Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-08-10

was built. The bridge is a substantial
iron structure.
Passengers Laugh and Sing.
The car left this city this afternoon
at 2:SO O'Clock. 1t was filled with peo-
pie from this city, going for a trolley
ride, and residents of Ansonia and
other places along the line returning
home after a ride to this city. The
car was in charge of Conductor Johnny
Carroll and Motorman Hamilton. The
run to the top of the slight incline Just
before the fatal bridge was reached
consumed forty-five minutes.
When the car came down the slight
incline to the bridge Fred Kramer.
who was on the roadway a short dis
lance, says that those on board were
laughing and shouting and singing
roll1cking songs. He could not see the
car, but few seconds later ne heard it
pound along the ties on the bridge.
Then all was quiet for a second. The
! next he heard was a series of terrific
screams. He hurried to the top of the
steep hill and looked down in the val
ley. A horrible sight met his gaze.
The car was upside Gown. and the pass
engers who were not killed were strug-
CLING to get out from under the car.
Before that time, however. quite
number Of men living in the vicinity
| had arrived at the scene and were
hard at work endeavoring to extricate
the passengers pinioned under the car.
as the heavy motors were too much for
them to lift
Re-enforced by the men from the
first car from Derby and those that ar
rived from the Bridgeport and on other
cars coming up, after hard work ropes
were placed around the axles of the
car, and it was dragged over. The
sight underneath was a terrible one.
conductor Carroll was on the rear plat
form dead, and crushed and bleeding
and lying across seats and under the
tlmbers of the car were twenty-four
men, women, and children. Under
the bridge where the stream has been
drained off, there is soft black mud
and here and there pools of stagnant
water.
J Water Made Red With Blood.
The soft mud made it extremely
hard work for the rescuers, but men
rushed in. Within a short time the
! pools of water were red with blood
from those crushed and bleeding in the
wrecked car. AS fast as the bodies
could be got from under the car they
were carried up the steep embankment.
Those already dead were laid out on
little knoll in the yard of the Peck
homestead. Those injured were hur-
rled into such vehicles as were handy,
and started off for the hospitals in
the city.
The knoll in the yard of the Peck
homestead presented a grewsome sight
when the work Of rescue had been
completed. Lying stretched out were
twenty-three dead bodies, aged men
and women, young men and women.
and children and infants making I'D
the list.
Scores of physicians from the city
hurried to the scene and rendered such
service as they could. There was lit
tie for them to do, however, as nearly
all of the injured were past help and
had been hurried to the hospital. All
the way along the road from STRAIT
ford to the scene of the accident one
driving would meet every now and
then business wagon with a body
covered with blanket in it, driving
to the town hall of Stratford where
Medical Examiner Cogswell had or
dered all the bodies taken
Within two hours after the accident
fully 1000 persons had gathered at the
bridge and until just at dusk when
the last body in the long line on the
knoll had been picked up and placed in
a wagon and started for Stratford
there " as a crowd of spectators.
EXcepc those on the wrecked car
who so fortunately escaped with their
| lives, Miss Frances e. Peck, who lives
just at the south end of the bridge on
the east bank of the stream is the only
eyewitness of the accident.