Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1906-10-12
FOOT BRIDGE GIVES WAY.
OCONTO STUDENTS PLUNGED INTO
RIVER AND ONE LOSES LIFE
IN STREAM.
FIFTY STUDENTS HURT.
High School Children, on Observation
Tour, Go Down Into Water and
Several More May Die.

collapse OF q foot bridge across the OcOn-
to river at Oconto Falls yesterday aft
ernOon a party of nearly fifty students
from the Oconto high school, who Were
out with their instructor, Prof. James
Newcomb, on an experimenting eXpedi-
ton. were plunged thirty feet into the
river
One was killed and sixteen persons
were injured, and nearly all the others
suffered slight bruises.
The dead:
BESTENLEHNER, JOHN, II years old.
The most seriously injured are:
Vida Fcncil injured internally; cannot
live
Hazel Dennison, injured internally; may
not survive.
Frank Donevy, head cut, one leg broken
in two places, and arm broken.
PROT. NeWcomb, scalp wounds four inches
long on each side OF head, besides other
Jennie Wright, leg broken.
Sadie Ingram, back injured.
Wilbur Surprise, leg injured.
Ruby Elliott, leg hurt.
Mary MOtorn, ankle injured.
Guy Williams, head cut.
arthur Brazeau, stomach injured.
Ella Rosenfeldt, injured about face and
Laura Cecil, arms and shoulders dislocat
IVA lOtIuPIJe, mead ana neck injured.
Ge0rglana MinOu, ankle hurt.
NeIlle Post, head cut.
Many Slightly Hurt.
These escaped with slight hurts:
Edna Halloran, Edith Larsen, Elnira Pei
key Ida Lacourper, Victor PAIL, Lee De
T,gryille, Ellis Whiting, Ernest Giete, Ella
Iledke, John ToIdrier Aaron Forticr
Leona Bradcau, Paula Moe, Wilbur Claffon
May heron, Minnie Marek.
On Observation Trim
The victims were members of the
freshman class of the Oconto High
school and We're out taking an obserya-
ton in physics. They had gone twenty
hVe miles to see the falls and study the
rock formation.
The foot bridge, connecting a huge
paper mill with pulp mill on the oppo-
site side Of the river, was used only by
the employees Of the Falls Manufacturing
company and was not open to the pub
lie. Just below the bridge are the falls
Plunged Into Water.
When the children reached the bridge
Prof. Newcomb noticed that it was a
frail structure and divided them into
two sections, but before he could pre-
vent it a number of those who had been
told to keep off the bridge until the
first section had crossed were on the
cIDltatlng the entire number into the
river. Fortunately the span which fell
was directly over a deep eddy and many
OF the children We're thrown into it,
The water being only three feet deep
served to break the fall and saved many
lives. The bottom was rocky and many
were hurt on the stones
Rescued from Drowning
The mill men saw the accident and in
two minutes had the water shut off
thus saving the injured from drowning
The whole town turned out, rescuing
the injured. The panic among the stu
dents was allayed with difficulty.
\ special train was made up at OcOn-
to and brought out doctors, nurses and
the parents of the victims. The wound
ed and the body of Bestnlehner were
brought to OcOnto on Il special train
but several of the most seriously injured
could not be moved.
Exaggerated reports of disaster
reached OcOntO and hundreds were fran
tic with fear. not knowing whether their
relatives were among those injured
No inquest will be held, such a pro
ceeding not being necessary, it is
thought. The paper company is not re-
gaTded as liable for the disaster, as it had
used every precautiOn.
Near Death Over Falls.
If the bridge had given way over the
middle of the stream nothing could have
saved those upon it as they would surely
have been carried over the falls There
were forty-nine children on the bridge at
the time it collapsed.
John Besenlehner, who was killed by
falling on a rock, was the adopted son of
Mathew p. Bellew.
Prof Newcomb displayed great hero
ism. He was badly injured about the
head. Bleeding and suffering from nu-
merous gashes and bruises he dived into
the water again and again until he had
rescued all who had not been able to
save themselves. He is a graduate of
IGipon college.