The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1916-10-28

emerged from the smoke. ana ~. -
vivors on the span went on. The dy-
Mantle which the Americans had laid
under the bridge had failed to de-
stroy all the floor, for the specks pass
ed the places where the mines had en-
plodcd. They were reinforced and
came on.
The American machine guns clat
tered again. but the troops of the re-
gent rushed. defiant. They passed the
piers and ran on when. behind them
mighty. thundcrous dctonation-a
conclusion of shock moro than noise
shook N %, as 1t was vibrating all
the rest Of the water front. The clouds
of smoke and dust rose this time from
the base Of the great bridge towers
near the New York shore-thc other
towers already were lost in haze-and
as the cloud cleared the great towers
tottered and crumpled.
Down upon the river. down. down
slowly, evenly at first. and now faster
and faster, the whole mighty span of
Brooklyn bridge was falling with the
towers breaking above it. Down It
fell with its thousands Of specks which
were men upon It. Down. 1t was just
above the water. Now 1t met the wat.
err. The conclusion. the thufder of
the meeting rumbled and rumbled
Like Titan's tuning fork. thousand
yards all trembling, the bridge lay on
the water. Now it was sinking. The
towers had come down on the roadway,
and as they crashed they seemed to
bear the whole bridge below. The tidal
wave from the impact dashed against
the docks before N 81 and travelled
on up the river. Now the water SEEM
ed sucked back. The line Of the bridge
was maelstrom. 1t swirled up and
over the tiny stubs which had been
tower piers. The American artillery
which had ceased firing when the
bridge was falling. doomed back to the
guns on the other side the volley Of
requiem. Brooklyn bridge was gone.
Figures We're struggling in the water
above the maelstrom. Little boats
craft whose purpose could only be to
pick up those drowning men-put out
frsm the New York shore toward the
whirlpools. Shells from the other side
screamed Mt the little boats, warned
them. Then sunk one. The rest turn.
ed back. An hour later Jim Ashby
saw from his window Mt N 81 the
steel towers and spans of Manhattan
bridge fall into the river. Williams
burg bridge and the tunnels. too, were
destroyed, he heard that night Queens
boro bridge. across Blackwells island
would follow the others into the river
as soon as the enemy attempted to
storm it.
But the regents generals were send
ing no more men across steel spans to
test the American temper. They were
Smelling Manhattan thoroughly, sys-
tematically. with their great siege
pieces and howitzers placed in the
parks of Brooklyn and the fields on
Long Island. At midnight. for tho
third time since the landing. the regent
himself-his headquarters were then
near Richmond IIill-scnt an appeal by
wireless to the neutral ministers at
Washington to use their influence with
the president to bring about the sur
render Of New York. which was being
refused by the American mailman
General Stonc-in the face Of COM
pletcly hopeless military situation.
Americans of the greatest power and
influence We're already urging the presl-
dent to the same object. Most Of them
had fed from New York that day. The
others had heard directly Of conditions
The general staff was mad. Stone was
particularly insane. Bainbridge. who
commanded the American army in New
York city was fool. He had been
beaten on Long Island. and with the
regents army in Brooklyn commanding
New York city. he had been out
Unanswered and fanked out of the city
He could not stay there; he must know
that. But he refused to go, and thu
general staff refused to order him out