Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-08-30
BIC QUEBEC BRIDGE
CRASHES IN RUINS
Immense CantiIever Across the
St. Lawrence Falls.
SCORES OF WORKMEN DEAD
Curious Escape of a Construction
Engine Driver.
BRIDGE WAS AMERICAN-MADE
Many Of the Victims. Were Pinned Un-
der the Twisted Steel struc-
ture and Drowned.
SCORES OF WORKMEN DEAD
BRIDGE WAS AMERICAN-MADE

Ninety men plunged to death last
night when the superstructure of
what was to have been the greatest
cantilever bridge in the world col
lapsed and sank into the St. Law
renee river between Sillery and St.
Ronald, five miles from Quebec.
The bridge was about a mile and a
half in length, and half of it, from
the south shore to midstream,
crumpled up and dropped into the
water. The bridge had been seven
years under construction, and was
to be finished in 1909. The esti-
mated cost OF the work was $Io,-
10000
Special Dispatch to The Star.
QUEBEC, August 3O-All but eight of the
ninety-two bridge builders that were work
ing on the massive cantilever bridge under
construction on the st. Lawrence river nine
miles above Quebec, which collapsed last
night, were believed to be dead at noon
today. OF this number, presumably thirty
Were Indians, twenty-five skilled American
mechanics and the rest French Canadians.
B. A. Yassell, general foreman, John Wor-
ley, chief engineer. and James Idaho, all OF
Pennsylvania, We're among those whose
bodies were said to have been recovered
this morning.
1t has thus far been impossible to de-
a{ro ha IL
of the survivors of the wrecked bridge can
offer any explanation.
Half of the immense bridge, which was to
have been the longest of its kind in the
world, is now buried in the st. Lawrence
river Only sixteen of the bodies had been
recovered from the mass of twisted steel
wreckage up to this morning, although
divers are at work and are constantly
finding bodies pinned under the debris.
1t is expected that most of the bodies
cue is progressing rapidly as possible.
and the dominion and Quebec governments
have sent tugs to the scene.
With the first break of dawn half a dozen
government and Quebec Bridge Company
tugs began search of the St. Lawrence
river for the victims of last nights catas-
trophe.
The toll Of death caused by the collapse Of
the great cantilever bridge numbers at least
seventy-dve and may reach eighty-fve. Up
TO an early hour this morning less than
twenty bodies had been recovered. The ter
rife drop Of the great steel structure from
$50 feet above the surface OF the river
crushed the bodies of many of the workmen
in a fruitful manner. and it is feared many
of them never viii be found.
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.
Early this morning rowboats were sent
out to examine the superstructure showing
above the water near the shore to ascertain
If any of the workmen were imprisoned in
the mass of twisted iron. None was found
alive. Just below the surface of the water
two bodies were seen, but it will be impossi-
Bile TO reach them until the tide goes out.
Both the local and the dominion authori-
ties have taken steps to investigate the
cause of the disaster and il possible fix the
responsibility.
Some of the workmen expressed the be-
lief that the anchor pier gave way under
the tremendous strain of the oyerhanging
steel work.
NJ. p. Davis of Ottawa, the contra ctor
who built the piers made a hasty examina-
ton last night, however and reported them
to be in good condition, although the steel
superstructure had fallen upon them.
Escape of the Engineer.
A locomotive and several freight cars
lad t.-ith civ
upon the bridge just before the structure
collapsed. Engineer Jess, who was on the
locomotive, went into the river with his en-
CINE, but was picked up three hundred feet
below the bridge. Fireman Davis persisted.