Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1895-11-21

An Electric Fm' Q 100 Feet from . Draw
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An Electric Fa' 100 Feet from . Draw
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The lives of H. residents OF Cleveland
Were snuffed out in IA moment by one
OF the strangest an most horrible af-
lars in the history that city. one
of the sights viewed by every visitor
that city Is the ,entral viaduct. a
huge silt brilg, 900 feeJ long, made
or iron, w ich connects the heights
and the pro p rous residence elton
on the u side with the business
center of the ity directly over the
river is draw ridge of the pivot
swinging pattern. and this is lol feet
above the surface O the water. The
South side treet railroad passes over
the bridge and on either ii OF the
draw there is a safety witch which,
unless the conduct alignts and holds
upa handle. will derail ar instead
OF following it TO go on the draw.
About 7.-5 p IN. when a number OF
working and business go le were re-
turning to their homes. heavy motor
car containing between % and 80 pas
sengers neared the draw and stopped.
The cond uctor ran for b, ard about 200
feet, raised the handle operating the
switch, the motorman turned on the
current and the car started forward.
AT the same time a vessel was passing
and the draw of the bridge had bee
swung to give her fire right-Of wav.
The electric car struck the gates
at the end of the span, crashed
through them and ii e seconds later
had plunged from the rails into
space The motto man realized the
situation, az did few men on the rear
platform. and throwing themselves of
the car they saved their ives, but 10
other peopl went down with the car.
which sank below the water in the
inky blackness of the night, anu all
were drowned. Alarms were sOunaed
and in short time the fire boats, tho
life saving crew, the police patrols and
| the ambulances were o the scene and
| within five hours IL bodies were re-
| covered. The work of rcscuing the
dead continued all night and was wit
messed by thousands from the bridge
and from the banks of the river. After
~ hours work IL DO ie5 had been re-
covered and all were identified and
| there was known to be two and per-
haps three still in the car, or un Ter 1T.
The list of the killed is as follows:
James Mclaughlin, base ball player;
Henry w. Mecklen burg, merchant
tailor; Edward Hoffman, conductor;
Mrs. John A. Sauerheimer Miss Bessie
Davis, school teacher; Harry w. Foster,
clerk; Mrs. Minnie brown Curt
Lepehne, aged IL Mrs. A. w. Hoffman,
aged 80; Harvey Hoffman, aged z; Mrs
Martha Balmer; Marie Mitchen, aged
81, domestic; Miss Augusta Saranski;
| Gertie Hoffman, aged Louis +.
Huletz, mail carrier; - Cooney, aged
3; b. G. Page. The missing Miss Mar
tina Sauerheimer; Matthew Callahan.
There were many sad scenes about
the scene of the horror and at the
morgues as thousands of people looked
for their dear ones who were missing
and who might have been on the ILL
,, fated car. The body of little Gertie
Hoffman was among the last ones
found and this filed the cup of sorrow
for A. w. Hoffman, a grocery sales
man. She was the last member of his
family. His wife and son Harvey, the
latter aged :, were taken from the
river the first night. The little girls
body was found lodged against the
bank of the river. When Hoffman re-
allied what had happened to him he
became bereft of his reason. Rushing
I'd the river ne pluHpeu III anu JTlcu W
drown himself, but was rescued by
friends. The father of Martha Sauer-
heimer also tried to suicide, but was
prevented.
Edward Hoffman, conductor of the
car, had jumped on the car as it start
ed after he gave the signal, and was
drowned, but Motorman August Rog-
ers leaped from the car and fell pros
70 1,.. cd, Df hn EriI
span. lie was later arrested on war
rant sworn out by the chief of police
charging him with manslaughter. 1t
is believed the conductor became con-
fused by the electric lights and
thought it was all right ahead when
he gave the signal.