Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1911-08-25
10 CARRIED
DOWN WITH
The BRIDGE
UNPQUA BRIDGE WHILE BEING
REPAIRED FALLS-FIVE MEN
ARE KILLED AND FIVE OTHERS
ARE SERIOUSLY INJURED.


were almost instantly killed and five
others were injured, four seriously
I late Yesterday, when the big wooden
bridge spanning the Umpqua river, in
Coles valley, is miles northwest Of
Roseburg, collapsed and fell to the
yater, a distance of about 60 feet.
The Dead.
I Gary Brown Roseburg, single; Pc
/ ter Mcfarland, Curry county, single;
{ William Accusta, Perdue, Douglas
| county, married; Charles Gardiner,
Roseburg, single; William Belieu,
Roseburg, single.
/ The Injured,
I ri Thornton, Green Valley, single,
back injured, will recover; Ray VIII
| son, Wilbur, single, back injured;
Glenn Wilson, Wilbur, single, leg
broken between the knee and ankle;
Henry Van Hynning, Umpqua ferry,
married, hip injured; Frank Gillian,
Winchester, married, bruised about
the head
All the killed and injured we're
members of the Douglas county
bridge gang, and had been at work
repairing the Inflated structure for
about three weeks With the south
end of the bridge intact, the crew this
morning began removing the false
work to the opposite end of the struc-
ture to replace some defective eye
beams.
They had only partly completed the
task when the whole span suddenly
quivered and an instant later crashed
to the water below The entire crew
was removing the floor planking when
the collapse came, and none was able
/ to escape.
Farmers Save Injured.
The noise made by the falling bridge
was heard by neighboring farmers,
who Immediately rushed to the scene
of the accident and began the task Of
| rescuing the unfortunate men.
/ Gary Brown, foreman of the gang
under County Bridge Builder Fields,
/ Peter Mcfarland and Charles Gar
diner were dead when found. 1t is
believed that they were instantly
killed. william Accusta was alive
when removed from the wreckage, but
expired before he could be carried to
| q nearby farmhouse.
William Belieu, whose skull was
crushed, lived for about two hours.
With the bodies of the dead recov-
cred, the rescuers directed their at
tention to caring for the injured. With
/ splendid discipline, the farmers car
rled the wounded men to nearby
farmhouses, where everything pos
sible to relieve their pain was done,
awaiting the arrival of physicians
( from Rosebnrg and Oakland
One Falls Through Hole.
AS soon as the news of the acci-
dent was received here, County Judge
Wonacott asked the services of every
available physician The doctors left
here for the scene of the accident in
automobiles. On their arrival they
Immediately began the task of caring
for the injured, and not until late in
the night did they leave their charges
and return to town.
With the exception of Frank Gill
liam, the injured men were terribly
hurt, their wounds consisting chiefly
of scalp and spinal injuries.
! Gillian, who was standing a few
feet from his companions, dropped
through a hole in the floor of the
bridge and into the water below. His
sole injuries consist of badly swol-
len cheek and cash above the right
eye,
Some Pathetic Scenes.
Pathetic scenes followed the trag-
edy At times men could not refrain
from weeping Particularly sad was
the arrival of Ray Brown and his
daughter, who had previously been
informed of the accident, When told
that his son was dead the aged man
swooned Later he was taken in
charge by friends and persuaded to
return home,
The bodies of the dead were brought
here tonight and are at a local under
taking establishment, where they are
being prepared for burial
An inquest will be held over the
bodies tomorrow morning under the
direction Of Coroner Jewett.
The ill-fated bridge was Of wood
construction and was built in 1891, at
a cost Of $4,000, 1t was 1872 feet long
and had but one span. Its destruction
is complete A steel bridge will prob
ably be erected to replace It.
On account Of the popularity of the
men killed and injured the news
spread fast and IL is estimated that
fully goo Roscburg people visited the
scene in the early evening OF these
many went out of curiosity, while
others donated their services in as
sisting the injured.
Some people are so moor that they
are really perky about Il.