The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1895-11-17

CLEVELAND, Ohio, Nov. 16.-A heavy
electric motor car, containing between
twenty and thirty passengers went
through the draw of the Central via
duct ut 7:45 o'clock this evening aud
dropped one hundred and one feet to
the river below. It is horror, the Ike
of which has never occurred here be.
fore. The Central viaducs is huge
silt bridge 5000 feet long, made of
iron. 1t connects the Heights and the
prosperous residence section on the
south side with the business osnter of
the city.
Directly over the river is draw
bridge of the pivot swinging pattern.
and this is 1ol feet above the surface of
the water. The south side street rail-
road passes over the bridge and on
either side of the draw there is a safety
switch, which unless the conduc tor
alights and holds up handle will sen d
car into tho gutter instead of allowing
1t to 90 on the draw.
First reports from the scene of the
disaster seem to place the blame on the
conductor. These were to the effect
between twenty and thirty people APP
preached the draw just as o vessel was
nearing 1t and the bridge attendants
had closed the big iron gates and were
preparing to swing the draw.
AS is the rule the car stopped and the
conductor went forward to release the
switch in case the way was clear. He
must have been blinded by the electric
lights, for an eyewitness dc clsres that
although tho 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 moments pause, and
then the heavy car ground Its wsy
through the wrecksge and plunged over
the brink into the black abyss, amid the
screams and frantic struggles OF the
passengers, who at the first iDtimation
OF danger rushed for the rear door,
The car struck the water with great
splash and then there WAS silence Soon
men began to rush about shouting and
police patrol wagons and ambulances
were soon flying to the spot in response
to telephone calls. In an Incredibly
short space OF time the work of rescue
had begun.
The captain Of the bridge guard says:
~ saw this car coming rapidly toward
the draw just az I had given the signal
to swing IL to admit Of the passage of a
vessel. waived my hands and hallooed
TO the motormau to stop, but apparently
he paid no attention to me. The car
came on. just before 1t went over the
Drink the motormHn jumped and ran
away"
This alta ten emit does not agree with
those OF eye Witnesses, who declare
that the conductor went ahead to open
the switch, which is abont 900 feet away
from the draw, and motioned for the car
to come ahead. Certain it is that the
conductor mounted the car again and
went down with the passengers to
death, and It will never be possible to
tell exactly what he did before the &C.
cident occurred.
The railway officials say they are at
present unable to give the names of the
conductor and motorman who were In
charge OF the car. Tho police are look
ing for the mosorman. The exact mum.
ber of passengers in fhe car will not be
known until all the bodies are recoy.
cred The fare register in the car, some
OF those who escaped say, showed that
twenty five fares had been collected.
There may have been other paasen-
gers with transfers which would not
have been rung up on the register. AS
nea. as can be learned there were fifteen
at least, and possibly twenty persons in
the car when 1t m ade the plunge. Seven
unidentified bodies are at the morgue
now, and one man, whose name has not
yet be n learned, Is at o hospital in an
unconscious condition. So far as can
be learned he ia the only one who es-
capped instant death.
The work OF res3uing the bodies went
on by the glazing light Of the lamps on
the fire boat. BY 1920 five more bodies,
making twelve In sll, had been taken
from the river. Among them was g
young woman with blonde hair and
fairly we'll dressed, being the body. sp-
pafensly,. OF Q shop girl going home
wagon lsy the body of woman about
SO years OF age and near here was
anosher of q woman about 40 years old.
Scores Of persons living on the south
side who had relatives or friends work.
Ing or visiting on the east side focked
TO the scene of the accident and visited
the morgues to make anxious INQUIRIES
about their missing friends. In the con-
fusion, however, but little could be
learned from them. Perhaps the persons
for whom they were looking, we're in
the throngs about the bridge, for up to
IL o'clock Tonight not single body had
been identified.
Word just comes from the scene OF
the wreck that a dredge has been secured
and that the wrecked car will be raised
bodily from the bottom of tho river. II
that Is done, the remainder of the bodies
will soon be recovered, for 1t Ia probable