The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1877-06-12 00:00:00

TERRIBLE ACCIDENT AT

BATH.
MANY LIVES LOST AND LARGE

NUMBERS INJURED.

(From our own Reports,.,.)
BATH, Wednesday.
The centenary meeting of the Bath and West of
England Society will ever be remembered in commis
tlon with the most frightful occurrence that has taken
:in Bath within recollection of living persons.
.daybeing the fashionable day of the show, the
Great Western Railway Company sent excursions
from different places upon their lines. At the rear of
the Great Western Station at Bath there was a girder
bridge for foot passenger; only, ensuing the river
Avon, at a height cif about feet from the level of the
water. 'The bridge sprang from lofty buttresses on
either side; the footway w. if one plank thickness,
with one iron liallustraile, and was altogether of a very
light appearance. It ii ni secret that doubts
as to the safety of the bridge have often been
expreseecL Persson passing over it have complained
of the oscillation of its fragile nature, whilst there
have lice,, rumours as to the unsatisfactory
condition of the wiesl-work and iron. Some time
since the proprietors hail iron guys put up to prevent
the oscillation. The bridge was a toll one, at the rate
of each passenger. There WWI but one toll-housir,
and that was situated on the Claverton station
vide, and being but one oollector with the event of any
great number of porcine going over at once, as was the
case this morning, there must inevitably have been a
block upon the bridge. It was poimible for the pm-
prietors to have posted collector; the station side of
the bridge, and the people would not have crowded.
Taking adviudage of the rush of visitors that %Wit be
expected to come to Bath by the Great Western
Railway for the purpose id visiting the Bath and
West cif England Show, large posters were ported
by the priprietore iif the bridge with the words
'Nearest way to the Show-grounii. One iii." As
the only exit from the clown platform comes out
directly in front of the bridge, every passenger alight.
ing upon this side must have seen the bills, and being
eager to get to the Show-ground without lies of time,
naturally would cries the bridge, although had they
been residents in Bath they would have known that
it was as near to go by way cif Dorehesterstreet.
Two iic three evenntion trains arrived earlier than the
one in question, and several hundred passengers
passed over the bridge ; these excursi trains hail so
many carriages that the whole could not be drawn up
level with the platf' firm and wore.; of passengers got
out of the carriages that were actually outside the
station. rushed clown the embankment without
troubling —too eager to see who could get over the
bridge first, there were then flocks upon the bridge;
but these plumed over in safety. Among other ezeur.
Mims the Great Western Railway Company ran one
from Weymouth, stopping at all stations Cu ',Pete ae
far as lAmpley Stoke, for Bath. This train consisted
of 30 carriages crowded with passenger and arrived
in Bath a few minutes before eleven o'cloclt, being then
a few minute* behind time. Expecting another rush
from the passengers by this train Tanner, the toll.
collector, cloiseil one of the two small gates by his
toll-honse, no as to admit cif only one person going
through at a time. The rush Caine, and the bridge
was two-thirds tilled with passengers—men, women,
and children, packed together in one solid mass,
hustling and jistling each other, they had been upon
the bridge three or fur minutes. Some further delay
having been caused by a dispute in reference to the
payment of the toll, the only premonitory warnings of
danger experienced by pitmen upon the bridge, wee a
violent oscillation and a seeming depression in the
bridge. About two thirds of the way sense towards
, the toll-gate, and where the maim of people was the
greateati first came a round as of W1341(1 ;Tacking,
fo wllowinstantly by a crash, and the whole bridge
fell bodily seemingly being dragged sheer away from
the buttresses upon either side, and bringing with it
I large pieces of stone upon which it was embedded. It
'li believed the toll gate side gave way first, but the
I whole etructure fell momentarily. Some who were on it
say that it broke in two before it fell, the bridge is about
60 feet from the level of the water. On one side (the
Chivert in stone) a paved foot•way runs beneath; on
the other the butrem 1,. built in the water. The scene
1 which followed the accident battles all description. It
is estimated there were between 10) and 200
on the bridge at the time. Most of these fell inetr7atbge
river, but 114,MC fell upon the font-way. The bridge
wax shattered into a chaotic mass id wood and iron,
