The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1895-11-18
A ACONDUCTOR'S SBLTNDER
Caused a Terrible Trolley Car Ao-
cident at Cleveland.
PLUNGED DOWN A HUNDRED FEET


CLEVELAND, Nov 1S.-A trolley car
carrying over twenty passengers besides
the motorman and conductor, went
through the draw of the Central Viaduct
Saturday night, and dropped 1Ol feet into
the river beew. Patrick Looney is the
only survivor of those who went down
with the car. He is at the hospital in a
critical condition. He says that his recol-
lection of the accident is not very clear.
The first intlmation he had that an acci-
dent was TO occur was when he felt the car
falling Before he knew what had hap
pened he became unconscious and remem-
bered nothing more until he came to at
the hospital.
On the rear platform of the car before it
made the terrible plunge were @. A. Fer
guson, of Parma, o.. John Seriger, of
Dover, o.; Andy Radke and Jake Heller.
All jumped and were saved. Heller says
the car was going slowly, and that he
heard some one cry out "Stop the car,
stop the car" He also says there was
woman on the platform and that she
jumped safely away, but Immediately cried
out that her daughter was in the car.
The Central Viaduct is a huge stilt
bridge 5000 feet long, made of iron. 1t
connects the heights and the prosperous
residence section on the South Side with
the business center of the city. Directly
over the river is drawbridge of the pivot
swinging pattern, and this is 10l feet above
the surface of the water. The South Side
street railroad passes over the bridge, and
on either side of the draw there is a safety
switch, which, unless the conductor alights
and holds up a handle, will send car
into the gutter instead of allowing 1t to
go on the draw.
All reports seem to agree that the i'll
fated motor car approached the draw just
as vessel was nearing it, 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 con-
ductor went forward to release the switch
in case the way was clear An eye witness
declares that though the gates were closed
and the draw was already in motion the
conductor raised the switch handle
The motorman applied the current and
the car shot forward and struck the gates
with crash. There was only moments
pause, and then the heavy Car ground its
way through the wreckage and plunged
over the brink into the black abyss amid
the screams and frantic struggles of the
passengers, who at the first intimation of
danger rushed for the rear door. The car
struck with great splash, and then there
was silence.
All of the dead have been identified, but
four persons who were supposed to have
been on the i'll fated car as it made the aw-
full plunge are still missing, and there
seems to be no doubt that their bodies will
be taken from the bottom of the river
when the heavy iron trucks of the wrecked
motor are raised.
One of the bodies found yesterday was
that of little Gertie Hoffman, aged AZ
years, who was going home from the store
where her father was employed, with her
mother and brother The other body was
that of Louis Huletz a mail carrier, aged
26 years, who lived with his wife at 3S
Brewer street, His head was split open
from the forehead down to the chin, and
there is no doubt that he was killed before
the car settled in the water
The finding of the body of little Gertie
Hoffman filled the cup of sorrow for A.
w Hoffman, IA grocery salesman. Shewas
the last member of his family. His wife
and son Harvey were taken from the river
Saturday night When Hoffman realized
what happened to him he became bereft of
his reason. Rushing to the river, he
DluuRtu III anu bIlCAl w hIOMh hllllSOllt
but was rescued by friends, who took him
away and tried to comfort him.
The work of rescuing the bodies was be-
gun Immediately after the accident, and
is still in progress. Thirteen bodies were
recovered during Saturday night, and this
was increased to fifteen yesterday.
Bridge Captain Charles Brenner said
yesterday: "All the regular danger sig
mails were put out and the gates closed.
The bridge had swung clear around, and
the boat had approached almost under it,
when 1 was dumfounded to see the car ap-
preaching. l cried out with all my might;
Stop, stop; for Gods sake, stop that Carl
The motorman was endeavoring to stop
the car, but it seemed that his efforts were
of no use, for the car came steadily on and
crashed into the iron gates, which gave
way, and in n second the car had gone over
the precipice. just as the car struck the
gates the frightened motorman jumped
and fell on the bridge. / saw the motor
man about ten minutes after the accident,
but he disappeared shortly afterwards. -
Last night August Rogers, the motor
man of the i'll fated car, was charged with
manslaughter. This action was taken by
Chief of Police Hoehn, after he had inves-
tigated the accident. Rogers gives this ac-
count of the accident:
"When my motor reached the switch at
the approach of the draw in the viaduct /
shut off my current and applied the brake.
The car came TO a full stop and the con
ductor ran ahead and threw the switch.
He motioned me ahead with a wave of his
arm. l put my lever at the first notch,
and as passed the conductor, who always
stands at the switch lever until the car
has passed, was running at the rate ofpos-
sibly four miles an hour. / looked back,
as 1 always do and saw him get on the
rear platform.
Looking ahead l thought 1 saw the
gates at the draw closed over the track,
but as my lights were burning, and had
current, the thought occurred to me that
my eyes must have been at fault was
just in the act of giving, and possibly gave
the lever a slight push forward, when /
was startled at seeing the gates in front of
me, and heard some one yell 'jumpp l
don't know whether reversed the current
or not, for l realized the danger and leaped