The record-union., 1891-06-16
special to the REcoRp-uNroN.


BERNE, June 15.-The total number of
people who lost their lives yesterday by
The collapse of the railroad bridge on the
-HoenchenStein and Basel Railroad is now
placed at 120, with hundreds more of less
injured. Another account of the disaster
says that f1fty-seven bodies have already
been recovered, and that forty persons
we're severely wounded. 1t is learned
hat many others are dead whose bodies
nave not yet been found The victims
we're mostly leading citizens of Basel and
its neighborhOod.
The scenes which were witnessed in
Basel to-day when the bodies of the large
number of victims were taken there were
leartrending. The majority of the vic
Tins belonged to the best families of
Basel. Several families were practically
wiped entirely out of existence by the
disaster, the full extent of which is not
known even at this hour.
Basel is now the scene of bitter desola-
tion and mourning. Nearly every fam
;ly in the city may be said to have been
touched by the calamity. For those fam
lies who have not actually lost one of
heir members have dear friends or ac-
quaintances either among the dead or
.Oss OF relatives.
Those who are wounded include so
many serious injuries that each hour
records another death or another case in
which the physicians give up all hope of
saving the patients life.
Everything the local and municipal
authorities can do to help the wounded,
.'ecover the dead or assist those in dis
reSs IS being done. Clergymen, priests,
and physicians and a large force Of troops
and tiremen, and a score of vehicles to be
Iscd as ambulances have been dis
patched to the scene Of the wreck.
The troops and firemen are busily en-
gagged in removing the wreckage, re-
covering the bodies of the dead and trans
porting the wounded to their homes or TO
hospitals.
Physicians and ministers of the gospel
are doing noble work in administering
10 the wounded and comforting the
Dereaved.
The neighborhood of the collapsed
bridge now resembles in many features,
ne after episodes of a battle and the
closing acts in some warlike struggle
Still more so was this the case last night
when the river banks We're illumined by
-luge fires, troops and firemen working
INCREASINGLY, dragging the river for dead
lursiIg the wounded and keeping guard
around the spots where it was not thought
advisable to admit the crowds of people
Who had flOcked TO the scene from every
~;illage in the vicinity.
The work of the soldiers in dragging
he river is greatly impeded by the fact
hat the stream is considerably swollen
Dy the melting snow.
The waters carried away many bodies,
and several days dredging will be re-
quired before the soldiers work will be
completed.
That somebody is to blame for the acci-
dent nnhnHU h11tt ha
laSen up with the present duty that the
discussion of the question of blame is
postponed for the present from official
consideration.
Shortly after the first horror of the
crashing Of the engines and cars through
the bridge and into the swiftly-running
stream had died away, the survivors saw
\ scene which rivaled in horror the most
g1eart-rending features of the JOhnStoWn
disaster. Beneath what remained of the
bridge was hideous mass of broken
car-wood, car-wheels, engines, etc, in
'ermingled with the still quivering heads,
Despattered with blood, and brains pro-
7ruding, arms and legs, bloody garments
Of all descriptions, hats and bonnets.
umbrellas and parasols, and hands and
-eet, while floating down the stream were
numbers of dead bodies and family
struggling men, women and children, a
ew now and then uttering horrible cries.
After the first moment of partial para
.yZation which followed the revelation of
his horror, the survivors did their ut
most to rescue those whose lives were in
danger. The work of pulling those who
'eInained in the two suspended cars from
he perilous position III which they were
glaced was one of great danger and diff
Guilty, and resulted in number of in
stances of heroic conduct.
In the meanwhile the passengers were
dispatched on all sides for medical relief.
which was most urgently needed by the
hundreds of wounded people, whose dis
ressing cries for help and prayers to God
asking Him to relieve them of their suf-
erings We're most heartrending.
When the relatives of the dead and
wounded began to arrive and identify
some OF the victims, there was another
most awful series of incidents. The
Widest grief was expressed on all sides;
weeping and moaning filled the air, and
several people were with difficulty re-
strained from casting themselves head
ong into the stream.
As night drew near, enormous crowds
Dt country people and citizens of Basel
gathered around the fatal spot, taxing the
)ower of the military to- the utmost to re-
list the efforts OF these people to get a
nearer and closer view of the horrors
oiled beneath the bridge. To such an OK
Eent did this desire prevail, that
crowds of people initiated soldiers. fire.
men and railroad men and bivouackcd
1ho night in the vicinity OF the remains of
he broken bridge.