The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-07-20

LlG uel1N4 lluAbAHK tbHABNEbt 30 hhhb AtANA
great difficulty TO keep from swallowing
enough water TO choke me TO death. No,
except this cut on the head from piece
of timber, and good deal OF very nat
ural nervousness, lam not much used
up
STORIES OF EYE WITNESSES.
Mr.. Wilson, OF X. G. Dun 4 Co.'s
office, came out Of the wreck on the
creek bank badly bruised and bespat-
tered with mud. "There must have
been ten or fifteen persons further out
on the bridge than I was" said Mr..
Wilson, land there was no chance Tor
them unless they were picked up in the
river. They could not have saved them
selves, for there was no time, no warn
ing. i cannot tell Just how l was
thrown from the bridge into the mul
and saved"
Mr.. Sam P. Norton, who fortunately
got off the bridge Just before it swung
out and was in a position to see more
than those who had narrower escape,
though his was narrow enough, gave
graphic account OF the disaster. "Char-
ley Senseny and /, said Mr.. Norton,
event out on the railroad bridge to see
the water dashing out OF the creek. We
were on the eastern end, when there
was sudden wrench. We started for
the bank and had barely made land
ing when there was n terrific jerk and
the bridge was wrenehed from the track |
on shore and off it went. When we
went on the bridge there must have
been twenty-five persons on it. When
it swung out into the river there must
have been at least eight or ten. There
was no chance for them to save them
selves. twas simply frightful to stand
there and see those men carried away
with no chance to help them. 1t was
NIL SO sudden that there is no more to
tell"
TWO OF TIE RESCUED.
Mr.. l. G. Dillon said: 81 had been
making round with Will Mcdonald,
of the Register counting room, and as we
came over the stone bridge our attcn-
ton was attracted to the rush OF the
waters out OF the creek. Mr.. Mcdonald
and went out on the railroad bridge to
get better look, as more than twenty
others had done. began to feel uneasy
and to move of, us / suggested TO Nc
Donald that We had better do, when
suddenly felt the bridge going with us.
The next thing knew | was down at
the bottom OF the bank, glad to be safe
in the rud. / looked for Mcdonald,
but he was nowhere to be seen. It was
a terrible moment, / tell you. ] don't
know how anybody escaped with his
life, it was so sudden and the wreck was
so complete. l fear there were not less
than ten persons farther out on the
bridge than | was when it went of"
FEARED Ills PARTNER PERSISTED.
Mr.. George PAUL, OF Hubbard & PAUL.,
was scarcely able to speak when he was
seen, for his partner, Mr.. Myron Hub.
bard, was not to be found. Mr.. PAUL.
said: "Mr. Hubbard aud went out on
the railroad bridge to see the flood. We
were afraid to go on the old stone bridge,
knowing it to have been condemned as
unsafe and believing it to be SO. It was
all so sudden that l can hardly tell you
how it happened. had Just said to Mr..
Hubbard that we had better leave, when
the bridge started. hurried Off as fast
us / could, supposing Mr.. Hubbard was
right behind me, for we were standing
together when l began to seek safety.
Since then | have seen nothing OF Mr..
Hubbard and can only hope"
Mr.. HuBBARD's STORY.
AS soon us it was learned that Mr..
Myron Hubbard had been rescued an
INrELLIGENcER reporter h0stened 10 see
him at his home on the Island. Mr..
Hubbard was in his bath room taking
hot bath after his narrow escape, and
while the reporter waited for him to
come down stairs number OF his friends
gathered, some to give him a hearty
hand-shake, some to see with their own
eyes that he was safe Mt home. Mr..
Hubbard was as calm and composed as
though he had been on n pleasure trip
down the river. He was cut about the
legs by the heavy floating timbers, with
which exception he sustained no injury.
~ went out on the railroad bridge"
said Mr.. Hubbard, with Mr., List and
Mr.. PAUL., not suspeCting OF course,
that We were in any danger. Why,
when the bridge broke loose was not
more than fifteen feet from the shore,
but that was enough to make all the
difference. 1t was all so quick that there
was no time to do anything, From the
moment l was dragged down with the
bridge until we were swept out into the
river was held under water. Bat l
fully realized my position and kept my
mouth shut SO that would not swallow
water. used to dos'ome swimming, and
| tried to paddle about in an effort to
bring myself to the surface.
OTHERS in THE WATER.
81 could feel somebody, perhaps it was
one person, perhaps it was more-I
could not teIl-striking against me in
the water. Young Ball was near me,
and it may have been only he, though
he is sure that there were others near
us. Then the water was full Of timbers,
very fortunately, too, for us soon as l
came to the surface in the river man
aged to get on q timber and that saved
me until the men in the skiif from the
steamboat picked me up off BloCh's to.
bacco factory. OF course cannot tell
precisely, but think was not in the
water more than 25 minutes, butyou may
believe that under the circumstances It
is difficult to measure time. My watch
stopped at 900, and that must have been
just the time the bridge went down and
threw us into the water. Well, said
Mr.. Hubbard with smile, 'you may be
sure that | am glad to be home again,
and am glad that my wife and children
are away. They will know nothing
about this until they hear that / mn
safe" Mr.. Hubbard's family are ut
Mountain Lake, and the INTELLIGEScER
will tell them the good news with the
bad.
MIR. Hubbard says there were % or so
persons on the bridge further out than
he was when it fell, Rev. Monsignor
Sullivan makes the same estimate. This
is probably nearer the truth. In that
case at least 20 are lost.
THE BALL BoY's VERSION.
III Dof1 A1,n ,,ounsreto, ,,,bo bo1 I1,o