The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-05-31
The Toll Bridge Fall.

Gdy dlIcIuOOu d SIAIESMAN repre-
entative heard a report that re-
sambled the bursting of bombshells
more than anything lse, and he Won
lered if Santa Anna and his hosts
we're again advancing on Waterloo"
fastening in the direction of the
sound, the reporter soon saw that an
accident had occurred at the toll bridge
,ver the Colorado at the foot OF Con-
;ress Avenue. Arriving there, asight
presented itself that at first struck
horror to every soul until the eager
questions: WAS anyone on it?" rs
anybody hurt 7" were answered in the
negative. The excitement and the
.Ioise was occa5iOned by the falling
in of the span of the toll bridge next
The city, said span being 120 feet long.
The facts as near as they could be
tscertained from Mr.. August Tied
nan, the tollkeeper, and others who
we're present, are about as follows:
Drs. j. D. Fields and j. II. Coleman,
# Manor, made arrangements to
ross 900 head Of cattle they were
aking to Crockett county, as the
liver was too nigh and swift to swim.
rs the cattle reached the edge of the
second span they met a load Of bricks
Ieing driven over this way from But
er's brick yard, and drawn by large
pair of mules. The driver drove
hem to the west side
IF the bridge and stopped
hem In order to let the herd go by,
md the other mules fore-1eet were
ust on the edge of the first span,
while the wagon was on the second
span, and Immediately over the sec
md stone pier. The cattle. at sight
If the wagon and driver, would go up
% the mules and smell, and then turn
circle hack, and thus began 'mill-
ing," as the herders term their
| circling around in being urged. There
was no running among them
III; but when about 100, as near as
,ould be ascertained, had joined in
he milling" cracking sound was
leard, followed almost simultaneous
| iy by the report heard for long dis
ance, and the span went down with
crash, carrying its load into the
nlrky, scurrylng waters of the Colo
-'adO, nearly fifty feet below.
NARROW ESCAPE.
Mr.. Tiedman and his lite daughter
Anna were standing on the little
llatform at the river end of the
leeper's house, and the planks on
which they stood were pulled and
bent, and some of them broken by
he shock, but both of them escaped.
How is mystery. The same may
| be said of Mr.. Buffers team and
ais driver, The mules had almost
every piece of flooring torn from
under them, and they were precipi
ated through; but the strong harness
,aved them by holding them up till
hey could be taken up. The were
not much hurt, only bruised,
THE Loss,
Is near as could be ascertained last
light, was about as follows: Messrs
Coleman & Fields and their mer
think, after count, that about sew
enty-tive (or possibly more, perhap:
laSs) head of cattle were killed OIL
drowned by the calamity. A large
humber foated on down the river or
The flooring of the bridge. until il
capsized, when many of them sunk
with it. For nearly half a mile dow1
stream the unfortunate kline were
icrambling up on the banks, as i
very proud of having exceled Gen
Putnam in his mad descent. Tit
value of the cattle lost will be about
$500, as was told the reporter by
| those who were acquainted with
losses; while the bridge company esti
mate their loss at $500 or $1,000.
THE CAUSE OF THE BREAK
Is very apparent. The entire super
structure is rotten, and shoul have
oeen condemned over a year ago
The county authorities had it eX
mined by an expert SOM time since
When the county was discussing tn,
feasibility of buying it and throwing
1t open, and he pronounced it no
properly built in the first place, anl
almost entirely rotten IN the second
consequently unfit for use. He tolt
Judge Fillmore that it would fal
with its own weight in three years.
THE WAY TO GROSS THE RIVER
now is by ferries-one Just above tn,
International iron bridge and Oh,
other just above the Chambers mill
Town below the city. Both are gooC
ferries, and always running, with goot
roads and approaches.
Now is the time for the county t,
replace the old, rotten wooden bridg
with fine iron bridge. The ston
piers are as good as can be foun,
anywhere
FAssIEG STRANGE,
A reporter gathering up all tn
facts about the falling bridge yesfer
day evening, met one of Austin
most accomplished ladies, who in
~ :. hin. hin, . .....s se1efa, weeks ag
she dreamed q very wondrous dream,
in which the first span of the bridg
PLAYED sn Important part, and sue
lenIy'ended the dream by going dow
into the surging, tllrbid waters b,
meath with a crash that startle
her and left a lastin
impression upon her mind. She W.
not at all surprised to learn that tt
span mentioned had fallen. 1t ms
not be amiss to say that along abol
the same time the above lady dreams
that newspaper reporter had su
denly become the p2ssessor of gre;
wealth, but alas, be. fears that in tn
: 'disappoiptment will track the stel
of hope" as it SO often does in Il
life Of your reporter
From Fridays Daily