The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1883-06-01
Telographie.
THE BRIDGE DISASTER.
Not Less Than Twenty Persons
Killed.
A Panic Without Cause Produces the
Acoident-The Scene of
Suffering and
Death.

DhOOhLlN D1iT Oh - ut CuIOItIs WcIr
up 10 ,her elbows IN work this morning.
The number killed and badly hunt In
Wednesday Afternoon's panic on the great
suspension bridge 10 as yet unknown. II is
believed that a score were killed outright.
The police and others were busy until late
al night recovering lost iewelry and dress,
with which the foot bridge WAS .trewn
after the police had cleared away the
people. The place at which the panic
occurred is that points where the New
York approach Joins the cables, at the
Pearl street anchorage Here the narrow
foot Oridge--i.is only fifteen feet wide-ls
about fifteen feet above the tramways, and
at this point there is flight Of steps carry
ing II still higher.
HOW IT BEGUN
nobody knows. The excitement com
menced at the New York end, where the
roadway is narrow. steep and diff
cult. Some say that band OF pick-pock-
cts plying their trade caused the scare
Others say that fanting woman WAS the
cause. In moment the two throngs
which were pouring from the New York
and Brooklyn sides became intensely ex-
cited, and the panic began. Down
the stairway on the New York side
men, women and children tumbled in
crushed to death. Attempts were made
rush but all was futile. Part OF the iron
railing was taken down aud the crowd let
out on either side TO the railroad tracks.
but at these exits several accidents also
occurred. The panic lasted few NOM
ents, but In that time 1t 10 thought that vt
least twenty -hve persons were Killed and
fifty seriously injured.
Henry Guy Carleton, who was IN the
crush, said. "The lines jostled each other
haV kut frpn
| ing in broad column and that from Brook
| Ign by single file. AT point about one
hundred yards from the New York
tower
A MAN LOST HIS HAT
by gust Of wind. A. II sailed over the
roadway the crowd stopped to laugh aud
cheer. The passage was instantly blocked.
reupit poured ITOm both sides toward the
scene OF accident. woman tainted.
| Her escort, brswny laborer, struck right
and left to compel those about him to give
way, The pack became denser. A pc.
| lceman lenped TO the railing and ordered
the crowd TO the New York side. ODE
dieutly the mass pushed with one accord in
that direction. One hundred yards further
down mon urged the mass toward Brook
| iyu. The mistake WAS instantly followed
by shrieks and oaths from those crushed
where the pressure wa concentrated. In
moment the pack was complete, and men,
women and children fought desperately TO
gain the railing, A girl threw her arms
about the neck Of q man IN front OF her.
| With an oath he turned and struck her
twice In the face. An old man with one
arm free hclahOred the heads Of oil he
could reach with his cane A young moth
er held babe above her head begging
for some strong man 10 take It and save il.
A drunken woman bucked against the rail
ing and scratched and bit and yelled like
cat in trap. Suddenly came an over
whelmng pressure from the Brooklyn side
and the struggling mass was slowly forced
toward the staircase 10 an accompaniment
Of shrieks and wells, to which everyone
contributed. The first portion Of the
crowd managed to descend in safety. Then
woman tainted and fell. Several men
stopped to pick her up Others behind
them pushed over them, and in few see
onds the last stairs were covered with four
deep OF men, women and children, with
the crowd trampling above. Men
on the railings and Oh the
drive way now directed their
efforts toward stopping the movemsnt TO.
ward the stair case, and shortly succeeded.
Others dragged out those who
WERE TRAMPLING THE VICTIMS.
A number OF aborers ran up the drive from
the tower and tore away portion OF the
and then every man with free hands
worked with will TO extricste the in
jured. The frst to be lifted out was boy
perhaps ten years OF age. His face had
been trampled to pulp, and so far
as could Judge be was dead. A young
woman almost nude was laid on the drive
and died almost instantly. A man about
thirty five was next. He was dead already.
Several children, moaning and gasping,
| lam npt A unn q
broken rib protruding through her breast,
was carried across the track. She seemed
to be lifeless. Altogether there were eigh-
teen or twenty removed through the broken
railing, over half OF whom were dying, or
already dead
THE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT,
The coroner will subpoena the bridge
trustees, Superintendent Martin and all
others who can give any Information in ref
ference to the accident yesterday. He in
tends the Investigation to be thorough.
Superintendent Martin has been inyesti-
eating the cause OF the disaster, and the
best authenticated information he can
gather leads him to believe the panic was
caused by picpockets. No action has yet
been taken by the bridge trustees.
The superintendent acknowledges that
the space allotted TO foot passengers is at
present insufficient, but thinks when the
|
, osity II will be found to be ample.
The bodies OF the dead carried TO the
Chambers sueet hospital inn removed tu
the homes OF their friends, and prepare
tons for their burial have begun. All the
Injured In the Chambers street hospital are
improving. A number o, inquiries were
made there for missing persons, but no In
formation concerning them could be given.
as all the dead and injured have been idcn-
titled.
CAN DANGER BE AVOIDED!
The universal comment this morning re-
y specting the bridge horror Is that the same
accident Is liable to happen at any time no
matter what the police restrictions may be,
unless the steps are abolished or at least di
vided for the two streams OF pedestrians
The superintendent Of the bridge, Martin,
makes the following frank statement:
"The foot.path Is certainly no safe place
for such crowds rs pass over the bridge
II was not intended TO accommodate an ,
such travel as we are having Az to the
steps II has been decided to put a railing
UP and down the middle TO divide the peo-
pie going ono way from those going the
ether. The railing would have to be car
risd up some way beyond the top OF the
steps, Of course. We should carry II prob
ably q hundred feet long. This Is one al
tsration we had already determined upon,
and II is to be made at once. Then we are
\ going to place side ratings on the
y steps 4 little further back