The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-08-07

Stratford, and in a very short time 23
bodies were laid out waiting identifica-

Stratford, and in very short time 23
bodies were laid out waiting identfica-
ton.
The accident was witnessed by Miss
Frances s. Peck, who resides about 400
feet from the bridge. She was UP stairs
at her home as the car was passing.
She says that it was running at an
unusually fast rate. Frank Cramer,
who was bathing near the bridge,
states that the passengers were all
singing and in the most joyful mood
as they passed him.
The road, which is practically con-
trolled by the Bridgeport Traction COM
pany, was opened for traffic last Thurs
day.
Nearly the entire medical force Of
Bridgeport responded to telephone calls,
but when the doctors arrived they were
unable to do much for the few passen-
gers who escaped instant death. The
car, after upending, soon settled over
on it's side and there was little difficulty
in removing the bodies of the dead as
well as assisting the wounded
Motorman Hamilton is suffering from
such severe shock that it is impossible
to learn anything from him tonight.
President Andrew Radell of the railway
company stated that it was impossible
for him to account for the accident. I'm
mediately after his arrival at the scene
he made thorough inspection of the
tracks and trestle and could see moth
ing wrong and cars were running over
the trestle as usual soon afterwards
He denied that the cars were run at a
high rate of speed and claimed that
every possible precauton had been ta-
ken to prevent accidents
One theory advanced is that faulty
connection was responsible for the ac-
cident. At the point where the cars
leave the road for the trestle, it is al
legged 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 if the
proper guard rails had been placed on
the trestle the car would have been pre-
vented from toppling over.
All of the persons killed sustained
fractured skulls. William Kelly of
Bridgeport, who was in company with
Miss Farrell, escaped death by jump
ing from the car as he felt it swaying
to the flats below. Soon afterward the
car toppled over. He sustained a Sc
we're shock, but was otherwise unin-
jured. He stated tonight that the cars
We're not running unusually fast but
that the car was swaying considerably
when it struck the trestle, and he real
lied the danger and knew his only
safety was in jumping.
George Willis of Shelton was on the
highway, not more than 100 feet from
the scene, and witnessed the car top
pling over. He said that there went
up an unearthly Shrek as it went
down and after that silence.
One of the pathetic scenes was that
of lifeless baby reclining in the arms
of dead man, the infant appearing to
be smiling and asleep The 3-year-old
son of Mrs. John H. Rugg was franti-
cally appealing to his dead mother. His
sister. s years old, had her left arm
broken.
The Stratford town hall, where the
bodies were taken, was soon beseiged
by more than 1000 persons, some of
whom had relatives or friends among
the dead. and the deputy sheriffs in
charge had much difficulty in handling
the crowd of weeping women and
anxious men.
All the bodies of the Bridgeport dead
and the unidentified were taken to the
morgue at Bridgeport late Tonight
1t has been ascertained that 40 fares
We're registered and these, with the
young children that did not have to
pay, the motorman and conductor and
an extra motorman who was being
taught make the probable number on
the car AZ.