The Port Gibson reveille. [volume] (Port Gibson, Miss.) 1890-current, 1895-11-21
A HORRIBLE ACCIDENT.
A Street Car Goes THROUGH A
Drawbridge.
TWENTY PEOPLE KILLED.
The Conductor, Probably Blinded by
The Lights, Failed to Sec That the
Gates Were ClOsed--Great Excite.
ment in the City.

A heavy electric motor car, contain.
ing between twenty and thirty persons.
at Cleveland, Ohio, went through the
draw Of the central yiaduct At 7.3O
o'clock Saturday evening and dropped
lOl feet TO the river below.
The central viaduct is huge still
bridge 5000 feet long, made Of iron.
Directly over the river is a drawbridge
Of the pivot. swinging pattern, and this
is lOl feet above the surface OF the
water. The south side street railroad
passes over the bridge, and on either
side Of the draw is a safety switch,
which, unless the conductor alights
and holds up a lever, will send a car
into the gutter instead Of allowing il 10
go onto 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 ill-fated motor car, containing
between twenty and thirty people, ap-
preached the draw just as a.vessel was
nearing it, and the bridge attendants
had closed Tho big iron gates and were
preparing to swing the draw. An is
the rule the car stopped and the con-
ductOr went forward to release the
switch in case the Bay was clear. He
must have been blinded by the electric
lights, for an eyewitness declares that
although the gates were closed and the
draw was already in motion, the con-
ductor raised the switch handle. The
mOtorman applied the current and the
Car shot forward and struck the gates
with a crash. There was only mo-
ment's pause and then the heavy Cur
ground its way through the wreckage
and plunged over the brink into the
black abyss amid the screams and fran
tic struggles Of the passengers, who, al
the first iniimatioI Of 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, shouting about and police patrol
wagons and ambulances we're seeu fy-
ing to the spot in response to telephone
calls.
In an incredibly short space Of time
the work Of rescuing had begun. All
the occupants Of the car, with the ex-
ception of the few who had managed 90
jump as il toppled over, went down to
certain death. The car disappeared
from sight as soon as it struck the wa
ter and everyone Of the passengers we're
The alarm which was sent out
brought to the scene a half-dozen ambu-
lances, the freboa;s and members of the
crew with graphing irons
Within five minutes after the accident
the surface Of the water revealed moth
ing Of the terrible tragedy that had
Just been enacted The waters 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 six bodies that had evil
IDENTIFY fOated out Of the car had risen /
to the surface were taken from the river
and carried to the various morgues.
The news Of the terrible accident |
spread like wildfre through the city |
and a large crowd soon collected on the
bridge and along the banks Of the river.
They could do nothing. however, but
watch the slow work Of graphing for
The bodies.
The captain Of the bridge guard
says: "I saw this car coming rapidly 4
toward the draw just as I had given
he signal TO swing it to admit Of the
pas, age Of a vessel. Iwaved my hands
and followed to the motor man to stop.
but apparently he paid no attention to
ne. The car came on. just before
{ went over the brink, the motorman
umped and ran away"
This statement does not agree with
hose Of eyewitness, who declare
hat the conductor went ahead to open
he switch, which is about 200 feet from
he draw, ana mOiioned for the car n
.ome ahead. Certain it is that the
conductor mounted the car again and
rent down with the passengers to death,
nd it will never be possible TO tell
xactly what he did before the accident
The exact number Of passengers in
he car will not be known until all the
,odies are recovered. The fare regis
er in the car, some Of those who es-
aped, showed that twenty-five fares
Iad been collected. There may have
,een other passengers with transfers,
ghich would not have been rung up on
he reeitser. As near as cen be learn
a. there we're fifteen at least, and pos
IDLY twenty persons in the car when il
lade the plunge. Seven unidentified
odies are at the morgue now, and one
,an. whose name has not yet been
earned. is at hospital in an uncon-
nious condition. SO far as can be
armed, be is the only one who escaped
lstant death.
Wiped Out a Block.
sherman Texas. was visited by a de-