The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1894-02-20
a THRILLING SCENE.
"A Canie Car Suspended 200 Feet Above Tn.
Tennessee River


hhoXVliie, Tenn, February 1S-(Snacia1
1000 d Alie below Knoxville, on the Ten.
iieoSee river, is a high bluff, known fo,
years as Cherokee bluff. but more recently
tuI LolSStfeet hsShts. The bluff ano
nin pehlhd 1t is owned by the Unaka Park
company, which planned TO establish H..
pleasure ground there
Mn, Inc river at that point is one-fourth of
ai - pfoad ana very deep. The bluff is
90 ieet above the water but the onnosite
pdnh IS only about twenty feet high. AS
d means OIL transit from the north TO the
SSouth S!oe Oh the river the park con,Dany
mas rugged up unique contrivance calico
an aerial cable car. Two heavy wire cab.es
are stretched across the river four feet
apart, with both ends firmly fastened in
the earth. On these cables is SUSPENDED
d car SIX rect wide and twenty feet long
70 me top OF the car running wheels are
Httached, travelling on the cables The for
Oh the car is somewhat like the moor of =
talifoad car turned upside down. Attached
70 tne car Is another smaller cable which
runs through d pulley the bluff and is
WOUND around a drum in the engine house
tive plan of the road is like that of an in
clned cable road. 4 suspended car is
equipped with automatic brakes and thus
These details are necessary to understand
e s1ro accident; for the whole continuance is
line in the United States.
The Cable breaks.
This afternoon the car was running as
usual ana a large number of passengers
hao been carried over. About ocock six
people entered the car. including one young
lady. The trip was made safely until the
car was within two or three feet of the
Dluii, when loud popping sound was heard
in the engine house ana the pulling cable
began to run out with great velocity. The
engineer was not much alarmed. for he
thought the brake would stop the car
which it did within thirty or forty feet oil
the bluff. The proper forethought had moi
been gwen the action of the small cable
This is. Of course, doubled. and the weight
OF the cable was pulling it through the
pu!leys with great rapldity. The cable is
ta'Ied to prevent slipping and great flares
OF flame shot out around the car. Suddenly
there was d crash and the car was Seen
to rock from side TO side and then the hor
rihed spectators saw the planks shoot out
and down as if the car was falling TO pieces
The broken end of the cable had struck the
end of the and knocked it in.
When the smoke from the burning tar hac
cleared away It was seen that the was
at an angle of at least 45 degrees and that
the passengers were clinSing to the window
frames. the sides and the upper end of the
car with the energy of despair. Their po-
sition was most perilous. for they We're sus-
pended over the river at a height of not
less than POO feet
The Work Of Rescue.
The employees OF the company pulled
themselves together as quickly as they
keep up their courage, they jumped IN
boat, pulled across the river and climbed
the precipt0us bluff, appearing soon at the
other end of the cable, bearing a IonS coil
of rope. One end was thrown over the ca
Bile and slid down to the car. 1t was then
doubled over the end, 4alliiE5 to the river.
where. in the boat, was a larger rope and
a heavy block and tackle When this had
baon pulled IN to the the work Of rescue
was begun. A loop was made and placing
a foot in it four Of the passengers reached
the boat in safety.
Oliver G4edi~crsvood Killed.
But a man and woman were left. and a
negro man stepped in the loop to bring
them down. When he reached the car it
was readily seen that the horrors were not
all over. \ body was handed out that was
limp and helpless. 1t was Oliver Ledger
wood, q young lawyer and politician. of this
ctv. In his temple was d horrible wound
and his face was battered and torn. He
died before he could be brought to the city.
Miss Waddell, who had accompanied him
on the trip, was rescued also, and was the
coolest person in the party, A boy mn the
bank, Hugh Rule was also wounded by the
trailing cable.
Examination of the parted cable leads
some 10 believe that it had been cut, but
this belief is not shared by a great many
people.
This is the second accident on this line.
the other not being fatal.
The matter was investigated by q coro-
nerS Jury, who returned a verdict that the
accident was due to negligence of the com
$500 N0-AA