Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-08-30
BUT few LIVES SAVED
Many Americans Among the
victlms---Steamer Barely
Clears Failing Steel.

Quebec, Aug. 3O.-Seventy-five Or
perhaps so deaths will result from the
collapse of the cantilever bridge span.
ming the St Lawrence river yesterday.
Less than 20 bodies have been recov-
cred. Many of the victims were
crushed in frightful manner and ii
is feared number will never be found
Many More Americans.
A great number of the dead Ame,-
leans were brought by the Phoenix
Bridge company from PhoeniXville,
Pa, which had the contract for the
iron work on the structure.
Boats this morning discovered two
bodies under water in the wreck but
it was impossible to reach them until
the tide goes out. The authorities
are making an investigation to fix the
responsibility.
No Names Given Out.
The number of victims as stated at
the Office of the Phoenix Bridge com
pany today is as follows: Eighteen
Canadians, 2S Indians, II Americans.
The officials would not venture to give
out any names at present. They also
state five Canadians, four Indians and
three Americans were injured.
Half Goes Down.
Quebec, Que, Aug. 30.-One-half of
.@- the enormous eaatilepef-=$l9,e ,e84yADa
bridge being constructed across the
st. Lawrence, six miles from Quebec.
crumpled up and crashed $50 feet into
the river late yesterday afternoon,
carrying to their death so workmen.
a majority of whom were skilled
American mechanics.
OF 80 men who are known to have
been on the section of the bridge
which collapsed only eight escaped un.
hurt.
The bridge, which was nearing
completion, was to have been the
greatest cantilever bridge i'll the
world The cause of the callapse,
which practically split the bridge in
two, leaving one-half tangled mass
of steel in the St Lawrence, is not
known.
Crash Comes without Warming.
Ninety men were at work on thai
half of the bridge extended from the
south shore to midstream. The quit
ting whistle at $3.50 had just blown
and the men were preparing to leave
their work
Suddenly grinding, crunchina
sound from midseream startled tht
men, An instant later those farthes
out screamed "The bridge is falling!
rush shoreward, but the distance wa
too great for them to escape. TIL
fallen section of the bridge draggeI
others with it, the swapping girder
and cables booming like the crashin;
of artillery Terror lent speed to tn
terrified mechanics who had bee
working nearest the shore.
Eight Win Race with Death.
With the bridge crumplins up bt
hind them they ran desperately t
reach the shore.
None of the men reached the shore
but eight who went down with tn
section nearest the land were rescued
This part of the bridge was the on.
section of all that fell that did nj
vanish in the water.
River Closes Over Tragedy.
The steamer Glenmont had jul
cleared the bridge when the first sc
tion fell The waves thrown up
the debris drove clear over the birds
of the steamer. The captain at ONT
lowered boats. The small boats pile
backward and forward over the sunk'
wreckage for half an hour, but the
was no sign of life.
The twisted iron and steel had
victims in a terrible Death grip.
few floating timbers and the brok'
strands of the bridge toward the nor
shore were the only signs that al
thing unusual had happened.
Ten minutes after the crash the
was not ripple on the smooth 81
face of the ST. Lawrence as it swe
along toward the gulf.
Only few of the dead were re
dents of Quebec. They were employ
by the contracting firms which {
building the structure and most
them lived in the United States, a
many of them in PENNSYLVANIA.
At 10 o'clock last night 16 bod
had been picked up and of the eit