Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-05-06
Every House a House of Mourning.
Details of the HOrrOr-NarrOw Es-
aanoa-Rravo ReGenaa

-..
Details of the HOrrOr-NarrOw Es-
| capes-Brave Rescues.
DIXON, Ills, May "A terrible accident
involving fearful loss of life, occurred here
this afternoon about lis. The rite of bap-
tism was in course Of administration by
Rev. Mr.. Pratt, to number of recent con-
verts TO one of the Baptist churches here,
/ on the North side of Rock river, just below
| the Truesdell iron bridge. About three
hundred persons, including many ladies
and a number of children had gathered on
the bridge TO witness the ceremony. Sud
denly, without a moments warning, the
bridge gave way, aud precipitated its living
freight into the stream below. The scene
which ensued was A. -
IndescribabIy Terrible
as the struggling victims vainly endeayored
| to free the mselves from the ruins Of the
bridge and from each other; the large
| crowds of people on tie banks rushed to
| and fro, many of them 80 distracted with
| terror as to be unable to render any as
| sist2nce- Others, more self-posssssed, speed
| lily brought ropes, plsnks and boats, and
went nobly to work to rescne the living
and remove tue dead. Some of those who
were ON the bridge when is fell were so
near the ends that they were able to reach
the back without assistance while others
| were fortunately within reach of those on
| shore. Soon
A Horrible Panic.
spread through our city. Mothers came to
the river Tank and anxio9sly enquired for
children, fathers for wives and children,
and all was horror and excitement. 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 was held
! firmly to the bottom of the river, and in its
| network of iron were the children, rela-
! lives and friends of our people, many Of
| them women and children.
Up to 6 p. m. thirty-two had been taken
| from the river, and it is almost certain that
there are others still under the wreck of the
| bridge. Twenty four, rescued alive, were
more or less injured, some fatally.
Midnight.
DIXON, ILL, Midnight. bodies
are reported to have been picked up at Ster-
| ling, six miles below, and doubtless the
swift current has borne others even farther
| down the river. The general estimate Of
| the number lost is from ninety TO one hun
dred. Five bodies foated down past those
engaged at the wreck, and have not yet
been recovered. There are, therefore, sup
posed to be at least
Fifty Bodies Still UnfOnnd,
most of them, it is thought, are under the
wreck of the bridge. The bridge was of
iron, of the Rusdel pattern, and had five
spans elevated about twenty feet above the
water, which at this point is from fifteen to
twenty feet deep. Only two spans, the end
spans, fell. The three middle spans are
still standing, but in such condition that it
is thought they will fall when the wreck Of
the end spans is cleared away. Wo kmen
are busy to night putting in place derricks
with which to raise the fallen spans, and
make arrangements to secure the bodies
beneath. At the time of the accident the
most of the people were gathered at either
end of the structure, though large num-
bsr were near the center. Some of the
latter remained where they were when the
crash came, and were afterwards taken off
by boats. Several Of the men jumped from
their precarious TestiDg-plsce into the river
and swan to the shore. Two horses and
buggies were standing on the middle spans
and are still there, there being no way to
take them off. There was q number of
Remarkable Escapes of Children,
of whom there were probably not less than
fifty on the bridge when it went down. One
little fellow, about thirteen years old, Was
caught by both feet in the iron rigging of
one of the falling spans, and had one of his
legs broken. He managed by sheer strength
to pull one of his boots off, tearing the sole
off in the process. Then cody taking out
his knife, he ripped the other boot from the
foot of the wounded leg, and crippled as be
was swan ashore. Two little girls, sisters,
were standing side by side ,andwent down to-
gether. As they reached the water the eld-
er caught the other by her dress with one
hand, and with the other clung to portion
of the iron work and hung fast to il up TO
her neck in icy water, until they were both
taken off by boat.
Monday Morning.
DIXON, May 5.-There were several bug
gies on the bridge, aud strange to say, no
one in he vehicles were injured, and the
horses also escaped. Seven persons thus
escaped. One horse and wagon is still on
one of the benLs of the bridge, where its
owner must carry it feed. There is q re-
port that several bodies of children were
found at Sterling and Rock Falls, though
this is hardly possible. Jacob Armstesd,
Jr., went down in the crash, and was com
PEELED 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 to se-
cure several.
Chas. Mcbride deserves great praise for
saving many lives. Col. II. t. Noble made
narrow escape. He held Mrs. DR.. Smith s
little child and went down with it and came
up and saved himself. Mrs. Noble was
several feet from her husband but lie could
not reach her in the fall, for there was q
mass of human beings between him and
her. Tony BrantigaD, a little boy Ct eight
years, clung to plaDkland was picked up
safe half mile below. Ed Patrich leaped
into the water and saved several lives. Will
Daley with noble energy saved many lives
, and also
Pushed on a Plank
to the shore three women. Then pulling
off his coat and boots he swan back and
rescued DR.. Hoffman, who was on the bar
about half W y to the railroad bridge. VIM.
Dauntler saved several lives. Fred l..
Shaw saved five or six. Henry Woodyett
swan boldly into the deep water and res
cued many.
There were several bodies taken cut Of
the river as far down as below the railroad
J bridge. The body of Fred Hope was found
floating nearly mile down. This morn
ing we learn that all those reported missing
! are probably in the net work of the bridge
at the bottom of the river. After nights
work there was
{ A Derrick Erected,
and it is hoped this morning that the iron
work mSy be lifted, SO that the bodies will
be released and recovered,
, There is hope now that only fifty orsixty
, lives were lost, but on the other hand, it is
feared that there may have been on the
bridge
} Many from the Country,
whose names we have not yet been able tc
, get. Until the tedious work Of raising the
: bridge is accomplished, hardly anything
r further will be known.
There are crowds of people on the banE
: of the river this morning viewing the scene
of disaster, and enquiring anXiously for
} friends. The telegraph wires are kept busy
with messages from abroad. Almost every
house in the city is in mourning, Mrs. P,
! NJ. Alexander and Mrs. Vaun Sdied this
, morning from the effects of their injuries.
CHICAGO, May 5.-Among the killed by
)