Los Angeles herald., 1910-03-09
MANY INJURED
IN CAR WRECK
SALT LAKE FREIGHT TRAIN
CRASHES INTO TROLLEY
Unidentified Man Pronounced Fatally
Hurt and Forty-One Others
Suffer from Bruises
and Cuts
Continued from Page onel

not be until this morning 1t will take
many hours to remove the wreckage.
Ambulances from the various hos
pitfalls in Los Angeles were summoned,
but before their arrival the greater
number of injured were placed aboard
a Pasadena car, which had just passed
the fatal crossing ahead Of the wrecked
car
Conductor Pellet and Motorman
Williams were sent to Pasadena. A
view of the wrecked car showed that
the motorman had a miraculous es-
cape from death. as the front end was
literally smashed to bits from the con-
tact with the telegraph poles.
Brakeman Escapes Injury
One of the most remarkable escapes
from death was that of q. w. Wright,
rear brakeman on the lumber train.
He was on top of the rear car with
lantern in his hand when the crash
came. He was thrown nearly thirty
feet over the Also street bridge into
the river bed below, and escaped with
a slight abrasion of the left leg.
Wright asserted he held a light in his
hand and was given the signal by the
crossing watchInan to proceed as the
track was clear He stated he real
ized too late a collision was inevitable
and shouted to the motorman to stop
The freight train was in charge Of
Joseph Wickersham, 1926 Dayton ave-
nue., and his first work after the crash
was TO care for the injured.
In speaking of the accident he said:
"It was remarkable that the passen-
gers on the electric were not killed
outright. l cannot yet place the blame
for the accident, but l am thankful
that it did not result more disas-
trously."
Crossing Man Benwa said: "There
were no lights on the rear end of the
freight and ! did not see the train ap
preaching. AS l thought the track was
clear l gave the signal for the electric
car to go ahead. The noise of the other
cars prevented my hearing the backing
freight and it was but second or two
after the Pasadena car started to cross
the tracks that the collision happened.
The electric had nearly cleared the
crossings, and was struck in the rear
and tossed fifteen feet. I expected to
see all the passengers killed"
Say Light Was Displayed
The railroad officials deny there were
no rear lights on the train and an i'm
mediate investigation will be made to
determine the cause of the accident.
1t was necessary to transfer pas
sengers to Pasadena and other east
bound points last night, as the lines
were completely blocked by the wreck
age.
Miss Mary Smith. one of the injured,
was able TO discuss the accident at
the receiving hospital last night. She
said: Il heard the conductor give or
ders to go ahead and a few seconds
later there was an awful noise and
we were all piled on top of each other,
with broken glass and wreckage in
every direction. The excitement was
intense, for we thought we had been
tossed over the bridge when the car
landed on its side.'
Conductor Pellet lives at 702 Frank
lin avenue, Pasadena, and Motorman
Williams at 2SS Cypress avenue, Pasa-
dena Most of the injured were per-
sons of wealth and tourists who were
passing the winter in the Crown city.
Motorman Williams Statement
MY conductor signaled me to go
ahead. l did not see or hear the train
until my car Wa half way across the
track. 1t was then that a sharp toot
from the engine startled me and I saw
the train was within a few feet of the
car. l threw on full power The car
leaped ahead and it was only this that
saved the majority of the passengers
seated in the center of the car from
death. The engine smashed head-first
into the rear end of my car. 1t tilted
it over on it's sid and tumbled us all
up in a heap. The engine gave me no
signal save for that whistle after they
were practically on u.s.