The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1871-01-10
The Fire and Falling Of the Suspen-
sion Bridge-A Loss Of Life and
Several Wounded.

On the morning OF December 30th,
about II o'clock, fire broke ont in
the building known rs the Mashall
House, at the steamboat landing, on
the lower side of the suspension bridge
across the Allegheny river. The house,
in the days of steamboating, was used
us hotel, but at the time of the fire
was occupied by Mr. 5. IL. Marshall
as Il dwelling. The fire was first dis
covered by MIS-. Marshall, who was in
the sitting room on the second iiuor
with two children. Mrs Marshall saw
a light volume of smoke ascending
from the floor, aud supected fire in the
building, proceeded to investigate the
matter by tearing off the tin covering
of an old stovepipe hole in the nuor.
UnOn removing the tin flame OF fire
darted up from below, the vent tanning
the fire and fastening the destruction
that foliowed.-In a moment Mrs.
Marshall had seized her'babe taken the
hand of the other child, ana conduct
ed them to u neighbOring house II few
rods oft, giving the aiarm as she fed.
Returning to the burning structure in.
stantly she found the flames had made
such rapid headway us to preclude an
entrance. Almost instantaneOusly after
the first alarm was given the whole
building was enveloped in flames and
the fire had communicated with the
toll house of the bridge company on
the opposite side of the street. Imme-
diately upon knowlege of THEN dan
ger the occupants of the dollhouse,
Mrs. Mary Mcintyre, her two daugb-
ters Sarah and Mary, and her son
George, a cripple, assisted by few
who came to the rescue upon the first
sound of the alarm, proceeded to save
the household goods by carrying them
to the bridge for safety In less time
than 1t takes to read the foregoing
both buildings were afre from top to
bottom, throwing an intense heat around
the suspension wires of the bridge
which were anchored few feet from
the houses, and passed directly over or
near the buildings in their course from
anchorage to the towers of the bridge,
aud those assisting in saving the turni-
ture-about fifteen in number-were
cut off by the intense heat from all re.
treat save by the bridge or running
down the steps of the abutment and
leaping to the ground. So sudden was
the breaking out of the fire that few
ueighbors were all that witnessed the
destruction of the dwellinga While
the flames were raging and the men
and women, unconscious of all danger,
were carrying out the furniture of the
toll house, one of the suspension wires
on the lower side of the bridged snap
ped from the effect of the heat. The
structure tottered perceptibly, an alam.
ing shout was heard from the sp9cta,
tors on the shore, and all was confu.
sion and CONSERVATION. The uniortu-
nate ones on the bridge,now first becom.
ing aware of their awful danger, ran
further out on the bridge, of sought
safety by flight toward the shore and
down the abutment at the risk of Il
roast or the danger of leap to the
ground. distance of or 10 feet. As
near as we can learn about eight per-
sons escaped death or naming by the
leap. Another wire snapped, and the
bridge gave warning to its occupants
Of its fate by another and more forci.
BILE wrench. Another and another
wire snapped; the whole support of
lower side was gone. The first span
sank to an angle of about 40 degrees,
precipitating some of the persons on
that part of the bridge on the ice be-
low, and in another moment it was
hanging like a pendulum. The re-
naming support broke, and il fell with
a crash, burying its victims in the ru-
ins. The other span followed, but fell
easier, the strain of the timbers and
wires of the first span ON the remain
der breaking the fall. Immediately
upon the fall of the structure the peo-
pie on the shore ran out on the ice or
took skifS and rescued the sufferers
from the wreck.
On the first span were Mrs. McIn.
tyre, Mr.. VIM. +. Neal, Miss Sarah
Mcintyre, and Mr. Wilford Kilgore,
all of whom went down with the wreck.
Mi Neal and Mrs. Mcintyre were ter
riblv bruised and cut by the falling
tmbers. Mr. Neal lived about an
hour. He was 48 years old and leaves
wife and cnld. Mrs. Mcintyre lived
until Monday morning. She was a
widow and aged 60 years. Sarah Me
lntyre was severely injured, but a;
the present writing is still alive, and
strong hopes of qer recovery are en-
tertained. These three were taken
ont of the wreck in a few moments
after, but young Kilgore could not be
found until Monday afternoon, when
he was discovered tightly wedgcd he
tween the ruins of the bridge and the
ice He was twenty-three years old,
the son Of a widowed mother, and time
Of the accident was employed in the
freight office of ihe A. V. r. II. He
must have been instantly killed.
On the second span, between the
first and second piers, were John Hen
ninger, Alex. Mccartney, Warren
Leonard, Geo. Mcintyre, Mary Nc,
lntyre, Thos. Connors, John McCarty
aud Henry McCariy. These all es
capped with few bruises or cold
bath. Some of them were taken out
on the ice and others IN skihs. Al
. nm his sDou wore first pcinitatad int