Connecticut western news., 1894-01-18
BRIDGE DISASTER.
SIXTY PERSONS WENT DOWN WITH
 FlImsY STRUCTURE.
The Bridge Was Crowded With workm-n Waiting For the Draw to Bs Closed When the Crash Cams-ssvsr~i Missinx and Some Injured.


 wbe. the Crash Cams-ssvsrsi Missinx
 and Some Injured.
 BROOKLYN, Jan. 13-The new iron bridge over Newtown creek at Meeker avenue, Williamsburg, while crowded with labor ITS from the different factories near by, gave way. The draw was open to allow a tugboat to pass, and the crowd were wait ing for it to close. They were on the Queens county side of the bridge. Sudden ly the part of the bridge on which they were standing gave way. and large num- Der of them were thrown into the Water.
 The employees of G. H. Nichols chemical works. the Queens county oil works and Habermsn's tin factory, on the Queens county side, had assembled at the entrance to the bridge on their w 70 their homes In Williamsburg from - k There arc two draws in the bridge.
 The draw on the Kings county side was open for the purpose of allowing several tugboats belonging to the Newtown Creek Towing company so pass. Que of these was the tugboat Cloud. The workmen, with their dinner pails in their hands, crowded on the Queens county drawbridge awaiting the opening sf the gate to pass over the temporary structure which has been erected pending the completion of the new iron bridge.
 Suddenly GO men and boys rushed out on the bridge. They had scarcely gonc 30 feet from the Queens county side when the structure gave way, and every enc of them was thrown beadlong into the creek. The water at this point is about nine feet deep. Those on the shore who saw the accident screamed and called to the captains of the tugboats to come to the rescue of those who were struggling In the water. Planks were thrown out from the Queens county side, and the crews of the boats jumped into the creek and saved many of those who could not swim.
 The nissinE and Ipjrrea. Many men are reported missing, and three more are in hospitals. Those report ed missing are George Mills, Michael Smith and Patrick Brierty. all of Mesker avenue; John Kerwin. 974 Lorimer street; 1 Hugh Markey, Van Pelt avenue, near North Henry street; Bernard Boyle, S Herbert street; August Blum, 1e9 Hewes | street; Patrick Kelly. l5i Meeksr avenue; | Nicholas Logan, Nassau avenue, near Meeker.
 The injured are Timothy Cannon of l0s Eckford street, Gresnpoipt, perforated leg, taken to St. Johns hospital, Long Island | City; John Torney aud John McAvoy of Williamsburg. bruised legs and contusions | of scalp, taken to St. Catherine's hospital, Williamsburg.
 | A score or more of others were slightly I Injured, and after being dragged from the | water they were taken to their homes or | were able to walk there. Of these DO ac- curste list can be obtained. It is estimated that between 2,0O0 and | 8,0O0 persons collected on the two sides oi the creek. Sergeant Coleman, who reached the scene first of the police, thinks that not less than seven or eight persons lost their lives.
 Besides those taken to the hospitals, .. above stated, Andrew Burns of North Sixth street, John Kelly of Driggs avenue and l. Drexel were removed from the water in bruised and lncerated condition.
 Steps to investigate whose csrelcssn es' caused the disaster will he immediately taken. The Penny bridge, as it has ionl been called, is under the general supervi sion of bridge tender employed in com mon by the authorities of Kings anc Queens counties, whica it connects. Fol many years there have been annual dis cussions in the board Of supervisors in th, two counties concerning their respective rights regarding its management m and main tenance.
 Warming Had B~e. Given.
 Most of the men were in the employ O Nichols & Co.'s chemical works and Reed'l and Preston's fertilizer factories, although among those who managed to escape iron . watery death there were Eve who work sf in Haberman's tin works and three fl Fleischmann's distillery.
 The men had been warned by Bridge Su perintendents Daniel Hickey that the foot bridge was not a substantial structure ans that an accident might happen if the, crowded upon iI
 One of the assistant bridgekespers has noticed that the structure was rickety an, had called the attention of one of the fors men on the new bridge to tho fact som time ago.
 Among the first to run to the scene o the disaster was Annie Foley, the 2oyeaI old daughter of Owen Foley. She secures . rope, hastcned on tho bridge and threw 1 to the drowning people. She succeeded h rescuing three.
 BROOKLYN, Jan. 15.-The bodies of tw. more of the unfortupates who lost thei lives in the Newtown creek disaster ol Friday evening were recovered. The bodie werc those Of John Cooke and Angus Blaum. There are still number of miss ing who are supposed to have perished.