Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-10-16
FATAL CABLE-CAR ACCIDENT
The Wires Part and Several Passengers
Are Killed.
rBy telegraph to tho Di.patchl


CiNcISNArT1. O.. October IA frightful
catastrophe occurred between II and l
O'Clock TODAY On one of the MI. Auburn
elevated planes which lies AT the head of
Main street. and reaches 20 a height Of
between go and 300 feet m the space of
perhaps 600 feet or less. Two cars ar" en-
ploycd -one on each track. They are drawn
hv TWO steel wire cables that are wound
upon q drum at the top of hill 10y an en-
CINE located there. Nine passengers bad en-
tered the car at the foot Of the plane and n
number of persons were on the other car at
the top The passage of the ascending car
was an right until II had reached the top,
when the machinery refused 20 work and
Ola, engineer could NOT stop 1t. The car
was drawn against the bumper. The cables
snapped i'm TWO and the car ran backwards
down the incline AT lightning speed. The
crash m the foot of The plane was frightiul.
4 cloud Of dust arose that hid the wreck
from view for % moment, but when II
w.s dispelled the scene Was horrible.
The iron gate that formed the lower
end of the truck on which tho car rested
wa. thrown sixty feet down the street
Tie top of the car was living almost as lar
ln the gutter The truck itself and the
floor and seats of the car formed a shape
les, wreck. mingled with the bleeding and
uauelod bodies Of the nine passengers.
Two were taken ont dead one. q middle
aged lady with gray hair, recognized as
Mr.. Ives: the other. q Young girl OF TWEEN
~. Miss Lillian Oscamp q daughter of
Henry Oscgmp; another, Nh \. hneisS, q
teacher, living at y Euclid avenue, died
soon afterwards. Five others were u-
iured. perhaps fatally. and one escaped
nuaculousiy with hat slight injury.
This inclined plane is the oldest III the
city. n was built twenty-one years ago,
and this is the first accident attended with
Joss of life az any of the four inclined
planes They are in almost constant use.
II s too early for an examination INTO the
trouble with the engine, but there have
been only two similar cases IN the history
al inclined planes here. In both of these
fht engine was got under control before
She cables worC broken. Perhaps the most
horrible condition OF any, except The nine
Of the descending car, was that of the pas
srugers on the other car st the foot of the
plano. They were locked in. as IS always
The case. aud were compelled 90 await the
coming OF the other car and its inevitable
crash beside them at the foot OF the track.
later The list Of the dead now stands
Judge ". NJ. Dickson, Mrs. Caleb Ives.
Miss Lillian Oscamp, Michael knicss, and
J0s,ph HOchstettcr. The wounded are:
CHARLES McFadden. both legs broken
joseph Mcfaddcn. cut ON sides and various
portions Of the body. and internal injuries;
MIR. Hochstctter, cuts and injuries; Mrs.
Joseph McFadden. The wounded We're
taken 70 the Cincinnati Hospital. Charles
Goebcl. who was the man at the lever, and
who had the uaspcakable horror TO find
himself unable to stop the engine, SAYS
that he complained that the cable was not
working properly. told the engineer
about il This morning." he said and the
engineer cold me he had repaired IL. but
IN was evidently still out If order, and this
must have been the cause Of the accident
Engineer Howard Wordcn could not be
found though this Is not considered as
evidence that he is hiding. The confusion
about the place was very great Tor con
siderable time. Coroner Rendlgs will make
d thorough investigation Of the cause OF
the accident