE, Sidney, o.,
MCLELLAND, WILLIAM, railroad en-
ploye, Lockington, o.
Injured:
George Robinson, banker. Sidney, O.;
Charles Hale, motorman: Wapakooeta, in
ternally injured; L. E. Hagenrod, Locking
ton, o. head cut and internally injured;
John Myer, Dayton, O., head hips and legs
injured; Charles Mcclure, Sidney, internal
crushed; Clarence Long, Dayton, o., head
crushed; EolIin S. Rex, Dayton, head and
face cut; lobe Monkey, Lima, hip broken,
head CUT Andrew Dubose, Troy, o, face
and head cut, eye gouged out; r. L; Rex,
DAYTON O., scalp torn off; Galletta Ganler,
Convoy, o., skull fractured.
Coroner Costell of Shelby county will
probably prosecute MOtorman Hale, of
the southbound car, if Hale survives,
also Conductor James Berry, on the
charge of manslaughter. 1t is said that
this car, being late, violated orders and
tried to make another switch than the
one ordered. General Manager Carpen-
ter of the Western Ohio, and General
Passenger Agent Price will not make
any statements, except that whoever
was to blame must be held responsible.
Chief Train Dispatcher Tedrow was Oh
the nOrthbOund car when the accident
occurred and is positive orders were
clear to pass at Stop No. 10. tele-
phone dispatch system is used and no
written orders are given.
Crash Is Terrific.
Both trolley ears were late and i'll adj
dition to their usual high speed are said
to have been making up lost time. 1t is
said that the southbOund ear from Sid
pev had orders to reach and lay over at
a seldom used siding just south of Sid
nev. there to wait until the nOrthbOund
car from here passed. AS the south
bound car rounded a curve just before
reaching the switch the nOrthbound car
hove in sight, approaching at high
ratio of speed. In an instant there was
crash. The southbound car was teie
seemed and almost completely reduced to
snIinters. 1t was on this ear that the
greatest number were injured.
No Warning Whatever
Motorman Bailey jumped from his car
q
neither car had the slightest warning.
The cars were crowded. The passengers
were hurled forward by the impact
which so suddenly checked their flight.
Thrown in heaps among the broken
seats and showered with glass and
snlintered timbers they heard the crash
ing and tearing as the big coaches locked
their vestibules.
Sarcely a seat remained in place in
either car, so hard were the passengers
thrown against them. Employees of the
Shelby county infrmary, near the scene
of the wreck soon arrived and with their
help the injured were moved to the
infrmary, which was made a temporary
hospital.
Physicians were summoned at once
from here and Sidney.
Few escaped without some minor hurt.
Thrilling Story of Farmer.
William Morgan, a farmer, was the