The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-08-14
Could Not Control Car.

:"
Could Not Control Car.
AS the car came over the summit Of
the nil on its return trip, it was seen
70 De going at an unusually high rate
OF speed, but the passengers were nor
alarmed until it was seen to be gain
ing Roadway. more and more. Fields
and Brennan, who were standing on
the rear platform tried to jump as tho
car jumped the track at the curyo.
brennan was thrown several yards
away from the car, but was uninjured.
fields was carried over the cliff, and
was buried under the wreckase. When
found, he was suffering greatly from
broken shoulder and was badly
bruised. Miss Miller was unconscious
ana mad received several cuts on the
mead and was evidently internally in
1ured. Mrs. Lyons was badly bruised
and 1t is thought she was also injured
internally. Klink was buried under
the forward part of the car.
Ofhcer Brennan who had been
thrown from the car and John B. Har-
mon, who had miraculously escaped
injury, were the first to reach the
wrecked car, and Immediately started
working to get the unfortunate pas.
sengers out Of the wreckage Con
ductor Kirkendall had seen the car
go over and was on the scene in
lew moments. BY the time the doctors
arrived all the passengers had been
taken out and were being cared for
by residents of the neighborhood, as
| best they could.
Doctors Soon Arrive
After first aid had been administer
ed to the injured, they were placed in
automobiles and rushed to the hospi-
tails. A large crowd had gathered
when the news of the accident reach
ed the downtown portion of the city
and cars were crowded with morbid
curiosity seekers, who had heard that
several persons had been killed in the
wreck. 1t was estimated that four or
/ flve hundred people were at the scene
/ OF the accident within a few minutes
The car lies at the bottom of the
old quarry, twisted and broken mass
of steel and wood. That the trucks did
not leave the car caused a great deal
4 of surprise to men who are familiar
| with the construction OF the cars.
They say that 1t is an unusual thing
that the trucks did not drop from un.
de- the car as it went over. Had they
done so they say that the floor of the
car would have been splintered when
i 1t struck the rocks and that none OF
the passengers would have been taken
out alive.
Blames 1t on Passenger.
E. L. Patterson, of the Keokuk Elec
trio Company, stated today that the
accident was the result Of passen
gers erroneous idea of being able tc
help matters. From what we have
been able to determine said Mr.
i Patterson, zone of the passengers or
the rear platform tried to stop the car
after the motorman had reversed his
motors and instead of stopping the
car, the wheels merely skidded along
the wet rails. There is no doubt but
that this was the cause of the wreck
4 When the motorman reversed the
motors, the passenger on the rear
platform put the brake on as hard as
possible and kept the wheels from
turning backwards, thus offsetting all
efforts of the motorman to stop the
car
The rumor that Is being circulat-
ed continued Mr.. Patterson, that
the motorman and conductor alternate
| in leaving the car at the bottom of
the hill, is unfounded as near as we
can determine. Our employees are
watched closely and we do not think
that such Is the case The car body
is totally destroyed but the motors
and trucks are all right and can be
saved. 1t is also untrue that the
trucks ordinarily drop from under
the car. That is true of railroad cars
but the trucks of street cars are firm
, " bolted to the body of the car and
cannot drop from under it,
I'VE are practically certain now
that the accident was. unavoidable and
one that could happen anywhere, I'M
der similar circumstances. The action
of the passenger in setting the brakes
was one that would naturally be taken
by almost anyone not familiar with
the way the car works
No Fatalities Expected.
Late this afternoon, reports from
the hospital stated that the injured
passengers were doing as well as could
be expected and that no fatal results
were anticipated. Miss Miller is still
in serious condition, suffering from
deep cuts around the head The ply
sicians say that they do not expect
any serious results from her injuries
although they admit that they cannot
tell as yet about the bruises They
do not think that she Is injured in