The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1898-09-07

Removed to the Hospital-TwO Piers Of
the Bridge Collapsed, Carrying Down
From Sixty to Eighty Workmen-T The
Work of Rescue Retarded BY Lack Of
Boats.
Hogansbur", N. Y. Sept About
noon yesterdaJ two south spans of the
international bridge Of the New York
and ottawa railroad, now under con
struction across the st. Lawrence river
about three miles aboN st. Regis In
dian village, fell without warning, with
go men at work on the bridge, all be-
ing thrown into the river, some 60 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 it's foundation, causing both spans
to fall.
The names of the killed and drowned
cannot at present be ascertalned, as
they were mostly from Pennsylvania,
excepting a few Indians from the st.
Regis reservation.
The scene of the accident is located
about four miles from Hogansburg,
above the st. Regis Indian reserva-
ton. 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 seems
to have been from the washing away OF
one of the large piers.
The pier In question was begun when
the work was first started last fall
and work was continued all winter and
finished this summer The contract
work was in charge Of Messrs. SoOy
| Smith q Co., who are well known as
| extensive and careful contractors In
| their line, and known to have beer
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 swlftness of the
| current was underestimated
Late reports from Cornwall hospital
say that 39 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 it probable that the
death list win reach 30.
AS far as can be learned 81 men were
on the payroll Of whom SO reported fOl
work yesterday morning. OF this lls
only 3S have actually been accounted
| for Among those thrown into the
river was the foreman, Thomas f
Brady Cor Bricely), whose home is IL
| Pottsville, Pa. He has not been ac.
counted for and is supposed to be ii
| the bottom of the river. Everything
was In Il state of excitement all after.
noon, and the efforts of all were to care
| for the injured ones and get them tC
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 a
slight bruisc on his forehead. He 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 thu
| bank of the river, watching the busy
Workmen above him, when suddenly
without warning, there came fearful
crash. Two spans of the bridge col
lapsed the immense mass OF timbe
and iron dropped down, and the agon
izlng shrleks of the men who were be
ing crushed in the wreck were drown
ed by the rushing waters. Then he saw
bodies coming to the surface, and thu
work Of rescue began. This was hope
lessly inadequate, there being only {
few boats in the vicinity and very few
men who would undertake to swim
| l,N.
who might have been saved wer,
drowned before help could reach them
Plteous appealing faces sank be
meath the waters before the eyes o
helpless onlookers. Mangled bode
came to the surface for "a moment an'
then passed out of sight. 1t was ter
rible and heartrending. Even thos
who had got to land alive were in sucl
condition that many died on the wa!
TO the hospital. Some had their back
broken, others both legs, while other
were crushed by the heavy iron.
Among those who are missing ar
Cyril Campbell, William Jackson, w
Cubby and George Craig. About 80 o
the men employed on the span wer
Americans who came here to work 70
the Phoenix Bridge company. The re
! IlldlHueT W6Tt HlbSlly lnuldnSi VINO dcl
ed as assistants. Every man on tn
division went down with the wreck
Many OF those who escaped climbe,
up the iron work which still rested oil
| piers at either end. The scene aroun,
the Hotel Deu. where the wounded ant
dying were taken, is a heartrendini
spectacle. The wives and relatives o
missing men are anXiously inquirinl
after their loved ones.
Following is list of the dead an
4 wounded up to midnight:
Killed-W. j. Cubby, Paterson, N. j.
w. ]. Jackson, Columbus, o.: Loui
Banner. Johnstown, Pa: r. l.. by
sart, Tyrone, Pa; ]. ID. Craig, De
troit, Mich; Patrick Murphy Toronto
Dan Hughes Cleveland Frank lie
vigne, Ogdensburg, N. Y; w. Sherman
Cornwall, Ont. w. Saunders, Balti
more; John Clause Caughnawega, n
| y; II. Davis, Pittsburg; Cyril Camp
bell Cornwall, Ont; Thomas Birming
ham.
Wounded--John Wilson, Maiden
Mass, leg broken; George BloXor
Pekinsville, VT, leg fractured; Ber