The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-07-04
Dashed Down Sixty Feet From
a Bridge to a GuIch.
THE MANGLED VICTIMS
Many on the Pleasure Seekers
Were Little Children.
DeraiIed Car Rolled Over and
Over, Crushing Inmates.
Touching Scenes at the Wreck,
Among Dead and Dying.

Tacoma, Wash, July 4.-The most ap-
palling accident ever known in the his
tory of Tacoma occurred this morning
when the $50 Edison car, loaded with
excursionists coming to see the parade,
was dashed down sixty feet over the
bridge at the gulch where the track
runs from Delin street, burying the
passengers. among whom were many
women and children,- under wreck of the
car. The car turned completely over
and mangled the unfortunate victims
into unacceptable shapes as the debris
crashed down the steep side of the
gulch.
Where the car went off there is a
sharp curve, at the foot of a steep
grade. Just how the accident occurred
will never be known, but as the car
the rails, it whirled completely over,
pitched from the bridge, striking on its
top, the heavy trucks and body of the
car crashing the frail upper works to
mass of men, women and children with
which the car was loaded.
In the gulch a confused mass of
wrecked car. bridge timbers and killed
and mangled people made the heart Of
the boldest sink. Telephone messages
for doctors from the St. Joseph hospital
to the central station brought quick
response. Policemen and civilians were
sent in haste and every physician in the
city was notified. Telephone wires were
kept hot with repeated calls and not
effort was lost to get every available
doctor in town.
AS the bodies of the victims were
brought up out of the gulch, some of
them mangled out of all recognition,
heart rending scenes were everywhere
seen as mothers found the dead and
mangled children. Others were wildly
rushing around looking for friends that
had been on the fatal car and every
where scattered about on the ground
at the edge of the gulch were bodies Of
men, women and children, some of them
still alive, and some just gasping their
last breath, often with nobody to give
them the least attention, so busy were
the crowd in the work of rescue Or<in
hunting for friends who might be In
the wreck.
Mangled remains of the victims were
brought up out of the gulch in blan-
kets and gunnysacks and were borne
to the waiting cars to carry them to
their homes or the hospitals, the sight
making the stoutest heart sink.
The fire department, as well as the
police patrol, were early on the ground
to assist in the work of rescue.
Twenty-Five dead were counted around
on the ground or one the bridge, where
they We're half covered up with gunny-
sacks or lay stark and mangled. in pools
of blood, under the feet of the .Nultitude
who passed them with shudder to look
at the wreck far down the bank of the
gulch. More than as many more were
carried away in carriages, ambulanceS
and the patrol wagon, and in the cars
which the railway company sent to |
the scene to carry away the wounded.
BY a correct count 80 men, women and
children were killed in the accident and |
IS were injured. OF these latter fully |
one half will die. The combined count |
of dead and injured equals exactly one |
half the number of passengers in the |
car when it left the. bridge, that is to |
say 52-there being 1U4 on board. The |
gulch is over 120 feet deep, but where |
the car first struck the steep bank was |
about so or so feet down the side of |
the gulch. Here the car first crashed |
into the bank and smashed along down |
the side of the gulch, grinding the vie /
Tins under the wreck.
Following are the names of the dead, /
as far as it was possible to ascertain
them up to 10 o'clock:
THREE CHILDREN of Mrs. Lyman
Lee, of Me6ford, Ore.
CARL MOSSER, aged years, and
HERMAN MOSSER, aged 4 years,
both children of Mrs. Herman Mosser,
of South Tacoma.
WILLIAM NIELSEN, of Spanaway
Like.
MRS EMMA FLEMING, three
daughters and son.
ROBERT STEELE
JOHN NIELSEN.
MR. NC MUMAN.
MISS KELLOGG.
GEORGE BENSTON.
LOUIS DINGER.
Daughter of Fred Suitor, 10 years old.
At 10 o'clock nineteen bodies had been
received at HoskeT"S undertaking
room. Four boys, ono girl, fourteen
men. Only one. Robert Steele. was
Identified.
There are five bodies at Roberts
rooms-one boy, three wo-
men and one man, the conductor of
the unfortunate car. Wagons with
bodies are constantly arriving.
GMrn rnF IAgrcT