Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1874-02-06
AccIden, on the Central Vermont.


BREAKING OF SPAN OF TIE NEW IRON
BRIDGE AT WATERBURY - MIRACULOUS
ESCAPE OF TWO MEN FROM DEATH-woN-
DERFUL PRESENCE OF MIND OF AN En-
GINEER.
An unfortunate and unusual accident oc-
CURED near Waterbury. Saturday after
noon, in the breaking of the western span
of the new iron bridge of the Central Yer
mont Railroad over the Winooski. by which
two men, who fell with the bridge. miracu-
lousy escaped with their lives.
The bridge consisted of three spans of 100
feet each, and was of the pattern known as
as the Pratt plan The contractor, Mr..
llewins, of Boston, had just completed put
ting the structure up, and Saturday was the
day appointed for testing it by the officers of
the Central Vermont. There were present
Gov. Smith, President of the road; Hon.
W. c. Smith f.; General Superintendent
Hobart; Division Superintendents Arnold
and Stone Chief Engineer d. c. Linsley
j. NJ. Foss, Master Mechanic Hon 10 d.
Hatch, Edward j. Phelps, Esq, and his
son Edward II. Phelps, OF this city; Hon.
John L. Mason of Richmond, besides hun
dreds of people from Waterbury and vi
cinity.
The testing OF the bridge commenced be-
tween 10 and IL 4. m. by running locomo-
tves and loaded cars over it, at different
rates of speed, and everything passed off
well, apparently, until about 100 p. m,
when four ears loaded with iron, weighing
in the aggregate 2l3 tons. were run on to
the bridge, and placed in various positions
upon it. As the last of the four cars came
on to the western span, it gave way near
the western end of the bridge, precipitating
these ears, with two flats, into the river be
low, distance of about thirty feet. Two
laborers, one standing on a car, and the
other upon the bridge, went down, and
maryellously escaped serious injury, one
having his collar-bone broken, and the 9th
er suffering some slight contusions.
The young engineer of the locomotive
which was attached to the ears, showed
wonderful presence of mind. As soon as
the span began to fall, he opened the sand
pipes. reversed his engine, gave her steam
| and with tremendous jerk, sent her Tor
ward. pulling the drawbar out and thus
| breaking the connection with the ears, and
saving himself and engine. The span fell
quickly and with a considerable crash,
! creating great excitement among the
| loOkers-on. as it was feared that many lives
had been lost, and that the bodies were
] IL. / u. IL, Il lta
! river. Gov. Smith. Superintendent Hobart,
! and +. IL. Phelps were standing on the
abutment within ten feet of the span when
it broke The latter gentleman had his
hand on the post of the bridge, and hearing
the chord snap had just time To step back
when the platform ears Were snaked over
the spot where he had been standing.
The accident was occasioned by the break
ing of a tension in the lower chord, which
Is supposed to due to some defect in the
iron. The loss. which is heavy, falls as We
unde rstand upon the contractor, Mr..
Hewi.ls the bridge not having been accepted
by the railroad company.
Ii i fortunate that the rigid and thorough
crucial test insisted on BY the officers OF the
Central Vermont before accepting The
bridge d iscovered its weakness, for had il
not taken place. il would have been accept
ed and perhaps before the close Of The
winter 5, me terrible calamity might have
occurred. The rule of the company in re-
lation to bridges has been from the first e
have none hut tn oSe 50 substantially con
structed, rs to ST eure perfect safety io
trains passing over hem, and thus doubt
less many accidents rave been prevented
The bridge had been in nse several weeks
but had never been fully tested. being con
-idered safe for the oriil AIRY travel OF IN
road. The accident will occasion delay
IN the running of trains 1t a few days d
being necess airy to carry pa senger- ar'nn'
the break.
About 800. o00 bushels of [ anadn whea
in bond passed over the Neri lont Contra
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