Grand Rapids herald., 1893-11-02
INTO AN OPEN DRAW
Electric Car With Twenty Passsn-
gen Plunged Into the River
AND SEVEN PERSONS KILLED
Catastrophe Caused by the Brakes
Refusing Co Hold the Oar ON
the Ice Coated Raiix

PoKrLAxn Ore. Nov. l.-Portlsnd's
second street railway catastrophe within
q year occurred early this morning. when
an electric ear from Milxsukee. an east
side suburb 10 this place. plunged
through the open draw Of the Madison
street bridge and sank in the Villa
mefte river. There were eighteen OF
twenty passengers aboard when the car
started to cross the bridge. aud all but
seven OF them saved their lives by leap
ing from the car on the brink OF death
Five corpses have been recovered from
the river and man and boy arc yet
missing. The dead are: Charles Beck
man, bookkeeper; John u. Anderson.
cabinet maker. OF Milwaukee; Joseph
Startler. laborer, OF Oak Grove; Alexan-
der Campbell. saloonkeeper. Of Milwau-
kee; Theodore Bennett, cabinet maker.
OF Milwaukee; Paul Oder and charlesS.
Abe. aged IA. are the two missing.
IL was about 6i5 when the car arrived
at the bridge. A dense fog enveloped
the river and sharp frost covered the
rails with q coating Of ice. The draw
had Just been opened TO allow the pass
age OF river steam er, and the usual
precautions OF closing the gates aud dis
playing red signal lights had been
taken- Owing to the frost. however. the
car could not be stopped in the usual
distance. and crashed through the frail
gate and into the river. The motor man,
when he saw he could not stop me car,
gave the alarm TO the passengers. and as
many as had time saved themselves bys
jumping. The coroner's inquest will be
held tomorrow. The steamer was within
few yards of the draw when the car
crashed through the frail barrier and
piunge1 into the river just in front Of
the bow OF the boat.
Statements by Eye Witnesses.
Details OF the dreadful affair can be
best CLEANED from statements Of wit
nesses. Those Of Motorman c. +. Terry
and Conductor W. G.. Powers were
sworn to before Mayor Mason and Chief
of Police Hunt who released the men
on their own recognizance. Motorman
Terry Gays: The track was somewhat
slippery all the way. but il was worse on
the bridge than anywhere else. On
reaching the bridge | threw Oft the
power and on entering the heavy fog
tried the brake. The car was then about
three spans east OF the draw. The brake
worked all right and held the wheels,
but the wheels slid along on the track
BY this time was within one span of
the draw and for the first time saw the
red light. ! then reversed the switch
and put on full power. Ii seemed TO
have no effect and the wheels continued
to slip and the power was on the reverse
when the car went down into the river.
/ stayed with the car until il broke
through the gate. Then seeing | had
done all in my power jumped. landing
on the sidewalk BY this time the car
had sunk out Of sight
Conductor Powers tells what mean.
while was taking place within the car.
lie saw the red light at the same
moment as the motorman and discov-
cred to his horror that the brakes would
not hold the car. Il called 10 the pas.
sengers to save themselves and jumped 4
of at the front end just as the cars,ruck
the gate. l saw a number Of people |
Jump before the car left tho bridge and |
heard lady crying for help. IL was
Miss Thayer. who was more frightened |
than hurt. for she got up and es,.r-
wards walked across the bridge 10 Ler
work"