The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1895-11-17
Street Car and All Its Passen-
gers Drop Into the River.
AWFUL HORROR IN CLEVELAND
MOtOrman Escaped, But is Being
Searched for by the POlice-15
or 20 People Perished.

Cleveland, Ohio, Nov. 16.-A heavy elec-
tric motor car, containing between 20 and
80 passengers, went Through The draw oi
tine Central viaduct at 7:45 this evening
and dropped 100 feet to the river below,
causing a horror, the like OF which never
occurred here before. Every passenger In
tAe car was killed
The Central viaduct is a huge stilt
bridge. 5000 feet long, made of iron. II
connects the Heights and the prosperous
residence selstions ON both sides, with the
business center of the city. Directly ovel
the river is a draw bridge on @ pivoi
swinging pattern, and this Is 10l feel
above the surface of the water. The south
side street railway pases over the bridge
and on either side of the draw there is {
safety switch, wlhich, unless the conduct
or alights and holds up the handle, vii
send the Gar into the gully instead OF al
lowing 1t to go on the draw
The first reports from the scene of tn,
disaster seem to place the blame on TN
conductor. They were ito the effect that
the Inflated motor car approached tn
draw just as vessel was nearing II
and the attendant should have closed tn
big iron gate and prepared to close TIL
draw. AS the car stopped and the con
ductor went forward to release tn
switch he must have been blinded by tn
electric lights, for an eye witness declare
THAT although the gates were closed ant
THE draw In motion, the conductor raise'
the switch handle.
The motor MAN applied the current ant
the car shot forward and struck the gate
with % crash. There was only moment
pause and then the heavy car gTounC
ed over the brink into the black abys,
amid the screams ad frantEc struggles
of the passengers, who at the first init.
mation of danger rushed for the rear
door. The car struck the water with q
great splash and then there was silence.
All tine occupants Of the car, with the
exception of a few who had managed to
jump before the car topped down, went
down to certain DEATH The car dtsap-
peared from sight as soon as 1t struck
the water and every one of the passen-
gers was drowned. The alarm which was
sent out brought to the scene half q
dozen ambulhnces, fire boats and members
of the life saving crew with graphing
irons. Tine work Of resculng the bodies In
the uncertain light was slow indeed. At
0 O'Clock half a dozen bodies that had
evidently foateh out of the car and risen
to the eurface were taken from the river
and carried to various morgues. The cap
tain 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. / waved my hands and called at
the motor man to stop, bSt apparently
he paid no attention TO me. Just before II
went over the brink the motorman jump
ed 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 rs about 200 feet from the
draw, and motioned for the car to come
ahead. Certain 1t rs that the conductor
the car again and went down
with his passengers to delath 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 the conductor and
mdtormln who were In charge OF the car.
The poDce are looking for the motorman.
The exact number OF passengers In the
car will not be known until all the bodies
~ on the register. Probably, however,
that % fares had been collected. There
may have been other passengers with
which would not have bsen ruhg
up on the registerd Probably. however,
many of those fares were registered and
le0t the car before the bridge was reach
ed. AS near Ws can be learned, there
were ait least Is and pcesJb'y 20 people in
the car when II made the plunge. Seven
bodies are at the morgues
now. and one man, whose name has not
yet beeti learned is at the hospital In an
condition. So fas as can be
learned he Is the only one who escaped
instant death.