COLLAPSE OF A SUSPENSION BRIDGE.

Bush Advocate, Volume XXII, Issue 63, 16 March 1910, Page 5

COLLAPSE OF A SUSPENSION BRIDGE.

Mr David Macgregor, of Kielawarra, Huirfcerville, had, on Friday, a most remarkable experience. At his farm, his brother,, Mr John Macgregor, of Auchmore, had some years y ago spanned the Turakina river with a suspension bridge. The river at this 'place runs in a gorge or chasm about a hundred feet in width, and the altitude of the bridge above the water level somewhat exceeds these figures. This bridge, was constructed for wheel traffic and was a'remarkable instance of well directed enterprise and ingenuity. On Friday ,Mr David Macgregor, accompanied by his overseer, was driving a large of valuable liomney rams, over the bridge when some part of the structure —one of the cables, probably, which had been tested up to ninety tons —slipped, and the bridge fell over on its side, precipitating all the sheep into the river, a depth of a hundred feet. By a most remarkable coincidence, just a t this moment neither Macgregor not his attendant was on the bridge, but each was at an end of it, although the chances were entirely in favor of at least one m of them being upon the structure. "* Mr Macgregor and his overseer had certainly a most remarkable escape from death, and will no doubt remember the incident, which might have been so easily a melancholy tragedy.