The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-08-07
A Fall Of Forty Feet to
Death.
Passengers We're Singing When
Crash Came.

Connections for nearly half u century oc-
CURED shortly before four o'clock this
afternoon on the Suatford extension of
the Shelton Street Railway company
when n loaded car went OF the trestle
over Peek's Mill pond at Oronoque, about
six miles north Of Bridgeport, and sunk
In the flats forty feet below.
Thus far thirty-six people are known
to be dead and several more injured.
Only two persons are known To have es-
capped unframed. 1t IL believed that there
we're 48 passengers on the car but the in
dictator was removed by conductor of
another chr and spirited away, SO that at
present 1t is impossible to state accurate
ly the number aboard.
The identiied dead are:
Joseph Hotchkiss. Bridgeport, engineer
fire department.
Henry. Q. Cogswell, Bridgeport, aged
| 60, en- ploye OF ". Y. N. H. a. III. rail.
road, member of board of education.
Orlando h. Wells, aged CD shoe maker.
Selectnan ELIAS T. bradley and wife,
| Milford
William Osborn. Stratford.
Daniel Calvin. Ans3nia.
Conductor John Carroll, Bridgeport,
Mrs Mcdonald. Bridgeport.
Minton Lanthear, motorman Bridge
port Traction company.
Bessie IooIney, s2years, bridgeport
William II. Harvey, aged ~, Bridge
port.
Mrs ]. II Rugg. Stratford.
Mrs. Frank Blew, two children. boy 3
years and girl .. Stratford.
William mccullough. Stratford.
| Mrs. Arthur Holmes. Bridgeport.
Thomas MeNaily, 30. Bridgeport (iden-
LITIGATION not positive)
| Peter Ring, -, bridgeport.
| Patrick Modern OFT, 81, bridgeport.
| Frank Kraft, u. Bridgeport
Mrs. Patrick Brennan, 10, Bridgeport.
Alfred Pitt, q, bridgeport
William Cotter 2, Bridgeport (identl.
| 1catIon not pos;tsEe),
Irving poruss. 20, lRridgepnrt.
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 probably die.
George Hamilton, scalp wound, injury
to leg.
| Frank Kraft, Bridgeport, Commissions
about body, lett leg crushed
| Fred Hiiierous, scalp wound, bruised
about body.
III.
bruised generally.
John Gavin, %, Ansonia.
Margaret Farrell. New York.
The scene of the accident Ia mid way be-
tween Shelton and bridgeport. The car
was north bound, running toward Shell
| ton. IL was In charge of Conductor John
Carroll of bridgeport (who was among
the killed. and Motorman Hamilton of
Bridgeport. He escaped by jumping.
The trestie Is 40 feet long, made of iron
with stone 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 a very fast rate OF speed.
After 1t ran ON to the trestle for about
ten fest, the trucks left the rails and then
the car continued OH the ties for about
segenty-five feet when IL went off the
tEestls and dropped into the pond below,
overturntns completely and Impending.
when the car struck, the motor, which
weighed four tons, and the heavy trucks,
crushed into 1t, instantly killing many of
the passengers.
Doctors Lynch, Ives and johnson of
bridgeport, who were passengers on n oar
a short distance behind, were quickly
on the scene and rendered ali possible
assistance to the injured, Word was
quickly sent to Bridgeport and three am.
balances and police wagon were hur-
risd TO the scene and the injured were
taken to the Bridgeport general hospi-
tai. A number of other convsyances we're
also pressed into service 20 convey persons
to the hospital Medical Examiner
Coggswell of Stretford improvised a
morgue in the main room of tho town
hall at Stratford AMI In a very short
time % bodies were laid out, awaiting
Identification.
The accident was witnessed by Miss
Franc Peck, who resides about 400 ieet
from the bridge. She was upstairs OF her
home as the car was passing and ste
claims that 1t was running at an nusEsl.
ly high rate of speed. Frank Cramer,
who was bathing rear the bridge, states
that the passengers were all singing and
In the most joyful mood as they passed.
his vicinity.
The road, which is practically con-
troiled by the Bridgeport Traction COM
pany, was opened. for traffic last Thurs.
day. President Andrew Randell was 10
Derby when he received news of tho catas-
trophe and he Immediately drove to the
Sc enc. he was completely prustraten when
he saw the extent of the disaster.
Undertaken Curtis OF Stratford was mo
titled almost Immediately after the acci-
dent and be utilized all sorts OF convey
ances to oonvey the dead bodies to the
improvissd morgne sNearly tho entire
medical force OF Briugeport responded to
telephone calls sent in, but when the doe
tor arrived Athey were able to render
but littls assistance as SO few escaped in
slant death. TIE oar after Impending.
soon settled over on Its side and there was
ii tile difficulty In reno wing the bodies OF
cd.
The cause of the accident will probably
not ba known until after Coroner Dotea
conducts an Investigation. Motormgn
Hamilton, who escaped death, is suffering
from such q severe shock that It was iIn-
lnOaqi nIts tn faa N NJ
night. Presi dent Raaelf Stated that IA
was imppssi bic for him To nccnI,r,t e thn