Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1889-10-23

CINCINNATI, O., Oct. 15.- The most ap-
palling accident ever kno Rn on the in
clined plane railways of this city hap
pened to-day between IL and ! O'Clock.
It was on the Mt. Auburn Inclined
Plane, which lies at the head of Main
Street and reaches to height OF be-
tween $50 and 800 feet in distance of
perhaps 1000 feet or less. Two cars
are emplcyed-one on each track.
They are drawn by two steel wire
ca les that are wound upon drum at
the top of the hill by an engine located
there.
Nine passengers had entered the car
at the foot of the plane, and a number
were in the other car at the top. The
passage Of the ascending car was all
right until it had reached the top. when
engineer found that the machinery
would not respond, and that he could
not stop the engine. Only one result
was possible. The car was arrested
by the strong bumper which stops
its progress, and as the engine continued
running all its force was expended on
the two cables and they snapped like
wrapping thread under its enormous
power. Then the car with it's nine in
mates locked within began the descent
of that frightful slope. What were the
feelings and thoughts of the fated nine
may hardly be imagined.
The crash at the foot of the plane was
frightful. A cloud of dust arose that hid
the wreck from view for moment, but
when it was dispelled the scene was
horrible. The iron gate that formed
the lower end of the truck on which the
car rested was thrown sixty feet down
the street. The top of the car was lying
almost as far as the gutter. The
truck itself and the floor and
sides of the car formed shapeless
wreck, mingled with the bleeding and
mangled bodies OF the nine passengers.
Two were taken out dead, one mid
dle-aged lady with gray hair, recog-
nized as Mrs. Ives; the other, young
girl Of 20, Miss Lillian oskamp,
other, n. Kneiss, teacher living ing
at IA Euclid Avenue, died
soon afterward. Five others we're
injured, perhaps fatally. One man es-
capped miraculously with bat slight in
jury. The names o. the injured are not
yet fully ascertained. w. M. Dickson
and Mr.. McFadden are said to be two
of them. Judge Dickson is nearly 20
years old, and csn hardly survive such
q shock.
Joseph McFadden, aged go, a stone
cutter, of ITO Saunders Street, Mt. Au-
burn, has his right leg crushed and his
>I~1a III - O.s)Or
AS soon as it could be done, the dead
were taken to the morgue to await iull
Identification, while the wounded were
carried to the nearest places where ex-
animation could be made. The intens-
est excitement prevailed and number
less inquiries were made by friends who
feared members of their families might
be on the fated car.
This inclined plane is the oldest in
the city. It was built twenty-one years
ago, and this is the first accident attend
ed with loss of lie at any of the four in
clined planes that are in almost con-
slant use. 1t is too early fol- an exam
ination into the trouble with the en-
CINE, but there have been only two
similar cases in the history of inclined
planes here. On both the 9TH
ers the engine was got I'M
der control before the cables were
broken.
Perhaps the most horrible condition
of any except the nine in the descend
ing car, was that of the other passen-
gers on the other car at the foot OF the
plane. They were locked in, as is al
ways the case, and were compelled to
await the coming of the other car and
its Inevitable crash beside them at the
foot of the track.
Judge Dickson was too old to escape
from such terrible shock, and he WAC
one of the first of the wounded to lie.
He is a well-known attorney, retired
for number of years. He was warm
personal friend of President Lincoln.
The list of dead now stands: Judge
W. M. Dickson, Mrs. Caleb Ives, Miss
Lillian Oskamp, Michael Knsiss, Joseph
Hochstetter