Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1859-04-15
BEDFORD inquirer.
FRIGHTFUL ACCIDENT.

M III
On Saturday morning last, as Mr.. Sam.
Barnhart was driving his six-horse team with
very heavy load of -four aud groceries from
Chambersburg, through the sNarrows Bridge
about two miles east of Bedford, the timbers
which supported the bridge gave way, and the
wagon, with four of the horses, was precipita-
ted into the Juniata. The height from which
they fell is about twenty feet, and the water at
this place is about eight feet deep. Mr.. Barn
hart was walking near the middle leader, and
the first intimation he had of the impending
catastrophe, was the breaking OF one Of the
rotten pine planks in the floor, which is not an
unusual occurrence IL that bridge. He had
hardly time to look back, when the remen-
dous smash took place, but be urged forward
the leaders, and the fifth chain and line fortu-
nately breaking, succeeded 10 saving theru.--
He himself narrowly escaped. Many persons
from the, immediate neighborhood, astounded
| by the terrible crash, but easily guessing its
cause, FASTENED to the scene of the Disaster
But there seemed to be no way of releasing the
| poor horses, three of which. hslplessly entan-
| gleG in the harness, were struggling in the wa
ter, with their heads only above the surface
| the fourth bad fallen back into the wagon. =
No boat or plank was TO be had to enable any
one to reach them. But, luckily, thin iron
rod had been placed under the bridge, as q
brace or girder. One end of this still hung
fast to the side of the bridge; the other end
| reached the water not far from the horses
Daniel Croyle swung down the rod, followed
| by VIM. Simpson and Andrew Mortimore, and
with sharp knife soon succeeded in cutting
the harness from the horses, and enabled them
to swim ashore. The horses were so much ex-
hausted that they reached the banks with con-
| siderable difficulty. 1t is a matter of the
greatest surprise to every one, that, stunned
aud bruised as they must have been by the ter
rible plunge, they were able to swim out at all.
When we arrived at the scene, it presented
the appearance of shipwreck, indeed. Boxes,
barrels and bales were lying around in all d.
rectlons, and the good old sship," which had
for so long withstood the fierce blasts of the
Alleghenies, was fast filling with water. a
great crowd of men ard boys lined the river
banks, some assisting at the wreck, ana others
eagerly discussing the catastrophe in all its
possible phases. Sheriff Moore having With
his usual promptitude procured rope and
pulley, succeeded in drawing up a considera-
BILE quantity of the -four in tolerably sound
condition. A boat was soon brought, and this,
with a raft, hastily constructed, brought the
remainder of the -four from the wreck, some of
it considerably damaged by the water. About
four barrels OF -four and several boxes of tin
are all that remain in the bottom of the river.
Mr.. Barnhart's loss cannot be less than five
hundred dollars. Four fine, large horses are
much injured, in all probability crippled forev-
er. The loss on the -four is not much less than
one hundred dollars. The Bedford and Cham
bersburg Turnpike Co. will, no doubt, promptly
and amply compensate him for the loss he has
sustained; it is very fortunate for them that it
is no greater. The accident can be attributed
to nothing but the culpable negligence aud
stupidity of the persons who built the bridge
The timbers when pu, in were old, aud alto.
gether too frall for the framework of bridge.
But it is alleged that the load was too heavy.
Surely anyload that six horses can haul, turn
pike bridge ought to bear We hope the COM
pany will 60 to work at once, take out the
rotten timbers, and put this break-neck bridge
in the securest possible condition, and subject
the lives and property of their felIow-citizens
no longer to such fearful risks.
We aaYo no further time or space to record
the numerous incidents of the wreck. ludicrous,
affecting, aqueous, bibacious, or otherwise
Our friend, Sam Amick, particularly distin-
guished himself as bold and daring wrecker.
But iE attempting to put two barrels ashore at
once, Sam fell into the water. The barrels
swan ashore, but Sam sunk-for a time-in
spite of The life-preserUer in his coat pocket.
After few desperate plunges, he succeeded in
reaching the bank, where he was greeted with
the shouts of the multitude. Shaking the
spray from him like a huge water animal, and
slowly uneorking his life-preserver, he took
few vigorous pulls-thus compensating himself
fully for all his tolls and danger.
~%~-
DEATH OF AN OLD ClTIzEN.-We are sorry
to announce the death of Hon. DAVID MANN,