The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1909-01-28
Two Cars on Chicago & Milwau
kee Meet in Head On Collision
North of Racine Friday
KENOSHA PEOPLE UNINJURED
Electric Railway Company has Fort
innate Escape When Only Two
Passengers Are Slightly
Cut by Glass

Twenty passengers were severely
shaken and two cut about the face and
head when two heavy interurban cars
collided Friday afternoon on a seventy
foot trestle north of Racine on the
Chicago and Milwaukee Electric line.
Several Kenosha people were on the
cars, but all Of them escaped uninjured.
The company has declined to give out
list Of the names of the passengers on
the ears.
In the heavy fog which engulfed
the surrounding country, the cars north
and south bound, met with a crash
midway on the trestle. The north
bound car stopped in time to allay the
force of the collision, but the south
bound car, going at a high rate Of
speed rammed into it, smashing both
vestibules and showering splintered
glass on the fear stricken passengers
The two passengers injured were taken
to Racine when both cars proceeded to
their destinations.
James HI. Miller, travelling salesman,
who was in the collision as a. passenger
on the Racine car, described the acct
dent last night. Mr.. Miller gives the
motorman on the southbound car great
credit for sticking to the brakes. He
says if the motorman had become
frightened both cars would have proba-
bly, left the trestle and fallen seventy
feet to the ground below.
81 am not nervous man, nor do I
think I am coward said Mr.. Miller,
"but wnen I looked out of that car
window at the ground below me and
realized that in spite OIL the collision
we were still safe, I heaved sigh of
relief.
Il took the car for Racine at 1880
Friday afternoon and was sitting in
the front vestibule as we neared the
trestle just north Of Racine. The fog
at this point was so intense that it was
almost impossible to see out Of the
car window.
81 had turned around, attracted by
some noise, as we emerged onto the
trestle and the receding fog disclosed
the north bound car midway on the
structure. Other passengers saw the
approaching car at the same time and
Immediately there was a panic. See
ing that collision was inevitable [
braced myself against seat, hoping
and praying that the car would be
stopped in time to avert horrible dis
aster [ noticed that the motorman
was doing all he could to stop the speed
Of our car and the air brakes were set,
together with the hand brakes. How
ever, the heavy car dashed on across
the trestle.
"The motorman on the other car had
evidently got scared. His car was
stopped and although he had plenty Of
time to reverse the power and start
backward, he did not do so. In an in
slant there was a crash, a shower Of
broken glass and we were thrown from
our feet. Miraculously neither car left
the track and in a few minutes the
north bound car backed up to let us
pass and we continued on our way to
Racine.
1.-TWO passengers on our car were
cut about the face and head and we
were all more or less bruised, including
the conductor and motorman How pas
sengers Jared on the other car [ do not
know.
/" From conversation which [ heard
between conductor and motorman be-
| fore the collision, [ attribute the acct
dent to improperly adjusted air brakes.
When the brakes were set as we ap-
preached the other car our speed did
not diminish nearly as much as it
| should have. The air leaked from the
| brakes
(Which car was entitled to the right
of way on the viaduct I do not know
Our conductor said that the southbound
car had that right without condition
This would throw the blame on the
northbound car, but Of course, do not
know as to that"
The accident on the trestle may lead
to an investigation OF the structure
There is also large trestle on the road
just south Of Milwaukee over which the
heavy cars are run daily. Were car
to plunge from any of these structures
there would be serious loss Of life.
Prof. Frank R. Jacoby, the well
known Kenosha violinist, was one of
the Kenosha passengers on the north
bound car. He escaped with a badly
Wrenched back.