The San Francisco call., 1910-06-01

ductor of the westbound car, w. ].
| Holdorf, was solely responsible for the
accident, and said that Christensen, the
dead motorman, was not to be charged
with disregarding orders and not TAX
| ing precautions. The line to Leona
Heights recently acquired by the trac-
| tion company has railroad franchise,
although the cars run into town on the
traction company's tracks. The only
official statement that the company con-
| Sented to give out was a report of the
collision signed by W. J. Holdorf, the
conductor charged with responsibility.
Admits His CareIessness
! The statement follows:
| | was on my regular run, number
two, in charge of car PSI, due to leave
Twelfth and Broadway at 1918 a. M.
due to meet train II westward end Of
double track at California railway
met OF a rsfMssy ear
mistook this car for my regular meet
and as | got to the junction l went in
and registered my time, train number
any signals carried, but failed to note
the time of the last westbound train or
the train number or the conductor in
charge of my regular meet. After reg
lStering OFF l gave my motorman
proceed signal and we pulled out on to
the single track eastbound thinking
meet and that we had a clear track to
Vernon station My ear was heavily
loaded and I had some difficulty In
boa riding on account of the congestion
on the rear platform.
1 had no conversation with my mo-
torman at California railway junction.
After we left the junction we ran along
at an ordinary rate of speed, meeting
car 267 at or near Bellevue avenue and
California railway headon The impact
was quite severe and injured quite
number of people. I did all l could
and rendered all the assistance possible
to the injured. telephoning for ambu-
lances and to the traction headquarters
for instructions, secured as many names
as possible and helped clear up the
wreck as far as [ could.
/ knew my regular meet, train num-
ber. car number and the men in charge;
they are regular men and l know that
| was due to meet them on the single
track on East Fourteenth street be-
Ifore [ proceeded onto the single track
on California railway, but, owing to
| the fact that I met car displaying
Twenty third avenue I mistook this car
for my regular meet and failed to take
the precaution of examining the regis
ter book at California railway and de-
ttermining whether my regular meet had
passed or not. l realize that the-acci-
dent is due to the fact that | did not
observe the company's instructions and
consult my register book at California
railway junction before proceeding onto
the single track | know and realize
I
not consider anyone other than myself
responsible.
Will Be Witness
There was report current today that
Holdorf had left the city, but this was
not true. He is not expected to give
! himself up to the police by reason of
the statement that he made to his en-
ployers. He will, however, be the prin-
| cipal witness at the inquests..
Mrs. Robert r. James, wife of an cleo
| trician employed on an Oakland evening
paper, was one of the passengers on car
! No. 267, which crashed into car No. 251.
| The force of the collision threw Mrs.
James, who was sitting in the middle of
! the car, from her seat to the floor,
where she lay stunned for several min
uteS after the shock. Her forehead was
severely gashed by flying pieces of
glass from the broken windows, and
| her right hip so badly bruised that she
could not walk.
Fellow passengers discovered her con-
dition, and, with the aid of a buggy
| offered by one of the residents of the
district, she was taken to the Office of
Doctor Holmes at Twenty-third avenue,
where her injuries were dressed, after
which she was removed to her home in
| Beverly avenue near Fairborn street in
the Mills college district.
It was several hours before James
| learned his WlIe naQ D6en Injured.
Knowing that she was to come to
Melrose on that car, bringing him some
tools to prepare the lights in the Mel
rose Baptist church for an entertain
ment, and unable to learn anything of
| her Whereabouts from witnesses of
the accident, James searched frantical-
! ly through all the hospitals and branch
morgues in the bay cities, fearing she
had been killed or fatally injured. He
| G,,ol lrv Iao %I,04 ~ of 1,1
Thrown From Auto
While Fastening to the scene of the
accident, Earl Thornton, superintendent
of the Key route division of the Oak
land traction company, was severely
| injured by being thrown from his auto
mobile at Fifth avenue and East Four
teenth street In attempting to avoid
collision with Fifth avenue car the
chauffeur made too big turn and
the machine crashed into the curbing
tearing off the right wheels and throw
Ing the occupants to the hard pave
ment. f. Rushman. who was with
Thornton, escaped injury. beyond few
| bruises, but Thornton was rendered un-
conscious. He received several severe
decorations of the hands and face, but
Notwithstanding his injuries, insisted
on getting another machine and going
to the scene of the accident to lend
| assistance
Five Vacant Desks
| BERKELEY, May 31.-There is the
deepest sorrow among the pupils of
the Washington school of this city on
account of the five vacant desks of the
dead and injured in the Leona Heights
car accident yesterday. Harold Hull
and Maude Rothrock, both pupils Of the
school are dead, and Orville Lewis and
Alvin Pratt probably fatally hurt and
Edwin Swindell injured as result of