Arizona republican., 1905-03-04
CASUALTIES AT ROOSEVELT
Suspension Bridge Wrecked, Two
 Hen Meet Tragic Deaths.

The story of the tragic death of two men and the narrow escape of i've others came to The Republican last night over the long distance telephone from Roosevelt. With the exception of one of the fatalities the experience of all was due to the late storms and swollen condition of Salt river. Wheth- CT the storm had anything to do with the other was not learned as only mea- ger details were given.
 That incident was the first of the series and occurred on the first of March. The victim was Alexander McEalvey, who was employed at Whitney's camp on the hills above the dam site, MT. Whitney being engaged in the construction of the upper end of the Roosevelt freight road which circles the dam site or rather climbs over the hill. This is the final work in the completion of the freight road and thus far teams, until the high wa ter, reached Roosevelt by passing the dam site through the river bed. Me E,alvey, in some manner not learned here, fell over a cliff and was killed
 The other incidents were in connec- tion with the falling of the suspension bridge over Salt river just above the dam site. This was a footbridge for the accommodation of those whose work or pleasure was on the opposite side of the stream from the town of Roosevelt, as for instance, at the drain age tunnel, and was built so that their coming and going might not be inter fered with when the river was too high to drive across. or those having no teams desired to reach the other side. This bridge was suspended from cables fastened in the rocks at either side. It was not an imposing nor an eXpen- sive structure, but it answered well the purpose intended and was sufficiently high to De safe from floods. But the recent storm Ioosened the rock at one end, to which the suspending cables were attached, and on Thursday the structure was precipitated into the river. which was then a raging tor rent, the result of the recent rains.
 There were five men on the bridge when it went down. One of them was MT. Richins, the river gauger in the employ of the reclamation service. An other was Mills Van Wagenen of Globe. The names of the other three were not learned, but two of them were good swimmers and by hard work managed
  below. Richards hung on to the wreck until assistance came and also managed to grab the third unnamed man by the heels just as he was drift ing away in the flood. both getting out without material injury.
 But MT. Van Wagenen was doomed. He went down in the raging water and was drowned. Whether his body was recovered or not The Republican was not advised. MT. Van Wagenen is well known in Arizona, and especially in Gila county, which has been his home for many years. He was an at torney by profession and was at one time district attorney of Gila county. 4 brother, c. S. Van Wagenen, is a leading business man of Globe
 The seventh man concerned in the series of startling incidents at Roose- welt was Chinaman named An Sou who is employed as cook by Supervis- ing Engineer L. c. Hill at headquarters camp. Previous to the destruction o1 the bridge An Sou, who seems to be something of a nimrod. took his trus- ty gun and crossed the bridge for Q hunt on the north side of the river. in- tending no doubt to uven up the bill of fare at headquarters camp with 2 little real game. When he returned the bridge was gone, but he determined that the men at headquarters camI should not go hungry until he had al least done his best, so he tried to swim the river. It was a bigger undertak- ing than he had imagined and he would have been drowned had hS not been rescued by a number of In dians who were camped on the nortf side of the river. One of the remarka- ble things in connection with this il that a Chinaman should go huntint for with all their sporting instincts i is seldom one engages in such an en-