The Story of Cleveland's 1895 Streetcar Derailment

Photo byEast Cleveland Cemetery

CLEVELAND, OH - On the foggy night of November 16, 1895, tragedy struck Cleveland when a streetcar operated by the Cleveland City Railway Co. plunged off the Central Viaduct into the Cuyahoga River, resulting in 17 deaths.

According to Case Western Reserve University, streetcar No. 642, running on the Cedar-Jennings route, was carrying 21 passengers, many of whom were women and children.

The streetcar, driven by motorman Augustus Rogers and accompanied by conductor Edward Hoffman, was Cleveland’s worst transit disaster and the deadliest streetcar accident in U.S. history at the time, according to Case Western University.

Visibility was poor as the car approached the drawbridge, which was open to allow a tugboat to pass through. Despite brief concerns about the open draw, Rogers continued forward, thinking the tracks were clear.

As he realized the bridge was open, it was too late. Rogers and three passengers jumped to safety just before the streetcar crashed through the warning fence and fell over 100 feet into the river, according to Case Western Reserve University.

Of the passengers, only Patrick Looney survived the plunge, though he suffered severe injuries that left him an invalid for life. This horrific accident remains a somber chapter in Cleveland's transportation history.