The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-09-11
S|GHTSEERS DROWN wI OVERLOADED 'D'aiIDGE GIVES WAY
Spectators Watching Rescue Party Plunged Into River. Nets Used to Catch
 Bodies
By Associated Press

Chester, Pa. September 1O.-Bs, l tween 25 and 90 persons were drowned or crushed to death and | more than a score of others were in jured here tonight when the foot path of the Third Street bridge over Chester river collapsed The dead and injured were part of a crowd of approximately 75 persons that had gathered on the structure to watch the efforts of police in graphing for had drowned a half hour before. Many of the dead are women and children.
 The bridge was an old fashioned structure 90ifeet long and cleared the water by about 20 feet It carried two trolley tracks across the stream and had one foot path. The river is about 15 feet deep where the accident occurred.
 An hour and half after the col lapse more than 20 bodies had been removed to the morgue. At that time seven seriously injured persons were in the Chester hospital.
 All dNdiIdDie pOliSc anu TIT IeHicn were summoned for the work of res- cue and searchlights were provided from nearby plants.
 A great crowd gathered at the morgue as the bodies were brought in, and police guard had to be thrown about the place to ain frantic persons who rushed to the building to see if relatives or friends were among the dead.
 The child that was drowned had been playing on the banks of he stream and slipped into the water and sank. Police were summoned and quickly threw out graphing irons from a rowboat. In the mean time, news of the drowning spread, and women and men rushed to the bridge in fear the child, whose iden- tity was not known. was their own. As the police grappied in the murky water around the coal and ice barges, the crowd grew, and suddenly there was cracking sound heard, and one end of the footpath gave way. Those who fell into the water first had no chance to ss cape, as others came tumbling uf on them. They sank, and police believe were forced to the bottom of the stream and are still imbedded in the mud
 E. J. White, the coroner, was on the scene shortly after the collapae of the bridge. At g o'clock more than a score of bodies had been taken to the morgue. As the dead were carried in. men, women and ch;i- dren surged about the place. Mothers sought children and husbands were looking for their wives or children. They were not admitted to the morgle for some time and the situation became such that police were sum moned from the scene of the bridge collapse to the morgue. Citizens also were pressed into service as guards by the coroner
 Use Nets to Hold Bodies
 The accident happened just as tfe tide was at ebb. Rescuers realized that it soon would flow out and pos sibly carry bodies into the Della ware river. Fire department ladders were stuck into the water so as to form a screen and prevent any bodies in the river from going out with the tide. Fishing nets also were used for this purpose.
 Only the footway on the bridge collapsed. The rest of the bridge remained intact and was sufficiently strong to permit a score of men to do rescue work from 1t. On the river 30 launches and rowboats worked under searchlights as the tide flowed out.
 The scene of the accident Is near the business section of the city.