Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1910-11-12
TRAILER JUMPS TRACK
AFTER RUN UP GRADE
Turning Of Trucks and Breaking OF
Drawhead Send Car Full Of Ship
yard Employees Almost Through
Rail at viaducts Ed9e-No One
Seriously Hurt.

Ishipyard were injured and score OF
;othsrs had narrow escapes about DIV
lo'clock yesterday afternoon when
big open trailer car. which was be-
ling drawn by a motor ear OF the New
mort News & Old Point railway,
Jumped the track on the west grade
of the Thirty-fourth street bridge. The
i"lrailer" broke away from the motor
and plowed it's way diagonaily across
the flooring of the bridge, knocking
down the steel railing on the north
side of the structure and coming 10
stop only after two whsels OF the fore
truck had passed off the bridge and
hung in mid-air.
The car was packed with workmen--
white and colored, men and boys
lwho were returning home from the
shipyard, and when the trailer start
ed across the bridge there was wild
scramble among the passengers. Men
ana boys leaped to the ground. while
Those seated inside of the car literally
fought each other in their efforts to
get out OF the trolley. T. NJ. Sickies'
who lives at 2SO5 jefferson avenue
Ileaped to the bridge and fell to the
flooring with great force. He sus-
tanned a number OF bruises on his
arms and a bad cut on the head. TWO
others of the passengers, whose names
4 coujd not Re ascertained last Might
were slightly hurt, while probably
half dozen others sustained minor
bruises by falling TO the bridge from
the car.
Draw Head Pulled Out.
Al Is usually done. the motorman
OF the motor car put en- fun spesu
after passing Huntington avenue IL,
order to negotiate the steep grade OF
the bridge, and when the motor and
strailer. got 10. the bridge proper they
were going at very fast rate VI
speed. The trailer suddenly jumped
The track and the draw head puiieu
ont the motor car keeping on over
the bridge As soon as the wneeis
struck the wood. the front trucks OF
the trailer" turned northward and the
car shot across the bridge at good
clip.
Knowing that there was imminent
danger OF the car plunging over the
side of the bridge on top OF iignt
shed alongside of the structure, the
messengers in the trailer were
,;hrown into a panic and in getting out
of the car and to the flooring OF the
bridge they stood not upon the order
OF heir going. but went In hurry
Those who were hanging on the run
ming board Ieaped to the bridge, ana
those seated inside the cars bolted
for the sides of the trolley and IN
few seconds the men and boys were
Ipiline up on top Of each other on the
flooring Of the structure
smashes Through Guard Rail.
The trailer kept on lis way across
1.-The bridge and the front END OF II
smashed through the heavy steel lat
tice work and guard rail along the
bridge. tearing the rail down. The
heavy oak timhers forming tho floor
ing of the bridge were cut and torn
nv the wheels aud the flooring OF the
,walkyav along the bridge was ripped
. Inn when the heavy wheels struck IL.
The raised flooring of the walkway
served TO check the speed OF the run
lawsy car and prevented TON
. plunging OF the bridge onto the she'd
HAD the heavy car left the bridge 1t
. undoubtedly world have fallen through
. the roof Of the shed and plunged to
the ground. thirty feet below.
/ a
, end OF the motor car saw the trailer
break awey and 60 tearing across the
bridge. and the signal was given the
motormar OF the car to stop This
was done after a few seconds and the
motor car went wack to the scene.
The car crew saw at q glance that II
. would be impossible for them 20 get
the trailer back on the track and the
p Ion N
End snd Hampton. Some Of the pas
eensers who were on the derailed
s-srciter" boarded ether cars for their
homes. while others walked.
Physician Summoned.
After the accident, Dr. b r. Cary.
= physician for the street railway. was
sommoned and be attended Mr.
Sickies. Who was stunned and rather
badly hart The Injured man was
moved 10 bis home and bis bruises
and cuts were dressed BY the doctor.
The other two men who were hurt
continued OF to their homes and we're
not treated BY Dr. Gary. Their In
= juries we're said % be slight
II II was reported last night that IN
|. Fl, the accident one man bad his Lex
broken and two others had been fatal.
" hurt. but this Is denied.
Superintendent Barney was srrl-
moned to the scene and arrived In a
snort time. A wrecxing ca and crew
also we're soon on the scene and the
y railway men went TO work getting the
. car back On the track. The task was
n = difhcuit che and u vas no. uniii
D. O'Clock that the trailer was haaied
away to the car barns.
seeonc tcei5ent or eridsss.
This Is the second car that has
: Jumped the track On the tridees
across the Chesapeake q Ohio railway
a yard within q year. a big motor car