The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1873-05-10
THRILLING NEWS.
Falling Of Bridge, Great Loss of Life

CURED here this afternoon. The rite of
oil baptism was being administered at
point in Rock river, Just below the Trues-
dell iron bridge, and about two hundred
persons, including many ladies and an UNI
Der of children, had gathered on the bridge
to witness the ceremony.
Suddenly the bridge gave way and pre-
cipitated its living freight into the stream
below The scene which ensued was in
describably terrible, as the struggling
victims vainly endeayored to free them
selves from the ruins of the bridge and
from each other.
Large crowds of people on the banks
rushed wildly to and fro, and many of
them were so distracted with terror as to
be unable to render any assistance. 9th
ers more self-possessed, 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 six p. NJ, thirty-two dead bodies
had been taken from the river and it is
almost certain there are others still under
the wreck of the bridge OF those saved
twenty-four were more or less injured,
some fatally.
Widnigh-No other bodies of the vic
Tins of the bridge disaster have been
received at this point up to the present
hour, but several bodies have been picked
up at Sterling, six miles below here, and
doubtless the swift current has borne
Others still further down the stream The
general estimate of the loss is from ninety
to one hundred.
As stated in previous despatch, thirty
two bodies were recovered before dark.
Five bodies foated past the men at work
at the wreck, and have not been found.
1t is supposed that at least fifty bodies
are still in the water Most of them it is
supposed are under the wreck of the
bridge.
The bridge, which was of iron, Trues-
dell's pattern, and of five spans, was eleva-
ted about twenty-five feet above the river,
which is from fifteen to twenty-five feet
deep. Only the two end spans fell The
three middle spans are standing, but in
such condition that it is thought they
will fall when the wrecked spans are re-
moved
1t is now stated that there were three
hundred persons on the bridge at the time
of the accident, and that greater num-
Der escaped than was at first supposed.
Two horses attached to buggy were
on the middle span when the crash came
and remain there still, as there is no way
of getting them off
CHICAGO, May 5.-The following ex-
tracts from an extra published this morn
ing by the Sterling Mills Gazette will give
a better idea of the manner and direct
cause of the Dixon disaster than ANYTHING
before received:
The people were closely crowded on the
footway, and the immense weight all on
one side was too much for the bridge
One Of the. cap stringers snapped asunder
and allowed the north section to sag from
the abutment, plunging into the river
with its living burden.
Between the foot and the wagon ways
was a network of iron braces about nine
feet high, and this toppled over on the
mass of humanity, who had been thrown
into the river, and by it men, women and
children were pinioned beneath the water
without power to help themselves, and too
firmly bound by the weight of the iron to
be aided by their friends.
Special dispatches received here to-
night are filed with incidents attending
the fearful calamity, but add little to the
main facts already telegraphed The num-
Der still known to be missing, added to
those whose bodies have been recovered,
makes the list of killed 80, and wounded
81, of whom Mrs Alexander and Mrs.
| Naun have since died
Dixon, ILL, May 6.-The efforts to
raise the fallen spars of the bridge to-day,
proved abortiye, the powerful machinery
breaking the rotten structure, but not
raising it sufficiently to allow the bodies
supposed to be still under the ruins to be
recovered. Only one body-that of Mrs.
c. w. Kentner-was recovered to-day.
There are still missing the following. Miss
Nixon, Frank Hamilton, Alice Peters
berger, Lizzie Mackay, and child of
Mrs. Hendrick. This morning the body
of an unknown woman was taken out of
the river about two miles below here.
The city still wears the aspect of mourn
ing Six funerals occurred to-day.
BRIDGEPoRT, Conn, May 5.-An
attempt was made last evening to wreck
the express train from New York to
Boston, u short distance west of Southport
Station, by placing tie endwise in a
cattle-guard. w. Ii. johnson, of South
port, had partially removed the obstruc.
ton, and while trying to signal the train
was assaulted and beaten by two ruffians.
The train, which consisted Of fourteen
passenger cars, run over the remaining
distractions without serious injury. The
citizens turned out and made two arrests.
but the parties were subsequently released.
A despatch from Panama, April "a
says, great calamity has fallen ON town
called Piscobamba, caused by landslide
from neighboring mountain Forty-four
houses were destroyed and thirty-six peo-
pie have persisted. The great mass which
destroyed the town also damned up the
river, and the destructive effects of mum
dation were expected to be added to other
misfortunes.
TRENTON, La, May Cat . o'clock
this morning a fire broke out in Moore's
drug store and spreading rapidly in all
directions, soon destroyed the entire bust
ness portion of the town except the estab-
lishments of 5. Hirsch and Pacard 4
Spiro. Total loss 100000; insurance
sl5O,0OO, mostly in New Orleans offices,
CHICAGO, May 6.-About seven o'clock
this evening, boiler in the lard rendering
establishment of II. Schoenman, in the
extreme southwestern part of the city,
exploded with terrific force, tearing down
portion of the building, and killing or
wounding fifteen men.
Twelve houses in New Orleans were