The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-05-29
On the Storm sxept BrIdge.

SPRINGFIELD, H., May 20. - Several
Springfield people were on board the CHI
cago a Alton train which crossed the
Eads bridge. at st. Louis during the ter
rifle cyclone, and which was reported.to
have been blown into the river. One of
these, Mr.. Fred Dodds of the Chicago,
Peoria and st. Louis Railroad general
office here, who has returned home,
gives the following graphic description of
his thrilling experiences, ''It was about
5:20 O'Clock when we left the Main street
station on the Missouri side of the river
1t was then blowing gale and was so
dark that nothing could be seen. The air
was filled with dust and dirt, and some
OF us were afraid IL would be unsafe TO
venture on the bridge with the train, bot
there was another train almost due, and
the trainmen feared Ii would run into
them. 1t was so dark they could not
signal back, and they decided to take the
risk and make the run across the bridge.
Wo had gone about half way when we
came in range OF the cyclone. The air
was filled with debris that struck the car
windows and broke them. At the crash
OF the first glass, tie passengers began to
crawl under the seats TO avoid being
struck by the clouds OF missiles that were
being thrown through the air.
"Ali at once the train came TO stop
understood afterwards a HAT the force OF
=the.wind was so strong that he engineer,
although he put on full head of steam,
could not .lnove his engine inlthe face OF
the storm. A moment later, the train
moved up and stopped ou eide the east
pier on the approach.
by this time the storm was awful. The
train was rocking like cradle, land we
were reing tossed under the seats in a
way that filed us with terror, ,ygrne SEN
sstion was as II the train was running
wild at the rate of a'thousand.mile an
h.sf hnl tf. sstur fefo s...,~
sion was the horrible noise, the great
steel trusses and rods OF the bridge were
being torn and twisted from their places.
"Masses OF masonry from the pier were
crashing down on to the structure below
and added to IL all was the awful roar
and Kisses OF the furious storm. The news
papers have not exaggerated IL In the
least. IL cannot be described. The rock
ing increased and got worse until at last
our coach went over. It was thrown on
It's side on the next track, and here it
lay while a torrent OF rain poured in
through the broken windows. The coach
back of us, which was the Jacksonville
coach, went over on its side In the same
manner that our coach did. IL was a mir
acle we were not thrown into the river
and all kilie1. All the coaches went over,
and the structure above and behind ms
began to give way and was thrown down
upon tho tracks. Had our coaches been a
feW Itet DhCk tHey WOulu nave Deen
crushed In like egg-shels.
"My first move was TO get out of the
coach. This did by crawling through
window. think / was the first one
out. The other passengers followed and
we went forward to the baggage and
smoking cars. which were still standing.
The crew Of the train was remarkably
cool headed one. Like all OF us they
were frightened, but stayed at their posts
like heroes and showed all the attention
possible TO tho passengers. Tho brake
man carried a woman back over the
bridge, crawling over the wreck and risk
ing tTis fffc to yrt her to ttv city. rue
engineer bad to pass through worse or
deal than any OF us. While be was cling
ing TO his engine he could see mis- own
home in East st. Louis being swept away
and when the storm had subsidized he
could look down on the wreck. lie, OF
course, supposed his family wero killed
Continued on Page 5.