Connecticut western news., 1895-11-21
HURLED TO DEATH.
NINETEEN PEOPLE KILLED IN AN Ac-
 ClDENT IN CLEVELAND.
Frightful Results of a Motorman's Care
 lessness-An Electric Car Dashes Into
 an Open Draw, Burying Its Passengers

~~0>~"s
 CLEVELAND, Nov. 18.-A heavy electric motor car containing about 20 passengers went through the draw of the Central viaduct at 7:45 o'clock last evening and dropped 1o1 feet to the river below, carry ing it's occupants to instant and fearful death. It is horror, the like of which has never occurred here before.
 The Central viaduot is huge stilt bridge 5000 feet long and made of iron. It connects the heights and the prosperous residence section on the south side with the business center of the oity. Directly over the river Is a drawbridge of the pivot swinging pattern, and this Is 101 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 a safety switch, which, unless the conductor alights and holds up handle, will send a 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 tric 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 a moments pause and then the heavy car ground it's 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 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 vestbuled front He fell upon the abut- ment 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 1t toppled over, went down to certain death. The car disappeared from sight as soon as it 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 the discovery of bodies It was a 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 distance by some oth- CT woman whose heart was breaking over her loss. It 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.
 It was almost impossible to work with any system. The crowd pushed it's way as near the scene as possible, and the efforts of the large force of police to maintain or der were almost in vain. It was with great difficulty that body when recovered was taken to ono of the dead wagons.
 List of Killed and Missing.
 Killed. Mclaughlin, baseball player, 77 Trowbridge avenue.
 Henry W. Meoklenburg, merchant tall or, 5S Mary street.
 Edward Hoffman, conductor. 121 East End avenue.
 Mrs. John A. Sauernheimer, 76 Pro lessor street.
 Miss Bessie Davis, schoolteacher in Sackett school, lived at 107 Moves street.
 Harry W. Foster, clerk for Root & Mo Bride Go, 51 Mentor avenue.
 Miss Minnie c. Brown, 10 Thurman street
 Curt Lepehne, e6 Jennings avenue.
 Mrs. A. W. Hoffman, 80 years old, 1908 Pearl street.
 Harvey Hoffman. years old, 15s Pearl street.
 Mrs. Martha Palmer, 155 Wentworth avenue.
 Marie Kitchen, 21 years old, domestic Bell avenue.
 Augusta Sarinski, BOT Central avenue
 Gertio Hoffman, AZ years old, 1908 Pearl street.
 Louis F. Hulets, mail carrier, ss Bre- vier street.
 Missing Martha Sauernheimer 154 Merchants avenue. - Looney, 9 years old, 371< Clifton street.
 B. c. Page, residence unknown. Matthew Callahan. Hamilton street. The Motorman's Statement. August Rogers, the motorman, is de- ! tained at the Central police station, though he is TOW held only as witness before | the coroner.
 Ut was my second trip" he said. "Just | after leaving the market house looked into the car, and from what l can remem- Der there were about 20 or 25 passengers
  think. When my motor reached the switch at the approach of the draw in the via duct, l shut off my current and applied the brake. The oar came to full stop | and the conductor ran ahead and threw | the switch.
 He motioped me ahead with wave If his arm. 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 I rate of possibly four miles an hour. I looked back, as I always do, and saw hir. get on the rear platform. Looking ahead, 1 thought l saw the gates at tho draw closed over the track, but as my lights were burning and I had current the | thought ocodrred 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 I was startled by the gates just in front of me- and heard some one yell, 'Jumpp do not know whether I reversed the current or not for realized the danger and jump ed from the vestibule.
 As 1 leaped I thought that I would plunge headlong down and into the river but as the car struck the gate fell on 1t and caught the iron frame and saved my self. The car went down with an awful crash, but l never heard murmur or anything that resembled a scream.''
 He was deeply affected during the re- cital. and broke down completely.
 Valuable Horse Burned to Death.
 RICHMOND, Ky, Nov. Ia.-Foxhound, the $2. 900 race gelding owned by Burt Million, and $40, 900 worth of tobacco were burned in Ire here.