The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1890-10-01
ALMOST A CATASTROPHE
PASSENGERS HAVE A NARROW
ESCAPE.
A Chicago Street-Car Goes Into the
River and Gives It's Passengers "a Ter
ribie fr:ght-The fridge Was Open and
the Brakes Would Not Work.

Wouiu Nofk.
Chicago dispatch.
A Lincoln avenue street car which left
the North Side terminus of the line at
midnight went into the river at the
Clark street bridge early this morning
, carrying the horses with il.
The car was filed with passengers,
but almost miraculously they managed
To escape, the last passenger jumping
from the rear platform as the vehicle
tottered and fell with tremendous
splash into the dark waters.
The bridge had been turned 10 allow
the passage of the barge Howard just as
the car came into sight on the viaduct
north of the bridge. The grade from the
viaduct TO the bridge is very steep and
descends without break.
As the car reached the edge OF the
viaduct the driver applied the brake. 1t
refused 10 work, and the car began 10
slide down the grade, gaining velocity as
IL sped on toward the river.
When within fifty feet OF the river the
driver with an almost herculean effort
threw himself against the brake, snap
ping the chains with the force of his
exertions. The car could not be stopped,
and with great presence of mind the
driver threw open the front door, ex-
claiming: 81 can't stop the car. The
bridge is turned Jump for your lives"
Quick TO realize the situation, the con-
ductor joined in the cry and sprang into
the car, shouting To the passengers 10
jump and shaking the sleeping ones Wig
orously. Almost instantly the passen-
gers seemed To appreciate their danger
Gus situation and with rush sprang to
doors and windows.
As the car tottcrcd on the brink il 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 TO be impossible. As the
car began 10 slide into the stream he
made desperate leap and gained the
rear platform just in time To jump 10 the
street as the car topplcd over. His name
is George Il. McAdee, and he is the man
ager of a microbe killer company, with
offices in the Owings building.
Mr.. McAdee was very much excited
when interviewed a moment after the
accident, and said: 81 was asleep i'm the
car when / felt strange motion, and
awoIe suddenly 10 find myself sliding
toward the end Of the car. | can't tell
how ever managed TO escape a dreadful
death. l just jumped, and found myself
in = big crowd without hardly knowing
how got there"
The other passengers were +. ID. II.
Townsend Of 2O32 Calumet avenue, Frank
Swift of 17S'South Water street, James
X. johnson Of 426 Oak street, and Thos.
May. The driver is Henry Schnaton,
and he lives at 3S Edison avenue. The
conductor is an old employe of the North
Division company, and is known az
"Gus" The car runs on Lincoln avenue,
and Is numbered rs.
Schnaten's story is as follows: "As
my car came TO the edge OF the viaduct,
i saw that the bridge was turned and
tried 10 set the brake, but it would not
work, and, seeing that we were bound 10
go into the river, yelled TO the pasSen-
gers TO jump, and they did so, and, thank
God, were saved"
Mrs. James Minick, who lives on
Division street, was in a cab With her
husband on the north side of the bridge
as the car came down the grade. She
tells about the same story as the driver,
and says that he used every effort to
bring the vehicle 10 a standstll. Many
bystanders spoke OF the seeming indif-
ference of the people on the barge How.
ard. The boat was not stopped, and no
effort was made on the part of its crew
TO render any assistance whatever.
The horses were carried 10 the bottom
with the ear and came up a moment
later disengagcd from the harness and
from each other. One swan upstream
toward the LaSalle street tunnel and the
other swan east. A tug in passing tried
to rescue one of the animals, but it took
fright at the boat and swan away. AZ
ter swimming desperately for some time
fatigue Overcamc them and they went TO
the bottom.