Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1915-04-06

struck the north half Of the frpr
gate, thrusting it aside as though Il
was a piece of paper, and then leaf*
ing into space There is a fifty fooI
open space on each side of the draw.
The machine cleared fully twenty
feet from the edge OF the bridge. IN
falling the automobile splintereo some
woodwork on the bridge abutmsnt.
When the automobile hit the Water
it disappeared in the darkness amid
the screams of the occupants. There
was great splash. Shouts Tor help
came from the open water. Members
or the bridge crew at once threw life
preservers into the stream. Speed
was thrown on In an effort to cIosg
the draw and thus get closer to the
men that We're struggling In the wa
ter. Before the bridgemen could aid,
however, the four survivors Of thu
mishap had reached a bridge pier
They climbed out and boarded j
Plank road trolley car for Newark.
-Four laborers employed on the
Passiac Valley sewer work in Bay<
onne were on their way back T.
Newark, and on the Newark side rf
the draw when the accident 0c-
CURED. They were John Smith. III
New street; John Marak, I6 var
Buren street; Andrew Moeiier, &
Durand street, and John Dixon, o.
SO Tichenor street.
They said that when the threz
youths climbed up on to tbs bridR4
the three ran towards a Plank ROAD
trolley car standing on the NewarA
side and rode away in IT,
Work at raising the Sunken 6u-
tomobile commenced at noon, wheA
diver went down to put . chaiH
around the car. A dozen members
of the volunteer nfe-saving crew at
Miller's boathouse, nearby, were busY
graphing all forenoon, but without
result.
Story Of Driver
Young BittIes gave the followinx
version of what happened. He said
that young Knapp asked him to at
tend the dinner of the alumni ana
|, that they went in Bittles's autono-
/ bile, leaving Newark about o'clock
At 1890 they were ready to return.
he said. and Knapp asked that five
friends be taken along and Bittl@
agreed. He knew none of them
The car was going at the rate Of
about twenty-five miles an hour, az
cording to Bittles, and the way
seemed clear until suddenly q red
light doomed up. He threw on this
speed, adjusted the brakes and re-
NcIScQ the RoWcAs DuL tuc C1A A<@4t<*4
TO respond and went through the
gates.
"It was an awful experiences" Bi<~
ties went on. THE car seemed To
rise in the air as the wheels left thu
bridge, and we must have made .
leap of fifty feet and turned half way
around before we struck the water.
don't know Just what happened
but somehow got clear OF the wheel
and came to the surface.
No Trouble Getting Out.
"I started out to swim and foune
that I was only foot or two frora
the platform the draw rests on. The
)p of the platform was only three sr
! four feet above the water, and had
| no trouble in getting out Thr=e
others got out, too, all Of US helping
| the others.
"This is the worst of It, 4hougE.
and I'll never forget it. While waH
! in the water and climbing out couA
hear lots of voices, of course, ruE
Knapp's was palmer than all OF thfn=.
because he was the only one In f1e|
crowd I knew. He was shout1uz
sBillyi Billy!' and could hear e
above everything else
"I thought at ftrst he was one %
those all scrambling out with me. bur-
when l could look around l found -
was not one oI them. Then the voice
was gone and l could see noth<11x
The last saw of the other three to<
| tcsatinses - 1sse ., celuna =,