The Sun.
London, England, 1830-03-25 00:00:00

MELANCHOLY OCCURRENCE WITH

LOSS OF LIVES AT MONTROSE.

(From the Caledonian Mercury.)

MONTROSE, MARCH 20.—0 n the afternoon of
yesterday a race between a boat belonging to the
Eliza Swan, whaler, and a pleasure boat, the pro-
perty of Captain Robert Ramsay, took place on the
river, which was attended with most distressing
circumstances.

On such occasions, which are of rare occurrence
here, great multitudes of people assemble to witness
the sport, and on the present occasion a more than
ordinary course of spectators were present—the
view of the river and boats engaged being quite un-
interrupted from the bridge, between 600 and 800
persons of all descriptions took their station upon it.
After the contest was over, and the victory gained
by Captain Ramsay's boat, and when the boats wire
returning down the river, and had just passed under
the bridge, the crowd pressed to the side of the
bridge next the harbour to hail the victorious boat,
when, melancholy to relate, one of the great sus-
pension chains gave way at the top of the north
tower, and came down at the lower part of the
curve (exactly the centre of the bridge, where the
dense part of the crowd were assembled, and where
many were leaning over the parapet rail, imme-
diately under the great chain), and one man and two
boys were killed on the spot, the immense weight;
of the chain having fallen upon their heads, which
were crushed in a fearful manner. Several other
boys have got legs and arms fractured, and many are
slightly bruised and otherwise injured. The noise
occasioned by the chain giving way was like the
discharge of artillery, and the alarm among the
crowd caused an immediate rush to the end of the
bridge. Jt is impossible to convey any tiling like a
description of the terror and confusion that now took
place. The multitude imagining that the whole
fabric was immediately to give way, the rush became
so great that the crowd trampled down, and trode
upon one another, and hats, bonnets, and reticules,
were strewn on the roadway of the bridge, the
owners thinking themselves happy to escape with
their lives. Many bruises and severe contusions
must have been inflicted in the scramble, of which
we have not yet heard; and many hair-breadth
escapes are reported, by individuals having changed
their situation a moment before the chain gave
way. Most fortunately the end of the broken
chain came into contact with, and rested upon
the other chain which runs parallel with it :
had the whole weight of it come down, the con-
sequences would have been most appalling. The
accident happened a short time before the arrival of
the mail from the north, and from the state of the
bridge it was not considered safe to allow the coach
to pass; the guard carried the bags across to the
south side of the river, where a post chaise from the
south had just arrived, and he proceeded in that con-
veyance. In consequence of the chain giving way,
other parts of the bridge have been much injured,
and as it is greatly off the level, hanging to one side,
the Commissioners have given orders to stop all
communication by horses or carriages ; and the alarm
is so great that foot passengers are afraid to trust
themselves on it, and many are ferrying over in boats
to-day. _ . . _

The irruption and inconvenience which the public
will experience for some time, until something is
done to repair the bridge, will be great.
Since writing the above, another boy has died in
the hospital from the severe bruises he received
under the chin.

The above accident is in every view to be greatly
lamented; but we trust it will not tend to shake
public confidence in these useful and elegant struc-
t►►res. It will be observed from the very distinct
account given by our correspondent, that although
the upper chain on one side gave way, and the
whole weight was consequently thrown upon the
lower chain, yet that was found sufficient to sustain
it ; and as Captain Brown is already on the spot,
the damage will be repaired with the least possible
toss of time. This bridge wes pronounced to be
one of the handsomest which has yet been erected
in Britain—it was inspected by Mr. Telford, who
reported his entire satisfaction with it to the Com-
missioners, who in consequence took it off the con-
tractor's hands, and settled with him accordingly.
The chains were manufactured at the Grapel Oak
factory, near Birmingham.

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE, WITH Loss OF
Livas.—Early on Monday morning an alarming fire
broke out in a two-story thatched house in Tweedinouth,
which, we regret to say, occasioned the loss of two lives.
About four o'clock one of the tenants was alarmed by fire,
which proceeded from a room occupied by an old woman
(ANN Aircrmon), who was 93 years of age. The female
immediately alarmed the inhabitants, who, in consequence
of the rapidity with which the flames extended, only
escaped with their lives, leaving every article of furniture
and clothing a prey to the devouring element. An old
man, named ALEXANDER TINDAL, who resided alone in
a room above that in which the fire broke out, could not
he aroused, and was soon enveloped in flames. Shortly
after five o'clock an engine proceeded to the spot, which,
by the exertions of the inhabitants, succeeded in confining
the flames to that and the adjoining house, which were
totally destroyed. The body of the old woman was got
out about six o'clock, dreadfully scorched aad disfigured.
That of the man who was 80 years of age, was found in
fragments in the course of the forenoon. There were six
tenants (widows, and two of them had widowed daughters
residing with them), exclusive of the two sufferers, thus
rendering eight poor widows and several children house-
less, and deprived of every thing they possessed. Ilow
the fire originated is not knowa.”..Berveich Advertiser
of Saturday.