Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1866-09-21
Terrible Accident.


4 terrible accident occurred on Friday |
morning of last week, at Johns;own, Pa,
on the arrival of the Presidential party. |
There were some three thous and people |
present at the railroad station, and il APP |
pears that near the depo, is an cd canal,
with sort OF cover, fifty feet square be-
tween two crossings. Upon this structure
or bridge some eight or nine hundred peo-
pie had congregated, large number OF
were women and children. The centre
part was densely packed, and must have
contained at least four hundred people.
An account says Of the accident:
che timbers in the center of the
bridge, fully foot square, suddenly snap
ped in twain, precipitating every soul on
it to the bottom of the canal, distance of
at least fifteen feet. The balance Of The
sidewalks and platforms over the canal
came down with the bridge, and filled the
bottom of the canal with timbers, planks,
and the struggling mass of men, women
and children, all hurled together in mex
tricable confusion. Those on the bank,
between the now yawning gulf and the
railroad track, were frightened into
stampede, and added TO the confusion by
screaming, yelling, and trampling each
other into the mud IN their frantic efforts
to escape. A more frigbIful scene never
was witnessed. A few moments sufiiced
to reveal what had actually transpired.
Men, women, children, fathers, mothers,
husbands, wives, sons and daughters, were
now rushing in every direction, seeking
relatives and friends, and crying aloud
with grief and terror.
As soon as the sinking, falling debris
had settled to the bottom, those in the
neighborhood sprang to the bed Of the
canal by scores, and commenced assisting
those least hurt TO extricate themselves,
and TO pull away the rubbish and timber
that covered and confined the others. AS
the bridge broke in the center, its TWO
haloes formed an inclined plane, along
which all were slid with lightning speed
and pitched on top oF those who stood in
the middle and went down first. Proba-
| bly, Lot less than four hundred persons
were on the main bridge and one thousand
on the whole structure. The killed were
mainly crushed 10 death by those who fel
upon them but few were hurt by the
,imbers or planks. Splinters darkenet
the air in every direction, and caused {
large proportion of the flesh cuts and con
tusions.
| From the manner in which the mass o
the people was precipitated, struggling
clutching, grasping, to the ground be-
meath, a great many arms and legs we're
broken. The women generally fell head
foremost, owing TO their inflated style Of
clothing, and their Commissions were chiefly
confined to the head, face and shoulders.
| One remarkable fact was that no infants
| or small children were known to be hurt
in the slightest, although many infants in
arms were among those who fell to the
bottom, aud still a larger number of both
sexes ranging from six to len years OF
age.
Hardly had the noise of the falling tim
timbers and the shrieks of the terrified
people above ceased, when the groans Of
the dying and the screams of the women
and children came from the awful wreck
below. All who had escaped injury pro-
ceeded at once to extIicate the sufferers
who were piled one opon the other among
mass of broken timbers and iron rods.
The poor victims-men, women and
chidren-were dragged out from among
the ruins, several of whom had been
crushed to death by falling timbers, but
more by being fallen upon by others
Most OF the killed and wounded were O
the laboring class. Mr.. Metzger, one Q
the killed, was proprietor Of the hotel, anC
was quite wealthy and Miss Letilia Can
non was the belle of the town, and gradu
ated at the head of her class on Tuesda,
last. The scene was one of indescribabl
horror"