Mexico weekly ledger., 1879-11-13

IDENTIFY spent the greater portion of
his life on a farm. While he seemed
to feel that he had a very narrow es-
cape he treated the matter vey indif-
ferently as though it had been an ev-
cry day occurrence.
Early in the day a party of men
were engaged in sailing about the
wreck in skiffs trying to save some of
the stock and their efforts were re-
warded by rescuing about a car load
and /. half of hogs. None of the cat
tie were saved. Several we're found
with
THEIR HEADS ABOVE THE WATER,
and alive, but they were so securely
held by the debris that it was impos.
sible to extricate them. They were
therefore killed in order to end their
sufferings. On the north side of the
wreck the water was shallow, and
quite a number of hogs managed TO
get out of the wreck, and made their
way to a sand bar about ten feet DIS
tant. Here they were found roofing
in the sand and apparently enjoying
themselves as thoroughly as if they
had not just passed through a fearful
accident. In order to get them to
the main land, it vas necessary to
force them into the water, tie them
behind a skiff and tow them to the
shore. They evinced a decided op-
position TO ANY more water and
squealed and struggled vigorously
when forced to take to it. All were
finally loaded into wagons and were
carried off to the ferry.
THE LoSl.
1t is impossible at this time to de-
termine with any degree of accuracy
the amount of damage sustained by
the railway company by the accident.
Outside of the cost of repairing the
bridge replacing the rolling stock de-
stroyed, paying for the live stock
killed and the settlement of the suits
which will probably be brought by
the relatives and friends of the de-
ceased drovers and brakemen, there
is the loss which will follow the inter-
ruption of the freight and passenger
trrtfic over tbs road. The work of
removing the debris and repairing the
bridge will be commenced at once
and will be prosecuted vigorously mn
til completed. In the meantime ar
engagements are effected for the trans
fer of passengers and freight across
the river by boat.
CAUSE OF III DISASTER.
After Mr.. Smith had collected all
the information liz an engineering
point of view about the accident, he
freely expressed his opinion as to
cause of the accident. His statement
was understood as follows: The acct
dent could not be attributed to a de-
feet in the span, as it had been in
spected carefully a few days ago, and
tire railroad company had placed new
ties under the track, and if defects
existed they would have been discov-
cred then. The load Of the train,
eleven Of the cars covering the span,
was lighter than had passed over dur
ing the day. The indications were
that one of the cars
JUMPED OFF TIE TRACK
in passing over the east end of span
No. ,, as six of the wooden ties are
marked as though the tlanges of the
car-whcelS had cut into them several
inches from the rail. In confirmation
Of this two old experienced locomo-
tive engineers who were at the rail-
road office in St. Charles half q mile
north of the bridge said they
heard the train passing on the
bridge. and their attention was direc-
ted towards i. on hearing Il humping
sound such as railroad men usually
recognizes as made by a car-wheel
rolling from tie to tie when off the
track. This humping sound was SC
frequently repeated that a number o
railroad men in the vicinity of the
bridge went
II OF IL HOUSES
to look at the train going over the
bridge and saw the span fall.
The span gave way at the same
time from both ends and dropped
down, showing that there was a pull
toward the centre of the span. This
was probably caused by the car that
was OIL the track having one Of lis
wheels drop halfway below a ii,
where the ties might have been spread
further apart than the proceeding
ones, and as the car was pulled for,
ward the ties would be pulled forward
until Il space of track, length offs car,
was without ties to support it, and
:. the car following fell down upon the
dlagonally-placed bCacing-rods Of the
floor Of the bridge. This bracing was
nearly two feet below the railroad ties.
As the cars dropped that distance the
increased momentum and weight
would rapidly
CUT THROUGH THE BRACES
and draw the girders and trusses
above the floor towards the point
where the cars dropped through the
floor. This strain could have drag
ged the ends OF the spans off the piers
and broken the rock off AT the edge.
IL apIC'lS nun IliC l'Nh 'h'1 " l"ih
Der of the cars were below the flooring
of the span when it fell, rs the floor
work lies on top OF The cars. AT the
time of the accident the train was 60
ing up grade, and the locomotive en-
giueer would expect his train to move
heavier than before and when the
wheels dropped on the ties would no
have noticed it at first, and when tho
wheel dropped below the tie the worl
of destruction was but a moment
The weight of the span that fell wa'
about $4,000 pounds, and dropped
nearly ninety feet to the river bottom
The iron-work will be valuable sal
wage for the company.