The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1907-08-30
DEATH
RECORD
GROWS
Canada Bridge Crash
FOreSeen by the
Men.

QUEBEC, Aug. 30.-A careful est-
mate today places the loss Of life
in the collapse of the great bridge
over the ST. Lawrence river, be-
tween Silery and ST. Ronald, five
miles from Quebec, at eighty-four.
Most Of them were Americans,
skilled mechanics at work on the
bridge.
The structure, which was to have
been one Of the greatest structures
of its kind in the world. and a mon
ument TO American ingenuity, is to-
day nothing but a tangled mass OF
steel and broken cables. The cause
of the disaster is unknown
The wreck was so complete and
appalling in its results that there
has been little effort to determine
its cause
Steel ShTouds Creaked.
The men say that the day before
creaking OF the steel shrouds and snap
ping Of rIyets near the south end fright
/ ened some OF the workmen, who went 70
the superintendent and told him they
would no longer work on The structure.
and that Il was IN danger OF falling.
Thev were reassured and went 70 work
yesterday as usual As the workmen
were preparing for the night. the bridge
fell Half Of il from the south shore to
the middle of the stream. crumpIed up
and tumbled into the water.
The fallen section OF the bridge
dragged others after fl. the swapping
girders and cables booming like a crash
Of artillery.
Eight Men Rescued.
Near the shore the wreckage Of the
bridge did not 90 below the surface OF
the water. and eight workmen who re-
NAMED above the water we're rescued
and taken to the hospital at Lewis. Two
are not expected 10 live.
The steamer Glenm0nt had just
cleared the bridge when the first sec
ton fell. The water thrown up by the
debris few over the bridge OF the
steamer. The captain Immediately low
| cred boats. which were rOWed backward
and forward over the sunlEen wreckage
/ for half an hour. But there vas no
| sfEn of life The twisted iron and steel
Begun Seven Years Ago.
| All the men drowned were employees
Of the Phoenix Bridge Company and
subeontractors Of Quebec and Montreal
The Quebec bridge was begun about
seven years ago and It was 70 have been
naished in 1893. at an estimated cost of
several officers Of the Phoenix Bridge
I f~- he Er
/ including b. A. Yanseh genera Iore-
/ man: Chief Engineer Burke ana Fofe-
man John Wooiey, and Foreman James
/ Idaho
Men Alarmed on Wednesday.
| In connection with their investigation
| the authorities are looking into story
| that. on Wedr esday. several OF tho
v-ortxuen. alarmed by the noise Of cresk-
/ ing cables. and cracking rivets, they
had heard. told the superintendent ire
/ bridge was unsafe. and they would nos
work longer on il. They we're reas-
sIIred, however. according 70 tle iep'i -
and went back 10 WORK
Criminal Investigation
stenz n begin criminal investigation
! have already been taken by the authorl-
ttes desnite the fact that the city and
/ ,bo communities near the scene OF The
/ qcctsent ere still prostrated, Every
| aSTort will be made 20 TX the blame
! COR me disaster. II i is discovered tHaI
/ anv criminal eulpabiiity exists, proseeu-
/ tions Will follow
Dominion Cabinets Investigation.
! Agents OF the railroad commissions
which has full powers TO conduct an ex-
animation and institute court action, are
already on their way TO the scene OF the
disaster. It is expected the Dominion
cabinet wiz also take I'd the investga-
ton or It's own responsibility. Mean
vga.le thf, local authorities are also
/ pt,shgne their own inquiry.
! With the slight recovery Of citizens
here from their horror following t1e
/ shock there is great outcry for the
/ punishment OF guilty parties. It is .n-
/ conceivable to the people generally that
! the bridge could have been unsafe with
out some one knowing IL.
! At the scene of the disaster tne people
I are literally crushed By the e~Iulness OF
| the calamity.
Like Towns Of Death.
The HttIe villages Of Roa Ronald and
St MinaIre are like towns Of de ath.
ilrabIe to rise to the emergency and
perform the manifold duties that must
be performed.
/ For this reason little has been done IN
| lcoDtinued On Third Pags1