Iowa territorial gazette and advertiser., 1844-12-28
F'oA q. Hs'ri.As;s tP.5 VA.
Great Calamity.
1As c mbsriaad EdIey Rs1ro.s :.
deytr eyed W Fsre--Losof -

IAs { mbsTlaad Halley Rs2ro.J
desfr eyed " Fsre--Los u I,s,e
On yesterday our town wa, .
the mos. Infortunsiss cona.gralioa . ~. Y
ever betallen il. Between and nv =
in the at ernoon, the cry of A. - 9elest
through our streets, and den,. ss% sacsaa Il
smoke was observed in the oirers;s| | 4
river. Il was soon disco,ered n WIN
sparks of . locomotive I'M Nv ass y "
before passed over. bad. ounnar;.,,sss ss,'s 1
10 the splendid railrca bridpe :. g
the Cumberland valley mpsnv = s.eds !!
Su~qnehsnna river, and ,hat q r,,.. ~ , V
tr'c i'm was almos, inevitable. TT -T. cs-
having originated near the Cumh's,M w
shore, conpara,i, ely-littlc as.is,ara.' a,d
be rendered from d is side by N. = ssak
corps Of Harrisburg iiremen, M ''a
c"mpel'e TO serve as almost p..s;s. ". N''s
,a,ors # lie dreadful scene. Tt.,:'se'
stance thai tie ri 'ge had received 's,a' ~
Covering 81 pitch. designed il p,,,.'. VA
f,orn rain, also contributed er.a,,
ralii ,,.i 9 ,f he i!ares Ills ets
most j t'.rse heat, SO ihst.ur fr,m.s y
n>n.l!. sui ltin- tie most frmid ii. y w
were compelled 10 yield 10 The der.n. m ae
element an almost nnm le.s,d a,r;.:'
The m.etire ot the Elec,oral en-
and the jubilee Of tie Dsm,cr.., NM !.
tracted an immense concourse 10 II. -. '
Of government. TIE rivers hnl - -
COTS eqnen'ly literally lined with ,hou.,,s n.
Of spectators. As span after spen n ~ 4.
costly structure was cnvelcped in , H..
Of flame, and fell with tremendou, ,,,s M,
into the boiling abyss, the scene ws In. m,
terrific and sublime.
But the most fearful part Of The cal,,;
ty remains, 10 be told. A large nu,h.
Of persons had conceived the pro;ec !,
ti>conmc,ing one Of the spans " .,,Dd,
ing it with = Is. This partially estc,E
they remained upon the portion not "a
reached BY Tie flames. No sooner hosr. y
ever, had the consumed part fallen, ,A,,
the remainder necessarily Welded IA Il.
weight of those who occupied it-xk
numbering moi less, probably, than f,Or
30 to 6O-were instantly precipaa.d /,
the bottom. A scene like ihis ~, i,
imagined, but defes description. Al \
voluntary exclamation Of horror pesesaa!
from every toneue-a sensation Of inds.
cribable alarm vibrated from heart 10 hcr
The roaring fame bursting from p;t, b
pier with incredible rapidly, coiline n si
around the noble structure and dcs.ro,ir
whatever it toucled--the struggles Of d,
fallen 10 escape from their perioas iiu.
tion-was a scene both melaDcholy mi
e citing. For a considerable pera /
was hard to conjecture who had been ID
what iircside had been robbed of ID po
tector or ornament. Here might b "
widowed mother looking for her n
here wife for her husband-and ikx |
sister Cor brother.
As ii by provi 'ential interiern
however, tie loss Of life was moi neas
great as apprehended y tfose on sAess
large number Of :he faller having e'ux y
tie pier. and others Leine relieved &c:
their periloas situation by means n bas
The following are the principal a6renI
JOHN YoUsLtNc--instantly kilied.
Son Of Thomas De Moss, / Lad is|
IA years OF age, not pec'ed 10 surrie \
JoHN BRowS, (boy dangerously Au.
Mr. VAN CAMP, bally hurt.
A number Of others more or les lM
The bridge was connecting link ih
great chain of improvements between IfiiII
adelpl |. and Pittsburg. 1t has ben
use since January, 1889, and was sE'
n,lly constructed at cost Of MT les ihsI
8 10000. II covered tweMy- y-Sre pie'
full mile in length. But four span
have been preserves.