The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1874-02-03
ACCIDENT ON TruE CENTRAL
VERMONT.
ksrenking Of IL span on the New
Iron Bridge ut Wntcrbury--M'ra"
cuious Escape oil two Men from
Den.h---W ondcrfui Presence of
Mind Of uu Engineer.

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 Wnooski, by
which two men, who fell with the bridge,
miracuously escaped with their lives
The Burlington Free Press thus narratcs
the affair: The bridge consisted of three
spans, of $50 feet each, and was Of the pat
tern known as the Pratt plan. The con-
tractor Mr.. lIewins, of Boston had iust
completed putting 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 general
superintendent Hobart division supcrin-
tendcnts Arnold and Stone chief engineer
ID. c. I.insley master mechanic j. VI
Foss Hon. Jo u. Hatch, Edward j.
Phelps, Esq, and hi- son Edward H.
Phelps, Of Burlington Hon. John l.. Ma
son of Richmond besides hundreds of poo
pie from Waterbury and vicinity.
The testing of the bridge commenced be-
tween 10 and II n m, by running locomo-
tiycs and loaded cars over it, at various
rates Of speed, and everything passed of
well, apparently, until about 130 =. M.
when four cars 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, pre-
cpitating these cars, with two flats, into
the river below, distance of about thirty
feet. Two laborcrs, one standing on the
car, and the other upon the bridge, went
down, and maryellously escaped serious in
jury, one having his collar-bono broken,
and the other suffering some slight con-
tusions.
The young engineer of the locomotive
which was attached TO the cars, 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 for
ward. pulling the draw-bar out and thus
breaking tine connection with the cars, and
saving hirlself and engine The span fell
quickly and with considerable crash, GRE
atng great excitement among the lockers
on, as it was feared that many lives had
been lost, and that the bodies were buried
under the debris or submerged in the river.
Coy Smith, Superintendent Hobart and f.
H. Phelps were standing on the ahutment
within ten feet of the span when it broke
The latter gentleman had his land on the
post OF the bridge, and hearing the chord
snap had just time to step back, when the
platform cars were snake1 over the spot
where he had been standing.
The accident was occasioned by the
breaking of tension in the lower chord,
which is supposed to have been due TO some
defect in the iron. The loss, which is
heavy, falls as we understand upon the CON
tractor, Mr.. lIewins, the bridge not having
been accepted by the railroad company
/ 1t is fortunate that the rigid and thorough
crucial test insisted on by the officers Of the
Central Vermont before accepting the bridge
discovered its weakness. for had it NOT
ta,."a v'4cc, it would have been accepted
and perhaps before the close of the winter
some terrible calamity might have occurrcj
The rule Of the company in relation Il
bridges has been from the first 10 have
none but those so substantially construc,
cd as to secure perfect safety for trains
passing over them, and thus doubtless many
accidents have been prevented. The bridg,
had been in use several weeks, but had no
been fully tested, being considered safe fol
the ordinary travel Of the road. The acct
dent will occasion Il delay in the running
of trains for a few days, it being nccesSa!
to carry passengers around TIE break.