The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1915-01-22
CAR JUMPS The
TRACK, ALMOST
GOES IN RIVER
Passengers, Imprisoned, Ter
rOr Stricken as Coach Rolls
Down Steep Incline.
HITS CURB AND STOPS !
ON BRINK OF RIVER
Front Vestibule is Shattered, and
Victims Climb URavaiIed Out
Of Wreckage.

A runaway street car, in which six
people were imprisoned, barely escap-
ed plunging into the Mississippi river
yesterday afternoon. After tearing
down three electric light poles, almost
a hundred telegraph and telephone
wires, the coach swerved from one
side of the street to the other and
then crashed into the cement curbing
on the east side of the Frisco railroad
tracks and was brought to stop Just
on the very brink of the river.
The car was running ct nigh speed
when it struck the curbing, and the
impact shattered the front veStibule
and two front wheels. The momen-
tum hurled the front platform of the
car into the solid cement, which form
ed q clutch and probably prevented the
coach from turning a somcrsault over
the precipice and into the river.
Five passengers cook the wild
plunge down Broadway, but none was
hurt. But while the car dashed head
long toward the river, those aboard
tried frantically to force open the
doors and escape. The exits were Sc
curcly locked, which fact is believed
to have prevented serious INJURY. Had
the passengers succeeded in opening
a door, it is believed they would have
been knocked down and run over by
the car.
Il was street car No. ), in charge of
Motorman Ben Hinklc, and was coast
ing cast on Broadway slightly east of
the Presbyterian church when it got
away from Motorman Hinkle's con-
troi. Ii rolled down the hill, gathering
speed with every revolution OF the
wheels, and when it struck the curve
at Main street, the momentum. forced
it Of the track, and sent it rushing
toward the river.
The women passengers, realizing
the danger, became panic-striclien and
screamed at Motorman Hinkle to stop
the car He applied the brakes and
worked heroically to check the speed
of the coach, but it continued uninter-
rupted He was at his post when the
car, within ten feet of he river, crash
ed into the wall of cement and was
brought TO a sudden halt, with the
rushing water so near that it could
be heard whipping the curve in the
levee.
Motorman Hinkle was almost bur-
led in the debris of the collapsed YES
tibule when he realized that he was
safe. The front doors were forced
aiar by the impact and he walked out.
uniniured, but white from fear.
The imprisoned passengers, almost
terror-stricken emerged from the
wreckage and hurried through great
crowd of men and women that had
gathered almost instantaneousiy to Of
fer assistance.
Miss Myrtle Dunn, a teacher in the
Broadway school, boarded the car al
the corner of Broadway and Lorimier
street, and in relating her experience
to a representative of The Tribune,
said:
81 saw that he had lost control
above Spanish street, and when be
screamed | watched the car go across.
the tracks, and when it came straight
across and down this street, | knew
he would likely go into the river. -
Il rushed to the front platform and
attempted to open the door, but it
would not yield. When | turned to
look for some other means of escape,
l discovered that the other passengers
were directly behind me and was
unable to change my position.
81 felt sure we were going into the
river, and when the car struck the
Curbing the door was forced open and
| was thrown out. I think one of the
children behind me was hurled to the
ground.
II was not hurt in the least, but
was terribly frightened"
Mrs. NJ. E. Lessen, with her two
small children, Joe and Edith, were
also on the car. and were on the from.
platform watching for an opportunity
to escape through the door. None of
them received any injuries, except that
the little girl, Edith, was almost in a
state of nervous prostration for sew
eral hours from fright.
Richard Fish, a Normal student, at
tempted to escape by rushing to the
doors to the back platform, and in his
efforts to get through the doors, by
ISLANDERS who saw his actions, stated
that in his frantic movements he fair