The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-11-18

CLEVELAND, Nov. 1.-THE people
of this city stood appalled, today when
they realized the full horror of the ter
rible accident which occurred last even
ing on the big Central viaduct. 1t was
the worst accident that had ever hap
pened 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
a hundred feet into the river, was told
over and over again. Thousands of
people remained by the river bank all
last night, and thousands were there
early this morning. Great crowds are
still standing on the bridge over the
wrecked car, and about the place where
the wreck is buried in the river, eagerly
discussing every detail of the accident.
The first reports of the disaster have
been verified in every particular, with
the possible exception Of the number
of victims which is somewhat smaller
than was at first supposed. The work
of rescuing the bodies of the victims
has gone on steadily since o'clock
last evening, and is now believed moth
ing more can be done until the last bit
of wreckage of the car has been re-
moved from the river.
Scenes Pathetic.
The scenes about the river late last
night, while the work of rescue was
being prosecuted, were pathetic in the
extreme. The thousands of people who
had assembled waited with abated
breath for the discovery Of bodies. 1t
was a sad crowd, and out of respect
for the unfortunate dead but very lit
tie noise was made. Occasionally the
wild scream of some frantic woman
who believed some one dear to her was
among the unfortunate ones, would
echo over the flats, only to be taken
UP at distanc by some other woman
whose heart was breaking over her
loss. 1t was almost impossible to get
to the river. Patrol wagons dashed
this way and that, their bells changing,
adding to the din and confusion. Am
balances dashed up to the scene only
to turn and drive away again, carrying
the remains of other unfOrtunaTeS. 1t
was almost impossible to work with
any system. The crowd pushed its way
as near the scene as possible and the
efforts of the large police force to main
tain order were almost in vain. 1t
was with great difficulty that body,
when recovered, was taken to one Of
the dead wagons -Four bodies were
found almost at the same time They
were placed on stretchers and the sol
emn march to the ambulance started.
AS the bodies were passed from the fire
boat to the willing hands on shore, an
aisle was made and the bodies passed
along.
Every few feet some woman would
step out from the crowd, peer into the
face of a body as it passed, and with
at is not him, thank Cod" she would
retire. And so the sad procession
moved on.
AS the body of a young man was
taken from the fire boat an old lady
nearly fell into the river in her anx-
iety to see the face of the dead boy;
she would not be put back. She threw
herself onto the body and looked into
the face. Failing upon her knees, she
raised her voice to heavan and prayed
as only a mother could under the Cir
cumstances. Pressing close around
there were anywhere from 1000 to 5000
people Those who saw her raised
their hats and not few Joined her in
prayer.
At another spot two men were at
tempting to hold an almost distracted
woman. She believed her husband
was on the ill-fated car, and was al
most insane with grief.
On board the fire boat, alongside of
which was the raft from. which two
divers were working, Coroner Arbuckle
and several of the boat hands were
busy graphing for bodies and all was
confusion. A hook would catch on
something in the bottom of the river.
The man handling it would say, give
got another The crowd on shore
who could see what was going IN
on board the boat would take UP the
cry.
But in many cases the man was
wrong. His hook would bring to the
surface an old board or a piece of
rubbish. Again the news would be
carried to the anxiously waiting
An Insane Crowd.
All the time the search was going
on. cars kept running over the viadrct
Both rails from the west to the east
approach Of the bridge were blocked
with people. In the center of the
bridge men. women and children went
this and that way, screaming arpl
jostling each other. women tearing
their hair and calling upon God to
save their dear ones. Women tainted
anu were tTdmpleQ on DIV the mad
rushing and insane crowd 1t was
impossible to keep any kind of order
and the effort was finally abandoned
1t was a crowd with a common grief.
Not one of the multitude but knew
that perhaps brother, mother, father
or sister was at the moment lying cold
in death at the bottom of the river.
Everybody tried to sympathize with
everybody else. and as result it was
hard to distinguish anyone
From the dizzy height the thousands
of people who occupied positions on
the bridge itself, watched the proceed
ings below. Their view was unob-
structed as they saw everything that
took place. The second body was
brought to the surface and those at the
rail on the bridge reported to those on
the center of the bridge, and then
rush to the rail was made by hundreds.
The finding of the body of little
Gertie Hoffman filled the cup of sorrow