Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-11-04

were found IN the vicinity of the
wreCk2Ee. Bodies were buried I'M
derneath the cars. Cries and
screams for help and walls of pain
accompanied the scene of diseaster.
The front end of the easthound car
was a total wreck and damage on
the weStbound car was almost as
great The majority of lhe injured
were passengers of the castbound
car. and were employees of East
Moline factories The westbound
interurban, one of an older make,
climbed on top Of the other car
Passengers on the interurban were
night employees returning from
work,
Ira Lancaster. motorman of the
eastbound car is in a very critical
condition 1t rs probable that his
wounds will prove fatal. Frank
Thompson, who was riding on the
same car and stood next to the
motorman, escaped with only slight
cuts on his face and a few bruises
Shortly after the crash, physi-
c1ansA ambulaAces, undertakers
and aid from all sources were at
the scene, giving first aid and
carrying away the wounded. Those
injured were taken to the Moline
city hospital and the Lutheran in
stitution. DR.. w. T. Human, Mo
line city physician and Chief De-
Jaeger, Of the Moline police de-
partment were there ard under
their direction the victims were
given care.
Is But One Track.
The changing in the time system
and in the switching are new
phases brought into the collision
Traffic on Fourth avenue is linn
tied to one side Of the street, be-
tween Thirty-fourth and Twenty
seventh street. A double tracking
system has been in the process of
installation since last spring. When
completed there will, be a double
track running between Moline
and East Moline. At present but
one track is available The crash
occurred about five hundred or
six hundred feet west OF Thirty
fourth street and close to the en-
trance to the old Riverside GENE
terry
The wreckage was cleared by II
o'clock this morning. When the
police arrived conductors and mot
ormen were gone. When inter
viewed this morning, Motorman
Meridith gave the following ac-
count of the accident:
Waited at Switch.
Il waited at the switch at
Thirty-sixth street about five min
utes. 1t was awfu foggy and l
( thought the car had passed. Then I
heard the two bells That is the
! signal to so ahead / went ahead.
I didn't see the eastbound car IN
/ til l was on top Of it. Then it was
( too late and the crash came. /
4 was knocked down. After l picked
I myself up l started helping pull
/ the people out l was hurt a little.
l went to a telephone to call the
| street car company. I found some-
one already at the phone. So l
went home"
Frank Thompson, who was taken
! to the Moline city hospital, told the
following story, as best he could
remember:
Il was on the east bound car
going to the Moline Forging com
pany- l am new man out there
, and was riding on the platform so
l would know when / got to the
shop. l didn't see any car ahead of
US. l guess 1 was looking out OF
the window just before the coils
ion. l don't know how I happened.
l could only see about thirty eeet
/ ahead. The crash just picked me
| up and threw me to the back part
! Of the car After l came to, l
started helping the women out OF
the car"
L was rather sleepy and didn't
know what was happening" said
( Mrs. Eva Johnston, who was sit
( ting on the side seat in the front
/ of the car the first thing l knew
! was that 1 was thrown down from
/ the seat on the top Of another pas
/ senger. / lost my pOcketbook. 1t
| had about SIS or $50 in it
Came Here From Iowa.
| Almond Widen died a few min
I utes after he had been taken to
the Moline city hospital. His skull
/ was fractured and both legs were
| broken.
! He roomed for one and one-half
| years at the J. d. Frederickson
! home, 4511 Ninth avenue, Rock Is
land. He was employed IN an East
Moline factory. His parents and
three brothers live in Iowa, from.
which place he came to the tri-
cities to make his home. Mrs.
Frank Carlson, 1913 Fifth avenue,
/ Moline, a sister, and a brother in
North Dakota, also survive.