The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1893-11-02
CRASHED THROUGH THE BRIDGE
A Street Car with Nineteen PaSSen-
gers PlungGS into the Willamette
FIVE UNPoRTUNATEs DROWNED
The Draw Was Open, and, Owing to the
Fog, the Motorman Could not See
the Warning Lanterns.
FIVE UNPoRTUNATEs DROWNED
Associated press.

Portland, Or Nov. Zone of tn
most horrlfying accidents in the his
tory of this city occurred about sever
o'clock this morning An electric ca
from Oregon City plunged off the Mad
ison street bridge into the Willamett,
river, drowning all of its occupants
who are thought to have been five in
number. Two bodies have been al
ready recovered, but are not yet identi-
fled. The car contained about fifteen
passengers, but ten of them escaped
by jumping, just as the car left the
bridge. A heavy fog was prevailing
at the time of the accident and the
draw of the bridge was open for pass
ing steamboat. James Steel, president
of the railway company has heen
placed under arrest. Four bodies have
been already recovered and taken to
the morgue namely:
Chas. Breckman, a bookkeeper, who
leaves a wife:
Alex. Campbell, saloon keeper, leaves
wife and child;
John p. Anderson, cabinet maker,
who leaves a wife and five children;
George Stadtler who leaves a wife.
Two men named Bennock and Scott
are missing. Several of the passengers
received slight injuries in jumping
from the car Motorman C. F. Terry
gives the following version of the acci-
dent:
when the car came on the nridge
the power was thrown off and the car
approached the draw at low rate of
speed The fog was so heavy that
was unable to see the lights al tho
draw. When about four spans from The
draw / put on the brakes but owing
to the slippery condition Of. the track
they refused to work, and 1 had no
sand. When within one span OF the
draw, l reversed the car but the mo-
mentum was so great that it was of
no avail. Seeing that it was impis- |
sible to avert an accident, l jumped, |
catching the railing Of the bridge Just
as the car crashed through the wooden
gate in front Of the chasni
Conductor W. :. Power, states ihat
he was standing in front of the car
making out his report when he saw The
impending danger. The chr was then
but few feet from the gate. lie
'houted to The passengers TO jump, and
a scramble followed. The conductor
states that mis- register of fares paid
showed eleyen. This, however, is no
index to the real number, as many of
the passengers who came from Mil
waukee or points outside The city linn
ITS, paid double fares In addition there
were a number of passengers riding
on tickets issued by the company which
were punched Ly the conductor hut
not recorded. The conductor thinks
that there We. e eighteen or twenty
persons ON The car Preparations are
being made for Il diver TO go down to
the car which lies at depth of thirty
feet. The conductor and motorman
were placed under arrest. but released
on their own recognizances. There
was only one lady passenger on the
car Miss Thayer, who, in the scram-
BILE to get out of the car got caught in
the doorway from where she was ex-
tricated without serious injury. The
railroad company are the recipients of
A great deal of censure in not provid-
;nor fba oarc x1yifl copd
Oater)-The diver who went down,
states to an Associated Press reporter,
that there are no more bodies in the
car Bystanders who were near the
east side railway companys office are
authority for the statement that James
Steel, president of the company was
also placed under arrest and that he
tainted. Sheriff Kelly, however, de-
clares that he did not arrest President
Steel.
At 2:9O the diver made a second des-
cent. He reported the car so broken
and twisted that he could not get into
It. No more bodies were to be seen,
however. 1t is thought that two more
bodies may possibly be in the car, as
ccott and Bennock are still missing.
Late this afternoon the body of T.
was recovered, making the
fifth found. BennicK was a deaf mute,
md also a resident of Milwaukee. He
caves a wife and three children. Paul
oder and boy named Albee are miss
ng. and it is thought possible that
hey are among the drowned.