Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1890-10-02
THRILLING SCENE.
A Chicago Street Car Goes Through a Draw
Passengers Leap just in Time 90 Save
Themselves.

| A Chicago street Car Goes Through "a Draw
| --Panssngere Leap just in Time 90 save
| Themselves.
CHICAGO, Sept 90. Jump for your
liyesl We're going into the riverl'
The driver OF Lincoln avenue car No.
ms, OF the North Chicago Street Rail-
way Company threw OF, tho door Of
his car at l2:45 yesterday morning and
with face as white as snow shouted
these appalling words TO his passengers
"a dozen or more in number
The passengers made a 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.
The 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 yladuct to the bridge is
steep
As the car reached the edge OF the
viaduct the driver applied the brake.
1t 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 to his passengers,
As the car tottered on the bank II was
seen that still one man remained inside
He had been asleep and awoke as the
vehicle rocked on the verge. cry Of
horror went up from the people who
lad gathered around and his escape
from death appeared almost impossible.
AS the car began to slide into the stream
he made a 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 a 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 a dreadful death. / just jumped
and found myself in 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 1t took fright at the boat and
swan away After sw mining desper
atoly for some time both tired and went
to tho bottom.
J. J. McCann, a swItchman, and Dam
iel. $l.ey, seeing the accident from
across the river, jumped into a boat and
rowod over to where the car went down
McCann diyested himself OF his cloth
ing and plunged into the chilly
water. Tho abutment threw
shadow over the submerged car and no
berson was visible. McCann diyed
through the car. feeling carefully for
any passengers that might have been
caught inside. lie found no one and
returned again to the boat
1t was rumored during tho excitement
that two passengers, John Hartsough
and Dan. newsboy, had been drowned,
but this proved untrue.
An exciting episode OF tho accident
was the summoning OF 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 we're
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.