Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-09-05

Quebec. Aug. o9-The great Quebec
bridge collapsed late this afternoon anu
now the vast mass Of steel work lies
tangled wreck across the st. Lawrence
channel careful estimate places the
loss of life at 81. The bridge fell at ex-
actly q minutes to six this evening just
MS many of the workmen were preparing
10 leave The accident was so terrible IN
its effectiveness in wiplng ont the ives
Of the mon employed that very little is
known as to the cause of the disaster
The bridge was about mile ana
n half in length and half of it, from
the south shore to midstream. crump-
led up and dropped into the water
Ninety men were at work on TINS sec
tion of the structure and the Whls'le
had lust blown at $50 for the men 10
quit work for the day when there
co,,o a grinding sound from the
bridge at midstream. The men turned
"a see what had happened and an IN
slant later the cry went up the
bridge is falling
The men made rush shoreward but
the distance was too great for them 10
escape. The fallen section of the bridge
dragged others after II, the swapping
girders and cables booming like crash
of artillery. Terror lent fleetness TO the
feet of the frightened workmen as they
sped shorcward but only a few of them
reached safety before the last piece of
,ronwork on the south shore was dragged
into the river.
STEAMER SEARCHED FOR BODIES.
Near the shore the wreCkage of the
bridge did not go below the surface OF
the water and eight worlImcn who re-
NAMED above water were rescued and
taken TO the hospital at Lewis.
The steamer Genmont had Just cleared
the bridge when the first section fell
Tho water thrown up by the debris came
clear over the bridge Of the steamer
The captain at once lowered boats. Tho
small boats piled backward and forward
over the sunken wrcckage for half ar
hour but there was sign Of life. TIL
twisted iron and steel held its victims
in a terrible death grip. A few floating
tmbers and the broken strands of tht
bridge toward the north shore were the
only signs that anything unusual haC
happened. There was not ripple or
the smooth surface Of the St. Lawrence
as It swept along toward the gulf.
All the men drowned were cmploye:
OF the Phocnixville Bridge compan,
md subcontractors of Quebec an'
Montreal.
SIXTEEN BODIES RECOVERED
At ten o'clock tonight 16 bodies ha'
been picked up and Of the eight mel
In the Lewis hospital two are not ex
pected to live throughout tho night
The Quebec bridge was begun abou
seven years ago and II was to be fin
1shcd in 1909. Subsidies had beer
granted by tho federal and provincial
governments and the city of Qucbe
pnd the estimated cost of the worl
was 100000 900.
The Phocnixville Bridge company o
PENNSYLVANIA had the contract for tn
construction OF the bridge ana wcr
working from both sides of the river
500 FEET WITHOUT SUPPORT.
Tho southern extension Of the bridg
which collapsed was rapidly nearing
the zenith sof the immense steel arc
which was to span the river. Fo
eight hundred feet from the shore tn
massive steel structure reared an arc
with no supports save the piers lroi
the shore and one pier in the rive
about $50 feet from the shore, Will
the outward extremity was $50 fec
above the water.
The end OF the half arch bent dow
a trife and a moment later the Who'll
enormous fabric began to give way
slowly at first then with terrif
crash which was plainly heard /
Quebec and which shook the Who'll
countryside so that the inhabitant
rushed out of their houses thinkin
that an earthquake had occurred.
OF the 92 men working on the bridg
eight have so far been rescued alive. Z
the other S4, lG have been taken from tn
winter. all dead, and II Is feared that a
the others. or most Of them, have bee
either drown or crushed by the falin
girlers.
CAN HEAR WOUNDED sIIRIEI<INc
The horror of the situation IL increase
by the fact that there are a number ,
wounded men pinned in the wreckaa
near the shore Their groans and SHREK
can ha nlanly heard by the anxiol