The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-10-16
Two Men and Four Ladies Slightly Injured When
 Crash Comes
FRONT END OF CAR IS
 TORN OFF BY IMPACT
Freight Was Across Track and Motor man Claims That Airbrake on the Electric Car Refused
 to Work

Four persons almost miraculously es- caped serious injury and two men and four ladies were slightly injured yes
 East Lake car crashed into a Southern freight train at the Lacrosse crossing, in Woodlawn.
 Police Captain G. E. Devine and Pa trolman D. C. Simmons of the local
 police department, Conductor A. w.
 Parks and Motorman o. E. Harper were lall on the front platform of the car when 1t hit the train, but only slight injuries were sustained. Captain De- lvine had his foot slightly bruised and
 Patrolman Simmons was cut on the left cheek Mrs Gilmer of East Lake fainted from the shock when the train and car crashed together, but she recovered Consciousness immediately afterwards.
 Miss Estelle Lampkin, Miss Grace Rop- inson and Miss Bernice Meadows, all of East Lake, and pupils of the Bir-
 mingham High school, were badly shaken up and slightly bruised. The East Lake car, driven by Motor
 man o. E. Harper hit the second car from the engine, a Big Four box car, No. 1709. The box car received no more than a few scratches as the result of the collision, but the front end of the street car was completely demolished. The motor control box was crushed and ruined, and the whole front platform was broken to bits and torn loose from tl1 c1idiDo dnOr in the car was smashed and several windows were broken.
 Standing on Front Platform Capt. G. E. Devine and Patrolman Simmons were both standing on the closed side of the front platform when the accident occurred, but although huge pieces of iron and wood fell around them they escaped serious injury. Cap
 tain Devine's soft black hat was cut in three places, and still remained on his head, while his right foot was slightly Icrushed when the motor box fell back ward upon it. Several pieces of glass scratched Patroleman Simmons face. Motorman Harper escaped injury by jumping backward into the colored com or the car, anu itt upon his back. He was uninjured. Con ductor Parks at the time of the acci- dent had been standing on the step on the closed side of the car and had jumped to the ground, receiving only | d skinned knee as the result.
 Miss Estelle Lampkin of East Lake, a High school pupil. was knocked
 down and slightly bruised by fright
 ened negro man who had fled toward
 the back of the car when the collision occurred.
 Miss Grace Robinson, also of East Lake,
 and Miss Bernice Meadows, both sus-
 tained bruises in the mad rush of the
 crowd for the door.
 The Southern freight train No. 1924 was
 in charge of Engineer Hale and Con-
 ductor Bailey At the time of the collision
 the train was slowing up and the wheels
 were barely moving.
 Yardmaster Places Blame
 Yardmaster B. w Crook of the South ern railway, who was in the caboose of
 the train at the time, in speaking of the
 accident, said: There can be no doubt
 as to where the blame belongs. The
 train was already across the street, and the car should have stopped. The fact that the car hit the second car from the engine in the train shows conclusiSely
 that the fault was not that of the en- gineer."
 Motorman o. E. Harper, who was in charge when the street struck, in explaining the collision, said: When
 saw the train across the street, shut off my motor and then applied the air. I did not notice that 1t was not work ing until too late. The reverse lever