Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-01-12
CROWDED STREET CARS COME
TOGETHER IN DIES MONIES
DURING STORM.
SEVERAL OF PASSENGERS
ARE SERIOUSLY INJURED
!. N. Thomas Father Of Charles
Thomas. Believed 70 Be Dying and
Others May Be Fatally Hur-Failure
Of Signal Lights 10 Work Properly
Said to Have Caused cellisen.

Dss No;neS Jan. -..-one man. J. y.
Thomas, IS near death, and twenty-five
other parsons are injured SIX Of them
seriously, as the result o. q hsadon COL
lis3oa between two CTha,,dale stree:
cars between Twentieth and Bennett
streets al O'Clock yesterday after
noon,
J. n Thomas, VITO resides near ,hs
end of the U-aa2dale car line, was r.
ported fatally h~rt-
The Others injured s7e
Mrs. Gels Botsto-5 20 Th!-:y-5-S,
street. internal injuries
D. E Alden 1913 Hickman avenue.
badly bruised
Ruth Carlson. Il5 Thirteenth s.-aa-
court. unconscious head INJURIES
Mrs H E Jones Nevpo-t s.s.-to--
knee injured. soal? wounds
Mrs. {. = S.eae-- So Beaver zvs-
rue, bruised.
Phyllis Shatsr, bruised.
Marie Herze-. 1905 T;,!--;eth stree,
bruised.
Mrs. W. F Leach. Twenty fourth
street, ankle broken.
George Z. HohI. a12 East Twenty
sixth street. roto-1a- incoming car
Ira Cunn!n CHAM. end Crhandaie lire,
bruised.
Robert Colbert, end T-banda!e line,
nose cut and scalp badly lacerateo.
Warren Shook, Cromwell. Iowa stu
dent al c. c. Commercial College In
jured.
Mrs. Leo Corn!cks. 1925 East Ninth
street. internal injuries.
NJ. B. Mott, 1885 Sixth avenue, con
ductor incoming car.
James W Douglass, 1920 Lyon, mo-
torman outgoing car.
George Hepburn, 2343 Fort!sth place.
J,F. Henrohen. Trbandale. three trac-
lures in left leg, amputation probable.
w. NJ Fisher, Sl1 High street ribs
fractured, back spraned.
Thomas Is 70 years old. He Is the
father of Charlie Thomas, who was
paroled from ths state pen!tentiary
New Years day.
The accident according to street car
officials. was caused by the failure OF
signal lights to work properly. The
motorman Of each car. apparently be-
iieveing he had a right to the single
track was running his car at almost
full speed when they crashed into each
other, throwing the passengers pro-
miscuously about the cars.
The cars, which were tho heavy new
cars OF the variety recently purchased
by the company, telescoped almost one
third the length Of each. They were
rammed together so far that It was al
most Impossible to tell one car from
another.
The accident occurred at the bottom
Of two hills. The tracks at this point
curve twice, after the fashion Of the
letter s." making It impossible for the
motorman to see much Of the track
ahead OF his car. as heavy growth OF
trees on the lef. hand side going out
obstructs the View wherever the track
curves.
The outbound car, No. 36l, was
crowded, there being two or three pass
engers standing IN the aisle, but there
were not more than dozen riding on
the inbound car. No. 3+2. With few
exceptions the passengers had no
warning Of the accident. until the cars
actually crashed together. Most Of
them were reading. The windows were
badly frosted 80 that Il was imposs!o Die
10 see through them.
J. A. Stewart. an experienced rail-
a9ad man. who lives on Bennett street
near the scene Of the wreck, probably
was the first 20 realize that collision
was impending.
"I signaIled the conductor OF the out
going car OF which ! vas riding 10 stop
at Bennett street" he said last night
4 gave him the sigma! 100 feet from
Bennett street and he signaled tho
motornan Immediately. 7 was stand
ing al the tie and saw the incoming
car about block away. Il was travel
ing fast. and : realized az once that
the cars would meet. For Gods sake,
stop the car yelled % me conductor,
but it did no good. COR he car con-.n-
ued was NOT Injured ou. others all
about ne were seriously bruised and