Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-11-10
A TERRIBLE WRECK.
Fall of q Railroad Bridge.

FERGUSON, Mo, November S.-About
s tonight, as an extra train, engine No.
l07, Kinley, conductor, and PloYman,
engineer, was crossing the st. Charles
bridge over the Missouri river coming
east, the west span OF the main struc-
ture suddenly gave way, precipitating
seventeen car loads of live stock and a
caboose into the abyss. The engine
and one car, with the conductor, engi-
neer and fireman, were saved by the
breaking of connection between the
cars. Three dead bodies and three badly
injured men were recovered from the
river. At this late hour il is impossi-
BILE TO learn the names or residences of
the unfortunates.
There were five cattle drovers from
Malvern, Iowa, who boarded the train at
MOberlv, in the caboose, but their names
are not known nor can they be ascertain
ed tonight. There were also two brake
men, Chas. Irwin and Jos. Barnhart.
The passenger train that left here for
the west at 9:l5 tonight, only went to
Ferguson station, eleven miles out, and
then came back, there being no means
OF crossing the river at st. Charles.
Transfers will be made tomorrow and
the trains will run regularly. The loss
by the disaster cannot be stated tonight
but it will be heavy.
ST. LOUIS, November ga visit to-day
to the st. Charles bridge, one span OF
which fell last night, disclosed ter
rible wreck and destruction OF property.
The bridge proper is an iron Howe
truss OF three spans, and the truss
that fell seems to have lost its bear
ing on the piers on both ends at the
same time, for it lies in ruins in
almost a horizontal position and it is as
fnll of cars as it was before it left its rest
upon the piers. The cause of the acci-
dent is not known, but G.. Haier Smith,
of the Baltimore Bridge Company,
under whose personal supervision the
bridge was constructed, thinks it was
occasioned by a truck or car leaving
the track. Conductor Kinley, however,
testified before the coroner's jury
that the train was all right when it pass
ed on to the bridge. Another theory is
that the bridge was struck by lightning,
a very heavy storm having prevailed
about an hour before the disaster. The
names OF those in the caboose when ii
went down, and who were killed out
right, were Josiah Weaver wealthy
stock raiser, and Vice President of
the First National Bank of Malvern, Ia;
A Mr.. Hyde, resident of Montana,
and friend OF Weaver, who was ac-
companying the latter to st. Louis, and
George or Joseph Bathart, brakeman of
Moberly, Mo. John Summer, drover
OF Malvern, had his leg broken in two
places, and Fred. Davis, a young man OF
about 20 years, who was bringing stock
to this city for his father, also OF Nal
vern, was only scratched and
very little injured. j. VI.
Strain, stock raiser OF Malvern,
was also in the caboose, but when he
heard the crash of the timbers and iron,
and the great spashing of water, he
sprang out of the side door of the car on
to the floor OF the bridge approach only
a few feet from the chasm, and before
he could regain his feet, saw the
caboose plunge down the awful abyss OF
eighty feet. His escape is one OF the
most wonderful on record. Charles
Irwin, the brakeman, was on top OF the
caboose and went down with it, and was
tearibly mangled and he died to-day.
lie has mother living at Mount Yer
non, Ohio. The bodies OF Weaver,
Hyde and Barnhart were enclosed
in handsome caskets and sent
by special train this afternoon, and
Irwin will probably be forwarded to
Ohio tomorrow. Summers is receiving
every possible attention at the Gait
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