Granby, QB Bridge Swept By Flood, Apr 1869

THE DISASTER AT GRANBY -- A BRIDGE SWEPT AWAY BY THE FLOOD -- ELEVEN LIVES LOST.

To the Editor of the Montreal Daily Witness:
At 7:40 this evening the writer and others were standing on the bridge at Granby, watching the high state of the river, and also the cars slowly passing the embankment to the depot. Just as I passed along the bridge from the south side, and was going off on the north side, I found the bridge sway, as if it was a drawbridge. I ran off the north end, and in less time than I write this the south end of the bridge fell with a crash, and hurried to another and, it is to be hoped, a better world, all those on the bridge at the time. Among them were as far as known at present, 8 P. M., PATRICK HACKETT, Esq., who was on the middle of the bridge when I met him; MR. EDWARD GILMOUR and son, EDWARD, about 12 years old; MRS. H. S. C. MINER and child, CORA; MRS. SARGENT, her mother; MRS. JOHN BRADFORD and her sister, MISS HARVEY, with MR. JOHN BRADFORD'S two children -- all the family except himself, and MRS. G. HARVEY. There was a little boy, ROUSSEAU, went down with the others, but got caught in the timbers. Ropes were got, and MR. WM. HARVEY, with great courage, and at the risk of his life, with a rope round his waist, brought him up not much the worse. The excitement, of course, is dreadful, and the lamentations of those looking for their lost ones is pitiable in the extreme.
The north end of the bridge on which I was, did not give way from the stone abutment; but the south end went down with a crash into the water, carrying its living freight with it. Not a noise (except the crash) or scream was heard; it was so awfully sudden they never knew what hurt them. The river is now higher than ever it has been since I came here, about twenty-three years ago. The bulkhead of the dam above gave way this morning, and afterward MR. HARVEY'S flume, part of which, some say, struck the south abutment, being thereby the cause of the accident. One of the culverts or small bridges between here and Waterloo is gone.
Yours, &c., R. NICOL.
Granby, Wednesday, April 21, 1869

The New York Times New York 1869-04-28

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Researched and Transcribed by Stu Beitler. Thank you, Stu!