TROLLEY IS TIED UP.
Clark Street Line Has Its
First Bad Mishap.
CAR JUMPS THE TRACK. Passengers Left to Rely oii Their
WALK OR PAY ONCE MORE.
Accident Happens at WNestern Indiana
SHOWS NEED OF THE VIADUCT.
For an hour and a half the new Clark street trolley lines were tied up last night, while South-Slders and others who depended upon them for travel southward to their homes or northward to the business center of the Cety were their first good lesson
When the lines ope:ation a few minutes after 11 o clock there were 100 waiting at the Washington and Clark streets terminus.
The trouble was at the Clark street cross- ing of the Western Indiana and Air LJie rights of way-the place where a viaduct is to be built at the joint expense of the clty: and the Chicago City railway company. The blockade was caused by a motor which was drawing the Archer avenue and Brilghton sweeper leaving the rails on thn crossing. It was one of the biggest block- ades of the season, as passenger and freight trains as well as trolley cars were brought to a standstill.
The trolley lines delayed were:
Wentworth avenue and Clark street. Archer avenue and State street. Wallace and Clark streets.
The railway trains delayed were:
Santa Fe incoming passenger, due at 10 o clock.
Outgoing and Incoming time freight trains on the Santa Fl.
Two switching crews of the Western In- diana.
Jolted Off the Track.
The motor car drawing the was north bound. It passed over the Air Line tracks without , but when it to the net work Indiana tracks luG feet north the wheels of the front truck left the track and the Clark street trolley system came to a standstill. Thenr earne a wait of twenty- minutes for the wreck- ing wagon and crew. When It arrived the workmen secured Jack screws and proceeded to hoist the derailed end of the motor ear in order to drop the trucks squarely on the rails. In the meantime trolley trains had collected until the line extended back to Archer avenue and blockaded the in-bound cars of the Archer avenue line, which trail in on the State street cable from Nineteenth street. By dint of profuse profanity and bard work the forward trucks of the motor were finally placed on the rails and a start was made. It moved ten feet and both trucks went off.
The laborious process with the jack screws was taken up again. At the expiration of forty-live minutes the car was placed fairly ol the rails again and another start was made. Again the front truck left the rails. and then, after a conference, it was decided that the sweeper must be detached. The jack screws were again brought Into use, and when the were fairly on the rails again another ten minutes was expended in detaching the objectionable sweeper. Theni the motor car went ahead all right and mado the crossing without further accident. The wagon was then called Into service again, and the sweeper towed over the crossing and again tied on to the motor car,
Foreed to Wal k.
Long before the blockade was raised the many passengers who were northbound had given up hope of their ride to tho center of the city. They could not get trans- fers, and were obliged to hazard the dangers of the walk east to State street In EgighteentiL or Seventeenth streets or on the tracks of the Western Indiana around to Fifteenth street. Then they were permitted to pay an- other fare and ride to their various destina- tions.
The blockade demonstrated better than any other incident the need of a viaduct over the tracks at Sixteenth street. At this cross- Ing the tracks of the street railway do not cross the steam railway tracks at right angles for the reason tile latter are on a curve, which commences at Fifteenth and Dearborn streets and swings south and westc into Sixteenth street. The fact that the street railway tracks do not strike the steam railway tracks at right angles makes derail- ment almost a certainty If the tracks are not perfectly solid and firmly set, with no sinking at Joints. Tle latter is made almost Impossible from the fact thot. the main tracks and switches of tile railway are so that in making the crossing tile street railway company is compelled to make too many short pieces. This results in loose joints, to heavy motor cars mean almost certain derailment.
Street Sweeper Atire.
The on a track sweeper ownedby the Chicago City railway company under- took last night to haul It over a bonfire some lal) had built between the ralls at Thirty-ninth street and Indlana avenue when the sweeper became derailed and tip- ped over into the midst of the blaze. It took fire and It was necessary to call out the fire department. The flames were soon extinguished, however, and but slight dam- age was done to the sweeper.