The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-11-17
A DEATH PLUNGE
A Huge Touring Car Goes Into River,
Drowning Several
HEAR WOMEN SCREAM

As the Huge Automobile Leaped
From the Bridge While Going at
High Speed, and Dives lii the Mud
Under the Water With Its Ot-
cupants.
Search for the bodies OF the oc-
cupants of the automobil, which
plunged into the Chicago liver al
the east approach of the Jackson
Boulevard bridge Sunday night was
resumed Monday by members Of the
police force at the city fire boats.
They were aided in their efforts by
q diver in the employ Of the city.
The identity of the victims. and the
number Of persons who lost their
lives, however, are still unknown.
1t was at first thought that the
automobile belonged to James E.
Cosgriff, of Salt Lake City, Utah.
who LEFT the Congress hotel with a
party of friends a short time before
the accident occurred. on the way to
the Union station. but it was later
learned that the Cosgrif party was
safe and that the machine belonged
to J. w. Schrefler. 1t is said to be
one of two machines he has for hire
and was in charge Of Ernest Camp.
MI. Schref1er was unable to locate
the car today, and feared that the
machine belonged to him.
The car, it is claimed, vas hired
from the saloon of William Krae-
mer, on Van Buren, street, but 1t
was impossible to learn who we're the
occupants. The car was traced by
its number, 1880 Illinois-which was
discovered by a driver during the
night.
The most plausible theory regard
ing the accident 10Y is that Camp,
whose stand was at Van Buren, street
and Michigan avenue, had been en-
gagged by a party to make a sight
seeing trip of the city and that
while on the way to the west side
of the city had driven the car into
the river. Camps home was in the
south side and it was learned that
his mother was expected here next
week to live with him.
The accident is similar to two pre-
vious one which have occurred here
within the last few years and which
resulted in the loss of four lives.
On August II, 1904, a car contain
ing a woman and three men plunged
oyer the south abutment of the Rush
street bridge. All were rescued, but
one of the victims subsequently died.
The following year a car containing
FIVE persons went into the river al
the same bridge from the north side.
Three of the party were drowned.
The touring car plunged into the
river at Jackson boulevard from the
east approach of the bridge shortl!
after 10 o'clock Sunday night while
the bridge was turned. A man and
q woman were seen to come to the
surface and float downstream, the
man e~ndeavoring to saw the woman
by carrying her on his back. After
drifting more than a block both sank
with last %despairing cries for help.
That three others, perhaps foul
went down with the automobile is
the belief of the bridge tenders at
the bridge at Jackson and at Van
buren, street and of other witnesses
Of the tragedy. The other victims,
it Is believed, are under the ma
chine at the bottom of the river.
1t was speeding at rs miles an hour
and when it struck the water. dove
into the mud on the river bed.
The screams most clearly distin-
Suishable as the big car went over
are declared by witnesses to have
been those of women and the con
viction was reached by them that
more than two Of the occupants Of
the automobile were women. The
Limousine prevented the occupants
being clearly d~iscerned as the car
dashed up.
DR.. Adolph E. Bertling, who had
stopped in his automobile at the
abutment Of the bridge when he
heard the signal for the bridge to
open, saw the accident.
When the bridge opened said
DR.. Bertling, II saw a big touring
car approaching, but could not tell
how many occupants were in the car.
The driver failed to slow up and l
called frantically to him to stop.
Either he did not hear me, or he
could not stop the car, for a second
later the machine toppled over the
edge of the abutment. Then I heard
screams.
Il am certain that l saw two men
and a woman struggling in the wa
ter. l al for policemen, but could
find none. When l returned to the
scene the bodies that had come to
the surface had drifted down the
river and people on the passing boat
had alarmed the bridge tenders. one
of whom threw out life preservers,
but it was too late"
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