The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-07-18
RAN INTO BRIDGE
STEAMER CLIFTON PUT ST. Angus
TINE CREEK DRAW BRIDGE
OUT OF BUSINESS.
TROUBLE FOR TYBEE TRAFFIC.
nESILTED FROM THE STEAMERS
COLLISION WITH THE BRIDGE.

ed the steamer to Veer and Sent
Her Crushing Into the Trestle
Guard-Ripped out One of Her
Paddles and Created Excitement
Aboard-TrestIe Was Thrown Out
of Plumb About Eighteen Inches
system of Transferring Passengers
at the Bridge Was Employed.
Crowd That Intended Going to the
Ball Disappointed.
The steamer Clifton ran into st. AL
eustine creek draw bridge late yester-
dav afternoon and knocked the trestle
ont of plumb about eighteen inches.
Tybee trains could not pass, and traf-
fee over the railway was considerably
demoralized.
Little damage was sustained by the
Clifton. So far as was known her dam
ages were confined to broken blade
in her paddle wheel
The Clifton had been to Wilmington
Island with an excursion. The ladies
and children among the passengers
were greatly alarmed by the accident.
thinking it might prove serious, but
Capt. Beach and others soon relieved
their fears, and quiet was restored.
strong tide was running when the
Clifton attempted to go through the
draw. and the current caught her nose
and threw her against the guard that
arranged for the protection of the tres
tie. The projection protecting the
steamers starboard paddle wheel
mounted this <uard, causing her to
careen.
The strain upon the trestle was more
than it could Withstand. and it gave
on the east side. The steamers engines
were reversed, and she made a new
start this time making the passage
successfully and continuing her voyage
to the city.
Tybee Trains Cut OF.
The train leaving Tybee at sos
O'Clock was the last bound for the city
that got by the trestle. The train
leaving Savannah at o'clock was the
last for the island to get by. When
the train leaving Tybee at 6:45 o'clock
reached the bridge it could go no fur
Their. The draw would not close flush
with the rails on the trestle.
Passengers and trainmen were in a
quandary. The latter knew that the
failure of the train to arrive would be
a notice in itself to Supt. Clement
Saussy that something was wrong,
and that he would, as he
did, come to ascertain the
trouble Some of the pass
engers, though, We're anxious to reach
the city, so they crossed the trestle
and started to walk.
Supt. Saussy started on an engine to
ascertain the trouble. He met about
twenty of the foot passengers half way
between the city and the creek, and,
on stopping the engine. was told of the
trouble. He took them aboard engine
and tender and brought them to the
city, but some he did not meet, made
the trip afoot. He then made up a
train and went TO the relief of the
passengers LETT at the creek. These
bad all walked across the trestle and
We're waiting for the relief train,
which soon landed them at the depot
Held at Tybee.
The train that first met the difficulty
at the bridge went back to the island.
carrying passengers that were later
brought from the city. large crowd
was at the depot to take the $40 train,
as there was to have been a ball at
Bohan's, and the would-be passengers
We're disappointed when they found
that the $40 had been annulled. Those
who had bought tickets mad their
money refunded. 1t was disappoint-
ment, too. to Mr.. Bohan who would
have had the biggest ball crowd of the
season. Residents were taken 10 the
island by train leaving about an hour
late.
403 Passengers in Three Cars.
1t was not until some time after the
accident that news of it reached Tybee
Supt. Saussy could not arrange to have
the 1920 train leave the island for the
city at that hour. 1t was not until
about 1880 o'clock that it left. Then
there were but three coaches and a
baggage car. and into these 403 pas
sensers were crowded. They had to
stand on the platform and, in fact
hang on wherever and however they
could. Fifteen or twenty minutes were
required for the transfer of the pas
sengers at the bridge, where a train
was waiting on the west side, and II
was nearly l o'clock when they reach
ed the city. Most of the passengers
were members and friends of an or
gaization that had held picnic at Ty-
bee.
A bridge gang was secured last night
by Supt. Saussy from the Contra
Railway, and work was begun. 1t is
expected that the required repairs vii
be made to-day.