Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-08-31

perhaps eighty or mOre-DrldSe-WOrk-
srs were hurled to their death late
last evening when three-quarters Of a
mile of the new bridge acress the st.
Lawrence river five miles below this
city suddenly collapsed and bore them
into the water.
Every man who was killed was on
his way to shore and safety when the
CRASH came. as the whistle had Just
blown and work had ceased.
Not a chance was afforded the men
to escape death by swimming from the
river, as those who were not killed
when the timbers, n,asonery, and
steel work fell unable to escape the
mass of debris In the river.
So suddenly did the structure top
pie into the river that 1t was less tnan
two minutes after the first timber
broke from its fastenings that the en-
tire south half of the bridge had dis
appeared.
Scene of One Awful Horror.
the scene was transformed in an In
Etant from one of peace to a vertiable
inferno Of horror and suffering.
Snrieks Of the men caught In the
debris above the surface Of the river
mingled with the despairing cries of
those foundering about In the water.
Every effort was made by the crew
Of the steamship to save the latter, but
it was impossible for the boat to ap-
proach the pile Of wreckage close O.
nough to be Of any service
4 Less than a minute before the crash
i came toe Glenmont had cleared from
Its moorings beneath the bridge struct-
AEure, where 1t had unloaded q cargo Of
material
AS the timpers and steel fen into
the river they struck so close to the
Glenmont that the decks of the vessel
were splashed with the water they
:, threw into the air.
Crash Like Boom Of Cannon.
u " The only warning which the work
men had of the impending disaster was
a single loud report, akin to the boom
of cannon.
} Even as the men paused for a brief
moment to ascertain the cause of the
strange noise. timbers began to sway
beneath their feet.
I Naturally nimble and accustomed
I by the nature Of tneir work to make
their way over places difficulty to ira.
verse, the men Immediately began
y their hopeless dash for safety.
Terror lent feetness to their feet
but not a man of all those on the
bridge had run more than few yards
before his footing was swept from be
meath him and he was made to form
o part of the rapidly increasing pile OF
II debris that served as his tomb.
After the waters had become quiet
enough to permit the navigation OF
small boats the crew of the Glenmont
Il began their search for the dead and
4 injured.
Here and there across the water
there protruded gnarled and twisted
I bits Of steel beams, shattered timbers
and torn and knotted metal cables.
From these vertiabe death hooks the
only guide posts they had In theil
search the sailors recovered sixteen
bodies.
The search is still in progress, and u
IS hoped that all the dead men. WIZ
the excention Of those at the very bot
tom OF the masses OF debris, VIII Dc
taken ont.
specfel train was made up hers
is soon as news Of the disaster was
.eceived and doctors and nurses. 70
isether with workmen to aid IN elear
ing away the wreckage were rush
ed to the scene.
The train also carried provisions
for the erection on the ground OF
temporary hospital. as 1t was hopei
that not all the victims would be deas
and that many of them might be say
I'd by prompt treatment.
Americans Among the Victims.
The men killed and injured were II
the employ of the Phoenixville Bridge
company.
A number of the victims wers