The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1909-12-07
STREET Rail WAY INQUEST
IS Being CONDUCTED HERE
Motorman Of North-Bound Cai
and Conductor Of Special
on the Stand.
REGULAR TRAVELLING Rapid J

Coroner Fisher Is conducting an IN
quest today into the death of Joseph
Brady of Houghton who was killed
Sunday afternoon at the Osceola depot
while standing i'm the vestibule of
special car that was bringing To Calu-
met a number of Portage Lake Elks to
take part i'm memorial exercises.
Fred Duncan, motorman of the regu-
lar car. that crashed into the special,
testified first. He said that the fog
was so thick at the time that he did
not know just where he was. Duncan
said that he was watching the track
for obstacles. The first thing he knew
of the presence of the special car was
when he saw il about 100 feet ahead of
him. He at once applied the air ana
emergency brakes and also tried To re-
verse the motor. The wheels slipped
and slid on the wet rails, and his ear
ran into the special.
Ed. Osborn, motorman of the special
car, said that he ran to the Osceola
switch very slowly. stopping the car
when the front trucks were over the
absolutely. His car was there about
one minute before the accident oc-
Cured. He was looking ahead waiting
for the south bound car from Calumet.
He stated that all at once he got the
signal of two bells, go ahead" He
bound car was not in on the switch as
yet. He received a second signal to
go ahead but could not understand
this. He put on the current to half
power, however. In reply to a ques-
ton he said he had no time to look
backward to note the reason for the
second signal.
My car was underway, and had pos
sibly gone Is feet when struck" said
Motorman Osborn. "The shock sent
me backwards through the door of the
vestibule. Had had my brakes set at
the time, the car would probably have
been thrown off the track" Stanley
Lake, conductor on the special car, de-
scribed the time of his leaving the
Hancock car barn, and the special on
ders that he had received from the car
barn inspector. He went on to tell
OF his car approaching the siding at
Osceola on time. and the stop there,
waiting for the south bound car. He
stated that he saw the regular north
bound car coming. at a rate of speed
he should judge of from 10 to II miles
an hour. He Immediately gave the
signal to go ahead to his motorman.
and repeated ii an instant later The
car in his estimation was travelling at
too great a speed on approaching a
switch. The impact of the collision
raised the trap door of the car he was
on, while the car itself jumped ahead
at least thirty feet after the collision.
Asked what was his first step when
he saw the regular car approaching,
Lake said that he Immediately threw
open the door leading into the car, and
rang two bells as a signal to go ahead.
There were five persons in the vesti-
bule at the time. Rev. Curzon, and
Messrs. Harris, Stevenson. Bloomfield
and Brady. one of these went inside
the car. Rev. Mr.. Curzon rushed for
the interior of the car but was too late
and was thrown out. At the time of
the accident Brady's back was toward
the car. BRADY turned his head
around and kept looking at the APP
car" said Lake. land kept
his eyes fixed on il. After the collision
! saw Brady lying about 20 feet back
of us on the tracks, and just in front