Trolley Collision at Fourth and Jackson
A freight car and a passenger cable car collide in downtown Seattle, but fortunately leave no passengers injured.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
A collision occurred between a Yesler avenue cable car and a freight car on the Grant street line at the crossing at South Fourth and Jackson streets. The cable car, which was manned by Conductor A. V. Dellinger and Gripman Severance, was carrying several passengers downtown, while the freight car was moving across Jackson street at Fourth. Although the Jackson street car had the right of way, the motorman of the Grant street freight car did not stop the car, and due to the dampness of the rails, it slid into the side of the Jackson street car, knocked it off the track, and tilted it over. The passengers were shaken up somewhat, but none of them were injured. The car suffered minor damage and windows were broken.
“Although the Jackson street car had the right of way, the motorman of the Grant street freight car did not stop the car, and due to the dampness of the rails, it slid into the side of the Jackson street car.”
While the intersection of 4th and Jackson is still a bustling transit node, the dangerous interaction between freight and passenger streetcars is long gone. This incident illustrates the chaotic early days of Seattle's evolving streetcar infrastructure.
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