Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1883-06-01
TELEGRAPHIC

IELEUkAPHIC
[BY ASSOCIATED PREss.]
Brooklyn Bridge Disaster.
New YORK. May 3O-A fearful catas-
trophe occurred on East river bridge this
morning by which large number of peo-
pie lost their lives The narrowness of
the footway for passengers is the cause
of the horror. The majority of the dead
are 80 far unidentified. AT about four
O'Clock this afternoon long line of pas
sengers on foot in the center Of the track
of the structure going from and coming
10 this city th,ckened, swelled and stop
ped in its motion just at the stairs lead
ing up from the concrete road
way to the bridge proper.
Strong men and feeble women were wedg-
ed together IN that jam by the fearful
pressure of the crowd which extended
miles, one might say, on either end of
the line. 1t was renOrseless, fearful,
stubborn force that held its victims as
firm as the stone foundations of the bridge
itself. The stoppage lasted nearly an
hour during which time scores of pe0-
ule tainted. To relieve the jam the
bridge officials removed some of the iron
paling few feet from the stairway on
New York side when of course those un-
fortunate enough to be near the opening,
weak and faintlng as they were, immedi-
ately fell heller skelter, heels over head,
down on the jagged, graveily road be-
meath, mass of bruised, discolored, hu-
man flesh. Scores were trampled upon
instantly, and to stumble was death. Men
were dragged out Of that heap of help
less humanity with faces as blue as indi-
60 and the life blood trickllng out of
their nostrils. The roadway on either
side was strewn with dead and dying, a
pitiable sight and vet it Is said no efforts
were made by the bridge officials to
stop the people from coming on the
bridge.
The dead and dying were carried of in
wagons, carts, etc, improvised for the
service and it was long time before the
police arrived and anything like order re-
stored. Meanwhile teams were rushing
both ways at full galop over the road
ways threatening the limbs and lives of
those on foot who were attempting to
assist the unfortunate victims, the police
shouted themselves hoarse to clear the
way. Wagons rafting over the rough
stones and men and women crying in all
directions made it a bedlam indeed.
A party of men in uniform did yeoman
service at the spot as volunteer police to
check the vulgar and curious.
At Chambers street hospital here there
are lying thirteen dead, six unknown
men and six unknown women, and Geo.
Smith of No. AZ Watts street. The
bridge office was filled with people make
ing frantic enquiries for missing friends.
Two of the dead, one boy of Is and the
other young woman, are lying at the
City Hall police station unidentified, s.
E. Dale, No. 79 Henry street, Wilhelmina
Leow, 100 Monroe street, two unknown
women, Mrs. Nagle, 80 west 26th street,
Ellen Regan, 81 Horatlo street, Matte A.
Style, 257 Grove street, Jersey City.
The scene in the City Hall police sta
ton was simply terrible, women scream
ing and wrlDgiDg their hands, men with
torn clothing and bleeding faces and all
around forms OF wounded most OF them
unconscious, lying beside the walls.
Every now and again frantic woman
would rush in inqulrlng for some one but
of the insensible occupied all thoughts.
to the general confusion as wagon after
descended. A perfect stream of uncon-
scious forms was being borne into the
station on stretchers as ambulances were
filled and driven away. II was walking
along the bridge at the New York en-
trance,' said man who held the hand
of a young girl who was crying bitterly,
''when heard shouting and screaming
suddenly arise in front of me. Then l
saw hats, sticks and hands stretched aloft
and with one scream the whole dense
mass surged and swayed toward the
gates. suppose people thought the
bridge was coming down, any way they
fought aad screamed and yelled like de-
mons. Children and women were
knocked down and trampled upon and
the mass was borne on irreslstibly then
found this girl who had lost her friends
and here we arc safe, thank Cod" The
little girl between sobs said her name was
Flora Davies, of % Lewis street. II went
on the BRIDGE" SAID Charles Bligh of SO
Thin street, Brooklyn, ''at about four
O'Clock p. m. As was approaching the
river span found myself unable to move
either backward or forward, women and
children commenced screaming, hundreds
of men climped with great difficulty onto
beams running over the railroads and
made their way to the carriage way. Many
let themselves drop through between the
beams and were caught by those beneath.
A number of women also escaped this
way. escaped IN this way myself. The
police and others helped to pull out the
dead aud dying and they were laid on the
roadway until an ambulance came. The
shrleks of children on the pathway were
blood curdling. They cried "Help!'
ssSave me for Gods sake" but where we
were We could do nothing. Mr. Martin,
superintendent Of bridge was seen by
reporter few minutes after the accident.
He said five minutes before word came to
my Office about the catastrophe, re-
ceived word in answer to my inquiry that
everything was going on smoothly on the
bridge and pedestrians were moving along
quietly. L Icertainly have no idea what
caused the horrible tragedy, as various
accounts have reached me from four dis
tlnct sources. hear, however, that the
panic was brought about by gang of
pick pockets. New York policeman had
warning to-day that thieves and bunko-
men we're operating on the bridge, but as
none of them were identified of course We
could no nothing. As soon as heard of
the crush ordered the road ways to be
thrown open and people are going across
that way now.
The Dead Miner.
ST.. LOUIS, May 3l--The coroner's in