Coeur d'Alene evening press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1907-1929, 1910-04-19
SUES ELECTRIC
LINE FOR $4,000
MOtOrman Edgar E. Campbell Files
Damage Case in Federal Court

/ WiSch on Lhe spokane ~ Inland
Electric railroad July 81 last( in
which 16 were killed and 1913 in
Jured during the land rush, were
heard yesterday at Spokane when
Edgar e. Campbell, motorman on
the Inflated westbound train, Special
No. 5, on whom much OF the blame
for the wreck was placed, filed suit
in the federal court against the spo-
kane & Inland Electric Railroad com
pany to recover $4,000 alleged dam
ages.
The suit Is filed by Belden q Los
ey, attorneys In the Jameson build
ing, and the complaint alleges GER
tain facts, which, II proven, will give
an altogether different color to the
circumstances surrounding the wreck
and place the greater part OF the
blame for the accident and disaster
upon the defendant company.
Many Injuries Alleged.
Alleging personal injuries which
summed up are: Defective hearing,
internal injuries, nervousness and
shortened legs, one six and the other
two and three-quarter inches, the
plaintiff cites alleged facts in con-
nection with the wreck, which here
tofore have not been made public.
Mr.. Campbell, through his attorneys
will attempt to show that the Spo-
kane & Inland Electric Railroad com
pany operated with antiquated equip
ment, lack of order and regulation,
and that the directing hands were
inexperienced" He will set out to
prove that the federal statutes as
concerns the 16-hour law were VIC
lated. The plaintiff alleges that he
was worked from IL hours and II
minutes to 16 hours and 80 minutes
every day between May "a and July
81, 1909.
In the allegations on which the
suit Is based are the following:
One Car lower Than Other.
That the Spokane & Inland railroad
operated cars and motors constructed
of two different types. one with the
bumper six inches below the bumper
of the other. Special No. 5, on which
Campbell was motorman, was con-
strueted with the bumper six inches
below that of the eastbound train No.
20, which wrecked the special;
That the construction OF the motor
car on Special No. was such as to
make it impossible for Campbell to
leave his cab except through the
crowded coach, and therefore cut of
avenues of escape, although he.
Campbell, brought his train practl-
cally to a stop before being hit by
train No. 90:
That the equipment on train No.
was not modern and represented neg
ligence on the part of the company.
and was not in accordance with the
rules and regulations of companies
operating electric trains.
That the plaintiff was put in charge
of Special No. 5 when he had hardly
recovered physically and mentally
from two previous disasters without
proper physical examinations;
Was OveEworked, He Says.
That the plaintiff was overworked,
was not allowed to leave his cab seat
and register in and out on arrival at
the destinations. an open violation of
rules;
That he. Campbell. the plaintiff,
was reading back his orders to Con-
duetor Whittelsey when he was or
dered by his superior in charge OF
the train to pull out;
That because OF the rush OCCASION
ed by the land drawing at Occur a.
Alene the Spokane 4 Inland Railroad
company failed and neglected TO run
and operate its trains In accordance
with the rules and regulations pro-
yided for in the operations of trains.
and that instead the rules were utter
" disregarded. and the employees and
officers Of the company became con-
fused and did not know what orders
or whose orders to follow;
Ignorance Is Alleged.
That because OF the lack Of ex-
perienee and railroad knowledge the