Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1900-07-06
HORRIBLE ACCIDENT.
A CAR JUMPS DOWN A cHASM
AT TACOMA.

At TACOMA.
Jay OF Rejoicing Turned Into One of Woe
ihirty-eisht People Killed and Eighty
"ounded-The Fall Was Over Sixty Feet
Inc motorman, as Usual, Lost Control
OF Ills Brakes. But Whether II Was His
Nerves or the Machinery That We're to
Blame Nobody Knows Better Equipments
and Competent and Safe Men Demanded.
One OF those horrible disasters which
send thrill OF anguish over the whole
coast happened at Tacoma on the
morning of the 18th, while a Car loaded
with people was approaching the city
from over the Edison line. The s 80
car had on board when it jumped the
track l3S people, all excursionists, 60
ing to the city to witness the parade
and other features of the celebration.
The accident occurred while the car
was passing over high bridge which
spanned gulch, on the DcLin street
grade. 1t fell GO feet, turning over,
and the heavy trucks falling on top
OF the debris doubtless caused the
instant death of many of the victims.
Where the car went off there is a
sharp curve, at the foot of a steep
grade, inviting just such accidents
as the one that happened. The car
descended the bridge at a fearful
speed, the motorman having lost con-
troll of himself or his brakes. 1t will
probably never be known whether it
was defect in the machinery or an
unbalanced nerve which caused the
disaster.
Thirty-eight of the passengers were
killed by the fall or died soon after
wards, and eighty Others were taken
from the wreck alive, but many with
small hopes of recovery. Some who
recover will be manned for life. and
their condition is probably no better
than of those who were spared the
pains of the terrible ordeal.
The killed and seriously wounded,
so far as ascertained up to the present
time were-killed: G. Brown, of Gig
Harbor; James Benston, Lake View;
G. Bertoli, Hillhurst; Mrs. M. ID.
Campbell, Falkland; ]. d. Calhoun,
(Conductor); Miss Lois Drake, South
Tacoma; Dottie and Louis Dinger,
and w. II. Davis of Lake View; Chas.
Davis, South Tacoma; Mrs. George
Elliott, Falkland; Mrs. G. Fleming,
Tacoma; Rev. Herbert Gregory, Lake
Park; Annie Glass, Falkland; Mrs.
Grossman, McNiel's Island; George H.
Ganl, Edison; A. l.. Healy, Lake View;
Willie Hastings, Tacoma; Richard
Lee, (child) South Tacoma; Otis Lar
sen, Parkland; Roy Lingerman, South
Tacoma; Joseph McConn, Lake View;
G. McMullin, Carl and Albert Moser,
South Tacoma; William Nieson, Lake
Park; Gordon Newton. John Paulis,
South Tacoma; Ole Ranseen, Lake
Park; Lottie Suffer, Robt. Steele, A.
I. Siftberg, South Tacoma; John J.
Shauger and wife, Falkland; Richard
Sanborn, Lake View; Custom Wander
sheldon, Reservation; William Will
liams, c. w. Woodruff, South Tacoma
Not expected to live: Mrs. Swanson,
Glassoff (child) and an unknown man.
The dead number 3S; injured about
so; escaped, about 20; number on
car at time of wreck, about I3S.
The speed of the car at the time of
the accident, is estimated to have been
from 40 to so miles per hour.
The people of Tacoma, generally,
were equal to the emergency, and
every care and attention that could be
bestowed upon the survivors were
freely given. A subscription was also
at once started to provide means for
those dependent upon the victims for
support. Every surgeon in the city
volunteered his services to care for the
wounded.
Already those champions of the
public welfare, the press, have demand
ed rigid investigation OF the cause of
this disaster, and for the railroad cor
porations to abolish the death-traps
which exist all along their routes.
They call, likewise, for placing only
competent and safe men in charge, as
motOrmen and conductors. And
these admonitions apply, with equal
force, to other railways in the State
and ont of it. No expense should be
spared to make all trestles and curves
safe. and to require the utmost care,
by the most imperative of rules, in the
management of all cars passing over
them. BY no other means can any
benefit be derived from the sad expert
ence OF the past week, and that can
not restore the life already sacrificed
or restore the crushed limbs of those
who may linger out q life of misery
and pain.