Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-11-18
DEATHIN CHASM.
Cleveland Appalled, by a Horror
at a Drawbridge.
A CONDUCTORS TERRIBLE MISTAKE

Carries Himself and Eighteen Others 60 .
Drop Into an Open Draw, Down lO1
Feet To Death-A Case of InexplicahIs
Absence of Mind That Has Plunged
Cleveland Into Mourning-Nameso of tho
Recovered Victims, -Four Others Being
Mi-sinS-The Motorman's story.
CLEvELAND, Nov. 1s.-Thc people of this
city stood appalled, when they realized the
full horror Of the terrible accident which
occurred Saturday evening on the big
Central viaduct. 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 tho open draw, straight
down l0i feet into the river, was told over
and over ngain. The Central viaduct Is n
huge silt bridge 1900 feet long, mnde Of
iron. 1t connects the heights and tho
prosperous residence section on the south
side with the business center of the city
Directly over the river Is n draw bridge Of
the plvot.swinging pattern, and this Is 1Ol
feet above the surface Of the water The
South Side street railway passes over the
bridge and ON either side Of the draw there
is n safety switch, which-unless the con-
ductor alights and holds up handlc-will
send eur into the gutter instead Of allow
ing IL to 20 on the draw.
Impossible tn Tell How II Happened.
How 1t happened will probably never DO
known, but the conductor alightcd as
usual, went forward, and then delib-
cratcly-although the bridge was plainly
open and a vessel passing through the
draw right before his eycs-raised the
lever, gnvc the motorman the signal to go
ahead, jumped on the car rs 1t passed him
md rode over the brink to his death. Just
us impossible is it to account for the &c.
tion of the motorInan, 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 scc--if he lookcd-thc
red light, which is always the danger sig
nal, and yet hc went on at the sigma! Of
the conductor.
Over the Brink to Eternity.
The motorman's name IL Rogers, and
he has been employed for four years. The
conductor was equally experienced. The
officers of the company arr Mt n loss to cx-
plain the accident. The terrible fact re-
mains, however, tha. the cur shot forward
and struck the gates with crash. There
wins only u moments pause, and then tho
heavy ear ground its way through the
wrcckagc and plunged over the brink into
the black abyss, amid the screams aud
frantic struggles of the passengers who ut
the first intimation Of danger rushed for
the rear door. Tho car struck the water
with great splash and then there was
silence, until was heard the rush of the
patrol wagons and anbulanccs, the
muilic,l roar of the coming multitude and
the noise of the tugs that soon arrived at
the scene.
List Of Dead and Missing.
With fcvcrish haste the work Of recover
ing the bodies went on all night and until
II was announced by the divers that there
were no more bodies In tho river The
list Of dead and missing Is as follows:
killcd-Jamcs Mclaughlin, base ball
player; Henry W. Mccklcnburg, mcr-
chant tailor; Edward Hoffman, conduc-
tor; Mrs. John a. Saucrhcimcr; Miss
Bessie Davis, school teacher; Harry w.
Foster. clerk; Mrs. Minnie c. Brown:
Curt Lcpchnc: Mrs. y. w. Hoffman;
Harvey Hoffman, years old; Mrs. Martha
Palmer; Marie Mitchcn; Augusta Sar.
inski; Gcrtic Hoffman, AZ years old;
Louis +. Hulctz, mail carrier. Missing
Miss Martha Saucrhcimcr; - Looney,
years old; B. e. Page and Matthew
Callahan.