Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-02-18
NEVADA.


Fall of a Bridse-Five Men Badly Hurt
RENO, February 17th.-On the % Of last
August the bridge over the Truckee river,
two and half miles west of Verdi, was
burned by incendiaries. A temporary trestle
was put up, and an iron bridge ordered from
Ptenixville, Pa. The men at work erectiI g
it were raising the main post on the west emo
of the bridge to-day at o'clock, whea the
guy rope clipped, and it fell into the river.
Five men were on top of the scatfold, high
over the top chord of the bridge, and fell the
whole seventy feet, alighting on mass OF
tangled timbers, ropes, bridge irons, ice and
snow. A train left Reno Immediately with
physicians, and Mr.. Higgins, the company
agent. The wounded men were brought to
Reno and cared for. H. j. Vsrnes, of New
Buffalo, n. Y, has a broken leg; Elias
Nicholas, broken ribs and internal Injuries
Leon Gonville, no bones broken Frank
Latilupe, no bones broken-but both cut
badly shocked. Oliver Lonkey, Jr not badly
hurt. Nicholas has family az Verdi. Tee
rest are single men.
SECOND DISPATCH.l
BRoNCo, February 17sh.-Your reporter ia
showed in trying to return from the scene OF
iha accident this morning at Bridge 90. At
about 10 o'clock this morning, while raising
one of the columns in an iron bridge being
erected near BroDce, the heavy iron, through
a neglect 10 properly fastening a guy rope,
became unmanagesble, and swinging against
another column displaced it and tumbled the
entire span into the rivera distance of about
forty feet. Five men, who were working on
top Of the bridge, were precipisated with the
falling mass distance of about seventy feet,
Strange to say, no oGe was killed. One of
the workmeD, II. J. Varnes, had his leg
broken and suffered severe injuries about the
head. Elias Nicholas, who has been for long
time in the employ of the railroad company,
latterly as watchman at this same bridge, was
severely injured internally, and had several
ribs broken. The other injured men were
Frank Latilupe, Leon Gonville and Oliver
Lonkey. These men escaped with their lives
only by a miracle. A special with a wreck
ing car attached lett Truckee at once, and
have been hard at work trying to get
the structure sufficiently safe to cross.
The adjoining span is liable to fall at any
moment, and the utmost efforts are being
made to secure it. To add TO the difficulty
OF the situation, the worst wind and storm OF
the season is in progress, and work progresses
with much difficulty. At dark the bridge
was not considered safe to cross, but the
severity of the storm aud darkness compelled
the workmen 20 desist. Superintendent
Wright has been on the ground all day, work
ing TO get the track clear. The biz snow.
pillow was sent for to Truckee, TO escort the
engine and caboose hack, and reports that the
snow is drifted on the track four or FIVE feet
at present. The engine and snowplow are
both off the track. l. will require four OF
five hours work in the morning before trains
can pass the bidge. The west passenger
will be detained at Truckee st least five OF
six hours. The storm elbows no signs of abat.
ing, and grave fears are entertained for a
blockade a portion of the telegraph lines
sre down, and the line repairers are busy try.
ing to keep them up. The wounded at the
bridge have all been taken to Reno, where
they are being cared for. No loss of life is
anticipated.
THIRD DISPATCHI
TRUCKEE February 17th.-11 P. M.-Tne
Oldest railroad men pronounce the present
storm the worst they ever saw oa the noun.
tsius. Nine engines and snow pillow will
endeavor to get the east bound passenger
train through from the summit in the morn.
ing. at least fifteen feet of new snow has
drifted and filled up the cuts and places that
have been kept clear before. The snow mas
nearly ceased falling, but the gale still con-
tinues. From the summit east will doubt
less be entirely blocked in the morning. A
burning chimney in the Truckee Hotel Gre
ate1 quite panic for a few minutes The
alarm brought out everyone in town, and the
utmost CONSERVATION prevailed for while.