The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1907-12-11
New Bridge at MifIinviIIe, Pa,
Under Course of Erection
Collapsed Hurting Men Into
The River.
MANY RESCUED WITH DIF-
FICULTY FROM WATERS.
Debris Carried Down Stream
BY Rapidly Rising Susque-
hanna Responsible for Fa-
tai Accident.
BODIES CARRIED A MILE.
ONLY FOUR BODIES OF THOSE
KILLED HAVE BEEN FOUND,
BUT REscUERs ARE SEARCHING
DILIGENTLY FOR OTHERS.

Bloomsbury, Pa. Dec. 11.-High
water TUESDAY night caused the col
lapse Of a new bridge in course of erec-
tion over the West Branch of the Sus-
quehanna River at Milfiinville. eight
miles north Of here and resulted in
the death Of seven men and the injury
OF nearly score Of others. two per
haps fatally. Forty men were at
work on the traveller on the middle
span of the structure when it collapsed.
They were all thrown into the river.
The dead are:
A. w. Fahns, Selins Grove.
Charles Creitzcr, Selins Grove.
Adam Nuss, Selins Grove.
Adam Tritt. Beaver Valley.
Irwin Updesraff. Georgetown.
NIillard Bowman. Miffiinyille
George B. FeauX. address unknown.
The most seriously injured are:
William Boyer. New York: back bro
Ken; probably fatal.
Ray Sherwood, Neshoppen; spine in
iured and skull punctured, probably
fatal.
Percival Rcightcrback, leg broken.
Howard Reighterbacl. leg fractured.
Luther IGckcrd. shoulder lacerated.
Crell Sharar. shoulder dislOcated.
Newton Dalton. general contIsions.
Harry C. Goodlinger. right leg bro
ken.
John Seesholtz, general contusions.
John Fisher. arm broken.
William Weiking. general conu-
sions.
Jacob Johnson, fractured leg.
River Rose Rapidly.
The collapse of the bridge was caus-
ed by the rapid rising of the river. The
water rose during the day at the rate
Of almost a foot au hour and debris
carried down the stream by the food
struck the false work of the bridge and
caused its collapse. This theory is
supported by the testimony of one Cf
the workmen who says tnat a large
tree trunk struck the false work just
before the bridge fell
The accident occurred just at night
abandon their work AS a result the
work Of rescuing those who were
thrown and caught in the mass of
twisted iron and steel was greatly re-
rarded. The second span of the bridge
was being erected and It was this sec
tion that fell with the big traveller. The
bodies Of four of those killed We're
found floating on the surface of the
water entangled in the bent and
twisted sirders and iron work. but the
others have not been found
Carried a Mile or More.
Many of the men were carried a mile
or more down the river before they
wer rescued. One of the most mirac-
ulous escapes was that of William Mes.
bet, who was caught in the iron work
and held a prisoner for an hour. with
his mouth and chin above the water
before being rescued.
The bridge was being built bv the
state to replace the one carried away
in a freshet in 1908. The county au-
was only by the passage of the Rose
il in the Legislature of 1904 that the
state was authorized 10 put up the
structure. superintendent LawtOn. in
charge of the construction. and who
was on the bridge when it fell. says he
has not been able to ascertain the
cause of the collapse aside from the
washing away of the false work by the
ligh water.