Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1917-07-12
TROLLEY CARS CRASH
Two Persons Injured in Head
on Collision on Lower Road.
Motorman Fred Sharpley Cut by Brok-
en- Glass ana Miss Mary Crowley
Bruised about Right Arm
and Shoulder.

A head-on collision between two
electric cars of the Burlington Trac-
ton company occurred about $40
o'clock last evening on the lower road
to Winooski on a curve about $50 yards
east of the deep hollow. The motor
man, Fred Sharpley, on car 81, headed
for Winooski. and Miss Mary Crowley
Of Essex Junction, a passenger on the
same car, were the only ones injured
so far as is known. Mr.. sharpley re-
ceived several cuts about his hands
from broken glass. Miss Crowley re-
ceived injuries about her right arm
and shoulder. which probably came in
contact with the window castings when
the crash came.
The cars that came together were
one which leaves this city at $3.50 p. m.
with Mr. Sharpley as motorman and
George Kennedy as conductor, and
special car from Winooski carrying
the mill help which car was in charge
Of motorman Oscar Mayo and conduc-
tor Harry Combs. The car from this
city reached the switch on North WI
nooski avenue on time. six o'clock,
but the regular car coming from WI
nooski was about ten minutes late on
the switch. A trailer followed closely.
Motorman Mayo, knowing that the
regular and trailer had gone ahead Of
him only a few minutes, thought he
could make the switch on North Wi
nooski avenue before the regular car
bound for Winooski and Essex juno
ton could leave This being often
done when the car bound for Burling-
ton ahead of him was ten minutes late
Sharpley. receiving no word of Mayo's
coming, started for winooski with the
| result they met on the curve as stated
tn
Mayo on the main line at the Bur-
lington end of the river bridge, as
usual.
Both cars were travelling at good
| speed but when the motormen saw a
| collision coming they applied their
| brakes. Sharpley's car was almost at
a stop. II not stopped. while Mayo was
| working his brakes for all he could
Mayo stated that he had put on the
reverse but his car could not be stop
ped before it struck the other. The
accident was a fortunate one in that
no more passengers were hurt as both
cars were we'll filled Mayo's car was
one of the yellow open cars and many
Of the passengers who stood on the
running board jumped. Sharpleys car
| was No. 81, which is the new one re-
| Gently purchased by the company. The
vestibule of this car is a total wreck,
the controller was knocked over, the
Woodwork and windows and iron front
Of the car were badly damaged. Mayo's
car received a broken fender and a
part of the iron front was a bit bent.
Both motormen stuck to their posts.
Sharpley being knocked down when the
| crash came.
The compact might have been much
worse had the bumpers on both cars
come together, but the bumper on 81
Is lower than that on the yellow car.
| This naturally Is the cause of the new
car. No. 81, being so badly smashed
on the front end. The two bumpers
not coming together also possibly les
sened the list Of injured.
Passengers on the new car. the doors
Of which are closed at each end, who
saw the on-coming car simply braced
themselves in their seats. After the
crash the many children on the car
began to cry. which added to the ex-
element and there was a rush for the
doors. The cooler ones among the
passengers who saw that all danger
had passed tried to calm the others un-
til the doors were opened and they
then filed out. Some of the more ex-
cited ones handed their children out
through the windows to passengers
from the other car and one youngster
Paul Gunther. Jr., Of Winooski. jump
ed from the window but was unin-
jured.
The passengers bound for Burlington
on the special rode to Burlington or
two specials which had started for Els.
sex and Fort Ethan Allen. Those or
81 bound for Winooski walked into
town. Miss Crowley had walked into
Winooski and rested In one of the cars
on the switch on Main street in Wi.
nooski which were bound for Burling
ton. When traffic was again resumed
about an hour later she boarded a col
for her home in Essex Junction, where
she stated she would consult her physi-
clan.