The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1899-08-30
EXCURSI0uISqS NIEEp DEATH.
Trolley Car PluDges From a High Treste-Neary Two
Hundred Persons Fall Into the Water
Awful DISASTERS IN CONNECTICUT AND MAINE
The Car, Filled With Passengers, Lands
Bottom Upward in RavIne
Fifty Feet Below
ONLY Two ESCAPE INJURY.

UNLY TWU MJAIa lNJUhl.
The Road Was New One and the Car
Wa, Crowded With People From
bridgeport and other Towns - Turned
Over In Its Descent and the Motor
Came Through the Floor and Crushed
the Passengers - Over Thirty Killed
and Nearly q Dozen Injured.
BRIDGEPORT, Conn. Especial. The great
est catastrophe recorded in Connecticut
for nearly half a century occurred on the
Stratford extension OF the Shelto Street
Railway, when loaded car went of the
trestle over Pecks Mill Pond at Oronoque,
about six miles north OF Bridgeport, and
sank in the flats forty feet below. Over
thirty persons were killed and nearly
dozen we're injured. Only two persons ex-
capped unharmed.
This is a partial list Of the dead: s.
Banks, Shelton; Mrs. Frank Blew and two
children, Stratford; Elias E. Bradley, Sc
iectman, and wife, Milford; Mrs. Patrick
Brennan, Bridgeport; John Carroll, con-
ductor, Bridgeport; Henry c. Cogswell,
Bridgeport; william Cotter, Bridgeport;
Irving Doruse, Bridgeport; Daniel Gal
vim, Ansonia; william H. Harvey, Bridge
port; Mrs. william Harvey. Bridgeport;
Mrs Arthur Holmes, Bridgeport; joseph
Hotchkiss, engineer OF the Fire Depart
ment, Bridgeport; Frank KRAFT, BrldSe-
port; William Mccullough, Stratford; Pat
rIck McD ermott, Bridgeport; Mrs. McD on
aid, Bridgeport; Thomas McNally, Bridge
port: William Osborn, Stratford; Alfred
Pit, Bridgeport; Peter Ring, Bridgeport;
Mrs. J. H. Rugg, Stratford; Bessie ToomeY,
Bridgeport, and Orlando 3. Wells, shoe-
maker.
The scene Of the accident is midway be-
tween Shelton and Bridgeport. The car
was northbound, running toward Shelton.
The trestle Is 440 feet long. made OF iron
with stone foundations, and was not pro-
tected by guard rails. South OF the trestle
IA an incline, which the car ran down at
rapid rate Of speed. After 1t had run on the
trestle for about ten feet, the trucks lett
the rails, and then the car continued on
the ties for about seventy-fve feet, wnen
1t went off the trestle and dropped into
the pond below, overturntng completely
and turning up on end. When me car tell
thus, bottom upward, the heavy trucks
crashed down through the floor upon the
imprisoned passengers. Thus, had the fall
of ATTY feet not been sufficient to kill, the
trucks, weighing several tons, were enough
to more than complete the WORK.
Carroll, the conductor, jumped ahead OF
the car, which fell upon him. Women
were found dead, clasping their children
to their bosoms, and men were dug out,
huddled together, and driven into the mua
up to their arms. The motorman, George
franklin, escaped death. He was terribly
bruised.
The work OF rescue and recovery OF the
dead was not prompt in beginning ow-
ing to the difficulties presented by the
character OF the ground. The rescuers
had to 20 down steep bank and pass on
planks to where the wrecked car lay nall
buried.
The living were first removed. Some OF
these afterward died. Those not aeau
port. Some of these died on the way. Those
who were dead were for the most part
taken to the Town Hall OF Stratford,
suburb OF Bridgeport. There they were
laid out in three rows on piles OF hay and
straw to await Identification. The dead In
many instances had been terribly manned.
Some had an expression on their races as
II they had fallen asleep. A steady stream
OF persons passed through the building TO
seek to identify the dead.
The accident was witnessed by Miss
Frances Peck, who lives about four hum
dred feet from the bridge. She was up
stairs at her home as the car was passing,
and she says that 1t was running at an un-
usually high rate OF speed. FrankCramer,
who was bathing near the bridge, states
that the passengers were all singing ana In
the mos joyful mood as they passed near
him.
The road, which is practically controlled
by the Bridgeport Traction Company, was
opened only three days before for traffic.
President Andrew Radell was in Derby
when he received news of the catastrophe
and he Immediately drove to the scene. He
was prostrated when he saw the extent OF
the disaster,
The cause of the accident will probably
not te known until after Coroner Doten
conducts an investigation. President Ra-
dell stated that it was impossible for him
to account for the accident. He denied
that the cars were run ut q high rate OF
speed, and asserted that every possible
precaution had been taken to prevent such
an occurrence.
A peculiar feature OF the disaster Is the
fact that for several days rumors had been
persistently circulated in D erby that clair
voyants had predicted fearial accident
on the new trolley road. 1t is said that
these rumors kept hundreds Of Derby,
Shelton and Ansonil residents on the cars
on the day OF the disaster.