The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-11-18
An Awful g!SlSTER.


A Street Car III Cleveland 90 fbrougl
Draw mud PluugVs IuIU thu NVrT-A
Score or People Drowned.
CLEVELAND, o., Now IA heavy
electric motor chr, containing between
twenty aud thirty passengers, went
through tho draw OF tho CcnIral via
duct OF 7;lj o'clock last evening and
dropped ono hundred and ono ieoI TO
the river below. II Is u horror, tho Ike
oil which has mover occurred here boz
fore, Tbs Central viNduCt is q huge
atesl bridge, 5000 leSt long made Of
iron.
II connects tho Heights and tho pros
porous residence section on the sonlh
Sido with the business COntro Of tho
city. Directly over tho CuyAhoga river
Is 4 draWbrldge OF tho pivot swing pat
torn, aud this Ia ono hundred and ono
feet above the surface oil the water.
The South Side street railroad passes
over tho bridge. On each side oil tho
draw there IL q safety switch. Whlch,
unless the conductor allShIs and lifts
handle, will send car into the gutter
instead OF allowing it 10 go on the draw
Tho ilI-laled motor car, containing be-
tween twenty and thirty people, APP
preached the draw Just as vessel was
nearing it, aud the bridge attendants
had closed the big iron gates aud were
preparing to swing the draw.
As IL the rule, the car stopped, and
the Conductor went forward 70 releuse
the switch in case tue onaat was clear.
He must have been blinded by tho Cleo
TIC lights, for an eyO witness declarell
that although the putea weTo closed aud
the draw wai already in motion, the
conductor raised thesWitch handle. Tho
motorman applied the current and the
car shot forward aud struck tho gaies
with crash.
There was only a moments pause, and
tho heavy car ground It's way
through tho WrsCkag0 and plunged over
the brink in the black abyss, amid the
screams and frantic struggles Of tho pas.
sengers, who, at the first intlmalion Of
danger, rushed for the rear door. Ihe
car struck the Walet with great splash,
and then there was ailencG.
Soon men began TO rush shouting
about and police patrol wagons aud
ambulRncoS were soon dying TO the
spot IN response to telephone calls. In
an incredibly short space Of tine, tho
work OF rescue had begun.
All tue other occupants Of tho car.
With tho exception Of tho few who had
mEnRCed to jump as II toppled over,
went down to certain death.
Tue car disappeared from sight as
soon as it struck tho water und every
one OF tho passengers wRs drowned.
The alarm which was EOnt out
brought to tho scene hall dozen am
balances, tue Gre boats aud tho mOm-
bsrs OF the liiesRYing crew with crap.
pling irons. Within Ave minutes alter
the accident tho surface Of the river
revealed nothing Of the terrible tragedy
that had Just been enacted.
Tho waters had closed over the car
aud lis passengers and the work Of re.
scuiug the bodies in the uncertain light
was slow indeed. At Q o'clock half
dozen bodies that had evidently floated
ont Of the car aud risen TO tho surface
were taken from the river aud carried
10 the various morgues. The nows oil
tho terrible accident spread like wild.
fro throughout the city, End q 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 list of dead. SO far as identified,
is as follows:
Mrs. Minnie Brown, aged As; residence
unknown.
Hoffman, conductor Of the car.
Henry W. MecklenburG, aged IS, Of
IS Mary street; tailor
Curt LOpOhnO, aged lOi residence un.
bessie Davis, aged 9Oi NOyOS street,
school teacher.
james Mclaughlin, aged IS. Of II
Trowbridgo avenue; printer
Harry ". Foster, aged 81, OF 81 Mon.
tor avenue; clerk.
Matthew Callahan. aged %, Of Hamil.
ton street; Steel worker
Mrs. sauerheimor, aged Sji Professor
street,
Mra Martha sAucrhoimor, agod 80, Of
1854 Merchant avenue.