The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-06-16
THE SWISS HORROR.
Eighty Persons Slain in the
Railroad Bridge Wreck.
sALEFuL SCENES At BALE.
The Angel Of Death Has saddened
Every HousehoId--Gathering
Msngied Corpses.

BERyE, june l5s-Tne Total number OF persons
who lost their lives yesterday by the collapse Of
4 railroad bridge on the Moenchenstein d Bale
railroad il now placed at eighty, with hundreds
more or less injured. The victims are mostly
heading citizens Of Bale and vicinity
Shortly after the first horror OF the crashing OF
the engines and cars through the bridge and
into this swiftly running stream had died away,
the survivors saw . scene which riyalied In
horror the most heart-rending features OF
the Jamestown disaster. Beneath what re-
NAMED Of the bridge was hideous mass
Of broken car wood, ear wheels, engines,
etc, fntermingled with still quiyering heads be-
spstteged with blood and brains, protruding
arms and legs, bloody garments of all deserip-
fions, hats and bonnets, umbrellas and parasols,
hands and feet while floating down the stream
were numbers of dead bodies and family strug-
Cling men, women and children. A few now
and than uttered horrible cries.
After the FIRST moment OF paralysis which fol.
lowed the revelation Of this horror, the survi-
vors did their utmost to rescue those whose
1fyss were In danger. The work Of pulling
those who remained In the two sus-
pended cars from the periloas po-
siton In which they were placed
was one OF great danger and difficulty, and re-
suited in o number of instances OF heroic con-
duct. In the meanwhile passengers were dis
patched on all sides for medical relief, which
was most urgently needed by the hundreds OF
wounded people, whose distressing cries for
help and prayers TO God asking Him to relieve
them Of their sufferings, were most heart
vending.
When the relatives of the dead and wounded
began to arrive and identified some of the vic
tins, there was another most awful series of in
cidents The widest grief wss expressed on all
ssdeA Weeping and mourning filled the air,
and several people were with difficulty re-
strained from casting themselves headlong into
The stream.
A. night drew near enormous crowds OF coun-
Try people and citizens of Bale gathered around
the fatal spot. taxing the power OF the military
70 the utmost in the efforts OF these people 70 get
nearer and closer view OF the horrors piled be-
meath the bridge. To such an extent did this
desire prevail that crowds of people initiated
the soldiers, fremen and railroad men, and
bivouscked for the night In the vicinity OF the
ysmains of the broken bridge.
Scenes which were heartrending were w.t.
messed in Bale today, when the bodies of large
number OF the victims were taken there by their
sorTowing relatives. Several families were prac-
tically wiped entirely out of existence By the dis
asfsf, the full extent of which is not known even
81 this hour. Bale is now scene OF bitter desc
lation and mourning. Nearly every family in
the city may be said % have been touched by
the calamity, for those families who have not
actually lost one of their members have dear
friends or acquaintances who are either among
the dead or among those who are
mourning the loss Of relatives. Those who are
wounded include 30 many serious injuries that
almost each hour records another death or an
other case In which the physicians give up all
hopes OF saving the patients life. Everything
the local and municipal authorities can do to
help the wounded. recover the dead, OF assist
those in distress IL being done. Clergymen,
priests and physicians, Large force Of troops
and hremen, and scores Of vehicles 20 be used
- ambulances have been despatched b the
scene OF the wreck.
The troops and fremen are busilv engaged
removing the wreck. recovering the bodies OF
the dead and transporting the wounded to their
homes or 10 hospitals. Physicians and minis
tiers Of the gospel are doing noble work in ad-
ministering TO the wounded and comforting the
bereaved- The neighborhood of the collapse of
the bridge now resembles In many features the
closing acts In some warlike struggle. stifl more
90 was this the case last night, when the
river banks well Illuminated by large fires,
while troops and fremen wese working unceas-
tngly, dragging the river for the dead, nursing
the wounded, and keeping guard around spots
where IL was not thought advisable 70 admit the
crowds OF people, who had focksd 20 the scene
from every village In the canton.
The work Of the soldiers in dragging the river
IL greatly impeded by the fact that the stream
is considerably swollen by melted snow. Thus
the waters have carried away many bodies and
several days dragging will be required before
the soldiers work will be completed That
E.nebody ID TO blame for the accident no one
doubts, but the people are 80 taken up with
their present duty that the question of blame
has been postponed for the present from Official
consideration