Los Angeles herald., 1910-03-10

car, and testified that he observed the
motorman throw off his power He
had never known street car to go
over this crossing without stopping and
tagging the car, he said, although
there was a flagman provided for the
purpose. Seeing the motorman shut
off his power, Wright thodght he
meant to stop the car, so did not I'M
mediately signal, but when he realized
that the motorman was attempting TO
cross, he signaled frantically to the
next trainman, Wickersham, who in
turn passed the signal to Randall,
while Randall passed it on to the en-
gineer. He declares he was clear to
the front on the forward car when the
crash came; that the whistle had
sounded, and that the bell was still
ringing, while further to warn persons
who might be near the crossing, he
was yelling repeatedly, Look out be-
low"
Stopped in Three Lengths
Wright slid the engineer immediate
ly piled the brakes and the train
stopped in three car lengths. 1t was
impossible. he said, for him to reach
the aircock sooner than the engineer
could receive the signal He said that
when the crash came he rolled over
with the lumber into the river bed,
near the end of the bridge, lost his
lantern and was badly bruised on the
right leg.
The switching foreman was seven car
lengths behind him. he said, and Ran
dan eighteen car lengths farther on,
each within sight OF the other. Wright
said the street car came across the
bridge at a fast speed, then slowed
as if to stop. This deceived him. He
said he could not see the flagman; saw
a red light. but did not see it move.
He has been employed bv the Salt
Lake railroad since December 1, has
worked in several large cities and
never saw any system better than the
one employed at crossings in Los
Angeles. This caused much laughter,
but Wright did not enjoy the joke.
Roy Summers. engineer on the Salt
Lake yard engine, next gave his YER
sion of the wreck. He said the for
ward car was about two car lengths
from the crossing when Randall passed
him the signal There was a man on
the forward car as the train ap-
preached Also street; thought it was
Wright. The train was going five or
six miles an hour He said he blew
the whistle twice after passing under
the First street viaduct. The last time
he blew the whistle he had gone about
six car lengths from the viaduct There
were twenty-five cars in the train. 1t
is thirty-tive car lengths from the First
street viaduct to the Also street
bridge. Therefore, 1t was argued by
the Pacific Electric officials. the for
ward end Of the train must have been
directly on the Pacific Electric cross
ing when the engineer. Summers.
sounded his whistle. He had previous
ly sounded the whistle, however, right
close to the viaduct, six car lengths
farther back. Summers said he could
not see Wright signal from the for
ward end. owing to a curve near the
viaduct. The engine was running the
train front-on, so Summers was on
the right side next to the river bed.
Says Bell Was Rung
J. w. Hague his fireman, said he
did not remember Summers blowing
his whistle only once, but that the
bell sounded continuously.
F'lagman Mccullough, a negro sta
toned by the Pacific Electric company
at Macy street. said he heard the
whistle blow between Also and First
streets, and was positive he saw two
lanterns on the front end of the for
ward car. No cross-questioning could
shake his statement, although the
train crew and others stated there was
but one lantern.
A. I. Randall. the brakeman on the
rear car next to the switch engine,
gave very conflicting testimony
against the Salt Lake train crew. He
said the street car crossed the track
at terrific speed, then slowed down.
At first he said he got no signal to
stop then said he got a signal from
Wickersham, but none from Wright
His statements were very unsatisfac-
tory If Wright had signaled, he said,
he would have seen it; did not think
Wright had signaled did not know if
he was ON the forward car.
The Investigation was concluded with
the testimony of one or two other un-
important witnesses. and a compro-
mise will be effected between the Salt
Lake and Pacific Electric companies:
incidentally. the utilities commission
will render a report to the city coun-
ell. and hopes the city will profit by
the experience.
Injured Recovering
All of the forty-five victims of the
collision We're reported late last night
to be resting easily and those of the
most seriously injured are declared
out of danger, unless blood poisoning
or basal fractures develop.