The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-02-07
Dozen Persons Injured I'm the streets
Of New York ny Flying Tfmbers
and Umbrellas.
SEVERE BLOW IN THE EAST
WIND BLEW FROM SEVENTY To
EIGHTY MILES AN HOUR,
And Lifted Women and Children from
Coast and Much Damage Done.

NEW BRITAIN, Conn. Feb. ga bridge
on the New England railroad over the
Pequebuck river near Bristol collapsed
about O'Clock tonight. carrying with IL
twenty workmen, OF whom thirteen are
believed TO have perished At midnight
two bodies had been recovered and eleven
men were missing. Among the dead IS
John O'Brien. foreman. OF East Hartford,
The names CT the missing are unknown.
The fierce storm whics swept owe. ths
State this afternoon PLACED havoc with
New England railroad bridges. anc IRE
swollen waters OF The Pequebuck river
threatened to carry the bridge away. At 5
o'clock a special wrecking train witt forty
men left East Hartford and were put to
work on the new bulge which TIE COM
pany is building ovs- the river and which
Is almost completed. IL was intended to
put the new bridge in shape at once so
that trains could cross the river. The old
bridge declared unsafe about o'clock,
and since then no train has crossed the
river. Twenty workmen were put TO work
on each bridge. About 3 o'clock one Of the
foremen, John Barry, called the twenty
men on the old structure toward the center
to assist in tearing up the ties, which were
wanted for the other bridge The weight
Of the men was too great for the bridge.
and almost without a moments warning il
collapsed with a loud noise, precipitating
sixteen or seventeen OF the men into the
raging waters OF the river. Three or four
were caught by falling timbers and serious
ly injured. Three managed to cling to
fragments of the bridge and were rescued
by number OF their comrades who rushed
over from the new bridge as soon as they
realized the extent of the disaster.
The tottering condition of the remainlna
portions OF the old bridge rendered the work
Of reaching the men impossible and had
a boat been available nothing could have
held ii against the mad rush OF the waters.
The unfortunate men in the water at
tempted TO seize sticks and PORTIONS OF the
abutments which had broken loose, but
not more than five six successful
The others were carried down stream and
were quickly lost to sight i'm the darkness.
Two men were able TO swim ashore. but
fell exhausted as soon as they reached land.
John Barry, the foreman in charge of ths
old bridge. was extricated from the mass
OF wreckage and debris which collected
where the bridge gave way and was found
to be badly wounded. He and the other res
cued men were taken to farm house near
by and cared for. The foreman was unable
to give the names OF the men who were
on the bridge with him at the time. AS
soon as the railroad officials We're notified
of the collapse a special train was sent
out from East Hartford with two surgeons
and another gang of wreckers. A gang OF
twenty men rigged impromptu RATS and
scows, and began search for the bodies.
Others were sent down both sides OF the
river to see IL any one had been fortunate
enough to reach the shore. At a late hour
no more bodies We're found and il was the
general opinion that the men had no chance
of reaching the shore alive Most Of the
men live in Hartford and East Hartford
and nearly all have families.