FALLING BRIDGE TRAPS 20 MEN.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19036, 3 April 1930, Page 4

FALLING BRIDGE TRAPS 20 MEN.

ARE HURLED INTO THE RIVER 30 FEET BELOW

Twenty workmen had miraculous escapes from death recently when they were trapped by the spectacular collapse of an old wooden railway bridge being demolished at Summerseat, near Bury. Six were injured, two seriously. The bridge crashed with a terrific roar, and the men were hurled into a river 35 feet below. Several were pinned down by the fallen mass of timber, and were only saved from drowning by the feverish efforts of rescuers, who waded waist deep into the ice-cold

One man had a terrible ordeal and an extraordinary escape. “This is the finish of me,” he cried, as he saw halfton wooden trestles falling around him, but, to his surprise, they never touched him. The bridge which collapsed spanned the River Irwell at Summerseat. Repairs were proceeding to the bridge prior to its demolition and train traffic was being worked on a single line—fortunately on the opposite side to that which collapsed. A Tremendous Roar. About twenty men were at work, when suddenly the structure collapsed with a tremendous roar, and the men were hurled into the river 30 beet below. Several were trapped by the huge mass of fallen timber. Rescuers, ignoring the biting cold of the water, waded in waist deep and worked feverishly to assist the trapped men. Two of the men were held down by beams and were in danger of drowning, though the river at this point was not more than three or four feet deep. One was held with his head partially under water and was unconscious. A dozen men were required before he could be reached and taken to the railway station for medical treatment. Six men were found to be injured, the following being detained at Bury Infirmary: Walter Massey, aged 30, fracture of the right arm and shock; James Bolton, aged 30, fracture of the base of the skull and shock; Joseph Groves, aged 37, back injuries. The other three, who were discharged after treatment at the infirmary, were Gordon Sharratt, aged 23, J. Heffer, aged 22, and Harold Hill, aged 34. A graphic description of the crash was given by Mr W. Massey, one of the injured. “I was working along with Hill and Sharratt,” he said, “strengthening what was left of the first quarter of the old wooden bridge which was to be removed. The other three were working on another spot of that, section of the bridge which was partially demolished. “ Seemed An Eternity.” “ We were putting in a union screw to strengthen the wooden trestle when suddenly, and without any warning, there was a loud crack and we found the bridge falling away beneath us. We had no warning whatever to give us a chance to save ourselves.

“ It seemed an eternity before I reached the river bed, and as I saw the heavy wooden trestles, each weighing about half-a-ton, falling about me I said to myself: ‘This is the finish of me.’ Fortuately, however, when I hit the river bed I found that four of the trestles had fallen immediately round me without touching me at all. “ I struggled to my feet and, seeing Hill, shouted, * Harold, my arm is broken.’ Hill had already gone to the assistance of Bolton and Groves, who had been pinned to the river bed by the heavy timber.”

One man, John Heffer, made a vain attempt to save himself as the timbers gave way below him, but he fell into the river, and striking a boulder, fractured his shoulder. The bridge passes over the river in the centre of the village, and the crash of falling masonry and timber was heard all over the village.

Imprisoned Under Timber. One of the first on the scene after the accident, Mr John Vassett, said he was taking lunch to a mill nearby when he heard a tremendous crash and when he looked round he saw that half the bidge had collapsed in the river. “My brother and I rushed to the side of the river,” he said, “ and saw the men imprisoned under the timber. We jumped the wall into the river and waded waist deep to their assistance. We could do nothing, however, until further help had arrived, as the timber was too heavy for us to lift.

“ Two men were under one big beam and could not be released until 12 of us lifted it together. Three others were among the wreckage, but less tightly fastened, and we got them to the side. Heffer was some distance away, his jump having carried him clear of the wreckage.” The bridge, it is stated, was erected when the railway service between Manchester and Bacup was first opened nearly a century ago. .Since then it has been repaired on several occasions but is still in its foundations the same bridge that carried the first train 100 years ago.