QUEBEC – A section of the new bridge across the St. Lawrence River five miles below this city collapsed this afternoon, carrying scores of bridgewaters and mechanics into the water. It is estimated that the loss of life is at least 60 and may exceed that number by 20.

The bridge was about 1½ miles in length, and half of it from the south shore to midstream crumpled up and dropped into the water. Ninety men were at work on this section of the structure, and the whistle had just blown at 5:30 p.m. for the men to quit work for the day when there came a grinding sound from the bridge at midstream. The men turned to see what had happened and an instant later the cry went up, “The bridge is falling!”

50 years ago, 1957

• The Senate tonight passed the compromise Civil Rights bill and sent it to the White House after Sen. Strom Thurmond (D-SC) ended a record-smashing, one-man filibuster against it. The vote was 60-15. The first Civil Rights measure to clear the Senate in 82 years, the bill is considered certain to be signed by President Eisenhower, though it is far from all he asked.

• Discovery of new mile-high mountains in the Artic Ocean fairly near the North Pole was announced today. The mountain range, buried under deep cold waters, was found by American scientists daringly floating during the International Geophysical Year.

25 years ago, 1982

MONTPELIER, Vt. – Officials at the Killington ski resort never guessed they would be skiing in August. But Sunday morning, they were out on the slopes sliding across 3 inches of new snow that fell Saturday night.

• JCPenny, Auburn Mall: We’ve got Atari Great video cartridges, from exciting space chases to brain breakers that challenge your intelligence as well as your reflexes. Just insert a cartridge into the Atari Video Computer System and get ready for hours of beeps, blinks, bops and blasts right on your TV. It’s like having a video arcade in your own home. Reg. $159.95. Now 139.95.