Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1915-12-18

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cupants of the second car rushed panic
stricken to the street.
Within very few minutes O great
crowd had gathered around the ap.
proach to the bridge and on the bank
of the river. Police had great difficulty
in stretching lines and keeping back
the excited mob.
Tugs and rowboats requisitioned by
the police soon were at work above the
wreckage. Many persons were pulled
half conscious from the water, among
them the l2 who were taken to the EN-.
/ ergency hospital.
The cause Of the collapse of the
bridge beneath the car. could not be
determined. 1t was stated that thor.
ough investigation would be made.
Crash Came Without Warning.
According to persons on che second
car, the cave-in came with apparently
no warning. There was no crash ana no
sound of grinding timber. The bridge
apparently dropped beneath the weight
of the car, which slid noiselessly
through a great hole into the river.
A majority of the passengers we're
laborers on their way to work. Sew.
eral working girls were aboard the car,
but it was believed that all Of these
were saved.
The car which went into the river
was being operated on the Astor street
line. 1t had reached almost the exact
center of the bridge and was running
slowly when the middle span of the
structure gave way
AS the car shot through the hole. it
turned in the air, striking the water at
right angles to the bridge. The con.
ductor of the second car, on the Hill.
yard street line, was warned by the
sudden extinguishing of the dights of
the first ear and set his brakes. His
car groaned its way to the very brink
of the gap in the bridge, tottered on
the eGgc, and finally caught fast by
its trucks, though fitting at q perilous
angle.
Fircmen with long ladders were able
to reach the Astor car, and piece of
the flooring of the wrecked bridge. On
the top Of the car perched the motor.
man and conductor and eight passen.
gers WHO had extricated themselves.
Only tie top Of the cur was above the.
water and the firemen were unable to
save any Of the passengers who failed
to climb through the windows One of
the first of the injured to get out Of
the water was Walter Cleveland, who
said:
All Went in River.
"rhe lights flashed out and every.
thing went dark The first thing that
knew we were in the river and / could
feel the water coming up about my
head Some way / got out and onto a
piece Of the floor Of the bridge. ItI
seemed years until some one came. All
the time | could hear groans and cries
from the other passengers.
The accident occurred in the dark of
the early morning when hundreds of
people were huIrying TO their work.
The cars were crowded.
Every person on the death ear was
reported to have been hurled into the
river. 1t was several minutes before
rescuers were at work, but during that
time at least dozen men struggled to
the banks where they we're pulled from
WV NNANA w hl'hluAvlhs
Tugs aud rowboats, requisitioned by
the police were rushed to the spot
where the ear had piled up, n mass Of
debris showing above the water.
-Four persons who were struggling
feebly in the water were pulled into
the bonts. One of these, q youth, was
suffering from Il terrible scalp wound
aud was hardly conscious.
"Within very few minutes thou.
sands Of persons had gathered on the
river banks. The police had much DIFF.
ficulty to hold the excited crowds in
check.
AS the bodies Of the victims or the
injured were recovered they were hur.
ried ashore, the police pounding their
way through the crowds, TO automobile
ambulances.
II was stated at the emergency hos
pital that one or two Of the injured
might not recover. Estimates OF the
number Of injured varied, and at that
hour no accurate statement could be
made.
Persons on the second car said that
the car that went through the bridge
was crowded and that It was possible
that so persons were hurled into the
water.
Street car men, however, said that
majority Of the passengers were stand.