The Bridge of Boscochioro

Don Moses Lionello, the village priest, had organized the procession. Like other processions throughout Italy last week on "Children's Sunday," it was intended to rally resistance against the Communist Party's youth drive. Grave, grey Don Moses walked backwards at the head of the column, leading the singing of Oh Mary, How Beautiful Thou Art. Facing him were 150 little girls in dresses of white tulle with long white veils, and 200 other children in their best Sunday clothes, all from the village of Boscochiaro near Venice. Pretty five-year-old Ivana Pirollo clutched a bouquet of flowers. Ten-year-old Maria Bessan carried her eleven-month-old brother Luigi.

As the procession was crossing the wooden footbridge over the 130-ft.-wide Gorzone Canal, the children had reached the second verse, which begins: "And When in Heaven Together We'll Sing." Before the eyes of parents watching the procession, two wooden pillars supporting the middle of the bridge buckled and crashed. Don Moses and 72 little girls fell 25 feet into the canal.

Onlookers plunged to their rescue. Sixteen youths who were playing bowls nearby leaped into the mass of choking children. Fisherman Bruno Pirollo pulled four little girls out, dived in again to search for his own Ivana. He did not find her. Don Moses Lionello dragged out two little girls, became hysterical. Maria Bessan had tightly hugged eleven-month-old Luigi during the fall, but had lost him struggling in the water.

Within half an hour all but 15 of the little girls and infant Luigi had been rescued, but all that day & night the canal was dragged for bodies while weeping parents watched. Then people began to ask why the bridge had collapsed. Only last December, at Don Moses Lionello's request, the bridge had been repaired. Some turned upon white-haired Gioacchino Bozzato who had built the bridge five years before. Builder Bozzato had no explanation. Among the missing children were his daughters, 13-year-old Dirce and one-year-old Albina, and an eleven-year-old niece Rosa.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.