Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1891-06-16
rHE RAILROAD DISASTER

Loss of One Hundred and Twenty
| Ltves-Terrible Nature OF the In.
jur1es-The Broken Bridge-A Town
i'm Mourning.
BERNIE, June 15.-Further details re-
ceived from the scene of the terrible rail-
road accident which occurred yesterday at
a village near Bale, on the Moenchenstein
and Bale railroad, show that two engines
and three carriages loaded with excursion
lists fell into the stream that flowed be-
meath the iron bridge, which gave way and
caused the disaster. These carriages and
engines now form a shapeless heap of
wrecksge beneath the bridge. This wreck
age prevented two other carriages, which
were suspended practically in the air, from
falling and still further increasing the list
of killed and wounded.
At this hour eighty excursionists are
known to have been drowned, though
many of the bodies have not been recov-
cred. Of the large number of persons in
!ured, many will probably die, as their
injuries consist of bad decorations, and. in
some cases, limbs have been completely
severed.
The bridge, or viaduct, which collapsed,
had only recently been built and had just
been strengthened after sustaining damage
BY the rising of the river. Until the
bridge is rebuilt traffic over this road goes
via Mulhausen. Passengers going to
Hoenchenstein are using the ordinary foot
bridge.
LATER.-The total number of people
who lost their lives is now placed at one
hundred and twenty, with hundreds more
or less injured.
Another account of the disaster says
that fifty-seven bodies have already been
recovered and that forty persons are Sc
verely wounded. It is feared that many
others are dead whose bodies have not
been found. The victims are mostly lead |
ing citizens of Bale and its neighborhood. |
Engineers who have inspected the bridge |
since its collapse say that the iron work |
alone gave way.
Scenes which were truly heartrending
were witnessed in this city to-day when |
the bodies of large number of the vic
Tins were brought here by Borrowing rela-
tives. Several families were practically
city may be said to have been touched BY |
the calamity, for those families who have
not actually lost one of their members
have dear friends or acquaintance either |
among the dead or the mourners. Almost
each hour records another death or an
other case in which the physicians give up
all hope of life.
Everything that the authorities can do
is being done Clergymen, priests and
physicians, a large force of troops and fire.
men, and scores of vehicles to be used as
ambulances, have been despatched to the |
scene of the wreck. The troops and fire. |
men are removing the wreckage, recover
ing the bodies and transporting the wound |
ed to their homes or to the hospitals.
The work of the soldiers dragging the |
river was greatly impeded by the fact that |
the stream was considerably swollen by /
the recent melting of the SHOWS. Thus the |
waters carried many of the bodies long
way down the river, and it is expected |
that several days of dredging will be re-
quired before the soldiers work will be
completed.
The dead when taken out were laid in |
rows by the soldiers. Two huge frs of fir
trees were lighted and company of SOL
diers furnished guard, who, with fixed
bayonets, formed a guard of sentinels
around the dead, admitting within their
lines only those who were actually in
search of missing relatives. With the
morning the removal of the wounded to
this city, delayed in many cases on ac-
count of the serious injuries incurred, was
recommended, and the procession may be
cesheA
stein to Bale.
That somebody" is to blame for the ac-
cident nobody doubts, but the people are
30 busy just now in caring for the wound
ed and the dead and in trying to arrive at
some accurate estimate of the extent of the |
disaster that the question of blame is post
poned for the present.
Forty-eight of the injured have been
placed in the hospital at Bale while a num-
Der of the injured have been removed to
their homes.
The details of the Moenchenstein disas-
ter prove that the bridge broke down un- |
der the sheer weight Of the locomotives.
The first engine had passed over the abut-
ment safely, but was dragged back by the |
second, when the whole fabric collapsed,
the engines and train topping into the |
water. Five carriages were precipi- |
tated into the water and wrecked.
At the point where the accident occurred
the river is but four feet deep. ALL who
were killed-from seventy to eighty-were
crushed to death. An exact estimate of
the number of the killed is still impossible.
There are several persons missing and 9TH
ers who are in hospitals sinking will prob
ably have to be added to the ultimate total
of dead