Los Angeles herald., 1910-02-04
DRIVER MANGLED
BY LOCOMOTIVE
NO GATES, NO BELL AT DAN
GEROUS CROSSING
WITNESSES SAY TEAMSTER WAS
NOT GIVEN WARNING
zmpIoye of Truck Company Terribly
Injured at Alameda and Third
Streets-Plaoe Called
Death Trap

Henry P. Walter 2S years old, driver
of a heavy wagon for the Pioneer
Truck company, was struck yesterday
at noon by a swiftly moving SOUTH
bound Southern Pacific engine, NO.
1891. in the unprotected crossing at
the intersection of Alameda and Ihlro
streets. WATERS right arm was
crushed, his right leg was fractured
and lacerated in several places, one OF
the horses was mangled, necessltatlns
its destruction, and the wagon was
demolished. hundreds of persons Wit
messed the accident.
Walter headed a long line of We
hicles that stood waiting at the cross
ing while a gravel train passed going
south. AS the last car rolled by ne
started his team across the tracks, De
ueving the way was safe. NO Hashlal
stood guard to signal the approach OF
a northbound engine that had been MD
den from sight by the gravel tram.
AS his horses reached the opposite
track Walter saw the engine bearing
down upon him fifty feet away. 1t
was too late to turn back. A dozen
teams were pressing him forward from
behind. He took g. desperate chance'
gripped his lines and urged the hofses
Forward, miscalculating the speed oL
the engine
VlS engine CIdSllCu AAAbO liz
grinding man, horses and VehlcIe TO
earth and dragging them thirty feet
before the engineer could brlng the
locomotive to q stop. When waiter
was lifted from under the wheels ana
wreckage his uninJured hand was
tightly grasping the relns, the otller
hanging limp and crushed to ms breast
1t was necessary to force the hnsers
of his left ahnd open to release the
reins. At the receiving hospital Wnere
his arm was amputated Walter eHhlp-
ited remarkable nerve and told his
story coolly.
''They never gave me a chance for
my life,' he said. "There was no sig
nal of any kind, no whistle, bell OF
fiagman. 1 had to guess at it and
guessed wrong"
Chance for Life
The surgeons say Walter has a
chance to live unless he is internally
injured. Walter is a member OF the
American Hospital ASSOCIATION, III
which he has paid dues for many
wears. He allowed his payments TO
the association to become delinquent,
and as a consequence loses his rlght
to treatment. He probably VIII De
cared for at the expense of the county.
walter came here from Missouri three
the Pioneer Truck company for that
length of time. He has the reputa-
ton of being one of it's most careful
and experienced drivers.
The railroad company has no nag
man stationed at this crossing. A bell
has served the purpose of warning pc
destrians of the approach of trains,
hut according to many witnesses OF
Yesterdays accident is frequently out
of order. The bell was being repaired
at the time Walter was run down.
Charles Kemp. 1871 East seventeenth
street. who was an eyewitness, says
the engine did not whistle nor did the
hell ring. 1T is the worst crossing
in the city" he said, land 1 am afraid
that some day there will be an awful
accident here
]. S. Miller, SAC Stephenson avenue
states that Walter received no warn
ing by bell or whistle.
George Smith, 704 East Third street,
another eyewitness, says that he heafd
no warning of any kind and that he
did not notice the northbound engine
until after it had crashed into Walters
wagon.