Asheville daily citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1890-1900, 1891-06-15
THE BRIDGE COLLAPSED
ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY
PERSONS DROWNED.
A Terrible Railway Accident in
the Old wOrlsi-BesiGles Those
Dead There IL "a Long List of
severely Injured,

she Old wOrlSi-BesiGles Those
Dead There IL "a Long List O
Severely Injured,
BERNE, June 15.-A terrible railroad
accident occurred yesterday at villag,
near Bale, on the Mocnchcnste elm and Bal,
railroad. Two engines and three car.
rIages loaded with excursionists fell into
the stream which flowed beneath the iron
bridge, which gave way and caused the
disaster.
These carriages and engines now form
n shapeless heap OF wreckage beneath the
bridge structure and by its own size pre-
vented the two other carriages. which
were suspended practically in thcai from
falling and still further increasing the
number of killed and wounded.
At this hour eighty excursionists are
known to have been drowned. 1t is thouht
that many of the bodies have not
been recovered yet. Of the large number
of persons injured many will die In some
cases, limbs have been completely severed.
The bridge or viaduct which coIlapscd
and caused the accident had only recently
been built. and hadjust been strengthened
after sustaining damage by the rising OF
the river.
Latcr.-Thc total number of dead is
now placed at 1870, with forty more or
less injured. 1t is feared that many others
are dead whose bodies have not been
found.
Scenes which were truly hcartrendinp
were witnessed here when the bodies OF
Il large number OF the victims of the dis
aster were brought here by sorrowinu
relatives who had gone IN search OF miss.
lug husbands, fathers or brothers. wives,
mothers or sisters, as the case may be.
representatives of the majority of the
best families of Bale lett here to attend
The music festival. Wives brought home
the bodies OF their husbands and hus-
bands brought home the bodies of their
wives and children. Several families
were practically wiped entirely out OF
by the disaster.
Niil VI IHb DEAD.
Bale is now truly city OF mourning, a
place OF the dead. and a scene of bitter
icsolation and mourning. Nearly every
'amily in the city may be said to have
been touched by the calamity, for those
amilles who have not lost one of their
members have dear friends or acquain-
.ances either among the dead or among
hose who are mourning the loss of rela-
ives.
Almost each hour records another
icath or another case in which the ply
'icians give up all hope of saving the pa
lent s lite.
Clergymcn, priests, and physicians,
large force OF troops and firemen and
cores of vehicles and ambulances have
ven dispatched to the scene of the
wreck. The troops and fircmcn are bus
Iy engaged in removing the wreckage, re-
overing the bodies of the dead and trans
'orting the wounded to their homes in
his ty or to hospitals.
The collapsed bridge resembles in
many features the alter episodes of
attic, the closing acts in some war
Ike struggle. Still more SO was this the
ase during the whole of the past night,
Fhen the river banks were illuminated in
ghastly manner by huge fires. The
roops and hrcmen worked INCREASINGLY
dragging the river for the dead, nurs.
,g the wounded and keeping Gordon
round the spots where it was not
bought advisable to admit the crowds.
THE MpRovIsED MoRGuE.
Ghastly as the broken bridge and its
,virons were during the night, there was
ne corner Of the dark picture which was {
ne centre OF interest il only from the fact I
hat it was the centre OF horror This
pot was the improvised morgue on the !.
yer bank where the dead bodies were
,ndcrly laid in rows by the soldiers.
lose to this place OF dead were two
nge fires OF tr trees and guard of in s
'ntry soldiers who with fixed bayonets, [
'rmed a square around the dead, ad- !
Iitting only those who were actually in I
arch OF missing relatives. The glare OF I
lie bivouac fires lit up this morgue with
wiul intensity. Strcichcrs made
branches were hastily cut from |
ie trees, adding force to the picturesque, {
Rough horrible tablcau presented.