Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1906-11-08
THREE CARS DROP FROM a
BRIDGE INTO SWELLING TIDE
FROM OCEAN.
SUBMERGED IN WATER
From Fifty to Seventy-Five Passen-
gers Are Drowned Like Rats
In a Trap, Few
Escaping.

cident that was even worse Jhan the |
Meadow wreck of July 30, 1896, sent
from so to IS people to sudden death
Sunday afternoon, catching them like
rats in a trap. The cars of the 1870
electric train of the West Jersey &
Seashore railroad line, due here at
$3.50, jumped the track on the trestle
bridge over the Thoroughfare, and be-
fore anyone could get out they were
hurled to a watery grave. The trestle
is about Is feet above the water, and
the drop to the water required sew
eral seconds, giving time for the pas
sengers, men, women and children,
to see and calculate their fate.
Entire City Excited.
The entire city was thrown into
state of excitement as the news
reached town about $3.50 o'clock, a
few minutes after it happened. Fully
5000 people crowded the Meadows
and the trestle, many relatives and
friends crying out in despair, asking
for loved ones. Chief of Police Max
well had Gordon of police swung
around the death circle, and Chief
Black of the fire department called
out his men and made them police
temporarily.
Cause Of the Accident.
Details as to just how the terrible
accident occurred are guarded, and
complete circumstantial story can
not be gathered from any one of the
passengers as yet. Two causes
have been assigned for the derail-
ment of the train. One is that the
rails spread, and the other is that the
bridge was not properly locked when
the drawbridge was closed after a
pleasure yacht had Just passed. The
first car left the track. and plunged
into the water. The result was that
the second and third cars were
dragged with It, and while the third
car was descending the rear portion
struck a piece of the abutment, hung
for short time, and then slid into
the water.
Leaped for Their Lives.
But this brief stop saved several
! lives.
A number Of men and few women
leaped out of windows and the rear
door, either into the water or caught
hold of post, and were rescued. 1t
was stated that fully 80 to 100 passen-
gers were aboard, mostly all crowded
into the first and second cars. These
are engulfed. Among the passengers
were twenty men of the Royal Ar
tillery band, who were on their way
here from Philadelphia.
First to Reach the Wreck.
Charles Kessler, a merchant, was
the first to reach the scene or the
wreck. He secured an ak, jumped on
top of the submerged car, and began
to hack through the roof to liberate
the imprisoned passengers. The task
was difficult one and he was unable
to rescue many. He managed to get
some women out and above water.
Bridge Tender Loses His Reason.
The man who may best be able to
tell what caused the accident is Daniel
B. Stewart, the bridge tender. Stewart
however, is in no condition to talk. The
horror of the accident has temporarily
bereft him of his reason. He is sc
years OF age. He was the only person
who witnessed the plunge Of the train
with it's human cargo from a close
point of vantage. The scenes which
followed caused him to lose his reason
and when he was found hours after
ward he could not tell a rationa
story.
into Swlrllng Tide.
The tide was running in when thu
cars went over, and they were sooI
submerged. A few of the passenger
broke their way through the window
and swan for their lives. Some o
those were badly injured. A numbe
that jumped as the cars toppled wer
seriously hurt, and several will die
Divers worked all night removing tn
dead, and by daylight had taken GU
40 or more bodies.
0 AS the first two coaches plunget
9 over the bridge there were screams
awful Bcreams-of terrified passenger
- But It was not for long, for the car
/ settled in the water, and the imprii
j oned ones were soon dead. In thes
n cars were many women and children
o No lives were lost In the last coacl
h neither did any one escape from It vi
r injured. lightweight fun fare ticket
;. were found, however, and from thi
+ fact it Is taken that the total nun
o Der OF passengers correspondent wit
!" the number OF tickets.
THE PRESIDENTS PANAMA TRII
a