Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1907-09-06
SEVENTY-EIGHT
WORKMEK PERISH.
LATEST ESTIMATE OF LIVES LOST
WHEN ST. LAWRENCE STEEL
STRUCTURE COLLAPSED.
BODIES FAST IN DEBRIS.
Canada Shocked by Terrible Disaster
and Rigid Investigation Will Be
Made 20 Fix Blame.

Lawrence. six miles from Quebec,
crumpIed up and crashed 100 feet into
the river late yesterday afternoon, carry
ing to their death seventy-eight work
men, many of whom were skilled Amer
lean mechanics.
The number Of victims as stated at
the head office of the Phoenix Bridge
company today is as follows:
Eighteen Canadians, forty-three In
dams and seventeen Americans, but the
officials would not venture to give out
any names at present. They also state
that tive Canadians, four Indians and
three Americans We're injured.
With the first break of dawn half q
dozen government and Quebec Bridge
company tugs began Il search of the St
Lawrence river for the victims. Less
than twenty bodies have been recOY-
cred. The terrific drop of the great
steel structure from $50 feet above the
surface of the river crushed the bodies
of many of the workmen III fright
full manner and it is feared many OF
them never will be found.
List of Known Dead
Many Of the dead were Americans,
brought here by the Phoenix Bridge
company of PhoeniXville, Pa, which had
the contract for the iron work on the
bridge.
Among the known dead are:
CAMEL, B. A, general foreman for the
Phoenix Bridge company.
BIRkS, chief engineer.
DAVIS, fireman of the bridge switch en-
CINE.
WHALLEY, JOHN, foreman
IDAH, JIM, Indian foreman.
About twenty-eight Caughnawaga Indians
emDlOypQ as iaDOrprS.
VICTOR, JAMES and HENRY BARDY,
brothers, of New Liverpool, Que.
PROULEA, WILFRID, of New Liverpool,
LA FRANCE, ZEPHRIAN, Quebec.
Crash Comes Without Warning.
Ninety men were at work OH the
wrecked half of the bridge extended from
the south shore to midstream. The quit
ting whistle at $50 had just blown and
the men We're preparing to leave their
work.
Suddenly a grinding, crunching sound
from midstream startled the men. An
instant later those farthest out screamed
The bridge is fallingr
Some OF the men made a frantic rush
shoreward, but the distance was too
great for them to escape. The fallen sec
ton of the bridge dragged others with it,
the swapping girders and cables booming
like the crashing of artillery. Terror lent
been working nearest the shore.
With the bridge crumpling up behind
them they ran desperately to reach the
shore.
None of the men reached the shore, but
eight who went down with the section
nearest the land were rescued.
This part of the bridge was the only
section of all that fell that did not van
ISL in the water.
River Closes Over Tragedy.
The steamer GIenmont had just cleared
the bridge when the first section fell.
The waves thrown up by the debris
drove clear over the bridge of the steam
er. The captain at once lowered boats
The small boats piled backward and for
ward over the sunken wreckage for hall
an hour, but there was no sign of life.
The twisted iron and steel had it's vic,
tins in a terrible death grip. A few
floating timbers and the broken strands
of the bridge toward the north shore
were the only signs that anything I'M
usual had happened.
Ten minutes after the crash there was
not a ripple on the smooth surface OF
the st. Lawrence as it swept along to,
ward the gulf.
The contractors offices ca each side OF
the st. Lawrence at the point where the
bridge fell were the first to send the
news of the disaster to Quebec. There
are no hospitals III the immediate vicin,
ity of Lewis and few physicians could be
obtained.
Relief expeditions We're fitted out at
once and sent across the river at this
point by the electric cars and on up the
other side of the st. Lawrence by teams
The Quebec hospitals were all called
upon to send all the physicians they
could spare.
The bridge was being built by the Que
bee Bridge company, a local concern, and
! its construction was started three years
ago. The steel work, which was the
feature of the bridge, was being done by
| the Phoenix Bridge company Of Phoenix,
vile, Pa.
Engineers Sensational Plunge
A locomotive and several freight cars
| loaded with steel Orders were moving
! out upon the bridge just before the struc-
ture collapsed. Engineer jess, who was
on the locomotive went into the river
with his engine but WAS picked up 3OC
| feet below the bridge. Fireman Davis
persisted. Engineer Jess was removed
to Lewis hospital, where he rapidly re,
covered from the effects of his plunge
According to his story the steel work
overhanging the river was the first tC
! show signs of weakness. At the tlrst
sign Of danger Jess shut off steam but
! his locomotive continued to move toward
the end of the bridge which had began
to totter and a moment later the engine
went into the river.
Bridge Men Shocked.
PHILADELPHIA, Pa, Aug. 80
The Phoenix Bridge company, which
has the contract for building the bridge
which fell yesterday near Quebec has
offices in this city. The plant is al
Phoenixville, Pa. The officers of the
company are:
President, David Reeves; secretary
George G.. White; treasurer, Frank I. Da
Wis; chief engineer, John S. Deans, and
general superintendent, William H. Reaves
The news of the accident was a great
shock to all of the officials. -Four rep
resentatives of the company were sent
to Quebec today and until their report
is received the company will make nc
statement The officials of the concern
say they have no idea of the monetary
loss incurred Mr.. Davis, the treasurer
said:
Il pray that the loss of life is not
as great as reported. l do not know
how it happened. L thought everything
was going well up there. We had entire
charge of the construction and had 20J
men at work under A. B. AIilIigan of
phoeniXyille."
The great bridge was built in sections
at the works of the company and was
bCIted together at Quebec.