and, struggling among the debris, screaming and
fighting for life, were men, women, and children. On
the foot.way lay other; insensible, groaning in agony,
some of thew also having been struck by stones which
fell from the buttrem. The accident was witnemel by
'several persons, anal help was Noon at hand from
every direction. Willing hands brolight ladders, and
the men working upon the new skew bridge
of the I (Teat Western Railway near at hand brought
down their fiats, and, to their honour be it maid, assisted
right heartily in the work of humanity, often standing
with their feet midden with the water which sweep*
liver their Sate ; apprehending the great crush of people
to be at a point Sortie 10 yards from the towing.
, path. Here were masawl together se"res id persons
holding on to ;deceit of wood, or iTusheil between
broken timber and iron. Many were Willed out in the
limits, or in the flats, whilst many who 11l not sink
; were rescued. By aiil id the ladders five persons
' were pulled out (lead ; three were conveyed to the
;sake-station ; one to Mr. Garraway'e, the
White (fart, Vi,lcounbchill ; one to the Boatmen
I Arms; anil two have died in the Royal United
Hispital admission. The injured were conveyed
either to the hospital, or into the houses situated In
(Isvertonstreet, ti the Royal 11,44, 6lessras
Garrawari, Grays, Lyncombe, Brewer, to the Bat.
nion Arms, and edewhens, and a large staff id medical
gentlemen were promptly upon the quit
It is feared there are others still underneath the
bridge, and the water is being drawn from the river,
that an examination may be made. The unfortunate
pc:pie consisted if agriculturist.; and their friends.
flue following clencription of the accident has been
obtained from two persons who were on the lipid before
the occurrence, and witneseeil the falling id the bridge,
observing that the bridge was getting dangerously
crowded.
one of the witnesses said to the other " I'll go and
tell Tanner (the toll taker) and take the money_ at thie
end," that is to say on the station sidle. He went
Devout and spoke to him, but Tanner did not act ;limn
hie whim,. Mr. Vezey, landlord cd the Dawinia,
Bath, then came up and said to the gnarl "I should
think there are more on the bridge than ever have
been before." The guard replied " The bridge was tried
more yesterday than I ever saw it." While this cons
versation was going on the people kept pouring upon
the bridge much faster than the toll-taker on the other
side could let them through. One person said how
many are there on the bridge, and another replied "1
should think over 200." Mr. Vezey said look at the
oscillation of the bridge. A moment afterwards they
observed the bridge gradually sinking in the middle
imtil It assumed the shape cif the letter V, the people
thoroughly terrified ;Tied loudly, and appeared to Slip
down towards the middle; then came the final crash
and bridge and people went into the water.
. _ .
LIST OF KILLED.
Lie at Wideonthe police station:—
John Thorne, of Chsrminster, road surveyor, aged
69.
FAward Lintern, Sutton Ditchest, labourer, aged 26.
Miss Daimaney, Sutton Bingham, near Yeovil, farmer's
daughter, aged about 18.
AT THE noeerrst.
Andrew Harforcl, West l'arade, Weytuouth, shoes
maker.
Emily Elizabeth Raeford, 19, daughter of the above.
The male unknown at the Boatman's Arms.
Mary Haines, at South.inewl Farm, near Ilchester,
unmarried, at the Greyhound Inn.
Mrs. Gibbs, Sutton, near Evercreecb, farm labourer'.
wife.
James Ford, Beer Hackett, near Sherborne.
LIST OP THE INJURED.
Mrs. Gain, Yeovil. ;lent borne.
Mr. Palmer, Yeovil, sent home.
Mr. Milton. draper, Clavertonstreet, Widcombe, la*
broke.
HT FALL 0h TOWINO.PATH AND OTHER INJURIES.
Mini Creed. Wincanton, injury to ankle, gone home.
Mr. Ti. Snook and Mr. Carey Norton, Subhamden,
Ilminster, Injuries unknown, gone home.
Mise Mary Mitchell., Wheat Hall, Somerset, nettles of
Injuries uncertain, is in bed at the White Hart Hotel,
Widcoinhe.
Mr. Norman, Dorington, Csstle Cary, injury to fore-
head and back, spitting blood. Wm attended to at the
Canal Tavern, and has gone home to the hospital.
William Cox, Somerton.
Harry films,Shepton Montague. Castle Cory.
Alfred Osborne, Somerton.
Job Brown, Trent, Sherborne.
W. Dyer, Long Sutton. Laurent.
11. Adams Nether Ccomiton Ro,tory,
Rev. lkinjamin Aynts, Trent, riberborne.
Albert Young, East Cbusnock. Yeovil.
George Frederick itdwarile, Netherbury, Bridport.
William Snooks, Bridport
William Snooks, Trent.
Frampton Bradford, Bladon Farm, Kingsbury, fiber.
borne.
Benjamin Thomas, Somerton, Somerset
John Oliver, Be, Cold Harbour, London, S.C.
William Singer, Brewham, near Evercreech.
F. G. Mall, Yeovil.
One ...known
Daniel
I nowas,

/, near Sherbert..

vai;i:

QbetDole,