Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1870-09-28
TERRIBLE CALAMITY.


A Bridge at Toms River. N. j., Give:
Way-Thirty Persons ecipitatet
into the 4Fater-Eignt Dead Bodie:
? &eroyered - Several Persons Still
Missing.
From the n. Y. World.
. The quiet village of Toms River, which
= ! is Oh the railroad below Long Branch, was
! startled as il never was before, on Thurs
J day morning last, by an accident that re
{ suited in the drowning OF at least eight
persons, Toms River is a village of about
2, 500 inhabitants, situated upon the banks
OF the river of that name, about six miles
; from its mouth. It has become of lats
quite summer resort, and large hote
has been built there. 1t is also much fre-
quented by the people of the neigh
I bcrhood for picknicking purposes.
The depot Of the Southern New
Jersey Railroad is on the opposite side oi
the river, and is connected with the village
by two bridgos-one a wagon bridge, and
the other foot bridge-on trestles, about
fifteen feet apart. This structure was at
tached to the depot side Of the river 10y
wood or iron pins. 1t is about sixty feet
long and the water beneath it is at least
ten feet deep. The bridge has been built
about one year. and its safety has never
apparently been doubted. Yesterday
morning, at 6:30 o'clock, some five hun
dred men, women and children, connected
with the Centenary Methodist Episcopal
Church, Of Long Branch, started on the
cars for o. picnic and c'lm-hake at Tom S
River. On their arrival at the depot they
began to saunter leisurely across the bridge
i'll gtoups.
When but few had actually got over, and
some sixty were upon the treacherous sup
port, the pins on the depot side suddenly
gave way, and The whole affair, with its
living freig ght, swung over toward the vii
lage. The loosened end sank beneath the
water, while the other remained fast. II
both ends had given way the slaughter
would have been frightful, for the in
habitants of the place say Tor the first tim
in their neutrality-suspicious. Was no boat
near. The inclined plane which the floor
Of the bridge made lay at such All angle
! that about half the endangered people were
enabled to Chamber up on the village side.
! They scrambled up on their hands and
knees-an indiscribably confused and ter
rified mass Of hlrhanity-some looking
out tor themselves, without mush regard
to others, some pushing down towards the
water to rescue the less helpful.
Meanwhile thirty persons were struggling
|
at the fragments Of the bridge. Some were
even under the bridge. Those of the null
,titude who were on the depost side could
| only stand there in painful helplessness;
| those on the other side managed to save all
but eight persons, as far as known, though
it was suspected that some were missing
from the parry who came from Eatonville,
q town mile and half from Long Branch.
| This surmise arose from the fact that in
the confusion of the return homeward
some one noticed Eatonville people weep
ing, and heard one say "Oh, if we but
knew where they were"
Only eight dead bodies were recovered,
however, and these were all from Long
Branch. When it was observed that some
Of the unfortunates were under the beam
Of the bridge, the people on the village
side cut it away with such tools as could
be procured, and let it drop in TIE water
Descending upon it then they pulled out
with oyster-dredges both living and dead
lying beneath it.
As is usual in such cases, there were
striking instances Of heroism. Peter How
land, q carpenter, had already saved his
nephew, boy of II, named Worthy, when
he saw Miss e. Styles struggling in the wa
ter He. blind to all other sights, needless
of the almost certain death from desperate
cIutching hands that awaited him if lie
plunged amid that mass OF frantic human
ity, he dashed into the water. The sight
of her there gasping for BREATH was uner,-
durable; for she was his hearts delight
she wore his ring upon her hand he had
been but yesterday looking at her wedding
garments, in which she was soon to stand
up proudly by his side. "They were beau
tifui in their lives, and in death not di-
vided;" for he had seized and was bearing
her safely to the shore, when Mrs. Sidney
Throckmorton, in her deFpairing agony,
seized him by the arm, and SO hampered
him that all three sank together, although
he was an excellent swimmer. The bodies
were subsequently recover red.
Probably not more than quarter Of
| those who fell into the water were men
the rest were women, boys and girls.
Many Of those who were rescued had to be
rubbed and treated in the ways usually
| adopted in cases Of drowning before they
recovered their breath. One girl of four
teen, who Was raked up from the bottom
Of the river, was considered quite dead,
| bnt careful treatment finally sIlscitlted
her Fortunately they were physicians in
| the party, and others in the village hasten
ed TO the scene Of the disaster. Indeed, it
may be said the whole village was there,
each lending a helping hand The suffer
ers were mostly carried 10 the hotels until
able to go TO the cars. Then at 1:30 the
sad party returded with their dead.
The following are the names of the VIC
TINS:
Mrs. Sidney Throekmorton, aged about
As; her husband is Il farmer.
| Peter Howland, carpenter, aged p.
| Mary 3. Styles, aged 19.
| Maria Martin, aged Is.
James Martin.
Alfarata Martin.
Helen Lane, aged II.
| Ella Mafie, aged -.
| .r.u.oso..., .,a....4-