Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-08-10
OFF TRESTLE.
Heavily Loaded Electric Car
Plunges Into a Mill
Pond.
Ar LEAST So KILLED.
Only Two Persons on tho Car Escaped In
jury The Car Was Running at IA High
Rate OF speed and Trucks Left tho
Raiis-Motor Crushed Through
tho Car.
AT LEAST So KILLED.

car went of the trestle over PeCk's mill
pond at Oronoque, about six miles north
of bridgeport and sunk in the flats forty
feet below. Thus far So people are known
to be dead and several more injured. Only
two persons known to have escaped
unharmed. 1t is believed that there were
forty-three passengers on the car but the
indicator was removed by ~ conductor of
another car and spirited away, so that at
present 1t is impossible to state accurately
the number aboard.
The scene of the accident is midway be-
tween shelton ami Bridgeport. The car
was north bound, running toward Shelton.
1t was in charge of Conductor John Car
roll, of bridgeport. VINO was among the
killed, and Motorman Hamilton of Bridge
port He escaped by jumping.
The trestle is 40 feet long, made of iron,
with some foundations and was not pro-
tected by any guard rails. South Of the
trestle is quite an incline, on which the
car ran down at very fast rate of speed.
After IT ran on to the trestle for about ten
feet, the trucks left the rails. and then
the car continued on the ties for about Is
feet when it went off the trestle ana drop
ped into the pond below, overturning COM
pletely and Impending. When the car
struck, the motor, which weighed four
tons, and the heavy trucks crushed into
IT. instantly killing many of the passen-
gers.
'"clOrS y. =. bynCI, X. w. lNOrS ana D.
NJ. Johnson of Bridgeport, who were pas
sengers on "A car short distance behind
were quickly on the scene, and rendered
all possible assistance to the injured
Word was quickly sent to Bridgeport and
three ambulances and police wagon were
hurried to the scene and the injured were
taken to the Bridgeport general hospital
A number of other conveyances were also
pressed into service to convey persons to
the hospital. Medical Examiner Ccggs-
well Of Stratford improvised a norguc in
the main room of the town hall at STRAIT
ford and in a very short time twenty
three bodies were laid out, awaiting iden-
tifjcation.
The accident was witnessed by Miss
Frances Peck. who resides about 100 felt
from the bridge. She was up stairs at hcr
home as the car was passing and claims
tfat it was running at an unusually hiR
rate of speed Frank Cramer who was
bathing near the bridge states that the
passengers were all singing and IN the
most joyful mood as they passed his
vicinity.
Inc road, which is practically controlled
by the Bridgeport Traction company. was
opened for traffic last Thursday Presi-
dent Andrew Radell was in Derby when
he received ne US Of the cdstastropne, and
INN edia tely drove to the scene. He was
completely frustrated when he saw the
extent of the disaster
1t Is now claimed that Sc people were
killed in the accident.
The Identified dead are
Jos, Hotchkiss Bridgeport. engineer,
fire department.
Henry {. Cogswell. Bridgeport, aged Co,
employee OF New YoCk, New Haven e
Hartford railroad. member of board Of
education.
Orlando b. Wells aged GO, shoemaker
Sclcctman Elias E. Bradley and wife,
Milford.
William Osborn, Stratford.
| Daniel Calvin, Ansona.
Conductor John Carol, Bridgeport.
Mrs. Mcdonald, Bridgeport
| WintOn Lathler, motorman, Bridgeport
Traction company.
:. Banks, Shelton.
Bessie Toomey, %, Bridgeport.
William II. Harvey, 81, Bridgeport,
Mrs. J. II. Rugg, StratfOrd.
Mrs. Fcank Blaw, two children, hoy,
aged 3; girl, aged 3; Stanford
t William Mccullough, Stratford.
Mrs. Arthur Holmes, Bridgeport.
Thomas McNally, 30. Bridgeport Qden-
, tihcation not positive).
Peter Ring, rs, Bridgeport.
Patrick McDermott, 80. Bridgeport
! Frank Kraft, 3. Bridgeport.
Mrs. Patrick Brennan, 30, Bridgeport.
) Alfred Pitt 90, Bridgeport.
t William Cotter, 25 Bridgeport ddentif-
cation not positive).
: Irving Doruse q, Bridgeport.
Mrs. William n. Harvey. Bridgeport.
John Calvin, % Ansonia.
Margaret Farrell, New York.
. Among the seriously injured at The
Bridgeport Hospital are:
Margaret Brennan scalp wound.
Mrs. Sidney A. Pitt, Bridgeport, right
leg fractured twice.
Margaret Farrell. right leg amputated
, above knee; will probaly die.
, George Hamilton. SCALP wound. injury
! to leg.
, Frank Kraft, Bridgeport, injuries about
head and back.
Arthur Holmes. Bridgeport. confusion
about body left leg crushed.
0 Fred Hilercus, scalp wound, bruised
i, about body.
i Matthew Olbn. scalp wound, cut and
4 bruised.
. William Kelley, Bridgeport, spraned
, arm.
= Mabel Rugg. aged 5, arm broken.
Charles Delaney. New York, stock brok.
err, injured internally
: The scene about the wrecked car was
one OF horror and seemed to stun all the
early ones on the scene to render assist
> ance fortunately all that were not in
. stantly killed were rendered unconscious
, so that few of the gruesome scenes con.
= nected with most disasters were evidenc
: ed All of the persons killed sustained
L fractured skulls.
= William Kelley of Bridgeport, who wa.
J. in company with Miss Farrell, ESCAPED
death by jumping from the car as he felt
it swaying, to the flats below. Soon at
terward the car toppled over. He sustain
ed a severe shock but was otherwis. un
injured, He stated tonight that the care
We're not running unusually fast but tina
the car was swaying considerably when 4
| struck the trestle and he realized the dan
ger and knew his only safety was in jump
ing.
| George Willis, superintendent of the r
N Bassett company, Shelton was on tn,
highway not more than 100 feet from the
scene and witnessed the car topping over
He said that there was one mccarthy
silence.
A camping party which Included Clif
ford Calverty, the rope walker, were II
the vicinity and they rendeSed consider
able assistance.
One of the pathetic scenes was that oil
lifeless baby reclining in the arms OF
L dead man and the infant seemed to be
| smiling and asleep. Another sad incident
was noticed when the three year old sor
. of Mrs. j. II. Rugg, was frantcaly APP
. pealinG to his mother, who was one of thC
victims. His sister tive years old had hel
left arm broken.
The Stratford town hall where thu
bodies were taken, was soon beseged by
4 more than 1000 persons some Of whom hac
= relatives or friends among the dead ant
Deputy Sherins Brakeman of Shelton
Heisler Of Bridgeport and stage of STRAIT