The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-12-17
FAST TRAIN
WRECKS Gar
NOONE HURT

Trolley Jumps Tracks on
Twenty Third Street
Crossing, Moline.
Fast passenger train No. 10 Of
the Rock Island lines. eastbound,
crashed into Z derailed street car
on the ratlroad track at the Twen-
ty-third street crossing between
Third and Fourth avenues, Moline,
at 4:45 o'clock Thursday evening,
completely wrecking the car and
tearing it loose from a trailer be-
hind. There were nc passengers
on either the car that was wrecked
or the trailer and both the motor
man and conductor were in the
clear when the crash came.
The street car and trailer, which
had shortly before left the Nome
barns in charge of Conductor Ed
ward E. Tobin, 4425 Eighth avenue.
Rock Island. and MotOrman Will
liam Hahn. were being taken to
East Moline to bring back shop
workers.
= Blame for the accident seems to
have taken a double shift. The pas
senger train was in charge of Con-
ductor N. J. Lorang, Chicago, and
Engineer L. Sheppard. Chicago, was
at the throttle. The engineers
story Of the accident is complete
refutation OF the s,ory told by the
street car crew. Engineer Shep-
pard claimed he was not tagged.
nor could he geo the derailed street
car on the railroad tracks ahead in
the gathering dusk. as the trolley
was off and as q result all lights on
the street cars were out. The block
signal at the crossing. which the
street car crew claimed was thrown,
could not be seen IS 1t ives on the
opposite side Of the darkened street
car. the engineer claimed. accord
ing to information given out b{
Rock Island lines ofncials this
merning,
Plagyol Tfail, Crow Says
On the other hand, tho street Cal
conductor has reported to the tn
City Railway company that he had
walked back two blocks and had
fiagEed the oncoming train and thai
two blasts Of the engine whistle
pealed forth in answer to the signal
from the fagmAn. However, the
conductor claimed that the train
! kept ON. The street car crew also
claimed that the semiphore wsl
thrown and that all due precautions
had been taken on account OF the
! street car, which had become de-
rallied while passing over the rail-
road tracks, had been standing
there for 10 minutes before the
train hove into sight.
It was intimated by . railroad OF.
fetal that the signal provided BY
the street car company at the cross
ing was Of no uAe only as signal t.
westbound trains. Trains coming
from the east pass around q curve
near the crossing and the semi.
phore was placed as an additiona
+! safeguard to confront danger from
that direction. Engineers Of east
bound trains could scarcely see th'
signal with . street car standing o.
the tracks ahead. 1t was intimated
on account of the car blocking tn
view. - :
Safety precautions for street car
crossing the railroad tracks. &C
cording to statements Of street ca!
company officials. are these:
On approaching the RAILROAD
tracks 1t is the conductors duty T.
leave the street car, throw . D-rai
switch, which 1t il said automaticall'
throws the semiphore. After tn
street cars pass over the tracks tn
switch is again thrown and tn
semiphore drops.
| Estimate 5000 Loss.
! The street car company estimate
q $1,000 loss as the result OF tn
accident. The one car wrecked
an old one. but was worth in tn
ueighborhood Of 5000. 1t was said
| No explanation could be given TO
the car becoming. derailed at tn
time it was being taken over tn
railroad tracks with q trailer be
hind. The forward car was abou
midway across the tracks when
became derailed. The railroa
wrecker and crew was called ou
and cleared the tracks. The pas
sengef train continued its run t
/ Chicago. The engine was not dam
|Iaged, not even the pilot broken.
was claimed that the train was nc
travelling at . fast rate OF speed q
the time. or otherwise there woul
have been practically nothing lei
Iof the street car excepting sptint
iers. The passengers on the trai
were only slightly shaken BY th
impact, and few suspected what ha
happened until the train N
brought to q stop . short distanc
from the crossing and thsy vel
given opportunity to alight and u
vestigate.
i ARRRST FHREE sRRDAs
i London. Dec. ls.-(Canadia
Press) s).-Three men have besn q
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