page_title: Madison Street Bridge disaster
section_title: The streetcar approaches
hierarchical_section_title: Madison Street Bridge disaster / The disaster / The streetcar approaches
caption_attribution_description: English: The streetcar Inez, as it appeared in May, 1893. Ran on lines in Portland, OR.
context_page_description: The Madison Street bridge disaster occurred on November 1, 1893, in Portland, Oregon, United States, when a westbound streetcar drove off the open draw of the first Madison Street Bridge. Seven people died. This remains the worst streetcar accident ever to occur in the city of Portland and also the worst bridge disaster in Portland history.
context_section_description: At about 6:45 a.m. on November 1, 1893, the streetcar Inez, owned by the East Side Railway Company, arrived at the Madison Street Bridge, running westbound into the city with 18 to 20 passengers on board, as well as the motorman and the conductor.  All the streetcars were named in those times.  Inez was coming from Milwaukie.  Some passengers got off, and one witness said there were about 15 passengers on board when the car reached the bridge.  The night before had been cold and frost covered the rails.  The car had departed from Oak Grove at about 5:55 a.m. that morning.
  Policeman J. J. Flynn, whose post was on the east side of the bridge, stated that he had seen the streetcar pass and had thought it was running somewhat fast, but he paid not too much attention to it.  His job was to make sure that carts and horse-drawn vehicles slowed to a walking pace when crossing the bridge.  However, he had received no instructions as to speeds of the trolleys.  His statement concluded, however: "I think the car was running too fast."
  Captain Lee, on Elwood, said to a reporter on November 1 that he could see the light on the car, and from the sound, he thought it was moving fast across the bridge, and the motorman might not realize that the draw was open.
caption: The streetcar Inez photographed on an unknown date before the accident
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