The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-11-17

Cleveland. Nov. ia heavy electric
motor car containing between ffteen and
twenty Passengers went through the draw
or the central v!nduct az 1.I5 o'clock this
evening and dropped 109 feet 70 the river
be.ow. II is a horror the like Of which
never occurred here before. The central
Viaduct IS a huge still bridge 3.000 feet
long, made of iron. II connects the high
ana prosperous residence sections on both
SIDES with the business center Of the city.
Directly over the river IS i drawbr.dge on
the p!Vot-swingtng pattern. and this Is l0l
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 safety switch. which. unless tho
conductor alights and h~lis up a handle
VIII send a ear into the gully instead OF
allowing il TO go on the draw. The first
reports from the scene Of the disaster
seemed TO place the blame on the conduc-
tor. They were 10 the effect that the III
fated motor car approached the draw just
as vessel was nearing il, and the bridge
attendants had closed the big iron gates
ana were preparing 10 swing the draw.
AS IS the rule. the car stopped, and the
conductor went forward 10 release the
sWiicn IN the way 10 clear. He must have
been blinded by the electric lights. for an
eyewitness declares that. although the
gates NeFe closed and the draw in motion.
the cou4urtQr raised the switch handle.
The motorman applied the current, and
TIE cas- Saor forward and struck the gates
Win ash- There was only a moments
pause. AID then the heavy car ground its
way through the wreckage and plunged
over the brink into the black 7byss. amid
the screams and frantic struggles OF the
passengers, who - the first int.mat!on Of
danger rushed Tor the rear door.
Inc car struck the water with a great
splash, and then there was silence. Soon
men began 10 rush about. shouting wildly.
and the police patrol wagons and ambu-
Iances weFe flying TO the spot IN response
TO telephone calls. in an incredibly short
space OF time the work OF Rescue was
begun.
All the occupants of the car, with the
exception Of a few who had managed to
jump when the car tCppled over. went
down 10 certain death. The car dlsap-.
peared from sight as soon as IL struck
the water, and every one OF the passen-
gers was drowned. The alarm which was
sent out brought 10 the scene ha-. dozen
ambuiances. the fireboats ana the mem
bers OF the hfe-saving crew. with grap-
pling irons. Within i've minutes after
the accident the surface OF the river re-
vealcd nothing OF the terrible tragedy
that had just been enacted. The waters
had closed over the car and its passen-
gers, and the work co reFcuing the bodies
in the uncertain ls't VAS slow. indeed.
At o'clock half "a dozen bodies that had
evidently foate3 Qua OF the car and risen
TO the surface were taken from the river
and carried 10 various morgues. The
news Of the terrible accident spread like
wildiire 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.
en- - Au
Il saw the car coming rapidly toward the
draw just as l had given The signal TO
swing il 10 admit of the passage Of Ves-
sci. / waved my hands and called to the
motorman TO stop. but apparently he paid
10 attention TO me. The car came on.
Just before It went over the brink the
motorman jumped and ran away" This
statement does not agree with those of
other eye witnesses. wEo declare that the
conductor went ahead 10 open the switch.
which IS about a0 feet from the draw, and
motioned for the car 10 come ahead. Ger
tain IL Is that the conductor mounted the
car again and went down with the passen-
gers 10 death and il win never be possi-
HE 10 tell exactly what he did before
this The railway officials say they are
unable 10 give the names Of the conductor
and mofOrman. who were in charge Of the
car The police are looking for the mo-
torman.
The bodies recovered up 20 midnight num-
her thirteen. SIX bodies have been identi-
fed They are those Of Matthew Gala
han. who lived on Hamilton street: Mrs.
Saurhermer. Of Professor street. her sis
ter-ln-law. Mrs. Martha Saurhermer. oP
NJ l5s Merchant avenue; Miss Bessie Da-
Wis. AGED - Of kohoes street. 4 school
teacher: James Mclaughlin, aged s. of
= Trowbridre avenue. neck broken; Harry
n Foster. AGED 81. a clerk, OF No. u Men
tor avenue, drowned.
Rsttalon Chef Rebbek. Of the Ere de-
partnaant. was crossing the bridge at the
time OF the accident He vas on The op-
nestle side OF the draw. He does not know
vhat caused the accident When he first
saw the car he thought II was standing On
tAa east side Of the draw. All OF q sud-
7en II nlanged over into the river. Chief
Rebbek was the hrst 20 give the alarm
hv telephone 70 the police and fire depart
meEts.
Thousands of people remained a the
scene ,irtu !ouE after midnight and hum
4~.ss ~ anxious searl1crs have moved IN
rrocesslon from one moTEle 20 another.
lookirr fer friends or relatives who are
ernr,-sed 20 be missing. The scenes a5ou,
the r7largles when TIE dead were loeutiue1
vyere touching Pa the extreme.
patrick Loauey. of Lyman street, Vas
+,top 70 a hospital IN an unconscious con-
s,tto, FI4 recovered consciousness short
~ before midnight. bu, IS ~ critical
-,--tftfot, Ioonev has il had wound on
the head. lilo said. when ne recovered
,-.,.s,4,14suess th4t his recollection ~ the
se-ffnr,t was not Very clear The tsst iu-
esr,,+fsn he had that an accident was %
,.-,fr was when he felt tHc car failing.
ssceora ne knew what had happened be
1.e.er,,., unconscious. ari remembered
,-.rh,,,e more uatI hs c#Toa to at the hose
neal T.orey said the car was fll cf pas
sauEe~s-
Tha exact number ~ passengers in the
.-ar v5tl rrt t-s known vntfl ail tHe he3.-s
ara recovered The tlre register i1 tee
~sr showed tast fnrr-E-rve fares had
,-s-, ralrrtes There way have been oth.~
,.ssssrra~s with transfers. whicH would
r.t have n@eu rlaE uo cn jle register.
Y.~.raefv however. many or the fares
registered were of pasSer gers who lrft th-
-,r before tae bridge was reached As
.,.a~ as can na lsAru~1. thsre we're az
i...+ afteen. and pesshiy twenty persons
t- .ra -ar when &, made +la plunge
me- Sea So far ss .d-ur1.-t 4ra- Mrs
,t.-r.a R-1vn- E<rl 81. r-s ivuee uu-
t--y-, - Holman. cc-slr-g- - -Ea
-~ HENRY = .lack.sr 1lyz. IS wears af
se. "A ta.o-. Curt Lerlna a@e5 IS ~rs-
49,. ..rskuaan- z5ess.- 4kzR--. a tea~ae-
a,va3 81. James II i-lLl1.-T. age1 g. o.
- = 7-~e7v bridge .4Eell4a. O. printer. Ear-
~ " Foster ages e. - NO e Mentor
svs~-f~ q Clerk Mathew Ca-alan. q
v.s~s OIL os EaE1-tau street. Mrs Sa1sr-
hesu.er. aGe3 8. Mrs AlartAa ~a9et -rler.