The sun., 1916-09-12
Monster Structure Snaps,
Plunges Is Feet Into
the st. Lawrence.
NINETY MEN
DOWN INTO RIVER
Cabinet Ministers and Off.
GERS Help to Rescue
Many Injured.

SVhhI'' sep Wv" we 'oSs VI
eleven lives To-Day. the attempt to bridge
the st. Lawrence River here resulted In
toy,rs uben tho mas.,v. coc,r. ann,
,ns 500 tons suddenly collapsed and
fell into the river. or the ninety men
caught on the p when 1t began to
sway all were rescued except the eleven
and Of these but four bodies " been
found.
The span was being raised from pom
ICONS and was about hfteen feet above
the water when from some unknown
cause 1t collapsed sank into the
river. which Is 200 feet deep Mt this
place.
The ST. Lawrence was filled with boats
OF every description at the time OF the
accident. ana on the nils along the shore
we're hundreds OF people who came BY
all and 10 see the
ton OF the mighty engineering project.
The Dig steer frame was In tow and OH
fn way TO inc gap which II was ex-
pected to MI. shortly after . 'cDc
the pontoons reached the allotted place
and were Withdrawn by tugs leaving
the massive girder resting on hydraulic
Jacks. Hardly had these begun to raise
the org span mar the crowds shouted
ana. thihking maj they had seen the
most impressive ceremony OF the bridge
RAISING began 10 cav When suddenly
there was a roar OF breaking steel and
me span diVed INTO the water.
N'ne's We" hsr'eo INTO water
The ninety or more men who were on
the water and a majority OF these were
rescued oy the pleasure craft: At a
Ia'e hour oo-hisnt eieveh were Hsted as
deaa ana missing FIRST reports were
much ~eSageera'eo ana gave the list OF
dead AS eighty or ninety.
COL Wi!'iam Mcbain OF Naicartier
lamp teiis a graphic story OF the COL
lapse He says:
y was on the yacht Of Col. Talbot. ex-
NJ. r., who was heading straight for the
bridge with a view to claiming the honor
Of being the first boat under the great
span. We were barely a hundred yards
away when ] noticed h span start TO
give away at the southwest corner. Then
the other corner on the southern side
started to snap.
THE great structure Of steel started
TO crumble and buckle up. The sup
ports on the north side held for. perhaps.
ave seconds. although II seemed longer.
then with a crash like thunder the whole
mass fell in the river. We were nearly
sxamped with the waves.
"A second later not a thing could be
seen. I have no idea of the loss OF life.
! counted seven men at one corner.
They jumped. There was considerable
xrecksge and some of them grabbed
his w~reckage.
Four Men Near Death.
.shmc ~, , 80, ,h. ,on 30 ~
car,iI.ynr ,.i,h 80 man In !, 20 ,s,n
sorl; ~, the snan They had nearly
~ "a ns sp"" ne' !" an.
four MON wo,,d he arnr~eS ,o dsath
with the mass Of crumbling iron. but a
rope which had been tied TO the baske
70 aid the men in landing broke and
they were swung violently in midair but
safe"
i. F. Johnson. president OF the st.
Lawrence and Dominion Br.dg Com
panies. who accompanied by a m
OF engineers inspected the anchor arms
OF the bridge yesterday afternoon. said
Tonight;
We are at a total loss to account
Tor the accident thus far" he said.
The lifting apparatus is still in place
ana Is practically uninjured. 1t Is hard
70 say whether the bridge slipped on
~ ehu bearings or wnether me trusses
VI ,he span raiied' 90 not th'hk l car
express msse't turtner nan ms
Nv D. Cpdegran. representative OF
Ta.soh otilimah A!dehe' ~,
y, VINO installed the hydraunc JACKS aho
u % engineer IN charge Oh INSTALLATION
.Th o,''*e' sad: T.. .....,
~ Ja'Ns are Stui III tHen poSit'o'e