Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1873-05-09
A BAPTISM OF DEATH.

MoNY-FoRTY Persons DRowNED-
BREAKING OF AN IRON BR1DaE-A MASS
OF LIVING BEINGS PREcIp1TATED INTO
THE WATER-ScENEs AT THE DISASTER
The town of Dixon. ILL.,, about 80 miles
from Chicago, was the scene of frightful
disaster on Sunday last. A public bsptiz-
ing was taking place on the river shore, and
an iron bridge near was densely crowded
with spectators, including all classes of citi-
zens, there being about three hundred per-
sons Oh the structure The dispatches give
the foil, wing unr OF the calamity
Suddenly t bridge gave way, and pre-
cipitated its living freight into the stream
below. The scene which eusued was in.
describably terrible. the struS gliug vic
Tins vainly endeav''rt' TO trr> themselves
from the ruins OF H. h' idg, -. rom one
another. Large Grove, ut people on tie
banks, rushed WILDLY 10 snd no, aud uany
of them were SO distracted with terror as to
be unable to reDder ny assistance Others
more self-possesscd, speedily brought ropes,
planks and boats, and went nobly to work
to rescue the living and recover the dead.
Some of those who were on the bridge when
it fell were SO near the ends that they were
able to reach land without assistance.
Up to 6 P. M, thirty-two dead bodies
had been taken from the river, and it is al
most certain there are others still under the
wreck of the bridge. Of those saved twen-
ty-four were more or less injured, some IA.
tally. The bodies Of some of the victims
were found six miles below. Every house
in the city is in mourning. Several Of the
injured have died. Derricks are being err
ected to lift the wreck, when the full loss
of life will be ascertained. 1t is thought
that many persons from the country around,
not reported missing, will swell the loss ter.
ribly. The bridge, torn and broken, hangs
from the pier, and is
AN APPALLING SIGHT
| ia itself. At each end men, women and
| children were CT ushed ipt the river, while
greatest, the ladies were held firmly to the
bottom of the river in net work Of iron.-
| Mrs. Daniel Cheney, who it is feared was
fatally injured, is now better. Chas. MUIR
ray fractured the bone OF his leg and collar
| bone, aud received a severe flesh wound,
but is doing well. There were several bug
gies on the bridge but, strange to say, no
one in vehicle was Injured and the horses
also escaped VIM S. Hilock's horse and
wagon are still on the bridge and food for
the horse has to be carried to it Jacob
Armstrong, Jr., went down in the crash
and was
| COMPELLED TO CRAWL ON THE BOTTOM OF THE
RIVER.
| out from under the Sidewalk OF the bridge
but being au athle Tic man, saved himself
and helped rescue several Mrs Noble
was several feet from her husband but he
could Lot reach heriu the fall. because there
was a mass Of human beings between them.
Tom Brant boy OF eight years. chung to
plank, and was picked up safe half a mile
below There were several ladies taken
cut OF the river as far down as fellow the
railroad bridge. The body of Frei Hope
Was found floating nearly mile down the
river this morning. All those reported
missing are probably in the net work of the
bridge at the bottom of the river.
Among the killed is Miss Bette Payne,
daughter of Mrs. NJ. F. Payne, editor of
the Chicago Ladies Magazine. !"
When the bridge gave way, most Of the
people were gathered at either end, thong h
large number we're near the centre, aud
some of the latter remained where they
were after the crash and were taken off in
boats Several persons jumped from their
precarous resting place and we're drawn
ashore Two horss attached to buggy
were on the middle spau when the crash
| came, and remain there still a., tht re is no
way Of getting them off. Tai Re were a
| number of
REMARKABLE E'CApEs OF CHILDREN
of whom there wers probably uot less than
fifty on the bridge One little f, How, aged
thirteen years, was caught by beth feet in
the iron rigging Of one Vi The spans and had
his leg broken. tut he III .naged by sheer
strength to pull one Of his DO rs off, aud
then coo)ly took out his knife aud ripped
the other boo; from his foot and swan
ashore.
| The bridge, which was OF iron aud of the
trestle pattern, five spaus long, was elevated
about twenty five feet above the river which
| is from fifteen to twenty feet deep. Only
the two end spans fell The three middle
spans are still standing, but in such con
dition that it is thought that hey will fall
when the wrecked spans are removed =
Workmen are busy tonight putting up a
derrick in order to clear the wreck and are
making arrangements TO recure the bodies
beneath it.
HEROIC MINISTER.
Rev Mr. Pratt, the officiating clergy
man, was just repeating the ritual when the
bridge fell He threw off his coat and boots,
and by courageous effort succeeded in saving
six lives. The man is totally crushed by
the weight of sorrow He has some inju-
ries, and suffered much from exposure.
The latest dispatch says that 40 bodies
have been recovered, but there are more,
vel under the iron net work of the bridge.
Lewis Webb, an old merchant Of Rich
! mond is dead.
Geo. Lea, colored, was hung at Raleigh,
North Carolina, for violating the person of
lady aged "a. The rope broke and the
execution had unusul horrors.
Cakes Ames was stricken with paralysis
Wednesday, and is not expected to live.
Not shot has been fred i'll the Modoc
war since April goth.
The directors appointed by the West
ponvd 81 D,,h1;o Wo,x-