Evening journal., 1892-10-25


jured by the Collapse Of Temporary
Bridge-Thrown Sixty Feet to the River
and Rocks Below-No Warming Given.
GBy Telegraph to the Evening Journal.l
SEATTLE, Wash, Oct. 25-An appall
ing accident occurred to gang of work
men who We're doing some construction
work on the line of the Great Northern
railroad yesterday morning resulting in
the death of seven of the men, the fatal
injury of five more and the ser. Gus injury
of six others.
The dead are: John Leonard, con-
ductor, of st. Paul; John johnson, James
Wright, Daniel Wakhux n. Nelson, J.
Brody and A. Olsen. The last six Of the
dead were all laborers
The fatally injured are: J. Gilmer,
hack and both legs broken; j. Robert
son, skull fractured -- Nelson, chest
crushed, both arms broken; j. ]. Camp
bell struck in the abdomen by end of
steel rail; J. l.. Inville, head crushed and
body badly lacerated
The seriously injured are: George
Nelson, back broken and other injuries;
Charles Anderson, internal injuries;
Robert Anderson, confusion on head,
arms broken; A. Maxwell, injuries on
head and body: O. James. injured about
the chest and head; Henry Payne, arm
broken and internal injuries.
The Bridge Collapsed.
The dead and injured men had
finished the track to the Wenatchee
river. Yesterday morning they started
TO lay rails across that stream. The
east approach and the first span were
crossed safely
When the middle Of the second span
was reached the false work under the
bridge collapsed aud the track machine,
together with two carloads of ties and
timber and several cars loaded with
rails fell to the river sixty feet below.
The worBmen were thrown in every
direction and some of them were buried
under ties and rails
Conductor John Leonard, of st. Paul
was standing at the end of his train
when the accident occurred. His body
was afterward found with a heavy rail
lying across his head and another across
his feet holding him under water. The
body of the unfortunate man was horri-
bly, mangled.
The work of relief was begun as
quickly after the accident as was p ssh
BILE and kilograms were sent to the sur
rounding towns for aid Four doctors
were on the ground in an hour, and the
injured were taken to a hospital car and
cared for as best they could be with the
limited accommodations to be had.
The bodies of the dead were laid side
by side on the bank of the river aud an
undertaken summoned from Rock Island.
The remains we're afterward placed on a
train and taken to Wenatchee where all
but Leonard will be buried to day
Leonard's body will be brought here
where it will be embalmed and then sent
to st. Paul.
Undermined BY Water.
The accident was due to the undermin-
ins of the false work of the bridge by
the water. That part of the road on
which it occurred is still under the con-
troll of the contractors and has not yet
been accepted by the railroad company.
No intimation of the terrible catastrO-
phe was given to the unfortunate men.
All were busy with their respective
duties when the bridge shook, tottered,
and finally collapsed entirely. dashing
them against the solid rock below. Six
fiat cars and an engine were on the
bridge at the time.
Additional Horror Averted.
The engine was uncoupled, luckily for
some of the injured, because the horror
of roasting to death would have beea
added to the distressing accident
The east end of the bridge was reached
Sunday night and it was the intention OF
Superintendent Farrell who was in
charge of the crew, to push the work on
the track lying beyond the bridge yester-
day
The temporary structure was supported
by piles driven in the gravel and in such
way that each span depended upon the
other hence both spans are now mass
of broken timber at the bottom of the
the gully.