Lake George, NY Trolley Cars In Collision, July 1902

ONE WOMAN IS KILLED, MANY PERSONS INJURED.

CARS CRASH TOGETHER ON HUDSON VALLEY ELECTRIC LINE.

COLLISION OCCURS NEAR SUMMER HOTEL AT LAKE GEORGE, N. Y., AND GUESTS ACT AS RESCUERS.

Special to The New York Times.
Lake George, N. Y., July 9. -- A trolley car accident in which one woman, MRS. MAUDE STOCKWELL of Stillwater, was killed and about twenty persons were injured, took place this afternoon at 5:30 o'clock on the Hudson Valley Electric line directly in front of the Casino of the Fort William Henry Hotel.
An express car from Glens Falls, bound for Warrensburg, and a special car, which was carrying a party of excursionists, who were returning from Warrensburg to Stillwater, came together with terrific foce[sic]. The car carrying the excursionists, which was running on a down grade at the moment of the collision, was going at the rate of thirty miles an hour, according to the estimate of those who were on it.
The force of the collision was such that the two cars were wedged together for a space of fully two feet, and every seat in the passenger car was broken. The passenger car was carrying about sixty passengers. They were members of the Stillwater Council of the Junior Order of United American Mechanics, their wives and children. They had been enjoying a day's outing at Lake George and Warrensburg and were returning here when the accident occurred. The accident was witnessed by a number of friends of those injured, who had not accompanied the party as far as Warrensburg.
The crash of the cars and the cries of the wounded were heard on the plazza of the Fort William Henry Hotel, and in a few minutes several hundred guests of the hotel were on the scene.
Prominent society men assisted in the work of extricating the injured from the wreck, and the women who were hurt were fanned and had their wounds dressed by society ladies, some of whom were in evening dress. Helping the rescuers was Prof. EDWARD O'REILLY, in a bathing suit, he having been in swimming when the crash came.
The injured were:
EDWARD WOOD, coal dealer at Stillwater; cut and bruised.
MRS. EDWARD WOOD, bad cut on head, bruised on body and suffering greatly from shock.
JAMES VIELA, motorman of passenger car, broken leg, injuries to spine and head.
E. A. FORT, Stillwater, badly cut and bruised.
CHARLES FORT, ankle broken.
JESSIE FORT, cut and bruised.
MRS. SETH HANDY, cut and bruised.
MRS. JAMES BARBER, bad cut on chin and other injuries.
LAURA BARSTLEY, cut and bruised.
GEORGE CURTIS, Schuylerville, injuries to his back.
MRS. GEORGE CURTIS, injured about the body.
DR. HUDSON, Stillwater, one leg broken and ankle of other leg sprained.
MRS. HUDSON, cut about limbs.
MISS NEWLAND, sister of MRS. HUDSON, leg broken.
CARRIE SMITH, badly cur and bruised.
The others who were injured were only slightly hurt, but nearly every passenger on the car was suffering more or less from shock.
President A. B. COLVIN of the Hudson Valley line, Chief of Police E. T. PATTERSON of Glens Falls, C. R. ELDRIDGE, and JAMES COONEY, a policeman, were on the scene immediately after the accident and directed the rescue work.
The motorman, VIELA, was so enmeshed in broken timbers that he had to be cut out with an axe.
MRS. STOCKWELL, the young woman who was killed, was a bride of two weeks. She was the daughter of MR. and MRS. EDWARD WOOD of Stillwater. She was sitting on the front seat, just behind the motorman. She died soon after being taken from the wreck.
The injured were taken to the Fort William Henry Hotel and the Carpenter House. They were attended by DRS. BEAN, STEVENS, and BURT of Caldwell, and DR. J. L. WENTZ of Scranton, Penn. MRS. C. R. ELDRIDGE and a number of the lady guests volunteered as nurses. This evening special cars conveyed such of the injured as were able to stand the journey back to Stillwater and Glens Falls, where they were sent to hospitals.
President COLVIN says he is unable to account for the accident. The motorman of the passenger car was in no condition to give his version. The motorman of the express car escaped uninjured, jumping just before the collision. He says he had not been informed that he was to look out for the "special." As soon as he sighted it he put on the brake, and claims his car was almost at a standstill when the crash came.
VIELA, the motorman of the passenger car, either lost his head or his car was going so fast that he was unable to stop it in time to prevent the collision, it was stated.

The New York Times New York 1902-07-10
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Researched and Transcribed by Stu Beitler. Thank you, Stu!