Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1907-12-12
SEVEN DEAD IN
BRIDGE COLLAPSE

colidpseu Iuebuay AFTERNOON at lew
minutes before five o'clock, carrying
seven men to death and severely in
juring twice as many others.
The horrible holocaust comes at
Mifflinville as the second of two accid-
ents that have overtaken the York
Bridge company during the construc-
tion of the bridge across the Susque-
hanna river at that point, the partly
completed bridge having been carried
away during the great ice flood of sew
eral years ago.
The bridgeJwas being built. out from
the Mifflinville or south side rof the
river. The first span, which passes
over the Pennsylvania tracks, was COM
pleted and the second span was nearly
ready to swing
WoRKED:TO FINISH SPAN
The false work of she second span
had been placed in position several
days ago and work was proceeding on
the second span when the river began
to rise Monday night. Tuesday work
was pushed with all possible speed to
finish the second span before'the river
rose to menacing height. AS Tues
day afternoon was drawing to close
it became evident that it would be
possible to complete and swing the
second span before quitting time. $50
all energy.was bent with; that end in
view.
The big traveller, which was so fami-
liar sight'to the people of Danville
who watched the construction of the
bridge at this place several years ago,
and which is used by the bridge build
ers as movable crane to lift and
place in position the heavy iron work,
was at the'outer end of the span. A
number of the men were perched on
top of this traveller 16o feet above the
water.
ONLY A FEW BOLTS MORE.
Five O'Clock was the quitting time
and as the hour approached the men
were working like beavers. Only a
few more bolts remained to be placed
before the span would swing, when
without the slightest warming, the
false work under the heavy traveller,
its base undermined by the flood, col
lapsed with report that was heard
by hundreds of!people inr> the neigh
boring village. Followed roar az the
rest of the weakened structure with
the weight Of the entire span upon it
crashed into the river. carrying into
the icy food to death and injury all
of the workmen.
A HEART BENDING SCENE.
The scene that followed the fatal &C.
cident battles description. Twisted
and gnarled by the terrific strain the
massive iron pieces and heavy steel
supports became seething mass in the
river, pinned into which aud helpless
were the bodies of the dead and injur-
ed.
The loud report of the collapse told
the villagers of the catastrophe, and
men hurrying to the scene were quick
to begin the work Of rescue A re-
markable circumstance is that there
was no chaos, but each bent to his dp.y
as he found it, and quietly but swift
ly aided in the work of recovering the
bodies of the dead and saving the
struggling unfortunates.
About thirty row boats were on the
river few minutes after the first
crash, manned by cool and self possess
ed men who performed many thrilling
rescues.
CARING FOR THE INJURED.
AS fast as the injured were remov.
ed from the river they were taken to
the Pennsylvania station at Mifflin-
vile and from there to the different
homes in the village. Doctors from
Mifflinville were aided by corps of
physicians from Berwick. Houses in
the town were thrown open to the in
jured and everything was done for
the comfort of the men. =
The work of the rescuers was gre at
ly hindered by the fact that the ac.
cident occurred just before nightfall.
While but few of the men had been
removed from the debris darkness fell
over the scene of the disaster, and the
men in the boats could be guided to
the unfortunates only by the light of
lanterns and torches or by the piteous
cries of some victim jammed among
the wreckage in the freezing water.
THE DEAD.
What is believed to be complete
list OF the dead is as follows:
MILLARD BOWMAN, OF Mifflin-
Vile, married for but year and sur
vived by his wife and baby.
A. W FAHS, of Selinsgrove.
CHARLES CREITZER. of selins-
grove.
ADAM NUSS, of Selinsgrove.
ADAM TRUTT, of Beaver Valley.
IRWIN UPDEGRAFF, of George
town, Pa.
GEORGE B. FOX, residence un-
known.