Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1896-02-07
INTO RAGING RIVER.
III IS DELIEvED THAT THIRTEEN
OF THEN HAVE Persisted.
bridge Was Declared Unsafe rpd the
Men We've Employed Taking
Railroad Rails From 1t,

New Britain. Conn, Feb, CA bridge
on the New England railroad across
the Pequeheck river, near Bristol, col
lowed about o'clock tonight, carry
ing with II twenty worknen, Or which
thirteen are believed 10 have persisted
At midnight two hodios have been re-
covered and eleven men are missing.
Among the dead is John O'Brien.
foreman, OF East Hartford. The names
OF the missing art unknown.
The fierce storm which swept over
the state this afternoon played havoc
with New England railroad bridges
and the swollen waters OF the Pelue-
beck river threatened 10 carry the
bridge nway.
At 8 O'Clock a special wrccking train
with forty men left East Hartford and
were put TO work ON the new bridge,
which the company IL building over the
river and which Is almost completed,
II was Intended TO put the new bridge
In shape nj once go that trains could
cruss the river. The old bridge was de-
clared unsafe about O'Clock, and since
then no train has crossed tho river
twenty workmen were put to work
on the bridge,
About O'Clock ono OF the foremen
John Barry, called the twenty men on
the. old structure toward the center TO
assist IN tearing up tho Ties, which were
wanted for tho other bridge. The
weight of the men wna too great for
! the bridge and without n moments
warning II collapsed with n loud noise.
| precipitatlng sixteen or seventeen OF
| the men into the waters OF the raging
| river Throa or four were caught by
| failing tlmbors ana seriously injured.
| Three managed to climb to fragments
! OF the bridge and were rescued by a
number OF their comrades, who rushed
| over from the new bridge as soon n !
/ they realized the extent OF the lisas-
I ter,
The condition az Che remaining ror.
ton OF the old bridge rendered the work
| OF reaching the mon lmpossiblo. and
| MAD boat been available nothing
could have held Il against the mad
| rum or the waters. Tho unfortunate
men In the water attempted to seize
STICKS and portlnna OF the nhutments
| which had broken loose, but not more
than nve or Fix We're succeaaful. Tho
Others were cnrrled down stream and
| quickly lost to sight In the darkness.
| Two men were able TO swim ashore
but fen exhausted as soon rs they
reached land.
John Barry, foreman OF the bridge
/ gang, was eNtricated from the mass
| OF wreckago badly wounded. He ond
| the other rescued men were taken 10 n
| Iarm houRe near by and cared for.
! ihe foreman was unable to give tho
names OF the men on the bridge with
MN at the time, AS soon as the rail-
| road officials were notified Of the col
| lapse. a special train was sent out from
East Hartford With two surgeons and
another crowd OF wreckers A gang of
| twenty men rtggcd mpromptu RATS
and acows and began searching FOR
the bodies. Others were sent down
both sides Of the river 10 see II any one
| had been fortunate enough TO reach
| shore. At a late hour no more bodlpa
| were found. and II was the general i'm
| preston that the men had no chance
| OF reaching shore alive. Most OF the
men live In Hartford and East Hart
ford and nearly all have families.