Los Angeles herald., 1910-03-10
ALSO ST. CRASH
IS INVESTIGATED
WITNESSES TELL CONFLICT
ING STORIES OF WRECK
OFFICIALS SEEK TO FIX BLAME
FOR ACCIDENT
Public Utilities Commissioners Attend
Hearing and Are Impressed
with Need of Adequate
Protection
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trio officials insisted that they were
willing to adopt any reasonable ana
efficient system which would prevent
a repetition of the collision of TUESDAY
night The utilities commission, ac-
eordingly, will decide as to what 1t
considers the safest method of protec-
tion and will make recommendations
accordingly to the city council.
The effort to place the blame for the
collision Tuesday night proved largely
unavaiIng. Testimony indicated that
the collision was due either to the poor
eyesight of the hagman, employed by
the Pacific Electric company, or to the
failure of the switchman on the for
ward car to display his lantern; yet so
conflicting was the testimony relative
to these two particulars that IL could
not be decided who or what actually
had contributed most to the cause of
the accident.
The position maintained by the salt
Lake road at first was that it is the
duty of the street car companies to
stop their carss at every crossing, re-
gardless of whether there is tiagman
there or not The Pacific Electric took
issue on this point, and explained that
while the railroad contract gives the
Salt Lake right of way, and places the
electric cars in the position of having
to protect themselves against such ac-
cidents, it has hired tlagmen at most OF
the crossings, and that where such
fiagmen are hired the electric company
considers it is not necessary to stop
at the crossings.
The first witness called was J. Wick
ersham, foreman of the switching
crew on the train which collided with
the Oak Knoll car. Mr.. WlckershaII
saws he first saw the train when 1t was
about two car lengths from the street
nd testified l.
though the train was not going over
six or seven miles an hour, 1t would be
impossible to stop 1t in this distance.
1t stopped, however, in three car
lengths, he said.
Wickersham said the engine bell rang
continuously from the First street VIA
duct until the moment of the crash.
He declared the switching brakeman,
@. II. Wright was standing with his
white lantern in his hand, close TO the
end of the forward car, as the engine,
front on, pushed the train OF twenty
five freight cars north from the tlrst
street viaduct to the Also street cross
ing. He was positive Wright was on
the forward end, and that he gave the
signal to stop while the forward car
was about two car lengths from lne
Pacific Electric track.
The engineer blew the whistle once
he said Wickersham, as soon as ne
got wright S SlSIdl u olOps pehSSCQ -iAS
signal on from the middle of the train,
where he was standing, to Brakeman
A. l. Randall, who was riding on the
car next to the engine He says ne
saw Wright fall over with the lumber
into the river bed when the crash came
Lantern Broken
r p Sisson, clerk in the Salt Lake
freight office, who was working in the
office at the time of the accident, says
cI,
and found Wrights lantern lying near
the lumber wreckage. The lantern, he
said, was badly broken
According to several witnesses, there
were no cars on either track, so the
view was not obstructed, yet all testi-
fed it was a very dark night.
John w. Banwa, the tiagman, VINO
rayeh is age as SO years, was then
called on the stand. Banwa was pos
tive he had no warning of the ap-
proach of the Salt Lake train. lie
saw the Oak Knoll car approachlng'
left his red lantern at the end OF the
bridge. walked forward about ten 1eet
toward the car, signaled it to come on
and then turned back toward his STA
ton by the bridge girder.
AS he turned, he said, he saw the
dark outlines of the oncomlng train,
the forward car, loaded high with lum-
her. forming a vague silhouette against
the reflection of the street car head
light. which he said was hooded. In
stantlv he called out for the street car
TO stop, but it was too late He denied
positiVely that Brakeman Wright was
on the forward car, or that there was
any lantern on the forward end TO re-
veal it, He said the Oak Knoll car
was at the center of the bridge when
he gave the signal; it was within one
car length of the Salt Lake track
when he discerned the train. He
waved his white lantern at the same
time he called. The street car was
running at moderate speed, he said,
and the train was running at a speed
he estimated at about htteen miles an
hour.
The flagman said no whistle was
blown and that he heard no bell.
Policeman Testfies
James r. Everett, a policeman on
the heat. then told Of seeing the crash.
He said he was on Anderson street,
near Mateo, and had a good view OF
the track to the north, facing the on
coming train He heard a loud crash,
indicating a terrific compact, and SAID
the noise lasted for about two or three
seconds He says he could have seen
a light if the switchman on the for
ward car had carried one, but declares
he saw no light He heard no whistle
blown; and, if the bell was rung ad-
mitted he might not have heard it.
Thomas J. Wells, motorman on the
Knoll car next testified. He said he
looked north and SOUTH while on the
bridge, but saw no train. ii then
tapped his gong twice to get the signal,
and was signaled ahead by Flagman
BanWa. He said if Brakeman Wright
was on the forward car he did not see
him: did not believe he was there: saw
no light, no signal; heard no bell or
whistle. He also declared that when ne
saw it was too late to avoid a coll
lision he turned on the power to get
across the track full speed. He could
not make it, and the train struck the
car near the center of the rear end.
He said that until one-fourth Of the
car was on the track his speed was
about four miles an hour. He said it
is the rule to keep the headlight
hooded from Anderson street to Sixth
and Main streets, hence there was no
binding glare, and he could have seen
the lantern on the forward car if it
was there. He was positive it was not
there.
The conductor of the car was unable
to testify, owing to injuries received
in the collision.
G. H. Wright, a switchman, such as
are required by law to ride at the
front end of the forward car when
trains are running as made up in this
instance next testified, and said he
had laid down on the forward car
while the train was going under the
First street viaduct; that he imme-