New-York tribune., 1896-02-07
WENT DOWN IN THE FLOOD.
4 DOZEN WORKMEN DROWNED
A BRIDGE OVER A CONNECTICUT RIVER
GIVES WAY.
MORE THAN 4 SCORE OF MEN AT WORK REPAIR
ING THE STRUCTURE PRECIPITATED INTO
THE SWOLLEN TORRENT BELOW
HALF OF THEM LOSE THEIR
LIVES MARROW ES-
CAPE OF \ TRAIN.
CAPE OF \ TRAIN.

Bristol Conn., Feb. 6-A most appalling dis
aster occurred here shortly after O'Clock to-
night in which twenty workmen were precipi-
tated into Pequabuck River from the East
Bristol Bridge and from ten to twelve of them
probably lost.
This afternoon the structure vas found to be
shoky and the 4:42 train on the New-England
road had a narrow escape from wreck 1t
crossed on the way to Hartford. For some time
the bridge had been looked upon with suspicion
and at the present time new bridge was In pro-
cess Of erection and was almost completed. 1t
was close alongside the bridge which was to-
night carried awa.. After the eastbcund passen-
ger train had passed tonight side Of the old
bridge gave way To the current and with crash
went boiling down stream.
The managers of the road Immediately dis
patched Il wrecling train from Hartford, which
arrived on the Forestville side Of the Pequa-
buck at j:45. There were forty men on the train.
all Of whom had come from Hartford. They were
Immediately set to work t. make the
new bridge passable and work was going
on satisfactorily by the aid cf lanterns up to .
o'clock. To facilitate the work. half Of the men
were located at the remaining portion OF the OLD
structure. At . o'clock they were passing iron
girders 70 another gang Of men on the new
bridge.
Tho waters Of the Pequabuck had been con-
tinually rising since mornng and at O'Clock
were higher than ever known. The water mad
risen two or three feet since the first crash at
o'clock and the remainder Of the bridge was
really totterinr while the mcr were courage
ously standby upon it, The outer end sud-
denly sank and with IA crash with It's human
freight. it was carried of in the boiling cur
rent. The cries Of the men, the creakng OF
tirnbc- and the falIns OF iron work made a
combined noise which was heard half mile
away.
The half ~ the gang which had been resting
on more sold foundation were h0rIor-stri ken
t. gee their working companions 50 suddenly
prccipitated T. deatn. In ar instant. however.
they were resolved into n rescuing party and
every efo-. was made 20 save the drowning men,
Two men were fortura.e enough T. reach shore
by the!- own cxe-tlons. almost Immediately aft.
the fearful fau a third was saved by work
mar who plunged In after him and brought him
- the shore. Finally. a fourth. hftt and then
a sixth were saved by the heroic effort, Of COM
rades Others coule be- seen struggling away In
the mass of wrcrkage. cAngnG 70 II and crying
,raniicauy for help. wh ]" number never came
in sight after the brdgr went down.
All ~ Bristol was at once aroused ana phys'-
cisnn eaa volunteers Immediately rushed To The
scene = the disaster. The night was darkness
itself and with the boiling stream overrunnins
IT, banks on hotn 9!des efror,s To rescue In the
darkness were fraught with the greatest danger.
Thomas Marine was the first man taken "u'
ID, the river Soon after. William j. Barry.
foreman OF IN. construction gang IN the East
Hartford yard was rescued. He was badly
Injured. having been crushed 10y falling timDers
IL. no
t'o.t Uristni and Dr brennan gave him i'm
mediate attention Barry. IN "A great eiior-
20 talk stated that seven IN his gang, inciudi's
himself were among the saved