Milford chronicle., 1907-09-06

BRIDGE COLLAPSES.
MANY MEN DEAD
Section Of Steel Structure Near Que
bee Falls Into River.
BEVENTY-NINE ARE MISSING

NNSNSNf nus. o4s-AllnOuBn 80 hours
have elapsed since the Quebec bridge
crashed into the St. Lawrence, the
three score of dead bridge workers are
still held in the meshwork OF debris at
the bottom Of the river. A roll call
confirmed the early estimates of the
losses Of life. Seventy-nine men
failed to answer to their names and
were not among the injured at the
Lewis hospital. Fifteen bodies lie at
the morgue awaiting the result Of the
coroners inquest. OF the total of 70
dead or missing Is were skilled Amer
lean mechanics, brought here by the
Phoenix Bridge company, of Phoenix
Vile, Pa, to work on the structural
steel parts OF the bridge.
The following is list of the missing
Americans: B. A. Yenser, general fore
man, Of Lehighton, Pa; John L. Wor-
ley assistant foreman, of Mauch |
Chunk, Pa; A. H. Birks, chief engi- |
neer, of Phoenixville, Pa; ]. w. After |
nolt, chief inspector, Phoenixville, Pa.
Bridge workers, whose names and
and addresses are unknown: P. C.
Reynolds, George Cook, Phil. Bayant,
Thomas CALLAHAN, Carl Stevenson.
James Bowen, Ira FastWilliam Briggs.
J. L. Johnson, A. c. Smith, r. F.
Smith, E. A. Brind.
The bridge was about a mile and
half in length, and half of it crumpled
up and dropped into the water Ninety
men were at work on this section OF
the structure, and the whistle had
Just blown for the men to quit work
for the day when there came a grind
Ing sound from the bridge mid
stream. The men turned to see what
lad happened, and an instant later
he cry went up the bridge is fall. r
ng" K
The men made a rush shoreward a
tut the distance was too great foI il
hem to escape. The fallen section OF fC
he bridge dragged others after 1t, the il
mapping girders and cables booming r.
Ike a crash Of artillery Terror lent =,
eetness to the feet Of the frightened y
as they sped shoreward, but -
My few of them reached safety be III
Dre the last piece OF ironwork Oh W
ae south shore was dragged into the pl
Ivef. n
The steamer Glenmont had 1ust IA
cared the bridge when the first Sec -
on fell. The water thrown up by
le debris came clear over the bridge
the steamer. The captain at once -
wered boats. The small boats piled =
lckward and forward over the sun -
IN wreckage for half an hour, but ms
ere was no sign of life. The twist wo
iron and steel had its vic I'M
ms in terrible death grip. A few yes
ating timbers and the broken strands ar 1o
the bridge toward the north shore
IRE the only signs that anything I'M
ual had happened. There was not a -
'ple on the smooth surface of the IN
Lawrence as it swept along toward lU
, gulf.
Among those who had a most mi
eulous escape was J. J. Nance, OF Tc
IS, OF Harrisburg, Pa, who was in %
charge Of an electric engine at the
Of the bridge. Nance went down
n his engine into the river. but
ited out and was picked up about
feet further down the river.
he Quebec bridge was begun about
en- years ago, and it was to be fin
ed in 1909 Subsidies had been =
nted by the federal and provincial
ernments and the city of Quebec. ~
the estimated cost of the work was
900 900.
he Phoenixville Bridge company.
had the contract for
construction of the bridge, and
e working from both sides of the
r.