The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1898-09-09

workmen Had No Time to Fly to Places
of Safety-Sixty Dropped Into the River
With the Debrts-Two Thirds of the
Number Either Killed or Drowned.
Cornwall Ont, Sept. IA most ap-
palling disaster occurred near here yes
terday, and it's results will probably
make death list of 40 to go The great
railroad bridge, now being erected across
the st. Lawrence for the New York and
Ottawa railroad gave away about noon,
sending upwards of 60 Workmen with
the debris into the mighty, rushing river
60 feet below That a single man sur
wives is almost marvellous. Thirty
three of the victims were brought to the
hospital here, and Is died 1t is believed
that over 20 remain in the river, and it
is expected that the roll will not be COM
pleted for many days,
A witness of the terrible affair was
sitting on the bank of the river watching
the busy WOrkmen above him, when
suddenly, without warning, there came
a fearful crash, and two spans of the
bridge collapsed; the immense mass of
timbers and iron dropped down and the
agonizing shrieks of the men who were
being crushed in the wreck were
drowned by the rushing waters. Then
he saw floating bodies coming to the
surface.
The work of rescue was helplessly in
adequate, there being only a few boats
in the vicinity, and very few men who
would undertake to swim out into the
;rI,+
been saved were drowned before help
could reach them. Piteously appealing
faces sank beneath the waters before
the eyes of helpless onlookers. Broken
bodies came to the surface for a moment
and then passed out Of sight, perhaps
forever. 1t was a terrible and heart
rending scene. Even those who were
got to land alive were in such condition
that many died on the way to the hos
pital. Some had their backs broken,
others both legs, while others were
crushed by the heavy irons.
The town is in a terrible state of eX-
citement owing to the number of local
men employed on the work. Women
are looking for husbands; mothers after
sons and friends after friends. About 40
of the men were Americans, who came
here to work for the Phoenix Bridge
company. The remainder were 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 still |
rested on piers at either end
The latest information concerning the !
tragedy makes it probable that the death |
list will reach fully 80. AS far as can be
learned, 81 men were on the payroll, of |
whom 50 reported for work yesterday
morning. OF this list only 38 have actual
ly been accounted for. Allowing that
some of those unaccounted for will turn
up after the excitement the probable
list of dead and injured will in all likeli-
hood reach over rs, and it may reach 30.
Among those thrown into the river was
the foreman Thomas F. Brady or Bricer-
y, whose home is in Pottsville, Pa. He
has not been accounted for up to late
hour, and is supposed to be in the bot
tom of the river.
All efforts to get a list of the names
of the workmen and those missing
proved futile. Everything was in a state
Of great excitement all the afternoon,
and the effort of all was to care for the
injured ones and get them to Cornwall
hospital as fast as possible.