The Washington herald., 1907-08-31
ALL But EIGHT DEAD
Quebec Bridge Disaster Has
Eighty-fOur Victims.
TWENTY-FIVE ARE AMERICANS
Only sixteen Bodies Recovered from
the WreckaEe-FOur Million Dol
ture In Bed Of the Riyer--Cause of
Disaster Not Yet Established.

Quebec. Aug. S0-All but eight Of the
ninety-two bridge builders who were
working on the massive csntilever bridge
under construction on the ST. Lawrence
River, nine miles above Quebec, which
collapsed last night, are believed to be
dead OF this number presumably thirty
were Indians. twenty-five skilled Ameri-
can mechanics, and the rest French Ca
nadians.
The Dead Number Eigbty-fOur.
B. A Yansell, general foreman; John
Worley. chief engineer. and James Idaho
all OF Pennsylvania, were among those
whose bodies were said to have been re-
covered this raorning.
Il has thus far been impossible to de-
termine how the accident occurred. None
Of the survivors Of the wrecked bridge
can offer any explanation.
Half OF the immense structure, which
was 70 have been the longest OF its kind
in the world. Is now buried in the St
Lawrence River. Only 16 of the 81
bodies had been recovered from the great
mass Of twisted steel wreckage up to
room, although divers are at work and
are constantly finding bodies pinned un-
der the debris.
1t IS expected that most Of the bodies
will be recovered to-day, as the work OF
rescue is progressing as rapidly as pos
sible, and the Dominion and Quebec gov
ernments have sent tugs to the scene
Most Miraculous Escape.
Probably the most miraculous escape
from death was that Of an engineer
who was running a locomotive and
train Of cars on the bridge when 1t
collapsed The cars all carriedNheavy
cranes. There was a load of steel on
the bridge also. The engineer said he
felt the structure sag. He reversed the
throttle on his locomotive, but the
bridge continued to sway. as II about
to fall The next instant the crash
came The engineer went down with
the train. lost consciousness, and knew
nothing further until he was found and
revived on shore. He believes he must
have been washed ashore. but how he
escaped drowning, he is unable to tell.
The disaster, which occurred at 5:3C
o'clock yesterday afternoon, promises to-
day to be one Of the worst of its kind on
record. Besides the long list of dead
100000 worth Of steel construction is at
the bottom Of the river.
Cause of Accident Stiu Mystery,
Only the most meager details as to the
identity Of the dead have been obtained
Some of them, however. are known to
have been residents of Pennsylvania. as
the contract for the bridge was let 10 the
Phoenix Bridge Company, Of PhoenixviHe
Pa. and 1t was known that many of ti<
workmen had come from that State. One
of the bodies recovered Is that of Mr.
Burke. resident engineer Of the work for
the contractors.
A partial list of the dead includes. be.
sides Burke, Carl Swanson. of PhiladeI.
phia Fast and Meredith. who are sun.
posed to have come from Ohio. and the
following residents in the vicinity of the
I bridge: Victor Hardy. Michael Hardy
James Handy, Galixte Hardy. JOSEPH
Boucher. two brothers named Wilson. two
named Hazeman, Henry French. two
brothers named Proulex, and four mer
named Birons. Binet Beaudry, and Nor.
ton.
The exact cause OF the disaster has not
| been determined. While there was a wind
blowing Of twenty-eight miles an hour. Il
| IS not believed this could have been re.
sponsible for the collapse of the great
| structure, which had already withstooc
! considerably more pressure.