The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-09-07
Thirty Men Drowned by the
Collapse of a Bridge
Which Was Being Built Across
the st. Lawrence.
PLUNGED SIXTY FEET
50 Men We're Engaged on the
Structure.
A Pier Regarded as Perfect
Suddenly Gave Way.

Hogansburg, N. Y, Sept. 1.-TWO
south spans of the International bridge
of the New York & Ottawa railway,
now under construction across the ST.
Lawrence river, about three miles
above St. Regis Indian village, fell
without warning, with sixty men at
work on the bridge, all being thrown
into the river, some sixty feet below.
Over thirty were picked up and taken
to Cornwall hospital, and twenty-seven
are now missing. The bridge consists
of three spans, of which two were
completed, and the third was nearly
completed when the south pier gave
way at it's foundation, causing both
spans to fall into sixty feet of water,
taking it's load of human freight with
it.
The names of the killed and drowned
can not at present be aScertafned, as
they were mostly from Pennsylvania,
excepting few Indians from the St.
Regis reservation.
The scene of the accident is located
about four miles from Hogansburg,'
above the st. Regis Indian reservation.
The bridge that gave way was being
built across the st. Lawrence river at
the foot of Long Saulte rapids near
Reinhards island. The water at this
point is known to be as swift as in any
part of the river. The immediate cause
of the disaster and the giving way of
the span of the bridge seems to have
DeGn WaShln2
the large piers.
The pier in question was begun last
fall, and work was continued all winter
and finished this summer. The con-
tract work was in charge of Messrs.
SoOy, Smith & Co., who are we'll known
bridge builders.
The pier had been accepted as per-
fectly reliable and safe. 1t would seem
that the swiftness of the current was
underestimated.
Late reports from Cornwall hospital
say thirty-three men have been taken
out of the river and transferred to the
hospital Eighteen of them have since
died.
The latest information makes it prob
able that the death list will reach
thirty.
AS far as can be learned, 81 men were
on the pay roll, of whom g reported
for work. OF this list only 50 have act
ually been accounted for.
Cornwall, Ont, Sept. IAN eye-wit-
ness of the fall of the New York and
Ottawa railroad bridge, says he was
sitting on the bank of the river watch
ing the workmen when there came
collapsed and the immense mass OF
timber and iron dropped. Then he saw
bodies coming to the surface ana the
work of rescue began. This was nope
lessly inadequate, there being only
few boats in the vicinity, and very few
men who would undertake to swim out
into the turbulent waters. Many VINO
might have been saved were crowned
before help could reach them. Mangled
bodies came to the surface for mo
ment, and then passed out OF sight
Even those who were got TO Iano awe
were in such a condition that many
died on the way to the hospital: some some
had their backs broken, others both
les while others were crushed by the
heavy irons.
Among those who are missing are
L V
bell, VIM. Jackson, Craig and W. Cub
by. About fifty of the men employed
on the span were Americans who came
here to work for the Phoenix Bridge
company. The remainder We're mostly
Indians who acted as assistants. Every
man on the division went down with
the wreck. Many of those who escaped
climbed up the iron work which VIII stu Tba
rested on piers at either END me
scene around the Hotel Dieu, where the
Wounded and dying were taken was
heart-rending, the wives and relatives
of missing men anXiously inqu1r1ng al
fer their loved ones.