Evening star., 1934-05-11
Passengers Thrown Into
Panic on Georgia Avenue
and Takoma Park Lines.
THIRD CAR is STRUCK,
BUT PATRONS ESCAPE
Conductor Is Rendered Uncon.
scious, While Motorman Works
to Rescue Riders.

Ten persons today were nursing
slight cuts. bruises or burns as a re-
suit of bolts of lightning which STRUCK
two street cars yesterday afternoon at
almost the same time.
A third was struck within five min
utes of the other two on Connecticut
avenue near Brandywine street. Nc
one was hurt.
Seven Of the As passengers in car
on Georgia avenue, between Gallatin
and Hamilton streets, were hurt in a
panic which followed the lightning
blast. The conductor OF the car was
knocked unconscious.
At Third and Nicholson streets, q
Takoma Park car was struck, but only
Motorman B. F. Fairfax was hurt. He
was slightly burned about the right
hand and continued working after
being treated by the Capital Transi,
Co. physician. Three girls, the only
passengers, became hys,erical and
ran screaming from the car, but they
returned as soon as they learned there
was nothing seriously wrong.
Passengers Panic Stricken.
The bolt hit the Georgia avenue
car as it was proceeding slowly
through torrential rain. Before the
rumbling of thunder had died down
great clouds of smoke were billowing
up from underneath the car, whose
electrical machinery was destroyed.
The smoke and cracking flame.
threw the passengers into panic
Screaming men and women rushed
to the doors to escape. but the doors
refused to open. They turned to the
windows and, instead Of opening
them, battered the panes out with
their fists.
Conductor Charles L. Mcdonald
meanwhile. lay unconscious in the
rear vestibule of the car. He had beer
shocked into insensibility by the
lightning. but no one apparently gave
him thought in the confusion Wher
he revived he refused hospital treat.
ment and said he was only slightly
burned and bruised.
Motorman Rescues Passengers.
Motorman Joseph A. Phelps broke
open one of the windows in the front
of the car just as the panic begar
and leaped out to see what had hap.
pened. He had started helping pas
sengers out. when he noticed the cal
drifting down the slight incline al
that point on Georgia avenue. He
ran to the rear Of the car, climbed
through another window and threw
on the brake.
The lightning apparently struck the
front Of the car and streaked along
the roof, down the sides and along
the undercarriage. The wooden part
of the front structure was set afire. but
the blaze easily was extinguished.
BY the time the fire rescue squad
ambulances and fire fighting appara-
tus arrived, all the passengers had
been removed. Only two-William C.
Appleby. IS. of Silver Spring. Md, and
Richard Carlson, 81, an Army pri-
vate-were taken to hospitals. Ap-
pleby, who was badly cut and bruised
about the leg and hand. went to Gar
field, and Carlson, whose right hand
! was badly cut and bruised, went tc
Walter Reed.
Five Others Treated.
The other five passengers who were
hurt and who were given first-aid
treatment by the. fire rescue squad
were:
Mrs. Lena Myers, 80, of 1868 Sheri-
dan street, bruised about the left LEG
and cut on the right hand.
Edna Henley. 80, Of 7499 Blair road
Silver Spring, bruised right leg.
Edward B. Blade, 81, of Sic Fern
street, bruised right arm.
Thomas Taylor, IS, of Silver Spring
bruised left arm
Anna NJ Capply. SO. of the 5000
block Of Illinois avenue.
The accident happened at 5:18. the
height Of the rush hour, and tied ur
street car traffic on the Georgia ave.
nue. line for about half hour.