Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1873-05-06
The Baptism of Death-Particu-
lars Of the Awful Accident
at Dixon, Ill.
e Hairbreadth Escapes-Braye-
hearted Men TO the Rescue
Numbers Saved from
Death.
The Sum Total not known Yet
Fall Of Another Bridge,
and Five Men Killed.

DIXON, ILL, May 5.-Yesterday after
noon, about fifteen minutes after one
O'Clock, as Rev. Mr.. Pratt was passing q
convert for baptism into the. water of
Rock river Just below the bridge on the
north side, there being a large crowd Of
men, women and children witnessing
the ceremony from the bridge, the iron
work gave way, and, without a mo-
ment's warning, fifty or sixty souls were
launched into eternity. The horrible
panic that seized the vast crowd upon the
banks Of the river Of course spread
through our city, for mothers come to
The river bank anxiously inquiring for
children, and fathers for wives and
children, and all was horror and excite
meDt. The bridge was torn and broken,
and hung from the piers, an appalling
sight in itself. The bents at each end
were crushed into the river. That at the
north end held firmly to the bottom of
the river, and in its network of iron
were lodged the children, relatives and
friends Of our people. Mrs. Daniel
Cheney, who, it was feared, was fatally
injured, is now better. Mr.. Charles
Murray has n fractured bone of the leg
aud collar, and a severe flesh wound, but
is doing well this morning. Mrs. Murray
is also comfortable and better. Mrs.
Ella Campbell, Of Dement, Town, was
severely hurt, but is doing well. There
were several buggies on the bridge
AT the time, and, strange to say, no
one in the vehicles was injured,
and the horses also escaped. DR.. Rey-
nolds and J. B. PomerOy, Mr.. and Mrs.
E-.r--fr- T,1a
and William ShillOck were in buggies
on the bridge The Iatter's horse and
wagon is still on one of the bents of the
bridge where its owner must carry its
feed. There is a report that several bod
les Of children were found at Sterling
and Rock Falls, though this is hardly
possible. J. Armstrong went down in the
crash and was compelled to crawl upon
the bottom Of the river out from under
the sidewalk of the bridge, but being an
athletic young man, saved himself and
then helped secure several others. Mr.
Charles Mcbride deserves great praise
for saving many lives. Colonel II. T.
Noble made q narrow escape. He held
DR.. Smiths little child, went down
with il and came up and saved himself.
Mrs. Noble was several feet from her
husband, but he could not reach her in
TIE fail, for there was a mass of human
ity there. Tony Bsntigan, little boy.
chung to plank and was picked up safe
half a mile below. Edward Patrick
leaped into the water and saved several
lives VIII Daily, with noble energy,
saved many lives, and also pushed on a
plank to the shore with three women.
Then, pulling of his coat and boots, he
swan back and rescued DIR. Hoffman,
who was on the bar, about half way to
the railroad bridge. William Dauntler
saved several lives. Fred l..
Shaw saved five or six. Henry Wood
yet swan boldly into the deep water,
and rescued many. VIII Schiller, Joe
Haden and Isaac Shaw narrowly es-
capped. There were several bodies found
below tie railroad bridge. The body Of
Fred Hasser was found nearly mile be-
low. We learn that those reported miss
ing are probably in the network of
the bridge, st the bottom of the river.
After nights work, under the superin-
tendency of John G. Jacobs, of the Hi
uois Central railroad, who kindly rem
dered much assistance, there was a
derrick erected, and il is hoped that the
iTon-wOrk may be lifted so that the
bodies may be recovered. 1t is feared
that we have not yet learned the extent
Of the calamity, for there may have
been nany on the bridge from the
country, whose names we have not been
abis 10 get.
There were crowds Of people on the
banks Of the river this morning, and
many anxious faces were among them.
The telegraph wires are kept busy with
messages from abroad. Almost every
house in the city is in mourning. Mrs.
Alexander and Mrs Nann died this
morning from the effects Of their inju-
ries
This is to-day indeed mourning city.
The shadow Of the awful calamity that
has brought a sudden terrible death to
SO many happy homes, seems to rest on
every face. All day long the mournful
tones Of the funeral bell has filled the
.tir, while the cemetery is dotted thickly
with new-made graves. The men en-
gagged in erecting the derricks with
which to raise the fallen bridge, worked
all night, and by noon to-day succeeded
getting them in place, and commenced
the work Of recovering the bodies Of the
unf0rtunates who were carried down un-
derueath the bridge and held fast by il.
Ih following are those recovered TO day:
Mrs. c. w. KentBer, Mrs. +. Hope,
Robert Dyke, Frank Hamilton, Miss
Nettie Hill. There are a great number
Of strangers in the city, and the river
- banks in the vicinity of the scene
OF the accident have been lined to-day
with people, anxious to see the result
Of the sad search. There was a report
this morning that the bodies Of several
children had been taken out of the river
at Rock Hill, about two miles below the
city, but it proved to be a mistake. It
is certain that there are other bodies still
beneath the ruins Of the fallen spans,
Dut bow many il is impossible 10 say.
Forty bodies have been recovered, and
IL is believed that not less than twelve
or thirteen more are still ia the river.
1t is now believed that there were not
more than one hundred and fifty people
on the bridge at the time of the acci-
dent. The wounded are nearly all doing
well. and, il is hoped, will recover. A
coroner's inquest was begun yesterday,
but nothing Of interest was ELECTED, and
the inquest adjourned until tomorrow
morning.
FALL OF ANOTHER BRIDGE.
A terrible accident occurred Sunday
morning at a bridge being erected over
I4amine river on the northeastern ex-
tension Of the Missouri, Kansas and
Texas railroad, fourteen miles from Sc
slalia, Missouri. The false work erected
for facilitating the construction Of q
bridge, sunk into the quicksands upon
which II rested, carrying with it the
bridge umbers and twelve wOrkmen,
preipitating all into the river below.
William McAvoy, Peter Conners and
Harry lynch were killed outright and
eight others wounded, two of whom are
not expected to recover. lynch was
p married man, and came from Hart,
Michigan. The bodies We're taken to
Sedslis Sunday night, where an in
quest was held. Tie verdict was that
the insecure foundation OF false work
WAS the cause OF death.