No way out in bridge collapse (1 worker missing presumed dead)

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.omaha.com/article/20100617/NEWS01/706179914#no-way-out-in-bridge-collapse

By David Hendee
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER

NORFOLK, Neb. — The quickly cascading death throes of a collapsing railroad bridge made escaping it impossible for three railroad workers who were dumped into the raging Elkhorn River, witnesses said.

The tumbling bridge creaked and groaned as steel girders strained. Rails seemed to stretch — and momentarily hold the spans — before ripping out of the ground on the south bank, said brothers Raun and Randy Matteo of Norfolk.

Two Nebraska Central Railroad Co. workers survived the collapse Tuesday. One remained missing Wednesday. The railroad has not identified the employees.

“Those guys just took off running as much as they could, but they didn't have a chance,'' said Raun Matteo, who witnessed the bridge tumble as he was watching to see if the rising waters would threaten his business.

Two of the railroad workers ran toward the north end of the bridge. One ran south.

Randy Matteo said the falling spans dropped all three men into the flood-swollen river.

FULL story at link.

[Myrina]

1. ... another reason why we need a new WPA/CCC

... our country is falling down around our ears, yet we continue to spend unnecessary gazillions on the Military Industrial.
Hire unemployed folks, and bring troops back stateside, to do the civil engineering, painting, planting etc we so desperately need - the money that flows to their bank accounts will stay in their communities (local taxes, supporting small businesses, paying mortgages which means keeping home values up, schools funded etc.) and IMO is about the only way out of this never-ending-recession ...