The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1910-01-17
FATALITY OCCURRED AT
NOBLE AVENUE CROSSING
Accident Emphasizes Necessity
Of Speedy Construction
Of vladuct

That the Noble avenue viaduct IS
badly needed was forcbly demonstrat-
ed this morning at 8 o'clock when
Mrs. Robina B. Anderson, of 702 West
Washington avenue. was killed out
right while attempting to pass the
dangerous railroad crossing by the
belated Santa Fe main line passeng-
er train No. 405, in charge of Conduct
or Peters and Engineer Bloomhart, OF
Arkansas City.
The engine struck Mrs. Anderson,
according to three eye witnesses TO-
the accident, just few feet south OF
where the sidewalk crosses the tracks
the woman being hurled forty feet,
breaking her neck and badly mangling
the lower limbs, causing instant
death.
Fireman Shouted TO Victim
Engineer Bloomhart was on the
right hand side of the cab and did not
see Mrs. Anderson until after the en-
glne had struck her.
The fireman, who saw Mrs. Ander-
son approaching the crossing, says
she apparently did not see the train
until 1t VS. upon her and, becoming
frightened. ran down the track ahead
Ssof the engine instead of getting off
sthe track The fireman states that
he shouted to the woman to jump, and
a. the same time told the engineer
to apply the air brakes. but by that
time the train had struck her.
Had Been Warned OF Danger
Mrs. Anderson was on her way to
her home in West Guthrie after hav-
Ing spent the night nursing the chill
dren Of Mr.. and Mrs. Will McDanies
at the home OF Mrs. A. M. Bennett,
1913 East Cleveland avenue. when the
accident happened. Just prior to Mrs.
Anderson departing FOR her home Mrs.
Bennett cautioned her about the dam
gerous Noble avenue crossing and told
he. to take street car as 1t was a
cloudy day. Mrs. Anderson replied
that she was in hurry to get home
and that she would not wait for a car
IL there was not one in sight.
Train Running At High Rate OF Speed
Earl Patterson, Of 404 West Wash
ington avenue Lydia Andrews and OIL
lie Willis. negro cooks who reside on
West Washington avenue. and A. Hol-
man, who resides at 66 East Cleveland
avenue, witnessed the accident and
state that the train was running at a
very high rate of speed and that Mrs.
Anderson had her back TO the train
when struck.
Ellis James, an empl0ye OF the 10
cal foundry, who was some distance
away from the crossing, but noticed
the approaching train, also testified
that the train was running at a high
rate of speed
Clyde Rhodes. an employe OF the
Guthrie Motor Car company, who
crossed the tracks In an automobile
Just before the train flashed by
states that 1t was running at the rate
of thirty miles an hour and that the
watchman was sitting on a pile oi
brick at the south side of the cross
ing when he passed. Others who wit
messed the accident also stated that
the negro watchman was not at his
post although he stated after the ac
cident that he warned the woman
moi to attempt to cross ahead of the
train.
Fifty Miles An Hour, Says Engineer
A railroad engineer who witnessed
the accident, telephoned TO Corpora
tion Commissioner Watson, STATING
that the train was running fifty mile!
an hour when 1t struck Mrs. Ander
son and declared the accident one 0
criminal negligence.
Scores of passengers on the depo
platform. block from the scene o
the accident, state that the train wa
coming into the city unusually fast
The train was due here last night a
11:15 and, 1t is stated, was attempt
ing to make up time. J. f. Keifer, 0
Lawrence, Kansas, and other passene
e's on board the train declare that
was running between thirty and thil
ty-five miles an hour into the city.
A city ordinance prohibits train
running faster than six miles an hou
across Noble avenue on account Q
the dangerous crossing there.
Conductors official Report
The official report made by Coz
ductor Peters ON the accident to tn
corporation commission states tins
the train was running at the rate
sixteen miles an hour.
The crew held the train where
had stopped until Sheriff Malone
ex-Coroner Patterson and the amb
lance arrived. The train was delayf
haK an hour here while the ere
rs<.v,ttns,nd IN Para EiRht