The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1911-12-26

DISASTER at 6ufunQCO0s
That bridge could collapse and troll
ley car containing thirteen passengers be
carried down and partly submerged In
water without anyone being killed OF
seriously injured. seems miraculous, but
that is what too ace at Burlington on
Tuesday afternos 1t was one of the
luckiest accidents that every took place in
that town. When car No. of the River
side Traction Company plunged into the
Assiscunk creek the bridge which spans
mat body of water on Pearl street col
iapsed just as the car, which was bound
westward, ran upon it. carrying below
tnlrteen men and women, including the
crew and claim agent of the company.
Inc car mad stopped previously at the
crossing near the Coal yard of William
Jones to let on a little v,rl who went
through the coal yard aftes getting off
and also to allow the conducts. 70 RIM
ahead and see if any railroad trale 10.
coming along.
As 1t was, when the car was about three
quarters its length upon the bridge, Ed
ward r. Hunter, the mOtoman, was dnmb.
founded when he saw the centre of the
bridge suddenly drop into the bosom of
the creek and felt the car plunge down
ward into the water. He had barely time
to Jolt on the safety brakes when he felt
himself suddenly submerged In water
which flowed into the car just as he was
attempting to run up the inclined passage
way of the car to the rear platform. Will
liam Jacobs, the conductor, had just pass
ed down the car, going toward the front,
and was in the smoking room when the
collapse took place. He, too, was sub
merged in water.
When the car plunged downward the
greatest excitement took place. Three
women were In the rear end of the Car and
an accident claim agent of the company
sat nearby. All the rest of the passengers
sat well forward in the car, five of them
being In the smoking apartment.
The women were Miss Ada Daniels, of
Burlington, Mrs. Eli Hollinger, of Flor
ence, and Mrs. Rebecca Michalis, of Roeb-
ling. The men In the car were DIR. Will
liam Fitzpatrick and William Williams,
of Burlington. Charles Camp, of Florence,
Macon Ormond, and another man whose
name was not known Richard Rowe and
Frank Cline, of Burlington, and the
claim agent made up the rest of the riders
on the car.
When the car sank burying its nose In
the freezing water. all the men in the
front of the car were showed forward and
upward, and caught by the inrushing
water which completely submerged them
before they could make any real effort to
extricate themselves.
When the car plunged, DIR. Fitzpatrick
was seated close by the stove, and by him
sat another man. Across the car sat three
other men. The stove upset In the down.
ward plunge and the men were hurled In a
tangled, struggling mass in the nose of
the car. 1t proved to be the lot of DR.. Fitz-
patrick to have the stove fall upon his body
and arms. He was pushed upward against
the top of the car by inrushing water.
With the stove lying upon him and with
only his face above water, he thought
that death would surely be his fate If aid
did not come in very short time.
William Williams, youth from Dilwyn
street, was pinned under a mass of up
turned cushions and at one time was COM
pletely under the water.
An alarm of fire was turned In and all
the physicians In the city were summoned.
Rowboats had to be used, as there was
no way of getting to where the car lay
over on the eastern end of the bridge
Edward James and Edward Griffith, man
ming boat, rowed hurriedly to the scene
and, breaking open the roof, got Charles
Camp, who was pinned under a seat and
was injured and suffering from shock,
The collapse of the bridge was not en-
tirely unexpected, but the cause is not
known.
Ten years ago Henry =. Haines, one of
the engineers engaged In the construction
of the road, refused to give assent to the
use of the bridge for trolley car service,
declaring that it was built for wagon and
pedestrian use and not for such great
weight as a trolley car service.
The bridge was built back in 1881
to replace the old drawbridge. which was
carried away by the freshet and landed
up near the old gravel wharf Stacy 81.
Scott, deceased, was then Freebooter.
Within five hours after the work was
started, the Roebling Company had placed
a wire foot bridge over the creek for the
use of pedestrians.