The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1896-05-28
APPALLING DISASTER.
Heavily Loaded Electric Car
Goes Through Bridge.
PROBABLY 100 PERSONS KILLED.

The Disaster Occurs Mt Victoria, n. G.,
While Large Number of People Are
I'm Route Co See IA sham BattIe-Be-
sides the Car "a Number of Carriages and
People Who Were on the Bridge Are
Carried Down to Death.
VICTORIA, b, c., May 2s.-The EIlico
bridge was the scene of frightful acct
dent shortly before o'clock Tuesday. An
electric ear loaded with people was pre-
cipitated into the water through tho
breaking of the bridge. Another car also
heavily laden passed the span but mo-
ment before the collapse. Carriages and
other vehicles crowded the driveway.
Several fell into the stream. 1t is sup
posed there were upward of l25 people on
the car but il is known that number Of
them escaped. In Captain Grants garden
about sixty-one bodies are lying upon the
lawn and are for the most part being
worked over by willing hands. 1t is ex-
pccted that more bodies viii be recovered
Were Going TO sham Fight.
y sham fight and review was to take
place at Macaulay Point, near Esqui
mault, Tuesday afternoon and crowds
were making their way there by every
route. All the tram ears were packed
Two cars left Government street with
more than 100 people. The first got over
Point Ellice bridge, which crosses Vic
toria arm, safely, but when the other was
about half way over the middle span of tho
bridge, $50 feet in length, gave way and
the car plunged into the water, some hun
dred feet below.
While many Nictorians were on the fa-
tai car the majority were visitors and tho
work of Identification is consequently diff
ficult. Fifty-seyen bodies have thus far
been identified. There are others whose
names cannot be ascertained and still
more undoubtedly whose bodies have not
yet been recovered from the water.
Hcartrending Scenes,
Thousands of sorrowing friends and
relatives crowded around the approaches
To the bridge eagerly scanning each body
as it was brought to land. Mothers,
crazcd by the loss of husbands or children,
attempted to jump in the water in their
| eagerness TO rescue their loved Ones As
body after body was brought To the shore
crowds rushed forward TO search each man
| gled face yet dreading the possibility
| that il might be that of some one whom
| they hoped had escaped from the death
| trap Twenty persons known TO have
| been on the bridge at the time of the acci
| dent are missing and it is supposed that
| they have perished. On the surface OF
Victoria arm struggling people fought t'
| gain the shore. Strong men and fral
women hattlcd for their lives. Husband
| emerged from the wreckage only to fine
! that their wives had gone down TO death
Waters Dyed Red with Blood.
| Children were carried down by thos
who were stronger and fathers who ha'
| struggled from beneath the debris OF tn
| bridge and carriages returned to thei
| doom I'm vain endeavors to rescue thei
| babies. The waters of the Arm for yard
| around were dyed red with blood ant
| floating out to sea went corpse after corps
| borne on by the tide. The shrieks q
men. the screams of women and chi
dren filled the air and ncrved TN
crowds of rescuers on TO efforts that en-
danrcrcd life and limb The number @
carriages lost and the passengers carrie'
down i'm the wreck cannot be learned. l
is is claimcd by many that fully two hun
drcd people went down with the span an
that more than half of them persisted
The rescue of some Of the victims was
under the circumstances, almost miracu
lous
Rescue of Mrs. Foster.
Among those saved were Mr.. and Mr.
Foster Of seattle Mr.. Foster was ON tn
outside of the electric car and his wife wa
seated within. When the car went dow
he jumped and dived. Coming up an
catching a bridge timber he saw his wife
cloak appear upon the water. He calle
TO a man to save her and not in vain, 10
the man swan To Mrs. Fosters rescue an