Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1895-11-22
HURLED TO DEATH.
NINETEEN PEOPLE KILLED IN AN Ac-
ClDENT IN CLEVELAND.

CEENELAhD, NOV. lS.-A nehNy OlCCtr1O
motor car containing about 90 passengers
went through the draw of the Central
viaduct at :45 o'clock last evening and
dropped l0i feet to the river below, carry
Ing its occupants TO instant and fearful
death. II is a horror the like OF which
as never occurred here before.
The Central viaduct is huge stilt
lridgo 3, 600 feot long and made Of iron.
II connects the heights and the prosperous
residence section on the south side with
the business center of the city. Directly
over the river is Il drawbridge Of the pivot
swinging pattern, and this is i0l 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 n
afety switch, which, unless the conductor
aights and holds up handle, Will send u
car into the gutter instead Of allowing it
to go on 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 cleo
trio lights, for an eyewitness declares that
although the gates were closed and the
draw was already in motion the conduct
or raised the switch handle. The motor
man applied the current, and the car shot
forward and struck the gates with a crash.
Down the FrIghtful Abyss.
There was only moments pause and
then the heavy car ground its way through
the wrecknge 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
the water with great splash, and then
there was silence.
As the car went over the brink Of the
abyss the motorman jumped from the
vestibuled front He fell upon the abut-
mcnt of the bridge, his skull being crush
cd by the fall All the other occupants OF
the car, with the exception of the few
who had managed TO jump as it topplcd
over, went down to certain death. The
car disappeared from sight as soon as IL
struck the water, and every one of the
passengers was drowned.
The scenes about the river while the
work of rescue was being prosecuted were
pathetic in the extreme. The thousands
Of people who had assembled waited with
bated breath for tine discovery Of bodies.
1t was sad crowd, and out of respect for
the unfortunate dead but very little noise
was made. Occasionally the wild scream
of some frantic woman who believed some
one dear to her was among the unfortu-
nate ones would echo over the flats, only
to be taken up at IA distance by some 9th
er woman whose heart was breaking over
her loss. 1t was almost impossible to get
to the river. Patrol wagons dashed this
way and that, their bells changing, add
ing to the din and confusion Ambu-
lances dashed up to the scene, only to
turn and drive away again, carrying the
remains of other unfortunates.
1t was almost impossible to work with
any system. The crowd pushed its way as
near the scene as possible, and the efforts
of the large force of police to maintain or
der were almost in vain. 1t was with great
difficulty that body when recovered was
taken to one Of the dead wagons.
List of Killed and Missing.
lled.-James Mclaughlin, baseball
player, n Trow bridge avenue.
Henry W. Meoklenburg, merchant tail
or, 5s Mary street.
Edward Hoffman, conductor, 12l East
End avenue
Mrs John A. Sauernheimer, 76 Pro
| fessor street.
Miss Bessie Davis, sohoolteacher in
Sackett school, lived at 1O7 Noyes street.
Harry W. Foster, clerk for Root & Mo.
Bride Co, 81 Mentor avenue
Miss Minnie c. Brown, 10 Thurman
street.
Curt Lepehne, 66 jennings avenue.
Mrs. A. W. Hoffman, 80 years old, 1906
Pearl street.
Harvey Hoffman, years old, 1853 Pear
street.
Mrs. Martha Palmer, 155 Kentwortt
avenue.
Marie Mitchen, 81 years old, domestic
Bell avenue.
Augusta Sarinski, 2O7 Central avenue
Gertie Hoffman, AZ years old, 15OS
Pearl street.
Louis f. Hulets, mail carrier, 3S Bre
vier street.
Missing. Miss Martha Sauernheimer
154 Nero ants avenue
- Looney, 8 years old, 37% Clifton
street.
b. c. Page, residence unknown.
Matthew Callahan, Hamilton street.
The Motorman's Statement.
August Rogers, the motorman, is de
tanned at the Central police station, though
he is now held only as witness befor
the coroner.
"It was my second trip, he said. "Jus
after leaving the market house / lOoket
into the car, and from what can remem
Der there were about 20 or % passengers
They were mostly women and children,
think. When my motor reached the switcl
at the approach of the draw in the via
duct, | shut off my current and applied
the brake. The car came to full stop
and the conductor ran ahead and threw
the switch.
"He motioned me ahead with a wav
Of his arm / put my lever at the frs
notch, and as passed the conductor, VIII
always stands at the switch lever unit
the car has passed, was running at tn
rate of possibly four miles an hour
looked back, as l always do, and saw hin
get on the rear platform. Looking aaoad
/ thought / saw the gates at the draV
closed over the track but as my light
were burning and / had current tn
thought occurred to me that my eye
must have been at fault. / was Just q
the act of giving, and possibly gave, tn
lever a slight push forward, when l wa
startled by the gates just in front of me
and ] heard some one yell, 'Jumpr / d
not know whether l reversed the ourrsn
or not, for realized the danger and jumT
ed from the vestibule.
"As l leaped l thought that l woul
plunge headlong down and into the riI 81
but as the car struck the gate l fell ON
and caught the iron frame and saved Dly
self, The car went down with an awtl
crash, but | never heard murmur {
anything that resembled scream"
He was deeply affected during the r,
oital, and broke down completely.
Valuable Horse Burned to Death.
: RICHMOND KY, Nov. .-FoxhounS
: the 1900 race gelding owned by Bul
: Millisn, and $40, 600 worth Of tobacco wel
burSed Ia a fire here