The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1900-07-05
ELECTRIC
Car Plunges DOwna Precipece
in Tacoma.

hundred people, passengers on a car
bound for this city, were plunged down
a gu.ch at 18th and G streets shortly ar
ter o'clock this morning. Those who
were standing on the platforms dropped
off only to be crushed and wounded 10y |
the heavy body of the coach, while 9TH
ers inside were killed and manned before |
they knew what had happened. The car |
Jumped the track and was smashed to |
kindling wood in the bottom of the chasm |
over a hundred feet below. The dead Will |
number nearly three score, for there are
many of the injured who will never re-
cover, and who are expected to de at |
any moment, and there are at least sixty
of the passengers of the care at the vari-
Gus hospitals and under the care of their
own physicians.
1t was one of the most appalling acci-
dents that has ever occurred in this city,
and it came at a time when it was least
expected. Here were happy people, resi-
dents of the nearby towns, Edison,
Lakeview, Parkland, Lake Park and 9TH
er places going TO Tacoma full of JOY
and patriotism to spend the Fourth OF
July. Their journey was nearly at an
end when death interfered and claimed
them in a most frightful manner. He
gave no quarter Neither man, woman
nor child was spared. Bruised, MANNED
and mangled the unfortunates were
dragged from beneath the wreck of the
car and tender hands ministered to them
until conveyances could be had to carry
them to hospitals and to the homes of
their friends
The dead were laid on the grass, but
| there were few in the crowds of specta-
! tors and rescuers who gathered at the
scene at that time who knew who were
dead and living. Such a spectacle Of bat
tered, mutilated humanity has scarcely
ever been seen. 1t was a. spectacle Of
1 carnage such as is scarcely ever observed
in, war, for car wheels and trucks and
heavy timbers make more horrible
wounds than bullet and shell. And the
! agonizing cries of the wounded and the
dying as they lay on the sides of the
gulch or were held down under heavy
timbers that had once formed part Of
the wrecked car could be heard for blocks
away. There was help at hand in a few
moments after the accident occurred. Cit
liens, policement, fremen, guardsmen ex-
volunteers and women and children aid
ed. The sides of the gulch are steep, in
fact so steep that goat would scarcely
venture to descend them, but the cries
selves and they plunged forward without
regard to their own safety. Ropes were
quickly procured and the victims of the
wreck were drawn caefully to the top
of the gulch and their wounds attended
! to as fast as it was made possible for
the physicians to work Every doctor in
the city was called on for his services.
The Fanny Paddock and st. Josephs hos
pitfalls were soon crowded with patients
| who but a few minutes before were in
! the best of their health. Hacks, ex-
press wagons and all sorts of convey
anees were pressed into service; but there
! was another vehicle that was in use
too. 1t was the wagon of the dead. 1t
came to take away the last evidence OF
destruction caused by the wreck. 1t made
journey after journey and it was always
full Boys and girls and men and women
were its freight. The morgues of the var!-
rious undertaking rooms We're scarcely
large enough to hold all.
| And then when the dad had been
sorted from the living and the last one
had been removed from the wreck ex~
cited men and women and children be-
seiged the morgues searching for missing
friends. Some We're successful in their
sad quest and others who were not sue
ceSSful turned away.
Thouands of people visited the bridge
where the accident occurred during the
day. They watched the men at work
clearing away the debris and looked at
the red stains on the grass and at the
battered piece or clothing that hung from
the bushes.
They glanced too, at the two women,
who wandered all day one with a babe
in her arms and the other lead ng little
boy by the hand. The charges of these
women were foundlings of the wreck. No
} body had come to claim them. Perhaps
their mother and their father as we'll
, were dead. But they had founud friends
and if nobody asks for them thefr foster
mothers will see that they do not want.
Then there is "a little girl of four and a
girl babe at the Fanny Paddock hospital.
They seem to be deserted, but it is prob
able that some relative will look aft r
them.
The car which carried its human
freight into a deep ravine instead of to
the city, was No. 116 of the United Trac-
tion company's cars and was on the Ed
ison line. 1t left Edison at about
in charge of F. L. Boehn, moterman, and
. d. Calhoun, conductor. The car which is
; one of the big box-like affairs, was
: crowded to the doors and every inchof
) space on the platforms was taken. MeB
; hung on to the ratings and were glad Ia
! be able to get a ride to thecity, for Ike
, those inside, they were anxious to arrive
. early so as not to miss any of the In
. dependence day exercies. The car run
= merrily along. the passengers chatting
: with each other, for they were nearly