Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-02-07
TO AN ICY DEATH
Thirteen Men Plunged by the
Collapse Of a Bridge.
TWENTY GO DOWN IN THE WRECK
Only Seven Escape q Grave in the Black
Waters Beneafh-EGorts to Save the Un-
fortunates Impossible, Even with a Boat.
In the Raging River-The Name Known
of but One of the Lost-Sensationnl Re.
rorts of Loss Of Life.

In the Raging River-The Name Known
of but One of the Lost-Sensational Re.
rorts of Loss Of Life.
NEW BRITAIN, Conn, Feb. "A bridge
on the New England railroad over the
Pequebuck river, near Bristol, collapsed
about o'clock last night, carrying with
1t twenty workmen, Of which thirteen are
believed to have persisted. 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 Peguebuck river threatened to carry
the bridge away. at o'clock special
wrecking train with forty men left East
Hartford. and the men were put to work
on the new bridge which the company is
building over the river, and which is al
most completed. It was intended to put
the new bridge in shape at once, SO that
trains could cross the river. The Old
bridge had been declared unsafe.
Old Bridge Goes Into the River.
Twenty workmen were put to work on
each bridge. About 9 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 werc
wanted for the other bridge. The weight
of the men was too great for the bridge,
and with hardly a moments warning it
collapsed with n 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 seri-
ously injured. Three managed to cling
to fragments of the bridge and were res
cued by q number of their comrades who
rushed over from the new bridge rs soon
as they realized the extent of the disaster
We're Conc. Past All Rescue.
The tottering condition Of the remain
ing portion of the old bridge rendered the
work of reaching the men impossible, and
had boat been available nothing would
have held it against the mad rush of thc
waters. The unfortunate men in the
water attempted to seize sticks and por
tions of the abutments which had broker
loose, but not more than five or six wert
successful. The others were carried
down stream and were quickly lost to
sight in the darkness. Two men wor,
able to vim ashore, but fell exhausted 4:
soon as they reached the land. John Bar
~, the foreman in charge of the old ,bridg
| was extrcated from the mass of wreckag'
| and debris which collected Yvhere the
bridge gave way, and was Qnd to b.
badly wounded.
Search for the Victims IL p. kss.
| As soon as the railroad Officials ke no
titled of the collapse special traa IVA
sent ont from East Hartford with tw,
surgeons and another gang of wreckers
A gang Of twenty men rigged imprompt,
RATS and scows and began a search for tn
bodies. Others were sent down both side
Of the river to see if any one had beeI
fortunate enough to reach the shore. a
late hour no more bodies were fouH
and 1t was the general opinion that th
men had no chance Of reaching the shor
alive. Most of the men lived in Hartfor
and East Hartford and nearly all hav
families.