The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1873-05-16

A BRIDGE OVER X ROCK RIVER GIVES WAY
HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE HURLED INTO THE
WArER-A LARGE NUMBER DROWNED.

by immersion. Inc unSuDSthntidi rducsuo,
feeble to bear this weight, suddenly gave
way, and the wretched assemblage was pre-
cipitated into the deep stream. Once IN the
swift current there was but little hope for
those who were unable to swim. and deaths
appetite was glutted with an unknown number
of men, women and children. A dispatch to
the Chicago Times gives the following particu-
lars Of the horrible affair:
At 1:sO p. m. to-day MAY A, between three
and four hundred people were gathered upon
the city bridge over the Rock river, to witness
the baptismal ceremonies in progress, in the
river. when there was q sudden crash, and, in
an instant, the bridge gave way, carrying into
the river its precious freight of human lives.
The current at the bridge is deep and strong,
and swollen by the recent rains to Hood
height, in which the throng, that but an in
slant before was full of life and happiness,
thrown pell-mell with carriages and teams In
their midst, were literally swallowed up. Some
of those near the abutment had the presence
OF mind to leap from the falling bridge, at the
first warning of danger, and, alghting in the
water, succeeded in gaining the shore, and a
lew near liz bNOIO NClS ooNou sho ASos
carried under by the wreck of the bridge and
swept away by the swift current. The ap-
palling spectacle for q moment paralyzed the
spectators, who in \ great measure, owing to
the lack of boats, etc., wore compelled to be
helpless witnesses of the death Of their wives,
children, and friends. The horrors of the
scene we're intensified by the plunging in
among the drowning human beings Of the
horses attached to two buggies and a wagon
upon the bridge when it fell. II affrighted
animals struck ont wildly, pushing several I'M
fortunates under water and literally win
ming over others. The horses all reached
shore.
Up to Monday morning forty bodies had
been recovered. In the prevailing excitement
there is no means Of ascertsining with any
thing like accuracy the number drowned.
Even the number Of residents of this tow
who are lost or missing cannot as yet be ascer-
| tanned, and numbers were in attendance from
neighboring towns, and several it is reported
from Chicago. The loss OF life il variously
| estimated at from 75 to $50, and the proba-
| bilities are that the latter figures are nearer
the fact.
The north span of the bridge gave way first,
| pulling all the others with it 30 quickly that no
chance Of escape was offered except to a few
at the extreme south end Of the bridge, among
whom was Edward Patrick, OF this city, who
saved himself by jumping from the bridge.
The bridge was an iron structure Of the Trues-
dale patent, and of tho same style as that
which broke dow at Elgin on a 4th Of July 9
few years since, and was altogether too light
in construction to be ssfe even with less weight
upon it than at the time Of the disaster. Its
very appearance was sufficient to give warning
of its fragile character, and an awful respon-
sibility must rest upon those who built such .
terrible trsp AID upon the authorities who per-
mitted it's use.
The escape of q little child Of John Wsds-
worth, of this place, was almost miraculous.
The little one foated down tho stream almost
to the railroad bridge before it was rescued.
The child will, it is believed, recover.
Mr.. James L. Camp, and Mr.. - Fowler
and his vito, by tremendous exertions, es-
capped from the falling bridge. These were
near the south end. and q young girl, daughter
Of II. II. Hssenepting, who was standing near
| them, and was carried down by the fall,
dragged herself up out Of the wreck to tho
shore end, clinging all tho while to the hand
rail.
John Eustncc, b was ON the bridge in his
buggy, was saved by the horse, which swan
to shore, after which Mr.. Eustace did some
good service in aiding others to escape from a
watery grave.
William H. Woodward, unaided, rescued
four persons, two OF them ladies.
DIR. G. J. Reynolds, who happened to be on
the bridge at the time, and made a narrow es-
cape himself, saved at least two human beings
from drowning.
William Shilcock brought to the shore five
people, all OF whom, but for his courageous
efforts, must have been lost.
Henry r. Noble, whose wife sunk before he
could reach her and was lost, saved tho life of
another lady, q Miss Smith.
In addition to those recovered, five corpses
were seen to float down the stream. A number
must have been caught by the under current,
and still more must be fast in the wreck Of the
bridge, which carried them to the bottom Of
the river. A umber owe their escape to the
fact that, owing to the crowding on tho bridge
just before it fell, they were unable to obtain
a view Of the baptismal ceremonies from that
point, left the bridge for the river bank. Hor-
ror-stricken crowds throng to tho scene Of the
disaster and watch the river below the bridge,
while hundreds, as though laboring under a
horrible fascination, gaze ~yacantly at the dis
torted eorpses TINS far brought ashore. Hun
dreds, too, arc searching for wives, sisters,
children and friends, and the frenzied anxiety
Of parents, husbands and relatives Of the
missing is terrible to behold. Yet the awful
work of fishing up the corpses Of The drowned,
and of hunting among the driftwood in the
eddies for the upturned faces Of dead men
and women, continues.
There were a numbe Of remarkable escapes
OF children, Of whom there were not less than
so on the bridge when it went down. One
little fellow, about 10 years old, was caught
by both feet in the iron rigging Of one Of the
spans, and had one Of his legs broken. He
managed by sheer strength to pull one Of his
boots of, tearing the sole off in the process,
and then coolly taking out his knife, ripped
tho other boot from the foot of the wounded
leg, and then, crippled as he was, swan ashore,
Two little girls, sisters, we're standing side
by side, and went down together. As they
reached the water tho eldest caught the other
by her dress with one hand, with the other
chung to q portion Of tho IRON work, and chung
fast to it, up to her neck in the icy water until
they were both taken OF by a boat.
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STATEMENT OF AN RyE-wIrNEss-THE SEEM
NDE THE WATERS.