The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1907-09-05
DROWNED BY SCORES
NEW BRIDGE OVER ST. Law
RENEE NEAR QUEBEC FALLS.
VICTIMS MAY NUMBER 30
Half Of Structure coIlapses, Carrying
Workmen Under the Water
Where the Wreekaee
Holds Them.


Quebec, Que.--A section Of the new
bridge across the ST. Lawrence river.
Ave miles below this city. collapsed
late Thursday, carrying scores OF
bridge workers and mechanics into
the water. II is estimated that the
loss OF life is at least 60 and may ex-
coed that number by 20.
The bridge was about a mile and a
half In length and half Of Il. from the
south shore TO midstream. crumpled
up and dropped into the water.
Ninety men were at work on this sec
ton OF the structure and the whistle
had Just blown at $3.50 for the men
10 quit work for the day when there
came a grinding sound from the bridge
midstream The men turned TO see
what had happened and an instant
later the cry went up the bridge Is
falling"
Few Have Time 20 Escape.
The men made a rush shoreward.
but the distance was too great for
/ them to escape. The fallen section OF
the bridge dragged others after Il, the
swapping Orders and cables booming
like a crash Of artillery Terror lent
fieetness to the feet Of the frightened
workmen as they sped shoreward, but
only few OF them reached safety be
fore the last piece of iron work on
the south shore was dragged into the
river.
Near the shore the wreckage Of the
bridge did not go below the surface
OF the water and eight workmen who
remained above water were rescued
and taken TO the hospital at Lewis.
Held Down BY the Wreekase.
The steamer Gienmont had Just
cleared the bridge when the FIRST sec
ton fell. The water thrown up by the
debris came clear over the bridge Of
the steamer The captain az once
lowered boats. The small boats piled
backward and forward over the sunk
en- wreckage for half an hour, but
/ there was no sign OF life. The twisted
/ iron and steel had its victims in a ter.
rible death grip.
All the men drowned we're EN-.
ployes OF the Phoenixyille Bridge com.
pany. and subcontractors OF Quebec
/ and Montreal
Mourning In the Villages.
There Is scarcely a family In the
villages OF St Romuald and New Liv.
erpool which has not been bereaved.
/ while in some cases FIVE and six men
/ OF a single family have been killed.
| From almost every house Is heard the
sound OF lamentations Of women
The disaster caused much excite
ment here and Is regarded as ma
/ tional calamity.
Nothing is known Of the cause Of
the disaster. There was nothing Of an
untoward nature reported that could
give the slightest indication during the
past few days that the huge structure
was in a dangerous condition. Il was
built on such immense lines that II did
not seem possible II could break down.
Was 70 Be Wonderful Bridge.
The bridge was remarkable In that
Il was to be the longest single span
cantilever bridge in the world the
! length OF the span in the center being
l 500 feet. or 200 feet longer than that
OF the Firth bridge. at present the
worlds longest single bridge span.
The bridge was begun about seven
years ago and Il was TO be finished In
1909. Subsidies had been granted by
the federal and provincial govern.
ments and the city OF Quebec, and the
estimated cost Of the work was S10..
| 100000
The Phoenix Bridge company.
% Pennsylvania. had the contract for
the construction Of the bridge and
was working from both sides OF the
river.
Nnnn.n Mau s.nn sAriL.