Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-10-16
THE KILLED.


The names of the killed are as follows:
MICHAEL KREISS.
Mrs. CALEB B. IVES.
Mrs. MARY ERRETT.
JOSEPH MCFADDEN.
Judge WILLIAM NJ. DICKSON.
THE DYING.
Mrs JAMES HOCHSTETTER.
Miss LILLIAN OSKAMP.
j. H. HAUGH.
Two persons were on the street at the foot
of the incline and injured by pieces of the
wreckage. They were John Miller and
Joseph Hentler. The horror occurred on
what is known as the Main Street Incline
Plane. 1t is the oldest incline plane in the
city and was built about 20 years ago.
Originally it was the means of transferring
passengers from the down town horse car
line. Last summer, however, the horse
motive was superseded by electricity and
the incline plane was so changed that in
stead of the usual coaches trucks were
used on the plane.
LOST CONTROL OF THE CARS.
Engineer Goebel was in charge of the
lever controlling the cars. TWAS just 1915
o'clock to-day noon when car No. 20
reached the top. AS the car neared the top
OF the incline the engineer pulled the lever
as usual to slow the motion, but to his hor-
ror, although the lever was pushed clear
back, the car came on with undiminished
velocity. Goebel made the most desperate
efforts to stop the engine but to no avail.
The car came on and struck with terrific
force against the abutment of the hilltop
landing. Underneath the feet of the engi-
neer the great wheels of the engine still con-
tinued to revolve, winding up the massive
cable.
The car could go up no further, nor was
there any way to stop the engines. Goebel
heard grinding of breaking timbers. There
was creaking and straining beneath the
truck, and of sudden the cable was pulled
out from its powerful fastenings in the
bottom of the truck, and the car shot down.
ward with its load of precious human
freight.
A SHEER DROP OF 800 FEET.
The descent was almosta sheer drop of
nearly 800 feet. Midway the plane took a
still sleeper drop Like lightning the car
shot down this track and striking the gate
at the bottom, which divided the depot from
Main street, the upper part of the car went
through and swept across the street.
1t crashed into Millencamp's grocery
store, carrying with it the entire brick front
of the building, and wrecking its contents.
The two men, Miller and Hentle, were
standing in the street, and were struck BY
flying fragments. The bottom of the car
remained at the foot of the incline track,
half imbedded in the foundation walls of
the depot waiting room.
DEATH WAS INSTANTANEOUS.
Mixed in the debris in almost inextricable
f,,es = h As<,Lk L..
victims of the wreck. Death to most of
painless. Mrs. Ives, the wife of promi-
nent business man, was 60 years old. Her
neck was broken.
Mr.. McFadden was a contractor. He
was literally crushed to pulp.
Mrs. Errett's neck was also broken. She
was the wife of well-known publisher.
Judge Dickson, who was formerly a we'll
known occupant Of the bench, was also
terribly crushed and killed instantly.
Michael Kneiss was killed instantly, his
head being crushed between the timbers of
the truck and the wall.
RECOVERING THE VICTIMS.
The news of the horror spread like wild
fire and in less than half an hour a dense
crowd surrounded the scene. Every patrol
wagon and ambulance in the city was called
out and the victims were speedily carried to
the hospital and the morgue. The coroner
was one of the first on the scene and at once
swore In a committee to investigate the
causes and fix the blame.
The cause of the accident was the failure
of the cut offs in the engine to work. thus
allowing the steam to operate the piston and
drive the machinery. While the accident
was unforeseen, great deal of censure is
being heaped upon the company for their
failure to provide safety brakes. {.
The inclined plane is owned by the Mt
Auburn Inclined Plane Company, of which
n. H. Little, of Louisville, is President;
II. M. Little Superintendent, and j. M
Doherty Secretary. Mt. Auburn-that Dor
ton of the city to which the inclined plane
cars run-is one of the most fashionable
parts of the city.
PLACING THE BLAME.
The engineer, so the general rumor goes
does not admit that the fault was his, where.
by he virtually throws all the blame on the
pilot. It is also a matter of gossip tonight
that the car, when it reached the top of the
incline, remained there nearly a minute
while the gatekeeper was trying to open the
iron gates to let the passengers out, but
which were so battered that he could not
open them. All this time the
machinery was pulling the cable
from its attachment to the car. Those who
believe this inquire why the passengers
were not lifted over the railing or why the
car was not fastened in its place during this
sufficient precious minute. But these are
matters of gossip. Experts who have been
sent by the Coroner to the scene, say they
know just how the accident happened and
will tell it at the Coroner's inquest.
A COMPLETE SMASH.
No wreck could be more complete than
that OF the car and the incline running gear.
Much of IL il broken nm int0 snlintaro zoo