Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-09-04

CINCINNATI, OHIO, September g.
Tonight at six o'clock on the electric
railway from Avondale 10 Cincinnati,
all Of the brakes Of an incoming train
Of two cars gave way simultaneously.
This was at McGregor avenue on
Hunt street, which was formerly called
the Reading or Avondale road. For
mile and a quarter from this point the
road is down grade.
II makes a long curve before inter
secting with Broadway, which street it
enters at right angles.
The grade for four hundred yards be-
fore entering Broadway is five or six
feet to the hundred. The motorman,
when the brakes failed, tried to reverse
the wheels, but the wires Of the control
Ter burnt of, and uotOrman, conductor
and forty-fye passengers were at the
mercy of that Wild train.
FASTER AND FASTER
70 sped. A chorus Of shrleks made the
air dismal. Now and then passenger
dropped out on the stony street.
at the half mile from the startiag
point the speed was thirty miles an
hour.
Swifter and sWifter sped the two
fsted cars; louder and more despairing
grew the screams. Around the great
bend the train shot at fifty miles an
hoar, with speed acceleratinG every
second.
In.o Broadway il dashed at seventy
miles an hour. Tearing across the
street, It struck a big cedar telegraph
pole. out OF the lower part Of which it
cut log, where the platform and the
top Of the car struck the pole.
THIS PIECE OF POLE
was dropped onto the ground, while
the upper part OF the pole was sus-
pended " the wires In the air.
After cutting through the pole the
great irOn frame OF the car went on and
struck q huge iron door post in the
building at the corner, split upon it,
aud thrust half the length Of the car
i5to the building.
Over this mass OF pulyerized ruin the
rear car leaped 20 destruction.
All around in this heap of confusion
were scattered the dead and dying hu-
man freight. So far as can be learned
not a soul escaped.
One is already known to be dead;
eighteen are la the hospital, and search
ers are out all along that fatal mile and
quarter trying to learn the fate Of those
streWn along the road.
The cars used were open summer
cars. Conductor Charles Smith was
collecting fares when MOtOrman George
w. Devine Informed him at McGregor
avenue that the brakes were all dis
abled Immediately when the motor
man reversed his wheels, or
tried 10 reverse them and found
the controlling apparatus burned out,
he informed the conductor OF the fact.
Both Smith aud Devne then became
panic stricken and jumped for their
lives. Both suffered sprained wrists
and slight bruises.
The following Is q classified list Of
fatalities as far as obtained at this
hour. They are all OF Cincinnati:
Killed-Mamie Nelson, aged 13; lower
river road.
Fatally Injured-Louisa Erhart,
aged SO, leg aud arm fractured; Louisa
Berkeley, skull fractured, spine in
jured; Mary MshOney, aged 40, skull
fractured; Sarah Dublin, skull frsc-
tured; Mrs. Walter Richards, Fair
mount, internally; Miss Lulu Bsst,
skull fractured. TWENTY others were
more or less seriously Injured.
Summary-Killed, l; fatally Injured,
8; dangerously injured, II; slightly in
jured. II; not heard from, 10.
or the l6 not heard from Il Is sup
posed the injuries are slight from
Jumping of.
Eighteen people were taken from the
wreck 70 the hospitals
Miss Clara Paul, with five children,
stuck on 10 the last, and for wonder
got out OF the wreck with small Injury.
The car with its great iron frame and
It's load, weighed several tons.