The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-05-28

TACoMANS AT VICTORIA.
Some saw the ID s.sser and some Had
Narrow t~cape>-
Tacoma. May -Speclai,--Several Ta-
ccmSns are coFSrstaistirg themselves tkat
they were rot on the car that wen; Through
the nosat E.Eee bridge. Mrs. -. ". Anaer-
son ana her sister. Airs Miller. se5uraed
home this morning. Mrs. Anderson SAD
tsal bat Tor a delay es few moments IN
calling en- a lady friend they wbald have
ali been en- the car. As u was. Nrs. M4iier
and the chtidren and another lady friend
stood on the corner only 8 few blocks frega
the brsexs. waiting for ta!s very ear. a.
peciiug Mrs, Andersen TO meet ihens- Afs
Ansersen dsa aet como in tisre. snd tasy
stood sad saw the s&r 80 by. AS Mrs.
Anderson came up. they learned rha. sas
bridge had gone aoaa. Mrs. Allssr stassa
TO tas reporter thai = day or tao ago
she had been cut rowing VITA Mr. and Asss.
Shewan, Of Victoria. ia the vicinity OF
the bridge and we're aeoos rowing under
II when a car came along. Mr.. Shewan
hastily pulled sae boat away from tao
bridge. which creakca And groaned under
the strain OF the car. saying he did not
want 10 5s unsier that bridge when Il had
q load on IL. Mrs. Miller says shs leAxnsu
the bridge had been condemned for two
years, and Was generally considered a.
none too safe. and that there Is another
hriage in Victoria. called the Rock bay
bridge. which has similar reputation Mrs.
Anderson aud Mrs. MsliSr said that the re-
port that Superintendent Wilson. who was
drivlng over the span at the time with his
wife and ire children. had lost his little
boy Is not correct. Although the whoio
family were precipstated into the water.
tley were ali saved II WAS one OF his
little girls who WAS thought TO be lost.
and not his boy. but some considerable
time afterwards she Was found ciingsng
60 a piece OF timber and though uneon-
scious. sAe was resuscstated when brought
20 land. A Victoria dentist. named Lahgs
lost his entire family. wife and two chit
dren. and ON learning the news went Qua
OF his mind.
Warren r. Harris and wife Of 1sls
South J street. were on = little steamer .
distance Of lcss than two blocks away.
when the bridge went down. Mrs. hafris
said:
I'VE. my husband and !. had intended
going by this very car. hut custom
house officer with whom INV husband 10
acquainted invited us to 80 on = little
steam tug or launch. called the Thiaiie.
We were on tho boat ready to start. and
looking at the car as II sncd toward the
bridge. When Il reached the center Of
the middle span the entire span drcppsd
right down into the water. There wns
no swerving Of the bridge. ~ could see.
1t seemed to 20 straight down. as II both
efids gave way at once. Tho captain had
steam up and made At once for the bridge.
There were a number Of people swimming
about. ard all OF them. I believe were
rescued but the car and bridge were
covered up in an instant.
II shall never forget the CRY thnk went
up as the bridge went down. First the
crash OF the falling hridge and then one
wall OF anguish from the people. Part oe
this agonixinx shrek may have COINS from
the people IN the car. bat ! doubt X: Il
did not seem as enough they had time. 30
suddenly did the car drop out Of sight.
A diver wus on the grounds, In about an
hours time. and cut . hole through the
top OF the car. and In this way took TIM
victims out. They were all dreadfuliy
blackened. having died OF Eu0ocation or
stranxuiation. probably both stayed
there all the afternoon. Every effort was
made to put life into tho dead people.
but It was Of no use. examined the
bridge where the breaks occurred. and
found the iron trusseS At zach end broken
on a. perpendicutarly ~ though cut
through with knife. The bridge h an
Iron structure and I an informed was
built only fivo or sx yeArn ara I could
md no one to say that the bridwe was old
or had been thought unsafe. There were
four spans TO the bridge. and this vas the
first OF the center spans. Tho side spans
had iron trestia work underneath me
floor of the bridge. while the TWO center
spans had the iron work above. and all Of
this superstructure fell down on top OF
the car. As the trestie work appeared
In the water II lay In q straiKht line. with
the standing portions Of the bridge. My
opinion 10 that the span n too long. IL
was 80 feet In length. and when It gavs
way II Just dropped down. tug pulled
tho car out from under the bridge later
in the afternoon
Robert w. Barclay. Of the firm Of Bar
clay & DeLano. ship chambers. OF this
city, was an eyewitness OF the Victoria
catastrophe. He was about n quarter Of
mile away on board the steam yacht
Thistle. as guest OF Capt Lozier. at the
time the car fell through tho bridge. Mr..
Barclay said. "The accident occurred 80
quickly that many of the victims never
knew what happened, and whom their
bodies were brought TO t,--surfare thsra
were happy smiles on their faces. eaw
tho car plunge through tho rotten span.
Capt. Lozier. who stood at my side. said.
why. the masts of that ship before "a
ere going DOWN. II was but n second
afterwards that we realized what had oc-
Cured. As soon as we could reach the
spot all who were saved we're out OF tho
water. The report that there was scar
city OF boats at the scene n not true.
Suffelsnt pleasure crafts Immediately
crowded about the place to easily have
20 the surface"