The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-11-17
CLEVELAND'S HORROR
Every Passenger in the Car Killed in
q Viaduct Accident.
THROUGH AN OPEN DRAW
1t Is Thought That There We're Is
or 20 People In the Motor-Sev-
eral Bodies at the Morgue-
twas Heartrending.

of the Central viaduct at 7:45<o'clock
this evening. and dropped 100 feet to
the river below. 1t is a horror, the like
of which has never occurred here be-
fore.
The central viaduct Is a huge stit
bridge. 5000 feet long. made of iron. 1t
connects the Heights and the prosper
Gus residence section on both sides
with the business of the city. Directly
over the river Is a drawbridge on the
pivot swinging plan, and this is 1o1 feet
above the surface Of the water. The
South Side street railway passes over
the bridge, and on either side of the
draw there is a safety switch which.
unless the conductor alights and holds
up handle. will send a car into the
gully instead of allowing 1t to go on
the draw.
First reports from the scene Of the
disaster seem to place the blame on the
conductor. They were to the effect
that the Inflated motor car approached
the draw just as a vessel was nearing
1t. and the bridge attendants had
closed the big iron gates and were pre-
pairing to swing the draw. AS is the
rule, the car stopped and the conductor
case the way was clear. He must have
been blinded by the electric lights, for
an eye witness declares that, although
the gates were closed and the draw
was in motion, the conductor raised
the switch handle. The motorman ap-
piled the current and the car shot for
ward and struck the gates with a
crash. There was only a moments
81 A. n
its way through the wreckage and
plunged over the brink into the black
abyss amid the screams and frantic
struggles of the passengers. who. at
the first intimation of the danger,
rushed for the rear door. The car
struck the water with a great splash,
and then there was silence. Soon men
began to rush about shouting wildly
and the police patrol wagon and ambu-
lance was flying to the spot in response
to telephone calls. In an incredibly
short space of time. the work of rescue
had begun.
All occupants of the car with the ex-
ception of the few who had managed
to jump as it toppled over, went down
to certain death. The car disappeared
from sight as soon as 1t struck the wa
ter, and every one OF the passengers
were drowned.
The alarm which was sent out
brought to the scene half a dozen am
balances, fireboats, and the members
of the Hfe-saving crew with graphing
irons. Within five minutes after the
accident the surface of the river re-
vealed nothing of the terrible tragedy
that had just been enacted. The wa
ters had closed over the car and its
passengers, and the work of rescuing
the bodies in the uncertain light was
slow indeed. At O'Clock half a dozen
bodies that had evidently fioated out
OF the car and risen to the surface
were taken from the river and car
ried to the various morgues.
The news of the terrible accident
spread like wildfire throughout the city
and a large crowd soon collected on the
bridge and along the banks of the
river They could do nothing, how
ever, but watch the slow work of grap-
pling for the bodies.
The captain of the bridge guards
says: II saw this car coming rapidly
toward the draw just as / had given
the signal to swing 1t to admit of the
passage of a vessel. 1 waved my hands
and called to the motorman to stop,
but apparently he paid no attention to
me. The car came on. Just before 1t
went over the brink the motorman
jumped and ran away"
This statement does not agree with
those of eye-witnesses who declare that
the conductor went ahead to open the
switch, which Is about 200 feet from the
draw, and motioned for the car TO come
ahead. Certain Ii Is that the conductor
mounted the car again and went down
with the passengers to death, and 1t
will never be possible to tell exactly
what he did before this. The railway
officials say they are unable to give the
names OF conductor and motorman who
were In charge OF the car. The police
are looking for the motorman.
The exact number of passengers in
the car will not be known until all the
bodies are recovered. The fare register
in the car showed that IS fares had
been collected. There may have been
other passengers with transfers. which
would not have been rung up on the
register. Probably. however. many of
those fares were registered and left the
car before the bridge was reached. AS
near as can be learned. there were at
least Is and perhaps 20 persons in the
car when it made the plunge. Seven
unidentified bodies are at the morgues
now, and one man whose name has not
yet been learned IS at the hospital In
an unconscious condition. SO far as
can be learned he Is the only one who
escaped instant death.
The work of rescuing the bodies wen.
on by the haring lights Of the lamps on
fire boats. Al 1880 O'Clock I've more
bodies. in addition 70 those already
taken 10 the mOrgIe. making IL IN all.
had ben taken from the river. Am0ng
them was a young woman with blonde
hair and fairly well dressed. being the
- c--.-....