The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-08-07


X nv an accident on the StratfOrd
extension of the Shelton-street
Railway Company at 4 o'clock
this afternoon. when loaded trolley
car went off the trestle over Pecks
mill pond at Oronque, about six miles
north Of Bridgeport. and sank in the
flats forty feet below. Thus far thirty
six persons are known to be dead ana
several more injured
It is now stated that thirty-siX peo-
ple were killed. The identified dead
are:
JOSEPH HOTCHKIsS. Bridgeport
engineer.
GEORGE c. COGSWELL. Bridge
port. aged 80, employe of New York
New Haven and Hartford road, mem
Der of Board of Education.
ORLANDO b. WELLS, aged 63, shoe
maker.
and wife. Milford.
WILLIAM OSBORNE. Stratford.
DANIEL CALVIN, Ansonia.
CONDUCTOR JOHN CARROLL
Bridgeport.
ARTHUR HOLMES, Stratford.
s. BANKS, Shelton.
MRS. MCDONALD, Bridgeport.
WILTON LANTHEAR, motorman,
Bridgeport Traction Company.
BESSIE TOOMEY, aged p, Bridge
port
WILLIAM H. HARVEY, aged 81,
Bridgeport.
MRS. ]. H. RUGG, Stratford-
MRS. FRANK BLEW and two chill
dren. boy aged 8 and girl aged 5, STRAIT
ford
WILLIAM MCCULLOUGH. STRAIT
ford.
THOMAS McNALLY, aged 30,
Bridgeport identification not positve).
PETER RING, aged %, Bridgeport
PATRICK McDERMOTT, aged so,
Bridgeport.
MRS. PATRICK BRENNAN, aged
so, Bridgeport.
ALFRED PITT, aged %, Bridgeport.
WILLIAM COTTER, aged %. Bridge
port Identification not perfecD.
IRVING DORUz, aged %, Bridge
port.
MRS. WILLIAM H. HARVEY,
Bridgeport.
JOHN CALVIN. aged %, Ansonia.
Among the seriously injured at the
Bridgeport hospital are: Margaret
Brennan, scalp wound: Mrs. Sydney A.
twice; Margaret Farrell, right leg
amputated above knee, will die; George
Hamilton, scalp wound, injury to leg;
Frank Kraft, Bridgeport, injuries about
head and back; Arthur Holmes, Bridge
port. confusion on left side and left leg;
Frank Hillercus, scalp wound, bruised
about body; Matthew Olvin. scalp
wound. cut and bruised generally.
The scene of the accident is midway
between Shelton and Bridgeport. The
car was northward bound, running to-
ward Shelton. It was in charge of
Conductor John Carroll of Bridgeport,
who was among the killed, and Motor
man Hamilton of Bridgeport, who
escaped by jumping.
The trestle is 440 feet long, made Of
iron. with stone foundations, and was
not protected by guard rails. South
of the trestIe is an incline, down which
the car ran at a high rate Of speed.
After It ran on the trestle for about ten
feet the trucks left the rails, then the
car continued on the ties for about sew
enty-fve feet, when it went OF the
trestle and dropped into the pond be-
low. overturning completely and up
ending.
When the car struck the four ton
motor and the heavy trucks crashed
into it, instantly killing many of the
passengers Three physicians who
were passengers on a car a short dis
tance behind arrived on the scene and
rendered all possible assistance to the
injured.
Word was sent to Bridgeport and
three ambulances and a police wagon
were hurried to the scene, and the in
iured were taken to the Bridgeport
General Hospital. A morgue was i'm
provised in the main room Of the Towr
Hall at StratfOrd, and in a very short
time twenty-three bodies were laid out
awaiting Identification.
The accident was witnessed by Miss
Frances. s. Peck, who resides about 4O(
feet from the bridge. She was upstairs
at her home as the car was passing
She says that it was running at an un-
usually fast rate. Frank Cramer, who
was bathing near the bridge, states that
the passengers were ali singing and in
the most joyful mood as they passed
him.
The road which is practically con-
trolled by the Bridgeport Traction
Company. was opened for traffic last
Thursday.
Almost the entire medical force OF
bridgeport responded to telephone
calls. but when the doctors arrived
they were unable to do much for the
few passengers who escaped instant
death. The car, after up-ending, soon
settled over on its side, and there was
little difficulty in removing the bodies
Of the dead, as well as assisting the
wounded.
Nrotorman Hamilton is suffering from
such a severe shock that it is impos-
sible to learn anything from him to-
night.