American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1873-05-10
Particulars of the Awful Accident
at Dixon, III.

afternoon, about fifteen minutes at
ter one o'clock, as Rev. Mr.. Pratt
was passing 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 fiom the bridge, the iron
work gave wav, 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 inIuiring for children.
and fathers for wives and children.
and all was horror and excitement.
The bridge was torn and broken,
and hung from the piers, an appal-
ling sight in itself The bents at
each end were crushed intothe riv
er. 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 a fractured
bone of the leg and 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
we'll. There were several bnggies
on the bridge at the time, and.
strange to say, no one in the vehic-
les was injured, and the horses also
escaped. DR.. Reynolds and j. b.
PomerOy, Mr.. and Mrs. Fowler,
John Eustice, George Morris and
William ShillOck were in buggies
on the bridge. The latter's horse
and wagon is still OH one of the
bents of the bridge, where it's own
er must carry its feed. There is a
report that several bodies of chill
dren 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 side walk of the
bridge, bnt being an athletic young
man, saved himself and then help
ed secure several others. Mr..
Charles Mcbride deserves great
praise for saving many lives. Col.
III. T. Noble made q narrow escape.
He held DIR. Smiths little child,
went down with it and came up
and saved himself. Mrs. Noble
was several feet from her husband,
but be could not reach her in the
fall, for there was a mass of hu-
mainly there. Tony Bantigan, a
little boy, chung to a plank and was
picked up safe hall mile below.
Edward Patrick leaped into the
water and saved several lives.
Will Daily, with noble energy,
saved many lives, aud also pushed
on plank to the shore with three
women. Then. pulling off his coat
and boots, he, swan back and
rescued DIR. Hoffman, who was OH
the bar. about half way to the rail.
road bridge. William Dauntler
saved several lives Fred L. Shaw
saved five or six. Henry WOOdyet
lswam boldly into the deep water,
and rescued many. Will Schiller
Joe Haden and Isac Shaw narrow.
ly escaped. The body of Fred
Hasser was found nearly mile be
low.
This is to day indeed a mourning
city. The telegraph wires are kept
busy with messages from abroad
Almost every house in the city is
in mourning. Mrs. Alexander and
Mrs. Vann died this morning from
the effects of their injuries. The
shadow of the awful calamity thai
; has brought a sudden death to sc
many happy homes, seems to resi-
on every face. All day long the
mOurnful tones OF the funeral bel
has filled the air, while the GENE
terry is dotted thickly with new made
graves. The men engaged in erect
ing the derricks with which to raise
the fallen bridge, worked all night
and by noon to-day succeeded in
getting them in place, and com
menced the work of recovering the
bodies of the unfOrtuDates who
were carried down underneath the
bridge, and held fast by it. The
following are those recovered to
day : Mrs. G. w. KentDer, Mrs. E
Hope, Robert Dyke, Frank Hamil
ton, Miss Nettie Hill. There are a
great number of strangers in the
city, and the river banks in the vi
entity 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. 1t is certain that
there are other bodies still beneath
the ruins of the fallen span. Forty
bodies have been recovered, aud it
is believed that not less than twelve
or thirteen more are still in the
river. The wounded are nearly all
doing we'll, and, it is hoped, will re-
cover. A corOner's inquest was be
gun yesterday, but nothing of in
terest Was elected, and the inquest
adjourned until tomorrow morning.
FALL OF ANOTHER BRIDGE.
A terrible accident occurred Sun
day morning at a bridge being
erected over Lamine river on the
northeastern extension of the Mis-
souri,, Kansas and Texas railroad
fourteen miles from Sedalia, MIS-
.nnri Tho faISo worl ororfoI for