Adams County news. [volume] (Ritzville, Wash.) 1898-1906, 1899-08-09
TH|R1YPERSONS WERE KILLED
STREET CAR LEFT THE TRACK.
Passengers Were Crushed to Death
Plunged Forty Feet Into the Water
Car Was Going at High speed-Four-
Ton Motor Crashed onto the Car.

Bridgeport. Conn.,, Aug. NEARLY 40
persons were killed by an accident on the
Stratford extension of the Shelton Street
Railway Company Sunday, when loaded
trolley car went off the trestle over Peck 5
mill pond at Oronoque, about six miles
north of Bridgeport and sank in the flats
40 feet below. Thus far 80 persons are
known to be dead and several more in
jured.
Only two persons are known to have es-
capped unharmed. 1t is believed there were
43 passengers on the car, but the indicator
was removed by the conductor of another
car and spirited away, so that at present it
is impossible to state accurately the num-
ber aboard.
The scene of the accident is midway be-
tween Shelton and Bridgeport. The car
was northbound running toward Shelton.
1t was in charge of conductor John Car
roll of Bridgeport, who was among the
killed, and Motorman Hamilton OF Bridge
port, who escaped by jumping.
The trestle is 440 feet long, made OF iron,
with stone foundations and was not pro-
tected by guard rails. South of the trestle
for about 10 feet the trucks left the rails,
then the car confined on the ties about
IS feet, when it went off the treste and
dropped into the pond below, overturning
completely and upending.
Crushed by the Motor.
When the car struck the four-ton motor
and the heavy trucks crushed into it, in
stantly killing many OF the passengers.
Three physicians who were passengers ON
car a short distance behind, arrived
quickly on the scene and rendered all pos.
sible assistance to the injured.
Word was sent to Bridgeport and three
ambulances and police wagon were hur-
ried to the scene and the injured were ta-
ken to the Bridgeport general hospital. A
morgue was improvised in the main room
of the town hall at Stratforl, and in a ve'y
short time % b di were laid out awaiting
Identification.
President Andrew Randell OF the rail,
road company stated that it was impossi-
Bile for him to account for the accident.
Immediately after his arrival at the scene
he made a thorough inspection of the
tTdckS anu tItSlle anu COuiu sec holhuS
wrong, and cars were running over the
trestle as usual soon afterwards. He de-
MED that the cars were run at high rate
of speed, and claimed every possible pre-
caution had been taken to prevent acci-
dents.
One theory advanced is that faulty con
nection was responsible for the accident.
At the point where the cars leave the road
for the trestle it is alleged that the rails
had sunk a little, and though the forward
trucks took the rails all right, the rear
trucks did not connect and jumped the
track, which caused the forward trucks to
also leave the iron. 1t is believed that il
the proper guard rails had been placed
alongside the track the car would not have
toppled over.
Escaped by Jumping.
William Kelly of Bridgeport, in com
pany with Miss Farrell, escaped death by
jumping from the car as it swayed to the
| flats below. Soon afterwards the car top
pied over. He sustained severe shock,
but was otherwise uninjured. He stated
I a H.