Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-11-18
Rescuing Remains of the Cleveland
Disaster Victims.
ROGERS, TEE MOFORMAN, Is HELD
His Story Of Saturday Nights
Terrible Wreck.
AN UNACCOUNTABLE AFFAIR

Saturday nights terrible street car dis
ester at the draw bridge of the Central
viaduct. Shortly after 10 o'clock the body
of woman was brought to the surface of
the river and was later identified as that
of Miss Martha Sauernheimer. She was a
sister-in-law of Mrs. John A. Sauernheimer.
whose body was recovered Saturday night.
1t is believed that there are at least one or
two bodies still in the river, and the drag
ging of the water will be continued.
Rogers, the motorman, who jumped from
the car and thus saved his life, was
held without bail in the police court this
morning for two weeks, during which time
a thorough investigation will be made into
the affair.
The coroner's inquest will be begun to-
morrow morning.
Nineteen people were killed in the plunge
of trolley car through the Central Viaduct
at Cleveland, Ohio, Saturday night Fifteen
bodies have been recovered and identified.
The bodies of four more who are missing
were believed last night to be in the river
still.
The Central Viaduct Is a 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 pivot swinging pat
tern, and this is 1O1 feet above the surface
of the water.
The MOtOrman's Account.
August Rogers, the motorman on the car,
was arrested late at night at his home, and
was held in 5000 bail to await the result of
the coroner's inquest. When taken into
custody he insisted that the conductor had
HI ,;x-
He told this story at the Central police
station:
1T was my second trip" he began. Just
after leaving the market house l looked into
the car and from what can remember there
We're about twenty or twenty-five paSSen-
gers. They were mostly women and chill
dren, think. When my motor reached the
switch at the approach of the draw in the
viaduct l shut off my current and applied
the brake. The car came to full stop and
the conductor ran ahead and threw the
switch. He motioned me ahead with a wave
of his arm. put my lever at the first notch,
and as passed the conductor. who always
stands at the switch lever until the car has
passed. the car was running at the rate of
possibly four miles an hour. 1 looked back,
as l always do, and saw him get on the rear
platform. Looking ahead. l thought l saw
the gates at the draw closed over the track,
but as my lights were burning and l had
current the thought occurred to me that my
eyes must have been at fault.
<,
sibly gave. the lever a slight push forward,
when was startled by the sight of the gates
just In front of me. and 1 heard some one
yell jump 1 don't know whether reversed
the current or rot, for realized the danger
and lcaped from the vestibule AS l leaped
I thought 1 would plunge headlong down
and into the river, but the car struck the
gate fell on 1t and caught the iron frame
and saved myself. The car went down with
an awful crash but never heard murmur
or anything that resembled scream"
Here Rogers buried his face in his hands
and cried: My God it's an awful thing"
His wife, who stood by his side, consoled
him by saying: Certainly it was no fault Of
yours" No" he replied. "but think Of it!
Oh, my God! Just think Of it." Rogers then
buried his head deeper in his hands and be-
When he had recovered himself somewhat
Rogers continued: when I was freed from
the iron gate scarcely knew what to do. I
was daZed. finally concluded to run back
to the market house and tell the police 1
old this, and then ran back to the scene of
the accident. l hurried down the embank-
ment and began to pull bodies out from the
wreck. l worked there for fully an hour,
maybe an hour and half. Then 1 grew
sick and went home.
An Unprecedented Occurrence.
''When you first saw the gates of the draw,
were your lights burning and did you have a
CURRENT"
Il did have current and my lights were
burning. That is the reason why thought
of no danger. When the draw Is open the
lights usually go out, but 1t was not the case
at the time Of the accident. as l can swear
As told you. was surprised when I saw
the gates and knew that had both lights
and current, which has never been the case
before when the gates have been closed, as
the swinging of the bridge cuts off the cur
rent. and OF course when this is done the
lights go out"
"How do you account for the strange
fact?"
Il cannot account for it, but 1 swear
that 1t was SO. I have never had an &C.
c;dent of any kind, until this one, and be-
lieve this will kill me-
The Bridge Captains Story.
Bridge Captain Charles Bremen said Il
Was on duty at the time. 1t was about 7:2O
o'clock, when a boat coming up the river
whistled for the draw bridge. 1 then gave
the signals to Engineer Patterson and the
gate guards. 1 shut both gates at the north
approach myself. ran up the red light on
the pole and hung the red lanterns on the
gates These red lights signify that the
draw Is open. Then l gave the engineer the
signal to draw the wedge and also gave the
signal of one bell, which was the order to
swing the bridge. The bridge had swung
clear around and the boat had approached
almost under it, when l was dumfounded
to see large car approaching and only
about forty feet away. l cried out with all
my might, stop, stop, LOT SIOu sake stop
that car The motorman was endeavoring
to stop the car, but it seemed that his eff
forts were of no use, for the car came
steadily on and crashed into the iron gates
which gave way, and in second the car
had gone over the precpice. Just as the
car struck the gates the frightened motor
man jumped and fell on the bridge.
LAS soon as the car went over 1 leaned
over the bridge and cried to the men on the
tug and vessel passing through under the
bridge to notify the police and ambulances
of the awful accident when they went up
the river. l saw the motorman about ten
minutes after the accident, but he dsap-
peared shortly afterwards. No blame can
be attached to those in charge of the bridge.
The accident Is entirely the fault of the
crew of the motor car
Dragging the River.
The divers succeeded last evening in
fastening a chain to the trucks Of the
motor and they were raised from the river.
The bed of the stream was then dragged,
but no more bodies were found. 1t is
thought that they have fioated down the
river. The search was given up and all the
wreckage removed from the scene of the
accident.
Arrangements have been made for the