The true northerner., 1895-11-22
DEATH In A CIIASM.
Cleveland Appalled, by a Horror
at a Drawbridge.
A CONDUCTORS TERRIBLE MISTAKE

Carries Himself and Eighteen Others te .
Drop Into an Open Draw. Down l0i
Feet to Death-A Case Of Inexplicsbie
Absence Of Mind That Has Plunged
Cleveland Into Mourning.
CLEVELAND Nov lS-The people of this
city stood appalled, when they realized the
full horror of the terrible accident which
occurred Saturday evening on the big
Central yiaduct 1t was the worst accident
that had ever happened in this city, and
the story of how the motor car loaded
with men. women and children had
plunged through the open draw, straight
down l0l feet into the river, was told over
and over again. The Central viaduct Is
huge stilt bridge 5000 feet long, made Of
iron 1t connects the heights and the
prosperous residence section on the south
side with the business center of the city.
Directly over the river is a draw bridge Of
the pvot-swinging pattern, and this is lol
feet above the surface of the water. The
South Side Street railway passes over the
bridge and on either side of the draw there
J. safety switch, which-unless the con-
ductor alghts and holds up handle-will
send "a car into the gutter instead OF allow
ing il TO go on the draw
Impossible to Tell How 1t Happened.
How it happened will probably never be
known, but the conductor alighted as
usual, went forward, and then delib-
erately-although the bridge was plainly
open and vessel passing through the
draw right before his eyes-raised the
lever, gave the motorman the signal TO go
ahead jumped on the car as it passed him
and rode over the brink to his death. Just
as impossible is it TO account for the ac-
ton of the motorman, who was saved by
jumping, and is under arrest. He was on
the front of the car of course, in full view
of the bridge, could see--if he looked-the
red light, which is always the danger sig
nal, and yet he went on at the signal OF
the conductor.
Over the Brink to Eternity.
The motorman's name is Rogers, and
he has been employed for four years. The
conductor was equally experienced. The
officers of the company are at a loss to ex
plain the accident The terrible fact re-
mains. however, that the car shot forward
and struck the gates with a crash. There
was only moments pause and then the
heavy car ground 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 danger rushed for
the rear door The car struck the water
with great splash and then there was
silence, until was heard the rush of the
patrol wagons and ambulances, the
muffled roar of the coming multitude and
the noise of the tugs that soon arrived at
the scene.
List of Dead and Missing.
With feverish haste the work OF recover
ing the bodies went on all night and until
IL was announced by the divers that there
were no more bodies in the river The
list Of dead and missing Is as follows:
Killed-James Mclaughlin. base ball
player; Henry w Mecklenburg mer-
chant tailor; Edward Hoffman, conduc-
tor; Mrs. John A. Sauerheimer; Miss
Bessie Davis, school teacher; Harry w.
Foster, clerk Mrs. Minnie G. Brown;
Curt Lepehne; Mrs. A. w. Hoffman;
Harvey Hoffman, years old Mrs. Martha
Palmer; Marie Mtchen; Augusta Sar-
inski; Gertie Hoffman, AZ years old;
Louis +. Huletz, mail carrier. Missing
Miss Martha Sauerheimer; - Looney,
8 years old; b. C. Page and Matthew
Callahan.