The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-05-06
Especial telegram to tho Diar,tch.l

resulting in the loss Of many lives and in
jury to large number of persons. occurred
IN THIS town. Several converts to the Ban
list faith were TO hc baptized, and at o'cloc.
the north hank Of Rock river. in which
stream they were TO he immersed, was lnct
with people.
THE BAPTISM TOOK PLACE
near lie tiyc-Span trc>tlc-bridgc. and sevpra
hundred people occupied available position.
upon 1t. After two of the converts hat
been baptized the span Of the bridge neareS
the shore suddenly gave way, prccipitatins
about
TWO HUNDRED MEN, WOMEN, AND CHILDREN
INTO THE WATER.
Quite a number were buried, and other.
were drowned Ivy being pulled down by til,
wreck. The water was about five feet deep
and hence it was difficult to rescue thos.
" no were rendered unconscious by COMING
in contact with their friends in falling. The
greatest excitement prevailed. Men ant
women screamed. aud seemed incapable o
doing anything to help one another. The
going down WAS so sudden that all lost Their
presence OF mind. q. Those on tho shore real
lied the situation nj once, and did all In theil
power to rescue the Uulortunates. Through
their efforts over ole hundred were saved
many men swimming ashore.
rGrTY.oHE BODIES WE'RE RECOVERED
up TO O'Clock. 1t Is believed that fully ter
or fifteen were drowned. Many are missing
aud it will not be known before tomorrow
who escaped There were dozen miracu
1ous escapes, children being pulled ont b.
the hair.
TIE BRIDGE
is but year or two old, and was though
strong enough TO sustain almost any weight!
before. and hence the contractors are con
dcmnnd for carelcssueS> IN its construction
| Il WAS similar in material and build to th
EIgin bridge, which fell some years ago wbil
a crowd were viewing boat-race.
such large number of people had seldom
assembled IN Dixon as were here to-day
| They came from Ill the nc;ghboring cite
and villages. ard the accident will caus
grief in many households in Illinois.
Another Account Of The Disaster.
lNxuS. ILL.,, May "a terrible accident
involving a fearful loss of life, occurred her,
Yesterday Sunday afternoon. The rite o.
| baptism was being administered at poiu
| in Rock river just below the Truesdale irol
| bridge. and about two hundred persons, III
cludiny many ladies and Il number Of chill
tIrcn. had gathered on the bridge to wituc>
the CEREMONY. SuddcuIy, without warn
| iEg, the bridge gave way and >prccpitalet
it> liyi:E freight into the stream below.
| ihy >,..iic> which cuS,lcd were inle>criha
| Div terrible. - The struggling victims vainly
| caG"ayorcu 10 free themselves from The ruin.
of the bridge and from each other. Large
| CROWDS Of i,cGp!r OF The bank rushed Wild,
| to and fro. and many OF them 50 distracted
with terror Is to he unable 10 render any Is
>i<tanre. Others, more >eif-poS:eSScd, speed
| i'r brought ropes, l'!auks, and boat, ant
Wcn, noliy TO work to rescue the living arc
| recover the dead.
Some ol those who were on the brid~
when il Tell were 50 near the ends that they
we're able 10 reach land without assistance
U-p 10 q i. u. Yesterday thirty.two dead DO
dies had Been taken from the river, and it j
almost certain here arc Of licr, still under the
wreck OF the bridge. OF t!o.e saved TWEEN
t;-four were more or less injured.
LIST or THE DEAD.
The following is Il complete list Of thu
dead - t.tr is known: Miss CathaIne Haley
Mr.. j. ". Lgtia, Miss Maggie Brier, Ad;
Naun, George Ken, iil>S Bessie Payne, Mrs
Carpenter. Clara aid Rosa Stackpolr, Mrs
{. ". kcntnrr. Mrs. Is. Gilmore. Mrs. Colo
nrl II. +. Noble. Miss Nrttic Hill, Mrs. Ii
>iiman, Mrs. y. Hoffman, Miss ktlic Stcr
ling, Mrs. T. 3. Wallace, Mrs. Thoma
Wade, F. p. banners child. JOY Mason
Mrs. peterbergcr, Fred. Hale, Miss +. Dem
ing. T. X ley, 1T! Drew. Mrs. ii. Cook, Mar.
WiihcHn Of Nac;,n-:l, Mrs. Mary Sullivan
Mrs. J. Baker. Miss Wilcox, Mrs. james ;ia
bic, Robert Dyke, Miss Lizzie Makey, Mis-
Martial Page, Miss Mary Dlinkwatcr.
TIE WOUNDED.
The following were injured: Mrs. =. NJ
| Al Xander, arm broken aud injured internal
| ~; Miss Burus, Addison Guernsey, Mis-
| sarah =. March, Miss Captain Smith, Mrs
Daniel Cheney, all fatally injured; Charlie
Murray. Miss Eliza Luddincton. Mrs. Jerks
dunes Camp. ,Ir., Mrs, Ada Clutr, Mr.. c
| }. Reynolds, Mrs. John II. Moore. Mrs.
W. Whtmore, all seriously injured; DR.
| Hoffman, Miss / hatcher, Miss Hogcsplug
| John Wausworth Ga child, Miss Kelly, Mis-
| McLady. and i've children OF i. Broutisa
also received injuries.
FURTHER PAETIcrLARs-nA NARROWING DETAILS
DIXON, Ill, May 5.-Evcry house in til
city i in mourning. Several OF the injurct
have died. Del ricks are being erect, Il 4
! bx.4 l,,.E. AT
| he as.crtiinru. 1t Is thought that man,
persons from the country around not re
ported missing will swell the loss terribly
| The bridge, torn and broken, hangs from tn
| piers, and Is
AN APrALLl$G SIGHT
in Itself. At each end men. women, an
children wee crushed into the river; hi.
at the north end, where the loss of life wa
greatest, the bodies Were held firmly to TIT
! river in Il network OF iron. Mrs. D"Eie
| Cheney, Whn il WAS feared was fatally in
iured, is now better. Charles Murray frac
turcd the bone OF his lee and collar-hone ant
received Il severe flesh wound, but is dom:
well this morning. Mrs. Murray is also com
}or;aic and better. Mrs. Ella Campbell, o
DIuctown, who was severely injured, /
doing well,
There were several buggies on the bridge
but, strange to say, 40 one III vehicle wa
injured, and the horses also escaped. WI
liam :. IltIucl,'S horSe and wagon are still
on the bridge, aud food for the horse has tt
BE- carried 10 Kim. JACOB Armstrong, Jr.
went down in the crash. and was
coarELLEp To CRAWL on TIE BOTTOM OF TIL
RIVER
out from under the sidewalk of til,
bridge, but, being an athletic man, saNct
himself, and helped rescue several. Charlie:
Mcbride saved many lives. Colonel III