The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1854-06-01
DESTRUCTION OF THE WHEELING BRIDGE
The " heeHng Encouragement q tIt utn
gives the following particulars OF the DIES
,ruction o the bridge at Wheeling, Va

v The W heelDg Iatclll.ehcer oi tht o'h'
gives the following particulars OF the des,
,ructon Of the bridge at Wheeling, Va
\ During the forenoon Of yesterday, high
storm o! Wind prevailed, which towards
noon increased a .meet to hurricane alohe
the valley OF the river, breaking vessels at
their moor'ngs and causing great aesas'a-
ton. About three o'clock We walked up to-
Wards the suspension bridge, anu went Y 'oh
il, and intending to walk across Il Tor pieae
sure, is we have frequently done, enjoying
the cool breeze aud the unduhting motion
81 the bridge. We discovered thatone ~ Tue
guys. or small iron cables extending from
the hooting to the WALL near the base ct the
east alutment, Was broken from IT. hasten.
my. and several OF it, stones Wfehsaeu
apart About hundred yards thlther en-
We saw that ane, and only oac, q tiie sua'
penders to which the floor is sWunr, WAS
broken. These we're but slight damages
but rs we had never before seen the bfitse
effected even to this extent hs gales, anu us
il began to sway violently, We fAoughi ~
prudent t. retrace our steps. We had been
off The flooring only few minutes and We're
Oh Main street when we saw persons run
min. towards the river bank; We followed
lust in time 10 SEE the whole structure OF
cables and flooring heavlng AMI dashing
with tremendous force
Fpr a few moments we watched 1t WIN
hrcu,hless anxiety, lunging like snip III
the storm: at one time il rose to nearly 'He
height of the towers, then fell, and twisted
and writhe,i. and WIS dashed almost bottom
upwafd At last there seemed = he Mis'
along the entire span, about one-haii q the
iporing being nearly reversed and down
went tie immense structure from us dlzzv
heirhth 10 the stream below, with an apPai-
linz crash aud rear Nearly the entire
structure struck the water at the same NJ
slant, dashing ap an uhbFoA column OF
foam across the river, To tn height q al
least forty feet
Amid the confusion Of the wreck, We
cannot accurately estimate the extent 81 the
damage. All the cables except two eh me
North side are torn fruE the towers IN
the South side. all the cables except one
are torn from their anchorage, ia the heavy
masonry Oh Main street, and wltA such
violence were they ierkcd from this piece
of masonry, that enc s,ona weighing about
I5Oo rounds. was thrown distance q some
feet. The large iron gate nj this end u tn
NF8LINs. W AZ SHY 81 ~ ~ AAhtAN8 'tat
house completely demolished; Dir. J. Bell
the toll-keeper making q yery harf9"
escane With lis life On the Island, at the
west end at TIA brldga, He learn that ba
one cable broke from the anchorage lHe
entire woodwork lies N the river ana on tae
shores The cublcs also stretched across
the river. sunk To tie bottom. Solar as We
can discover, only two Of the cables are
snapped asunder, and that un tn outside q
the towers, Tie rt-t Of the hFeakage beng
at Their connections with the anchors.
Fer the mechanical solution OF the uneN-
pected fan 81 this .tuPcadaus structure, We
must await futars developments. We Wit
messed the terrific scene, and 81" that i
was brought about by the tremendous we
lence Of the gale Tie great body OF the
flooring and the suspenders. t9rmifg some
thing like basket, swung between The
towers. was s~aytd To and iro, Eke the No
ton ot a pendulum The cables q the
south side we're finally thrown III the apex
ii the eastern tower, rctCIniug their post
ton Oh the tower 81 the opposite SIDE 81
the river TINS destroyed the equilibrium
of the swinging body: and each vibration
giving it increased momentum, the eAbies,
which sustained the whole structure, were
unable 10 resist force operating on taam
in 50 many different directions, and We're
literally twisted and wrrnchad from Their
fastenjrgs
Tie flooring e. i struck the water was
broken into three sections, ana extended
across the river, entirely bi5ckadng the
channel fora mile. Last evening that por-
ton across the channel, was cut away and
removed hy tho steamer L. Swami, 50 that
the channel is now tree tor the passage vi
boats.
We cannot estimate the inconvenience
which si! be caused to trade and travel
and the matt transit, by the loss Of this
bridge II II one Of the heaviest calamitie-
which has ever fallen on our city, but we be,
licye the enterprise and public spirit Of on:
citizens will repair the loss a. speedily aa
any community could possibly do. Tempo
rary ferry boats have been provided, anc
their places will be supplied by the bsst
which can b. procured. FIR further ar
rangemenis, We look hopefully TO tbs
future.
1t i. a source Of qualification that no live:
were lost by this disaster.
The cost Of this structure was about
mn