New Jersey-born Carl Swenson, “an earnest worker for the cause of Socialism and an active member of the Socialist Labor Party,” living on Staten Island traveled to Canada for work constructing the first bridge over the St. Lawrence at Quebec City. Already injured on the job, he was one of over seventy workers, including dozens from the Kahnawake (Mohawk) First Nation who already then had a tradition as iron workers, to die when the partially finished bridge collapsed on August 29, 1907. The completion of the span and its opening took over fifteen years and cost the lives of around 100 of its builders.

‘Carl E. Swenson’ from The Weekly People. Vol. 17 No. 26. September 21, 1907.

To the Daily and Weekly People: We enclose copy of resolution which Section Richmond County, S.L.P., desires published in the Daily and Weekly People. Comrade Swenson became a member of Section Richmond County May 19, 1907, and was ordered to go to Quebec to report for work on the 21st of May last, and he wrote us while at Quebec on July 28th that he had met with an accident to his right hand while at work at the bridge. We also enclose that letter of his. When we read of the bridge disaster there on August 29th, we hoped he was not in the wreck, but the New York Evening Sun published a list of names of the victims, and the second name on the list was that of our comrade, Carl E. Swenson. For verification, we wrote to the Postmaster at Quebec and also to the superintendent of the Phoenix Bridge Company, and were informed by them that our comrade was one of the victims–he had met his fate in the bridge collapse, and the body has not yet been recovered. If recovered, and in condition, it will be sent to his relatives at 209 Amity Street, Flushing, Long Island, New York, for burial.

Yours fraternally,

Bert Clark, Fred Clark, Committee.

New Brighton, N.Y., Sept. 9.

SWENSON’S LETTER

New Liverpool, July 28, 1907.

Dear Comrade:

I am sorry not to have written before this, but on May 21st I had two fingers smashed and had to go to the Jeffrey Hale Hospital in Quebec, where I stayed eight weeks. Thank you ever so much for your promptness. Your letter was waiting for me after the operation.

There are perhaps ten or twelve bridgemen here who see the hopelessness of our present mode of fighting capital, and who are inclined toward anarchy as a remedy. I think all they need is guidance toward right thinking to make them Socialists, and with the De Leon pamphlets I think I can do it, or at least make them consider Socialism in favorable light.

Pay day comes August 3, and then I will send my book in to be stamped for four months.

Yours fraternally, Carl E. Swenson.

RESOLUTIONS.

Whereas, Carl E. Swenson, our loyal and true comrade, has departed into the Unknown from which there is no return, a victim of the great bridge collapse at Quebec, Canada, on August, 29th; and,

Whereas, The deceased comrade was an earnest worker for the cause of Socialism and an active member of the Socialist Labor Party; and, Whereas, By the loss of his exceptional ability and earnest loyalty to the cause, the working class lost one of its most faithful members; therefore be it

Resolved, That we, the members of Section Richmond County, New York. Socialist Labor Party, of which the deceased was a member, extend our heartfelt sympathy to his family and friends in their sad bereavement; and be it also

Resolved, That a copy of these resolutions be sent to the family of the deceased comrade, and that these resolutions be spread on the minutes of the Section, and a copy be sent to the Daily and Weekly People for publication.

New York Labor News Publishing belonged to the Socialist Labor Party and produced books, pamphlets and The People. The People was the official paper of the Socialist Labor Party of America (SLP), established in New York City in 1891 as a weekly. The New York SLP, and The People, were dominated Daniel DeLeon and his supporters, the dominant ideological leader of the SLP from the 1890s until the time of his death. The People became a daily in 1900. It’s first editor was the French socialist Lucien Sanial who was quickly replaced by DeLeon who held the position until his death in 1914. After De Leon’s death the editor of The People became Edmund Seidel, who favored unity with the Socialist Party. He was replaced in 1918 by Olive M. Johnson, who held the post until 1938.

PDF of full issue: https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/the-people-slp/070921-weeklypeople-v17n26.pdf