The evening light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1881-1883, 1882-12-13
Particulars of a Shocking Disaster Near the
PecOs River Yesterday.

Eight men were killed and eleven seriously
injured by the falling of a bridge at the end OF
the Galveston, Houston and San Antonio rail
way extension, 2Dmiles from this city, about
O'Clock yesterday morning.
THE DEAD.
John P. Bennike.
John Atkinson.
j. S. Harra.
William L. Russell.
Robert McCOmb.
James Smith.
J. $. Kemp.
William Flanders.
DANGEROUSLY INJunED
.IOnn COulsOn.
William MOrrell,
Peter Hollywood.
William Iardine.
Frank McDermOtt.
INJURED, NOT DANGEROUSLY.
John Wolf, superintendent of the bridge
builders
). l.. sullivan, the foreman.
Thomas ketchen.
John KNIGHT.
George Btidale.
William COnnOrS.
Bennick, Atkinson, McCOmb. Harral, Rus
sell, Smith and Kemp were instantly killed.
Flanders lived but Il short time after the acct
dent. MOrrell and Hollywood are in critical
CONDITION; their lives are dcSpaired of. Me-
Dcrmett may recover but the chances are said
to be against him. The fall was sevcnty-tve
feet. The dead were horribly mangled. Some
OF the living will be MANNED the rest of their
days.
The bridge was over deep canyon three
miles from the terminal telegraph station. 1t
was OF the type known as a three-deck bridge.
Two courses We're complete. Some hundred
men were employed in constructing the third
and last course. They were raising bent when
some or the bracing gave way. There was q
crash AMI then the entire structure fell
to the bottom of the canyon.
The bridge was of wood, brought thence on
the track. 1t was considered by Major Good
win, the superintendent of construction for
the railway, and Ma Or Converse, the general
to be the best structure of the
sort erected by the railroad company. They
ana other railway officials declare the accident
After the bridge fell a messenger was sent to
the telegraph station, and news of the disaster
was tclegraphed to the railway headquarters in
tnlscltyAnOther messen2ergave notification to
the men employed on the Southern Pacific eX-
tension about two miles away The Southern
Paclfic wOrknen Immediately fastened to the
scene and assisted in removing the debris from
above the dead and in caring for the injured.
From here orders were sent to Pinto Quarry
near Del Rio despatching wOrk-train engine
untcered their services and, accompanied by
several nurses, proceeded on the engine to the
canyon. - miles distant. They arrived at
about half past o'clock.
In the afternoon the dead were taken to
Pecos siding. near Devils river, and enclosed
in rude collins constructed of the sGant mate
rial obtainable. Funeral ceremonies We're dis
pcnsed with. The graves are by the siding.
The wounded still near the conyOn.
Tents were brought and erected for them. ana
hey are being tended by the two ply scians
their more fortunate companions, and the
nurses who went from Del Rio. No amputu-
lions have yet been performed, but all are
bruised from head to loot. It is thought that
none of the men lived in san AntOpiG. N0s;
!f them came from the E,lsi, some from New
\ Ork and Others from Pennsyl\ uuia,
An inquest was held last evening and ver-
lict returned eXhOnOrating the officers Of the |
'os9 and their subordnates from all blame.
No ca,iA: Tor the accident was asst sned. " Urk |
IN the cAtc,siGR will be resumed at once.