Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-05-27
Sixty-one Persons Drowned Without
a Moments Warning.
ELECTRIC CAR CRASHED FROM A BRIDGE
People Were on Their Way to
Pleasure Resort.
SOME WONDERFUL ESCAPES

says:
From the brightness and glory of holiday
festivities Victoria was yesterday plunged
into the darkness and horror Of a terrible
accident, which sent a thrill of unutterable
sadness through the thousands Of guests,
and filled the city with mourning. An cleo
trio car On it's way from the city to the
scene of the military parade and sham
battle crashed through the Ellice Point
bridge, and without a moments warning
sixty-one souls were plunged into eternity.
The list of identified dead follows: Mrs.
J. A. Trout, Seattle; Sophie and Alice
Smith, James Thompson Patterson, Oracle
Elford, daughter Of P. Elford; Mrs. Fred.
Adams Fred. Adams, Mrs. William Heath
erkel of Springridge Mrs. G. H. Woodhouse
of Seattle Wash; Mrs d. l.. Ballard of
Providence, RI; ]. A. Vanbokkeclen, Port
Townsend, Wash; ]. X. Leveridge of
Sprngridge, Gabrielle Marata of Seattle,
Wash; Giuseppe Maurello of Seattle, Mrs.
Thomas 1. Phylsic, wife Of Thomas Phyisic
of Vancouver; B. W. Murphy, son Of Fore
man Murphy Of the city water works; w.
]. Crowell, Mrs. Priesty Of Minneapolis,
Mimi; - Ma1rata an Italian harpist Of
Seattle; Mrs. DR.. Provost of Seattle, Mrs.
Edward Hoosen, Edward Hoosen, - Ed
Ecnds w. A. Fullerton, Mrs. l.. l. Post
and her son, Frank Oresta, Miss Minnie
Robertson, the two Misses Bownes. Ida
Florence Goodacre of Tacoma, X. s.
Holmes, Mrs. Frost, Miss Emily Nathan of
Victoria, Mr.. and Mrs. Simon Pearson, Mr.
James, Mrs. Pietford of Shannigan Lake.
The carnival of sports at Victoria which
had for nearly a week been doing honor to
the queens birthday was just closing, but
the management had planned to make the
day the climax of the celebration.
A military parade had been arranged to
take place at Point Macauley, the rugged
promontory that half girdles the harbor to
the west of the city. and afterward d
sham battle was to be given.
Early in the afternoon the crowd began
making its way toward the parade ground.
The Bridge Gave Way.
The main route from the city is by the
elec tric line which crosses Victoria arm on
a bridge al Elice Point The first car got
over Point Ellice bridge safely, but when
the second, which was heavily laden, was
about half way across, ominous sound
was heard that told of something giving
way. The next instant the middle span of
the bridge, about $50 feet IN length, swerv-
ed northward toward the gorge, and the
car went down with a terrific crash.
The tide was high at the time, and the
car completely submerged, going down
into fully twenty-five feet of water. The
people who were packed on the platforms
were in the most fortunate position. The
majority of them escaped injury from fall
ing timbers, and succeeded in saving them
selves, as there was sufficient debris float
irg about to enable them to make their
way to shore.
Soon boats and carriages came from
every direction loaded with men, who at
once began the work of rescuing those
who were struggling in the water, and the
unfortunateS who were submerged in the
car.
The fire department also turned out, and
materially assisted In the work of rescue.
Capt. Grants grounds and houses were
thrown open to receive those apparently
drowned. AS soon as tine bodies were
taken from the water, volunteers, acting
under the direction of physicians, quickly
arrived on the scene. and began the work
of resuscitating. In many cases their ef-
forts were successful.
Identifying the Dead.
While many Victorians were on the fatal
car, the majority were visitors. and the
work of Identification was consequently
difficult Eifty-seven bodies were identt-
fled. There are others whose names could
not be ascertained, and still more undoubt-
edly whose bJdies have not yet been ra
covered from the water.
Thousands of sorrowing friends and rela
tives crowded around the approaches to the
bridge eagerly scanning each body as it
was brought to land. Mothers crazed by
the loss of husbands or children ATTEMPTED
to jump into the water in their eagerness
to rescue their loved ones
AS body after body was brought to the
shore, crowds rushed forward to search
each mangled face, yet dreading the pos-
sibility that it might be that of some one
whom they hoped had escaped from the
death trap.
Twenty persons known TO have been on
the bridge at the time of the accident are
missing, and it is supposed that they have
perished. The car register shows ninety
fares, and it is probable that over l25 peo-
pie were en- board.
narrowing Scenes.
On the surface of Victoria Arm strue-
Cling people fought to get to the shore
Strong men and fraf women battled for
their lives. Husbands emerged from the
wreckage to find that their wives had
gone down to death. Children were carried
down by those who were stronger, and
fathers who had struggled from beneath
the debris of the bridge and carriages re-
turned to their doom in vain endeavors
to rescue their babes. The waters Of the
arm for yards around were dyed red with
blood, and floating out to sea went corpse
otter corpse borne on by the tide. The
shrieks Of men, the screams Of women and
children filled the air, and nerved the
crowds Of rescuers on to efforts that endan-
gered life and limb.
The numbers Of carriages lost and the
passengers carried down in the wreck can
not be learned. It is claimed by many
that fully one hundred people went down
with the span, and that more than half
Of them perished.
The rescue Of some Of the victims was
under the circumstances almost mtracu-
lous. Among those saved were Mrs. and
Mr.. Foster Of Seattls Mr.. Foster stosd on
the outside Of the electric car, and his
wife was seated within. When the car
went down. he jumped and dived. ComiAs
up and catching bridge timber, he saw a
lady rise near him. She was Victoria