Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1903-08-03
BRIDGE GAVE WAY
MORRISON STREET STRUCTURE AT
PORTLAND COLLAPSED.
Over Hundred Persons Precipi-
tated Into the River--TwO Are
Known to Have Been Drowned.
List of Injnred Includes About
Eighty Names.

Portland, Or, Aug. IA section OF
mete river at Morrison street collapsed
shortly after O'Clock Yesterday after
noon, precipitating more than a humid
red people forty feet into the water.
Two persons are known TO have been
drowned aud it is feared that the list
of dead will be much larger when all
are accounted for. Many struck on two
small boat houses moore to pier OF
the bridge Immediately under the spot
where it gave way. About eighty were
injured, either by striking on the boat
houses or by falling tlmbers. Many
people fell from the roofs OF the boat
houses into the water, but dozens of
small boats and launches in the vicin-
ity, in an incredibly short time COM
menced to pick them up.
Thousands of people had gathered on
the Morrison and Madison street bridges
and along the docks to watch Clarence
LutZ, an armless man. swim the river,
which is about three-eighths of a mile
wide. Lutz started from boat house
on the west side of the river and swan
to the boat house of the Portland Row
ing Club, moored on the east side just
above the Morrison street bridge. AS
he was climbing out of the water the
crowd rushed to the south edge of the
bridge in order to get good view. A
section OF the passenger walk gave way
under the heavy weight, and the crowd
ing. struggling mass of people were car
ried down distance of forty feet.
Fall on BOathouse.
Some fell on the two boat houses
moored under the bridge, while others
were precipitated directly into the riv-
er, which is about fifteen feet deep at
that point. Many fell between the boat
houses, forming pile ten feet high of
struggling men, women and children.
Hundreds of people at the club house
of the Portland Rowing Club, men in
boats and on shore Immediately started
the work of rescue. Dozens of boats at
the scene soon picked up those strug-
Cling in the water, while the injured
who were clinging to the boat houses
were taken into the club house apd
medical aid summoned.
AT this time the bodies of Miss Lotto
E. Cameron, aged is, and Edward
Shank, aged 10, have been recovered.
1t Is not believed any of the injured
will die. few had limbs fractured,
but for the most part the injuries con.
sisted of cuts and bruises.
RnSh IN rho RaCcua
Every ambulance in the city, sew
eral fire companies and large force of
police arrived within few minutes
and those with broken arms and legs
were hurried to the hospitals
The news o: the accident spread with
great rapidity and within a few min
utes thousands of people gathereud at
either end of the bridge. anxiously
seeking information about relatives and
friends. The bridge was 81 sed and all
street cars stopped in order to pr vent
a repetition OF the accident by crush
of people. The bridge is an old wooden
tructure, having been built sixteen
years ago, and has been considered un.
safe for some time, although it was not
The city was granted au-
tnority by the legislature last winter
to issue $500 900 IN bonds for the con-
struction of a steel bridge. and the
mayor and city council are now prepar-
ing plans for the new structure. The
present bridge is narrow and is unable
to accommo late the traffic.