The age-herald., 1899-08-08
LOSS OF TWENTY
 NINE LIVES In Wreck at Bridgeport Being lnVeS-
 tisat0d CAR FELL THROUGH THISTLE Bringing ShTiekS of Pain from Many
 Passengers. LIST OF THE INJURED LARGE Trolley Gar Was Going at Good Rate of Speed When it Jumped the Track and Fell Into
 Pond Below
LIST OF THE INJURED LARGE

Bridgeport, Conn, August 1.-The coroner today began an investigation of yesterday s street car accident, in which twenty-nine people were killed and dozen injured A thorough inspection of the trestle at Oro- noque, six miles from here, from which the car jumped, was made, and it was found to be substantial. It was found that the car ran fifty feet on ties before topping over into the mud far below.
 At the south end of the bridge is an earthwork aproach twenty-five feet in length with a per cent. grade. The grade experts who today accompanied the jury said that car running rapidly over this earth approach would acquire a springy, swaying motion because of the elastic prop critics of the earth.
 Elasticity of Foundation
 So long as it remained on the eastern foundation there would be little danger of leaving the irons, but when the bridge was reached the elasticity of the founda- tion immediately would be removed the bridge being rigid and the tendency would be for the car to spring up from the rails The trucks, which had sunk in the mud beneath the bridge, was removed and care- fully examined. The wheel fanges were found to be in perfect condition. The brake and brake rod were also uninjured The brakes were set and the lever indicated that the power was turned off.
 George Hamilton, the motorman of the ill-fated car, was arraigned in the Strat- ford justice court tonight charged with manslaughter He pleaded not guilty and was released on $2OOO bail.
 I.y ng in a Mill Pond
 An open trolley car of the Shelton Ex- tension company, twisted, bent and smashed almost into kindling wood lying in the middle of Pecus mill pond at Oro- naque, about six miles north of here, this morning, is the only visible indication of the frishtful accident of yesterday after noon, when twenty-nine lives were lost and about a dozen other persons Were seri- ously injured from the car tumbling off the trestle which crosses the pond at that point.
 The cause of the accident Is the chief topic of conversation today, and all kinds of theories have been advanced and dis cussed.
 Engineer W. W. Star who superintended the building of the bridge, says today that the bridge was perfectly safe in every re- spect. In his opinion, after a thorough ex- animation, the motorman became bewilder- cd as the car commenced to travel fast down the incline, and finding himself in a dangerous situation, lost his head and turned the current on instead of reducing it.
 The scene of the accident is midway be- tween Shelton and Bridgeport. The car was northbound running toward Shelton. It 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 41O feet long, made of iron, with stone foundations, and was not pro- tected by guard rails. South of the trestle is an incline, down which the car ran at high rate of speed. After it ran onto the trestle for about ten feet the trucks left the rails and then the car continued on the rails for about seventy-five feet, when it went off the trestle and dropped into the pond below. overturning completely and up- ending. When the car struck the motor and the heavy truck crushed into it. in stantly killing many of the passengers.