Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1894-02-22
AN AERIAL HORROR.

. l.
n...r, .r.1 Nra,m,nx Two Hundred Feet
Above the Tennessee Rlver-An Acci.
DENT tn an Aerial Cable Car-Thriulng
ErperIence OF Seven Pleasure-seekers-A
Young Lover Killed In the PRESENCE %
His Fiance-was the Gable Cut?
MEMPHIS, Tenn, Feb. ia special
to the Commercial from Knoxville.
Tenn, says: One killed and several
slightly hurt, is the result OF a most
thrilling accident in this city yester-
day afternoon. The draw cable OF an
aerial car snapped in two. leaving the
car and passengers 200 feet in midair.
while the broken end OF the cable
smashed through the frail car filled
with humanity to do its deadly work.
Longstreet Heights is the name OF
beautiful tract of land south OF the
river and about two miles above the
city, owned by real estate firm.
Some Interested gentlemen erected
from the north bank OF the river to a
high bluff on the south side an
aerial cable line. AT its highest
point the car is nearly 300 feet
above the Tennessee river, and
the trip over. while being most thrill
ing, afforded beautiful view OF the
surrounding country to the passen-
gers. A car which ould hold per-
haps twenty persons hung suspended
from two heavy cables, five feet apart
and one and fve-eighths inches in di-
ameter. The engine house was located
on the north bank, and the car was
hauled to the dizzy height by an end
less cable five-eighths of a inch thick,
which wound around two drums
Yesterday afternoon the car had car
ried many passengers and made its last
trip about 4 o'clock. Seven people
were in it. besides c. F. Lewis, who
stood at the brake.
When within 100 feet of the bluff the
drawing cable snapped in two between
the car and engine room and the car
started back as if shot from huge
cannon. Near the center of the river,
and fully 200 feet above it, its progress
was suddenly checked, as the broken
end of the cable wound itself like huge
serpent around the car. 1t went crash
through the wooden car, only to wind
itself around and crush through its top
again, as if it were but made of paper.
There the car and passengers hung for
nearly two hours, while every minute
the crowd increased until thousand
persons lined the bank of the river.
Employees seemed dazed and it was
some time before long rope was Sc
cured. This was slipped down the
cable to the car and a steamer anchored
itself directly underneath.
Will Kibley, boy, was the first to
be let down, and the crowd cheered
Justify as he was landed. Next came
Miss Alice Wardell, who stood the
shock bravely. Belief gained ground
that no one had been hurt, but those
familiar knew otherwise, for in the
car above Oliver Ledgerwood lay dying,
his life blood oozing from two ugly
wounds in the head. He had gone
with Miss Wardell, his fiance, for the
novel trip which ended SO disas-
trously.
One by one the passengers were let
down until the car was cleared. When
Ledgerwood reached the boat sur
geon pronounced his injuries fatal and
in less than ten minutes he was dead.
His skull had been fractured in two
places.
Mr.. Fred McBee, another passenger,
suffered severe injury to one leg,
while Henry Hatcher's right hand was
badly hurt. Hugh Rule, boy, was
standing near the engine house when
the cable broke and was struck by the
end and seriously hurt.
Persons in the car say that Ledger
wood never regained consciousness
after being struck. He was promis-
ing young lawyer and leaves a wild
owed mother to mourn his loss.
Before the coroner's jury last night
j. E. Patton, one of the lessees and
part owner of the cable line. made the
sensational statement, under oath,
that he believed the cable had been
cut. The matter will be fully investi-
gated.