The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-11-12
FALL OF A RAILROAD BRIDGE.

FERGUSON, Mo-, Nov. 9.-About $50 last
night, as an extra train, engine 102, Kirby con.
ductor, Plowman engineer, was crossing st.
Charles bridge, over the Missouri river, coming
east. the west span of the main structure sud
denly gave way. precipitating seventeen cars of
live stock and the caboose into the abyss. The
engine and one car, with the engineer, con.
ductor and fireman, were saved by the breaking
of the connection between the cars. Three
dead bodies and three persons badly injured
were recovered from the river. At this late
residences of the unfortunates. 1
ST. LOUIS, Nov. "a visit to-day to the st.
Charles bridge, one span of which fell last
night, disclosed a terrible wreck and distruc-
ton of property. The bridge proper is an iron
Howe truss of three spans, and the truss that
fell seems to have lost it's bearing on the piers
on both ends at the same time, for it lies in
the river in an almost horizontal position, and
is full of cars it before it left the piers.
The cause of the accident is unknown, but
G. Thaler Smith, of the Baltimore
Bridge company, under whose personal
supervision the bridge was constructed, thinks
it was occasioned by track or car leaving the
track. Conductor Kirley, however, testified
before the coroner's jury, this afternoon, that
the train was all right when it passed on to the
bridge. Another story is the bridge was
struck by lightning, heavy storm having
prevailed about an hour before the disaster.
The names of these in the caboose when it
went down. and who were killed outright, were
Joseph Weaver, a wealthy stock raiser and
vice president of the first national bank of
Malvern, Iowa, Mr.. Hyde, res
ident of Montana, friend Of Mr. Weav-
er, who was accompanying the latter to St.
Louis, George or Joseph Barnhary, brake
man of Moberly. Mo-, John Bumner, drover,
Of Malvern, had leg broken in two places, and
Nvnv h 0nx,Sa L. q
who was bringing stock to this city for bis
father at Malvern. He was only scratched
and very little iajured. J. M. Strohm, stock rails
er, Malvern, was also in the caboose, but when
he heard the crash of timbers and iron and the
great splashing of water, he sprang out of the
side door of the caboose to the floor of the
bridge approach. only few feet from;the chasm,
and before he could regain his feet saw the ca
boose plunge down the awful abyss of eighty
feet. His escape was one of the most wonder
full on record. Charles Irwin, brakeman, was
on top of the caboose and went down with it,
and was SO terribly mangled he died at noon to.
non, Ohio. -
The bodies of Weaver, HYDE and BARNARD
wore enclosed in handsome Baskets and sent by
special train this afternoon, and Irwin will
probably be forwarded to Ohio tomorrow.
Somers is receiving every possible attention
the Gait House, St. Charles.
Missouri cYC1. ONES.
KANSAS Cry, Nov. 9.-About P. H., yester-
day, severe cyclone. accompanied by heavy
rain, passed over Strasburg, a small town on the
Missouri Pacific railroad, six miles east of
here. A church was blown to atoms. Three
dwellings. four stores and blacksmith shop
were all leveled to the ground. The roof of
the railroad bridge was blown off and carried
some distance. Telegraph poles and wires
are all down. Several persons sustained in
juries but none were killed as far as ia known.
The scene where the Cyclone struck the town
was an appalling one. The heavens were
shrieks and groans Of the affrighted people
made up scene never to be forgotten. AT
Odessa station, on the Chicago & Alton road.
thirty-eight miles east of this city, the wind
blew at the rate Of eighty miles an hour. The
largest store in Odessa was torn to atoms, the
goods being carried far out on the prairie and
scattered in every direction. Two men were
seriously injured, q dozen small buildings
were blown down, and great amount Of
property is reported destroyed in the country
adjacent.
SHOCKING MURDER.
BANGOR, Me-, Nov. "a shocking murder
was committed last night. janis j. Norris.
agent Of . large sawmill Of Cutler & Eddy, of
Bangor, was found dead by the roadside in
Bradley, this morning, with his head fright
fully mangled and his throat out from ear to
ear. Bradley is ton miles north of Bangor. on
the East Penobscot river. Cutler & Eddv's
mills are situated there. Norris left his of-
flee. near the mill, at 8 o'clock last night for
his home, quarter Of . mile distant. When
about half way home he was attacked from be.
hind BY : man who struck him on the back
Of tho head with m axe, crushing in the sknli.
The murderer then cut the throat of ~. III.