Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-07-12
THE BRIDGE SANK.
A Number of Lives Lost In a Singular
Accident I'm Nova Scotia

terrible accident occurred in Dartmouth,
Ms, last night, by which a number Of people
were drowned The chain attached to a ferry
boat slipped out of place and allowed the front
of the bridge at the landing place to sink and
precipitate the crowd of six or seven hundred
men, women and children into the water.
The people were crowded there waiting for
a new ferry steamer. the Annex, just arrived
from New York, to dock. When the steamer
got within two feet of the landing a number
jumped on board and at that moment the acci-
dent occurred. The outer end OF the bridge
went down suddenly and the horror-stricken
crowd slipped off into the harbor, az though
they were descending a Slide piling on top OF
each other and shrieking for help and scram-
bling for means of safety.
For some minutes there was @ confused
crowd OF men and women and children
struggling in the water. but the accident had
hardly happened before a dozen brave youths
and men leaped TO the rescue without waiting
to throw aside their clothes. Drowning people
were quickly passed up to men above on the
wharyes and the rapidity with which the res
cuers performed their work resulted in q great
majority of those who fell in being saved from
death. There were many able swimmers in
the party and those worked till exhausted,
helping people to land until there were no
more on the surface and those who could not
be saved had sunk out of sight
When the crowd slipped off the landing
stage people around, numbering some hum
dreds, crowded to the sides of the wharf and
threw sticks and boards TO the struggling mass
while a number of life preservers we're thrown
TO them from the steamer. Many people were
struck and injured by flying boards and all
bodies recovered bear cuts and bruises The
statements of the spectators show that most OF
those who fell in were women and children
and the scenes Immediately following the dis
aster were frightful. Several men and their
wives were thrown in and the former struggled
heroically to save their loved ones, succeeding
Ia every instance as far as known
Harry Silver thrown in with his wife and
managed to get her out safely. A man named
Brodie saw his wife struggling in the dock and
leaplng In managed to save her life. A woman
named Logan was thrown in with young child
IN her arms and her efforts to preserve the life
of her infant were heartrending. Both were
finally brought ashore alive. An elderly man
named Edward Foster and his daughter fell in
together and the former was saved in the nick
of time, but was so frantic over the loss Of his
daughter that he could hardly be dragged
ashore. He was persuaded that his daughter
was safe. but the poor girl q corpse when
taken out.
When all those in sight had been brought 10
land the work of graphing for the drowned
ones commenced. Within two hours four
bodies had been recovered. Ii is believed that
at least three or four others we're lost
Intense excitement prevailed in Dartmouth
and Halifax when the news Of the disaster
spread, and thousands focked 10 the scene,
where they remained till late hour, Watching
those working N the