Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-04-21
FATAL COLLAPSE.
Fr'ghtful Accident at an Ohio
Public Baptism.
SCORES OF PEOPLE BADLY HURT.

A Bridge Gives Way and Two Hundred
Go Down in the Ruins-List of the Seri-
ouslv Injured-Three Men Suffocated in
Mine-The Deadly Cyclone in Aha
bama-NoveI Experience of Cham
bermaid-Other Mishaps.
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio, April PA public
baptism service in Buck creek was changed
into baptism of blood yesterday afternoon
by the collapse of crowded bridge upon
which fully two hundred people Were stand
ing. Four persons were fatally injured and
fifty were seriously hurt. The crowd had
gathered to witness the ceremony of baptiz-
ing several members of the Third Baptist
church, colored, and over two thousand peo
pie were ASSEMBLED on the banks and the
bridge. Eleven persons were to be baptized
by Elder ID. b. Green, pastor of the church.
The crowd upon the Limestone street bridge
and the ad looming bridge over Warder's race
was especially large The bridge over the
race was about seven feet wide and formed
a continuance of the sidewalk apr roach. 1t
was supported only by stone wall under
meath, from hich it projected, and few
iron stringers eaten out by rust.
Down with Crash.
was sent into the water there was scream
and crash, and fully $50 people were
launched fifteen feet below into the race
amid the debris and timber, twisted iron and
masses of loosened rock. The sight was hor-
rifying, and the women lining the bank
tainted by dozens. The main bridge sank
six inches at one corner, and as the crowd
rushed back from it psnic-stricken it was
heard to crack ominously. The people were
driven back by few cool headed men, and
another catastrophe was averted.
The Miracle of the Disaster.
The work of rescue was commenced at
once, and nearly every physician in the city
was summoned. 1t is marvellous that no
one was killed outright. Among the 80
who went down many held fast to large
stone slabs from the abutment, and were
only able by fearful efforts to keep their
heads above water, while their limbs and
bodies were being crushed and mutilated by
the timbers and stones Mayor Burnett and
detail of pc ice, assisted by the patrol force
and Western engine hous, firenIen, were
promptly on the spot and did heroic service.
List of the Badly Hurt.
Out of the fifty or more wounded the fol-
lowing are the most serious: A. Lehman,
Is years old; - Taylor, right leg shatter-
bclO" huee anu bdCh MIS -.
d. Myers, right leg broken and heel par
TALLY torn off; Harry Myers, son of the
| above, scalp torn completely off and arm
broken in four places-cannot live; Mrs.
William Boston, colored. hip broken and in
| ternal injuries; b F. Day, scalp torn off I'M
| til it hung like flap over face; w. H Burns.
an aged man. fracture of thigh, possibly ia
tai; Mr. Charles Morgan, arm broken in two
places and severe cash in the head-her lit
| tie son George was with her, and both
| under, water but the child escaped unin-
| jured; Miss Ella Ray, ankle broken and in
| ternal injuries; Mrs Margaret Flannery,
left arm broken in two places, elbow joint
| crushed, and right arm broken at the Shout
| der, likely to prove fatal owing to advanced
| age; Horace keifer, son of exSpeaker Gen
| Warren keifer, arm broken in two places;
| Miss Nettie Heath. head and chest crushed /;
| Andrew Burke, head fractured and other
wise injured; Miss Clara Stokes, head aud
| forehead crushed.
| Many others slightly hurt. Thou
sands visited the scene of the calamity, and
| the town is in fever of excitement over the
accident. The bridge has been weak and ell
| most unsafe for some time.