The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-06-16
SWITZERLAND'S HORROR.
THE LOSS OF LIFE BY TIE WRECK
RUNS UP TO 12o,

ceived from the scene of the terrible rail-
road accident which occurred yesterday at
village near Bale. on the Muer caenstein aud
Bale railway. show that two engines and
three carriages loaded with excursionists
fell into the stream, which flowed beneath
an iron bridge, which gave way and
caused the disaster. These carriages and
engines now form shapeless heap OF wreck
age beneath the bridge structure, and by its
own size preventented the two other car
riages, which were suspended practically
in the air, from falling and still further In-
creasing the number Of killed and wounded.
FEARFUL LOSS OF LIFE.
At this hour 1870 excursionists are known
to have been drowned or killed. OF the 100
or more persons 10 jured many have suffered
80 seriously that it 10 considered likely that
their injuries will terminate fatally. as they
consist of bad lacerations, and in some cases
limbs have been completely severed.
TIE BRIDGE.
The bridge or vinduct, which collapsed
and causee the accident, had only recently
been built, and had just been strengthened
of the river. Until the bridge ia rebuilt
traffic over this road goes via Mulhausen.
Passengers going to Muenchenstein are
using an ordinary foot bridge.
Engineers who have inspected the bridge
since its collapse say that the iron work Of
the structure alone gave way. and that the
masonry work is intact.
HEART-RENDrNG SCENES.
Scenes which were truly heart.rending
were witnessed In this oity to-day when the
bodies Of large number of the victims Of
the disaster were brought here from the
place where the accident occurred by sor-
rowing relatives, who had gone in search
Of missing husbands, fathers or
brothers, wives, mothers or sis
ters, as the case might be. for
representatives of majority Of
the best families of Bale left here to attend
the musical festival. Wives brought home
the bodies of their husbands, and husbands
brought home the bodies of their wives and
children. Several families are practically
wiped out Of existence by the disaster. Bale
is now city of mourning-a place of the
dead and scene Of bitter desolation aud
mourning.
EVERY FAMILY IN SORROW.
Nearly every family in the city may be
said TO have been touched by the calamity,
for those families who have not actually lost
one of their members have dead friends or
acquaintance, either among the dead or
among those who are mourning the loss of
relatives Those who are not afflicted In
the manner described are either
nursing the wounded relatives or
sympathizing with those who have friends
among the wounded. The latter include 30
many serious injuries that almost each hour
records another death or another case in
which the physicians give up all hope of
saving the patients life. Everything that
the local and municipal authorities can do
to help the wounded, recover the dead, or
assist those who have been plunged into dis
tress by the fearful wreck is being done.
AT THE WRECK.
Clergymen, priests and physicians, a large
force OF troops aud firemen, and scores of
vehicles TO be used as ambulances have been
dispatched to the scene of the wreck. Troops
and hremen are busily engaged In removing
the wreckage, recovering the bodies of the
deadand transporting the wounded to their
homes in this city or to hospitals. Physicians
and ministers OF the gospel Of all denomi-
nations are doing noble work In minister
ing to the wounded and in comforting the
bereaved.
LOOKED LIKE A BATTLEFIELD.
The neighborhood of the collapsed bridge
as this dispatch is sent resembles Ia many
features the after'episodes Of q battle, the
closing act in some warlike struggle. Still
more was this the case during the whole Of
the past night, when the river banks we're
Illuminated in a gastly manner by huge
fires built up Of fir trees. The troops
worked increasingly, dragging the river
for dead, nursing the wounded and
keeping a Gordon around the spots where IL
was not thought advisable to admit the
crowds of people who had fiocked about the
broken bridge from every village in the
canton, for the dreadful news spread in all
quarters with most astonishing rapidity.
Other detachments Of troops were attending
bivouac of their comrades. as If in actual
war time.
BADLY PICTURESQUE.
Cooks and camp fires were not wanting
to complete the scene, which was most sadly
picturesque. The fitting here and there Of
soldiers holding torches on the river banks
and in boats or on RATS, the warning cries
exchanged, the sharp word OF command,
the moaning and groaning Of the wounded !,
the horrible pile of wreckage about which
the soldiers and hremen were working
Ike beavers, blazing fires here, there and
everywhere it seemed, warning the railroad
men on the sadly lighted track above, the
arrival and departure Of friends of the ex-
cursionists, all Of which was kept up during
the night hours and throughout this morn
ing, furnished material for a most realistic
battle picture.
THE STREAM SWOLLEN.
The work Of the soldiers in dragging the
river was greatly impeded by the fact that
the stream was considerably swollen by the
recent melting SHOWS. Thus the waters car
ried many bodies a long way down the
river, 80 much SO that it is expected that
several days OF such dredging work will be
required before the work Of the soldiers will
be completed.
CENTER OF THE HORROR.
Ghastly as the broken bridge and it's en-.
vironments we're during the wreck just de-
scribed, there was one corner Of the dark
picture which was the center of interest, If
only from the fact that it was the center Of
the horror. This spot was the improvised
morgne on tie river bank where the dead
bodies were taken and tenderly laid in rows
by the soldiers. Close to this spot were two
huge fires of fir trees, and a bivouac OF
infantry soldiers. who furnished O guard
from their number, who with fixed ba yonets
formed a square of sentinels around the
dead, admitting within their lines only those
who were actually in search of missing
relatives.
KINDNESS IN EVERY HEART.
Such people arrived there at all hours OF
the day and night from this city and else
where, aud were most kindly received by
the officers in command of the troops, who
gave the visitors every facility TO prosecute
their search. The red glare OF the bivouc
fires lit up this morgue with awful intensity,
| the flashing arms OF the troops surrounding
| it, and the stretchers made OF branches