The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-09-07
TERRIBLE
COLLAPSE
OF a Bridge Across the St.
Lawrence River.
THIRTY MEN FELL TO DEATH
\ Plunge Of Sixty Feet Into the
Vs., Rushing Waters. '
THIRTY-THREE WERE RESCUED,

=
But Of These Eighteen Died After Being
Removed to the Hospital-Two Piers o.
the Bridge Collapsed, Carrying Down
From Sixty to Eighty Workmen-The
Work of Rescue Retarded BY Lack Of
Boats.
! Hoganabu"cT. N. Y. Sept. 7.-About
noon yesterday two south spans of the
international bridge of the New York
and Ottawa railroad, now under con i.
struction across the St. Lawrence river,
about three miles above st. Regis In.
dian village, fell without warning. with
20 men at work on the bridge. all be-
Ing thrown into the river, some so feet
below. The bridge consists of
three spans. of which two were COM
pleted and the third was nearly COM
pleted, when the south pier gave way
at its foundation. causing both spans
to fall.
The names of the killed and drowned
cannot at present be ascertained. 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 Hogans5urg,
above the st. Regis Indian reserva-
tion. The bridge that gave way was
being built across the st. Lawrence
river at the foot of Long saulte rapids.
near Reinhardt's island. The water at
this point Is known TO be as swift as
in any part of the river. The imme-
diate cause of the disaster and the Civ
ing way of the span of the bridge seerns
to have been from the washing away of
one of the large piers.
| The pier In question was begun when
the work was fEst started last fall,
and work was continued all winter and
finished this summer. The contract
work was in charge of Messrs. Sooy,
Smith & Co.. who are well known as
extensive and careful contractors in
their line, and known to have been
under instructions from the railroad
company to build for "permanency."
The pier had been accepted as per-
fectly reliable and safe. 1t would seem
from this that the swiftness OF the
current was undcrestimated
Late reports from Cornwall hospital
say that 80 men have been taken out
Of the river at the International bridge
wreck and transferred to the hospital.
Eighteen Of them have since died. The
latest information concerning the
tragedy makes 1t probable that the
death list will reach 20.
As far as can be learned 81 men were
on the payroll, of whom 50 reported for
work yesterday morning. OF this list
only 3S have actually been accounted
for. Among those thrown into the
river was the foreman, Thomas II.
Brady Cor Bricely) whose home is in
Pottsville, Pa. He has not been ac-
counted for and is supposed to he in
the bottom of Tie river. Everything
was In 4 state q excitement al after-
noon. and the efforts of all were to care
for the injured ones and get them to
Cornwall hospital as fast as possible.
Just before dark the dead body of
an Indian laborer was picked up on
the Cornwall side. There was only
slight bruise on his forehead. lie prob
ably was stunned by the fall and was
drowned before help came.
An eve witness of the fall Of the
bridge says he was sitting on the
bank of the river watching the busy
workmen above him. when suddenly,
without warning, there came a fearful
crash. Two spans of the bridge col
lapsed, the immense mass of timber
md iron dropped down. and the agon-
|zing shrleks Of the men who We're be-
ing crushed in the wreck were drown
I'd by the rushing waters. Then he saw
bodies coming to the surface. and the
work Of rescue began. This was hope
cssly inadequate, there being only q
lew boats In the vicinity and very few |
men who would undertake to swim |
out into the turbulent waters. Mary |
who might have been saved were |
drowned before help could reach them.
Piteous appealing faces sank be-
heath the waters before the eyes of
helpless onlookers. nIangled bodies
.ame to the surface for moment and
hen passed out of sight. 1t was ter
ible and heartrending. Even those
Who had got to land alive were in such
that many died on the way
o the hospital. Some had their backs
,roken others both legs, while others
we're crushed by the heavy iron.
Among those who are missing are
,yril Campbell William Jackson, w.
'ubby and George Craig. About 80 Of
he men employed on The span were
Americans who came here to work for
he Phoenix Bridge company. The re-