The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1896-02-07
SWEPT AWAY TO DEATH
Twenty Workmenl Thrown Into a
Swollen Connecticut River.
THIRTEEN WE'RE PROBABLY LOST.
The Men Were Removing Ties from an
Old Railroad Bridge to Replace on a
New One When the Structure Collapsed
with Fatal Results.

Old Railroad Bridge to Replace on
New One When the Structure Collapsed,
with Fatal Results.
NEW BRITAIN, Conn, Feb, IA bridge
on the New England railroad over the
Pequebuck river, near Bristol, collapsed
about 8 o'clock last night, carrying with
1t 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 of the missing are unknown.
The fierce storm which swept over the
| state played havoc with New England
/ railroad bridges, and the swollen waters
of the Pequebuck river threatened to carry
the bridge away AT o'clock a special
wrecking train, with forty men, left East
Hartford and were put to work on the new
bridge which the company is building
over the river, and which is almost com
pleted. 1t was intended to put the new
bridge in shape at once, SO that trains
could cross the river The old bridge was
declared unsafe about o'clock, and since
then no train has crossed the river
Twenty workmen were put to work on
each bridge. About o'clock one of the
foremen, John Barry, called the twenty
men on the old structure toward the CEN
ter to assist in tearing up ties, which were
wanted for the other bridge. Tho weight
of the men was too great for the bridge
and without a moments warning it col
lapsed with loud noise, precipitating six
teen or seventeen of the men into the rag
ing waters of the river.
Three or four We're caught by falling
timbers and seriously injured. They man
aged 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 remaining portions of the old bridge
rendered the work of reaching the men inn
possible and had u boat been available
nothing could have held it against the
mad rush of the waters The unfortunate
, men in the water attempted to seize sticks
and portions of the abutments which had
broken loose but not more than five on
six were successful. The others were car
E ried down stream, and were quickly los
to sight in the darkness.
Two men were able to swim ashore, bu
fell exhausted as soon as they reached
| land. John Barry, the foreman in charg
of the old bridge, was extricated from th
l lected where the bridge gave way and wa
found to be badly wounded. He and tn
l other rescued men We're taken to farm
houses near by and cared for. The fore
! man was unable to give the names of tn
men who were on the bridge with him a
- the time.
. As soon as the railroad officials wer
:, notified of the collapse a special train wa
, sent out from East Hartford with tw
. surgeons and and another gang of wreck
. ers A gang of twenty men rugged in
promptu RATS and scows, and began
a. search for the bodies. Others were sen
/. down both sides of the river to see if an
one had been fortunate enough to reac
!. the shore. At a late hour no more hodie
: were found, and it was the general opinio
that the men had no chance of reachin
the shore alive.
o Most of the men lived in Hartford an
! East Hartford and nearly all leay
y families.