Mexico weekly ledger., 1881-12-15

western end of the treacherous span,
were the fifteen cattle cars piled one
on top of the other. Near the east
ern shore could be plainly seen few
feet of the twisted iron. The engine
lay on her right side, the stack point
ing up the river, the current of which
roared into her cab and tender until
it surged oyer the obstruction.
1t was long train-engine and
tender, thirty-two cars and the ca,
boose. When the engine was nearly
across the span which fell, the ca-
boose was away back on span No. 3,
just leaving the St. Charles side of
the river. The span which went
down did so in its entirety. As the
two survivors tell it, the bridge
seemed to drop out from under them
in one piece.
Down went the forward third of the
train, and then the remaining portion
followed so slowly that those who
saw it say it seemed to almost stop.
Car after car toppled over the brink,
until net one was left. A brakeman
was on top of Car, we'll toward the
rear. He saw the chasm yawning,
jumped to one side, caught the trestle
work, climbed down and walked
back to the St. Charles side, bis
face ashen and his limbs trembling.
Durfield says that simultaneously
with the uneven motion of the train
came the cry of Midcap, who shouted
to the occupants of the caboose,
''For Gods sake jump; she's going
down.
WHAT WILL BE DONE.
Mr.. McKissock says that they have
decided to Immediately commence
building temporary Howe truss in
place of the span destroyed. A tenn
porary pier will be built on piles, he
said, between the two stone piers, as
was done when the west span fell
two years ago. A wrecking boat
was ordered from Keokuk with divers
and a search made for the body OF
the engineer, and the work of recov-
ering the freight and removing the
wreck of the train and bridge COM
menced. About 200 dead hogs have
been taken out. Until the gap in the
bridge is closed the through train
Of the Wabash road that leaves St.
LOUIS in the evening will go over the
G. & A. R.R. to Mexico, where it will
take the Wabash road. The day pas
senger train will leave St. Louis as
usual on the Wabash road. The
passengers, baggage, mail and ex-
press will be transferred by the ferry
between Brotherton and St. Charles.
The same arrangements has been
made for trains going east, the night
trains to be transferred to the G.. &
A. track at Mexico and the Omaha
sleeper and chair-car to be switched
on to the regular train at Brunswick.
There will be but one local train in
the evening as long as the gap in the
bridge remains open.
HISTORY OF THE BRIDGE.
The St. Charles bridge was COM
pleted in 1871 by the Baltimore
Bridge Company, under the super
vision of G. Shaler Smith, who en-
joyed the reputation Of being one OF
the most skillful civil engineers
in the country. The structure was
managed by the Wabash Ry. Co. Ii
was owned by what is known as the
St. Charles Bridge Company, from
whom the railway company leased it.
The total length of the structure,
including trestlework approaches on
both sides, is 1000 feet. The length
of the bridge proper is about 1,00C
feet. There are seven spans-three
high trellis-girder spans and four
deck Fink spans. On November 8,
1879, it was high trellis-girder span
which gave way. This time it was
the south deck Fink span which fell.
IHE DISASTER TWO YEARS AGO.
On the night of November 9, 1879,
just two years and one month, the
west span of the st. Charles bridge
went down, carrying with it seven
teen cars loaded with live stock, and
SIX human beings. The train was
an extra in charge of conductor
Frank Kinly, with engineer George
Plowman at the throttle. 1t was 8
wet, drizzling nigh. and the soggy
cloud bank hung in close proximity
to the cold and dreary earth. 1t was
miserable time for railroading, but
the train men, encased in rubber
coats, stood by the brakes and
watched with extra care to guard
against accident. jus. ahead of them
was The St. Charles accommodation,
which passed over the bridge in safe
ty. The extra followed it, and the
engine, tender and first car had
gained the western approach when
there was loud crash, the coupling
link between the first car broke,
the span gave way, and the remain.
ing seventeen cars of the train tum.
bled headlong into the mad, rushing
river below.
The cars were piled in one promis.
cuous heap, some of them crushed
awry, others broken into half doz.
en- pieces, and still others broken and
twisted into kindling wood. There
were eleven car loads of cattle and
five of swine. Nearly all of the poor
dumb brutes were killed, a few were
horribly manned and some escaped
to sandbar, a few rods below.
The terrific crash as the span gave
way was heard for a distance of two
miles, and the river bank was soon
lined with an excited throng of peo-
pie, who built large boDfires that
lighted up the scene, and impaired
to the foaming waves crimson glow.
The spectacle was one of the most
horrible that ever engaged the gaze
of an awe stricken crowd. The moan
ing of the injured cattle arose above
the noise of the rushing water, and
smote the hearts of those on shore.
Suddenly voice came from the
wreck in a wild, agonizing appeal for