The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1890-10-03
THRILLING SCENE.

A Chicago Street Car Goes Through q Draw
Themselves.
CHICAGO. Sept aa-''Jump for your
livesl We're going into the rivsrl''
The driver OF Lincoln avenue car No
Ills. Of the North Chicago Street Rail-
way Company threw opn the door OF
his car ut 1885 yesterday morning and
with face as white "a snow shouted
these appalling words to his passengers
"a dozen or more in number
The passengers made q wild rush for
the doors Just as the last man sprang
from the step the car and horses went
over the brink and plunged into the
river.
Tho Clark street bridge had been
turned to allow the passage of the barge
Howard just as the car came in sight on
the viaduct north of the bridge. The
grade from the viaduct to the bridge Is
steep
As the car reached the edge OF the
viaduct the driver applied the brake.
It refused to work and the car began to
slide down the grade When within
fifteen feet OF the bank the driver threw
himself bodily against the brake. The
chain snapped but the car would not be
stopped. Then he threw open the door
and yelled 20 his passengers.
As the car tottered on the bank it was
seen that still one man remained inside.
He had been asleep and awoke as the
vehicle rocked on the verge. A cry of
horror went up from the people who
had gathered around and his escape
from death appeared almost impossible.
As the car began to slide into the stream
he made q desperate leap and gained
the rear platform just in time to jump
TO the street as the car toppled over.
He was George McAdee. He was much
excited, but managed to say: Il was
asleep in the car when felt strange
motion and awoke suddenly to find my
self sliding toward the end of the car.
can't tell how ever managed to es-
cape dreadful death. l just jumped
and found myself in a big crowd with
out hardly knowing how got there"
When the car and the horses were
precipitated into the river the horses
were carried to the bottom with the car,
but came up minute later dis engaged
from the harness and from each other.
One swan up stream toward LaSalle
street and the other east A tug in pass
ing attempted to rescue one of the ami
mails, but it took fright at the boat and
swan away. After swimming desper-
ately for some time both tired and went
to the bottom.
j. ]. McCann, a switchman, and Dam
iel Riley, seeing the accident from
across the river, jumped into boat and
rowed over to where the car went down.
Mccain Invested himself of his cloth
ing and plunged into the chilly
water The abutment threw
shadow over the submerged car and no
person was visible. Mccain diyed
through the car, feeling carefully for
any passengers that might have been
caught inside He found no one and
returned again to the boat.
1t was rumored during the excitement
that two passengers, John Hartsough
and Dan. newsboy, had been drowned,
but this proved untrue.
An exciting episode of the accident
was the summoning of a brigade of fire
engines and hook and ladder trucks.
The fire fighters did every thing they
could to save the horses. but being
without proper appliances, they were
forced to reluctantly abandon the task.
The car had turned end over end as it
went over the approach and stands on
end in the river.