The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1911-11-21
7 INJURED when
KEYROUTECARS
CRASH AT PIER
Oakland and Berkeley Trains
Meet Head On When. Signal
Is Ignored
T0werman Tries to Throw the
Switch, but His Action Is
Too Late
Especial Dispatch to The Call

| Especial Dispatch TO The Call
OAKLAND, Nov. 2o.-Seven persons
were seriously but not dangerously,
injured when two Key Route electric
trains colIided head on shortly before
s o'clock tonight on the Key Route
pier at the turn about 200 feet outside
the ferry landing depot.
The>injured:
Charles Grimes of 1917 Waverly
street, Oakland Ben Wright of 52s
Telegraph avenue, Oakland, cut about
the legs Misses May and Lena White
of 1917 Grove street. Oakland, suffering
from shock and minor injuries. J. w.
sharpe, motorman of the Berkeley
train, and two other persons, who were
taken to their homes before their
names were learned. The five named
were sent to the Merritt hospital for
treatment.
The collision occurred between an
east bound Berkeley train leaving the
depot at the end of the pier and
west bond Oakland train which was
lust maing the turn to enter the depot.
and was due to the failure of ]. W.
Sharpe, motorman of the Berkeley
train, to observe signal set against
him.
According to superintendent J. b.
Potter of the Key Route. who made an
investigation of the cause of the acci-
dent as soon as the injured had been
cared for the Berkeley train, in charge
of sharpe. was leaving the depot as the
Oakland train was approaching the sig
nal tower at the turn. l.. p. White, in
charge of the switch tower, set the
signal board against the Berkeley train
to permit the Oakland train to enter,
but sharpe disregarded the signal. His
train spit the switch and crashed into
the Oakland train while both were
moving at rapid rate.
White saw the impending collision
and attempted to throw the switch to
prevent it, but was too late to do so.
Motorman C. Doakes of, the Oakland
train realized that collision was bound
to occur, and jumped from his car
after shutting off the current. He was
uninjured.
The Berkeley train consisted of three
fcars and the Oakland train of four. The
foremost cars OF each were badly
wrecked and the crash caused panic
among the passengers. The wreck also
fbroke the telephone wires connecting
the pier with the mainland and diff
Guilty was experienced in getting word
| of the accident to the shore The mes
sage finally was transmitted. however,
and Doctors Buteau, Benton and H. n.
Rowell were rushed to the scene. The
five more seriously injured persons
we're taken at once to the hospital
The passengers were not allowed to
leave the trains until lights had been
secured for fear that some might fall
or be crowded off the pier. The wrecked
cars were hauled away as soon as pos
sible and traffic was interfered with
for only short time
"Motorman Sharpe of the outbound
Berkeley train undoubtedly was to
blame for the collision, said Superin-
tendent Potter, after investigating the
accident He ran by the board when
it was set against him, instead of
obeying the signal and waiting until
the oakland train had passed. / can
only account for 1t on the supposition
that Sharpe lost his head for an instant
or had mental lapse and did not heed
the light"
The crew of the Berkeley train were
Motorman j. w. Sharpe, Conductor
George e. Neenan and Collector Z. j.
Brown. Those in charge of the Oak
land train were Motorman C. Doakes,
Conductor Gethen and Collector An
derson.