Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-09-05
|B|'||R|lIDGE GIVES WAY, AND
81 TRAIN FALLS IN RIVER
field Injured on Chesapeake
eofsks and Ohio.
BRIDGE RECENTLY REBUILT
Span Which Gave Way Was Believed
s to Be Strongest Part Of Structure.
8S* Due to High Water Undermining
Support.

Engineer ]. w. Hurt. siNty-two years
old. and Brakeman George w. Sat;cr-
field. aged thirty-siN. were seriously
hurt when an engine. tender and load
ed coal car plunged through bridge
on the James River division OF the
Chesapeake and Ohio Railway near
Bremo yesterday morninS shortly
after Q o'clock. The injured members
Hospital arriving at 2:15 o'clock yes
terday afternoon.
Examination at the hospital disclosed
the fact that Engineer Hur; was suf-
fertng from fractures OF the left arm
and hip. and his injuries were said 10
be serious but not dangerous. Brake
man Satterfeld sustained a fractured
rived at the hospital An operation
was performed late last night and
was believed 10 have been successful.
When the accident occurred the train
was backing over the James River
bridge on the buckingham division. All
the cars had passed over safely. il was
said. except loaded coal car and the
engine. Just as that part Of the train
passed. the north span OF the hridEe
gave way without warning and crashed
To the river below, carrying the engi-
neer and brakeman and fireman down
with it The fireman escaped without
serious injury.
SFAN WHICH FELL WAS
RECENTLY REBUILT
The wreck occurred at the Bremo
end OF the bride a span which had
recently been rebuilt for distance of
$50 feet. Workmen had been engaged
in this work for the past several weeks,
and it was generally thought that this
end Of the bridge was safe. The Buck
inEham branch. terminating at Rosncy.
senger and freight train due 20 leave
Bremo at Sis for points on the Rock
ingham branch terminating AT Rosney.
The train consisted of two passenger
coaches and four freight cars. 1t was
backed from the Sremo side of the
bridge. as is the custom, and the two
passenger coaches, together with three
freight cars. had passed the span which
had been recently constructed when
the bridge gave way. prccipitating the
locomotive and coal car into the
river beneath, a distance Of twenty or
thirty feet. The noise of the wreck
/, soon brought large number of pco-
pie TO the scene from ali the surround
ing country, scores coming in auto
mobiles from. as far As Dillwyn Buck
Ineham Courthouse and Palmyra. Ply
sicianS were rushed 10 the scene and
rendered such aid as was mediate
lys necessary. Many officials of the
railway company were shortly upon
the scene investigating the disaster.
In the afternoon vast crowds mo-
tored, drove and walked ~ the scene
of the wreck, which presented n pic
ture of great DESTRUCTION. Steps will
Immediately be taken cor the rebuild
ing. of the bridge.
Chesapeake aid Ohio officers said
last night that the bridge had been
considered safe, and II was the opinion
that the structure had been under
mined by recent high water caused by
excessive rainfall during the past sew
eral weeks. Engineer Hurt Is Wild
over and has a son, William hurt, liv-
Ing at Peaks of otter, near IynchhurE.
Brakeman Sattericld is married and
lives with his wife. Mrs. Lillian Sat
terfeld. at Bremo Bluff.