South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-10-04
CAR FALLS UPON
RAILROAD TRACKS
Bridge Falls Following Coli
sion of Two Street Cars
at Cleveland.

CLEVELAND. o.. oct. Two
persons we're killed and more than
30 are in hospitals as the toll or
q bridge tragedy here early TINS
evening when two street cars collid-
cd on the w. Third 81 bridge caus-
ing il 10 collapse and precipitate the
cars 90 feet 20 the Baltimore ana
ohio railroad tracks below where
they almost rolled in the Cuyahoga
river. There were 40 persons on
one car and 20 on the other How
so many escaped unhurt is almost
miraculous. il was az first believed
that the death list would reach so,
but later it was found that while
dozens were hurt only a few had
been killed.
The accident occurred when
south bound Scranton road car car
ring a crowd OF women shoppers
home at the rush hour broke away
from the motOrnan on a hill APP
preaching the bridge and tore down
upon the north approach 10 the
bridge just as a north bound car
reached the same point The run
away car jumped the track and
strack the north bound car. The
combined weight OF the two cars
and the shock Of the collision was
too much for the wooden bridge,
which sagged and then gave way.
Telephone Girl Calls Help.
Edna Washington. a telephone
operator employed by the Erie rail-
road, saw the accident from where
she sat at her switchboard and
turned in a call for ambulances,
doctors and the ire department
Hundreds within earshOt OF the
scene heard the shrieks and cries OF
pain and terror as the cars carried
their burden, for the most part
women. to death or injury.
The work OF rescue began at once.
Those who had not been seriously
injured, extricated themselves and
then gave aid 10 those less fOrtu-
nate. IL was not long until thirty
had been taken out and carried to
hospitals Some are probably fatal
~ injured and the death list Will
undoubtedly be swelled from this
source.
The portion OF the bridge which
fell is just north of the river.
Mayor II. L. Davis and Public
Utilities Director Thomas s. Farrell
rushed TO the scene and promised to
conduct a strict inquiry in an effort
to place the responsibility for the
disaster.
Motorman II. T.. Daniel of the
south bound runaway car, escaped
serious injury, but his conductor is
among the dead. Daniel says the
brakes of his car failed TO work and
il dashed down the hill, out upon
the bridge. jumped the track and
crashed iLto the other car with him
helpless TO stop its progress. Il
felt the bridge tremble when the
cars came together and both ears
fell with the bridge" said Daniel.
The south bound car was smashed
fiat by the force of the crash. How
any one escaped from it alive is al
most beyond comprehension. There
is no part of its framework left
intact. The north bound car was
badly damaged. but portions OF it
remain so that it can readily be dis
tinguished in the wreckage.
The dead whose bodies have been
recovered are Otto BOrchert. mo-
torman Of the s.suth bound car;
and Mrs. Clara Ollie.
a delivery wagon and horse,
manned by "a driver, which was on
the collapsed portion of the bridge.
also went down with the structure.
The fate OF the driver could not be
learned.
Delay in searching the wreckage
was occasioned by the fear that re-
mOval OF the debris Nigh. cause the
remainder of the bridge which is
greatly weakened, TO fall. The en-
tire bridge is three hundred feet
long.
Baltimore and Ohio railway and
all street car traffic operating over
the structure, is at a staudsuu.