The Grant Street Crash: Who Killed the Passenger?

Homebody was to blame for the collision between the Grant Street electric car and the Northern Pacific train. Homebody should submit to save himself. The responsible transportation company, whose employees were not attentive, should pay damages to all the victims of the disaster. The empty talk about the affair, why all the blame is laid to calculated to excite the righteous indignation of the community. Was there no reason? Were not many persons interested? Was not one man killed? Then let the responsibility be fixed and all this foolish talk about 'homebody' be spoken at once. Collisions do not happen by chance. Homebody is responsible.

In the case of the disaster at the Grant Street crossing, it should not be difficult to fix the blame and then cast out the peace and warn the others.

Two questions arise in connection with the part which the Northern Pacific played in the disaster. Was there a watchman on duty at the crossing at the time? If not, why not? Was the velocity of the train running at a speed in excess of the 10 miles per hour allowed by city ordinance? Satisfactory answers are needed. It has been reported that no watchman was on duty, and furthermore, that the passenger train was running at a good line 10 miles per hour. If these assertions are sustained, the Northern Pacific railroad will have a hard job to clear itself of financial responsibility to the victims. There will also be a matter of criminal carelessness to be determined.

In the case of the street railway company, two questions demand answers. Did the motorman attempt to stop his car, or merely try to slow down, as is too often the habit of some motormen at railroad crossings? Did the motorman not know that the track was always slippery at that particular piece during wet weather and did the company not know it? Has weather been the case for months, and if the electric car that was in the collision slipped alone the rails out upon the Northern Pacific track, it was strongly because the motorman did not apply the brakes soon enough to stop, paying no regard to the experiences of the past at that particular crossing.

In most cases ordinances are rigidly enforced compelling street cars to stop 50 feet from the crossing at all railroad tracks, and then the conductors must ahead and see that the tracks are clear. A fatal observance of such a rule of procedure would make crossing accidents in Seattle impossible.

The entire community is vitally interested in this matter. No one can tell at what time he or she may be the next victim of carelessness at a railroad crossing. The fact that most motormen are careful does not remove the element of danger, for there will always be some careless ones to cause catastrophe, unless rigid rules are enforced to avoid danger. A fine and imprisonment for running a street car across the track of a steam railroad without first making a stop to ascertain whether or not a train is approaching, is the right penalty to impose upon any motorman who commits such a criminal act.

It is to be hoped that the coroner's inquest will be of the most searching character and thus the question of responsibility for this horrible accident will be placed where it belongs.