Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-08-07
Plunged a Car Filled With
People.
MANY PERSONS KILLED.
So Far Thirty-six Bodies Have Been
Recovered, While it is Probable
There will be Several Deaths among
Those Who Were Injured.

Bridgeport, Conn. Aug. 6.-Nearly 4
persons We're killed by an accident on tn
Stratford extension of the Shelton Stree
railway company at 4 o'clock this after
noon, when a loaded trolley car went of
the trestle over Pcck's millpond at Oron
oqle, about six miles north Of Bridgeport
and sank in the flats. 40 feet below. Thu,
far 36 persons are known to be dead an(
several more injured.
Inc trestle is 440 feet long. made of iron
with stone foundations, and was not pro.
tected by guard rails. South of the tres.
tie is an incline, down which the car rar
at a hls rate of speed. After it ran or
the trestle for about 10 feet the trucks left
the rails, then the car continued on tbe
ties about 10 feet, when it went off the
trestle and dropped into the pond below
overturnlng n completely uperdjne,
When the car struck the four-ton motor
ard the heavy trucks crushed into it. in
stantly killing man. of the passengers.
Three physicians VINO We're passengers on
a car a short distance behind. arrived
quickly on the scene and rendered all pos
slble assistance to the injured.
WORD was sent to Bridgeport and three
ambulances and a police Wagon were hur-
RED to the scene, and the injured were
taken to the Bridgeport general hospital.
A morSue was implovised in the main
room of the town hall at Stratford, and
IN a very short time % bodies were laid
out awaiting Identification.
The accident was witnessed by Miss
Francis S. Peck, who resides about 400
feet from the bridge. She was upstairs
at her home as the car was passing and
says that it was running at an unusually
fast rate. Frank Cramer, who was bath
ing near the bridge, states that the pas
sengers were all singing and in a most
joyful mood as they passed him. The
road. which is practically controlled by
the Bridgeport Traction was
opened for traffic last Thursday.
Nearly the entire medical force of
Bridgeport responded to calls, cut
when the doctors arrived they We're una
Bile to do much for the passengers who
escaped instant death. Thu car, after up
ending. soon settled over on it's side, and
there was little difficulty in removing the
bodies Of the dead, as we'll as assisting
the wounded. Motorman Hamilton is
suffering from such a severe shock that it
is impossible to learn anything from him
tonight.
President Andrew Radill Of the railroad
company stated that it vas impossible
for him to account for the accident. I'M
mediately after his arrival at the scene he
made a thorough inspection of the tracks
and trestle and could see nothing wrong,
and cars We're running over the trestle as
usual soon afterwards. He denied that
the cars We're run at a high rate Of speed
and claimed that every possible precau-
ton had been taken to prevent accidents.
One theory advanced is hat 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
rucks 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 rtrestle the car would have been
prevented from topping over
All of the persons killed sustained frac-
tured skulls. William Kelly of Bridge
port, who was in company with Miss Far
rell, escaped death by jumping from the
car as he felt it swaying to the flats be-
low. Soon afterward the car toppled over.
He sustained a severe shock, but was
otherwise uninjured. He stated tonight
that the cars were not running unusually
fast. but that the car was sWaylng con-
siderably when it struck the %trestle. and
he realized 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 topping
over, He said that there was an un-
earthly shrek as it went down, and after
that, Silence. =.
One of the pathetic scenes was that OF
a ~lifeless baby reclining in the arms of a
dead man. the infant appearing to be
smiling and asleep. The 3-year-old son Of
Mrs. John II. Rugg was frantically ap-
pealing to his dead mother. His sister, 5
wears old, had her left arm broken.
The Stratford town hall, where the
bodies were taken, was soon besieged by
more than 1000 persons. some OF whom
had relatives and 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 as
certained that 40 fares were registered
and these, with the young children that
did not have to pay, the motorman ana
an extra conductor, who was be.nS
taught, made the probable number on the
car AZ.