The annual crop of accidents on high speed contrivances at amusement parks is being harvested. Two such accidents injured about thirty persons at Riverview park Sunday afternoon. They were not reported to the police until yesterday. The more serious accident was on the "Derby" and the other was on the "Royal Gorge."
A dual investigation will be made by the city. The police want to know why the facts were not reported to them at once. Building Commissioner Murdoch Campbell will look into the construction of the speedways with a view to determining whether city ordinances are violated or the contrivances so built as to invite accidents.
The park publicity department blamed the rain of Sunday afternoon for both accidents. The brakes on a "Derby" car refused to work and the conveyance crashed into one standing at a loading platform, it was said, because the fittings were wet, and a "Royal Gorge" car jumped the track because it was slippery. The latter device was closed by the city last summer after a fatal accident. It was reopened after changes in the interest of safety had been made.
Injured Reported to Police.
Reports made to the police gave the names of these injured, they having been riding on the "Derby" unless otherwise specified:
Eckhardt, Albert, 1008 Perry avenue; bruises and contusions on head and body.
Joseph Fuegberk, 1020 West Eighteenth place, riding on "Royal Gorge"; left shoulder bruised.
Mrs. Matilda Fuegberk, riding on "Royal Gorge,"; injured about shoulders.
Miss Catherine Fulton, 959 Montana street, riding on "Royal Gorge"; fainted when cars struck fence.
Jansen, Elmer, 1017 Franklin street; left arm broken, bruised.
Johnson, Russell, 1016 Greenleaf street, Evanston; bruised.
Klank, H. A., 2537 Cortez street; teeth knocked out and head bruised.
Kling, Charles, 747 Rush street; wrist sprained and jaw injured.
Kramer, J., 1238 West Ohio street; bruised.
Lambert, Carl; cut and bruised.
Lane, Charles; lacerations and bruises on head and body.
Lorenz, Mary, 1347 West Ohio street; collapse.
Michaels, Theodore O., 446 La Salle avenue; right leg bruised.
Michaels, Mrs. Theodore, 446 La Salle avenue; cut.
Modole, J., 933 Sherman street; bruised.
Nyborg, Carl, 609 Davis street, Evanston; bruised.
Olson, Nels, Evanston; left arm cut and bruised.
Quigley, William, 3726 Winthrop avenue; riding on "Royal Gorge"; wrist sprained.
Richter, Arthur, 1949 Canalport avenue; bruised on head and body.
Rago, Alfred, 3202 Perry avenue; cut and bruised.
Rakel, Frank, 1520 Emma street; bruised.
Rylonitz, A., 1020 Elston avenue; left arm broken, cut, and badly bruised.
Schrader, Henry, 3044 North Leavitt street; face, arms, and body bruised.
Veinbennor, William, 202 West Twenty-first place; head and arms cut and bruised.
Zulke, Gustave, 2537 Cortez street; cut and bruised.
Car "Going Like Blazes."
The first accident was that on the "Derby" at about 6 o'clock. Charles Kling, who was bruised severely, said "the car was going like blazes," and most of the other victims agreed with him.
The park gave out a statement in which it was said:
"One train was standing at the loading station unloading its passengers, and most of them had got off. On account of the wet tracks the brake did not work properly on the following train, and it crashed into the other at, however, slackened speed. This kind of accident is apt to occur on any railroad following heavy rainfall."
The "Royal Gorge" cars left the track half an hour later at the top of an incline about sixty feet high and crashed into the fence.
The injured were treated at the hospital station on the grounds.
[End of news article]
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