Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-02-04
Terrible Accident to a Milwaukee
Trolley Car.
PLUNGEDHHROUGH KINNICKINICBRIDGE
Broke Through the Ice of the
River.
RESCUE WORK PROGRESSING

MILWAUKEE. Wis. February "A troll
ley car on the Russell avenue and Holton
street line ran through the open draw of
Kinnickinic bridge at $50 o'clock this
morning. The car struck endwise on the
Ice. through which 1t plunged into the
water The motorman was drowned, and
two passengers lost their lives. The car
was b, und toward Bayview, and was pretty
well filled with passengers when the acci-
dent occurred. but part of them were res
cued without serious injury. The Ice broke
the windows Of the car, which stood on
end. and only partially filled with water.
The first body recovered was that of a
woman. who was taken out a few minutes
after the accident. The confusion was
such that nobody could tell an hour after
the catastrophe how many people had lost
their lives.
car. the exact number being unknown.
Those rescued were: w. p. Zevery, I02
Walnut street. hand cut: = Oertel. i66
Island avenue: g. w. Chase 732 4th street;
III. Kuehn. 81 Reed street; r. Brandt, 40
Grove street: Ella Wachelse. Ills i1th
street. hurt about the head.
The Drowned.
The dead are: Miss Kuntz, a kinder
garten teacher in the twenty-eighth dis
trict primary school.
A daughter of Prof. Ehlman, director Of
music in the public schools.
John Kennedy. motorman of car las.
The car was In charge Of Conductor
Petersen. The bridge had been opened to
permit the passage of the fire boat Foley,
which was breaking the Ice in the Kim
nickinic river. The members Of the Fo-
ley's crew rendered valuable assistance In
rescuing those who were saved and In re-
, covering the bodies of the victims.
The Awful Plunge.
The Chicago and Northwestern rail-
road crossing. situated about two-thirds
of block north of Kinnickinic
bridge. was made on schedule time.
At the conductors signal to come ahead,
Motorman John Kennedy applied his power
and the Inflated car started onward. Roll
ing along at a fair speed. not more than
probably ten or twelve feet from the bridge
Conductor Petersen. who is said to have
been in service only a short time, rang the
bell to stop. Instantly the passengers be-
thing out of the ordinary wrong, and look
ing out saw the open bridge almost at hand
and no brakes had yet been applied.
At the sound of the bell. the motorman
grasped the brake crank and twisted 1t
with might and main. But the wheels
slipped. there was no time to reach FOR
sand. and to the horror of the helpless
passengers they realized that no power on
earth could prevent them from plungfng
headlong into the icy waters.
Wild shrieks from the women passengers
intermingled with the GREATNESS sasps
of the pale-faced men. There was no time
to plan to say a word. The rear door
was all the means of escape that was
offered The men on the rear end. three.
ircluding the conductor. had jumped.
VIM. Zevery was the first to sreach the
door. He had occupied the front seat at
the window and had seen the bridge open
shortly after the railroad crossing had
IL warning
bell of the conductor to notify him of the
danger. He was the first to bound forward
and reach the handle of the rear door. But
he never opened it. The instant he touched
ii the forward end went down, and ne,
together with the terror-stricken passen-
gers who were crowding behind him. were
thrown to the frcnt.
The Work of Rescue.
A heavy crash followed as the ice was
struck and then the car gradually sank
midway into the water. Fire was instant
ly quenched and the passengers entirely
submerged. The two ladies' who met their
death must have been at the very bottom
and were instantly suffocated, as their
bodies bear no signs of bruises. One wo-
man clung desperately to a man as he
continued to raise himself out of the wa
ter. He could lend no assistance. how
ever. as his strength was almost gone.
But the strong arm of a rescuer was near
at hand, and the helpless woman was
safely borne above the waters and soon
placed in a place of refuge.
Another woman was rescued in a similar
way. Their preservation is due to the fact
that they CHANGED to be fartheSt away from
the rear door in the first attempt to escape.
Miss KuntZ's body was first discovered.
Afterward the body of Miss Ehlman and
the motorman were taken from the car.
Two attempts were made to lift the car.
but the chains broke each time. Police
used graphing hooks on the wrecked car
without effect.
Ii is now thought the list of dead will be
limited to the three names given.