The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1900-07-06
TACOMA'S AWFUL ACCIDENT.

The most appalling accident ever
known in the history of Tacoma &C.
Cured this morning when the $3.50
Edison car, loaded with excursionists
coming to see the parade, vas dashed
down sixty feet over the bridge at the
gulch where the track runs from De-
Lin street, burying the passengers,
among whom were many women and
children, under the wreck of the car
The car turned completely over and
mangled the unfortunate victims into
unacceptable shapes as the debris
crus he'd on down the steep side of the
gulch.
Where the car went off Is sharp
curve, at the foot OF a steep grade.
Just how the accident occurred will
never be known, but as the car struck
the curve, instead of following the
rails, it whirled completely over and
pitched from the bridge, striking on
its top, the heavy trucks and body OF
the car crashing the frail upper works
to splinters and smashing down upon
the mass of men, women and children
v i:h which the car was loaded.
The bridge is nearly the full width
of the roadway, and to get off into the
gulch had to roll fully twenty feet be-
fore it went over the edge. The gulch
is over 120 feet deep, but where the
car first struck the steep bank was
about fifty or sixty feet down the side
of the gulch. Here the car first crash
ed into the bank and smashed along
down the side of the gulch, grinding
the victims under its wreck.
BY a correct count IS men, women
and children were killed in the acct
dent, and Is were injured. Of these
latter fully one-half will die. Tie
combined count OF dead and injured
equals exactly the number OF passen-
gers on the car when it left the bridge
that is to say, 50.
Doctors were soon on the scene.
There was little they could do at the
moment, for the injured, beyond d.
recting the placing of them in ambu.
lances, carriages and cars to be sent to
the several hospitals. A few OF those
who were not too severely hurt were
taken to their homes.
In the gulch confused mass OF
wrecked car, bridge timbers, and killed
and mangled people made the heart
of the beholder sick. The less injured
soon were carried away, while the few
who in some miraculous manner, es-
capped, carried the news down the
street, and helped in the work of res
cue. AS the bodies of the victims
were brought up out OF the gulcb,
some Of them mangled out of all ice.
equitable shape, heartrending scenes
were everywhere seen as mothers found
their dead and mangled children. !
| Others were wildly rushing around
looking for friends that had been on
the fatal car, and everywhere scatter
ed about on the ground at the edge
of the gulch we're bodies of men, WON
en- and children, some of them still
alive and some just gasping their last
breath, often with nobody to pay 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.
One woman, with her head all COW
cred with blood and her face bruised
and rubbed with dirt where she had
|evidently been smashed against the
ground as the car crashed down the
side OF the gulch, was wildly lament.
ing her loss. three little children, all
crushed and mangled in the most
shocking manner, one with it's little
head nearly torn off and smashed out
OF all form, caressing the mangled
bodies and vainly calling upon them
them to hear her, not realizing thai
they were long past the troubles oil
this world.
Mangled remains of the victims
were brought up out of the gulch in
blankets and gunny sacks, and those
not killed were borne to the waiting
cars to carry them to their homes ,o1
the hospitals, the sight making the
stoutest heart sink. One young fellow
who was apparently badly injured
with his arms and legs dangling like
they were broken into dozen pieces
and his face all covered with dirt ani
blood, smiled as they put him aboarl
the car, and remarked that he wa
lucky.-Tacoma News.
WHEN the forest roeoruo moosrv<