The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-02-11
John A. Yung Has Naf-
 row Escape.
DRIVES TO BRINK or STREAM
Mount Meigs Road is Made lm-
 passabIe by Torrents.
Steel Bridge Which spaas the Three
 MiIe Branch en she Read is Tora from Conerete

Bursting uncontrollably through the dam which failed to cheek It's force, the waters of Three Mile Branch, on Mount Mefgs Road, tore the steel bridge on that road from It's concrete base, bisected the road with . raging tor rent and wrought danger to the life of traveiers of the road, yesterday af- ternoon, as e result of the heavy rains of Tuesday. John A Yung, especially, narrowly. missed being engufed. as ne drove along, uneonscious Of the col- lapse of the bridge, almost to the brink of the torrent, stopping the course of his horse only by sudden turn or its head and a superhuman tug at the reins. f.
 Most of the $50 miles of Montgom- cry Countys improved roads withstood well the test of Tuesdays inundation, with few exceptions. There were ex- captions, the most notable coming in this instance of the steel bridge across Road, at the lEiestric Park dam.
 On Wednesday afternoon the bridge gave way. sueeumbfng to the sustained stress of tons Of water, which had &C., cumulated behind the dam during Tues day and Tuesday night, beginning It's overflow Wednesday.
 By the force of the water the steel bridge was swept from its concrete UaSEg anu buG tONkDHte bAkStAAB Nh0 bounds of the dam. spread over the road. The entire way was rendered impassable in a short time, and the road. at the intersection with the creek. known as Three Mile Branch, was blocked by . raging torrent.
 The collapse of the bridge and the foundation Of the road was rendered all the more dangerous in that it came unawares, and almost in an instant. Travellers, driving out from the city and crossing the perfectly intact bridge. returned to be confronted by the flood.
 John A. Yung tells of his narrow escape. He had driven out Mount Meigs Road during the forenoon, and, while tine head of the water was un- usually high beyond the dam. there were no other indications of the heavy rain of Tuesday. He crossed the bridge in safety.
 Returning. late in the afternoon. he drove his horse at fair pace toward town, and was almost at the Three Mile Branch crossing before he discovered the loss of the bridge, and the flood in the road. He pulled up within few feet of the danger me. with an exer- tion of strength that alone saved him self and his horsel from piunging into the swollen creek.
 Only by a long detour Is it possible for those beyond the creek to reach the city, as it Is impossible at thepr ent flow of the water 60 continue pass age on Mount Meigs Road.
 Only one other instance of road in- undation has been brought to the no-. tice of County Engineer Bullen. The Carter Ezill Road at Catoma. awamp fslt- the force of the flood; the water bring ing about the collapse of the. road in a spot where ft ran across a fill in the low country. This spot. however, was not made impossible.
 Mir. Bullen left the city yesterday for an inspection of the roads of the coun- ey, to ascertain where damage. if any. has been incurred through Tuesdays downpour.
 It Is thought that the less durable wooden bridges. which span streams in districts, suecumbed when the streams became torrents with the heavy rain. So far however, there have been no tidings of bridge or road destruc- ticn throughout the county, with the exception of the two instances cited.
 The rain, while 1t was exceptionally heavy. was not of duration long enough so wreak damage to the roads. To the streams, however, it imparted enorm- ous volumes of water, placing in dam ger the bridges. and where the road ran through the low country the roaa- 1 Ivav ffaaR